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Abstract Behçet's disease is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects multiple organs and systems. It is characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcers. A previous study reported that the IL-17A inhibitor secukinumab can improve the skin and mucosal manifestations in patients with refractory Behçet's disease. Additionally, secukinumab has been shown to effectively improve neurological symptoms when administered for Behçet's disease. However, we report a case where Behçet's disease occurred after the treatment of psoriasis with the IL-17A inhibitor ixekizumab. To summarize its clinical characteristics and treatment experience, we consulted relevant domestic and international literature and conducted a literature review. We concluded that anti-IL-17A treatment may lead to the development of Behçet's disease. The reported cases are more likely to occur in middle-aged men with varying onset times. The main manifestations include oral and vulvar mucosal ulcers. Furthermore, the gut microbiota may be involved in paradoxical Behçet's disease. Keywords: Behçet's disease, IL-17 inhibitor, paradoxical reactions, reviews, Author(s): Yue-Kang Ren [1]; Ling Ren [2]; Wen Sun [1]; Hong-Ye Liu [2]; Shu-Ping Guo (corresponding author) [2] Introduction Interleukin (IL)-17A is a key member of the IL-17 family. It [...]

To evaluate the adjuvant treatment of acute stage symptoms and quality of life of patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP) with ozone.

This article discusses a case study of a 78-year-old Chinese woman who developed erythrodermic scabies, a severe and rare form of scabies, after receiving systemic corticosteroid treatment. Erythroderma is a condition characterized by skin inflammation, and its occurrence in patients with scabies is uncommon. The patient was initially misdiagnosed with senile pruritus, eczema, and hypereosinophilic dermatitis, and her condition worsened despite treatment with antihistamines and corticosteroids. The diagnosis of erythrodermic scabies was confirmed through dermoscopy and microscopy, and the patient was successfully treated with ivermectin and sulfur ointment. The article emphasizes the importance of accurately diagnosing scabies to avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: The present study aims to analyze the outcomes of three cases of pre-fenestration and branch stent-graft endovascular repair of aortic disease with zone 2 aortic lesions. Methods: From August 2017 to June 2018, three patients with zone 2 aortic lesions underwent thoracic endovascular repair with innominate artery, left common carotid artery, and left subclavian artery recannulation using pre-fenestration and branched stent-grafts to preserve the patency of the aortic arch branches. Results: The technical success rate was 100%. One patient had a proximal type I endoleak with no need for additional treatment. The overall mortality was 0%. All branches were patent. The follow-up period lasted for 2–15 months, with one patient lost to follow-up. There were no conversions to open surgical repair, aortic rupture, paraplegia, or retrograde type A aortic dissection. Conclusion: The use of a pre-fenestration and branch stent-graft for the thoracic endovascular repair of zone 2 aortic lesions is a feasible and effective method for aortic arch branch revascularization. The risk of this surgical procedure is high, requiring significant expertise. The procedure should be conducted only in experienced centers. Durability concerns should be assessed in future studies with long-term follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skutterudites and half-Heusler compounds are well-studied promising thermoelectric (TE) materials due to favorable electrical properties. However, their intrinsic lattice thermal conductivities are so high that various methodologies have been developed to decrease them. Based on our first-principles phonon calculations, we find that thermodynamically stable Cu3VX4 (X = S , Se, Te) compounds exhibit good thermoelectric properties due to their special crystal structure (a Cu-V-X framework plus large void tunnels). The mechanically stable framework is the favorite pathway for the carrier conduction, which induces high electrical conductivity and power factor (comparative to those of filled-skutterudites and half-Heusler systems). Moreover, the void tunnels in the crystal structure result in unsaturated coordinations at the X sites and corresponding lone-pair electrons, which lower the lattice thermal conductivity. The calculated intrinsic lattice thermal conductivity of Cu3VX4 is much lower than those of the well-studied skutterudites and half-Heusler compounds. Thus, the maximum ZT values approach 1.6 (at 900 K, 10 2 0 cm − 3 ) and 1.2 (at 1000 K, 10 2 1 cm − 3 ) for the p- and n-type Cu3VTe4 compounds, respectively. Our work provides not only distinctive high-performance TE materials (Cu3VX4), but also a guideline for future promising thermoelectric discoveries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Data obtained from a differentially expressed cDNA library constructed previously in this laboratory demonstrated that the extracellular matrix molecule osteopontin (OPN) is one of most considerably over-expressed genes in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). The purpose of the present study was to explore the expression status of OPN in a large scale NSCLC tissue samples, and estimate its significance in progression of the malignant disease., Methods: RT-PCR was performed with the tumor and adjacent normal tissues from 35 patients with NSCLC, at transcriptional levels of OPN. To determine the expression of OPN protein in the tumor tissues, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was subsequently carried out on paraffin-embedded sections in tissue microarrays containing 662 samples derived from NSCLC cases. The correlation between the expression level of OPN and clinical characteristics was analyzed statistically., Results: Comparing with the paired normal lung tissue, high level RNA of OPN was detected in 80.0% (28/35) of the NSCLC tumor tissues by RT-PCR, which confirmed the information obtained previously by our differentially expressed cDNA library. The results of IHC analysis showed that positively stained OPN protein was observed in 59.6% (331/555) of the tumor tissues, which was remarkably higher than that (25.2%, 27/107) detected in the normal control tissues (P < 0.001). Among the NSCLCs investigated, over-expressed OPN was more frequently found in squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) than in adenocarcinomas. A further analysis on SCCs demonstrated that the rate of over-expressed OPN was significantly different between the primary tumors with and without lymphatic metastases (68.6% vs. 49.7%, P = 0.001), but similar in the primary tumors and their corresponding metastases in lymph nodes (68.6% vs. 75.5%, P = 0.171)., Conclusion: Expression of OPN protein is distinctly increased in NSCLCs, particularly in SCCs. OPN over-expression is considerably correlated with lymph node metastasis, increasing the risk of tumor metastasis (OR = 2.212). The resulting data suggest that OPN facilitates the progression of NSCLCs.

