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Materials based on titanium and its alloys are widely used in the medical and dental fields because of their excellent physical properties such as hardness, ductility and elastic modulus, etc. However, because commonly used titanium alloy internal plants do not have antibacterial properties, when these implants are implanted into the human body, there is a certain risk of infection. Such infections are extremely painful for the patient and problematic for the attending physician. In the past, infections of implants were usually treated with systemic antibiotics in combination with thorough debridement or implant replacement. However, these are passive treatments and typically cause huge physical and economic burdens on the patient. Therefore, attempts towards the development of implants with antibacterial functionality have been increasing, with the combination of titanium alloys with antibiotics, antibacterialmetals, and antibacterial peptides being the main research direction. Therefore, this paper will discuss the latest research progress in the preparation of titanium alloys with antibacterial strategies such as combining antibiotics or antimicrobial peptides, adding antimicrobial metals, and the antibacterial properties and biocompatibility of proposed systems are summarised and discussed herein. This review should serve as a reference for further research on antibacterial titanium alloy implants.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, febrile, erupting, self-limited autoimmune disease with systemic vasculitis as the main lesion. It is more common in children under 5 years old, and the main lesions associate the coronary arteries. With the increasing incidence, it has become the first cause of acquired heart disease in children. There are many basic and clinical studies on Kawasaki disease at home and abroad, but there are few animal experimental studies on the treatment of coronary artery injury with stem cells. Therefore, it is of great value to select scientific experimental animal models for Kawasaki disease research to simulate the human characteristics of Kawasaki disease. Through the establishment and in-depth study of animal models of Kawasaki disease, it is helpful to better understand the pathophysiology, cytokines and molecular pathways related to disease advancement of Kawasaki disease. At the same time, it will augment the way for the development of new and effective diagnosis and treatment of Kawasaki disease. Therefore, based on the study of coronary artery lesion animal model of Kawasaki disease with stem cells, this article mainly discusses the research and new progress of Kawasaki disease animal models, so as to provide a good theoretical basis for clinical and animal experimental research. And make a review on this issue.

Background Kashin–Beck disease (KBD) is an endemic deformable bone and joint disease, which affects the quality of life (QOL) of patients. We conducted a cross-sectional study of the QOL of KBD patients by a new KBD quality of life (KBDQOL) questionnaire. Methods A total of 252 KBD patients and 248 OA patients came from Northwest China, and 260 healthy people living in the same area as KBD and osteoarthritis (OA) patients served as the controls. KBDQOL questionnaire was used to evaluate the QOL of all objects. Results The average scores for physical functions, activity limitations, support of society, mental health and general health were significantly lower in KBD patients than that in OA patients and healthy people except for economics. Monofactor analysis showed that age, height, weight status, education level and grade of KBD had a significant effect on KBDQOL score. Multivariate analysis showed that grade of KBD was the influencing factor of physical function score; gender, age, height, grade of KBD and duration of symptoms were the influencing factors of activity restriction score; age and grade of KBD were factors affecting the general health score. Conclusion The QOL of KBD patients was significantly lower than that of OA patients and healthy people. The KBDQOL questionnaire may be a promising tool for assessing the QOL of KBD patients.

BackgroundObservational studies have shown that calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS) is associated with a shorter telomere length (TL). However, the results of observational studies are often influenced by confounding factors and reverse causal associations; it is unclear whether there is a causal relationship between TL and CAVS. This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between TL and CAVS.Materials and methodsGenome-wide association study (GWAS) data on TL (n = 472,174) and CAVS (n = 311,437) were used to assess the effect of TL on CAVS. All the participants were of European ancestry. Three Mendelian randomization (MR) methods, namely, MR-Egger, weighted median, and inverse variance weighted (IVW), were used to assess the potential causal effect of TL on CAVS. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran’s Q statistic. Leave-one-out and MR-Egger regression methods were used for sensitivity and pleiotropy analyses. Forward and reverse MR analyses were performed.ResultsIn total, 118 valid and independent TL genetic instrumental variants were extracted from the GWAS dataset. MR analysis showed that TL was negatively associated with CAVS (odds ratios [OR] = 0.727, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.565–0.936, and P = 0.013 by weighted median; OR = 0.763, 95% CI: 0.634–0.920, and P = 0.005 by IVW; OR = 0.757, 95% CI: 0.549–1.044, and P = 0.055 by MR-Egger). Sensitivity and pleiotropy analyses showed that the results of this study were relatively stable and that there was no significant pleiotropy. Reverse MR analyses consistently suggested the absence of causal effects of CAVS liability on TL levels.ConclusionA causal relationship between the shortening of TL and the development of CAVS in the European population was suggested in this study, and a theoretical basis was provided to investigate the pathogenesis of CAVS.

