Background:Reports on the aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG) status for cognitive performance and neuroimaging correlations are limited in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and multiple sclerosis (MS) literature. Methods: Cognitive results of 19 MS and 15 NMO patients were compared with 47 agematched controls. Apparent diffusion coeffi cient (ADC) values were used to delineate gray matter and white matter damages and correlate with neuropsychological results. Results: Verbal memory test showed signifi cant differences between MS and NMO in the late registration, early and delay recall (p<0.05), while their retention rates were even. In MS, ADC values were signifi cantly elevated in the dorsolateral prefrontal and occipital gray matter which was in contrast with NMO group that showed elevation in the dorsolateral prefrontal gray matter and parieto-occcipital white matter. AQP4-IgG status exerted a limited effect on ADC values and neuropsychological results. Conclusions: Verbal memory test might be helpful in differentiating NMO and MS. ADC values can be used as a surrogate marker for tissue injury in NMO and MS since they were in line with the cognition scores. Anatomical regions with elevated ADC values were different in NMO and MS.

Background: Compared with the Western population, central demyelinating disorders are relatively rare while the data on the prognostic value of autoantibodies together with clinical characteristics and cognitive dysfunction has rarely been explored in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Nineteen patients with MS and 14 with NMO underwent clinical profiling and cognitive assessment. According to serology tests, they are divided into four subgroups for further analysis. Results: There was higher frequency of aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G. sero-positivity (64.3% vs. 10.5%; p=0.003) and antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and/or antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (anti-ENA) in NMO compared to MS (42.9% vs. 5.2%; p=0.026). The presence of anti-ENA represented a unique clinical phenotype, with longer segment of myelitis (p=0.049), female preponderance, and an inverse correlation between age-of-onset and annual relapse rate (ρ= -0.88, p=0.021). Among patients with anti-ENA positivity, comprehensive serology panels revealed Sjögren’s syndrome A antibodies as the most common (83%), in contrast to limited clinical documentation of Sjögren’s syndrome (16%). There was no significant difference in cognitive assessment by anti-ENA status. MS and NMO represent two different serologic entities. Conclusions: Anti-ENA may have prognostic value for its linkage to a unique clinical phenotype, which has longer initial segment of myelitis, female preponderance, and higher annual relapse rate on earlier age-of-onset, but has limited clinical impact on cognition. Further studies are warranted to investigate whether anti-ENA represents an epiphenomenon of myelitis or simply a systemic inflammatory state.

Objective To study the cell toxicity of thrombin in astrocytes in vitro and the protective effect of hirudo extract liquid (HEL) on the injured astrocytes. Methods Astrocytes were isolated from Wistar rats' cerebral cortex and cultured in vitro, and observed under a phase contrast microscope for growth status. Cell activity was measured with MTT assay. The survival of astrocytes was investigated after exposed to a selected concentration of thrombin ranging from 0.1 to 100 U/mL or to HEL ranging from 0.25 to 4 mg/μL by observing cell morphology under an inverted phase-contrast microscope and measuring the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity (a marker of cell death) in cell supernatant. Expressions of HSP70 and TGFβ-1 protein in astrocytes were investigated by immunohistochemistry. Results (1) Thrombin (1-100 U/mL) had toxicity on astrocytes in vitro in a dose-dependent manner (F=118.65, P=0.000). (2) HEL (0.25-4 mg/μL) could significantly reduce the cell toxicity of 10 U/mL thrombin in astrocytes (F=156.08, P=0.000). With the increasing concentration of HEL, the protection of HEL was accordingly enhanced, and it even increased the expressions of HSP70and TGFβ-1. Conclusions HEL could accelerate the proliferation of astrocytes, enhance the expressions of HSP70 and TGFβ-1 protein, so as to significantly depress the cell toxicity of thrombin to astrocytes.

