[Predictive value of left ventricular ejection fraction reserve assessed by SPECT G-MPI for major adverse cardiovascular event in patients with coronary artery disease].

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) reserve assessed by gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT G-MPI) for major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) in patients with coronary artery disease. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. From January 2017 to December 2019, patients with coronary artery disease and confirmed myocardial ischemia by stress and rest SPECT G-MPI, and underwent coronary angiography within 3 months were enrolled. The sum stress score (SSS) and sum resting score (SRS) were analyzed by the standard 17-segment model, and the sum difference score (SDS, SDS=SSS-SRS) was calculated. The LVEF at stress and rest were analyzed by 4DM software. The LVEF reserve (ΔLVEF) was calculated (ΔLVEF=stress LVEF-rest LVEF). The primary endpoint was MACE, which was obtained by reviewing the medical record system or by telephone follow-up once every twelve months. Patients were divided into MACE-free and MACE groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between ΔLVEF and all MPI parameters. Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the independent factors of MACE, and the optimal SDS cutoff value for predicting MACE was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted to compare the difference in the incidence of MACE between different SDS groups and different ΔLVEF groups. Results: A total of 164 patients with coronary artery disease [120 male; age (58.6±10.7) years] were included. The average follow-up time was (26.5±10.4) months, and a total of 30 MACE were recorded during follow-up. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that SDS (HR=1.069, 95%CI: 1.005-1.137, P=0.035) and ΔLVEF (HR=0.935, 95%CI: 0.878-0.995, P=0.034) were independent predictors of MACE. According to ROC curve analysis, the optimal cut-off to predict MACE was a SDS of 5.5 with an area under the curve of 0.63 (P=0.022). Survival analysis showed that the incidence of MACE was significantly higher in the SDS≥5.5 group than in the SDS<5.5 group (27.6% vs. 13.2%, P=0.019), but the incidence of MACE was significantly lower in the ΔLVEF≥0 group than in theΔLVEF<0 group (11.0% vs. 25.6%, P=0.022). Conclusions: LVEF reserve (ΔLVEF) assessed by SPECT G-MPI serves as an independent protective factor for MACE, while SDS is an independent risk predictor in patients with coronary artery disease. SPECT G-MPI is valuable for risk stratification by assessing myocardial ischemia and LVEF.

Watermelon-like TiO2 nanoparticle (P25)@microporous amorphous carbon sphere with excellent rate capability and cycling performance for lithium-ion batteries.

To overcome the inferior rate capability and cycling performance of TiO2 nanomaterials as an anode material of lithium-ion batteries, we encapsulate TiO2 nanoparticles (P25) in carbon spheres through a facile pyrrole polymerization and carbonization. Material characterization demonstrates TiO2 nanoparticles are uniformly embedded in microporous amorphous carbon spheres, forming a watermelon-like structure. P25@C exhibits excellent high rate capability with average discharge capacity of 496, 416, 297, 240, 180, 99, 49 and 25 mAh g-1 at current rate of 0.5C, 1C, 5C, 10C, 20C, 50C, 100C and 200C, which shows superior long-term cycling performance with discharge capacity of 106.9 mAh g-1 at 20C after 5000 cycles. The capacity loss rate is only 0.008% per cycle. The outstanding lithium storage performance is ascribed to the watermelon-like composite structure, which remarkably improves electronic conductivity and structure stability of TiO2 nanoparticles. More importantly, the agglomeration of TiO2 nanoparticles is eliminated, and the entire surface of every TiO2 nanoparticle participates in the electrochemical reaction, which brings about an intense capacitive Li storage effect and leads to the high specific capacity and excellent rate capability of P25@C. This is confirmed through qualitative and quantitative analysis of the contributions from surface capacitive storage and bulk intercalation storage to the total capacity of the composite.

Construction of Co3O4 three-dimensional mesoporous framework structures from zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 with enhanced lithium storage properties.