Objective: To study the relationship between serum adiponectin and insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)., Methods: Forty women with PCOS and twenty five healthy women were divided into PCOS obese group [body weight index (BMI) > or = 25kg/m(2)], PCOS non-obese group (BMI < 25 kg/m(2)) and control group. There are 19 cases in PCOS obese group and 21 cases in PCOS non-obese group, 9 cases in obese control group and 16 in non-obese control group. Serum adiponectin levels of the four groups were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, insulin by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay method, blood sugar by glucose oxidation enzyme method, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) by radioimmunoassay. Insulin sensitivity index (ISI) was calculated., Results: (1) Serum adiponectin levels of PCOS obese group was (1.6 +/- 0.5) mg/L, of PCOS non-obese group was (3.0 +/- 0.6) mg/L. Their values were lower than obese control group (3.2 +/- 0.3) mg/L, and non-obese control group (4.9 +/- 0.5) mg/L (P < 0.05). (2) Fasting insulin levels of PCOS obese group was (17 +/- 6) mU/L, PCOS non-obese group was (14 +/- 6) mU/L. They were higher than obese control group (10 +/- 3) mU/L, and non-obese control group (7 +/- 3) mU/L (P < 0.05). (3) Fasting blood sugar level was (5.2 +/- 0.7) mmol/L in PCOS obese group, in PCOS non-obese group was (5.1 +/- 0.6) mmol/L, in obese control group was (5.4 +/- 0.5) mmol/L, and non-obese control group (4.8 +/- 0.6) mmol/L, without marked difference among four groups. (4) TNF-alpha levels of PCOS obese group was (1.32 +/- 0.14) microg/L, of PCOS non-obese group was (1.02 +/- 0.12) microg/L. They were higher than obese control group (0.93 +/- 0.15) microg/L, and non-obese control group (0.63 +/- 0.18) microg/L (P < 0.05). (5) ISI of PCOS obese group was -4.5 +/- 0.3, PCOS non-obese group was -4.1 +/- 0.4. Their values were lower than obese control group -3.6 +/- 0.3, and non-obese control group (-3.1 +/- 0.4) (P < 0.05). Serum adiponectin levels of the women with PCOS were correlated negatively with BMI (r = -0.56, P < 0.05), and correlated positively with ISI (r = 0.49, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Serum adiponectin levels of women with PCOS is decreased compared with healthy women, particularly in obese women with PCOS. The decrease is correlated with ISI.