Search

Because of a large number of macrophages and its secreted pro-inflammatory factors in the synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the present study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of 630-nm LED exposure on monocytes/macrophages and its anti-inflammatory effect. The THP-1 monocytes and PMA-induced THP-1 macrophages (THP-1 macrophages) were employed and irradiated by 630-nm LED for different time and times, and then measure the pro-inflammatory cytokines production by RT-qPCR and Milliplex MAP Multiplex assay, the proteins involved in inflammation pathway and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the cells were detected by Western blot and DCFH-DA method. The exposure dose of red LED (15.3 J/cm2, 30.6 J/cm2) were determined as no-influence on the cell proliferation, the pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1β mRNAs, and secretions in supernatant of THP-1 macrophages were significantly decreased after LED exposure. The ROS production was blocked in THP-1 monocytes and THP-1 macrophages after treatment of LED. Finally, the phosphorylated NF-κB proteins which involved in inflammation pathway significantly decreased, and its inhibitors Nrf2 were slightly upregulated. The effects of LED anti-inflammation response are dependent on the mechanism of inhibiting ROS level and regulating NF-κB signaling pathways by increasing Nrf2 expression in the cells. It is suggested that 630-nm LED could decrease pro-inflammation in immune cells, and it may be a beneficial adjunct therapy in relieving inflammation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background Prior research on cognitive and functional outcomes after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has largely explored these two domains in isolation. In this study, we assess baseline depression and cognition as risk factors for decline in the Clinical Dementia Rating Sum-of-Boxes (CDR-SB) one month post-CABG surgery, which a combined measure of cognition and function. Design The Neuropsychiatric Outcomes After Heart Surgery (NOAHS) study is a prospective observational cohort study. Setting A tertiary care, academic center. Participants Of a total study sample of 148 patients undergoing CABG surgery, 124 (83.8%) completed one-month follow-up assessment. Mean age was 66.3, 32 (25.8%) female, and 112 (90.3%) White. Measurements Cognition, function and depression were assessed on semi-structured clinical interviews. Cognitive and functional status were defined using CDR-SB; mild or major depression was defined by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Additionally, neuropsychological battery was performed at baseline. Results CDR-SB decline occurred in 18 (14.5%) subjects. Older age, depression, baseline CDR-SB, and postoperative delirium were associated with one-month decline on univariate analysis. Older age (OR 1.1 [1.0-1.2]) and depression (OR 6.2 [1.1-35.0]) remained significant on multivariate regression. In separate models, baseline performance on visual Wechsler memory scale (delayed), Hopkins verbal learning test (immediate and delayed), controlled oral word fluency test, and Trails B predicted CDR-SB decline. Conclusion Roughly one in seven patients experienced CDR-SB decline one month after CABG surgery. Also, preoperative depression deserves recognition for being a predictor of CDR-SB decline one month post-CABG. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Ischemic stroke remains to be a leading cause of death and disability worldwide at present. Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI) is a critical pathogenesis leading to a poor prognosis for ischemic stroke patients.Recent studies have found that miR155 may be involved in the occurrence of CIRI after stroke, but it’s role and specific mechanism are not completely clear.Therefore, this study investigated the effects of miR155 expression levels on mortality, cerebral infarction volume and neuronal apoptosis in MCAO/R rats by changing the expression level of miR155 in the ischemic penumbra (IP) region of rats. QRT-PCR and Western Blotting were used to detect the expression changes of Rheb, mTOR, 4EBP1 and S6K1 under different miR155 expression levels. The results showed that inhibition of miR155 could reduce the mortality, the volume of cerebral infarction and the number of neuronal apoptosis in MCAO/R rats.The mRNA and protein expressions of Rheb, mTOR, 4EBP1 and S6K1 were increased after inhibition of miR155, and vice versa. It suggested that inhibition the expression of miR155 could alleviate CIRI in the IP by activating Rheb/mTOR signaling at the transcriptional level. At the same time, we found that the phosphorylation level of mTOR signaling pathway were also increased after inhibition of miR155, indicating that autophagy level regulated by mTOR signaling pathway may be involved in the CIRI.

PurposeCholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignant tumor with a high incidence. The therapeutic effect of conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy is not obvious. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an ideal modality to fight cancer, and the nature of photosensitizer limits its application in clinical therapy. The aim of this study was to explore a novel mode of drug delivery for the intervention of bile duct cancer.MethodsOxaliplatin and photosensitizer HCE6 were loaded with mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) to synthesize Oxaliplatin/HCE6-MSNs (OH-MSNs); the structure of OH-MSNs was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), the drug release rate was detected by high performance liquid chromatography; the cellular activity, apoptosis level, and the expression levels of intracellular apoptosis and autophagy-related factors of OH-MSNs on cholangiocarcinoma cells were observed by CCK-8, flow cytometry, colony formation assay, and Western blot; the effects of OH-MSNs on cholangioma growth were observed by mouse tumor formation, immunohistochemistry, and tissue Tunel staining.ResultsThe release of OH-MSNs to Oxaliplatin was enhanced under acidic conditions; compared with Oxaliplatin or O-MSNs, OH-MSNs showed more potent killing effects against cholangiocarcinoma cells (PConclusionMSNs loading greatly increases the killing effect of Oxaliplatin on cholangiocarcinoma cells and upgrades the autophagic level of cholangiocarcinoma cells, while OH-MSNs synthesized by further loading HCE6 have a more apparent killing effect on cholangiocarcinoma cells.

