Objective To explore the expression profiles and their clinical significance of microRNA (miRNA) molecules in different stages of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.Methods The miRNA molecule expressions of 12 patients with chronic hepatitis B,12 chronic HBV carriers,12 inactive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers,and 9 healthy controls were screened using miRNA microarray.The miRNA profiles were validated by the real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR).The t-test was used for comparison between twogroups,whereas one-way ANOVA and SNK-q tests were used for multiple comparisons.Mann-Whitney and Kruskal Wallis H tests were used for comparison of two or more groups of data with skewed distribution.The receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to evaluate the diagnostic significance of miRNA molecules.Results Compared with the healthy controls,significant differences in the expression profiles of miRNA molecules were found in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of chronic HBV carriers (2 molecules up-regulated,and 18 down regulated) and chronic hepatitis B patients (33 molecules up-regulated and 19 down-regulated).No significant difference was found between inactive HBsAg carriers (2 molecules up regulated,and 3 down-regulated) and controls.The results of six miRNA molecules detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR were basically consistent with the results detected by microarray.The area under ROC curve of the six miRNA molecules of hsa miR-4711-3p,hsa-miR-3191 5p,hsa-miR-5704-5p,hsa-miR 548ah-5p,hsa-miR-146a-5p and hsa-miR-29b-3p in distinguishing immune tolerance and clearance of chronic HBV infection were 0.994,0.984,0.967,1.000,1.000 and 0.996,respectively.Conclusions The different expression profiles of miRNA molecules could be used to distinguish the different stages of chronic HBV infection,and are closely related with the immune tolerance and activation in chronic HBV infection.

Objective This study investigates the relationship of serum irfflammatory cytokine levels with intracranial pressure (ICP) in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) after surgery.Methods A total of 32 cases with severe TBI and placement of ICP monitor were prospectively enrolled.Serum was collected before surgery and every 12 h after surgery.Cytokines levels of interleukin (IL)-1β,IL-8,and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were analyzed and compared with outcome of patients.Hourly values of ICP were recorded.The degree of ICP above treatment threshold (20 mm Hg) were calculated every 12 h as pressure times time dose(PTD-ICP20),which was compared with serum cytokine levels before (Pre) and after (Post) the 12-hour time period using linear regression method.Results Serum IL-1β (P＜0.05),IL-8 (P＜0.01) and TNF-a (P＜0.01) levels elevated dramatically after severe TBI and were significantly associated with outcome of patients.Mean PTD-ICP20 was (42.9 ± 60.2)mm Hg/h and was correlated with increased Pre-IL-8 (r=0.554,P＜0.001),Pre-TNF-α (r=0.597,P＜0.001),Post-IL-8 (r=0.629,P＜0.001) and Post-TNF-α (r=0.538,P＜0.001) levels.Conclusion Serum IL-8 and TNF-α demonstrated the most promising candidate bio.rnarkers of impending ICP elevation in this study.These findings indicate a feasible way of monitoring patients with severe TBI.

Aim To investigate the effect that catalpol intervenes macrophage polarization mediated by mouse mesangial cells(MMCs) stimulated by advanced glycation end products(AGEs).Methods RAW264.7 macrophages and MMCs were co-cultured in vitro and divided into model group(100 mg·L-1 AGEs), control group(100 mg·L-1 BSA), catalpol(0.1, 1.0, 10.0 μmol·L-1) group, and aminoguanidine(1.0 μmol·L-1) group which was set as positive control.After being incubated with catalpol for 1 h, MMCs were stimulated by AGEs for 23 h.The proliferation-inhibition rate of MMCs was measured by MTT assay.MCP-1 in supernatant liquid of MMCs was detected by ELISA method.The expression of iNOS, CD16/32, TNF-α, COX-2, CD206 and Arg-1 was detected by Western blot.Simultaneously, the percentage of iNOS and CD206 was also measured by flow cytometry.Results AGEs could increase the level of MCP-1 secreted by MMCs.The expression of iNOS, TNF-α, CD16/32 and COX-2 protein of macrophage was up-regulated after MMCs stimulated by AGEs, while the expression of CD206 and Arg-1 was down-regulated.After being intervened by catalpol, these effects could be reversed.All the changes were concentration-related.Conclusions Catalpol can inhibit macrophages M1-type polarization process and promote M2-type polarization, which may be mediated through MCP-1 secreted by MMCs after AGEs stimulation.Catalpol can ameliorate inflammation and relieve diabetic kidney injury.