[Prognostic value of skeletal muscle measured by CT at the T4 level in advanced EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with ecotinib].

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of skeletal muscle measured by CT at the level of the fourth thoracic vertebra (T4) in advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with ecotinib. Methods: The study retrospectively reviewed clinical and pathological characteristics of 176 patients with advanced EGFR-positive NSCLC who received ecotinib and underwent chest CT scans at Wuhan Union Hospital between January 2017 and October 2020. Among them, 70 were male and 106 were female, with ages ranging from 27 to 80 (58.6±10.6) years. As of August 21, 2021, the median follow-up duration was 19.2 months (95%CI: 15.3 to 23.7 months). The optimal cut-off value of skeletal muscle density (T4-SMD) on CT images at the T4 level were determined using X-tile software. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test were used to plot progression-free survival curves. Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to analyze factors influencing 1-year progression-free survival (PFS), and a nomogram prognostic model was constructed accordingly. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were utilized to evaluate the predictive value of the nomogram. Results: The T4-SMD [M (Q1,Q3)] of 176 patients was 42.56 (37.05, 45.93) HU. Patients were divided into low T4-SMD group (n=122) and high T4-SMD group (n=54) based on the cut-off value (The values for males and females were 49.44 and 41.41 HU, respectively) of T4-SMD. The median PFS time and 1-year PFS rate in the low T4-SMD group were significantly lower than those in the high T4-SMD group [10.4 (95%CI: 9.3-11.8) vs 13.7 (95%CI: 11.1-18.5) months, 36.1% vs 59.3%, respectively, P=0.034]. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (HR=3.308, 95%CI: 1.183-9.247, P=0.023), lactate dehydrogenase level (HR=1.852, 95%CI: 1.037-3.307, P=0.037), systemic immune-inflammation index (HR=1.772, 95%CI: 1.019-3.080, P=0.043), and T4-SMD (HR=0.563, 95%CI: 0.325-0.974, P=0.040) were prognostic factors for 1-year PFS in advanced EGFR-positive NSCLC patients treated with ecotinib. A nomogram for predicting 1-year PFS of advanced EGFR-positive NSCLC patients treated with ecotinib was constructed based on the four indicators selected by multivariate Cox regression analysis. The area under the ROC curve of the nomogram was 0.775 (95%CI: 0.676-0.874). The calibration curve showed good consistency between the predicted and actual 1-year PFS. DCA demonstrated good clinical prediction effectiveness of the nomogram. Conclusion: Low T4-SMD is a prognostic risk factor for patients with advanced EGFR-positive NSCLC receiving icotinib therapy.

[Ameliorative effect of rare ginsenosides on reproductive injury induced by cyclophosphamide in female rats: based on metabonomics].

Objective: To investigate the effect of rare ginsenosides (RGS) on reproductive injury induced by cyclophosphamide (CP) in female rats. Methods: Twenty-four female rats were divided into four groups [normal control (NC), RGS, CP, and CP+RGS group] with 6 rats in each group. CP group (the model group) and CP+RGS group (the treatment group) were intraperitoneally injected with CP 30 mg/kg for 5 days for modeling, and CP+RGS group was given RGS intragastric intervention. General growth status of rats in each group was observed, the organ index was calculated, and the pathological changes of ovary, uterus, liver and kidney were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Serum levels of estradiol, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), pro-inflammatory factors interleukin (IL) 6, IL-1ß, tumor necrosis factor-α were detected. The urine samples were collected after RGS treatment for metabonomics analysis. Metabolomic profiling based on ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) was used to analyze and determine the urine metabolites of rats in each group. Results: Compared with NC group, the ovary index of CP group [(0.054±0.015) %] was significantly decreased (P<0.05), the uterus index [(0.293±0.036) %] and estradiol level [(62.9±6.4) pmol/L] were significantly decreased (all P<0.01), serum levels of FSH, LH, IL-6 and IL-1ß [(20.4±1.0) U/L, (29.0±3.0) U/L, (185.4±28.6) ng/L, (72.9±2.0) ng/L, respectively] were significantly increased (all P<0.01). Compared with CP group, the ovary index in CP+RGS group [(0.075±0.010) %] was significantly increased (P<0.05), serum estradiol level [(122.1±16.2) pmol/L] was significantly increased (P<0.01), serum FSH, IL-1ß and IL-6 levels [(16.7±1.0) U/L, (111.8±17.4) ng/L, (60.1±2.2) ng/L, respectively] were significantly decreased (all P<0.01). Metabonomics analysis results showed that, a total of 352 metabolites were detected in urine, of which 12 were found to be potential markers associated with reproductive injury according to the screening standard. After treatment with RGS, differential metabolites were improved in the direction of NC group. Pathway enrichment suggests that the therapeutic effect of RGS was related to multiple metabolic pathways, including purine metabolism and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. Conclusion: RGS might reduce inflammation and thus ameliorate the damage caused by CP to the reproductive system of female rats by affecting purine metabolism and other pathways.

