Objects To study the protective effects of cimetidine against oxidative stress in rats induced by cumulative low-dose irradiation.Methods Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (10 each):normal control group,model control group,lentinan group [89mg/(kg.d)] and 3 dose groups of cimetidine.After oral administration,all the rats were exposed to γ-ray irradiation 8 hours/day for 12 days,and sacrificed on the 13th day.The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD),glutathione peroxidase (GPx),catalase (CAT) and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum,liver,thymus and spleen were determined.By using the superoxide anion radical system,hydroxyl radical system,H2O2 radical system,oxidation system of linoleic acid induced by alkane radical system and diphenyl picryl hydrazinyl radical (DPPH) radical system,the antioxidation activities of cimetidine were detected.Results The activities of SOD in liver and thymus decreased significantly,the GPx activity in serum,liver and spleen decreased significantly and MDA level in serum,liver and spleen increased significantly after 0.3Gy cumulative ionizing radiation.Cimetidine enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes in serum and organs,and reduced the MDA level.In a certain concentration range,cimetidine had different scavenging effects onto these radical systems,and showed good performance in hydroxyl radical.Conclusion Cimetidine can effectively ameliorate the oxidative stress from low-dose cumulative irradiation by scavenging free radicals,increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes and reduce the content of lipid peroxidation products,thus presents a potential radio protective effect.

Objective To investigate the Demodex infection status and influencing factors in medical students in Wuhu City. Methods The mite specimens were collected by the cellophane tape method,and the influencing factors were investigated through the questionnaires. Results A total of 316 medical students were surveyed,117 students were infected with Demodex mite,and the total infection rate was 37.03%. There was no significant difference between the male and female in the infection rate( χ2 = 0.00,P > 0.05). Of the 117 infected cases,the infection rate of simple Demodex folliculorum was 51.28%,the infec-tion rate of simple Demodex brevis was 24.79%,and the rate of mixed infections was 23.93%. The rate of the mild infection (83.76%)was significantly higher than that of the moderate infection(12.82 %)and that of the severe infection(3.42%). The infection rate in the forehead was the highest(29.41%). Among the students with the oily skin,the infection rate of Demodex mite was related to sex. The infection rate of simple Demodex brevis in the male(3.70%)was lower than that in the female (16.42%)( χ2 = 6.92,P < 0.05),while the rate of the mixed infections in the male(17.28%)was higher than that in the fe-male(4.48%)( χ2 = 5.91,P < 0.05). The infection rate of facial skin with symptoms(51.80%)was higher than that of normal facial skin(33.05%)( χ2 = 9.14,P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between the infection rate of Demodex mite and the living habits and other factors. Conclusions There is some infection of Demodex in the medical students. The infection rate of facial skin with symptoms is higher than that of the normal facial skin. So we should strengthen the prevention and treat-ment of Demodex infection in medical students.

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the relationship between the beta-fibrinogen gene -455A/G polymorphism and plasma fibrinogen level and to determine the influence of the mutation on ischemic stroke.

METHODSNinety-one patients (63.5 +/- 10.1 years) with ischemic stroke and 74 elderly control subjects (60.6 +/- 10.8 years) without any thromboembolic events and 98 healthy blood donators as young control (37.5 +/- 13.3 years) were enrolled in this trial. The beta-fibrinogen gene -455A/G polymorphism was analyzed for all subjects by PCR-RFLP with the restrictive enzyme Hae III, while plasma fibrinogen levels were obtained from the prothrombin time (PT) assay. For statistical analysis, the parameters were compared between any two different groups by the unpaired Student's t test and the Chi-square test. Before analysis, log transformations for concentrations of fibrinogen were carried out.

