Objective To evaluate the combined impacts of blood glucose and its related metabolic factors on 18F-FDG uptake by liver.Methods A total of 544 subjects (384 males and 160 females, age range 24-73 years) undergoing 18F-FDG PET/CT were recruited in this retrospective study.SUVmean of the right lobe of liver was calculated.Two-sample t test and one-way analysis of variance were performed to compare SUVmean between patients with different genders and BMI levels.Linear correlation analysis, partial correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted to evaluate the relationship between age, injected 18F-FDG dose, blood glucose, serum T3, T4, FT3, FT4, BMR, BMI and liver SUVmean.Results The SUVmean of the liver in males and females were 1.89±0.42 and 1.92±0.38 (t=0.693, P>0.05), but it was significantly different among BMI groups (F=3.056, P<0.05).Age, blood glucose and FT3 were significantly associated with liver SUVmean (r′ values: 0.108, 0.140 and 0.105, all P<0.05) and were independent factors that indicated variation of liver SUVmean (β values: 0.006, 0.070 and 0.088, all P<0.05).Blood glucose was the strongest powerful predicting variable of liver SUVmean (β′=0.154, P<0.001).Conclusions Blood glucose and its related metabolic factors can affect the liver 18F-FDG uptake.Age, FT3, blood glucose are independent factors predicting variation of liver SUVmean.The impact of glucose metabolism status should be considered when assessing liver 18F-FDG uptake.

Objective To investigate serum galectin-3 levels in patients with chronic heart failure and evaluate its clinical significance for heart failure.Methods A total of 108 chronic heart failure patients were selected.The selected patients were divided into three groups according to the classification of New York Heart Association (NYHA,from degree Ⅱ to Ⅳ).In addition,30 healthy persons were chosen as control group.All the patients received cardiac ultrasound examination.Plasma levels of N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP),serum levels of galectin-3 and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured and analyzed.Results Galectin-3 levels were significantly higher in chronic heart failure patients compared with control group(P ＜ 0.05).In chronic heart failure group,the increase of serum concentration of galectin-3 was correlated with the degree of NYHA function classification.Correlation analysis showed that blood level of galectin 3 was strongly positive correlation with concentration of NT-proBNP and IL-6.There was no correlation between galectin-3 with the cause of heart failure,left ventricular diameter(LVD),and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).Conclusions The levels of galectin-3 was significantly increased in chronic heart failure,and was correlated with degree of heart failure.Galectin-3 might be a new biomarker of heart failure and could provide additive value to NT-proBNP levels in the diagnosis of heart failure.

Objective To ascertain the frequency distribution of CT examinations in children.Method A wide range of information was collected through the radiology information system (RIS),including ID,sex,birth date,examination time,the examined part of body and other relevant ones related to children who underwent CT examinations between Jan 1,2012 and Dec 31,2012.The SAS software was used for data processing and statistical analysis.Results A total of 1 542 children underwent 1 670 examinations,of which 67％ were male.Head CT examination was the most frequent,accounting for 71.9％ of all CT examinations,and followed by the abdomen/pelvis examinations.The number of examinations of children undergoing the repetitive examination accounted for 6.4％; 51.7％ of the examinations was for trauma.The positive rate of CT examination was 51％,dependent upon the age and examined body parts to some extent.The younger patients had lower positive rate,and the positive rate of head CT examination was lower than those in other parts.Conclusions To reduce the possible cancer risk to be induced by the ionizing radiation from CT,justification of CT examination should be considered for children.

Objective To estimate the radiation dose and cancer risk of thyroid for children who underwent head CT or chest CT scans.Methods The parameters used in the CT scans were accessed from the DICOM files through PACS used DCMTK software, then the thyroid radiation dose was estimated with the CT-Expo(C) software and the cancer risk induced by CT scan was projected based on BEIR Ⅱ model combined with the Chinese cancer incidence and lifetime table in 2008.Results CT parameters used for different ages were roughly the same, the thyroid equivalent dose for head CT ranged from 1.2-2.0 mGy, the highest thyroid cancer risk occurs for newborn girls, about 9.6/100 thousand population;while for chest CT the thyroid equivalent dose ranged from 8.1 to 38.0 mGy, the highest thyroid cancer risk was also for newborn girls, about 244.7/100 thousand population.The radiation dose and cancer risk for thyroid decreased with the increased age.Conclusions The radiation dose for thyroid from chest CT was relatively higher than head CT, especially for newborn babies;therefore more protection should be given to the thyroid and other radio-sensitive organs during CT scanning.