[Comparative analysis of metagenomic and 16S rDNA sequencing in gut microbiota of healthy elderly].

Objective: To explore the differences in subsequent analysis between metagenomic and 16Sr DNA sequencing in compositionally characterizing gut microbiota of healthy elderly. Methods: By using a panel study design, five monthly repeated measurements were performed among 76 healthy older people in Jinan City, Shandong Province. Their fecal samples were collected, and genomic DNA was extracted and analyzed through metagenomic and 16Sr DNA sequencing to compare the composition and diversity of gut microbiota. The correlation between species abundance and α diversity was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis, and the correlation between species abundance and ß diversity was determined by Procrustes analysis. Results: The age of 76 participants was (65.07±2.75), and the body mass index was (25.03±2.40) kg/m2. There were 38 males and 38 females. A total of 345 fecal samples were obtained from five monthly repeated measurements. Compared with 16S rDNA sequencing, metagenomic sequencing showed more annotated species at each level. The difference in the number of two sequencing species increased with the decrease of the level. Although there were significant differences in species richness between the two sequencing methods. Their species richness was highly correlated at both phylum (r=0.88, P<0.001) and genus (r=0.77, P<0.001) levels. Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the common dominant species. Gut microbiota diversity analysis further showed that there was a significantly positive correlation between α diversity (r=0.70, P<0.001) and ß diversities (M2=0.84, P<0.05) in the two groups. Conclusion: The annotation efficiency of metagenomic sequencing is much higher than that of 16S rDNA sequencing. The two sequencing methods are consistent in phylum abundance as well as α diversity.

[Analysis on poor efficacy factors in the treatment of recurrent/refractory B-cell lymphoma with CD19 CAR-T cells].

Objective: To investigate the factors influencing the efficacy of CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells in the treatment of patients with relapsed refractory B cell lymphoma and to provide evidence for further improvement of CAR-T efficacy. Methods: A total of 34 patients with relapsed and refractory B-cell lymphoma were recruited from the Department of Hematology of Tianjin First Central Hospital from February 2017 to January 2019. All patients received CD19 CAR-T cell therapy. These patients were evaluated for efficacy, factors with poor efficacyand adverse effects. Results: The overall response rate was 58.8% (20/34) and the complete remission rate was 41.2% (14/34) after infusion of CD19 CAR-T cells in 34 patients with relapsed refractory B cell lymphoma. According to the efficacy of CAR-T cells, patients were divided into two groups, 20 in the effective group and 14 in the poorly effective group. The median am ount of CD19 CAR-T cell infusions in these two groups were 8.6 (5.0-12.7)×10(6)/kg and 9.7 (5.8-15.0) × 10(6)/kg, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.654). The percentage of CD19 CAR-T cells in the effective group and the poorly treated group was 10.28% (3.92%-44.16%) and 4.05% (0.92%-28.63%), respectively.The effective group had a higher proportion of CAR-T cells than the poorly treated group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.371).The presence of massive mass was an unfavorable factor affecting the efficacy of CD19 CAR-T cells and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.001). Logistic regression multivariate analysis showed that the characteristics of massive tumors were still independent prognostic factors for poor efficacy of CD19 CAR-T cells (P=0.005, OR=0.039). Of all 34 patients, there were 70.6% (24/34) who showed varying degrees of adverse reactions after the infusion of CD19 CAR-T cells, mainly cytokines release syndrome (CRS). The median time of occurrence of fever was on the third day after infusion (0-11th) day. 16 patients were with grade 1 CRS, 7 with grade 2, and 1 with grade 3. After glucocorticoids and support treatment, they all showed improvements. Conclusions: CD19 CAR-T cell therapy has achieved a certain effect in CD19(+)B cell lymphoma, but has poor efficacy on some patients. Large mass tumors may be an adverse factors to CAR-T cell treatment.