High-porosity mesoporous framework structures are attractive for electrochemical energy storage and other applications. Herein we demonstrate a novel synthesis strategy to make zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 oxidize to a Co3O4 three-dimensional mesoporous framework structure. This strategy relies on the oxygen-limitation effect of the closed nanocage and the affinity effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone towards zeolitic imidazolate framework-67. Several TiO2 nanospheres, as the unique structure junctions, are uniformly embedded within the Co3O4 framework to enhance the framework strength. The TiO2/hydrous titania polyhedron nanocage, as the protecting shell, further encapsulates the Co3O4 framework, forming a perfect capsule-type hybrid. As anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, TiO2@Co3O4 framework capsules show superior lithium storage performance with high reversible capacity, stable cycling life and good rate capability. A reversible capacity of 1042 mAh g-1 can be delivered after 200 cycles at a current density of 300 mA g-1. The average discharge capacity over 200 cycles reaches 926 mAh g-1. This demonstrates the superiority of this material structure and its great potential as an anode for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. This work indicates a new strategy to take advantage of metal-organic frameworks to synthesize their mesoporous framework derivatives.

[The associations between comorbidity and exacerbation risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Objective: To study the association between comorbidity and acute exacerbation risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: This was a prospective cohort study with 64 stable COPD patients included. There were 64 males and 18 females with an average age of (68±9) years. Clinical characteristics, the number and type of comorbidities were recorded, and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) was calculated. The patients were interviewed by phone calls every 3 months since baseline in which the number of acute exacerbations was recorded until 12 months. The impact of CCI, the number of comorbidities and certain comorbidities in the prediction of COPD exacerbation risk were analyzed. Results: Compared to patients with a lower CCI score, patients with a higher CCI score were older (75±6 vs 62±8), and had more severe lung function impairment [FEV(1)%pred: (40±18)% vs (52±18)% ], higher number of comorbidities [4(3, 7) vs 1(1, 3)] and higher frequency of hospital admission due to acute exacerbation [1(0, 2) vs 0(0, 0.25)]. In comparison with patients with lower number of comorbidities, patients with higher number of comorbidities were older (72±7 vs 64±10), and had higher mMRC score [2(1, 3) vs 2(1, 2)] and more severe lung function impairment [FEV(1)%pred: (42±15)% vs (53±19)% ], higher age adjusted CCI score [5(3, 5) vs 3(2, 3) ] and more courses of systemic corticosteroids [2(0, 3) vs 0(0, 0.75)] and/or antibiotics use [3(2, 4) vs 1.5(1, 2.75)]. The number of hospitalizations and total number of exacerbations were higher in COPD patients with bronchiectasis than those without (P<0.005). Conclusion: The inclusion of clinically meaningful comorbidities into the combined assessment of COPD for the prediction of disease prognosis deserves further study.

Expression and clinical significance of ARTN and MMP-9 in endometrial carcinoma.

The aim of this study was to detect the differential expression of Artemin (ARTN) and matrix metallopeptidase protein 9 (MMP-9) in endometrial carcinoma (EC) and to assess their clinical significance in order to provide insight into the pathological mechanism of tumor infiltration and metastasis in EC. A total of 48 patients who had undergone surgery for EC at the School of Medicine and Affiliated Hospital of HeBei University of Engineering between July 2015 and July 2016 were included in the study. The 48 patients were classified into 3 groups according to tumor stage: 27 patients with EC stage I, 12 patients with EC stage II and 9 patients with EC stage III. The samples collected from each patient included fresh normal endometrial tissue, endometrial simple hyperplastic tissue and endometrial atypical hyperplastic tissue. The transcription levels of ARTN and MMP-9 mRNA in each group were investigated using RT-PCR. The expression levels of ARTN and MMP-9 protein in each group were examined using Western blotting. Spearman’s correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the expression levels of ARTN and MMP-9 proteins and EC tissue type. RT-PCR and Western blotting assays revealed that the expression levels of ARTN and MMP-9 were increased in normal endometrial tissue, simple hyperplastic tissue, atypical hyperplastic tissue and EC of stages I, II and III. The differences noted were statistically significant (P less than 0.05). Furthermore, Western blot analysis indicated that the expression levels of ARTN and MMP-9 proteins in lymphatic metastatic tissues were higher than those in non-lymphatic metastatic tissues (P less than 0.05). The expression levels in the infiltration tissues of the deep muscular layer were higher than those noted in the light muscular layer (P less than 0.05). The expression levels of ARTN and MMP-9 proteins were positively correlated (P less than 0.05). The data suggest that ARTN and MMP-9 are involved in the occurrence, development, invasion and metastasis of EC, and play a synergistic role in the development of EC and lymphatic metastasis.