Objective To investigate the capability of 99 Tcm?tricine?EDDA/HYNIC?SFSIIHTPILPL ( SP94) as a specific probe for HCC imaging. Methods HYNIC?SP94 peptide was prepared by solid phase synthesis, followed by 99 Tcm labeling with tricine?EDDA as the coligand. After determination of radiochemical purity and stability, cell binding study was carried out by incubating Huh?7 cells with 99 Tcm?tricine?EDDA/HYNIC?SP94 at different specific activities (2.5, 4.0 and 30.0 GBq/μmol). The biodistribution studies and microSPECT/CT imaging were performed in Huh?7 tumor?bearing mice ( study group) and Hela tumor?bear?ing mice ( control group ) . Statistical analysis was by two?sample t test. Results 99 Tcm?tricine?EDDA/HYNIC?SP94 was synthesized with over 95% of labeling yield, which remained stable in saline and FBS up to 12 h. With increasing concentrations of 99 Tcm?tricine?EDDA/HYNIC?SP94, Huh?7 cell binding increased but became gradually saturated. In biodistribution studies, (1.02±0.26) %ID/g of tracer was accumulated in Huh?7 tumors at 0.5 h after injection of 99 Tcm?tricine?EDDA/HYNIC?SP94, higher than that in the HYNIC?SP94 blocking group ((0.34±0.09) %ID/g;t=3.537, P<0.05). Compared to Hela tumors, Huh?7 tumors were clearly visualized by microSPECT/CT, with which better imaging quality could be achieved with higher specific radioactivity. Conclusion 99 Tcm?tricine?EDDA/HYNIC?SP94 could achieve a high labeling effi?ciency and good in vitro stability as a potential diagnostic tracer specifically targeted for HCC.

