[Clinical features of primary sclerosing cholangitis and inflammatory bowel disease].

Objective: To explore disease characteristics of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and compare the differences between PSC with and without IBD. Methods: Study design was cross sectional. Forty-two patients with PSC who were admitted from January 2000 to January 2021 were included. We analyzed their demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, concomitant diseases, auxiliary examination, and treatment. Results: The 42 patients were 11-74(43±18) years of age at diagnosis. The concordance rate of PSC with IBD was 33.3%, and the age at PSC with IBD diagnosis was 12-63(42±17) years. PSC patients with IBD had higher incidences of diarrhea and lower incidences of jaundice and fatigue than in those without IBD (all P<0.05). Alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, total bile acid and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels were higher in PSC patients without IBD than in those with IBD (all P<0.05). The positive rates for antinuclear antibodies and fecal occult blood were higher in PSC patients with IBD than in those without IBD (all P<0.05). Patients with PSC complicated with ulcerative colitis mainly experienced extensive colonic involvement. The proportion of 5-aminosalicylic acid and glucocorticoid application in PSC patients with IBD was significantly increased compared with that of PSC patients without IBD (P=0.025). Conclusions: The concordance rate of PSC with IBD is lower at Peking Union Medical College Hospital than in Western countries. Colonoscopy screening may benefit PSC patients with diarrhea or fecal occult blood-positive for early detection and diagnosis of IBD.

[The correlation between nutritional status, body composition, and symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between nutritional status, body composition and symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods: The study was conducted among 102 PD patients between November 2020 to April 2021 in the outpatient and inpatient of Neurology department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University. Basic data, such as age, gender, course of disease and Hoehn-Yahr (H-Y) stage of the patients, were collected. In the "open" state, the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and other scales were used to evaluate the clinical symptoms of PD patients. The nutritional status of PD patients was evaluated by the micro-nutrition rating Scale (MNA), and the body composition data of PD patients was measured by the body composition analyzer.The patients were divided into three groups according to the MNA: well-nourished group(45 cases), malnutrition-risk group (43 cases)and malnutrition group(14 cases). Body composition, laboratory tests, bone density, and symptoms of PD were compared among the three groups. Results: Among 102 PD patients, 48 were males (47.1%) and 54 were females (52.9%), aged 42-86 (66±9) years old. Compared with the malnutrition-risk group, lymphocytes in the malnutrition group [(1.45±0.48) × 109/L vs (1.76±0.43)×109/L], uric acid [(227±54) µmol/L vs (282±63) µmol/L] were all low, and the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.05). Compared with the well-nourished group, hemoglobin [(125±17) g/L vs (136±14) g/L], prealbumin [(0.23±0.05) g/L vs (0.27±0.06) g/L], and uric acid [(227±54) µmol/L vs (312±76) µmol/L] and Retinol binding protein [(33±7) mg/L were lower than (39±10) mg/L] in the malnutrition group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Except for the visceral fat area and body fat percentages, there was no significant difference in body composition indexes and bone mineral density T-value between the malnutrition-risk and malnutrition groups (P<0.05). Compared with the well-nourished group, the body fat [(16±6) kg vs (20±6) kg], the percentage of body fat [(26±9)% vs (29±7)%], the waist-hip ratio [(0.86±0.05) vs (0.89±0.05)], and the upper arm circumference [(29.00±2.59) cm vs (30.74±2.75) cm] in the malnutrition risk group were lower, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in all body composition indicators and T-values of bone density between the malnourished and well nourished groups (all P<0.05). The MNA score of PD patients was negatively correlated with UPDRS Ⅰ, UPDRS Ⅱ, and UPDRS Ⅳ scores (r=-0.347, -0.364, -0.303, all P<0.05); Body composition indicators: total body water and inorganic salts were negatively correlated with UPDRS-I (r=-0.206, -0.223, all P<0.05), and body fat was negatively correlated with levodopa Equivalent dose (LED) (r=-0.209, P<0.05) Conclusions: The malnutrition risk and incidence of malnutrition in PD patients are high; lymphocyte, uric acid, hemoglobin, Retinol binding protein, body composition and bone mineral density were low in malnutrition group. MNA score of PD patients was negatively correlated with Parkinson's disease symptoms.