Purpose: Pancreatic cancer is a common digestive neoplasm with a high fatality rate. We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical randomized phase III trials to explore the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine plus anti-angiogenesis therapy versus gemcitabine monotherapy for locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library to identify eligible studies. Data were collected for the period from January 1, 2000 to August 20, 2018. Hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) were used as main evaluation parameters. Results: A total of eight eligible studies with 3,586 individuals were included in the present meta-analysis. The results showed that the combination of gemcitabine plus anti-angiogenesis therapy had a significant effect on progression-free survival (HR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.86 - 1.00, P = 0.04), but led to no significant difference in the overall survival (HR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.88 - 1.05, P = 0.38). In terms of safety, gemcitabine plus anti-angiogenesis therapy did not increase the rate of grade 3-4 common adverse effects except for hypertension. Conclusions: Although gemcitabine plus anti-angiogenesis therapy might prolong the progression-free survival in locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer, these successful results did not translate into a significant improvement in the overall survival or change in the clinical guidelines.

Background Diagnosis of urethral cavernous hemangioma (UCH) is very rare. It can be easy to misdiagnose and mistreat due to its atypical clinical manifestations and a lack of relevant knowledge. The study is to explore the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment of UCH. Case presentation The first patient was a 15-year-old male, who was admitted to the hospital for more than 1 year with repeated hematuria. UCH was diagnosed by cystoscope biopsy, and cured with local injection of pingyangmycin. The second patient was a 49-year-old male, who was admitted for repeated painless gross hematuria and intermittent urethral bleeding after penile erection for more than 20 years. The case had been misdiagnosed as seminal vesiculitis, urethritis, or prostatitis, for over 20 years, until it was diagnosed as UCH by MR examination of the penis. It was treated by injection of pingyangmycin into the hemangioma’s lumen and base. A small incision in the ventral penile area was separated from the location of the hemangioma, which was injected with pingyangmycin again. A biopsy of resected tissue further confirmed the diagnosis of UCH. Conclusions UCH is an easily misdiagnosed disease. Intermittent painless hematuria is important characteristic of UCH. Local injection of pingyangmycin is a good option for treatment of UCH. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12894-019-0441-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Our previous studies have reported the down-regulation of EGFL8 correlates to the development and prognosis of colorectal and gastric cancer. The present study is carried out to explore the expression pattern and role of EGFL8 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods and materials EGFL8 expression in 102 cases of HCC tissues matched with adjacent non-tumorous liver tissues, a normal liver cell line and three liver cancer cell lines with different metastatic capacity was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot. Moreover, the clinicopathological features and prognosis of HCC patients were correlated with expression of EGFL8. Subsequently, the gain-and loss-of-function experiments were carried out to investigate the biological function of EGFL8 in HCC. We also used N-[N-(3,5-Difluorophenacetyl-L-alanyl)]-(S)- phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT), an inhibitor for Notch signaling pathway, in these experiments to verify the involvement of Notch signaling pathway in the effects of EGFL8. Additionally, a mouse model was established to investigate the effect of EGFL8 on metastasis of HCC cells. The expression of Notch signaling pathway in HCC cells and xenograft mouse tumors were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistory. Results The expression of EGFL8 was significantly decreased in HCC tissues and cell lines and EGFL8 down-regulation correlated to multiple nodules, vein invasion, high TNM stage and poor prognosis of HCC. Interestingly, the expression levels of EGFL8 in three liver cancer cell lines were negatively associated with their metastatic capacity. In vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that EGFL8 obviously suppressed metastasis and invasion of HCC cells but slightly promoted apoptosis. Meanwhile, the expression of Notch signaling pathway was obviously suppressed in EGFL8 overexpressed HCCLM3 cells and xenograft mouse tumors generated from these cells but markedly elevated in EGFL8 depleted Hep3B cells. Furthermore, the up-regulated expression of Notch signaling pathway and effects induced by EGFL8 knockdown in Hep3B cells could be counteracted by DAPT treatment. Conclusion The down-regulation of EGFL8 was correlated to progression and poor prognosis of HCC and regulates HCC cell migration, invasion and apoptosis through activating the Notch signaling pathway, suggesting EGFL8 as a novel therapeutic target and a potential prognostic marker for HCC.

Background: The ketogenic diet (KD) is an effective therapy for children with intractable epilepsy. Dyslipidemia is a complication of the KD, and a negative marker of cardiovascular function. However, there is growing interest in the protective effects of KD on the cardiovascular system. To examine the negative and positive effects of the KD on cardiovascular function, the present prospective study aimed to assess lipid profiles and cardiac functions among patients with intractable epilepsy who were on the KD.Methods: Lipid levels were examined at the baseline and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the KD was initiated. Color Doppler imaging was used to assess ventricular systolic and diastolic functions at the baseline and at 3 months after KD initiation.Results: There were no statistically significant changes in blood lipid levels. Unexpectedly, cardiac systolic function (p=0.03 for ejection fraction and 0.01 for fractional shortening ) improved significantly, and diastolic function (p=0.04 for E/A) decreased.Conclusion: The KD may have positive effects on cardiac systolic function among children with epilepsy. In the future, further laboratory and clinical studies will be needed to elucidate the mechanism by which KD influences cardiovascular function.

