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ObjectiveTo explore the clinical manifestations of glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) antibody-positive patients with extraocular symptoms and the possible mechanism.MethodAssays for the presence of GAD65 antibodies were performed on patients’ serum and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). The brain and ocular structures involved in eye movement were assessed via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Tests such as electromyography (EMG), particularly repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS), and neostigmine tests were utilized for differential diagnosis. Additionally, the interaction of GAD65 antibodies with muscle tissue was confirmed using immunofluorescence techniques.ResultEach patient exhibited symptoms akin to extraocular myasthenia gravis (MG), with two individuals reporting diplopia and two experiencing ptosis. GAD65 antibodies were detected in either the serum or CSF, which were shown to bind with monkey cerebellum slides and mouse muscle slides. Neuroimaging of the brain and extraocular muscles via MRI showed no abnormalities, and all patients tested negative for the neostigmine test, RNS via EMG, and the presence of MG antibodies. However, thyroid-related antibodies were found to be abnormal in four of the patients.ConclusionOur results showed that GAD65 antibodies are not only associated with encephalitis, cerebellum ataxia or stiff-person syndrome caused by the decrease of GABAergic transmission but also diplopia and ptosis. Therefore, we should pay more attention to extraocular muscle paralysis patients without pathogenic antibodies directed against the components of neuromuscular junctions.

Autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein astrocytopathy (GFAP-A) is a newly defined meningoencephalomyelitis. The pathogenesis of GFAP-A is not well understood. The present study measured the expression levels of 200 serological cytokines in GFAP-A patients, NMOSD patients and healthy controls (HCs). The correlations between serum cytokine levels and clinical information in GFAP-A patients were analyzed. A total of 147 serological proteins were differentially expressed in GFAP-A patients compared to HCs, and 33 of these proteins were not observed in NMOSD patients. Serum levels of EG-VEGF negatively correlated with GFAP antibody titers, MIP-3 alpha positively correlated with clinical severity in GFAP-A patients, and LIGHT positively correlated with WBC counts and protein levels in the CSF of GFAP-A patients. These results suggest that GFAP and AQP4 astrocytopathy share some common pathology related to TNF signaling. Serum MIP 3 alpha may be a biomarker to assess clinical severity and a potential target for therapy of autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy.

Soil fungi play an important role in the process of planting tea tree. However, effects of acidification on the diversity and function of the fungi community in tea rhizosphere soil have been rarely reported. In this study, tea rhizosphere soils with pH of 3.3, 4.7, 5.3 and 6.4 were investigated for diversity and function of fungal communities through T-RFLP technology. The results showed that the abundance and diversity of fungi increased significantly with the decrease of pH value of rhizosphere soil. The results of significance analysis showed that 38 T-RFs fragments were significantly correlated with pH value, among which 32 were negatively correlated with pH value and 6 were positively correlated with pH value. After database comparison, 23 fungi were identified and classified according to their nutritional patterns, which can be divided into four types, including pathotroph, symbiotroph, saprotroph and unknown, accounting for 36.85%, 7.89%, 15.79% and 39.47%, respectively. At pH value of 3.3, the fungus abundance reached the maximum value. In conclusion, acidification leads to changes in the structure and diversity of the fungi community in tea rhizosphere soil, specifically, a significant increase in the number and species of fungi, of which the pathotroph type is the largest. This study provides an important theoretical basis for controlling fungal diseases of tea tree in acidified tea plantations

Abstract: The aim is to study the immune function effect of two polysaccharides extracted from traditional Chinese herbs on rats. Ultrasonic-assisted extraction was used to extract the polysaccharide from traditional Chinese medicines. MTT assay was used to determine the effects of two polysaccharides on the conversion of pig peripheral T lymphocytes. For this, 24 Sprague–Dawley rats were selected for the clinical trial and divided into groups B (blank), CK (cyclophosphamide inhibitory control), AP (angelica polysaccharide), and RIP (radix isatidis polysaccharide). Except for group B, other groups can induce the immunodeficiency by using cyclophosphamide. Rats of the AP and RIP groups were given gavage of 1 mL of AP and RIP. The blood was sampled from the eyeball on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35, respectively, to determine immune cells, IgG and IgM of immunoglobulin, body weight, and spleen index.Results: The average content of AP and RIP was 51.27 and 14.8%, and the extraction rate was 75.23 and 60.94%. The maximum stimulation index was 1.407 when the concentration of AP was 8,000 μg mL−1 and 1.5 when the concentration of RIP was 125 μg mL−1. Both kinds of polysaccharides can alleviate the decline of white blood cells, lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and serum IgG and IgM caused by cyclophosphamide. The two polysaccharides can regulate the rapid recovery of weight in immunosuppressed rats and increase the spleen index of immunosuppressed SD rats. The polysaccharides from the two traditional Chinese medicines can alleviate the immunosuppression caused by cyclophosphamide and promote the immune function of the body, which can be used as raw material resources of new veterinary medicine.