[Expression of ProEXC and PRMT5 in cervical adenocarcinoma and their clinical significance].

This study observed the expression of ProEXC protein and PRMT5 protein in cervical adenocarcinoma and adjacent tissues, exploring the relationship between the expression of ProEXC and PRMT5 and the auxiliary diagnosis of cervical adenocarcinoma, as well as the clinical pathological parameters. A total of 88 specimens diagnosed with cervical adenocarcinoma from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between 2015 and 2020 were collected. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expression of ProEXC and PRMT5 in cervical adenocarcinoma and adjacent tissues, and statistical analysis was conducted. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was utilized to analyze the correlation between the prognosis of cervical adenocarcinoma patients and the expression of ProEXC and PRMT5, as well as their related gene pathways. The GSE39293 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was selected to compare the expression levels of ProEXC and PRMT5 in cervical adenocarcinoma cell lines (HELA) before and after antiviral drug treatment.In cervical adenocarcinoma tissues, the expression of ProEXC protein (95.5% vs 4.6%, P<0.001) and PRMT5 protein (81.8% vs 26.1%, P<0.001) was significantly higher than in surrounding adjacent tissues. Their expression was correlated with the tumor's T stage, lymph node metastasis, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection (P<0.05). TCGA database analysis showed that patients with high expression of MCM2 in PRMT5 and ProEXC had a lower overall survival rate (P<0.05), while the expression of TOP2A was not significantly correlated with survival. In the GSE39293 dataset, the expression of MCM2 (9.34 vs 9.68, P<0.001) and PRMT5 (8.16 vs 8.26, P=0.087) in cells decreased after treatment with cidofovir, while TOP2A (8.54 vs 8.42, P=0.056) expression did not change significantly. In the drug-resistant group, the expression of PRMT5 (8.42 vs 8.16, P=0.002) and MCM2 (9.51 vs 9.34, P=0.029) increased, while TOP2A (8.06 vs 8.54, P<0.001) expression decreased. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) suggested that high expression of ProEXC mainly affected the cell cycle pathway, while high expression of PRMT5 mainly affected the RNA splicing pathway.This study found that ProEXC protein and PRMT5 protein were highly expressed in cervical adenocarcinoma tissues, and the high-expression group had a poorer prognosis, showing a certain correlation with the clinical and pathological characteristics of cervical adenocarcinoma. This may be related to their influence on the cell cycle and RNA synthesis pathways, suggesting their potential significant roles in the progression of cervical adenocarcinoma.

[Significance of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2 prognostic evaluation in hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure].