Summary Background Elucidation of the chain of disease transmission and identification of the source of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections are crucial for effective disease containment. We describe an epidemiological investigation that, with use of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) serological assays, established links between three clusters of COVID-19. Methods In Singapore, active case-finding and contact tracing were undertaken for all COVID-19 cases. Diagnosis for acute disease was confirmed with RT-PCR testing. When epidemiological information suggested that people might have been nodes of disease transmission but had recovered from illness, SARS-CoV-2 IgG serology testing was used to establish past infection. Findings Three clusters of COVID-19, comprising 28 locally transmitted cases, were identified in Singapore; these clusters were from two churches (Church A and Church B) and a family gathering. The clusters in Church A and Church B were linked by an individual from Church A (A2), who transmitted SARS-CoV-2 infection to the primary case from Church B (F1) at a family gathering they both attended on Jan 25, 2020. All cases were confirmed by RT-PCR testing because they had active disease, except for A2, who at the time of testing had recovered from their illness and tested negative. This individual was eventually diagnosed with past infection by serological testing. ELISA assays showed an optical density of more than 1·4 for SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein and receptor binding domain antigens in titres up to 1/400, and viral neutralisation was noted in titres up to 1/320. Interpretation Development and application of a serological assay has helped to establish connections between COVID-19 clusters in Singapore. Serological testing can have a crucial role in identifying convalescent cases or people with milder disease who might have been missed by other surveillance methods. Funding National Research Foundation (Singapore), National Natural Science Foundation (China), and National Medical Research Council (Singapore).

In May 2019, we investigated monkeypox in a traveler from Nigeria to Singapore. The public health response included rapid identification of contacts, use of quarantine, and postexposure smallpox vaccination. No secondary cases were identified. Countries should develop surveillance systems to detect emerging infectious diseases globally. Published version

Background Rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (RGISTs) are biologically characterized tumors that are relatively rare. Thus, few studies have reported a specific prognostic system for this subset of tumors but integrated it into parallel systems, such as small intestine. Our aim is to develop a new predictive staging system nomogram (named FD-ZS system) for RGISTs. Results Tumor size and mitotic rate were independent risk factors for tumor recurrence in RGISTs according to univariate and multivariate survival analyses. A prognostic predictive nomogram was developed, and a cut-off value of 65 points was calculated by X-tile to discriminate risk based on tumor size and mitotic rate. The C-indices for the FD-ZS, FD-Hou, NIH, and WHO systems were 0.706, 0.693, 0.687, and 0.680, respectively. Conclusion In the present study, a concise two-tier grading system (FD-ZS) for prognostic prediction of RGISTs that is simpler to several reported systems was developed, and a cut-off value was established to help RGIST patients determine whether to undergo adjuvant imatinib treatment. Methods A nomogram was employed, and its predictive accuracy and discriminative ability were determined by concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve analyses. The nomogram was then compared with three stratification systems used for GISTs (FD-Hou, NIH, and WHO).

Purpose: Liver cancer is insensitive to chemotherapy. Sorafenib is currently the standard treatment for patients with advanced diseases, with mild survival extension and several intolerable drug-related side effects. The establishment of new treatments is an unmet clinical need. The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy and safety of apatinib, a novel antiangiogenic drug, in the treatment of patients with liver cancer. Materials and Methods: Patients with unresectable or relapsed liver cancer were included in a single center, retrospective, observational study and treated with apatinib until progressive disease or unacceptable toxicity. Results: 32 patients were reviewed from January 2015 to March 2017. No complete response (CR) occurred, 5 patients (16%) showed partial response (PR), 14 patients (44%) had stable disease (SD), 13 patients (41%) had progressive disease (PD), with disease control rate of 60%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.3-6.1 months) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 3 months (95% CI: 2.5-4.2 months) for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). The median overall survival (OS) was 13 months (95% CI: 12.4-14.1 months) for HCC and 5 months (95% CI: 4.5-6.2 months) for ICC, respectively. The most common adverse effects (AEs) were proteinuria (31%), secondary hypertension (28%) and liver dysfunction (13%). Conclusion: Apatinib treatment was an effective for patients with liver cancer. The toxicities were mild and tolerable.

Angiogenesis plays a critical role in the progression and vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaques; however, the orchestration of angiogenesis in atherosclerotic plaque formation remains unclear. The results of microarray analysis, real-time PCR and immunohistochemical analyses showed that Hairy/enhancer of split homologue-1 (Hes-1) expression was significantly decreased, while that of osteopontin (OPN) was increased, in atherosclerotic plaques. Meanwhile, immunofluorescence results demonstrated that both Hes-1 and OPN were expressed in endothelial cells (ECs) of neovessels in atherosclerotic plaques. The results of an in vitro study showed that Hes-1 was downregulated, while OPN was upregulated, in a time- and dose-dependent manner in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by VEGF treatment. In addition, Hes-1 knockdown was found to have transcriptional promotion effect on OPN expression in HUVECs and enhance OPN-induced angiogenesis in response to VEGF. On the contrary, Hes-1 overexpression inhibited OPN expression in HUVECs and reduced angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. The results of this study suggest that decreased Hes-1 expression in atherosclerotic plaques exaggerate VEGF-induced angiogenesis by upregulating OPN. Therefore, restoring Hes-1 expression and inhibiting OPN expression may be a promising strategy to prevent vulnerable plaque formation in patients with atherosclerosis.