RESULTSH2 allele frequency was higher in male ischemic stroke patients than in the elderly control (22.7% vs 7.1%, chi(2) = 5.56, P < 0.02). There was no significant difference between the female groups. In those patients without any thromboembolic events (both elderly and young control groups), the frequency of H2 decreased with age (< or = 40, 21.3%; 41 - 59, 15.4%; and > or = 60, 10.2%). In the male elderly and young control groups, the level of plasma fibrinogen was lower in the H1H1 genotype (287 +/- 96 mg/dl and 234 +/- 58 mg/dl) than in H1H2 and H2H2 (331 +/- 44 mg/dl and 307 +/- 55 mg/dl; t = 2.53 and 9.67, P < 0.05). In the female elderly groups, this tendency was not found.

CONCLUSIONPlasma fibrinogen expression is affected by the beta-fibrinogen gene -455A/G polymorphism, and the H2 allele may be a risk factor for ischemic stroke in Chinese males.

Aged ; Alleles ; Brain Ischemia ; blood ; genetics ; China ; DNA ; genetics ; Female ; Fibrinogen ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; Stroke ; blood ; genetics

Objective To analyze the clinical and pathological features of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with hepatic steatosis.Methods Clinical and pathological data of 841 patients with CHB who underwent liver biopsy in Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital during September 2015 to September 2018 were retrospectively reviewed.One hundred and thirty five gender and age-matched pairs of steatosis and non-steatosis patients entered the analysis.Multivariable Logistic regression and rank sum test were used to analyze the clinical features and risk factors of hepatic steatosis in CHB patients .Spearman correlation test was used to analyze the correlation between hepatic steatosis and HBV DNA , hepatic inflammation and fibrosis status.Results Logistic regression analysis showed that overweight ／obesity ( χ2 ＝3.947, OR ＝1.436, 95%CI 1.005-2.051, P＜0.05) and hyperlipidemia (χ2 ＝4.277,OR＝1.803,95%CI 1.031-3.151, P＜0.05) were the risk factors for hepatic steatosis in CHB patients.There was no correlation of hepatic steatosis with serum HBeAg and HBV DNA levels (Z＝-1.762,r＝-0.011, both P＞0.05). However, hepatic steatosis was negatively correlated with inflammatory grade and fibrosis grade of the liver (r＝-0.146 and -0.192, both P＜0.05).Conclusions Overweight／obesity and hyperlipidemia are associated with steatosis in CHB patients.Hepatic steatosis may not aggravate the degree of liver inflammation and fibrosis in CHB patients.

Four-stage selected random samples were used to analyze the prevalence and distributing feature of hyperuricemia and gout in 13 559 Han,Uighur,and Hazakh adults in Xinjiang. The prevalence of hyperuricemia was 11.00%,3.27%,and 3.94% respectively in Han,Uighur,and Hazakh populations,and 1.32%, 0.65%,and 0.70% for gout,with statistically significant difference among three groups(all P＜0.05). No-conditional logistic regression analysis showed that nationality,body mass index,renal function,and serum lipid were risk factors of hyperuricemia,while female and physical activity were protective factors. Eating seafood and animal visceral organs were independent risk factors of hyperuricemia in Han population. Eating animal visceral organs and drinking alcohol were independent risk factors of hyperuricemia in Hazakh population.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of long-term nucleos (t) ide analogue treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).Methods Two hundred and two initially treated patients with CHB admitted in Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital during March 2013 and August 2016 were enrolled in the study.Patients were divided into six groups according to the different antiviral therapy:adefovir group (ADV,n =43),entecavir group (ETV,n =44),lamivudine group (LAM,n =25),telbivudine group (LDT,n =23),LDT + ADV group (n =22),and LAM + ADV group (n =45).HBV DNA negative conversion rate,HBeAg serological conversion rate and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at baseline and at 48th,96th,144th wk of treatment were measured.Chi-square test and repeated measure of ANOVA were used to analyze the data.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was applied to detect the relevant risk factors of renal dysfunction in CHB patients.Results After treatment for 144 wks,the HBV DNA negative conversion rates in ETV and LDT group were higher than that in ADV group (both P ＜ 0.01),the levels of eGFR in ADV,ETV,LAM and LAM + ADV group were declined with time,while the eGFR levels in LDT and LDT + ADV group were increased with time (Ftime =3.939,Fgroup =3.983,P ＜0.01 or ＜0.05).After treatment for 96 wks and 144 wks,the levels of eGFR were higher in LDT and LDT + ADV group than those in other groups,respectively (all P ＜ 0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age ≥40 (x2 =16.145,OR =4.452,95 ％ CI 2.149-9.223,P ＜ 0.05),mild abnormality of eGFR at baseline (x2 =16.449,OR =4.336,95％ CI 2.144-8.891,P ＜ 0.05),and ADV treatment (x2 =5.837,OR =5.280,95％ CI 1.369-20.365,P ＜ 0.05) were independent risk factors of renal dysfunction in CHB patients.Conclusion LDT long-term monotherapy or combination with ADV may improve renal function for patients with CHB,which provides a reference for long-term treatment of CHB patients with nucleos(t) ide analogues.

