Vitamin A deficiency is a risk factor for asthma.Vitamin A plays important roles in maintaining airway epithelium phenotype,suppressing airway hyperresponsiveness,inducing immune tolerance and regulating airway inflammation,etc.The value of Vitamin A in asthma prevention and treatment has received wild attention but is still controverial.Vitamin A receptors are wildly expressed and the mechanisms are complex,more studies are needed to further clarify the relationship between Vitamin A and asthma.Besides,asthma is a polygenetic disease caused by environmental and genetic factors,and the current clinical studies of Vitamin A for prevention and treatment of asthma are not consistent.New epidemiologic studies about Vitamin A and asthma should take environmental and genetic factors into consideration.This article gives an overview about the research progress of the relationship between Vitamin A and asthma.

Asthma,a chronic inflammatory airway disease,is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.It is a complex disease that involves the interplay among multiple physiological processes.Currently,it has been identified that 17q21 loci genes especially orosomucoid like 3 (ORMDL3) and gasdermin B (GSMDB) are strongly linked with the susceptibility and severity of childhood asthma by using of the Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS).Furthermore,a better understanding of the molecular mechanism contributes to the asthma target therapeutics and precision medicine.This review summarizes the 17q21 loci genes associated with the susceptibility,severity,and race specificities of childhood asthma.

Objective To explore the mechanism of combined treatment with methotrexate (MTX) and Ga-Al-As laser irradiation for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to assess the effectiveness of Ga-Al-As laser therapy for RA. Methods Twenty-two patients with RA were randomly and evenly divided into two groups: the treatment group treated with Ga-Al-As laser irradiation combined with MTX and the control group treated with MTX only. Ten age-matched normal subjects were observed as normal controls. The amount of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells in peripheral blood (PB) of the normal controls and that in the PB and synovial fluid (SF) of the 22 patients before and after therapy were counted by flow cytometry. Meanwhile, the amount of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in synovial fluid of the patients was measured before and after treatment by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Results After combined treatment the clinical symptoms of the patients were improved significantly, and the amount of PGE2in SF decreased significantly. The count of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells in PB of RA patients was ( 3.84 ±3.20) % , compared to ( 10.05 ± 7.04) % in healthy individuals. The count of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells in SF of RA patients was ( 14.89 ± 12.30) % , much higher than that in PB. The count of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells in SF decreased significantly in treatment group compared to control group (P ＜0.05). Conclusion Ga-Al-As laser irradiation eombined with MTX can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of RA patients. It may be related to the decrease of amount of PGE2 and count of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cell in PB and SF.

Objective To compare the dosimetric difference of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) plans for spine metastasis using 6 MV X-ray flattening filter free (FFF) and flattening filter (FF) modes.Methods A total of nine previously treated patients with a total of twelve spine metastasis were retrospectively included and replanned using FFF-SBRT and FF-SBRT, respectively.The dose-volume histograms (DVH), target conformity index (CI), monitor unites (MUs) and treatment time of target volume, organs at risk and normal tissues were compared between the plans.Results Both FFF-SBRT and FF-SBRT met the clinical objectives.Dose distribution of target volume, organs at risk and normal tissues were similar.MUs of the FFF-SBRT were significantly higher than that of FF-SBRT (t =-5.20, P ＜0.0l), while the treatment time was almost half of the latter (t =17.27, P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Two plan modes are both clinically acceptable.FFF-SBRT plans are delivered in less time and with better efficiency.Trial registration Chinese clinical trial registry, ChiCTR-TRC-14004281.