ObjectivesTo investigate the prevalence of the comprehensive frailty and its associated factors among community dwelling older adults.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingSix community healthcare centres in Xi’an City, Northwest China.ParticipantsA total of 2647 community dwelling older adults completed the study between March and August 2021.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome was the prevalence of frailty, measured with the Comprehensive Frailty Assessment Instrument. The secondary outcomes were potential factors associated with frailty, measured with a social-demographic and health-related information sheet, the Short-Form Mini-Nutritional Assessment and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.ResultsThe participants averaged 27.77±10.13 in the total score of the Comprehensive Frailty Assessment Instrument. According to the cut-off points defining the classification of frailty, the majority of the participants were with mild (n=1478, 55.8%) or high (n=390, 14.8%) frailty. Multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis demonstrated that older age, lower educational level, empty nesters, higher level of self-perceived medical burden, abnormal body weight, physical inactivity, medication taking, increased number of clinic visit, undernutrition and poor sleep quality are associated with higher total score in the Comprehensive Frailty Assessment Instrument, indicating higher level of frailty. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis exhibited similar findings but further captured female gender as a risk factor for the presence of mild and high frailty compared with no-low frailty.ConclusionThe prevalence of the comprehensive frailty and frailty in the physiological, psychological, social and environmental domains is high. A variety of social-demographic, health-related and behavioural factors were associated with the comprehensive frailty. Further investigations on frailty prevalence and its associated factors based on comprehensive assessments are desirable.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in gastric cancer (GC) initiation progression. However, the biological function of theThe expression levels of theThe results demonstrated that theIn conclusion, the findings of this study suggested that the

To investigate the consistency in the prevalence and associated factors of frailty determined by the physical-originated Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illnesses and Loss of weight (FRAIL) scale and the multidimensional Tilburg Frailty Indicators (TFI) scale.Accurate assessment of frailty and the identification of its associated factors could guide the development and implementation of holistic and individualised treatment plan. However, recommendations regarding the selection of frailty assessment tools are inconclusive.This is a cross-sectional study, the reporting of which followed the STROBE guidelines.A total of 1220 older adults were recruited from a university affiliated tertiary hospital in Xi'an City, Northwest China, and administrated with a social-demographic and health-related information sheet, the FRAIL, the TFI, the Short-Form Mini-Nutritional Assessment, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the 5-level EuroQol 5 dimensions questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the prevalence of frailty and its associated factors.The prevalence of physical-originated and multidimensional frailty was 55.2% and 77.6%, respectively. The consistency between the two scales was low. Taking the combined use of the two instruments as the reference, the TFI and FRAIL could identify 89.99% and 64.02% of the participants with frailty. Polypharmacy, health-related quality of life and sleep quality were found to be associated with both physical-originated and multidimensional frailty. Nutritional status and level of physical activity were additionally identified as the independent associated factors of multidimensional frailty.The prevalence of frailty among hospitalised older adults is high. There is low consistency between the FRAIL and TFI in detecting frailty. The TFI exhibited higher sensitivity in detecting individuals with frailty and its associated factors.The findings of this study supported a single use of the TFI for the assessment of frailty in the hospital setting.

