Objective To investigate the efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with autologous DC-CIK cells in treating hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) of BCLC C-stage. Methods A total of 60 cases with HCC in BCLC C-stage were randomly and equally divided into the study group (n=30) and the control group (n=30). TACE combined with autologous DC-CIK cells was employed in the patients of the study group, while only TACE was adopted in the patients of the control group. The immune function, six-month and one-year survival rates were determined, and the results were compared between the two groups. Results In the study group, the blood T lymphocyte subsets of CD3+CD8+ were significantly increased, while CD3+CD4+ were obviously decreased. When compared with the pretreatment levels, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The six-month survival rate of the study group and the control group was 67.9% and 48.1% respectively (P<0.05), and the one-year survival rate of the study group and the control group was 53.6%and 29.6%respectively (P<0.05). Conclusion For the treatment of HCC in BCLC C-stage, the therapeutic effect of TACE combined with autologous DC-CIK cells is much better than that of pure TACE. Therefore, this therapy is an effective treatment for HCC in BCLC C-stage.

Objective To investigate the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of clinical isolates of plasmid-mediated 16S rRNA methylases-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. Methods From January 2006 and September 2007, 337 non-replicate clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae were consecutively collected from inpatients in a teaching hospital in Wenzhou, China. All of the isolates were identified by the automated microbiology systems. MICs of amikacin, gentamicin and tobramycin were determined by agar dilution method. The isolates were investigated for the presence of ESBLs by the CLSI-recommended confirmatory tests. PCR was used to detect 16S rRNA methylase genes, ESBL genes and class Ⅰ integrase gene. The homology of these isolates was analyzed by pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Results Sixty-four ( 19. 0% ), 28 ( 8. 3% ) and 55 ( 16. 3% ) of 337 isolates were resistant to gentamicin, amikacin and tobramycin, respectively. Twenty-one (6. 2% ) isolates carried 16S rRNA methylase genes (3 for armA, 13 for rmtB, 5 for both armA and rmtB) and high-level resistant to gentamicin, amikacin and tobramycin ( MICs ≥256 mg/L). Nineteen of 21 isolates with 16S rRNA methylase genes were ESBL producers, blaCTX-M-14-like, blaCTX-M-like and blaSHV-12-like were predominant genotypes of ESBLs. The plasmids of 13 isolates were transferred into the recipients E. co/iJ53. PCR and sequence analysis revealed that blaCTX-M-14-like,blaCTX-M-15-like and blaSHV-12-like were co-transferred with the armA or the rmtB to the recipients. All transconjugants harbored intll and blaTEN-1. Of the 21 isolates, 14 patterns were obtained by PFGE. Conclusion Both horizontal gene transfer and clonal spread were responsible for the dissemination of the rmtB or the armA gene in Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Astrocytes are an abundant subgroup of cells in the central nervous system (CNS) that play a critical role in controlling neuronal circuits involved in emotion, learning, and memory. In clinical cases, multiple chronic brain diseases may cause psychosocial and cognitive impairment, such as depression and Alzheimer's disease (AD). For years, complex pathological conditions driven by depression and AD have been widely perceived to contribute to a high risk of disability, resulting in gradual loss of self-care ability, lower life qualities, and vast burden on human society. Interestingly, correlational research on depression and AD has shown that depression might be a prodrome of progressive degenerative neurological disease. As a kind of multifunctional glial cell in the CNS, astrocytes maintain physiological function via supporting neuronal cells, modulating pathologic niche, and regulating energy metabolism. Mounting evidence has shown that astrocytic dysfunction is involved in the progression of depression and AD. We herein review the current findings on the roles and mechanisms of astrocytes in the development of depression and AD, with an implication of potential therapeutic avenue for these diseases by targeting astrocytes.
Alzheimer Disease ; Astrocytes ; Depression ; Humans ; Neurons

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with the impairment of white matter (WM) tracts. The current study aimed to verify the utility of WM as the neuroimaging marker of AD with multisite diffusion tensor imaging datasets [321 patients with AD, 265 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 279 normal controls (NC)], a unified pipeline, and independent site cross-validation. Automated fiber quantification was used to extract diffusion profiles along tracts. Random-effects meta-analyses showed a reproducible degeneration pattern in which fractional anisotropy significantly decreased in the AD and MCI groups compared with NC. Machine learning models using tract-based features showed good generalizability among independent site cross-validation. The diffusion metrics of the altered regions and the AD probability predicted by the models were highly correlated with cognitive ability in the AD and MCI groups. We highlighted the reproducibility and generalizability of the degeneration pattern of WM tracts in AD.
Humans ; White Matter/diagnostic imaging* ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods* ; Alzheimer Disease/complications* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Cognition ; Cognitive Dysfunction/complications* ; Brain/diagnostic imaging*