Objective To investigate the expression of inflammatory mediators in renal tubular epithelial cells in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) and to explore the possible clinicopathological significance. Methods Twenty-three patients with DN diagnosed by renal biopsy and 10 patients with renal cell carcinoma undergone nephrectomy were allocated into DN group and control group, respectively. The renal expression of NF-κB p50, NF-κB p65, NF-κB p65 mRNA, MCP-1, OPN, α-SMA, and FN was detected by immunohistochemical or in situ hybridization assay. Serum creatinine, urinary N-acetylglucosaminedase (NAG), urinary albumin and 24-hour urinary protein were detected. The correlation between these inflmmnatory markers and clinicopathological data were analyzed. Results (1)Among all the 23 DN patients, granular degeneration of the renal tubular epithelium, focal tubular atrophy, infiltration of inflammatory cells and interstitial fibrosis were apparent, and none of these were found in control group. (2) Immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization assay showed that, compared with control group, expression of these factors increased significantly in renal tubular cells or interstitium in DN patients, and expression of α-SMA or FN was not found in tubular epithelial cells. (3)Statistics assay showed the tubular NF-κB p65 protein expression was correlated with all of the following factors: NF-κB p50 protein (r=0.792) and NF-κB p65 mRNA (r=0.763), tubular MCP-1 (r=0.825) and OPN (r=0.869) expression, interstitial α-SMA (r=0.327) and FN (r=0.432) expression, proteinuria(r=0.710), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (r=-0.728), and urinary NAG (r= 0.930), P<0.01 respectively. Conclusion Tubular inflammation may play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of DN.

Objective To examine the changes of histological parameters of radial artery in uremia,and to explore their effects on arterial stiffness.Methods Sixty uremic patients underwent arteriovenous fistula surgery for hemodialysis and 20 healthy subjects received healthy examination were collected as uremia group and control group, respectively.Segments of radial arteries were obtained from all of uremic subjects and were evaluated by HE, Masson, van Kossa staining and electron microscopy.The expressions of osteopontin (OPN), α-SMA and elastin in arterial wall were detected by immunostaining, and apoptotic cells were determined by TUNEL assay.All of the subjects in the two groups received brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) examination and the results were compared.The associations among histological parameters and baPWV were analyzed.Results More than one half (34/60) of artery samples presented uniformly thickening intima, in which most of cells expressed α-SMA and a few cells underwent apoptosis.The subendothelial matrix was abundant in collagen fibers, and no calcium deposition was found.The media thickened obviously, with increased collagen fibers, reduced elastin, unchanged α-SMA expression, and a few apoptotic smooth muscle cells.Two thirds uremic arteries expressed OPN, of which only one half had significant calcium deposition.The adventitia thickened and no calcium deposition was found.The baPWV level in uremic subjects was ( 18.5 ± 3.2 ) m/s, far greater than that in control subjects ( P ＜ 0.001 ).Statistical analysis showed that baPWV value was correlated with media thickness, calcification degree, and collagen content positively, and with elastin expression negatively.For diabetic uremic subjects, the OR values of vascular calcium deposition and remarkably-elevated baPWV value were 3.1, 2.3, respectively.Conclusions Radial arterial intima often presents hyperplasia which is not related with baPWV increment in uremia.Arterial media calcification and collagen content incremental are the most two protuberant characteristics in uremia, especially in ones accompanied with diabetes.Medical calcification, collagen accumulation, and e]astin reduction may contribute to the increased arterial stiffness in uremia.