Self-service assessment model for measuring severity of Parkinson's disease (PD) has recently received considerable attention due to the inconvenience and cost of physical visits to the medical clinic for PD patients. Previous works, however, mostly focus on the feature extraction and classifier design without considering notable intrinsic differences between patients with Parkinsonism (PWP), which has an adverse impact on generalization of model detecting PD. This paper introduces a novel PD-detected model based on Extreme Gradient Boost (XGBoost), where prior knowledge including gender and age are used to predict the severity of PD through unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS). Firstly, using gender and age as a prior knowledge decomposes the prediction model of UPDRS to get new sub-model. Secondly, we obtain a regressor trained by XGBoost on the respective sub-model. Finally, we can get the final prediction about UPDRS using trained model. The experimental results show that our method significantly improves performance on the remote Parkinson dataset.

Abstract Background: Antibodies have emerged as essential tools of biomedical researches and are of great commercial and medical values. They are the fastest growing product segments of the pharmaceutical industry. Polyclonal antibodies are antibodies that secreted by different B cell lineages within the body. In this study production of polyclonal antibody against Goatpox and Sheeppox virion in rabbit was performed and subsequently; it will be used as the development of ELISA for detection of poxvirus in different species of animals. Results: After 0.5mg/ml of the whole virion of the poxvirus was injected subcutaneously at multiple sites, the blood was collected at an interval of 14 days and antibody titration was conducted. GTPV A27 antigen was coated and indirect ELISA method was used for the titration of antibody then the mean of OD values for positive and negative results were analyzed by Microsoft excel window 7. The blood was collected and serum was prepared for IgG purification. The IgG was purified by Ammonium sulfate precipitation method which was dialyzed against 5lire PBS overnight at +4oc. The protein concentration was determined spectrophotometrically at 280nm wavelength and estimated as 2.29µg/µl and 2.18µg/µl against Goatpox virus and sheeppox virus respectively. Protein bands were checked by SDS PAGE and the molecular weights of 67kDa and 25kDas were estimated for IgG. similarly, antigen-antibody detection was checked by western blot. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, the virion of Goatpox virus and Sheeppox virus is strong enough to produce antibody to develop ELISA kit for detection of poxviruses by coating GPTV A27 antigen. This study is the first to be conducted for the production of antibody from virions of Goatpox and sheeppox virus which was tittered by coating GTPV A27 antigen.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is responsible for 50% of liver cancer cases globally; this disease is one of the leading causes of cancer‑associated mortality. One reported mechanism underlying the development of liver cancer is the mutation of tumor suppressor genes induced by the overexpression of apolipoprotein B mRNA‑editing enzyme catalytic subunit 2 (APOBEC2) in hepatocytes. In addition, it has been observed that HBV inhibited microRNA (miR)‑122 expression in hepatocytes; however, the molecular mechanisms involved in liver cancer development remain unknown and further investigations are required. In the present study, the mechanistic roles of HBV infection in modulating the expression of miR‑122 and APOBEC2, and the development of liver cancer, were investigated. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blot analyses revealed that APOBEC2 expression was markedly upregulated following HBV infection. Of note, the expression profile of APOBEC2 in the Huh7 and HepG2 liver cancer cell lines opposed that of miR‑122; this miR is the most abundant miRNA in the liver and has been associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. Mechanistically, it was demonstrated via a dual‑luciferase assay that miR‑122 could specifically bind to the 3'‑untranslated region (3'UTR) of APOBEC2 mRNA, inhibiting its expression. Collectively, the findings of the present study may provide insight into the mechanistic role of HBV infection in modulating the expression of miR‑122, which targets the 3'UTR of APOBEC2 mRNA, subsequently inducing liver carcinogenesis.

Poxviruses are among the best known and most feared viruses in the world and their emergence was estimated to be around thousands of years ago. Poxviruses use the majority of their genes for intonation of their host antiviral reaction and, assumed as virulence genes. This review aims to cite information about the replication of poxvirus, genes responsible for causing the disease and host defense mechanism against the virus. Glycosaminoglycan’s (GAGs) is supposed to be the receptors of poxvirus during entrance to cells for replication. More than one enzyme is encoded by several poxviruses for production of DNA, which probably increases genome replication in inactive cells. Based on fluorescent dye visualization, the DNA synthesis of Poxvirus is detected within two hours after infection takes place in a separate juxtanuclear location known as factories. The Acquired immune response is a complex interaction of a number of cell types and the consequently lead to the generation of specific antiviral antibody of B lymphocytes and in virus-specific DTH and cytotoxic responses by T lymphocytes. In poxvirus infection, immunodeficiency syndrome reflects both a primary and secondary immunosuppression. Poxviruses infections have a varied effect on host macromolecular Syntheses and act against interferon activities.

Calcium activated chloride channels (CaCCs) are critical in vascular smooth muscle function as they regulate proliferation/apoptosis of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and vascular tone. Transmembrane protein 16A (TMEM16A) was demonstrated to encode CaCCs in basilar artery SMCs (BASMCs) and participate in basilar artery remodeling during hypertension. In addition, TMEM16A has recently been illustrated to contribute to pressure‑induced myogenic response in cerebral vasculature. However, whether TMEM16A is involved in cerebral vasoconstriction that is stimulated by other vasoconstrictors remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to establish whether TMEM16A is involved in the progression of angiotensin II (Ang II)‑induced basilar artery constriction and elucidate its potential role during hypertension. The study demonstrated that the specific inhibitor of TMEM16A, T16A‑inhA01 attenuated Ang II‑induced constriction in rat basilar arteries, and that this effect was weakened in parallel with the decline of TMEM16A expression in basilar arteries of 2‑kidney, 2‑clip hypertensive rats. Furthermore, it was found that 100 nM Ang II evoked a chloride current in cultured BASMCs with a basal 100‑nM intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) level. In addition, the current could be abolished by TMEM16A small interfering RNA pretreatment and Ang II receptor type 1 (AT1) receptor blocker, losartan, while Ang II failed to cause a further increase to Ca2+‑dependent Cl‑ currents activated by 500 nM [Ca2+]i. In addition, in cultured BASMCs, Ang II induced phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase‑targeting subunit 1, and myosin light chains were significantly enhanced by TMEM16A overexpression, which were reversed by Rho‑associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, Y‑27632, while TMEM16A silencing demonstrated an opposing result. Furthermore, Ang II‑induced RhoA activation was enhanced by TMEM16A overexpression. In conclusion, the present study revealed that Ang II elicited a TMEM16A‑mediated current and TMEM16A participated in Ang II‑induced basilar constriction via the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway.