AIM:To investigate the effect of different low-dose mifepristone on apoptosis in granulosa cells and to test low-dose mifepristone as an orally contraceptive drug.METHODS:By using immunofluorescence,terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labelling(TUNEL)and flow cytometry technique,the nuclear morphologic features and ratio of apoptosis and fluorescent intensity of caspase-3 in granulosa cells cultured in vitro treated with different low-doses of mifepristone were observed,respectively.RESULTS:By the display of immunofluorescence,the granulosa cells in treatment group were classified as apoptotic cells on the basis of their morphologic features contained a single condensed chromatin,multiple nuclear fragments.The results of TUNEL showed significant difference between control group and groups treated with different concentration of mifepristone(P

Objective To explore the effects of low-dose mifepristone on human granulosa cells and the molecular mechanism of its inhibiting or delaying ovulation.Methods Phase contrast microscopy and electron microscopy were conducted to observe the morphological and biochemical change of granulosa cells exposed to various doses of mifepristone for 24 hours(the final concentrations of mifepristone were respectively 2.5?mol/L,5?mol/L and 10?mol/L,Non-mifepristone as the control group).Immunocytochemistry was performed to detect the protein expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax in granulosa cells exposed to various doses of mifepristone for 24 hours.The mRNA levels of Bcl-2 and Bax in granulosa cells were detected by RT-PCR.Results Granulosa cells treated with various doses of mifepristone presented typical morphological characteristics of apoptosis such as condensation of chromatin and cytosolic,and shrink of cells.The expression of Bcl-2 protein might be down-regulated,while the expression of Bax might be up-regulated by mifepristone.The histological score(HSCORE) of Bcl-2 protein in granulosa cells,which were incubated with various doses of mifepristone(2.5?mol/L,5?mol/L,10?mol/L) for 24 hours,were respectively 2.15?0.16,1.88?0.13 and 1.64?0.16 respectively,Compared with the HSCORE of the control group(2.51?0.16),the difference was significant(P0.05).Conclusion Mifepristone could induce human granulosa cells apoptosis.The Bcl-2 protein and Bax protein may be involved in the apoptosis of granulosa cells induced by mifepristone.

Objective To explore the clinical and pathological features of primary IgA nephrology in patients of different gender.Methods The clinical manifestations,laboratory examination and renal pathology results were compared in 192 IgA nephrology patients.Results Not only the onset age of the male patients was older than that of the female ones (P<0 .05 ),but also the course of disease before the kidney biopsy of male patients was longer than that of the female ones (P<0.05).Besides,the proportion of edema in the male patients was lower (P<0.05).The mean arterial pressure,hemoglobin and 24 h urine protein levels were higher in the male patients at the time of kidney biopsy.Besides,the proportions of high blood pressure,hyperuricemia and hypertriglyceridemia were all higher in the male patients.Furthermore,eGFR of the male patients was lower than that of the female ones (P<0 .05 ).There was a significant difference in the gender distribution of clinical and pathological types (χ2=12.666,P<0.05),and the male and female patients also significantly differed in the 24 h urine protein and CKD grouping (Z=-3.118,Z=-3.246,P<0.05).However,there was no significant sex difference in Lee pathology grading or immunofluorescence type (Z=-1.881,χ2 =-0.187,P>0.05 ).Patients of different gender significantly differed in the renal-interstitial lesions grading (Z=-3.0432,P<0.05);to be more specific,the scores of glomerulosclerosis and renal tubule interstitia were higher in the male patients (P<0.05).Conclusion Patients of different gender differ in the clinical and pathological features of primary IgA nephrology.And clinical pathology of male patients is worse than that of female ones.

