Objective:To analyze the clinical features of 63 azoospermic patients with microdeletion of azoospermia factor C region(AZFc) and their relationship with sex hormones.Methods:The clinical data of 63 azoospermic patients with AZFc microdeletion were retrospectively analyzed, including age, height, body weight, body mass index(BMI), testicular volume, and sex hormones.Results:Compared with normozoospermic men, height, body weight, and testicular volume revealed statistical differences in azoospermic patients with AZFc microdeletion( P<0.05). There were significant differences in FSH, LH, testosterone(T), and prolactin levels between two groups( P<0.05). BMI was negatively associated with FSH level( r=-0.251, P=0.04)and positively associated with estradiol(E 2)level( r=0.327, P=0.009). Age had a negative association with T level( r=-0.256, P=0.04). Testicular volume revealed a negative association with FSH level( r=-0.289, P=0.02). There were no association of height with T, E 2, FSH, and LH levels( P>0.05). Conclusion:It is more likely that azoospermic patients with AZFc microdeletion present overweight and earlier decreased androgen level. The adjustment of lifestyle and testosterone supplementation might be beneficial to the long-term quality of life in these patients.

Objective To investigate the activation state of and expressions of surface co-stimulatory molecules on peripheral CD4+ T cells from patients with pemphigus and healthy human controls.Methods Ninety patients with pemphigus including 24 patients with first-onset pemphigus,51 with quiescent pemphigus and 15 with recurrent pemphigus,as well as 30 healthy human controls were enrolled in this study.Peripheral blood samples were obtained from these subjects followed by lymphocyte isolation.Flow cytometry was performed to detect the expressions of CD69,intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1),inducible co-stimulatory molecule (ICOS),CD40 ligand (CD40L) and OX40 on CD4+ T cells.Statistical analysis was done by Mann-Whitney test using Graphpad 5.0 software.Results The expression rate of CD69 on peripheral CD4+ T cells from the healthy human controls was significantly lower than that from patients with pemphigus,patients with first-onset pemphigus,patients with quiescent pemphigus,and patients with recurrent pemphigus ((1.26 ± 0.19)％ vs.(2.46 ± 0.19)％,(2.77 ± 0.40)％,(2.15 ± 0.25)％ and (2.36 ± 0.35)％,all P ＜ 0.05).The patients with pemphigus also showed a significant increase in the expression rates of ICAM-1,CD40L and OX40 compared with the healthy human controls ((55.88 ± 1.67)％ vs.(47.75 ± 2.52)％,P＜ 0.05; (2.23 ± 0.22)％ vs.(0.73 ± 0.07)％,P＜ 0.01; (2.55 ± 0.29)％vs.(0.62 ± 0.17)％,P ＜ 0.01).No significant differences were observed between patients with different stages of pemphigus in the expression rates of CD69,ICAM-1,CD40L or OX40 (all P ＞ 0.05).The percentage of ICOS-expressing CD4+ T cells was significantly up-regulated in only patients with first-onset pemphigus as compared to the healthy controls ((3.73 ± 0.60)％ vs.(2.39 ± 0.16)％,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The peripheral blood CD4+ T cells from patients with pemphigus are in a relatively active state with up-regulated surface expressions of many costimulatory molecules,suggesting that CD4+ T cells are involved in the initiation and progression of pemphigus by interacting with B cells through co-stimulatory molecules.

Objective To establish a method for the determination of protocatechuic acid, salidroside, and chlorogenic acid in Sargentodoxa cuneata. Methods The separation was performed on a Waters XSELECT CSH C18 (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with methanol-acetonitrile-0.2 % phosphoric acid as the mobile phase in a gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.8 ml/min. The detection wavelength was 260 nm and the column temperature was 35 ℃. Results The linear ranges of protocatechuic acid, salidroside, and chlorogenic acid were 0.0020-0.0120, 0.0600-0.3602, 0.0750-4.5006 mg/ml, respectively. The average recoveries were 98.01% (RSD=0.07%), 98.53 % (RSD=0.12%), and 101.10 % (RSD=1.92%), respectively. Conclusions The method is simple, accurate, and highly reproducible, which could provide the scientific evidence for the quality control of Sargentodoxa cuneata.