[Analysis of The Quality of Pneumoconiosis Network Direct Report in Sichuan during 2006-2016].

Objective: To evaluate the quality of Pneumoconiosis Network Direct Report in Sichuan Province in 2006-2016. Methods: download all the pneumoconiosis report cards from the Network Direct Report system. Screen out cards based on the diagnosis time that is between January 1st 2006 and December 31st 2016. Using R 3.4.0 software to analysis the number of missing or repeated cards, time-logical error rates, timeliness, reporting year, reporting intervals to evaluate the quality of Pneumoconiosis Network Direct Report and location distribution. Results: there are 38 855 pieces of Pneumoconiosis report card in total in 2006-2016. 352 pieces of cards were reported twice. 224 cards were missing. 229 cards have time-logical error. The rate of timely reporting for 2006-2016 years was 66.41% (2 5453/38 326) , 67.14% (24 658/36 726) for new cases, 58.87% (783/1 330) for promoting cases and 4.44% (12/270) for deaths. 87.38% (33 490/38 326) patients was reported in the same year. 10 days was needed to finish one report, confirming-filling cost much more time than filling-report (9.865/49.019) . Conclusion: the records of pneumoconiosis report cards are much more complete, logical errors are less, and the timeliness was a little bit higher than the average level in China. But it also should be improved. The death cases are difficult to report. It takes longer to diagnose and fill in cards. Improving the timeliness rate can significantly improve the quality of network direct reporting.

[Effects of metabolic surgery on islet function in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes].

Type 2 diabetes is a high-profile global public health problem, particularly in Asia. The young age of onset, low body mass index, and early appearance of pancreatic islet dysfunction are characteristics of Asian patients with T2DM. Metabolic surgery has become the standard treatment for T2DM patients and can significantly improve T2DM through a variety of mechanisms including modulation of energy homeostasis and reduction of body fat mass. Indeed, restoration of islet function also plays an integral role in the remission of T2DM. After metabolic surgery, islet function in Asian T2DM patients has improved significantly, with proven short-term and long-term effects. In addition, islet function is an important criterion and reference for patient selection prior to metabolic surgery. The mechanism of islet function improvement after metabolic surgery is not clear, but postoperative anatomical changes in the gastrointestinal tract leading to a number of hormonal changes seem to be the potential cause, including glucagon-like peptide-1, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, peptide YY, ghrelin, and cholecystokinin. The authors analyzed the current retrospective and prospective studies on the effect of metabolic surgery on the islet function of Asian T2DM patients with a low BMI and its mechanism, summarized the clinical evidence that metabolic surgery improved islet function in Asian T2DM patients with a low BMI, and discussed its underlying mechanism. It is of great significance for realizing personalized and precise treatment of metabolic surgery and further improving its clinical benefits.

Comparison between use of direct oral anticoagulants and aspirin for risk of thromboembolism complications in patients undergoing total knee and hip arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Total knee and hip arthroplasty are one of the most commonly consistently successful surgeries in orthopedics worldwide. Literature has reported that depending upon the age and co-existing treatments, patients undergoing total knee and hip arthroplasty are often prone to increased risks of developing venous thromboembolic complications. In such cases, chemoprophylaxis with either direct oral anticoagulant therapy with factor-Xa inhibitors (i.e., rivaroxaban, apixaban, dabigatran) and aspirin are widely recommended. Recent surveys suggest that direct oral anticoagulants and aspirin have comparable efficacy. However, there is no consensus in the literature as to which drug is the safest. Therefore, in this review, we shall attempt to evaluate the comparative efficacy between direct oral anticoagulant drugs and aspirin in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. To compare risk of venous thromboembolism complications between use of direct oral anticoagulant drugs and aspirin in patients undergoing total knee and hip arthroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sensitive and specific analysis of the literature was performed according to the Cochrane and written according to PRISMA guidelines (Supplementary Table I). Five electronic databases (Web of Science, Embase, CENTRAL, Scopus, and Medline) were evaluated. To compare the efficacy between the drugs we conducted a random-effect meta-analysis according to the outcome (bleeding complications, venous thromboembolism or pulmonary embolism) and overall mortality in patients undergoing total knee and hip arthroplasty. RESULTS: Overall, 993 studies were found of which 117 had their full texts evaluated. A total of 161,463 patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty with mean age equal 66.2 ± 5.0 years were identified in 14 studies. Higher risks of venous thromboembolism (OR: 1.56 95% CI 1.21-2.01), pulmonary embolism (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.31 -2.04) and overall mortality (OR: 1.35, 95% CI 1.04-1.74) for patients receiving aspirin were verified as compared to direct oral anticoagulant drugs. Subsequently, we further observed that the risks of bleeding complications (OR: 0.89 95% CI 0.67-1.18) were insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: The study reports higher risks of venous thromboembolism, pulmonary embolism, and overall mortality for the patients receiving aspirin before undergoing.