Molecular identification and genetic variation of varieties of Styphnolobium japonicum (Fabaceae) using SRAP markers.

Thirty-four Styphnolobium japonicum varieties were analyzed using sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers, to investigate genetic variation and test the effectiveness of SRAP markers in DNA fingerprint establishment. Twelve primer pairs were selected from 120 primer combinations for their reproducibility and high polymorphism. We found a total of 430 amplified fragments, of which 415 fragments were considered polymorphic with an average of 34.58 polymorphic fragments for each primer combination. The percentage of polymorphic fragments was 96.60%, and four primer pairs showed 100% polymorphism. Moreover, simple matched coefficients ranged between 0.68 and 0.89, with an average of 0.785, indicating that the genetic variation among varieties was relatively low. This could be because of the narrow genetic basis of the selected breeding material. Based on the similarity coefficient value of 0.76, the varieties were divided into four major groups. In addition, abundant and clear SRAP fingerprints were obtained and could be used to establish DNA fingerprints. In the DNA fingerprints, each variety had its unique pattern that could be easily distinguished from others. The results demonstrated that 34 varieties of S. japonicum had a relatively narrow genetic variation. Hence, a broadening of the genetic basis of breeding material is necessary. We conclude that establishment of DNA fingerprint is feasible by means of SRAP markers.

Development of microsatellite loci for Taxus wallichiana var. wallichiana (Taxaceae) and cross-amplification in Taxaceae.

Nine polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized in Taxus wallichiana var. wallichiana, an endangered species in China. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 20. Observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.0260 to 0.5325 and 0.3603 to 0.9231, respectively. Positive cross-amplification of the 9 loci was observed in 2 other varieties of T. wallichiana and 4 other Taxaceae species. These loci will be of value for studying population genetic structures and for genetic resource conservation in T. wallichiana and other Taxus species.

Therapeutic efficacies of chitosan against Pneumocystis pneumonia of immunosuppressed rat.

This study was designed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of chitosan on Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in immunosuppressed rats. The PCP rat model was established using intramuscular injections of dexamethasone sodium phosphate. To estimate treatment effects of chitosan on rat PCP, weight gain, lung weight, lung weight/body weight (LW/BW) ratio and per cent survival were measured and the HSP70 mRNA expression of Pneumocystis carinii was detected using real-time PCR analysis. Rat lung tissues were stained with HE, and their pathological changes, inflammatory cells and alveolar macrophages were observed by light microscopy. Rat lymphocyte numbers and the concentrations of IL-10, IFN-γ and TNF-α were measured by flow cytometry and ELISA analysis. Additionally, the ultrastructure of P. carinii was examined by electron microscopy to evaluate the effects of chitosan on the protist. Our results demonstrated that chitosan has some apparent treatment effects on rat PCP by reducing HSP70 mRNA expression and lung inflammation, increasing the concentrations of IL-10 and IFN-γ as well as CD4(+) T-lymphocyte numbers, reducing the CD8(+) T-lymphocyte numbers and the concentration of TNF-α and inducing significant ultrastructural damage to P. carinii. Although its precise therapeutic mechanism has yet to be determined, these results lay a theoretical foundation for PCP chitosan therapy.

Individualized treatment of NSCLC: from research to clinical practice.

