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Atmospheric drying method for fabricating aerogels is considered the most promising way for casting aerogels on a large scale. However, the organic solvent exchange, remaining environmental pollution risk, is a crucial step in mitigating the impact of surface tension during the atmospheric drying process, especially for wet gel formed through the alkoxy-derived sol-gel process, such as melamine-formaldehyde resin (MF) aerogel. Herein, a tough polymer-assisted in situ polymerization was proposed to fabricate MF resin aerogel with a combination of mechanical toughness and strength, enabling it to withstand the capillary force during water evaporation. The monolithic MF resin aerogel through the sol-gel method can be directly prepared without additional network strengthening or organic solvent exchange. The resulting MF resin aerogel exhibits a homogeneous as well as hierarchical structure with macropores and mesopores (~6 μm and ~5 nm), high compressive modulus of 31.8 MPa, self-extinguishing property, and high-temperature thermal insulation with 97 % heat decrease for butane flame combustion. This work presents a straightforward and environmentally friendly method for fabricating MF resin aerogels with nanostructures and excellent performance in open conditions, exhibiting various applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Polymeric materials, rich in carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen elements, present substantial fire hazards to both human life and property due to their intrinsic flammability. Overcoming this challenge in the absence of any flame-retardant elements is a daunting task. Herein, we introduce an innovative strategy employing catalytic polymer auto-pyrolysis before combustion to proactively release CO 2 , akin to possessing responsive CO 2 fire extinguishing mechanisms. We demonstrate that potassium salts with strong nucleophilicity (such as potassium formate/malate) can transform conventional polyurethane foam into materials with fire safety through rearrangement. This transformation results in the rapid generation of a substantial volume of CO 2 , occurring before the onset of intense decomposition, effectively extinguishing fires. The inclusion of just 1.05 wt% potassium formate can significantly raise the limiting oxygen index of polyurethane foam to 26.5%, increase the time to ignition by 927%, and tremendously reduce smoke toxicity by 95%. The successful application of various potassium salts, combined with a comprehensive examination of the underlying mechanisms, underscores the viability of this strategy. This pioneering catalytic approach paves the way for the efficient and eco-friendly development of polymeric materials with fire safety., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Nylon-cotton (NC) blend fabrics are widely used in military and industrial applications, but their high flammability still remains a serious problem. In an effort to effectively and quickly impart flame retardancy to the NC fabric, it was treated by simply blade coating with a Cu 2+ -doped polyelectrolyte complex (CPEC) that consists of ammonium polyphosphate (APP), polyethylenimine (PEI), and copper sulfate. The viscosity of the CPEC can be adjusted by altering the content of CuSO 4 , which controls the amount of extrinsic and intrinsic ion pairs. By adjusting the proportion and content of PEI, APP, and CuSO 4 , CPEC suitable for treating the NC fabric was obtained. Only 0.067 wt % Cu 2+ was needed to adjust the viscosity and impart self-extinguishing behavior in a vertical burning test. This simple two-step treatment provides a promising technology to protect flammable polymeric substrates with ultralow metal-doped polyelectrolyte complexes.

A Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, catalase-negative, fructose-dependent strain (W13 T ) was isolated from the gut of honeybee ( Apis mellifera ). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that strain W13 T represents a distinct line of descent within the genus Fructobacillus , with the closest neighbours being Fructobacillus broussonetiae BCRC 81240 T (98.9 % sequence similarity) and Fructobacillus durionis DSM 19113 T (96.8 % sequence similarity). Comparative sequencing of the additional phylogenetic markers rpoC and recA confirmed the 16S rRNA gene tree topology. The complete genome of strain W13 T consisted of 1 292 712 bp with a G+C content of 48.3 mol%. Pairwise comparisons of the average nucleotide identity values and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between the genomes of W13 T and its close phylogenetic neighbours, F. broussonetiae BCRC 81240 T and F. durionis DSM 19113 T , resulted in 76.2-84.1 % and 20.2-27.6 %, respectively. The main cellular fatty acids of strain W13 T were C 16 : 0 , C 18 : 1   ω 9 c and C 18 : 1   ω 7 c . Thus, we propose a novel species within the genus Fructobacillus , with the name Fructobacillus apis sp. nov. and the type strain is W13 T (= NBRC 115637 T =BCRC 81365 T ).