Abstract Background Schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma japonicum is among the most serious endemic zoonoses in China. To study interactions between schistosomula, the pre-adult juvenile stage, and hosts, it is important to study the functions of key genes involved in schistosomula growth and development. Programmed cell death protein 10 (pcdp10) is an important apoptosis-related gene with various biological functions. This study described the molecular characterization of S. japonicum PCDP10 (SjPCDP10) and evaluated its functions in schistosomula. Methods Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot were used to detect Sjpcdp10 mRNA and protein levels, respectively, at different developmental stages. Immunolocalization was performed to determine SjPCDP10 expression in the parasite. RNA interference (RNAi) experiments were used to assess gene functions associated with SjPCDP10 in schistosomula growth and development. Results Real-time qPCR revealed that Sjpcdp10 was expressed during all investigated developmental stages and upregulated during schistosomula growth and development. Histochemical localization showed that SjPCDP10 was mainly distributed in the teguments of schistosomula in all investigated stages and part of the parenchymal area of 14-, 18-, and 21-day-old schistosomula. Following Sjpcdp10 knockdown by RNAi, the lengths, widths, areas, and volumes of schistosomula were significantly lower than those in the control group. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the body surfaces of schistosomula subjected to RNAi were seriously damaged, with few tegumental spines and sensory papillae. Transmission electron microscopy indicated that the teguments of Sjpcdp10-knockdown schistosomula were incomplete, the number of layers was reduced, and the thickness decreased significantly as compared with those in the control group. Furthermore, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labelling results showed that the rate of apoptosis in Sjpcdp10-knockdown schistosomula was significantly higher than that in the control group. Conclusions Sjpcdp10-knockdown influenced the growth and development of schistosomula. Therefore, our results indicated that SjPCDP10 contributes to the regulation of cell apoptosis and is essential for schistosomula growth and development.

Objective. Cytokines are essential promoters in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN) in type 2 diabetes. The following study investigates the adjustment mechanism of Tangshen formula (TSF) on cytokine expressions in db/db mice (DN animal model). Materials and Methods. Db/db mice were randomly divided into three groups. The treated groups were orally administered with TSF and losartan for 12 weeks. Biochemical and histological examinations were determined at 8 and 12 weeks posttreatment, while the cytokine antibody array analysis was applied to analyze the expression of 144 cytokines in kidney tissues at the end of the 12th week posttreatment. Results. TSF significantly reduced urinary albumin excretion and the levels of blood glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, creatinine, and urea nitrogen. Furthermore, a significant decrease in glomerulus and mesangial area, as well as the downregulation of 24 cytokines and upregulated expressions of 5 cytokines, was found in the TSF-treated mice. Conclusions. The present study reveals that TSF could ameliorate the metabolic anomalies and renal injury in db/db mice. One of the important mechanisms for treatment of DN using the treatment of TSF is the control of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway via regulation of IL-2, IL-6, IL-13, Il-15, and IFN-γ expression.

OBJECTIVE: Hemophilia B is caused by coagulation defects in the factor IX gene located in Xq27.1 on the X chromosome. A wide range of mutations, showing extensive molecular heterogeneity, have been described in hemophilia B patients. Our study was aimed at genetic analysis and prenatal diagnosis of hemophilia B in order to further elucidate the pathogenesis of the hemophilia B pedigree in China. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction amplification and direct sequencing of all the coding regions was conducted in hemophilia B patients and carriers. Prenatal diagnosis of the proband was conducted at 20 weeks. RESULTS: We identified the novel point mutation 10.389 A>G, located upstream of the intron 3 acceptor site in hemophilia B patients. The fetus of the proband's cousin was identified as a carrier. CONCLUSION: Our identification of a novel mutation in the F9 gene associated with hemophilia B provides novel insight into the pathogenesis of this genetically inherited disorder and also represents the basis of prenatal diagnosis.

Background: Kidney transplantation is considered the most effective treatment for end-stage renal failure. Recent studies have shown that the significance of the immune microenvironment after kidney transplantation in determining prognosis of patients. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis to provide an overview of the knowledge structure and research trends regarding the immune microenvironment and survival in kidney transplantation. Methods: Our search included relevant publications from 2013 to 2023 retrieved from the Web of Science core repository and finally included 865 articles. To perform the bibliometric analysis, we utilized tools such as VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package "bibliometrix". The analysis focused on various aspects, including country, author, year, topic, reference, and keyword clustering. Results: Based on the inclusion criteria, a total of 865 articles were found, with a trend of steady increase. China and the United States were the countries with the most publications. Nanjing Medical University was the most productive institution. High-frequency keywords were clustered into 6 areas, including kidney transplantation, transforming growth factor β, macrophage, antibodymediated rejection, necrosis factor alpha, and dysfunction. Antibody mediated rejection (2019-2023) was the main area of research in recent years. Conclusion: This groundbreaking bibliometric study comprehensively summarizes the research trends and advances related to the immune microenvironment and survival after kidney transplantation. It identifies recent frontiers of research and highlights promising directions for future studies, potentially offering fresh perspectives to scholars in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]