The spatial-temporal characteristics of internal tides (ITs) in the southwest Luzon Strait are examined, based on 9-month mooring current records from autumn 2008 to summer 2009. The results of spectral analysis show that the ITs in diurnal and semidiurnal frequencies are prominent at the mooring site, especially for the clockwise rotary component. The diurnal ITs are mostly dominated by the first mode except for that in spring when the second mode is relatively predominant. The semidiurnal ITs display a variable multimodal structure. Moreover, an apparent difference is detected in the kinetic energy of diurnal ITs. The energy is strongest in winter, and followed by that in summer, whereas the value is smallest in spring and autumn. It is suggested that the incoherent motions are responsible for the significant seasonal variations of diurnal ITs, reflecting interaction between diurnal ITs and the varying background conditions. However, the semidiurnal ITs are independent of seasonal change, whose energy is smaller and only one-third of the diurnal energy in winter. Nevertheless, the abnormal variations of semidiurnal ITs are also related to the variable background conditions. The incoherent semidiurnal constituent accounts for about 37% of the total semidiurnal tidal kinetic energy, but the diurnal tidal motions contain fewer incoherent component (22.2%).

Background Reported studies have showed that Thrombin Activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor (TAFI) may be associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism. But the relation of VT with TAFI gene SNPs could not be clearly demonstrated. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to analyze the associations between three TAFI variants − 438G/A, 505G/A and 1040C/T and the risk of venous thrombosis. Methods We carried out a systematic search to obtain all the eligible studies published before 30th October 2014. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were computed to assess the association. Results 13 eligible studies were enrolled including 2321 patients and 2464 controls. There was a significant association between 505G/A and the risk of VTD under all models except recessive model (G vs. A: OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.26; GG vs. AA:OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.88; GA vs. AA: OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.73; GG + GA vs. AA: OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.77). Similarly, obvious relationship was observed in subgroup analyses in light of type of disease and ethnicity. Likewise, for 1040C/T variant, significant associations were identified under homozygote, heterozygote and dominant models (CC vs. TT: OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.59; CT vs. TT: OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.03; CC + CT vs. TT: OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.20, 2.00). Sub-analysis presented significant associations in non-CVT and non-Asian group under homozygote, heterozygote, and dominant models and CVT group in recessive model. Conclusion This meta-analysis showed that − 438G/A variant was not associated with the incidence of venous thrombosis. But in non-Asian populations, G allele and GG genotype of 505G/A may increase the risk of venous thrombosis diseases. GG genotype of 505G/A and one C carrier (CC and CT) of 1040C/T gave rise to the development of venous thrombosis diseases except CVT. Additionally, the heterozygote CT may be a potential contributing factor of gene effect in venous thrombosis.

The existence of autoantibodies towards an individual's own proteins or nucleic acids has been established for more than 100years, and for a long period, these autoantibodies have been believed to be closely associated with autoimmune diseases. However, in recent years, researchers have become more interested in the role and application of autoantibodies in progression, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of human malignant tumours. Over the past few decades, numerous epidemiological studies have shown that the risk of certain cancers is significantly altered (increased or decreased) in patients with autoimmune diseases, which suggests that autoantibodies may play either promoting or suppressing roles in cancer progression. The idea that autoantibodies are directly involved in tumour progression gains special support by the findings that some antibodies secreted by a variety of cancer cells can promote their proliferation and metastasis. Because the cancer cells generate cell antigenic changes (neoantigens), which trigger the immune system to produce autoantibodies, serum autoantibodies against tumour-associated antigens have been established as a novel type of cancer biomarkers and have been extensively studied in different types of cancer. The autoantibodies as biomarkers in cancer diagnosis are not only more sensitive and specific than antigens, but also could appear before clinical evidences of the tumours, thus disclosing them. The observations that cancer risk is lower in patients with some autoimmune diseases suggest that certain autoantibodies may be protective from certain cancers. Moreover, the presence of autoantibodies in healthy individuals implies that it could be safe to employ autoantibodies to treat cancer. Of note, an autoantibodies derived from lupus murine model received much attention due to their selective cytotoxicity for malignant tumour cell without harming normal ones. These studies showed the therapeutic value of autoantibodies in cancer. In this review, we revisited the pathological or protective role of autoantibodies in cancer progression, summarize the application of autoantibodies in cancer diagnosis and prognosis, and discuss the value of autoantibodies in cancer therapy. The studies established to date suggest that autoantibodies not only regulate cancer progression but also promise to be valuable instruments in oncological diagnosis and therapy.