TLR7 and TLR8 are key members of the Toll-like receptor family, playing crucial roles in the signaling pathways of innate immunity, and thus become attractive therapeutic targets of many diseases including infections and cancer. Although TLR7 and TLR8 show a high degree of sequence homology, their biological response to small molecule binding is very different. Aiming to understand the mechanism of selective profiles of small molecule modulators against TLR7 and TLR8, we carried out molecular dynamic simulations on three imidazoquinoline derivatives bound to the receptors separately. They are Resiquimod (R), Hybrid-2 (H), and Gardiquimod (G), selective agonists of TLR7 and TLR8. Our MD trajectories indicated that in the complex of TLR7-R and TLR7-G, the two chains forming the TLR7 dimer tended to remain "open" conformation, while the rest systems maintained in the closed format. The agonists R, H, and G developed conformational deviation mainly on the aliphatic tail. Furthermore, we attempted to quantify the selectivity between TLR7 and TLR8 by binding free energies via MM-GBSA method. It showed that the three selected modulators were more favorable for TLR7 than TLR8, and the ranking from the strongest to the weakest was H, R and G, aligning well with experimental data. In the TLR7, the flexible and hydrophobic aliphatic side chain of H has stronger van der Waals interactions with V381 and F351 but only pick up interaction with one amino acid residue i.e. Y353 of TLR8. Unsurprisingly, the positively charged side chain of G has less favorable interaction with I585 of TLR7 and V573 of TLR8 explaining G is weak agonist of both TLR7 and TLR8. All three imidazoquinoline derivatives can form stable hydrogen bonds with D555 of TLR7 and the corresponding D543 of TLR8. In brief, the set of total 400ns MD studies sheds light on the potential selectivity mechanisms of agonists towards TLR7 and TLR8, indicating the van der Waals interaction as the driving force for the agonists binding, thus provides us insights for designing more potent and selective modulators to cooperate with the hydrophobic nature of the binding pocket., Competing Interests: Commercial affiliation does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Background: B cell follicles are immune-privileged sites where intensive HIV-1 replication and latency occur, preventing a permanent cure. Recent study showed that CXCR5 + NK cells in B cell follicles can inhibit SIV replication in African green monkeys, but this has not been reported in HIV-1 infected patients., Methods: Lymphocytes and tissue sections of lymph node were collected from 11 HIV-1 positive antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive and 19 HIV-1 negative donors. We performed immunofluorescence and RNA-scope to detect the location of CXCR5 + NK cells and its relationship with HIV-1 RNA, and performed flow cytometry and RNA-seq to analyze the frequency, phenotypic and functional characteristics of CXCR5 + NK cells. The CXCL13 expression were detected by immunohistochemistry., Findings: CXCR5 + NK cells, which accumulated in LNs from HIV-1 infected individuals, expressed high levels of activating receptors such as NKG2D and NKp44. CXCR5 + NK cells had upregulated expression of CD107a and β-chemokines, which were partially impaired in HIV-1 infection. Importantly, the frequency of CXCR5 + NK cells was inversely related to the HIV-1 viral burden in LNs. In addition, CXCL13-the ligand of CXCR5-was upregulated in HIV-1 infected individuals and positively correlated with the frequency of CXCR5 + NK cells., Interpretation: During chronic HIV-1 infection, CXCR5 + NK cells accumulated in lymph node, exhibit altered immune characteristics and underlying anti-HIV-1 effect, which may be an effective target for a functional cure of HIV-1., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a critical thrombotic microangiopathy involving multiple organs. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of TTP complicated by acute aortic dissection., Patient Concerns: We herein described a 53-year-old male with TTP who did not have a significant medical history. After immediate plasma exchange and glucocorticoid therapy, the patient's clinical condition improved. However, the patient suddenly experienced chest pain with elevated blood pressure., Diagnoses: Computed tomography angiography suggested acute type B aortic dissection., Interventions: The patient was immediately transferred to the cardiac aortic surgery department for thoracic aortic endovascular repair., Outcomes: The patient was discharged after successful thoracic aortic endovascular repair. Unfortunately, 3 months later, the patient experienced chest and back pain at home and died suddenly, possibly due to the recurrence of aortic dissection., Lessons: Even if patients have no identifiable risk factors, physicians should be aware of this rare and life-threatening acute complication of TTP, which may have multiple causes, including preexisting connective tissue disease, abnormal blood pressure fluctuations, and increased risk of hemorrhage. Early identification and timely treatment of acute aortic dissection are critical for improving prognosis., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: T 89 , a traditional Chinese medicine, has passed phase II, and is undergoing phase III clinical trials for treatment of ischemic cardiovascular disease by the US FDA. However, the role of T 89 on isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac injury is unknown. The present study aimed to explore the effect and underlying mechanism of T 89 on ISO-induced cardiac injury., Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats received subcutaneous injection of ISO saline solution at 24 h intervals for the first 3 days and then at 48 h intervals for the next 12 days. T 89 at dose of 111.6 and 167.4 mg/kg was administrated by gavage for 15 consecutive days. Rat survival rate, cardiac function evaluation, morphological observation, quantitative proteomics, and Western blotting analysis were performed., Results: T 89 obviously improved ISO-induced low survival rate, attenuated ISO-evoked cardiac injury, as evidenced by myocardial blood flow, heart function, and morphology. Quantitative proteomics revealed that the cardioprotective effect of T 89 relied on the regulation of metabolic pathways, including glycolipid metabolism and energy metabolism. T 89 inhibited the enhancement of glycolysis, promoted fatty acid oxidation, and restored mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation by regulating Eno1, Mcee, Bdh1, Ces1c, Apoc2, Decr1, Acaa2, Cbr4, ND2, Cox 6a, Cox17, ATP5g, and ATP5j, thus alleviated oxidative stress and energy metabolism disorder and ameliorated cardiac injury after ISO. The present study also verified that T 89 significantly restrained ISO-induced increase of HSP70/HSP40 and suppressed the phosphorylation of ERK, further restored the expression of CX43, confirming the protective role of T 89 in cardiac hypertrophy. Proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD024641., Conclusion: T 89 reduced mortality and improves outcome in the model of ISO-induced cardiac injury and the cardioprotective role of T 89 is correlated with the regulation of glycolipid metabolism, recovery of mitochondrial function, and improvement of myocardial energy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wei, Guo, Pan, Li, Cui, Yan, Fan, Deng, Hu, Chang, He, Yan, Sun, Wang and Han.)