Objective To elucidate the effects of SP600125 at different concentrations on the proliferation and osteo-differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs).Methods The hASCs harvested were cocuhured with SP600125 at concentrations of 0 μmol/L,1 μmol/L,5 μmol/L and 10 μmol/L in growth medium (OM group) and in osteogenesis medium (OM group),respectively.The DNA quantitative assay was carried out to evaluate proliferation of the hASCs;flow cytometry was used to determine the effect of SP600125 on the cell cycles of hASCs;Alkaline phosphatase level (ALP) and calcium deposition tests were conducted to observe the effects of SP600125 at different concentrations on osteogenic differentiation of the hASCs.Results The proliferation of hASCs was inhibited by 42.1％ when the cells were cocultured with SP600125 at the concentration of 10 μmol/L;the suppression decreased with decreased concentration of SP600125.The hASCs of phase G0/G1 in GM cocultured with SP600125 at the concentration of 10 μmol/L were more than those in GM cocultured with dimethylsulfoxide at the same concentration.ALP test revealed that after 10 days of culture in vitro the staining was more and more weakened and scattered and the ALP activity was more and more decreased with the increased concentration of SP600125.The extracellular calcium deposition of hASCs after 14 days of culture in vitro showed that the size and number of calcium nodules decreased with the increased concentration of SP600125.Conclusion SP600125 can suppress the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of hASCs in vitro.

OBJECTIVE:To develop a method for simultaneous determination of 12 nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) illegally added into antirheumatic TCM preparations.METHODS:UPLC-MS/MS was adopted.The determination was performed on Hypersil Golden C18 column with mobile phase consisted of 5 mmol/L ammonium formate solution-methanol (gradient elution) at the flow rate of 0.2 mL/min.The column temperature was 40 ℃,and the sample size was 2 μL.A tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionization source was used in positive-negative ion mode:curtain gas of 25 kPa,atomizing gas of 60 kPa,auxiliary gas of 55 kPa,electrospray voltage of 4 500 V,ion source temperature of 650 ℃.The multiple reaction monitoring mode was performed.RESULTS:The linear ranges of acetaminophen,acetylsalicylic acid,aminopyrine,meloxicam,ibuprofen,naproxen,lam acid,nimesulide,diclofenac,indomethacin,ketoprofen and celecoxib were 0.01-2.0 μg/ rnL (r=0.995 6),0.05-5.0 μg/mL (r=0.997 6),0.01-2.0 μg/mL (r =0.998 7),0.02-5.0 μg/mL (r=0.995 0),0.02-5.0 μg/mL (r =0.995 3),0.02-5.0 μg/mL(r=0.996 5),0.05-5.0 μg/mL(r=0.995 4),0.02-5.0 μg/mL(r=0.996 0),0.05-5.0 μg/mL(r=0.995 9),0.02-5.0 μg/mL(r=0.995 7),0.02-5.0 μg/mL(r=0.996 8),0.01-2.0 μg/mL(r=0.998 7),respectively.The limits of quantitation were no more than 0.20 mg/g,and the limits of detection were no more than 0.05 mg/g.RSDs of precision,stability and reproducibility tests were all lower than 5.0％.The recoveries were 80.8％-114.2％ (RSD was 3.85％-7.32％,n=9).CONCLUSIONS:The established method is simple,accurate,stable and reproducible,and can be used for simultaneous determination of 12 NSAIDs illegally added into antirheumatic TCM preparations.

Objective To investigate the correlation between tumor perfusion parameters and tumor volume and Child-Pugh classification in CT of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods Fifty-six patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were selected to perform CT perfusion imaging.The parameters of the total tumor perfusion such as hepatic artery perfusion (HAP),portal vein perfusion (PVP)and hepatic perfusion index (HAPI)were calculated according to the degree of hepatic encephalopathy,albumin,bilirubin, clotting time,ascites for liver Child-Pugh classification.The relationship between the tumor or peritumoral perfusion parameters with tumor volume and Child-Pugh classification were analyzed.Results (1)There was no correlation between tumor or peritumoral perfusion with the tumor volume.(2)The difference of HAP,PVP and HAPI between the different Child-Pugh classification groups was statistically significant (P<0.000 1).(3)With the reduction of Child-Pugh classification,the tumor body HAP and HAPI values gradually decreased, while the PVP value increased gradually.Conclusion There is no correlation between the tumor volume of hepatocellular carcinoma with total tumor perfusion parameters.The differences in perfusion measurements between different Child-Pugh classification can intuitively and quantitatively reflect the reserve function of the liver.