Background: Whether bridging strategies[intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) + mechanical thrombectomy (MT)] are superior to mechanical thrombectomy alone for large vessel occlusion(LVO) is still uncertain. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate and evaluate comparative efficacy and safety of bridging strategies vs direct MT in patients with LVO. Methods: The PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane library databases were searched to evaluate the efficacy and safety of bridging strategies with direct MT in LVO. Functional independence, mortality, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and successful recanalization were assessed. The risk ratio (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Results: The proportion of patients who received MT + IVT was significantly higher in functional independence and successful recanalization rate than MT alone patients. However, pooled results showed that the mortality of patients who received MT + IVT was significantly lower than that of MT alone patients. Moreover, no significant differences were observed in the incidence of sICH between the 2 groups. Conclusion: The findings of our meta-analysis confirmed that bridging strategies improved functional outcomes, successful recanalization rate and reduced mortality rates. Moreover, the incidence of sICH showed no differences between the bridging strategies and MT alone treatments. However, the conduct of high-quality randomized clinical trials that directly compare both strategies is warranted.

Introduction Blood management and infectious disease mitigation are essential for success with allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloSCT). We sought to investigate the safety profile of a proactive infection mitigation strategy with the use of pathogen-inactivated (PI) platelets (PLT) during the alloSCT peri-engraftment period in the era of restrictive blood transfusion. Methods We retrospectively analyzed data from patients undergoing alloSCT that received prophylactic red blood cell (RBC) and PLT transfusion triggered by a hemoglobin of 8 g/dL and PLT count of 15,000 PLT/mL. When available, PI PLT (non-irradiated) were used starting November 2016 until March 2018 (study timeframe). Statistical analysis was performed using SAS 9.4 (Cary, NC). Patients characteristics and clinical parameters were summarized using mean and standard deviation or median and range for continuous data, and frequency and percentage for categorical data. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) from day of transplant. A two-sided logrank test was used to compare across strata using p Results Sixty-eight patients received alloSCT. Median age at transplant was 55 years (range [R], 18-73). Peripheral blood stem cells were the graft source in all but one patient. Donor source was a matched related, 10/10 matched unrelated (MUD), 9/10 MUD and haploidentical donor in 30.9%, 44.1%, 2.9%, and 22.1% of cases, respectively. Myeloablative conditioning was used in 45.6% of patients. Indication for alloSCT was a myeloid or lymphoid disorder in 64.7% and 35.3% of cases. Median time to neutrophil and PLT engraftment was 12 (R, 10-35) and 12 days (R, 8-120), respectively. Pre-alloSCT RBC alloimmunization was present in 11.8% of patients. Cumulative incidence of grades II-IV acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was 20.6% and 22.1%, respectively. PI PLT were used in 73.5 % patients. There were no cases of transfusion associated graft failure (GF) or GVHD. Bacteremia occurred in 10.0% and 22.1% of patients by 30 days and 100 days post-alloSCT, respectively, and were both associated with worse OS (both p Conclusions Restrictive prophylactic transfusion thresholds in alloSCT recipients is feasible. Limited PI PLT transfusion was not associated with transfusion-attributable GVHD, GF or infectious complications. Future prospective studies should determine the short term hemostatic efficacy and long term post-alloSCT outcomes with restrictive transfusion criteria in an era of expanding PI product use.

Context: Hypertension is a tremendous public health burden in China. The understanding of geographic variability in hypertension risk would help to optimize resource allocation and policy making. Objective: Examine the regional disparities in hypertension risk in China. Design: This is a longitudinal cohort study. Risk profiles of hypertension for eight east provinces in China were studied using generalized estimating equation approach with covariates adjustment of gender, age, urban residence, and BMI. Results: The analysis cohort included 7,710 participants with 30,934 observations, consisting of 3,918 (50.8%) men and 3,792 (49.2%) women from eight participating provinces which line up from south to north China. The prevalence of hypertension in this cohort increased from 15.1 to 32.2% from 1997 to 2009. The rate of awareness doubled to 43.7%, and the treatment rate among those being aware increased to 79%. However, among all hypertensive population there was only 10.1% people were controlled in 2009. Hypertension risk was found to be significantly higher in female, rural residents, older people, and be increasing with higher BMI. Adjusting for these risk factors, region was significant associated with hypertension risk over years. Adjusted odds ratios escalated from south to north of China. People from Heilongjiang, the most north province, had greatest odds having hypertension (odd ratio 2.4, 95% CI: 2.0 – 2.8). Conclusion: We found significant latitudinal disparities in the hypertension risk in China. The risk gradually escalates from south to north. This spatial pattern was not explained by effect of gender, age, urban/rural residence, and BMI.

Objective In this pictorial essay, we described the clinical, pathologic, and computed tomographic (CT) findings of malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumors (MGISTs) and attempt to establish the correlation between radiologic appearance and malignant potential.

Background Statins reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but no clinical studies have investigated the role of statins in ischemia-reperfusion injury after PCI. Hypothesis Rosuvastatin could reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury in patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with PCI. Objectives We investigated the effects of rosuvastatin on ischemia-reperfusion injury in patients with acute coronary syndrome after PCI and evaluated short-term prognosis. Methods Patients scheduled for emergent PCI were given either rosuvastatin for ≥6 months (10 mg/d, every night; n = 55) or no statins (control group; n = 65). Serum superoxide dismutase activity, malondialdehyde, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were determined before and after PCI, as well as left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular end-diastolic volume. Major adverse cardiac events were observed at follow-ups for 6 months. Results Superoxide dismutase activity in the rosuvastatin-treated group was higher than that of the control group; serum levels of malondialdehyde were lower. BNP and hs-CRP levels in the rosuvastatin-treated group were lower than that of the control group. Four weeks after PCI, the left ventricular ejection fraction in the treatment group was higher than that of the control group, and the left ventricular end-diastolic volume was lower. At the 6-month follow-up, there was no difference in major adverse cardiac events between the 2 groups. Conclusions Rosuvastatin before PCI reduced ischemia-reperfusion injury in patients with acute coronary syndrome, which suggests the importance of application of rosuvastatin before PCI for early intervention.