Chronic HIV-1 infection is generally characterized by progressive CD4+ T cell depletion due to direct and bystander death that is closely associated with persistent HIV-1 replication and an inflammatory environment in vivo. The mechanisms underlying the loss of CD4+ T cells in patients with chronic HIV-1 infection are incompletely understood. In this study, we simultaneously monitored caspase-1 and caspase-3 activation in circulating CD4+ T cells, which revealed that pyroptotic and apoptotic CD4+ T cells are distinct cell populations with different phenotypic characteristics. Levels of pyroptosis and apoptosis in CD4+ T cells were significantly elevated during chronic HIV-1 infection, and decreased following effective antiretroviral therapy. Notably, the occurrence of pyroptosis was further confirmed by elevated gasdermin D activation in lymph nodes of HIV-1-infected individuals. Mechanistically, caspase-1 activation closely correlated with the inflammatory marker expression and was shown to occur through NLRP3 inflammasome activation driven by virus-dependent and/or -independent ROS production, while caspase-3 activation in CD4+ T cells was more closely related to T cell activation status. Hence, our findings show that NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis plays an essential role in CD4+ T cell loss in HIV-1-infected patients and implicate pyroptosis signaling as a target for anti-HIV-1 treatment.

Aim: This study was to explore the protective effects of cardiotonic pills (CP) or/and recombinant human prourokinase (proUK)on the atherosclerosis and the potential underlying mechanism., Methods and Results: Atherosclerosis was induced in LDLR - / - mice by high fat diet contained 20% lard and 0.5% cholesterol. Daily oral administration of CP (130 mg/kg) or/and intravenous injection of proUK (2.5 mg/kg, twice a week) began at 8 weeks after feeding with high fat diet and continued for 4 weeks. CP alone treatment markedly decreased plasma triglyceride, but did not ameliorate atherosclerosis plaque. No effect was observed for proUK alone on any endpoints tested. CP plus proUK induced a significantly reduction in the atherosclerotic lesions, along with decreased levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride in the plasma. CP plus proUK inhibited the elevated hepatic total cholesterol and triglyceride in high fat diet-fed LDLR -/- mice, up-regulating the expressions of ATP-binding cassette gene 5 and 8, and adipose triglyceride lipase. In the aorta, CP plus proUK inhibited the expression of scavenger receptor A and CD36 in LDLR -/- mice. In addition, we observed that systemic inflammation was inhibited, manifested downregulation of plasma macrophage inflammatory protein-1α and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1., Conclusion: CP plus proUK effectively attenuated atherosclerosis plaque in LDLR -/- mice, which is associated with normalizing the lipid metabolism in the liver and aorta, reducing phagocytosis of receptor-mediated modified-LDL uptake and inhibiting systemic inflammation.

Immunosuppression is currently a vital pathophysiological characteristic and core problem of sepsis. Apoptosis of T lymphocyte contribute to immunosuppression by decreasing immune effector cells. A report has recently revealed the potential regulatory role of exosomal miRNAs derived from plasma of septic patients on immune system, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. We discovered the antiapoptotic effect of circulating exosomes derived from plasma of septic patients (Sepsis-Exos) on T lymphocytes and further investigated the molecular mechanism. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) indicated that sepsis induces prominent change of exosomal miRNA expression profile, including the overexpressed hsa-miR-7-5p. Gene Bad, which is in the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, was negatively regulated by hsa-miR-7-5p by dual luciferase reporter assay. Sepsis-Exos were demonstrated to downregulate the mRNA and protein levels of proapoptotic gene Bad, active Caspase-3 and Bax, while upregulate that of antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2 via hsa-miR-7-5p, thus inhibited apoptosis of T lymphocytes induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro. Furthermore, Sepsis-Exos was verified to inhibit T lymphocytes apoptosis during sepsis in vivo, reducing mortality rate of septic model mice. In conclusion, we provide evidence that Sepsis-Exos participate in ameliorating apoptosis of T lymphocytes by directly suppressing Bad via hsa-miR-7-5p., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Silibinin Capsules (SC) is a silybin-phospholipid complex with silybin as the bioactive component. Silybin accounts for 50-70% of the seed extract of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.. As a traditional medicine, silybin has been used for treatment of liver diseases and is known to provide a wide range of hepatoprotective effects., Aim of the Study: High fat diet (HFD)-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a worldwide health problem. This study was to investigate the role of SC in NAFLD with focusing on its underlying mechanism and likely target., Materials and Methods: Male hamsters (Cricetidae) received HFD for 10 weeks to establish NAFLD model. NAFLD was assessed by biochemical assays, histology and immunohistochemistry. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and western blot were conducted to gain insight into the mechanism., Results: Hamsters fed HFD for 10 weeks developed fatty liver accompanying with increased triglyceride (TG) accumulation, enhancing de novo lipogenesis, increase in fatty acid (FA) uptake and reducing FA oxidation and TG lipolysis, as well as a decrease in the expression of phospho-adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase α (p-AMPKα) and Sirt 1. SC treatment at 50mg/kg silybin and 100mg/kg silybin for 8 weeks protected hamsters from development of fatty liver, reducing de novo lipogenesis and increasing FA oxidation and p-AMPKα expression, while having no effect on FA uptake and TG lipolysis., Conclusions: SC protected against NAFLD in hamsters by inhibition of de novo lipogenesis and promotion of FA oxidation, which was likely mediated by activation of AMPKα., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study was to explore the protective effects of Deepure tea against insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis and elucidate the potential underlying molecular mechanisms. C57BL/6 mice were fed with a high fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks to induce the metabolic syndrome. In the Deepure tea group, HFD mice were administrated with Deepure tea at 160 mg/kg/day by gavage for 14 days. The mice in HFD group received water in the same way over the same period. The age-matched C57BL/6 mice fed with standard chow were used as normal control. Compared to the mice in HFD group, mice that received Deepure tea showed significantly reduced plasma insulin and improved insulin sensitivity. Deepure tea increased the expression of insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS-2), which plays an important role in hepatic insulin signaling pathway. Deepure tea also led to a decrease in hepatic fatty acid synthesis and lipid accumulation, which were mediated by the downregulation of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthesis (FAS), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) proteins that are involved in liver lipogenesis. These results suggest that Deepure tea may be effective for protecting against insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis via modulating IRS-2 and downstream signaling SREBP-1c, FAS, and ACC.