The exact clinical significance of EGFR mutation status in NSCLC at the time of initial diagnosis remains disputable. The gene expression module in NSCLC for chemotherapy outcome prediction needs to be developed. We analyzed 56 patients with NSCLC received chemotherapy either with (n=20) or without EGFR-TKIs (n=36) between 2008 and 2012 in China. EGFR mutation test and gene expression profiling were performed in samples obtained before medication treatment by liquidchip platform. Significant association (P = 0.028) was seen between EGFR mutation status before first-line chemotherapy and EGFR-TKIs treatment outcomes, which even can be found from the status before second- or third-line treatment. A14-gene expression profiling had been studied. Patients with low mRNA expression of ERCC1 or TYMS preferred higher DCR to cisplatin and pemetrexed than those with high expression (P = 0.39 and P= 0.11). Highly co-expression of TUBB3 and STMN1 gene has associated with the resistance to antimicrotubule drugs (P = 0.03). Our data suggest the EGFR mutations status, even at the time of initial diagnosis, is predictive of outcomes of TKIs treatment after chemotherapy. The mRNA expression profiling investigated in this study has a predictive value in NSCLC treatment, but further research with expanded samples is still required.

Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in small cell lung cancer patients who received surgical resection in China.

To know the incidence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients who received surgical resection in mainland China. xTAG technology was used to detect the EGFR exon 19 and exon 21 mutations of 40 patients with SCLC who received surgical treatment in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from 1998 to 2010. 2 of 40 cases were found with mutations in exon 19 of the EGFR gene. The mutation in exon 19 of the EGFR gene is in a female and non smoking patient which pathology is SCLC combined adenocarcinoma, and the other is male and smoking patient which pathology is SCLC combined squamous cell carcinoma. The EGFR mutation is rare in SCLC patients, and EGFR mutation might occur more often in combined SCLCs than conventional patients.

[Analysis on prediction power of HIV infection risk assessment tool in men who have sex with men in Guizhou province].

Objective: To evaluate the prediction power of HIV infection risk assessment tool and the applicability in MSM in Guizhou province. Methods: MSM were recruited through snowball sampling method. Questionnaire surveys were conducted among the MSM using HIV infection risk assessment tool, and combined with HIV serologic test results, the risk prediction power of HIV infection risk assessment tool was evaluated. Results: A total of 3 379 MSM were recruited from January 2018 to December 2019 in Guizhou. The HIV infection rate was 3.3%(111/3 379). The mean risk scores of HIV positive and HIV negative MSM were (12.15±3.08) and (12.07±3.07), respectively. The difference in risk score was significant between MSM with different HIV status (t=8.69, P<0.001). According to the principle of decision tree, individual risk scores were divided into following three categories: ≤11.96, 11.97-14.80 and >14.80, the HIV infection rate was 0.8%, 4.3% and 8.6% respectively, suggesting that the higher the individual risk score was, the higher the HIV infection rate was (trend χ2=88.18, P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the higher the individual risk score was, the higher the risk of HIV infection was. Compared to the total score ≤11.96, the aOR values at total scores of 11.97-14.80 and >14.80 were 6.34 (95%CI: 3.38-11.88) and 14.07(95%CI: 7.44-26.61), respectively. The risk of HIV infection in Miao ethnic group was higher than that in Han ethnic group (aOR=1.83, 95%CI:1.04-3.21), and the risk of HIV infection in those with education level of primary school and below was higher than that in undergraduates or those with education level of junior college and above (aOR=2.50, 95%CI:1.06-5.88), and the risk of HIV infection was higher in those who had bisexual behaviors than in those who had homosexual behaviors (aOR=1.95, 95%CI:1.19-3.19). The risk of HIV infection was higher in those who had never received HIV testing (aOR=1.53, 95%CI:1.01-2.33). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under ROC (AUC) for HIV infection prediction was 0.751 (95%CI:0.710-0.792, P<0.001). The maximum Youden's index was individual risk score of 12.56, and the sensitivity of the risk assessment tool was 0.838, and its specificity was 0.412. Conclusions: The results of HIV infection risk assessment tool in Guizhou indicated that in MSM the higher the individual risk score, the higher the risk of HIV infection is. The tool can be used to evaluate the risk of HIV infection in MSM, but the specificity should be improved.

[Comparison of the intact and segmented dissection for surface preparation of the cochlea in mice].