Background Increasing evidences demonstrate long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an critical roles in gastric cancer initiation progression. However, the biological function of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) telomerase RNA component (TERC) remains unknown in human gastric cancer. The present study aimed to determine the biological function and underlying molecular mechanism of lncRNA TERC in gastric cancer progression. Methods The expression levels of lncRNA TERC in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines were anaylzed using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The effects of lncRNA TERC on the proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells were determined using Cell Counting Kit-8 and Transwell assays, respectively. Dual luciferase reporter and argonaute 2-RNA immunoprecipitation assays were used to detect the binding between lncRNA TERC and microRNA (miR)-423-5p. Western blotting was performed to measure the expression levels of SOX12, N-cadherin, E-cadherin, MMP9 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Results lncRNA TERC expression levels were upregulated in gastric cancer cells and tissues, while miR-423-5p expression was downregulated. The upregulation of lncRNA TERC was associated with a shorter overall survival in patients with gastric cancer. lncRNA TERC knockdown significantly reduced the proliferation, migration and invasion of HGC-27 and SNU-1 cells. Furthermore, lncRNA TERC knockdown in HGC-27 and SNU-1 cells significantly downregulated the expression levels of SOX12, N-cadherin, MMP9 and PCNA, and upregulated the expression levels of miR-423-5p and E-cadherin. miR-423-5p was also identified as a target of lncRNA TERC and was found to directly bind with lncRNA TERC. Moreover, miR-423-5p was discovered to directly target SOX12 to inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of HGC-27 and SNU-1 cells. Conclusion The findings of the current study suggested that lncRNA TERC may regulate the miR-423-5p/SOX12 signaling axis via directly sponging miR-423-5p and inhibiting SOX12 expression, thereby leading to the progression of gastric cancer. These findings may offer novel targets for future gastric cancer therapy.

ObjectiveWe aimed to identify feature immune-related genes that correlated with graft rejection and to develop a prognostic model based on immune-related genes in kidney transplantation.MethodsGene expression profiles were obtained from the GEO database. The GSE36059 dataset was used as a discovery cohort. Then, differential expression analysis and a machine learning method were performed to select feature immune-related genes. After that, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify prognosis-related genes. A novel Riskscore model was built based on the results of multivariate regression. The levels of these feature genes were also confirmed in an independent single-cell dataset and other GEO datasets.Results15 immune-related genes were expressed differently between non-rejection and rejection kidney allografts. Those differentially expressed immune-related genes (DE-IRGs) were mainly associated with immune-related biological processes and pathways. Subsequently, a 5-immune-gene signature was constructed and showed favorable predictive results in the GSE21374 dataset. Recipients were divided into the high-risk and low-risk groups according to the median value of RiskScore. The GO and KEGG analysis indicated that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high-risk and low-risk groups were mainly involved in inflammatory pathways, chemokine-related pathways, and rejection-related pathways. Immune infiltration analysis demonstrated that RiskScore was potentially related to immune infiltration. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis suggested that recipients in the high-risk group had poor graft survival. AUC values of 1- and 3-year graft survival were 0.804 and 0.793, respectively.ConclusionOur data suggest that this immune-related prognostic model had good sensitivity and specificity in predicting the 1- and 3-year kidney graft survival and might act as a useful tool for predicting kidney graft loss.

Background and Aims: Diagonal earlobe crease (ELC) has been considered a potential cutaneous marker of atherosclerosis. However, the potential mechanism by which ELC and atherosclerosis are linked has not been adequately defined. Roles of adropin and irisin, novel biomarkers of endothelial function, in ELC have not been well-studied. This study aimed to test whether individuals with ELC are deficient in adropin and irisin, a characteristic that would likely promote endothelial dysfunction and provide a plausible common pathological basis for atherosclerosis and ELC.Methods: Patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD) with (n = 45) and without (n = 45) ELC were consecutively enrolled in the study. The ages of the patients enrolled ranged from 40–70 years. Other patients (n = 45) without ELC or CAD were recruited as the control group. All patients underwent coronary angiography. Serum adropin and irisin concentrations were assessed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results: Circulating levels of irisin in the ELC group were significantly lower than those in the non-ELC group, and were highest in the control group. Serum adropin levels of the ELC group were significantly lower than those of the non-ELC group (P < 0.001). Interestingly, although the serum adropin level of the control group was greater than that of the non-ELC group, the difference failed to achieve statistical significance. In subgroup analysis of CAD and ELC, both serum adropin and irisin levels of the CAD and ELC groups were lower than those of the control group (P < 0.001). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that adropin and irisin have similar prognostic power for CAD and ELC.Conclusions: Low adropin and irisin were significantly associated with CAD and ELC. The deficiencies in adropin and irisin may be a common cause of both atherosclerosis and ELC, which explains why patients with ELC are prone to CAD.