Does prior arthroscopic procedure impact outcomes of knee arthroplasty? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Despite generally favorable outcomes following knee arthroscopy, a certain subset of patients inevitably develops progression of knee disease, necessitating subsequent total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Therefore, the evaluation of TKA outcomes following arthroscopy has emerged as a major area of research. The aim of the current review is to measure the impact of prior arthroscopy on functional and adverse outcomes following TKA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literature search was conducted in the databases including Medline, EMBASE, PubMed Central, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Cochrane library from inception until April 2021. Meta-analysis with random-effects model was conducted to calculate pooled odds ratio (OR) or standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) depending on the type of outcome. RESULTS: In total, 9 studies with 185,013 participants were included in the review. The majority of the studies were conducted in the USA and China. Almost all the studies had low quality as per Newcastle Ottawa (NO) scale. The pooled SMD for functional outcome was -0.19 [95%CI: -0.30 to -0.09], while the pooled OR for revision rate was 1.53 (95% CI: 1.21 to 1.92). In terms of postoperative complications, the pooled OR for stiffness was 1.55 (95% CI: 0.92-2.61), infection was 1.39 (95%CI: 1.17-1.67), aseptic loosening was 1.93 (95% CI: 1.19-3.11), VTE was 1.06 (95% CI: 0.83-1.35), and MUA was 1.33 (95% CI: 1.13-1.57) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Prior arthroscopy has significant impact on the functional and adverse clinical outcomes following TKA. Surgeons need to develop a comprehensive intervention plan to manage these high-risk patients and reduce the rate of postoperative complications.

Long non-coding RNA SNHG7 promotes migration and invasion of melanoma via upregulating SOX4.

Since this article has been suspected of research misconduct and the corresponding authors did not respond to our request to prove originality of data and figures, "Long non-coding RNA SNHG7 promotes migration and invasion of melanoma via upregulating SOX4, by C. Zhang, B. Zhu, X.-B. Li, Y.-Q. Cao, J.-C. Yang, X. Li, Y.-X. Liu, Y.-B. Wang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (11): 4828-4834-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201906_18069-PMID: 31210315" has been withdrawn. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/18069.

[Efficacy and safety of CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells for the treatment of 22 patients with B-cell lymphoma].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) lymphocytes for the treatment of B cell lymphoma. Methods: A total of 22 patients with B-cell lymphoma from February 1, 2017 to July 1, 2018 were reviewed to evaluate the efficacy and adverse reactions of CD19 CAR-T. Results: Of 22 patients with B-cell lymphoma received CD19 CAR-T cells, the median dose of CAR-T cells was 7.2 (2.0-12.0) ×106/kg. Nine of 12 cases of relapse refractory patients were overall response. Complete remission (CR) occurred in 2 of 12 patients, partial remission (PR) in 7 of 12 patients. The overall response in minor residual disease positive (MRD) group was 8 of 10 patients. CD19 CAR-T cells proliferated in vivo and were detectable in the blood of patients. The peak timepoints of CAR-T cells proliferated in the relapsed refractory and MRD positive groups were 12 (5-19) and 4.5 (1-12) days after treatment respectively, and among peripheral blood cells, CAR-T cells accounted for 10.10% (3.55%-24.74%) and 4.02% (2.23%-28.60%) of T lymphocytes respectively. The MRD positive patients achieved sustained remissions during a median follow-up of 8 months (rang 3-18 months) . None of all the patients relapsed during a median follow-up time of 10 months (3-18 months) . However, 7 PR responders of the relapsed refractory patients maintained a good condition for 1.5-6.0 months. One patient bridged to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, another one sustained remission for 12 months. Cytokine-release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 14 patients with grade 1-2 CRS in MRD positive group and grade 3 CRS in relapsed refractory group. Conclusions: CAR-T cell therapy not only played a role in the rescue treatment of relapsed and refractory patients, but also produced a surprising effect in the consolidation and maintenance of B-cell lymphoma. CD19 CAR-T cells might be more effective in the treatment of MRD positive B-cell lymphoma patients than in the refractory or relapsed cases. High response rate was observed with fewer adverse reactions.