Objective To analyze the levels of serum thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor ( TAFI) in patients with chronic hepatitis B ( CHB ) with different degrees of hepatic fibrosis , and to evaluate the value of TAFI in the evaluation of liver fibrosis .Methods Forty six patients with CHB who underwent liver biopsy from June 2016 to March 2017 in Zhejiang Provincial People' s Hospital were enrolled.According to liver fibrosis stage (S0-4), they were divided into mild liver fibrosis group (S0-1, n=16), significant liver fibrosis group (S2, n=15) and severe liver fibrosis group (S3-4, n=15).At the same time, 16 healthy subjects were randomly selected as health controls in the physical examination center of the hospital .Serum TAFI levels were analyzed in each group , and the receiver operating curve ( ROC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of TAFI in CHB patients with significant liver fibrosis and severe liver fibrosis (S≥2).The SPSS 23.0 software was used to analyze the data .Results Serum TAFI levels in the mild liver fibrosis group , significant liver fibrosis group , severe liver fibrosis group and health controls were (63.4 ±18.2), (43.8 ±20.4), (27.5 ±19.2) and (71.3 ±25.6) ng/mL, the difference between the four groups was statistically significant (F=13.512, P<0.01).The level of TAFI in the significant liver fibrosis group was lower than that in the healthy control group and the mild liver fibrosis group (t=3.283 and 2.822, P<0.01).The level of TAFI in the severe fibrosis group was lower than that in the significant liver fibrosis group (t=2.260, P<0.05).Serum TAFI levels were negatively correlated with liver fibrosis stage (r=-0.562, P<0.01).The area under the ROC curve of TAFI for predicting liver fibrosis (S≥2) was 0.832, and the sensitivity and specificity were 81.3％and 78.3％, respectively. Compared with the APRI score and the FIB4 index, the difference was not statistically significant ( P >0.05).Conclusion The serum TAFI level is negatively correlated with the degree of liver fibrosis in CHB patients, which has a good diagnostic value for liver fibrosis (S≥2) in patients with CHB.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of myocardial blood flow (MBF) quantified by dynamic computed tomography (CT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with troponin level and left ventricle (LV) function in patients with ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five STEMI patients who successfully had undergone reperfusion treatment within 1 week of their infarction were consecutively enrolled. All patients were referred for dynamic CT-MPI. Serial high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) levels and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) measured by echocardiography were recorded. Twenty-six patients with 427 segments were included for analysis. Various quantitative parameters derived from dynamic CT-MPI were analyzed to determine if there was a correlation between hs-TnT levels and LVEF on admission and again at the 6-month mark. RESULTS: The mean radiation dose for dynamic CT-MPI was 3.2 ± 1.1 mSv. Infarcted territories had significantly lower MBF (30.5 ± 7.4 mL/min/100 mL versus 73.4 ± 8.1 mL/min/100 mL, p < 0.001) and myocardial blood volume (MBV) (2.8 ± 0.9 mL/100 mL versus 4.2 ± 1.1 mL/100 mL, p = 0.044) compared with those of reference territories. MBF showed the best correlation with the level of peak hs-TnT (r = −0.682, p < 0.001), and MBV showed a moderate correlation with the level of peak hs-TnT (r = −0.437, p = 0.026); however, the other parameters did not show any significant correlation with hs-TnT levels. As for the association with LV function, only MBF was significantly correlated with LVEF at the time of admission (r = 0.469, p = 0.016) and at 6 months (r = 0.585, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: MBF quantified by dynamic CT-MPI is significantly inversely correlated with the level of peak hs-TnT. In addition, patients with lower MBF tended to have impaired LV function at the time of their admission and at 6 months.
Blood Volume ; Echocardiography ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Infarction ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Perfusion Imaging ; Reperfusion ; Stroke Volume ; Troponin T ; Troponin