Objective To investigate the association of radial arterial calcification damage with bone mineral density (BMD) and bone metabolism biomarkers in uremia patients.Methods Sixty-seven incident hemodialysis patients were recruited into uremic group.Serum creatinine,calcium,phosphorus,lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD were measured.Parathyroid hormone (iPTH),25OHD,1,25(OH)2D,fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 23,bone specific alkaline phosphates (BAP) and osteocalcin (BGP),type Ⅰ collagen pyridine crosslinked C-telopcptidc (ICTP) were detected.Radial artery calcification was analyzed by von Kossa staining and transmission electron microscopy.Arterial type Ⅰ collagen (Col Ⅰ) expression was examined.Twenty-three healthy cases received serum and BMD examination only as control.Results Uremic patients presented higher serum phosphate,iPTH,FGF23,lower serum calcium,25OHD,1,25 (OH)2D (all P ＜ 0.05),and lower lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD (all P ＜ 0.01) compared to controls.Significant calcium deposit was observed in radial arteries in 24 uremic cases (35.8％),including 10 cases of diabetes.Immunohistochemistric assay confirmed that Col Ⅰ expression increased around calcification site and electron microscope revealed that more calcium and phosphorus plaque attached among collagen fibers.No correlation was showed between iPTH and radial artery calcification (r =-0.08,P =0.306),but after stratified by iPTH levels,correlation of iPTH and calcification was found in low iPTH (＜ 150 ng/L) group and high iPTH group (＞ 300 ng/L) (r =-0.41,0.31,P=0.044,0.023).Diabetes,lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD,ICTP,FGF23 were correlated with arterial calcification (r =0.62,-0.25,-0.43,0.34,0.86,P =0.000,0.001,0.012,0.018,0.000).Multiple regression analysis showed femoral neck BMD,ICTP,FGF23 levels were independently associated with radial arterial calcification (β =-0.221,0.181,0.260,P =0.021,0.024,0.036).Conclusion In uremic patients,reduced BMD,abnormal bone turnover rate,especially accelerated bone reabsorption,and increased serum FGF23 level are independently associated with radial artery calcification.

BACKGROUND:Cell death and neuroinflammation are two important targets in the treatment of spinal cord injury.Pyroptosis is a programmed cell death closely related to neuroinflammation and targeted inhibition of pyroptosis after spinal cord injury is a promising therapeutic strategy. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the molecular mechanism,positive and negative regulatory factors and therapeutic strategies of pyroptosis in spinal cord injury. METHODS:The search terms were"spinal cord injury,pyroptosis,nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),Caspase,Gasdermin D(GSDMD),IL-1β,IL-18"and 93 English literatures included in PubMed and Web of Science were finally selected for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:As a newly discovered programmed cell death,pyroptosis has been shown to play an important role in the secondary injury stage after spinal cord injury.Among the regulatory factors of pyroptosis after spinal cord injury,CD73,NRF2,GDF-11,dopamine,FANCC and miR-423-5P could inhibit pyroptosis,while TLR4 and Aopps could promote pyroptosis.In terms of treatment,the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine(paeonol,tripterine,betulinic acid,piperine,kaempferol,and camptothecin),exosomes of various cell origins,and some drugs(metformin,topotecan,lithium,zinc,and carbon monoxide-releasing molecule 3)can effectively inhibit pyroptosis and reduce secondary spinal cord injury,but the toxicity and specific dose of these drugs need to be further studied.The specific molecular mechanism by which pyroptosis aggravates spinal cord injury is still poorly understood.The role of non-classical pathways and other inflammasomes is worth further exploration.At present,the research on pyroptosis after spinal cord injury only stays at the animal experiment stage.There are no related clinical studies and no approved targeted therapeutic drugs.(6)The application of pyroptosis after spinal cord injury has great potential,and its specific regulatory mechanism should be further studied in the future to provide a new target for the treatment of spinal cord injury.

Rituximab is currently used as a first-line therapy for phospholipase A 2 receptor-associated membranous nephropathy due to its good efficacy and safety. Although the remission rate after rituximab treatment is more than 60%, nearly 40% patients still do not respond to treatment. We used obinutuzumab to treat 3 cases of rituximab resistant PLA 2R-associated membranous nephropathy. After the first dose of 1 000 mg with or without additional dose, the amount of anti-PLA 2R antibody and urinary protein decreased significantly and the adverse reactions were mild. The results show that obinutuzumab has a certain therapeutic effect on rituximab resistant PLA 2R-associated membranous nephropathy, but the time of follow-up observation is short and can only be used as individual cases, which needs to be confirmed by a large sample and high-quality prospective cohort study.