The deubiquitinating enzyme ubiquitin specific peptidase 15 (USP15) is regarded as a regulator of TGFβ signaling pathway. This process depends on Smad7, the inhibitory factor of the TGFβ signal, and type I TGFβ receptor (TβR-I), one of the receptors of TGFβ. The expression level of USP15 seems to play vital roles in the pathogenesis of many neoplasms, but so far there has been no report about USP15 in psoriasis. In this study, immunohistochemical staining of USP15, TβR-I and Smad7 was performed in 30 paraffin-embedded psoriasis specimens and 10 normal specimens to investigate the expression of USP15, TβR-I and Smad7 in psoriasis and to explore the relevance among them. And USP15 small interfering RNA (USP15 siRNA) was used to transfect Hacat cells to detect the mRNA expression of TβR-I and Smad7. Of 30 cases of psoriasis in active stage, 28, 24 and 26 cases were positive for USP15, TβR-I and Smad7 staining, respectively. The positive rates of USP15 and Smad7 were significantly higher in psoriasis specimens than in normal skin specimens (44.1%±26.0% vs. 6.1%±6.6%, 47.2%±27.1% vs. 6.6%±7.1%), and positive rate of TβR-I (20.3%±22.2%) in psoriasis was lower than that in normal skin specimens (46.7%±18.2%). There was a significant positive correlation between USP15 and Smad7 expression, and significant negative correlations between USP15 and TβR-expression, an I d between TβR- and Smad7 expression I in psoriasis. After transfection of USP15 siRNA in Hacat cells, the expression of TβR-mRNA was up I -regulated and that of Smad7 was down-regulated. It is concluded that USP15 may play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis through regulating the TβR-I/Smad7 pathway and there may be other cell signaling pathways interacting with USP15 to take part in the development of psoriasis.

Adult ; Burns, Inhalation ; diagnostic imaging ; Explosions ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography

Background Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide;while the different types of glaucoma is vary from different region. Objective Present study was to survey the prevalence and types of glaucoma among peasants of Uigur adults in Kuche county and offer the basis for the prevent and treatment of glaucoma in Uigur nationanlity. Methods 4191 Uigur peasants aged 40 years or above were collected in Kuche county for the survey of prevalence and types of glaucoma by randomized cluster sampling in March and April of 2009. The subjects were grouped into 40-,50-,60- and ≥70 years groups according to the distribution of age. The disease history of glaucoma, regular eye examination, funds examination and measurement of the anterior chamber depth, gonioscope were performed in the all subjects. Darkroom prone test and mydriasis test were carried out in suspicious glaucomous patients. The depth of periphery anterior chamber was assessed based on van Herick' s criteria, and the width of chamber angle was graded based on Scheie' s method. The standardized training was performed. This survey approved by Xinjiang Medical Ethics Committee, all subjects signed the informed consent before the examination. Results 4191 of 4873 subjects finished all the examinations with the response rate 86%. All the subjects showed a good compliance. The prevalence of glaucoma was 3. 79% , and the prevalence of primary angle-closed glaucoma(PACG) .primary angle-open glaucoma (PAOG) and secondary glaucoma was 2.22% ,0.26% and 1. 31% respectively, showing a significant difference among the different types of glaucoma( P<0. 05). The prevalence of glaucoma was elevated with aging (χ2 - 116. 69 ,P<0. 05) and presented a high rate in male subjects compared with female ones(χ2 = 7. 34, P<0. 05 ). Bilateral blindness was found in 19.75% glaucoma peasants, in which 25.3% glaucoma peasants received anti-glaucoma surgery. The distribution of visual acuity of patients was of significant difference among different age groups(χ2 = 37. 69 ,P<0. 05 ) . Conclusions The prevalence of the glaucoma among Uigur peasants in Kuche county was higher than most area no matter inland or overseas. PACG still is the common type in those people.

OBJECTIVETo analyze and evaluate the fatigue of shoulder skeletal muscle caused by different lifting loads with surface electromyography (sEMG).

METHODSAccording to the loading standard of1 Repetition Maximum (1RM), ten male volunteers performed 3 tasks of upper limb flexion, i.e. 10%, 50% and 90%-1RM. During action process, the signals of Upper Trapezius (UT), Lower Trapezius (LT), Serratus Anterior (SA) and Anterior Deltoid (AD) were recorded by sEMG. The Mean Amplitude (MA) served as an index to evaluate the changes in skeletal muscle fatigue.