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common autoimmune subepidermal blistering skin disease,and a large number of eosinophils (EOS) obviously infiltrate the dermis of BP lesions.Additionally,EOS and their activated cytokines and chemokines are abundantly present in blisters and peripheral blood of BP patients.It is also proved that EOS can induce the dermal-epidermal separation.The level of interleukin (IL)-5 is markedly increased in the sera and blister fluids of BP patients,and IL-5 secreted by Th2 cells and EOS can regulate the differentiation,activation and survival of EOS.All the above evidence indicates that EOS are associated with the occurrence of BP.Researches on EOS and their cytokines will develop a new field of targeted therapy for BP.

Objective To evaluate the specific antibody-producing capacity of locally infiltrating B lymphocytes in lesions of patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV).Methods Totally,35 patients with PV and 22 healthy controls were enrolled into this study.Skin tissues were resected from blisters or erosions of the patients with PV,and from normal skin of healthy controls.Then,mononuclear cells were isolated from these skin tissues.Flow cytometry was performed to determine the percentages of lymphocytes,CD 19+ B lymphocytes,and desmoglein (Dsg)1-and Dsg3-specific CD19+ B lymphocytes.B lymphocytes isolated from the lesional skin of patients with PV were cultured in vitro.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted to determine titers of anti-Dsg1 and anti-Dsg3 antibodies in the cell culture supernatant.Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to calculate positive rates of anti-Dsg1 and anti-Dsg3 antibodies.Results The percentages of lymphocytes (17.95％ ± 3.85％) and CD19+ B lymphocytes (4.27％ ± 1.13％) were significantly higher in the lesional skin of PV patients than in the normal skin of healthy controls (7.83％ ± 1.29％,0.61％ ± 0.31％ respectively;t =2.49,U =13.00 respectively,both P ＜ 0.05).Among the CD19+ B lymphocytes in the lesional skin of PV patients,the percentage of CD19qgG+ B cells was (38.33 ± 5.56)％,and percentages of Dsg1-and Dsg3-specific CD19+ B lymphocytes were 12.87％ ± 1.267％ and 10.42％ ± 1.243％ respectively.After the in vitro culture for 6 days,the titers of anti-Dsg1 and anti-Dsg3 antibodies in the cell culture supematant were (4.89 ± 1.56) U/ml and (35.45 ± 13.03) U/ml respectively,with their positive rates being 85％ (17/20)and 95％ (19/20) respectively.Conclusion There are Dsg1-and Dsg3-specific B lymphocytes aggregating in the lesional skin of patients with PV,which can produce anti-Dsg1 and anti-Dsg3 antibodies after in vitro culture.

Objective To study the association between reasons for smoking and results related to successful smoking cessation. Methods A community-based case-control study was conducted with 642 male adults recognized as successful spontaneous smoking quitters being the subject cases while another 700 male adults who had failed to quit smoking were served as the controls. Russell Reason for Smoking Questionnaire(RRSQ)was used to investigate the reasons for smoking. Dominance logistic regression was performed to determine the relative importance of reasons for starting smoking and the endpoint of successful quit smoking. Results After adjusting the potential confounders of age,age of smoking initiation,marital status,profession,and education,the adjusted means of sedative and stimulation of RRSQ in the successful quitters were significant lower than that in the failed quitters. Results from the dominance logistic regression showed that the first two important factors for smoking cessation were sedative and stimulation of RRSQ,followed by psychological image,automatic,hand-mouth activity,indulgence,and addiction. Conclusion This study demonstrated that factors as dependence-addiction showed more important impacts than the social-psychological ones on the endpoint of successful smoking cessation.

This article introduced the research design and main results of the article " Effect of Moderate and Vigorous Aerobic Exercise on Incident Diabetes in Adults with Obesity: A 10-Year Follow-up of a Randomized Clinical Trial" recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine, and addressed the scientific significance of the study. The importance of obesity management has been well discussed recently. This study investigated obesity management strategies for obese individuals and their long-term metabolic benefits.