Objective To investigate the imbalance between T helper 17 (Th17) cells and CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells in the peripheral blood of patients with psoriasis vulgaris and its significance. Methods Peripheral blood were collected from 48 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 32 normal human controls. Pasoriasis area and severity index (PASI) was used to assess the disease severity in these patients. Flow cytometry was performed to determine the percentage of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure the levels of serum interleukin (IL) -17 and IL-10. Results There was a significant increase in the percentage of Th17 cells [(2.70 ± 1.43)% vs. (0.86 ± 0.25)%, P< 0.01] and serum IL-17 level (90.65 ± 29.61 ng/L vs. 48.82 ± 5.49 ng/L, P < 0.01), but a decrease in the percentage of Treg cells [(3.63 ± 1.14)% vs. (7.87 ± 1.26)%, P< 0.01] and serum IL-10 level (17.78 ± 4.09 ng/L vs. 23.76 ± 3.82 ng/L, P <0.01) in patients with psoriasis vulgaris compared with the normal controls. The ratios of Thl7 to Treg cells and serum IL-17 to IL-10 level were significantly higher (0.95 ± 0.76 vs. 0.12 ± 0.06, 5.78 ± 3.19 vs. 2.16 ±0.68, both P < 0.01) in the patients than in the normal controls. The PASI score in patients was positively correlated with the percentage of Th17, serum level of IL-17, Th17/Treg ratio and IL-17/IL-10 ratio (r = 0.97,0.93, 0.99 and 0.97, all P < 0.01), but negatively correlated with the percentage of Treg cells and serum IL-10 level (r = -0.87, -0.90, both P < 0.01). Conclusion The imbalance between Th17 and Treg cells may play an important role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis vulgaris.

Objective To investigate the expression of heparanase in non-melanoma skin cancer including cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and the relationship among heparanase expression and pathologic grading and lymph nodes metastasis of CSCC. Methods The expressions of heparanase were detected by RT-PCR assay and immunohistochemical staining in 38 cases of CSCC, 33 BCC and 19 normal human skin tissues. Then the relationship between heparanase expression and CSCC clinical pathological features was explored. Results The positive rate ( 68.4%, 60. 5% ) of heparanase mRNA and heparanase in CSCC (24. 2%, 18. 2% ) was significantly higher than those of BCC and normal skin tissue ( 10. 5% ,5.3% ) ( P <0. 01 ) . Heparanase expression rate in CSCC with lymph nodes metastasis (92. 3% ,84.6% ) and Ⅲ～Ⅳ(Broders) (92. 3% ,84. 6% ) was higher than those in tumor without lymph nodes metastasis (56. 0% ,48.0% ) and Ⅰ～Ⅱ (Broders) (56. 0% ,48. 0% ) ( P <0. 05). Conclusions Heparanase was over-expressed in CSCC compared with BCC and normal skin tissues. Expression of heparanase was correlated to pathologic grade and lymph nodes metastasis of CSCC.

Objective: To understand the antiretroviral treatment (ART) discontinuation rate and its influencing factors among HIV infected patients who initiated ART between 2012 and 2015 in Wenshan prefecture, Yunnan province. Methods: Demographic characteristics, baseline informations of ART, initial treatment regimens and follow-up status of a total of 4 354 patients who initiated ART from 2012 to 2015 in Wenshan prefecture were collected. A historical cohort study was used to describe the discontinuation incidence rate of ART. Life table was used to estimate cumulative retention rate and Cox proportional hazard model was used to determine the influencing factors of ART discontinuation. Results: The percentage and incidence rate of discontinuation were 25.1% (1 092/4 354) and 14.53 per 100 person-years among patients who initiated ART from 2012 to 2015 in Wenshan prefecture. ART retention rates were 88%, 83%, 78%, 74% at 6^th month, 12^th month, 18^th month, 24^th month, respectively. The multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model showed that male patients were at a higher risk of discontinuation (HR=1.24, 95%CI: 1.09-1.41) than female patients, patients aged ≥50 years were at a higher risk of discontinuation (HR=1.27, 95%CI: 1.06-1.53) than patients aged<30 years, discontinuation hazard among patients who were unmarried or divorced or widowed was 1.30 times (HR:1.30, 95%CI: 1.14-1.48) as patients who were married or cohabitation, discontinuation hazard among patients infected with HIV through injection drug use (IDU) was 1.49 times (HR:1.49, 95%CI: 1.23-1.82) as those infected through heterosexual transmission, patients with a baseline CD4 cell count<350/μl (HR=1.34, 95%CI: 1.13-1.58) or ≥500/μl (HR=1.36, 95%CI: 1.09-1.71) were at a higher risk of discontinuation than those with a baseline CD4 cell count from 350/μl to 500/μl, patients initiating ART in 2014 (HR=1.25, 95%CI: 1.04-1.50) or in 2015 (HR=1.26, 95%CI: 1.02-1.55) were at a higher risk of discontinuation than those initiating ART in 2012. Conclusion There is an uptrend for ART discontinuation rate in Wenshan prefecture. Male, 50 years or older, unmarried or divorced or widowed, transmission route as IDU, baseline CD4 count <350/μl or ≥500/μl are risk factors of ART discontinuation.