Naringin (Nar) is one of the natural glycosides extracted from pomelo and other citrus fruits. It has various pharmacological activities, including anti‑inflammatory, antioxidant, anti‑proliferative and anti‑cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms by which Nar regulates apoptosis and autophagy in gastric cancer remain unclear. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the therapeutic effect of Nar and the underlying mechanisms. SNU‑1 cell proliferation was determined using Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay. Cell morphological changes were observed under a phase‑contrast microscope. The changes in the cell cycle were determined using flow cytometry analysis and the changes in cell apoptosis were determined using flow cytometry, Hoechst 33258 and TUNEL staining. The protein levels pertaining to the PI3K/AKT pathway and cell apoptosis and autophagy were monitored using western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that Nar significantly inhibited SNU‑1 cell growth and induced cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase and cell apoptosis. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that Nar blocked the PI3K/AKT pathway, activated cell autophagy and stimulated the expression of apoptosis‑associated protein cleaved caspase 3 and Bax, but decreased the expression of Bcl‑2. Preincubating SNU‑1 cells with 3‑methyladenine, a cell‑autophagy inhibitor, significantly alleviated the effects of Nar in promoting cell apoptosis and cleaved caspase 3 expression. It was concluded that Nar promoted SNU‑1 cell apoptosis via blocking the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and activating cell autophagy.

Introduction Acute renal rejection usually fails to be diagnosed before the increase in the serum creatinine levels, and the resultant damage to the renal tissues occur in varying degrees. We hypothesized that the combined detection of human leucocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) 14-bp insertion/deletion genotypes and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and osteopontin (OPN) levels in serum might facilitate the prediction of acute renal allograft rejections in kidney transplant recipients. Methods HLA-G 14-bp insertion/deletion genotypes and the serum KIM-1 and OPN levels of 77 kidney transplant recipients were determined and compared before operation and on days 1, 4, and 7 after the operation (32 in acute rejection [AR] group and 45 in stable allograft function [STA] group). These 3 indicators were combined to establish a model for the early prediction of AR. Results The KIM-1 levels in the serum of patients were significantly higher in the AR group than in the STA group. The area under the receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) of KIM-1 for the prediction of rejection was maximized on the1st day after operation, with a sensitivity of 84.4% and a specificity of 86.7%. The OPN levels in the serum of patients were significantly higher in the AR group than in the STA group only before operation and on the 7th day after operation. The AUC of OPN for the prediction of rejection was maximized on 7th day after operation, with a sensitivity of 68.8% and a specificity of 88.9%. The HLA-G + 14-bp allele frequency was also significantly higher in the AR group than in the STA group. The results of these three indicators were converted into a qualitative method. If any two of the three indicators show as positive, it was diagnosed as acute rejection, and it has the highest ability to predict acute rejection with a sensitivity and specificity of 84.38% and 91.11%, respectively. Conclusions The HLA-G 14-bp insertion/deletion genotype and KIM-1 and OPN levels in the patients' serum were significantly different between the AR and STA groups. The power of predicting acute renal allograft rejection could be improved by combined these three biomarkers.

Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) is a naturally occurring adenosine analog and one of the bioactive constituents isolated from Cordyceps sinensis, species of the fungal genus Cordyceps. It has traditionally been a prized Chinese folk medicine for the human well-being. However, the actions of cordycepin against renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R) are still unknown. In the present study, rats were subject to I/R and cordycepin was intragastrically administered for seven consecutive days before surgery to investigate the effects and mechanisms of cordycepin against renal I/R injury. The test results of kidney and peripheral blood samples of experimental animals showed that cordycepin significantly decreased serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels and markedly attenuated cell injury. Mechanistic studies showed that cordycepin significantly regulated inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. These data provide new insights for investigating the natural product with the nephroprotective effect against I/R, which should be developed as a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of I/R in the future.

Proteasome inhibitor bortezomib offers one more option for acute or chronic antibody-mediated rejection after kidney transplantation, but aggravated acute kidney injury (AKI) in some cases early after surgery using bortezomib bring new problem. Here, we evaluated the effects of bortezomib and ONX-0914 on renal tubule injury in a mouse model of ischemia-reperfusion injury. After treated with bortezomib, serum creatinine, usea nitrogen and tubular necrosis significantly increased compared with vehicle-treated mice, but decreased in ONX-0914 group mildly. Infiltration of neutrophil and macrophage were less in bortezomib and ONX-0914-treated mice than vehicle-treated group, and the same was observed on oxidative stress in the kidneys. Furthermore, the apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells increased in bortezomib-treated mice' kidneys compared with ONX-0914 and vehicle-treated controls. In vitro HK2 cell experiments also demonstrated the proapoptotic effect of bortezomib. The mRNA expression of several proapoptotic factors increased in kidneys of bortezomib-treated mice. In brief, bortezomib, as a proteasome inhibitor, shows a certain cytotoxicity to renal tubular epithelial cell during ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) through increased apoptosis. ONX-0914, as an immunoproteasome inhibitor, showed equal potency on anti-inflammation and oxidative stress relieving compared with bortezomib, while less cytotoxicity. The results render the immunoproteasome is a better target for anti-rejection and protecting kidney function in the field of organ transplantation.

Objective To investigate the relationship between caspase-9 (-Ex5+32 G/A) gene polymorphisms, Schneiderman score of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in lumbar disc degeneration and the expression of caspase-9 in degenerative nucleus pulposus. Methods The peripheral venous blood and prominent nucleus pulposus were obtained from 105 patients with lumbar disc herniation. Genomic DNA was extracted and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The caspase-9(-Ex5+32 G/A) gene polymorphisms were analyzed in all DNA samples. The expression of caspase-9 in the tissues was detected by immunohistochemical SP staining. The t test was used to analyze the difference between the genotypes and the expression of caspase-9 in intervertebral disc nucleus. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to assess the association between caspase-9 expression in nucleus pulposus and the MRI score of lumbar disc. Results MRI analysis showed that the patients with AA genotype had the highest MRI scores, but there were no significant differences in MRI scores among patients with AA, GA, and GG genotypes. Compared with GG genotype carriers, AA genotype carriers had a statistically significant difference in the expression of caspase-9 in nucleus pulposus. There was no correlation between the MRI score of lumbar disc degeneration and the expression of caspase-9 in the degenerated nucleus pulposus. Conclusion The caspase-9(-Ex5+32 G/A) gene polymorphism is associated with the expression of caspase-9 in the degenerative nucleus pulposus. However, the MRI Schneiderman score is not significantly correlated with the expression of caspase-9 in degenerative nucleus pulposus.