RESULTSThe scores of Borg were 15.6, 15.9 and 15.2 for 3 loads of 10%-1RM, 50%-1RM and 90%-1RM, respectively (P > 0.05). The mean amplitudes (MAs) of Upper Trapezius, Lower Trapezius, Anterior Deltoid and Serratus Anterior in shoulders increased obviously. Under the load intensity of 10%-1RM, the MAs of Upper Trapezius and Anterior Deltoid increased significantly (P < 0.05), which were 0.898 and 0.736, respectively. After the exhaustion, the contribution of mean amplitude in shoulder muscle did not change significantly (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe low-load action for long time can induce easily the fatigue of upper trapezius and anterior deltoid.

Adult ; Electromyography ; Humans ; Lifting ; Male ; Muscle Fatigue ; physiology ; Muscle, Skeletal ; physiology ; Shoulder ; physiology ; Workload

OBJECTIVETo establish the diagnosis evidence of objective tongue inspection for liver cancer (LC) patients with damp-heat syndrome (DHS) by dynamically observing their tongue figures using modern tongue image analytic apparatus, and to explore the effect of intervention on the tongue figures.

METHODSTongue figures were collected from 142 LC patients with DHS by tongue image analytic apparatus. Red (R), green (G) and blue (B) values were analyzed. The r and g values were calculated requesting r=R/(R+G+B), g=G/(R+G+B), and b=1-r-g, and scored in combination with Chinese medical symptoms scale. The tongue figure and correlated scores were collected from 59 of them 3 days after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization intervention.

RESULTSThe range of objective tongue inspection of LC patients with DHS was as follows: as for tongue fur, 0.360

CONCLUSIONThe range of objective tongue inspection of LC patients with DHS could be known by collecting and analyzing objective indicator of tongue figures, thus laying foundation for further studies with analysis of correlation between intervention and Chinese medicine based on tongue figures.

Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Middle Aged ; Observation ; Syndrome ; Tongue ; pathology

Objective To observe the serum level of cyclopropaneoctanoic acid 2-hexyl (CPOA2H) in patients with hypertrilyceridemia-related disorders,and investigate its clinical significance.Methods 53 obese patients (Obese group),62 obese patients after a 3 month low calorie diet (Obese patients after low calorie diet group),46 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD group),and 60 healthy controls (Control group) were collected from Mar 2013 to Dec 2015 in Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital.Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to detect the serum fatty acid and CPOA2H level in four groups.Results Ages,body mass index (BMI),C-reaction protein (CRP),total cholesterol (TC),triacylglycerols (TAG) among four groups had significant difference (F=6.85 ～ 25.36,P＜0.05).Most saturated fatty acid (14 ∶ 0,16 ∶ 0) and monounsaturated fatty acid (14 ∶ 1,16 ∶ 1,18 ∶ 1,20 ∶ 1) in obese group were higher than controls (F=3.251～7.351,P＜0.05).The polyunsaturated fatty acid (18 ∶ 2n-6,20 ∶ 4n-6) in CKD group were lower than controls (F=4.351 ～6.251,P＜0.05).There existed significant difference of serum levels of CPOA2H among four group (F=19.95,P=0.005).Serum level of CPOA2H in control (r=0.63,P=0.033) and CKD group (r=0.61,P=0.044) were positively related with TAG.Serum level of CPOA2H in obese group and obese patients after low calorie diet group were positively related with TC (r=0.70,P=0.011;r=0.48,P=0.021) and TAG (r=0.75,P=0.024;r=0.72,P=0.018).Conclusion Hypertrilyceridemia-related disorders,such as obesity and CKD,presented with elevated serum levels of CPOA2H,it suggested that serum level of CPOA2H is positively related to serum TAG concentration rather than BMI.

A new stem rot disease is found to occur naturally on Arabidopsis plants in greenhouses of Fuzhou, China. In order to identify its pathogen, we conducted a series of fungal isolation and purification, plant reinoculation, and ascus and ascospore induction from the sclerotia. The isolate caused typical water-soaked lesions after reinoculation and produced sclerotia both on Arabidopsis plants and culture medium plates, and the sclerotia could be induced to produce discal apothecia and 8 binucleate ascospores per ascus. These disease symptom and fungal morphology data revealed that the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary was the pathogen for Arabidopsis stem rot. To confirm this, we further amplified its large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU rDNA) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and compared the sequence with the known LSU rDNA sequences in GenBank. The results show that the sequence shares the highest identities with the LSU rDNAs of different S. sclerotiorum strains. Taking all these data together, we concluded that the fungus that caused the Arabidopsis stem rot is S. sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary. This is the first report that Arabidopsis is naturally infected by S. sclerotiorum.
Arabidopsis ; microbiology ; Ascomycota ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; pathogenicity ; Base Sequence ; China ; DNA, Fungal ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Plant Diseases ; microbiology ; Plant Stems ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo establish the criteria of the disproportionate loss of Mandarin monosyllable discriminative abilities to pure tone hearing thresholds.