The objective of the current study was to establish an in vitro screen and a highly sensitive analytical assay to delineate key physicochemical properties that favor compound bioaccumulation in the L3 life stage of a Haemonchus contortus isolate. Time-dependent studies revealed that absorption and elimination kinetics during the first 6 hr of exposure were sufficient to achieve maximum bioaccumulation for the majority of compounds tested. In subsequent studies, the larvae were incubated for 6 hr in a medium containing 146 compounds (5 μM initial concentration), including both human and veterinary medicines, characterized by a broad range of physicochemical properties. Bioaccumulation of the compounds by the nematodes was determined, and multiple physicochemical descriptors were selected for correlation. Data analysis using Bayes classification model and partial least-square regression revealed that clogD7.4, rotatable bond, E-state, and hydrogen bond donor each correlated with compound bioaccumulation in H. contortus L3. The finding that lipophilicity was critical for transcuticle compound permeation was consistent with previous studies in other parasitic species and in adult H. contortus . The finding of additional physicochemical properties that contribute to compound conformational flexibility, polarity, and electrotopological state shed light on the mechanisms governing transcuticle permeation. The relatively poor correlation between transcuticle and transmembrane permeation indicated the distinct mechanisms of compound permeation, likely due to the different constituents, and their contributions to overall transport function, of the lipid membranes and the porous collagen barrier of the nematode cuticle. Our study, for the first time, establishes a high-throughput screen for compound bioaccumulation in a parasitic nematode and further elucidates physicochemical factors governing transcuticular permeation of compounds. Application of this methodology will help explain the basis for discrepancies observed in receptor binding and whole organism potency assays and facilitate incorporation of drug delivery principles in the design of candidate anthelmintics.