Long non-coding RNA SNHG7 promotes migration and invasion of melanoma via upregulating SOX4.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have revealed that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in tumor progression. Melanoma is a common type of fatal cancer worldwide. The aim of this study was to identify the exact role of lncRNA SNHG7 in the progression of melanoma and to explore the possible underlying mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: SNHG7 expression in both melanoma cells and tissue samples was detected by Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The function of SNHG7 was identified by transwell assay and wound healing assay in vitro, respectively. Moreover, the underlying mechanism was explored by RT-qPCR and Western blot assay. RESULTS: SNHG7 expression in tumor tissues was remarkably up-regulated when compared with normal tissues. The migration and invasion of melanoma cells were significantly inhibited after the silence of SNHG7 in vitro. After the silence of SNHG7, both the mRNA and protein levels of SOX4 were significantly down-regulated. Besides, the expression of SOX4 in tumor tissues was positively correlated with the expression of SNHG7. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that SNHG7 could promote the invasion and migration of melanoma cells through up-regulating SOX4, which might offer a new therapeutic intervention for melanoma patients.

[Construction and identification of mouse model with conditional knockout of p75 neurotrophin receptor gene in epidermal cells by Cre-loxP system].

Objective: To construct and identify a mouse model with conditional knockout (cKO) of p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR-cKO) gene in epidermis cells by Cre-loxP system. Methods: Five p75NTR(flox/flox) transgenic C57BL/6J mice (aged 6-8 weeks, male and female unlimited, the age and sex of mice used for reproduction were the same below) and five keratin 14 promotor-driven (KRT14-) Cre(+ /-) transgenic C57BL/6J mice were bred and hybridized via Cre-loxP system. Five p75NTR(flox/+) ·KRT14-Cre(+ /-) mice selected from the first generation of mice were mated with five p75NTR(flox/flox) mice to obtain the second generation hybrids. After the second generation mice were born 20-25 days, the parts of the mice tail were cut off to identify the genotype by polymerase chain reaction method. Four p75NTR gene complete cKO mice (6 weeks old) and 4 wild-type mice (6 weeks old) were selected and sacrificed respectively. The abdominal skin tissue and brain tissue were excised to observe the expression of p75NTR in the two tissue of two types of mice by immunohistochemical staining. The abdominal skin tissue of two types of mice was obtained to observe the histomorphological changes by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results: (1) Twenty second generation mice were bred. The genotype of 4 mice was p75NTR(flox/flox)·KRT14-Cre(+ /-)(p75NTR(-/-)), i. e. p75NTR gene complete cKO mice; the genotype of 5 mice was p75NTR(flox/+) ·KRT14-Cre(+ /-), i. e. p75NTR gene partial cKO mice; the genotype of 5 mice was p75NTR(flox/flox)·KRT14-Cre(-/-), and that of 6 mice was p75NTR(flox/+) ·KRT14-Cre(-/-), all of which were wild-type mice. (2) The expression of p75NTR was negative in skin epidermis tissue of p75NTR gene complete cKO mice, while numerous p75NTR positive expression was observed in skin epidermis tissue of wild-type mice. Abundant p75NTR positive expression was observed in brain tissue of both wild-type mice and p75NTR gene complete cKO mice. (3) There was no abnormal growth of skin epidermis tissue in both wild-type mice and p75NTR gene complete cKO mice, with intact hair follicle structure. Conclusions: Applying Cre-loxP system can successfully construct a p75NTR-cKO mice model in epidermis cells without obvious changes in skin histomorphology.

[Advances in the research of dermabrasion in burn wounds].