Objective: To compare intact dissection and segmented dissection of cochlear surface preparation in adult mice. Methods: From February to March, 2019, Six adult C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 2 groups: one group (3 mice) for the intact dissection while the other group (3 mice) for the segmented dissection. Cochlear hair cells were labeled with phalloidin for evaluation of the integrity of the basilar membrane. Results: The basilar membranes can be completely dissected from the cochlea by two approaches. The average dissection time is (16.33±1.86)min with the intact dissection approach while (23.66±3.88) min with the segmented dissection(t=-4.173, P=0.002). Immunofluorescence analysis showed all cochlear hair cells werevisible and intact in two groups. Conclusion: Cochlear basilar membrane can be dissected intact in a short time through both approaches. The approaches selection is dependent on the purpose of experiment and operators' experience.

Trichostatin A alleviates the process of breast carcinoma by downregulating LPAR5.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the role of histone deacetylase inhibitor Trichostatin A (TSA) in affecting metastasis of breast carcinoma, and its molecular mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: LPAR5 levels in breast carcinoma tissues and paracancerous tissues were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and its expression pattern was further verified in breast carcinoma cell lines. The relationship between LPAR5 and prognosis of breast carcinoma patients was analyzed. After TSA induction (100-400 nmol/L) for 6-48 h, the proliferative and migratory abilities of SKBR3 and MDA-MB-231 cells in overexpressing LPAR5 were examined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), transwell and wound healing assay. By constructing a xenograft model in nude mice, the influences of TSA and LPAR5 on in vivo growth of breast carcinoma were examined. RESULTS: LPAR5 was upregulated in breast carcinoma samples. High level of LPAR5 predicted higher rates of lymphatic metastasis and distant metastasis, as well as lower overall survival and progression-free survival in breast carcinoma patients. LPAR5 level was dose-dependently downregulated in TSA-induced SKBR3 and MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, TSA induction dose-dependently declined proliferative ability, and time-dependently attenuated migratory ability in breast carcinoma cells. In vivo overexpression of LPAR5 in nude mice reversed the inhibitory effect of TSA on breast carcinoma growth. CONCLUSIONS: TSA induction can suppress proliferative and migratory abilities in breast carcinoma by downregulating LPAR5.

[Evaluation of medium to long term efficacy of balloon dilation in the treatment of aural fullness as chief complaint].

Objective: To discuss the characteristics of symptoms improvement based on the follow-up evaluation of Eustachian tube balloon dilation medium to long-term efficacy in patients with symptomatic Eustachian tube dysfunction (SETD). Methods: Patients from 2015 to 2017 were followed up after Eustachian tube balloon dilation (with the sense of aural fullness, or tinnitus and hearing ambiguity). All participants had been done ETDQ-7 before surgery and were re-evaluated with ETDQ-7 in follow-up. The improvement of overall and individual symptoms scores in ETDQ-7, the effects of gender and the difference of scores at different stages (12-18 months, 18-24 months and 24-30 months) after the operation were analyzed. Results: There were 29 patients, including 16 males and 13 females, whose age ranged from 20 to 62 years old. The medium to long-term score of ETDQ-7 significantly declined after surgery (27.0±7.9 vs. 14.1±7.5, P<0.05). Among all symptoms, symptoms like "blockage feeling in ear or being like under the water, constriction feeling" , "sound of blisters or explosions in the ear" decreased obviously (P<0.05). Comparing different stages after surgery, the scores of ETDQ-7 existed no difference (P>0.05). And the difference of gender showed no significant influence on surgery effects. Conclusion: The subjective symptoms of patients with Eustachian tube dysfunction diagnosed with SETD can be significantly improved in the medium to long-term follow-up after Eustachian tube balloon dilation, and the degree of improvement is not linearly related to the postoperative time.

Opa interacting protein 5 promotes metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by promoting EMT via modulation of JAK2/STAT3 signal.