Objective: Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Emodin is a major ingredient of Rheum Palmatum, a Chinese herb that is widely used in China for treatment of endotoxemia-related diseases. This study intended to examine the effect of Emodin on LPS-induced rat mesenteric microcirculatory disturbance and the underlying mechanisms., Methods: The male Wistar rats received LPS (5 mg/kg/hr) for 90 min, with or without administration of Emodin (10 mg/kg/hr) by enema 30 min before (pre-treatment) or after (post-treatment) LPS infusion, and the dynamics of mesenteric microcirculation were determined by inverted intravital microscopy. Expression of adhesion molecules and TLR4, NF-κB p65, ICAM-1, MPO, and AP-1 in mesentery tissue was evaluated by flow cytometry and Western-blot, respectively., Results: Pre or post-treatment with Emodin significantly ameliorated LPS-induced leukocyte emigration, reactive oxygen species production and albumin leakage, and the expression of TLR4, NF-κB p65, ICAM-1, MPO and AP-1 in mesentery., Conclusions: These results demonstrate the beneficial role of Emodin in attenuating the LPS-induced microcirculatory disturbance, and support the use of Emodin for patients with endotoxemia., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To explore the clinicopathological correlation between CD4(+) T lymphocyte count and superficial lymphadenopathy HIV/AIDS patients., Methods: A total of 1066 HIV/AIDS patients were included in this study. The incidence of superficial lymphadenopathy, peripheral blood CD4(+) T lymphocyte counts and histological features of superficial lymphadenopathy were analyzed., Results: Among 1066 patients, 126 cases (11.8%) presented with superficial lymphadenopathy. Of the 126 cases, there were 69 cases with CD4(+) T lymphocyte counts < 100/µl and clinical diagnoses including tuberculosis (37 cases), reactive hyperplasia (8 cases), AIDS-related lymphadenopathy (18 cases), penicillium diseases (12 cases), fungal infection (5 cases) and non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection (1 case). Twenty-six cases had CD4(+) T lymphocyte counts between 100/µl to 200/µl and clinical diagnosis including tuberculosis (12 cases), reactive hyperplasia (8 cases), AIDS-related lymphadenopathy(6 cases), penicillium disease (2 cases) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (1 case). Twenty-nine cases had CD4(+) T lymphocyte counts > 200/µl and clinical diagnoses including tuberculosis (11 cases), reactive hyperplasia (12 cases), AIDS-related lymphadenopathy (3 cases), Penicillium diseases (1 case) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (4 cases). The CD4(+) T lymphocyte counts among patients with tuberculosis, AIDS-related lymphadenopathy and Penicillium diseases were significantly different (χ(2) = 8.861, P = 0.012). A significant correlation between the incidence of superficial lymphadenopathy and CD4(+) T lymphocyte counts was found (χ(2) = 375.41, P = 0.000)., Conclusions: The most common cause of superficial lymphadenopathy in HIV/AIDS patients is tuberculosis, followed by lymph node reactive hyperplasia, AIDS-related lymphadenopathy and Penicillium disease. Low CD4(+) T lymphocyte count correlates with an increased incidence of superficial lymphadenopathy and the risk of opportunity infection. Therefore, determination of peripheral blood CD4(+) T lymphocyte count should become an integral marker for the early diagnosis and treatment of superficial lymphadenopathy in HIV/AIDS patients.

This study was aimed to investigate the expression of CD96 on bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) from 91 patients with acute leukemia, and the results were analyzed with clinical pathological data. Flow cytometry was used to detect CD96 molecule on the bone marrow mononuclear cell surface of 91 newly diagnosed patients with acute leukemia, and 15 healthy adults were served as normal controls. The results showed that the average rate of CD96(+) expression on BMMNC (CD45(+) CD34(+) CD19(+)) of 21 patients with B-ALL was (17.41 ± 27.97)%, the average rate of CD96(+) expression on stem cells (CD45(+)CD34(+)CD7(+)) of 11 patients with T-ALL was (46.98 ± 45.55)%, the average rate of CD96(+) expression on BMMNC (CD45(+)CD34(+)CD38(-)) of 59 patients with AML was (16.69 ± 25.08)%, while the average rate of CD96(+) on BMMNC of healthy adult controls was (0.52 ± 1.84)%, there was significant difference in average rate of CD96(+) expression between above-mentioned patients and healthy adult controls (p < 0.05). Otherwise the average rate of CD96(+) on BMMNC after treatment showed no statistical difference between patient group with CR (1.68 ± 2.31) and healthy controls, but demonstrated statistical difference between patients without CR and healthy controls (p > 0.05). The leukocyte count, hemoglobin level and platelet count in CD96(+) group had no obvious difference from CD96(-) ones (p > 0.05). No change found in the field of molecular biology and cytogenetic between these 2 groups. It is concluded that CD96 expression is different in different types of leukemia. The positive expression of CD96 on bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells in patients with acute leukemia may be associated with primary drug resistance, relapse and progression. The CD96 on BMMNC of acute leukemias can be a helpful prognostic indicator in treatment response assessment.