The process of burn wounds healing includes the removal of necrotic tissue, the hyperplasia of granulation tissue and epithelialization. The removal of necrotic tissue is the first step in dealing with burn wounds. Although there are a variety of adjuvant drugs for removing necrotic tissue, surgical debridement is still the main way of debridement of burn wounds. Surgical debridement of burn wounds includes escharectomy, tangential excision and dermabrasion. Escharectomy and tangential excision have been widely used in clinical practice, while dermabrasion has not been known to the majority of burns colleagues. This article summarizes the clinical application and progress of dermabrasion in burn wounds.

Increased expression of long non-coding RNA SBDSP1 correlates with poor survival in colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Long non-coding RNA SBDSP1 (SBDSP1) had been reported to be increased in colorectal cancer (CRC), but its effects on prognosis were still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance and prognostic value of the SBDSP1 expression in CRC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression levels of SBDSP1 in CRC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were detected using quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The association between SBDSP1 expression and clinicopathological factors as well as survival rates were analyzed. To determine the prognostic value of SBDSP1, univariate and multivariate analysis were performed using the Cox proportional hazard analysis. RESULTS: The relative expression levels of SBDSP1 were significantly higher in CRC tissues than in the matched normal colon tissues (p < 0.01). SBDSP1 expression was significantly associated with differentiation (p = 0.002), depth of invasion (p = 0.007) and TNM stage (p= 0.004). Additionally, patients with higher SBDSP1 expression have significantly shorter disease-free survival (p = 0.006) and overall survival (p = 0.001) compared to those with lower expression. Moreover, univariate and multivariate analysis identified high SBDSP1 expression as an unfavorable prognostic factor for both overall survival and disease-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides the first evidence that SBDSP1 may be a useful indicator of prognosis in patients with CRC.

[Application of high-frequency ultrasound in dermabrasion of patients with deep partial-thickness burns].

Objective: To investigate the application of high-frequency ultrasound in dermabrasion of patients with deep partial-thickness burns. Methods: Twenty-six patients with deep partial-thickness burns conforming to the study criteria were hospitalized in our unit from March 2015 to March 2016. Patients were all performed with dermabrasion. The structure of skin tissue and blood flow signals of uninjured side and wounds before dermabrasion, and those of wounds immediately post dermabrasion and on post dermabrasion day (PDD) 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 21 were detected with high-frequency ultrasound, and the percentage of blood flow signals was calculated. According to the results of comparison between percentage of blood flow signals of wounds and that of normal skin before dermabrasion, patients were divided into no significant decrease group (NSD, n=19) and significant decrease group (SD, n=7). Wound healing time of patients in two groups was recorded. Data were processed with analysis of variance of repeated measurement, LSD test, t test and Chi-square test. The correlation between the percentage of blood flow signals of wounds before dermabrasion and wound healing time of 26 patients were analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis. Results: (1) Epidermis of normal skin of patients in two groups before dermabrasion showed continuous smooth linear hyperecho, which was stronger than that of dermis, and boundary of dermis and subcutaneous tissue showed stronger discontinuous linear echo than that of dermis, which gradually transited to subcutaneous tissue. In group NSD, epidermis of wound of patients before dermabrasion showed intermittent rough linear echo, which was weaker than that of normal skin epidermis, and there was no obvious abnormity of boundary between dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Immediately post dermabrasion and on PDD 1, no linear hyperecho of epidermis was observed, showing complete attrition of epidermis, and the echo of dermis and subcutaneous tissue had no obvious change as compared with that before dermabrasion, with flat surface of dermis and partly abraded superficial-dermis but relatively well preserved dermal tissue in whole. The epidermis showed discontinuous linear hyperecho, and epidermis was discontinuously regenerated on PDD 3 and 5. Partial continuous linear hyperecho was detected in the epidermis, showing partial continuous regeneration of epidermis on PDD 7 and 10. The regenerated epidermis was thicker than normal skin epidermis and showed rough linear hyperecho with non-uniform thickness on PDD 14. The regenerated epidermis was thicker than normal skin epidermis and showed rather smooth linear hyperecho with uniform thickness on PDD 21. In group SD, the structure of epidermis and dermis of wound of patients before dermabrasion, immediately post dermabrasion, and on PDD 1 was similar to that in group NSD, but the echo of boundary of dermis and subcutaneous tissue was weakened in different degrees. There was no linear hyperecho of epidermis, showing no epidermis was regenerated on PDD 3 and 5. Intermittent regeneration of epidermis appeared on PDD 7 and 10 with intermittent linear hyperecho. Partial continuous linear hyperecho was detected in the epidermis, showing partial continuous regeneration of epidermis on PDD 14 and 21. (2) The percentages of blood flow signals of wounds of patients in group NSD before dermabrasion, immediately post dermabrasion, and on PDD 1 were (3.1±1.3)%, (6.5±2.0)%, and (5.3±1.9)% respectively, higher than those in group SD [(0.9±1.1)%, (3.5±1.3)%, and (3.6±0.9)% respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01]. The percentages of blood flow signals of wounds of patients in two groups were similar at the other time points (with P values above 0.05). Compared with the percentage of normal skin in the same group [(3.2±0.7)%], the percentages of blood flow signals of wounds of patients in group NSD were significantly increased immediately post dermabrasion and on PDD 1 (with P values below 0.01) but had no significant change at the other time points (with P values above 0.05). The percentage of blood flow signals of wounds of patients before dermabrasion in group SD was significantly lower than that of normal skin in the same group [(2.8±0.6)%, P<0.01]. The percentage of blood flow signals of wounds of patients in group SD was close to that of normal skin in the same group at each time point post dermabrasion (with P values above 0.05). (3) The wound healing time of patients in group NSD was (16.2±2.5) d, lower than that in group SD [(30.9±2.9) d, t=12.67, P<0.01]. There was obvious negative correlation between the percentage of blood flow signals of wounds before dermabrasion and wound healing time of 26 patients (r=-0.77, P<0.01). Conclusions: High-frequency ultrasound is a good way to observe the imaging features of wounds in patients with deep partial-thickness burns before and after dermabrasion, and it can provide objective imaging evidence for the performance of dermabrasion in patients with deep partial-thickness burns.