Objective To understand the distribution characteristics of body fat content and basal metabolic rate among Xibo adults in Xinjiang and to explore the correlation between them. Methods The people aged between 35 and 70 were randomly selected to be the research object, and a total of 536 people (263 males and 273 females) were selected for the study. Subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, weight, stature, defat weight, body fat rate and basal metabolic rate were measured using the body composition analyzer. The correlation between body fat content and basal metabolic rate was studied by regression analysis, and regression equation coefficient was calculated. Results There were statistically significant in total fat, defate body weight and body fat percentage (P<0. 05) of different aged Xibo adults in Xinjiang, except for male visceral fat and female subcutaneous fat. There were statistically significant subcutaneous fat, total fat and body fat percentage(P<0. 05) between the sexes, except for visceral fat. The visceral fat content among Xibo adults in Xinjiang was negatively correlated with basal metabolic rate (P<0. 05). Conclusion Body lipid distribution is differences in different aged and gender among Xibo adults in Xinjiang. There is a negative correlation between visceral fat and basal metabolic rate.

OBJECTIVETo study on the effects of sub-chronic exposures to high-frequency electromagnetic field (HF-EMF) on the estrous cycle, ovarian pathological changes and related hormones and preliminarily investigate the female genital toxicities of HF-EMF in rats.

METHODS60 Wistar female adult rats were randomly divided into five groups based on body weight and radiated with different levels of 30 MHz electromagnetic field (0, 25, 100, 400 and 1600 V/m) for eight hours daily. Weekly the rats were continuously exposed five days. From the 48th day the four stage of estrus cycle were observed with smear method of the vaginal cell. Fifty-six days later the serum levels of sexual hormones were detected with the radioimmunoassay on estrus stage. The constituent ratio of the distinct follicle number on ovaries were observed with the HE staining and the ultrastructure was observed with the transmission electron microscope. Meanwhile, the ovarian humid weight and organ coefficient were observed.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference in ovarian humid weight and organ coefficient between the exposure and the control groups. The time of proestrus in the 100 V/m group, the 400 V/m group and the 1600 V/m group was decreased significantly [(15.00 +/- 5.06), (11.40 +/- 2.05) and (10.56 +/- 0.96) h in the exposure group compared with (18.70 +/- 2.96) h in the control group, P < 0.01], and the time of Anestrum in the 400 V/m group and the 1600 V/m group were increased significantly [(101.20 +/- 17.81) and (115.33 +/- 19.28) h in the exposure group compared with (69.80 +/- 11.42) h in the control group, P < 0.01)]. Serum LH in the 400 V/m and 1600 V/m group was increased significantly [(11.02 +/- 1.11) and (14.70 +/- 1.94) mU/ml in the exposure groups compared with (8.70 +/- 0.53) mU/ml in the control group, P < 0.01], and serum E2 was decreased significantly [(57.16 +/- 31.56) and (50.57 +/- 25.16) pg/ml in the exposure groups compared with (95.04 +/- 32.62) pg/ml in the control group, P < 0.01]. The composition ratio of the corpus luteum/albicans number in the 400 V/m group and the 1600 V/m group was increased significantly (19.75% and 19.04% in the exposure groups compared with 14.01% in the control group, P < 0.05). The composition ratio of the atretic follicle number was increased significantly in the 100 V/m, the 400 V/m and the 1600 V/m group (8.45%, 9.95% and 11.70% in the exposure groups compared with 7.72% in the control group, P < 0.01). The composition ratio of the mature follicle and the pri/sec follicle was decreased significantly in the 400 V/m and the 1600 V/m group (1.50% and 1.55% in the exposure groups compared with 3.36% in the control group. 22.24% and 21.09% in the exposure groups compared with 26.60% in the control group, P < 0.01). Along with the increase of radiation dose, the ultrastructure of cell on the ovaries appeared more abnormal.

CONCLUSIONSThe toxicities of female gonads are closely associated with exposures to HF-EMF. The nonage damage of female gonadal toxicities might emerge on the ovaries.