Objective: To survey different diagnostic techniques in diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE)., Methods: Hospital records of PE cases in 13 AAA general hospitals in Guangxi area from 1995 to 2007 were studied retrospectively. Probable PE was defined as the diagnosis based on the clinical data and non-specific imaging, while the definite PE was defined as those with the diagnosis confirmed by specific imaging or autopsy. The percentage of various diagnostic methods of PE was analyzed., Results: From 1995 to 2007, 237 definite PE and 223 probable PE were found in 13 hospitals, and they accounted for 51.52% and 48.48%, respectively, for all patients diagnosed as having PE. The percentage of definite PE cases during 1995-2001 and 2002-2007 were 14.63% and 55.13%, respectively (chi (2)=24.522, P<0.01). Among 237 definite PE, 2 positive diagnostic techniques were employed in 17 patients. Twenty-seven (11.39%), 214 (90.30%), 6 (2.53%), 5 (2.11%) and 2 (0.84%) patients were diagnosed by pulmonary angiography, CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA), ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and autopsy, respectively. No ventilation-perfusion lung scanning was performed in these patients. Compared with other diagnostic imaging, the percentage of CTPA in diagnosis of PE increased slightly since 2003., Conclusion: CTPA is the first choice in the diagnosis of PE in Guangxi area, and more attention should be paid to other diagnostic imaging techniques.

Objective: To establish a sensitive and effective method for detection of immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor (Ig/TCR) gene rearrangement,and to explore its role in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorders., Methods: Fifty-eight lymphoid tissue samples from 54 patients with lymphoproliferations were evaluated by the novel BIOMED-2 multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for antigen receptor genes rearrangement., Results: Multiplex PCR demonstrated monoclonal Ig/TCR gene rearrangements in 22 of 25 (88.0%) B-cell malignancies and 8 of 15 (53.3%) T-cell malignancies. Among 17 benign lymphoproliferations confirmed histopathologically, polyclonal rearrangements were detected in 14 cases (82.4%). In total, the clonality analysis and the final clinico-histopathological diagnosis were concordant in 77.2%. Combination detection of Iglambda and TCR delta gene rearrangements did not increase the detection rate of monoclonal rearrangement of Ig/TCR, but might help to the detection of Iglambda+ or TCR delta+ lymphomas., Conclusion: The novel BIOMED-2 multiplex PCR strategy is a rapid, reliable and sensitive approach to detecting clonality in suspected lymphoproliferations, especially in atypical cases.

Objective: To observe the efficacy and safety of amphotericin B for treatment of invasive fungal infections (IFI) in patients with hematologic diseases., Methods: 121 patients were given amphotericin B 5 -50 mg/d for 5 - 101 d with a median of 19 d., Results: The clinical efficacy rate was 67.3%, and fungal elimination rate 66.7%. The adverse events included rigor and fever, hypokalaemia, hepatic damage, nephrotoxicity, nausea and vomiting, phlebitis and teeter., Conclusion: Amphotericin B is still a high-efficiency drug in the treatment of IFI, although it has many side effects. With monitoring of hepatic and renal function, it is still a relatively safe and effective drug.