Objective: To explore the significance of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2 (TREM-2) prognostic evaluation so as to provide novel biological markers in clinical practice for patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure ( HBV-ACLF). Methods: The research subjects of this study were divided into an experimental group and a control group. Fifty HBV-ACLF cases admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019 were selected as the experimental group. Patients were divided into survival and death groups according to the actual prognosis at discharge (self-discharge and dead patients were considered death groups, and all enrolled patients were hospitalized for more than 28 days). Twenty-five healthy subjects were chosen as the control group. Peripheral venous blood was collected from the experimental group and the control group. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated. The concentrations of TREM-2, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-8 were detected in the plasma. TREM-2 mRNA expression was detected in PBMC. A single blood sample was collected from the control group, whereas five blood samples were dynamically collected from the experimental group on the day of admittance and at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after treatment commenced. Simultaneously, upon admission, the relevant clinical indicators of HBV-ACLF patients were monitored, including the liver function test: alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, albumin, coagulation function test: international normalized ratio, prothrombin time, and other indicators. Measurement data were expressed as mean±standard deviation (x±s). Count data were compared and analyzed using the χ(2) test. The intra-group factor mean was compared using a repeated measures ANOVA. The means were analyzed by t-tests between the two groups. Bivariate correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the two variables. The value of TREM-2 as a diagnostic marker was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: The mRNA expression of TREM-2 in the PBMC of HBV-ACLF patients showed a gradually increasing trend at various time points and was significantly higher in the survival group than that of the control group at 28 days (P < 0.01), while the death group showed a gradually weakening trend at various time points and was significantly lower than the control group at 28 days (P < 0.01). (1) The levels of TREM-2 in the plasma of HBV-ACLF patients generally showed a gradually increasing trend at various time points in the survival group. The levels on the day of admission and 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after the initiation of treatment were (1.49±0.85), (1.62±0.58), (1.95±0.69), (2.33±0.71), and (2.00±0.67) ng/ml, respectively. The expression of TREM-2 in the death group showed a gradually weakening trend at various time points. The levels on the day of admission and 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after initiation of treatment were (1.40±0.73), (1.59±0.79), (1.56±0.80), (1.05±0.49), and (0.81±0.21) ng/ml, respectively. The survival group's various detection time points were higher than those of the death group, and the difference was statistically significant. The plasma level of TREM-2 in the healthy control group was (1.25±0.35) ng/ml. (2) The concentrations of IL-6 and IL-8 in the plasma of HBV-ACLF patients showed a gradually decreasing trend at various time points in the survival group. The levels on the day of admission and 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after initiation of treatment were (46.70±26.31), (33.98±20.28), (19.07±10.24), (14.76±7.84), (9.12±7.65) and (108.29±47.07), (93.85±26.53), (79.27±34.63), (56.72 ±18.30), (37.81±13.88) pg/ml, respectively. However, its concentration in the death group fluctuated within a relatively high range. The levels on the day of admission and 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after the initiation of treatment were (41.94±24.19), (36.99±19.78), (34.30±20.62), (34.14±14.52), (36.64±23.61) and (104.65±50.16), (112.98±45.03), (118.43±45.00), (111.67±40.44), (109.55±27.54) pg/ml, respectively. (3) Bivariate correlation analysis results indicated that the plasma TREM-2 content was negatively correlated with the plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 (r = -0.224, P = 0.025; r = - 0.223, P = 0.026). ROC curve analysis showed that the mRNA levels of TREM-2 in PBMCs at various time points for prognostic evaluation of HBV-ACLF patients were 1d=0.667, 7d=0.757, 14d=0.979, 21d=0.986, and 28d= 0.993. The areas under the ROC curve of the TREM-2 content in the plasma at various time points were 1d=0.522, 7d=0.571, 14d=0.658, 21d=0.927, and 28d=0.994. Conclusion: TREM-2 mRNA expression in PBMC and TREM-2 content in plasma have a significant relationship to the prognosis of HBV-ACLF patients and may inhibit the liver inflammatory response by regulating the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8. Dynamic monitoring of TREM-2 expression in peripheral blood is favorable for evaluating the prognostic condition of HBV-ACLF patients.

[Clinicopathological characteristics of rectal neuroendocrine neoplasms].

Objective: Clinicopathological characteristics of neuroendocrine neoplasms are highly heterogeneous based on variable origins.Our study aims to explore the clinical features of rectal neuroendocrine neoplasm (RNEN). Methods: Patients with histologically diagnosed rectal neuroendocrine neoplasms were retrospectively analyzed between January 2012 and December 2020. Epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, complete blood count, endoscopy findings, and pathological features were recorded and analyzed. T-test was used for measurement data analysis, Chi-square test was performed for classification data analysis, and Binary logistic regression was applied for analyzing risk factors of metastasis. Results: Among 172 patients, the male to female ratio was 107 to 65 with an average age of (52±12) years (16-77 years). Altered bowel habit was the most common initial symptom (58/172, 33.7%), followed by abdominal pain (36/172, 20.9%) and loss of body weight (27/172, 15.7%). One hundred and sixty-one cases were neuroendocrine tumors, 9 were neuroendocrine carcinomas and 2 were mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasms. Most endoscopic presentations were polypoid lesions (147/172, 85.5%), mainly limited to mucosa (48/172, 27.9%) and submucosa (96/172, 55.8%). Twenty-nine patients developed lymph node invasion or distant metastasis at diagnosis. There were statistical difference of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR) among groups with different tumor size (<10 mm vs. 10-20 mm vs.>20 mm, mean NLR 1.79±0.55 vs. 2.27±1.23 vs. 2.95±0.66, P<0.01. Compared with non-metastatic group, the metastatic group presented higher NLR(2.61±0.81 vs. 1.89±0.80, P<0.01). Tumor size (<10 mm vs. 10-20 mm vs.>20 mm, OR 1.00 vs. 2.10 vs. 5.25×109, P =0.001), invasion to bowel wall (mucosa vs. submucosa vs. muscularis vs. serosa invasion,OR 1.00 vs. 3.26 vs. 14.11 vs. 39.42, P=0.008), and NLR (NLR<2.25 vs. NLR≥2.25, OR 1.00 vs. 5.19, P =0.024) were risk factors for metastasis. Conclusion: Metastasis of RNEN is related with tumor size, degree of bowel invasion and NLR. High NLR is a poor prognostic factor of RNEN.