Animals ; Electromagnetic Fields ; adverse effects ; Estrous Cycle ; radiation effects ; Female ; Ovary ; pathology ; radiation effects ; ultrastructure ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

To evaluate the significance of bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) cells with clonal gene rearrangement of the third complementary determining region of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgHCDR3) in the diagnosis, clinical staging, determination of treatment effects and prediction of relapse in B-NHL, clonal IgH gene rearrangement of BM from 46 and PB from 38 cases with B-NHL were tested by semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (SnPCR) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis before treatment, and ten of them were tested in complete remission after treatment. Results showed that this method was applicable to detecting one clonal IgHCDR3 gene rearrangement positive cell from up to 1 000 normal cells. Specificity of detection was 97%. Clonal IgHCDR3 rearrangement was shown in all 3 cases of BM and 2 of PB specimens with morphologic involvement. The clonal IgHCDR3 was detected in 65.1% of the BM and 44.4% of the PB without morphologic involvement in untreated patients with B-NHL, independent of Ann Arbor staging and systemic symptoms. In 10 cases of B-NHL with clonal IgHCDR3 rearrangement in diagnostic tissues, the molecular marker became negative in 7 patients who entered and remained in complete remission. Two cases relapsed in whom clonal IgHCDR3 rearrangements were detected in serial samples of BM or PB after autologous PBSCT. One patient in whom clonal IgHCDR3 rearrangement was detected at 10 months post-PBSCT remained in complete remission up to now. It was concluded that clonal IgHCDR3 gene rearrangements were found in BM and PB from B-NHL patients without morphologic abnormality. Persistence of molecular marker-positive may be associated with relapse for patients in complete remission, and the patients without clonal IgHCDR3 rearrangement will be in continuous complete remission. Little is known about a few patient who was a long-term disease-free survivor despite the presence of PCR-IgH rearrangement in the marrow.

Objective The aim of this study was to demonstrate the immunogenicity and safety of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (acellular, component) , poliomyelitis (inactivated) vaccine (adsorbed) and Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (DTaP-IPV//PRP-T) combined vaccine compared with commercially available DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), tetanus conjugate and IPV monovalent vaccine. Methods Subjects were randomly divided into three groups, Group A and Group B were DTaP-IPV//PRP-T combined vaccine (PENTAXIMTM) vaccinated at 2,3,4 months of age or 3,4, 5 months of age respectively; Group C was commercially available DTaP. Hib tetanus conjugate (Act-HIBTM) and IPV (IMOVAX PolioTM) vaccines vaccinated at 3,4, 5 months of age. All groups received booster dose at 18 to 20 months of age, with antibody titers tested. Non-inferiority analysis was demonstrated in terms of seroprotection / seroconversion rates between Group A, Group B respectively and Group C. Safety information was collected after each vaccination to assess the safety of investigational vaccines. Results The non-inferiority of DTaP-IPV//PRP-T combined vaccine vaccinated at 2,3,4 or 3,4, 5 months of age versus DTaP, Hib tetanus conjugate and IPV vaccine was demonstrated for all vaccine antigens in both primary and booster phases in terms of seroprotection/seroconversion rates. DTaP-IPV//PRP-T combined vaccine was well tolerated. The rate of solicited/unsoliciated severe adverse reactions was very low and similar to the control vaccines. Conclusion DTaP-IPV//PRP-T combined vaccine was highly immunogenic with good safety profile in Chinese infants, which was comparable to the commercially available control vaccines.

Background/Aims: Despite the high efficacy of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), approximately 1–3% of hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients fail to achieve a sustained virological response. We conducted a nationwide study to investigate risk factors associated with DAA treatment failure. Machine-learning algorithms have been applied to discriminate subjects who may fail to respond to DAA therapy. Methods: We analyzed the Taiwan HCV Registry Program database to explore predictors of DAA failure in HCV patients. Fifty-five host and virological features were assessed using multivariate logistic regression, decision tree, random forest, eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and artificial neural network. The primary outcome was undetectable HCV RNA at 12 weeks after the end of treatment. Results: The training (n=23,955) and validation (n=10,346) datasets had similar baseline demographics, with an overall DAA failure rate of 1.6% (n=538). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, poor DAA adherence, and higher hemoglobin A1c were significantly associated with virological failure. XGBoost outperformed the other algorithms and logistic regression models, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 1.000 in the training dataset and 0.803 in the validation dataset. The top five predictors of treatment failure were HCV RNA, body mass index, α-fetoprotein, platelets, and FIB-4 index. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the XGBoost model (cutoff value=0.5) were 99.5%, 69.7%, 99.9%, 97.4%, and 99.5%, respectively, for the entire dataset. Conclusions Machine learning algorithms effectively provide risk stratification for DAA failure and additional information on the factors associated with DAA failure.