The study was purposed to investigate the role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway in the differentiation of human MDS cell lines SKM-1 induced by sodium butyrate (NaB), and to elucidate the molecular mechanism of differentiation in SKM-1 cells induced by NaB. The expression levels of total ERK and phosphorylated-ERK were determined by Western blot. The effect of NaB in combination with the ERK inhibitor PD98059 on the proliferation/differentiation of SKM-1 cells was studied, and then the expression levels of the P21 and HDAC protein were detected by Western blot. The results showed that the expression level of phosphorylated ERK was down-regulated by the 1 mmol/L NaB, and the level of total ERK had not changed. NaB or combination of the MEK inhibitor PD98059 with NaB could increase the differentiation of the SKM-1 cells and up-regulated the levels of the P21 and HDAC protein, but the effect of combination of NaB with PD98059 was higher than that of NaB alone. It is concluded that the inhibition of ERK may be involved in sodium butyrate inducing differentiation in SKM-1 cells.

Objective: To observe the clinical value of splenectomy for pathologic diagnosis in fever of unknown origin with splenomegaly only., Methods: The pathologic findings of 35 patients with fever of unknown origin and splenomegaly treated by splenectomy, admitted in to the department of hematology in our hospital since 1996 were studied retrospectively. For these patients, there were no other positive signs except splenomegaly and the routine tests could not help us make the etiological diagnoses., Results: In these 35 patients, there were 17 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (48.6%), 5 cases of Hodgkin's disease (14.2%), 2 cases of malignant histiocytosis (5.7%), 5 cases of connective tissue disease (14.2%), 2 cases of chronic congestive splenomegaly (5.7%), 1 case of hemophagocytic syndrome (2.9%), 1 case of remote spleen infarction (2.9%), 1 case of tuberculosis of spleen (2.9%) and 1 case of spleen angiosarcoma (2.9%)., Conclusion: When only splenomegaly is found in patients with fever of unknown origin, it is necessary to persuade the patients to accept diagnostic splenectomy for pathological as soon as possible, otherwise, the diagnosis and treatment may be delayed.

The study was purposed to explore the molecular mechanisms of sodium butyrate (NaB) action on SKM-1 cell proliferation/differentiation and to study its synergistic effect with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). SKM-1 cells were grown in the absence or presence of NaB and/or ATRA; the percentage of viable cells was determined by trypan blue exclusion; differentiation was investigated by nitro-blue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction; adhesion molecules of cell surface were analysed by FACS; cell cycle distribution was studied after DNA staining by propidium iodide; D-type cyclins, CDK and P21 mRNA were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that NaB and/or ATRA blocked cells mainly in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle; ATRA inhibited the mRNA expression of CDK6, CDK4, cyclin D3 and cyclin D1; NaB inhibited the mRNA expression of CDK2, cyclin D2 and cyclin D1; ATRA and NaB inhibited the mRNA expression of CDK6, CDK4, CDK2, cyclin D1, cyclin D2 and cyclin D3; ATRA and/or NaB both stimulated p21 expression at the mRNA levels. It is concluded that the NaB effect on cell proliferation/differentiation may be linked to its ability to induce expression of p21 mRNA and inhibit the cyclin D-CDK complexes. These observations support the claim that NaB has the synergistic effect with ATRA.

Objective: To investigate the clinical epidemiology of intrahepatic cholelithiasis in Guangxi area, China., Methods: 8585 cases of cholelithiasis proved by surgery in a period of 19 years were analyzed retrospectively. Data were collected and analyzed by computer software package PEMS., Results: Cases of intrahepatic cholelithiasis accounted for more than one third of cases of cholelithiasis treated in the same period. The prevalence of intrahepatic cholelithiasis in farmers increased from 23.4% out of all cases with gallstone in 1981-1985 to 55.8% in 1991-1999. The constituent ratio of intrahepatic cholelithiasis in males was nearly the same in females. The peak prevalence age of patients with intrahepatic cholelithiasis ranged from 31 to 40 years, and the mortality was the highest among all bile stone cases., Conclusion: Intrahepatic cholelithiasis is by no means a vanishing disease, especially in rural area.