Biomarkers are urgently required for predicting rejection so that anti-rejection treatment can be taken early to protect the allograft from irreversible damage. We hypothesized that the combination of circulating fractalkine, IFN-γ and IP-10 might serve as effective biomarkers for predicting early acute renal allograft rejection. We conducted a retrospective study of 87 subjects, who were classified into acute rejection group (ARG; n = 38) and non-rejection group (NRG; n = 49). Serum fractalkine, IFN-γ and IP-10 levels were measured by Luminex. The levels of fractalkine on day 0 and 7th day, IP-10 on 4th and 7th day, and IFN-γ on 7th day in ARG was significantly higher than that in NRG. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis highlighted the higher-levels groups of fractalkine on day 0, 4th and 7th day, IFN-γ on day 0, 1st, 4th, and 7th day and IP-10 on the 4th and 7th day in rejection-free survival probability were significantly lower than low-levels groups. ROC analyses highlight the superiority of fractalkine on day 0, IP-10 on day 0, 4th and 7th day, and IFN-γ on day 0, 1st and 7th day in prediction of acute rejection. We found the combination of fractalkine on day 0, IP-10 on 7th day and IFN-γ on 7th day had the highest AUC (0.866) for predicting rejection with a sensitivity of 86.8% and a specificity of 89.8%. Our findings demonstrated a more powerful prediction of early acute renal allograft rejection during the first month after transplantation by combination of multiple-biomarkers of fractalkine, IFN-γ and IP-10, and the results might help stratify the immunologic risk of acute allograft rejection in recipients.

Objective To detect the expressions of interleukin 2 (IL-2) and IL-6 using in vitro lymphocyte stimulation and flow cytometric microcarrier assay, and explore the feasibility of the method for predicting the acute rejection in kidney transplant recipients. Methods Using phorbol myfismte acetate (PMA)/ionomycin, we stimulated the peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro from 52 kidney transplant recipients, including 22 ones with acute rejection (AR) and 30 with stable allograft function (STA). Eight hours later, we detected the expressions of IL-2 and IL-6 in cell culture supernatant by flow cytometric microcarrier assay. IL-2 and IL-6 expressions were compared between in the stimulated cell culture supernatant and in the unstimulated plasma, as well as between the two groups to evaluate the ability of the method predicting the acute rejection. Results The expressions of IL-2 and IL-6 in the AR group were significantly higher than those in the STA group after the peripheral blood lymphocytes were stimulated. In both of the groups, the expressions of IL-2 and IL-6 in stimulated lymphocyte culture supernatants were significantly higher than those in the unstimulated plasma. The sensitivity and specificity of combined IL-2 and IL-6 detection in stimulated lymphocyte culture supernatants for predicting the acute rejection were 81.8% and 90%, respectively, which were higher than the individual sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion The method of detecting both IL-2 and IL-6 expressions in stimulated peripheral lymphocyte culture supernatants by flow microsphere carrier assay had good sensitivity and specificity for predicting the acute renal allograft rejection in kidney transplant recipients.

Objective To investigate the expressions of serum soluble human leukocyte antigen G (sHLA-G) and soluble CD30 (sCD30) in renal transplant recipients at different time after transplantation, and explore the relationship between the expressions of serum sHLA-G, sCD30 and the time after renal transplantation. Methods Eleven kidney transplant recipients and 10 healthy donors were selected, in which the dynamic changes of serum sHLA-G and sCD30 were detected by ELISA before transplantation and 1 year after transplantation; 33 kidney transplant recipients with normal renal graft were selected and divided into three groups: 1-5 years, 5-10 years and 10 years post-transplantation. The expressions of serum sHLA-G and sCD30 in the recipients were tested over one year after transplantation. Results The level of serum sHLA-G before transplantation was not significantly different from that of the control group. There was no significant difference between pre-transplantation, 1 week and 1 month after transplantation. Serum sHLA-G level of renal transplant recipients at 3 months after transplantation was higher than that 1 month after transplantation. There was no significant change in serum sHLA-G level among 3, 6 and 12 months after transplantation. The level of serum sHLA-G in the group of transplant time10 years was significantly higher than that in the group of transplant time ≤5 years. The serum sHLA-G level was significantly associated with the time after renal transplantation. The level of serum sCD30 before transplantation was higher than that in the control group and decreased in 1 week after transplantation. There were no significant differences in sCD30 level between 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after transplantation, and similarly, there were also no significant differences between the groups of transplant time ≤5 years, 5-10 years and 10 years after transplantation. The level of sCD30 was significantly associated with the time within 1 month after renal transplantation. Conclusion The serum sHLA-G in kidney transplant recipients with normal renal graft increased with the time after renal transplantation, while the serum sCD30 level was reduced within 1 month after renal transplantation.