OBJECTIVE: Opa interacting protein 5 (OIP5), as a tumor promoter gene, has emerged as a regulator in several types of tumors. However, the role of OIP5 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has not been reported. In this study, we aimed to explore the expression and biological function of OIP5 in NPC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The lung cancer datasets GSE12452 and GSE53819 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) repository. Real-time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to detect the expression levels of OIP5 mRNA. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony-formation assay, wound healing assay and transwell assay were conducted to measure cells' proliferation, migration and invasion. Flow cytometry was used for analysis of apoptosis. Western blot assays were used to assess the effects of OIP5 on EMT and JAK2/STAT3 pathway. RESULTS: The up-regulation of OIP5 mRNA was observed in NPC tissues from both GSE12452 and GSE53819. The results of RT-PCR also showed that the expression of OIP5 mRNA was significantly up-regulated in several NPC cell lines compared to normal nasopharyngeal cells. Furthermore, lost-function assay revealed that the knockdown of OIP5 markedly suppressed NPC cells proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis. In addition, the results of Western blot showed that silencing of OIP5 suppressed the EMT in NPC cell line. Meanwhile, the knockdown of OIP5 remarkably decreased the expression of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 protein in both CNE1 and SUNE1 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicated that OIP5 was highly expressed in NPC and promoted NPC progression by modulating JAK2/STAT3; our results shed light on utilizing OIP5 as a potential novel therapeutic target for the treatment of NPC.

MircoRNA-629 promotes proliferation, invasion and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma through targeting PDCD4.

OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs (miRNA) have been demonstrated to be involved in the development and progression of several tumors, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the expression and function of miR-629 in NPC have not been elucidated before. Here, we explored the role of miR-629 in NPC cells and investigated the possible underlying mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was first utilized to detect the expression of miR-629 in NPC tissues and adjacent normal samples, as well as NPC cell lines and normal nasopharyngeal cell line NP69. MiR-629 mimics and inhibitor was transfected in NPC cells to up-regulate or down-regulate the expression of miR-629. MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay and flow cytometry were used to explore the effects of miR-629 on the proliferation and cell circle of established NPC cells, respectively. Cell invasion and migration abilities were evaluated by transwell Matrigel assay and wound healing assay. Meanwhile, the underlying mechanism of miR-629 in NPC was detected using bioinformatics prediction and dual-luciferase analysis. In addition, Western blotting was employed to identify the expression of the miR-629 targeted protein. RESULTS: MiR-629 expression in NPC tissues was significantly higher than that of adjacent normal samples. Expression of miR-629 in NPC cells was significantly higher than that NP69 cells. Over-expressing miR-629 remarkably promoted 6-10B cell proliferation, while knocking down miR-629 significantly inhibited 5-8F cell growth compared with negative control group. Cell migration and invasion abilities were remarkably increased by miR-629 mimics transfection. However, the miR-629 inhibitor transfection in cells significantly decreased cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, dual-luciferase analysis verified that PDCD4 was a direct target gene of miR-629 in NPC cells. Knockdown of PDCD4 in cells over-expressing miR-629 restored cell proliferation and metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the expression level of miR-629 was significantly increased in 83 NPC tissues and 4 cell lines. MiR-629 promoted NPC cell growth, migration, and invasion via repressing PDCD4 expression, which might provide a novel target for the future biotherapy for NPC.

[Outcomes of same-day bilateral endoscopic tympanoplasty].

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of simultaneous bilateral endoscopic for tympanoplasty in patients with bilateral chronic suppurative otitis media. Method:Fifteen patients (30 ears) with bilateral chronic suppurative otitis media who underwent bilateral endoscopic transcanal tympanoplasty on the same day were enrolled in this study. The ear with worse-hearing was selected as the first operation side, the contralateral ear as the second one. The operation group consisted of 22 ears of Type 1 tympanoplasty, 5 ears of Type 2 tympanoplasty and 3 ears of Type 3 tympanoplasty. All second sides(15 ears) underwent Type 1 tympanoplasty. The cartilage-perichondrium graft was harvested from the tragal of the first side and was cut in two halves which could be used for the both sides. The graft success and hearing improvement were evaluated at the postoperative 6th month according to the follow up results of the endoscopic image and the pure-tone audiometry. Result:The graft take rate was 96.7%(27/30) without any retraction pockets or displaced grafts. The graft take rate of the first side was 93.3%(14/15), and the one of the second side was 100.0%(15/15). The average air conduction thresholds were (50.9±9.1) dB HL preoperatively and (32.0±6.0) dB HL postoperatively(P<0.01). The average air-bone gap overall improved from (30.2±7.9) dB HL preoperatively to (13.7±6.0) dB HL postoperatively(P<0.01). Conclusion:Bilateral same-day endoscopic tympanoplasty are safe and cost effective in appropriately selected patients. It can offer favorable out-comes in selected patients with chronic suppurative otitis media.