Objective To investigate the expression of Notch1,Delta-like ligand 4 (DLL4),hairy and enhancer of split-1 (HES-1),microvessel density (MVD),lymphatic vessel density (MLD) in gastric carcinoma,so as to discuss their roles in the development of gastric carcinoma.Methods Gastric carcinoma,paracancer tissues which was apart from the edge of cancer tissue ＞ 60 mm obtained during operation and normal gastric mucosa obtained during gastroscopy were used as controls.All specimens were made tissue microarray.The expressions of Notchl,DLL4,HES-1 were detected by immunohistochemistry.Immunohistochenical double taining was used to detect MVD and MLD.The relationships between Notch1,DLL4,HES-1 expression and angiogenesis,lymphangiogenesis and their significances were analyzed.Results The positive rate of Notch1 in gastric carcinoma was 48.30％,significantly higher than that of paracancerous (25.00％,x2 =6.38,P ＜ 0.05) and control group (16.67％,x2 =10.18,P ＜0.05).The differences of the positive rate of DLL4 in gastric carcinoma (55.94％),paracancerous (45.70％) and control group (56.67％) were not significant (x2 =1.18,P ＞0.05 ; x2 =0.005,P ＞ 0.05).The differences of the positive rate of HES-1 in gastric carcinoma (36.64％),paracancerous (34.40％) and control group (33.33％) were not significant (x2 =0.05,P ＞ 0.05 ;,x2 =0.11,P ＞ 0.05).The mean of MVD in gastric carcinoma group was 28.84 ± 14.17,which was significantly higher than that in paracancerous group (17.02 ±8.54,t =4.03,P＜0.05) and control group (16.69 ±7.21,t =5.01,P＜0.05).The mean of MLD in gastric carcinoma group was 8.55 ±4.98,which was significantly higher than that in paracancerous group (4.05 ± 2.48,t =9.30,P ＜ 0.05) and control group (3.99 ± 1.56,t =10.32,P ＜ 0.05).The expression of DLL4 was correlated with MVD (t =2.77,P ＜ 0.05),but wasn't correlated with MLD (t =1.89,P ＞0.05).There were no correlations between the expression of Notch1,HES-1 and tissues MVD,MLD (P ＞0.05).Conclusion Notch1 plays important roles in the development of gastric carcinoma.There are many angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in gastric carcinoma.The expression of DLL4 in gastric carcinoma has certain effect in the formation of microvessel.

Objective To study the mRNA expression levels and clinical significance of omsomucoid 1-like protein 3 (ORMDL3) gene in the peripheral blood of recurrent wheeze children under 3 years old.Methods Peripheral blood specimens of 25 recurrent wheeze children including 14 non-atopy patients (group A) and 11 atopy patients (group B) that were registered in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University,from Sep.2010 to Sep.2012 were enrolled based on the inclusion criteria and 24 non-allergic controls(the children with food allergy,drug allergy or ectema was excepted).The mRNA expression levels of ORMDL3 gene were detected by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and clinical features were analyzed.Results The expression levels of ORMDL3 were up-regulated in the peripheral blood specimens of group B compared with group A (t =14.12,P ＜ 0.01).Compared with peripheral blood specimens from normal subjects,mRNA expression of ORMDL3 were significantly increased in recurrent wheeze children(t =10.29,5.73,P ＜0.01).The incidence of wheeze groups exist gender differences,male ＞ female.Wheeze usually with a high incidence in winter and spring.Conclusions The increase of ORMDL3 gene expression levels were correlated with recurrent wheeze under 3 years old especially in atopy group and may be involved in the pathogenesis of recurrent wheeze.

Objective To identify the risk factors for deep vein thrombosis(DVT) in the lower extremities during hospitalization for acute spinal cord injury(SCI).Methods Retrospective data analyses were performed for 49 SCI patients admitted within a week after they were diagnosed.The patients were divided into a DVT-free(n =40) group and a DVT group(n =9) according to their lower limbs' color Doppler ultrasound results.And the subjects' gender,age,chronic diseases (diabetes,hypertension and hyperlipidemia,etc.),complications (pulmonary infection,urinary tract infections and pressure sores,etc.),the history of cancer,smoking history and lower extremity fractures were recorded.Intermittent pneumatic compression treatment,the early rehabilitation intervention,antithrombotic therapy,history of venous catheterization,operative intervention,blood transfusion history,muscle strength of lower extremity and time from onset to being transfered to rehabilitation department were also recorded Single factor analysis,was conducted,followed by Binary logistic regression to pick out the risk factors for DVT.Results The result of the binary logistic regression analysis showed that gender (OR 6.87 ; 95％ CI 1.09-43.22 ;P ＜ 0.05) and intermittent pneumatic compression treatment (OR 12.47 ; 95％ CI 1.09-142.36 ; P ＜ 0.05) were significant predictors of DVT.Conclusion Gender and intermittent pneumatic compression treatment are related with DVT risk for patients with acute SCI.