Objective To investigate the changes of CD4 +CD25highFoxp3 +regulatory T (Treg) cells and their significance in immune escape of childhood B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia ( B-ALL ) . Methods Forty-two children with B-ALL and twenty-eight age-matched healthy children were enrolled in this study.Flow cytometry analysis was performed to evaluate the proportion of CD 4 +CD25high Foxp3 +Treg cells as well as CD4 +CD25high ICOS+Foxp3 +and CD4 +CD25high ICOS-Foxp3 +subsets in peripheral blood samples.The expression of associated molecules including IL-10, TGF-β, IL-35, TGF-βRII, ICOS and CD28 at protein level were also measured by flow cytometry analysis .The transcription level of Smad3/4, TIEG1 and Itch by CD4 +T cells were determined by quantitative real-time PCR.The concentration of TGF-βin plasma was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results (1)The proportion of CD4 +CD25highFoxp3 +Treg cells in children with B-ALL were significantly higher than those of health subjects (P<0.05).The proportion of both ICOS +Foxp3 +and ICOS -Foxp3 +subsets were increased in comparison with those of control group (P<0.05), while the ratio of ICOS +Foxp3 +to ICOS-Foxp3 +was decreased (0.73 ±0.21 vs 1.87 ±0.59, P<0.05).(2) The expression of Foxp3, TGF-β, IL-10 and IL-35 by ICOS+Foxp3 +Treg cells and the expression of membrane bound TGF-βby ICOS -Foxp3 +Treg cells were significantly increased in children with B-ALL (P<0.05).However, the expression of Foxp3 by ICOS -Foxp3 +Treg cells showed no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05).(3)The concentra-tion of TGF-βin plasma from children with B-ALL were higher than those from control group [ ( 25 .83 ± 12.65) ng/ml vs (8.59 ±5.73) ng/ml, P<0.05].The expression of TGF-βRII and its associated mole-cules (Smad3/4, TIEG1 and Itch) by CD4 +T cells were significantly up-regulated.Moreover, an increased expression of ICOS and CD28 by CD4 +CD25highFoxp3 +Treg cells were also observed in children with B-ALL (P<0.05).Conclusion The hyper-activity of TGF-β, ICOS and CD28 signaling might be closely associ-ated with the increased proportion of CD4 +CD25high Foxp3 +Treg cells and the imbalance of its subsets in children with B-ALL.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness in optimizing resources and shortening critical children′s waiting time in pediatric emergency department (PED) with five-level pediatric emergency triage system (PETS). Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University after PETS was applied. The data of patients who visited the pediatric emergency department from January 2015 to December 2017 were collected and analyzed, including age, sex, diseases, visiting time, triage rate and destination. Results: A total of 375 985 patients were included, among whom males were 225 308 (59.9%) and females were 150 677 (40.1%), all younger than 14 years of age. The number of critical cases (level Ⅰ, level Ⅱ and level Ⅲ) was increased from 4 719 (3.7%) in 2015, 12 209 (10.2%) in 2016 to 16 188 (12.7%) in 2017. The number of non-critical patients (level Ⅴ) decreased year by year, as from 98 213 (76.8%) in 2015 to 75 210 (62.6%) in 2016 and 78 857 (61.7%) in 2017. The patients who classified as level Ⅰ or levelⅡaccording to the PETS were seen immediately by physician (n=1855, 0.5%). Overall, 119 738 patients (98.3%) who were classified as level Ⅲ or level Ⅳ could be seen by physician in a timely manner according to triage guidelines, while 2 112 patients (1.7%) could not. The mean waiting time was 9.09 min in level Ⅲ, 17.7 min in level Ⅳ, and 55.76 min in level Ⅴ patients, respectively. The critical cases admitted to the intensive care units were 175 (36.2%) in 2015, 350 (62.8%) in 2016 and 374 (66.2%) in 2017. The etiologies were respiratory diseases (73.3%), gastrointestinal diseases (15.8%) and infectious diseases (3.1%). Conclusion The application of PETS could optimize emergency resources and shorten the waiting time of critically ill children.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of serum monocyte/high-density lipoprotein ratio (MHR) level in the diagnosis of coronary heart disease(CHD).Methods:A total of 127 patients who underwent coronary angiography in the cardiology department of the Third Hospital of Changsha were enrolled as subjects. Patients with coronary artery stenosis ≥50% were included in the CHD group ( n=97), and patients with coronary artery stenosis <50% were included in the control group ( n=30). According to the clinical classification of CHD, the patients were divided into stable angina group ( n=31), unstable angina group ( n=35) and acute myocardial infarction group ( n=31). The general clinical data of the selected cases were collected, and the serum MHR, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were detected. The degree of coronary artery lesions was scored by Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score system, and the number of coronary artery lesions was counted. The relationship between MHR level, MPO, hs-CRP and the degree of coronary artery stenosis in CHD group was analyzed. The MHR level of CHD was divided into three subgroups by triquartile: the differences of SYNTAX score and the number of coronary artery lesions were compared in the low MHR group (≤0.41, n=40), the middle MHR group (0.410.48, n=27). The value of serum MHR in diagnosing CHD was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The risk factors of CHD were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Results:(1) The serum MHR level in CHD group was higher than that in non-CHD group ( P<0.001). In different clinical subgroups of CHD: the levels of serum MHR were significantly higher in acute myocardial infarction group than unstable angina group and stable angina group ( P<0.001). (2) There was a positive correlation between serum MHR, MPO level with SYNTAX score in CHD group ( r=0.878, 0.477, 0.285, all P<0.001). (3) The SYNTAX score in high MHR group was higher than those in middle MHR and low MHR group; the SYNTAX score in middle MHR group was higher than that of low MHR group ( P<0.001); There was no significant difference in the number of coronary artery lesions among the three MHR level subgroups ( P>0.05). (4) Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that LDL-C ( OR=1.107, 95% CI: 0.974-1.259), MHR ( OR=1.873, 95% CI: 1.352-2.496) were independent risk factors for CHD (all P<0.05). (5) ROC curve showed that the area under the curve of MHR in diagnosing CHD was 0.987, and the sensitivity was 82.8%. Conclusions:Serum MHR level is higher in patients with CHD, which is closely related to the severity of coronary artery disease and is an independent risk factor of CHD.

