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OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the correlation of Jun N-terminal kinase pathway associated phosphatase (JKAP) with disease risk and inflammation, also to explore the association of its longitudinal change with etanercept (ETN) treatment efficiency in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 107 active RA patients about to receive ETN treatment and 60 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. Serum JKAP level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in RA patients (at week 0 (W0), W6, W12, and W24) and HCs (at recruitment). RA patients were categorized into W24 response patients and W24 non-response patients, or W24 remission patients and W24 non-remission patients, respectively, according to clinical response status or remission status at W24. RESULTS: JKAP level was reduced in RA patients compared with HCs. In RA patients, decreased baseline JKAP was correlated with elevated C-reaction protein level and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies positive status. Moreover, JKAP level was increased during ETN treatment. Subgroup analyses revealed that JKAP level during ETN therapy was increased in W24 response patients, while no difference was discovered in JKAP level among different time points in W24 non-response patients. Meanwhile, JKAP level during ETN treatment was elevated in both W24 remission patients and W24 non-remission patients, however, its increment was more evident in W24 remission patients. CONCLUSIONS: JKAP correlates with reduced disease risk and inflammation, and its increment during ETN treatment associates with commendable treatment efficiency in RA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the protective effect of hydrogen inhalation on the lungs of sanitation workers exposed to haze. Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial, 96 sanitation workers living in Shijiazhuang urban area were recruited during January to February, 2016. All enrolled participants were randomized to 2 groups; the treatment group inhaled H 2 ∶O 2 mixture (66.67%∶33.33%) 1 hour per day for 30 days, while the control group inhaled N 2 ∶O 2 mixture (66.67%∶33.33%) 1 hour per day for 30 days. Respiratory symptoms were evaluated and fractional exhaled nitric oxide(FeNO), biochemical indexes, lung function were measured at baseline(the 0th day) and during treatment (the 8th day, 15th day, and 30th day). Results: (1)The FeNO levels of the treatment group (16±5)×10 9 were lower than those of the control group(21±14)×10 9 on 8th day of treatment, with significant difference( F =6.94, P <0.05). (2)The levels of FEV 1 were significantly higher in participants from the treatment group as compared to the control group on both 8th [(96±13)% vs(94±14)%( F =3.96, P <0.05)] and 30th day [(97±14)% vs (95±12)%( F =8.5, P <0.05)] of treatment, while PEF was also increased on 15th day [(73±15)% vs(67±18)%( F =8.68, P <0.05)]. (3)The sputum levels of MMP-12 and SOD3 were consistently lower in the treatment group as compared to the control group at each time point, and the levels of IL-10 were higher in the treatment group as compared to the control group on the 15th and 30th day. MDA and IL-2 levels were lower in the treatment group than in the control group on the 30th day( P <0.05). The sputum levels of CRP and TGF-β 1 at each time point were not different between the 2 groups ( P >0.05). (4)The serum levels of IL-2 and SOD3 were lower in the treatment group as compared to the control group while IL-10 was higher than in the control group at each time point, and MMP-12 was lower in the treatment group than that in the control group on the 30th day( P <0.05). The relative ratios of CRP, TGF-β 1 and MDA in serum at each time point between the 2 groups were not significantly different ( P >0.05). (5)Hydrogen inhalation improved respiratory symptoms such as cough. Conclusions: Inhalation of hydrogen gas could alleviate airway inflammation and oxidative stress of sanitation workers exposed to air pollution. There was even a significant inhibitory effect on the level of systemic inflammatory response. Importantly, inhalation of hydrogen could improve respiratory symptoms such as cough.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Calorie Restriction (CR) on learning and memory ability of early aged rats., Methods: 18-month rats were subjected to restricted intake by 60% comparing with that of rats fed ad libitum (AL) for 6 months. We compared the overall health status, including survival rate and locomotor activity by open-field test. We examined the spatial cognition ability of the rats by Morris Water Maze., Results: Our results showed that CR rats had higher survival rate and spontaneous locomotor activity compared with AL rats. CR rats slowed the inability of spatial learning and reference memory., Conclusion: These findings demonstrated that CR in early old rats delayed the declination of spatial cognition.

To demonstrate the discrepancy of cerebral blood flow volume (BFV) estimation with 2D phase-contrast (2D PC) MRA guided with 3D time-of-flight (3D TOF) MR localization by using an "internal" standard. 20 groups of the common (CCA), internal (ICA), and external (ECA) carotid arteries in 10 healthy subjects were examined with 2D PC MRA guided by 3D TOF MR angiograms. The sum BFV of the internal and external carotid arteries was then compared with the ipsilateral common carotid artery flow. An accurate technique would demonstrate no difference. The difference was therefore a measure of accuracy of the method. 3D TOF MRA localization is presented to allow the determination of a slice orientation to improve the accuracy of 2D PC MRA in estimate the BFV. By using the combined protocols, there was better correlation in BFV estimate between the sum of ICA+ECA with the ipsilateral CCA (R2=0.729, P=0.000). The inconsistency (mean +/- SD) was found to be 6.95 +/- 5.95% for estimate the BFV in ICA+ECA and ipsilateral CCA. The main inconsistency was contributed to the ECA and its branches. Guided with 3D TOF MRA localization, 2D PC MRA is more accurate in the determination of blood flow volume in the carotid arteries.