[Clinical and pathological features of renal cell carcinoma with urinary tract tumor thrombus: 6 cases report and literature review].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of renal cell carcinoma with urinary tract tumor thrombus. METHODS: From January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019, patients with renal cell carcinoma complicated with urinary tract tumor thrombus who were hospitalized in the Peking University Third Hospital and Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. Meanwhile, we reviewed the literature, and the reported patients of renal cell carcinoma with urinary tract tumor thrombus were also included in our study. The basic information, clinical manifestations, treatment, pathological characteristics and follow-ups of all the patients were analyzed. RESULTS: In our study, 6 patients from the two hospitals and 16 patients from previous literature reports were included. There were 13 males and 9 females with an average age of 54.7 years (22-79 years). Fifteen patients had renal cell carcinoma on the left side, 6 on the right side, and 1 on the unknown side. Gross hematuria was the most common chief complaint, including 18 patients. One patient complained of weight loss, 1 patient complained of microscopic hematuria, and 1 patient was found by ultrasound examination. Tumor thrombus was classified as grade Ⅰ in 9 cases (the tumor embolus protruded into the renal pelvis, but did not reach the ureteropelvic junction), grade Ⅱ in 10 cases (the tumor embolus protruded into the ureter, but not into the bladder), and grade Ⅲ in 3 cases (the tumor embolus passed through the ureter and protruded into the bladder). Only 11 patients were diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma before operation. Radical nephrectomy was performed in 9 cases and nephroureterectomy in 12 cases. In pathological diagnosis, there were 15 cases of clear cell renal cell carcinoma, 1 case of papillary renal cell carcinoma, 1 case of chromophobe cell carcinoma, 1 case of mixed cell renal cell carcinoma, 4 cases of renal cell carcinoma with undetermined classification. Eleven patients were followed up for 3-31 months, and 3 patients had lung metastasis within 6 months. CONCLUSION: Renal cell carcinoma with urinary tract tumor thrombus is rare in clinic. It needs to be differentiated from renal pelvis carcinoma in diagnosis. The treatment principle can refer to general renal carcinoma. For locally advanced cases, complete resection is the best treatment, and its oncological prognosis needs more long-term and large-scale follow-up observation.

[A preliminary study on molecular target identification of drugs in individualized treatment of malignant solid tumors in children].

Objective: To explore the role of drug-related molecular target identification in the individualized treatment of malignant solid tumors in children. Methods: The clinical data of 40 patients diagnosed with malignant solid tumors from Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, between June 2017 and March 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction and sequencing methods were used to determine the expression levels and mutations of tumor drug molecular targets, and to compare the efficiency as well as the incidence of toxic side effects of chemotherapy using anti-tumor drugs with various molecular targets. Results: A total of 4 tumor drug-related targets were identified in 40 tumor tissue samples, namely DNA topoisomerase-ⅡA (TOPOⅡA), ß(3)-tubulin (Tubulinß(3)), DNA topoisomerase-Ⅰ(TOPOⅠ) and dihydrofolate reductase gene polymorphisms [DHFR (C829T)]. The effective rates of platinum-based agents, methotrexate, irinotecan, vinblastine and anthracycline for malignant solid tumors in children were 90.0% (36/40), 85.0% (34/40), 70.0% (28/40), 67.5% (27/40), 62.5% (25/40), respectively. The effective rates of chemotherapy with irinotecan, methotrexate, and vinblastine in mesenchymal tumors were 68.9% (20/29), 62.1% (18/29), 68.9% (20/29), respectively, which were considerably higher than 18.2% (2/11), 36.4% (4/11) and 36.4% (4/11) in non-mesenchymal tumors, with significant differences (χ(2)=5.487, 15.345, 17.278, all P<0.05). The effective rate of chemotherapy of platinum-based drugs for non-mesenchymal tumors was 72.3% (8/11), which was significantly higher than 58.6% (17/29) in mesenchymal tumors, and the difference was statistically significant (χ(2)=11.231, P<0.05). The intensity of toxic side effects in order from high to low was anthracycline > platinum > methotrexate > vinblastine > irinotecan. Conclusion: Tumor drug-related molecular targets and the sensitivity of tumors of different origins to the same anti-tumor drug as well as side effects are predicted, which provides a theoretical and clinical basis for individualized treatment of malignant tumors in children.