Objective:To investigate the effects of Notch1 signaling on histone acetylation of Foxp3 gene and its roles in regulating regulatory T (Treg) cells in children with acute B-cell precursor lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL).Methods:Blood samples were collected form 38 children with BCP-ALL before treatment and 15 age-matched healthy children (control group). Flow cytometry was performed to detect the proportion of peripheral blood CD4 + CD25 hiFoxp3 + Treg cells and the expression of Foxp3, cytotoxic lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4), glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR), CD39 and Notch1 at protein level. Histone 4 acetylation (H4Ac) at Foxp3 gene promoter and the binding abilities of Foxp3 gene promoter to NICD1 and p300 in CD4 + T cells were measured by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to detect the expression of Foxp3, presenilin 1 (PSEN1), mastermind-like transcriptional coactivator 1 (MAML1), SKI-interacting protein (SKIP), F-box and WD40 domain protein 7 (FBXW7), glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3β) and IKAROS at mRNA level in CD4 + T cells. The concentrations of TGF-β and IL-10 in plasma were evaluated by ELISA. Results:(1) The proportion of peripheral blood CD4 + CD25 hiFoxp3 + Treg cells, the expression of differentiation- and function-associated molecules (Foxp3, CTLA4, GITR and CD39) and the concentrations of TGF-β and IL-10 in plasma were higher in the BCP-ALL group than in the control group ( P<0.05). (2) In children with acute BCP-ALL, H4Ac at Foxp3 promoter and the binding abilities of Foxp3 gene promoter to NICD1 and p300 were significantly increased as compared with those in control group( P<0.05). The binding abilities of Foxp3 gene promoter to NICD1 and p300 were positively correlated with the expression of Foxp3 at mRNA level ( r=0.58 and 0.46, both P<0.05). After competitive inhibition, the three aforementioned indexes in the acute BCP-ALL group were significantly lower than those in untreated group ( P<0.05); the binding ability of Foxp3 gene promoter to NICD1 in the control group was also significantly lower than that in untreated control group ( P<0.05), but no statistical differences in the other two indexes were found between the control groups with or without treatment ( P>0.05). ⑶ Compared with the control group, the expression of Notch1, PSEN1, MAML1 and SKIP in CD4 + T cells were elevated significantly ( P<0.05), while the transcription level of negative regulatory factor FBXW7 was decreased remarkably in children with acute BCP-ALL ( P<0.05). No statistical differences in the expression of GSK3β or IKAROS were found between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Overactivation of Notch1 signaling caused by low expression of FBXW7 might be the key factor resulting in histone 4 hyperacetylation at foxp3 gene promoter and Treg cell dysfunction in children with acute BCP-ALL.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of exposure to rush-mat dust on the health of workers.

METHODSA cross sectional study of 661 workers (349 men, 312 women) from 35 rush-mat plants was carried out by using occupational health investigation, questionnare and physical examination.

RESULTSThe geometric mean total dust concentration in the workshop was up to 20.00 mg/m3, and the geometric mean respirable dust concentration reached 8.22 mg/m3. The mean free SiO2 concentration of accumulated dust was 25.6%. The prevalence of radiographic small opacities profusion category > or = 1/0, according to the China Classification for pneumoconiosis (GB 5906-2000), and compared with the ILO 1980 system, was 2.57%. Even more, one man had category 2 pneumoconiosis with progressive massive fibrosis. However, the incidence of pneumoconiosis (1/0 at least) was correlated with work duration and dust concentration(r = 1.156, P < 0.001; r = 0.106, P = 0.006, respectively). Some positive correlations were found between the incidence of cough or expectoration and occupational exposure (r = 0.085, P = 0.028; r = 0.094, P = 0.016, respectively).

CONCLUSIONTo our knowledge, this is the first report of rush pneumoconiosis in China. The results have offered the possibility of a dose-response relationship between rush-mat dust and pneumoconiosis. More investigation in this area is need.

Aluminum Silicates ; Chemical Industry ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dust ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Pneumoconiosis ; etiology