Quantitative levels of harmful oral microbes present following complex surgical excisions of head and neck cancer are important since wounds are often contaminated through direct connection to the oral cavity and its flora. This possibility is especially important in irradiated patients who have decreased protective salivary function. In addition, high oral microbial levels increase and intensify oral mucositis leading to significant morbidity in patients treated with radiation therapy. One previously untested surgical teaching to decrease the bacterial inoculum present in the oral cavity is to counsel patients against consuming otherwise nutritious dairy products, as they are thought to coat the oral cavity with rate-limiting nutrients vital for bacterial growth. This risk may extend to individuals with chronic laryngeal penetration or aspiration, since salivary bacterial load might represent a lethal threat in the presence of marginal pulmonary reserve. A crossover study using six healthy adult volunteers and six patients who had previously undergone radiation therapy to an oropharyngeal primary site was performed. Saliva samples were quantitatively cultured in both groups with and without the consumption of dairy products at 1-h and 5-h intervals. Analysis of quantitative cultures demonstrated that the consumption of dairy products had no influence on bacterial levels present in previously radiated subjects and nonirradiated controls. Additionally, the consumption of dairy did not affect the composition of microbes present. Due to the lack of changes in both quantity and composition of oral bacteria seen in this study, patients would not benefit from the avoidance of dairy products.

Purpose A possible carcinogenic role of human papillomavirus (HPV) has been investigated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) for nearly 30 years with mixed results. We performed a meta-analysis to assess the prevalence of “high-risk” HPV, HPV-16/18, in this disease. We also evaluated the association between infection with HPV-16/18 and ESCC risk by meta-analysis of case–control studies. Methods Eligible studies published up to September 30, 2012 were retrieved via both computer searches of MEDLINE and EMBASE and manual review of references. A random-effects model was used to calculate summary prevalence and odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results A total of 5755 cases of ESCC from 68 studies were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, 11.67% (95% CI, 7.74%–16.21%) of ESCC cases harbored HPV-16 and 1.82% (95% CI, 0.90%–2.95%) harbored HPV-18. In addition, meta-analysis of 10 case–control studies showed a significant increase in ESCC risk with HPV-16 infection (summary ORs = 3.55; 95% CIs, 2.05%–6.14%). However, this increased risk in ESCC was not made for HPV-18 infection (summary ORs = 1.25; 95% CIs, 0.46%–3.43%). Conclusions This meta-analysis indicated that HPV-16 and -18 can be detected in ESCC. HPV-16, but not HPV-18, is significantly associated with the risk of ESCC. However, it is early to conclude that both types of HPV are involved in esophageal carcinogenesis.

Bmi-1 (B cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus integration site 1) is upregulated in breast cancer and was involved in many malignant progressions of breast cells, including cell proliferation, stem cell pluripotency, and cancer initiation. However, the epigenetic regulatory mechanism of Bmi-1 in breast cancer remains unclear. After analysis of the ArrayExpress dataset GSE45666, we comparatively detected the expression levels of miR-495 in 9 examined breast cancer cell lines, normal breast epithelial cells and 8 pairs of fresh clinical tumor samples. Furthermore, to evaluate the effect of miR-495 on the progression of breast cancer, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 were transduced to stably overexpress miR-495. The 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay, colony formation assays, 5-Bromo-2-deoxyUridine labeling and immunofluorescence, anchorage-independent growth ability assay, flow cytometry analysis, and luciferase assays were used to test the effect of miR-495 in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro. Xenografted tumor model was also used to evaluate the effect of miR-495 in breast cancer. Herein, we found that miR-495, a predicted regulator of Bmi-1, was frequently downregulated in malignant cells and tissues of breast. Upregulation of miR-495 significantly suppressed breast cancer cell proliferation and tumorigenicity via G1-S arrest. Further analysis revealed that miR-495 targeted Bmi-1 through its 3' untranslated region. Moreover, Bmi-1 could neutralize the suppressive effect of miR-495 on cell proliferation and tumorigenicity of breast cancer in vivo. These data suggested that miR-495 could inhibit the G1-S phase transition that leads to proliferation and tumorigenicity inhibition by targeting and suppressing Bmi-1 in breast cancer.

Function of autoantibodies from patients with autoimmune diseases in malignancies development is not clear yet. It has been reported that a cell-penetrating lupus autoantibody, 3E10, which was isolated from a mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), has been a potential targeted therapy for DNA-repair deficient malignancies. We have got four human monoclonal antinuclear antibodies from patients with autoimmune disease, 3B5, 3C1, 3E8 and 4F3. Our data showed that four antibodies could combine HEp-2 cells and display different nuclear types as antinuclear antibody (ANA). Also, these four ANAs can inhibit HEp-2 cells proliferation. We think these antibodies may be potential antibody drugs to cancer therapy. However, the function and mechanism are not clear. Further study, we want to clarify the effects of four ANAs on proliferation of various cancers cells and to investigate the mechanism of four ANAs affecting various cancers cells proliferation and their targets. This may be a new mechanism of malignancies development in patients with autoimmune diseases, and provide novel angle of autoantibody function study.