MicroRNA-421 inhibits caspase-10 expression and promotes breast cancer progression.

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent and fatal diseases around the world. The mechanism of tumorigenesis in breast cancer remains to be clarified. miR-421 plays an oncogenic role in many cancers. Although, the clinical significance of miR-421 in patients with breast cancer is still to be investigated. Caspase-10 is one of the initiator of apoptosis. But the relationship between miR-421 and caspase-10 has not been investigated. In the present study, we found that miR-421 was expressed much higher in breast cancer tissues compared to those in adjacent non-tumor tissues. Furthermore, miR-421 promotes cell proliferation and colony formation in vitro. miR-421 inhibits cell apoptosis probably through restraining caspase-10 expression. Thus, miR-421 might be a potential diagnostic maker and therapeutic target for breast cancer.

[Clinical characteristics in gout patients with different body mass index].

Objective: Obesity is one of the risk factors for gout. The aim of the present study was to evaluate clinical characteristics of gout patients with different BMI. Methods: A total of 5 104 patients with gout were enrolled and divided into three groups according to the BMI. The clinical information was collected and relevant biochemical indices were detected. SPSS software was applied for the statistical analyses. Results: There were significant differences in the ratios of gender, regular exercise, hypertension, tophus, renal insufficiency, hyperlipidemia, impaired glucose metabolism, liver dysfunction among the three groups (all P<0.01). The onset age in overweight [45(36, 55) years] and obese subjects [40(31, 50) years] were earlier than that of the normal weight subjects [50(38, 61) years]. Moreover, waist circumstances [103(99, 108) cm and 94 (90, 98) cm vs 87 (82, 91) cm], systolic pressure [130 (120, 145) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa)and 130(120, 140)mmHg vs 128(115, 140) mmHg], diastolic pressure [90 (80, 100) mmHg and 85 (80, 92) mmHg vs 80 (79, 90) mmHg], fasting blood glucose [5.77 (5.30, 6.44) mmol/L and 5.65 (5.19, 6.26) mmol/L vs 5.55 (5.10, 6.15) mmol/L], TG [2.10 (1.46, 3.04) mmol/L and 1.88 (1.35, 2.78) mmol/L vs 1.52 (1.07, 2.39) mmol/L], TC [5.20 (4.55, 5.93) mmol/L and 5.07 (4.46, 5.75) mmol/L vs 4.95 (4.27, 5.65) mmol/L], serum uric acid [483(418, 552) µmol/L and 461(395, 524) µmol/L vs 440 (368, 517) µmol/L], ALT [30 (21, 46) U/L and 25 (18, 36) U/L vs 21 (14, 29) U/L], AST [21(17, 28) U/L and 20 (17, 26) U/L vs 20 (6, 25) U/L], the number of joints involved [2(1, 3)joints and 2(1, 2) joints vs 1(1, 2) joints] in the overweight and obese groups were higher than those in the normal weight group ( all P<0.01). There were no statistical differences in family history, involvement of upper limb joints, kidney stones and coronary heart disease among the three groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Obesity is associated with an earlier age of gout onset.With the increase of BMI, the blood pressures, glucose, lipid, serum uric acid, liver transaminase levels and the number of involved joints increased gradually. Cautions should be taken in treating patients with different BMI.