Objective To observe the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on insomnia and explore its mechanism. Method One hundred and twenty patients were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. Sixty patients in the experimental group were treated once a day with acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN1), Shenmai (BL 62), and Zhaohai (KI 6) and with moxibustion at Baihui (GV 20) and Sishencong (EX-HN1). Sixty patients in the control group were acupunctured once a day at Shenmen (HT 7), Neiguan (PC 6), and Sanyinjiao (SP 6). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to compare sleep improvement between the two groups. Result The total effective rate was 87.7% in the experimental group and 76.3% in the control group. The PSQI scores and the total score were lower after treatment than before treatment in both groups. However, the reduction in the experimental group was greater than that in the control group in sleeping quality, time to fall asleep, sleeping disorder, and daytime function (P Conclusion Acupuncture and moxibustion at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN1), Shenmai (BL 62), and Zhaohai (KI 6) significantly improved insomnia symptoms in the experimental group compared with the control group.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G plays an important role in promoting transplant tolerance and helping human cytomegalovirus (CMV) to subvert host defenses. Strong evidence suggests that HLA-G 14-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism influences the stability of HLA-G mRNAs and levels of protein expression. We hypothesized that HLA-G 14-bp polymorphism of recipients has an influence on the risk of acute rejection (AR) and CMV infection. We investigated the impact of HLA-G 14-bp polymorphism on a total of 363 unrelated Chinese Han individuals who included 42 kidney transplant recipients with AR, 43 recipients with CMV infection, 102 recipients with stable allograft function (STA), and 176 healthy controls (HC). No statistically significant difference was found between all kidney transplant patients and HC (P = 0.149). But, our data showed an increased frequency of homozygous genotype + 14/+ 14 bp (Pc = 0.004) and allele + 14 bp (Pc = 0.002) in patients with AR when compared with STA, with the odds ratio of 3.17 and 2.28, respectively. Moreover, we found that the frequency of the − 14/− 14 bp genotype (Pc = 0.008) and the − 14 bp allele (Pc = 0.016) was increased in patients with CMV infection when compared with STA, with the OR of 2.66 and 1.96, respectively. Multivariate analysis further demonstrated that HLA-G homozygous + 14 bp and − 14 bp genotypes were an independent risk factor for allograft rejection and CMV infection, respectively. In conclusion, this study identified an important genetic risk factor for acute allograft rejection, and it was the first to show a significant correlation between HLA-G 14-bp polymorphism and CMV infection after kidney transplantation from northwestern China.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of kidney transplant recipients stimulated in vitro release tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interferon (IFN)-γ into the supernate as detected by a flow cytometric microcarrier assay (FCMA) that we used to predict acute rejection episodes.Fifty-two kidney transplant recipients were divided into 2 groups; stable function (STA; n = 30) and acute rejection (ARG; n = 22) for comparison with healthy volunteers (n = 10). PBL were stimulated for 8 hours with phorbol myphnistate acetate and ionomycin, thereafter detecting TNF-α and IFN-γ in culture supernates by FCMA. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) procedures were used to assess the sensitivity and specificity to predict acute rejection.The fluorescence intensity of TNF-α and IFN-γ in culture supernates was significant higher among healthy controls than STA: 68.38 ± 28.59 vs 51.08 ± 34.05, respectively (P.05). The intensity of TNF-α and IFN-γ in ARG (144.47 ± 81.21 and 116.61 ± 53.89, respectively) was significant higher than STA (P.001). The sensitivity and specificity to predict acute rejection were 86.4% and 86.7%, respectively, when analyzed by ROC curves combining TNF-α and IFN-γ. The intensity in noncultured plasma from ARG or STA was significant lower than that in culture supernates from ARG and STA with sensitivity and specificity to predict acute rejection episodes of 63.6% and 73.3%, respectively, when combining TNF-α and IFN-γ.Monitoring the expression of TNF-α and IFN-γ in cell culture supernates after stimulation of kidney transplant recipient PBL in vitro using FCMA predicted acute rejection episodes.