Objective To study the correlation between renal function and arterial stiffness of Uighur population over 35 years old in Xinjiang area. Methods From October 2007 to March 2010, four-stage stratified random sampling method was applied to collect a total of 4312 Uighur people over 35 years old in Urumqi, Karamay, Fukang, Turpan area, Hotan prefecture, Yili Kazak autonomous prefecture and Altai prefecture. The data of these 4312 general urban and rural Uygur residents were complete. Simplified MDRD formula was used to calculate the estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Arm-ankle pulse wave velocity (b-aPWV) of both sides was measured and the average value was used in correlation analysis with eCFR, and then the associated risk factors were adjusted. Results The eGFR was negatively correlated with b-aPWV (r=-0.174, P<0.01). Multiple linear regression showed that after adjusting some risk factors such as age, sex, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, hip circumference, uric acid, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein, eGFR was still negatively correlated with b-aPWV (P=0.012). Conclusions In Uygur population over 35 years old in Xinjiang, the glomerular filtration rate is negatively correlated with arterial stiffness.

Objective To investigate the effect of intra-articular tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor injection in patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and values of power Doppler ultrasonography in evaluating effect of intra-articular injection.Methods RA patients with arthritis in knee and/or elbow and/or ankle referred to the Department of Rheumatology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University were enrolled to receive intra-articular injection with 50 mg or 25 mg of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-α receptor Ⅱ:IgG Fc fusion protein (TNFR:Fc) for injection after synovial fluid aspiration.Evaluation of visual analogue scale for pain of the involved joints,erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR),C reactive protein (CRP) and 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28) were performed before and after intra-articular TNFR:Fc injection.Synovial hypertrophy,power Doppler signal and joint effusion were analyzed and graded by ultrasound before and after intra-articular TNFR:Fc injection.Comparisons of continuous data between groups was made by t test.The data that were not normally distributed was analyzed by Mann-Whitney U rank sum test.Results Fifty-four patients with RA [6 men and 48 women,mean age (52±11) years,mean duration of disease (7±3) years] were included in this study.A significant decrease in visual analogue scale for pain of the involved joints (t=2.630,P=0.018;t=2.160,P=0.043),ESR (t=2.094,P=0.030;Z=-2.242,P=0.030),CRP (Z=-2.199,P=0.030;Z=-3.337,P=0.001) and DAS28 (t=3.579,P=0.002;t=5.538,P=0.000) were observed after one month of injection of 50 mg or 25 mg of TNFR:Fc.Synovial hypertrophy (t=2.175,P=0.036;t=2.280,P=0.030) power Doppler signal (t=2.500,P=0.020;Z=-2.504,P=0.013) and joint effusion (Z=-1.790,P=0.042;t=2.230,P=0.027) were reduced significantly after one month of intra-articular TNFR:Fc injection in knee.Synovial hypertrophy (t=2.180,P=0.034;t=2.480,P=0.030) and power Doppler signal (t=2.681,P=0.020;t=5.482,P=0.000) were also reduced significantly after one month of intra-articular TNFR:Fc injection in elbow and ankle.Conclusion Intra-articular TNFR:Fc injection is an effective and safe treatment in RA patients with monoarthritis.Ultrasound may be an objective and valid method in evaluating the effect of intraarticular TNF inhibitor injection in RA patients.