Baicalein attenuates hypertrophic scar formation via inhibition of the transforming growth factor-ß/Smad2/3 signalling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic scars (HPSs) are characterized by excessive fibrosis associated with aberrant function of fibroblasts. Currently no satisfactory treatment has been developed. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of baicalein on HPSs and its underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Baicalein was administered intradermally (10 µmol L(-1) in 100 µL sterile saline plus 10% dimethylsulfoxide) to mechanical-load-induced scars in mice once a day for 14 or 28 days. Histological and immunohistochemical studies were performed to evaluate scar hypertrophy and the function of fibroblasts. Human HPS-derived fibroblasts (HSFs) were determined by immunofluorescence study, collagen gel contraction assay and wound-healing assay. Also, protein expression of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß signalling pathway was detected using Western blotting. Lastly, a molecular docking study and kinase binding assay were conducted in search of the potential interaction between baicalein and activin receptor-like kinase (ALK)5. RESULTS: Baicalein treatment significantly attenuated HPS formation and collagen deposition in a mechanical-load-induced mouse model. Baicalein also inhibited the proliferation and activation of fibroblasts in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, baicalein impaired the contractile and migration ability of HSFs. Protein expression investigation revealed that baicalein had an inhibitory effect on TGF-ß/Smad2/3 signalling. Such bioactivity of baicalein may result from its selective binding to the ATP-binding pocket of ALK5, as suggested by the molecular docking study and kinase binding assay. CONCLUSIONS: Baicalein could serve as a promising agent for treatment of HPSs and a selective ALK5 inhibitor.

microRNA 421 induces apoptosis of c-33a cervical cancer cells via down-regulation of Bcl-xL.

Cervical cancer is a life-threatening condition. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can promote or inhibit cell death and proliferation. The present study investigated the effect of miRNA 421 on the growth and apoptosis of cervical cancer cells. miRNA 421 and control miRNA were synthesized and transfected into c-33a cervical cancer cells. A thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide assay, caspase-3 activity, and flow cytometry were used to study the effects of miRNA 421 on c-33a cell growth, and apoptosis. Small interfering RNA targeting Bcl-xL was synthesized and transfected into c-33a cells along with miRNA 421. Bcl-xL expression and cell apoptosis were then measured by western blot and flow cytometry, respectively. Transfection of miRNA 421 into c-33a cells reduced their growth, promoted their apoptosis (measured by increased phosphatidylserine eversion), activated caspase-3, and decreased Bcl-xL expression. Silencing and overexpression of Bcl-xL enhanced and inhibited miRNA 421-induced apoptosis of c-33a cells, respectively. miRNA 421 induces c-33a cell apoptosis via down-regulation of Bcl-xL, suggesting that this latter might be used as a potential clinical target.

Late gestational liver dysfunction and its impact on pregnancy outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of late gestational liver dysfunction and its impact on pregnancy outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients hospitalized for liver dysfunction in their late pregnancy between 2010-2012 were set as the observation group, and the pregnant women with normal liver function at the same period were randomly selected and set as the control group. The impacts towards the pregnancy outcomes were compared between these two groups and the impacts of different-degree transaminase increasing towards the pregnancy outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence rates of cesarean section, post-partum hemorrhage, fetal distress, premature birth, premature rupture of membranes (PROM) of the observation group and the transaminase-severely-increased group (the severe group) were higher, and the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.01 or < 0.05); while only the cesarean rate of the mild and moderate group was significantly different from the control group (p < 0.01 or < 0.05). The ratios of intrahepatic cholestasis in pregnancy (ICP), gestational hypertension + HELLP syndrome, acute fatty liver in pregnancy (AFLP) of the severe group were higher than the mild and moderate group, and the differences were statistically significant; the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) group and the unknown cause group mainly showed a mildly increased transaminase; the distributions of viral hepatitis in pregnancy (VHP), post-viral-hepatitis-B cirrhosis, biliary tract disease, and infected toxic liver dysfunction in different-degree increased transaminase groups had no significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: Liver dysfunction in later pregnancy, especially with severe transaminase increase, might significantly increase the risk of adverse maternal events. The major causes of severe liver dysfunction in late pregnancy were ICP, gestational hypertensive disorders, and AFLP.

Biological activity of cytotoxic dendritic cells cocultured with cytokine-induced killer cells and their effect on acute leukemia cells.