Intravenous leiomyomatosis (IVL), showing unusual growth patterns of uterine leiomyoma, is a rare neoplasm characterized by intravascular proliferation of a histologically benign-looking smooth muscle cell tumor mass, but not invading the tissue. To date, less than 300 cases have been reported and fewer than 100 cases with cardiac involvement. Imaging characteristics of IVL are still not clear so it is usually misdiagnosed before surgery. A 36-year-old woman, who had undergone hysterectomy due to hysteromyoma, presented with shortness of breath after activities. Imaging showed IVL with mass involvement of the left ovarian vein, left renal vein, left external and common iliac vein, as well as within the inferior vena cava (IVC), extending into the right atrium. The operation demonstrated that the mass had no stalk and had well-demarcated borders with the wall of the right atrium and IVC. The patient underwent a one-stage combined multidisciplinary thoraco-abdominal operation under general anesthetic. Subsequently, the pathology report confirmed IVL. IVL should be considered in a female patient presenting with an extensive mass in the right side of the heart. Imaging technology, such as echocardiogram, contrast-enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, can provide important information to reveal the mass, the range and path of the lesion, and relates to the surgical plan decision. Consequently, perfect and exact image examination is very necessary pre-operation.

To present computed tomography (CT) findings of different histological subtypes of parotid gland masses in detail and to establish diagnostic strategy.From January 2009 to November 2011, 56 patients were collected through the histopathology and Picture Archiving and Communication Systems records, which revealed 5 basal cell adenoma (BCA), 16 pleomorphic adenoma (PA), 25 Warthin's tumor (War-T), 3 Kimura's disease (KD) and 7 parotid carcinoma (PCa) cases. All the CT images were retrospectively analyzed by two radiologists in consensus, based on their description of morphology (location, number, size, margin and fibrous capsule) and enhancement patterns of masses. In addition, the diagnostic efficiency of diagnostic strategy is tested.War-T and BCA patients' mean age was 59.9 ± 12.6 years and 58.4 ± 18.2 years; the significant difference was seen in War-T vs PA and BCA vs PA. About 40% of War-Ts presented with bilateral multifocal lesions, a higher ratio than others. Seventy two percent of War-Ts were limited to the superficial lobe, followed by BCA 60% and PA 40%. Vessel facing sign and enlarged lymph nodes were both frequent in War-T, which respectively accounts for 84% and 76% of cases. Rapid contrast enhancement and decreases were unique for War-T. BCA and PA showed obvious delayed enhancement. The diagnostic strategy of parotid gland tumor had a good diagnostic efficiency, with high accuracy, sensitivity and specificity.Determination of the histological subtypes of parotid gland masses might be possible based on CT findings and clinical data. A diagnostic strategy with high diagnostic efficiency was established.

Objective This study aims to evaluate a noninvasive method for screening of early vasculopathy in high risk patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was measured in RA group (n=132) and age, gender, height-matched healthy volunteers (n=132). Vasculitis specific biomarkers, biochemical and immune indices were recorded in RA patients. Multiple regression analysis was performed in RA group to determine the independent predictors of baPWV. Echo-tracking technique was used to measure pressure elastic coefficient (Eρ) and stiffness parameter (β) of brachial and posterior tibial artery in 25 RA patients and 48 matched controls. Results The baPWV in RA group was significantly increased as compared with control group (15.0 [9.2–30.0] m/s versus 12.6 [9.6–16.0] m/s, respectively, p 0.05). Conclusions There was a significant increase of baPWV, Ep and β of posterior tibial artery in RA group compared with control subjects, which related well to p-ANCA. BaPWV may provide a simple, noninvasive method for screening of early subclinical vasculopathy in RA patients.

This paper reports three cases of stellate rupture of the spleen in children treated by wrapping with the omentum, following the use of the absorbable spleen net (ASN), which is made of the ordinary surgical sutures. All patients were cured with spleen preservation. No complications occured.

Background Transducin β-like 1 X-linked receptor 1 (TBL1XR1) is an important transcriptional cofactor involved in the regulation of many signaling pathways, and is associated with carcinogenesis and tumor progression. However, the precise role of TBL1XR1 in these processes is not well understood. Methods We detected the expression of TBL1XR1 protein and mRNA in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines and biopsies by western blotting, real-time PCR and immunohistochemical staining (IHC). Overexpression of TBL1XR1 in NPC enhanced chemoresistance to cisplatin using two NPC cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Results TBL1XR1 was upregulated in NPC cell lines and clinical samples. The expression of TBL1XR1 was correlated with several clinicopathological factors including clinical stage, T classification, N classification and patient survival. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that TBL1XR1 was an independent prognostic factor for patient survival. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that TBL1XR1 high expression induced resistance to cisplatin-induced apoptosis in NPC cells. Furthermore, we found that TBL1XR1 activated the NF-κB pathway and promoted transcription of genes downstream of NF-κB, especially anti-apoptotic genes. Conclusions Upregulation of TBL1XR1 induces NPC cells resistance to cisplatin by activating the NF-κB pathway, and correlates with poor overall survival of NPC patients. TBL1XR1 has a pivotal role in NPC and could be a valuable prognostic factor as well as a novel biomarker for tailoring appropriate therapeutic regimes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1476-4598-13-195) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.