[Clinical features of recurrences in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo].

Objective:To study the clinical features of patients with recurrent benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and to analyze potential related factors of recurrences.Method:Eighty patients who suffered recurrent BPPV were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into three groups: young group (21 cases), middle-aged group (25 cases) and old-aged group (34 cases). Theclinical data including age, gender, pathological pattern and canal type of BPPV were collected. We further analyzed the efficacy of repositioning treatment for recurrent BPPV.Result:In this study, there are 62 cases of primary BPPV(77.50%) and 18 cases of secondary BPPV(22.50%). In patients with recurrent BPPV, the laterior semicircular canal BPPV and posterior semicircular canals BPPV were the most common, and there was no differences on the aspects of age and gender in the two groups of patients with recurrent HSC BPPV and PSC BPPV (P>0.05).Compared with the primary diagnosis, we found that 48.75% cases relapsed in the same semicircular canals, 21.25% cases relapsed in other canals of the same ear, and 30.00% cases relapsed in a different ear. In this study, 96.25% patients with recurrent BPPV were cured in a month and one-time reset success rate was 56.25%.Conclusion: The age, gender, pathological pattern and canal type show certain clinical features of recurrent BPPV. The evidence of long term of recurrence course and high variability of problematic location support the approval opinion based on new otolith.

Long noncoding RNA UCA1 promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion of human leukemia cells via sponging miR-126.

OBJECTIVE: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a bone marrow malignancy. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1) plays an important role in several cancers. However, the role of lncRNA UCA1 in AML remained unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: LncRNA UCA1 expressions in different cell lines were determined by RT-PCR. In human myelogenous leukemia (ML) cell lines K562 and HL60, effects of lncRNA UCA1 knockdown on cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were assessed, respectively. Binding effects between lncRNA UCA1 and microRNA (miR)-126, and between miR-126 and RAC1 3'UTR were detected by RT-PCR and luciferase activity assay. Involvements of miR-126 and RAC1 in lncRNA UCA1-mediated cell bioactivities were assessed. RESULTS: We found that lncRNA UCA1 was upregulated in ML cell lines. Knockdown of lncRNA UCA1 inhibited cell viability, migration, invasion, and prompted apoptosis of ML cells in vitro. LncRNA UCA1 could bind with miR-126 and downregulate miR-126 expression. Simultaneously, the anti-growth and anti-metastasis actions of lncRNA UCA1 knockdown on ML cells were reversed by miR-126 suppression. RAC1 was a target gene of miR-126, and the anti-ML actions of miR-126 were abolished by RAC1 overexpression. Moreover, PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT signaling pathways were blocked by miR-126 overexpression while were activated by RAC1 overexpression. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, this study elucidates a novel UCA1-miR-126-RAC1 regulatory network in ML cells, which may provide the feasibility for use lncRNA-based therapy in AML treatment.

The cardiovascular macrophage: a missing link between gut microbiota and cardiovascular diseases?

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is on the rise. Interventions that would aid prevention or treatment of these diseases are essential. The microbes residing in the gut, collectively called "gut microbiota", produce a plethora of compounds that enter the bloodstream and affect the cardiovascular system. Signals ascending from gut microbiome are believed to modulate differentiation and functional activity of macrophages residing in perivascular tissue, atherosclerotic plaques, and perivascular areas of the brain. Cardiovascular macrophages may be the key players that transform the signals ascending from gut microbiome into increased predisposition to cardiovascular diseases. The present review summarizes the knowledge to date on potential relationships between gut microbiota, cardiovascular macrophages, and cardiovascular diseases.