We cocultured cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells with dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro and investigated their proliferation, immunophenotype changes, secretory cytokine levels, and their antitumor effects on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. DCs and CIK cells were acquired from healthy human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and cocultured as an experimental group, while CIK cells were cultured alone as a control group. Cell numbers were counted by trypan blue staining, cytotoxic activity was measured by a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, cell phenotypes were detected by flow cytometry, and secreted levels of INF-γ and IL-12 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The proliferation activity in the experimental group was noticeably higher than in the control group (P < 0.05). Under the same conditions, the ratio of CD3(+)CD56(+) and CD3(+)CD8(+) double-positive CIK cells was significantly elevated when cocultured with DCs (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the experimental group had significantly higher levels of secreted INF-γ and IL-12 in the supernatants after 3 days (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). The antitumor effect of DC-CIK cells against leukemia cells was much higher than that of CIK cells at an effector-target ratio ranging from 2.5:1 to 20:1 (P < 0.05), and this effect was positively related to the effector-target ratio. The proliferation activity, level of secretory cytokines, and antitumor effect against AML cells of DC-CIK cells were significantly higher than in CIK cells. This study provides a theoretical and experimental basis for clinical immunotherapy using DC-CIK cells.

The generation of genuine quadripartite Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering in an optical superlattice.

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering is a quantum effect based on quantum entanglement and it is the key resource for building quantum networks because of its useful properties. Based on the criterion for genuine multipartite EPR steering, the genuine quadripartite EPR steering is confirmed and it can be generated by a spontaneous parametric down-conversion cascaded process with two sum-frequency generations in an optical superlattice. This occurs either below the oscillation threshold and without oscillation threshold. The influence of the parameters of cascaded nonlinear process on the quadripartite EPR steering among signal, idler, and two sum-frequency beams are also discussed. Choosing appropriate nonlinear parameters can achieve good quadripartite quantum steering. This scheme of the generation of genuine quadripartite EPR steering has potential applications in quantum communication and computing.

Characterization and polymorphism analysis of phosphoglucose isomerase gene in the fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea).

Phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) plays an important role in energy metabolism, and it is documented that PGI exhibits an extensive polymorphism which can affect insects' fitness and adaptation. In this paper, we studied the structural characteristics and polymorphism of pgi gene in the fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), an important invasive pest in some European and Asian countries. A 2110-bp pgi full-length cDNA encoding a polypeptide of 556 amino acids was obtained from H. cunea. The pgi full-length in the H. cunea genomic DNA was 14,332 bp with 12 exons and 11 introns, similar to the structures of pgi in other Lepidoptera species. We compared the structures of pgi in different insect species. Moreover, thirteen pgi genotypes comprised of five alleles were identified in the Chinese population. Genotypes pgi-cd, pgi-cc and pgi-ce were the most prevalent with over 70% of individuals allocated to them. Four out of five alleles were sequenced the cDNA full-length. Thirty stably variable sites were found among them with five non-synonymous mutation sites. The frequencies of alleles and genotypes were variable in different Chinese geographic subpopulations. Moreover, comparison of pgi mRNA expression levels in each stage of the moth's lifecycle showed that a high expression level was in the 6th instar larval stage, followed by that in the egg and adult stages. The results will provide a basis for further study of the role of different alleles and genotypes of PGI on fitness and adaptation of the moth H. cunea.