Fibrinogen: A Marker in Predicting Diabetic Foot Ulcer Severity.

Aims. To examine whether fibrinogen levels are a valuable biomarker for assessing disease severity and monitoring disease progression in patients with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). Methods. A retrospective study was designed to examine the utility of fibrinogen in estimating disease severity in patients with DFU admitted to our hospital between January 2015 and January 2016. In total, 152 patients with DFU were enrolled in the study group, and 52 age and gender matched people with diabetes but no DFU were included as the control group. DFU severity was assessed using Wagner criteria. Results. Patients with DFU were divided into 2 subgroups based on the Wagner criteria. Mean fibrinogen values were significantly higher in patients with DFU grade ≧ 3 compared to those with DFU grades 1-2 (5.23 ± 1.37 g/L versus 3.61 ± 1.04 g/L). Using ROC statistic, a cut-off value of 5.13 g/L indicated the possible amputation with a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 78.9% (positive predictive value [PPV] 78.6%, negative predictive value [89.0%]). Fibrinogen values were found to be correlated with CRP levels, neutrophil, and WBC count. Conclusions. Fibrinogen levels might be a valuable tool for assessing the disease severity and monitoring the disease progression in patients with DFU.

Modulation of interferon secretion by concanavalin A and interleukin-2 in first trimester placental explants in vitro.

The human placenta has been demonstrated to be a site of interferon (IFN) production. We report here that early human placental explants in vitro release both type I (IFN-alpha and -beta) and type II (IFN-gamma) immunoreactive IFN. The mitogen concanavalin A (Con A) stimulated immunoreactive (ir-) IFN-gamma secretion in both a dose- and time-dependent manner, but had no significant effect on either ir-IFN-alpha or -beta release. The enhancement of ir-IFN-gamma secretion by Con A, at 2-20 micrograms/ml, was significant at 1 h and persisted until 24 h, but was not significant at 48 h. A high dose of recombinant human interleukin-2 (IL-2) stimulates the release of all three types of ir-IFNs, suggesting that interaction of IL-2 with its receptor might be one cause of the constitutive production of placental IFNs. The patterns of response to Con A and IL-2 were different from those of lymphocytes, providing indirect evidence suggesting that the source of these IFNs might not be lymphocytic. Taken together, these results indicate that first trimester human placental explants in vitro produce both type I and type II IFNs, the major IFN produced depending on the inducer. IL-2 may be one of the physiological inducers of placental IFNs.