[Cone-beam CT evaluation of the effect of indirect anchorage of mini-screw assisted clear aligner on molar distalization].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of indirect anchorage with mini-screw assisted clear aligner on molar distalization. Methods: Twenty-six adult patients [12 males and 14 females, aged 19 to 31 years, mean age (26.4±4.2) years], who were treated in the Department of Orthodontics, the Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanchang University between January 2018 and September 2021, were included. All the patients were treated with clear aligner and mini-screw indirect anchorage to distalize maxillary molars. In the stage of molar distalization, the mini-implants were implanted between the buccal roots of the maxillary first molar and the second premolar, and rigidly connected to the maxillary second premolar as anchorage reenforcement. Until the first molar had distally moved to the designated position, the mini-implants were transferred to the buccal area between the first and the second molars and similar device was connected to the first molar. Cone-beam CT (CBCT) images were taken before the treatment (T0), at the maxillary first molar distally moved to the designated position (T1), and at the anterior teeth alignment finished (T2). The CBCT data were imported into Mimics 20.0 software for three-dimensional reconstruction. After correcting the head position, each reference point was determined in the multi-plane reconstruction view. The bilateral porion, the right orbitale, the nasion, and the anterior nasal spine were selected as reference points to construct the three-dimensional space coordinate system. The positions of the first molar, the second premolar, and the incisor were analyzed three-dimensionally. The three-dimensional position changes of maxillary first molars and maxillary second premolars during the stages of T0-T1, T1-T2, T0-T2, and the mesiodistal and vertical position changes of maxillary central incisors were analyzed. The statistical analysis was carried out using a one-way repeated measures ANOVA. Results: There was a significant difference in the sagittal position changes of the root and cusp of the maxillary central incisors among three time points (F=24.84, P<0.001; F=27.66, P=0.001), but no difference was observed between T0 and T1 (P>0.05). There was a significant difference in lingual retraction of the maxillary central incisor root [(2.17±0.42) mm] and cusp [(1.81±0.28) mm] between T1 and T2 (P<0.05). A significant difference was noted in the sagittal position changes of the root and crown of the maxillary second premolars among three time points (F=17.16, P=0.001; F=57.99, P<0.001). However, no statistical difference was detected between T0 and T1 (P>0.05) and the difference in maxillary second premolar distalization [root (1.95±0.42) mm, cusp (2.53±0.33) mm] was observed between T1 and T2 (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the sagittal position changes of the root and the crown of the maxillary first molar among three time points (F=9.37, P=0.002; F=140.26, P<0.001). The difference in the maxillary first molar distalization [crown (3.51±0.30) mm, root (1.98±0.25) mm] between T0 and T1 was significant (P<0.05). However, no significant difference in the sagittal position of the maxillary first molars was observed between T1 and T2 (P>0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the vertical position of the center point of the root in maxillary first molar among three time points (F=59.06, P<0.001), while (2.28±0.24) mm of intrusion between T0 and T1 was exhibited (P<0.05). However, no significant difference was found in the vertical position of the maxillary first molars between T1 and T2 (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in other measurements among three time points (P>0.05). Conclusions: The effect of indirect anchorage with mini-screw-assisted clear aligner on molar distalization was positive.

[Clinical analysis of 40 newborns with head and neck occupying lesions].

Objective: To investigate the clinical features, diagnoses and treatments of head and neck occupying lesions in newborns. Methods: All newborns with head and neck occupying lesions admitted to Neonatel Intensive Care Unit of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University form January 2014 to November 2019 were included. There were 23 males and 17 females, admission age was from 2 d-28 d, and the clinical manifestations, examinations, treatments and outcomes were evaluated. Results: Among 40 newborns with head and neck occupying lesions, 22 cases were admitted with dyspnea, 15 cases with masses in oral cavity or head and neck, 2 cases with fever as the first symptom, and 1 case with hoarseness as the first symptom. There were 5 cases with local infection. All cases were examined with local ultrasound and CT or MRI. Nine cases with severe dyspnea were treated with invasive ventilationm, of them 6 cases underwent invasive ventilation for more than 48 hours, 4 cases received tracheal intubation and artificial nose. Diagnostic punctures were performed in 2 cases. Seven cases received conservative treatments. Surgeries were performed in 31 cases, and 25 cases obtained pathologic diagnoses, including 3 cases of soft palate mature teratomas, 1 case of hard palate teratoma, 1 case of granulosa cell tumor, 1 case of lobulated spindle cell tumor in tongue base, 1 case of polyp in right glottis, 1 case of polyp at esophageal entrance, 4 cases of lingual root cysts, 1 case of laryngeal cyst, 2 cases of thyroglossal duct cysts, 2 cases of lymphangiomas, 1 case of lymphangioma with hibernoma, 1 case of tracheal cyst, 1 case of esophageal cyst, 3 cases of left neck abscesses, 1 case of occipital hemangioma, and 1 case of left temporoparietal abscess. Conclusions: The head and neck occupying lesions in the newborn is prone to upper airway obstruction. Imaging examination can assist the diagnosis. Different treatments can be selected according to the natures of occupying lesions.