METHODSTotal of 165 patients with varying degrees of sensorineural hearing loss were recruited for routine audiological evaluations. The speech discrimination scores were obtained by Mandarin phonemic-balanced monosyllable lists via self-made speech audiometric software. The Performance-Intensity (P-I) function for individual ear was obtained by the same list which was administrated in ascending intensities, with 25 monosyllables presenting randomly. The lowest intensity was determined by the lowest pure tone threshold among all audiometric frequencies minus 5 dB. The intensities were increased in 5 dB step until the score was 100% or the intensity was reached to the patient's uncomfortable level. The PB(max) was obtained from the P-I plot. Three parameters about pure tone average hearing thresholds, including PTA(1) (average of 0.5, 1 and 2 kHz), PTA(2) (average of 1, 2 and 4 kHz) and PTA(3) (average of 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz), as well as three parameters about audiogram slope, including Slope(0.5) (4 kHz minus 0.5 kHz), Slope(1) (4 kHz minus 1 kHz) and Slope(2) (4 kHz minus 2 kHz), were calculated respectively. The correlations between PB(max) and above parameters were analyzed by SPSS10.0 statistical software.

RESULTSThe audiogram slopes were not shown any correlation with PB(max), while the pure tone average thresholds, especially PTA(3) (r = -0.595, P = 0.000) were confirmed to correlate with PB(max). In the scatter plot based on PB(max) and PTA(3), a linear boundary was constructed encompassing approximately 99% of observed data collected from the sensorineural hearing-impaired.

CONCLUSIONAny PB(max) score falling below the boundary should be considered with high possibility and disproportionately poor comparison with pure tone hearing thresholds.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Audiometry, Pure-Tone ; Audiometry, Speech ; Auditory Threshold ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the anti-fibrosis action of the therapy of tonifying kidney and removing stasis(shortened to Bushen Quyu method)on moderate-to-severe intrauterine adhesion and its influence on extracellular matrix degradation related factors in menstrual blood.Methods A total of 124 patients with moderate-to-severe intrauterine adhesions of kidney deficiency and blood stasis syndrome who were to undergo transcervical resection of adhesion(TCRA)were randomly divided into a study group and a control group,with 62 patients in each group.Both groups were given TCRA treatment.After the operation,the control group was treated with Progesterone + Estradiol Valerate Tablets,and the study group was treated with the combination of the Bushen Quyu method by using modified Guishen Decoction based on the treatment of the control group.The treatment covered 3 menstrual cycles.The changes in menstrual status,transvaginal color Doppler sonography parameters,scores of kidney deficiency and blood stasis syndrome,and scores of uterine adhesion in the two groups were observed before and after the treatment.Moreover,the two groups were observed before and after treatment in the changes of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1),platelet-derived growth factor(PDGF),and connective tissue growth factor(CTGF)as well as the mRNA expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP-9),matrix metalloproteinase inhibitory factor 1(TIMP-1),phosphatidylinositol-3-hydroxykinase(PI3K)and collagen type I A1 protein(COL1A1).After treatment,the clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were assessed.Results(1)After 3 menstrual cycles of treatment,the total effective rate in the study group was 93.55%(58/62),and that in the control group was 80.65%(50/62).The intergroup comparison showed that the therapeutic effect of the study group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the menstrual flow,menstrual cycle and menstrual period of the two groups were significantly improved compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the recovery of menstrual flow,menstrual cycle and menstrual period in the study group was significantly superior to that in the control group after treatment(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the transvaginal color Doppler sonography parameters of uterine blood flow index(FI),pulsatility index(PI),resistance index(RI),uterine cavity volume,and endometrial thickness in the two groups were significantly improved compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05).And the study group had significantly higher FI,uterine cavity volume,and endometrial thickness and had lower PI and RI than the control group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(4)After treatment,the scores of uterine adhesion and the scores of kidney deficiency and blood stasis syndrome in the two groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the above scores in the study group were significantly lower than those of the control group after treatment(P＜0.01).(5)After treatment,the levels of VEGF,TGF-β1,PDGF,and CTGF in the two groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the levels of the above cytokines in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group after treatment(P＜0.01).(6)After treatment,the relative mRNA expression levels of MMP-9 and PI3K in the menstrual blood of the two groups were significantly higher and the mRNA expression level of COL1A1 was significantly lower than that before treatment(P＜0.05).And the study group had higher mRNA expression levels of MMP-9 and PI3K in the menstrual blood than the control group after treatment(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(7)The total incidence of adverse reactions in the control group was 25.81%(16/62)and that in the study group was 16.13%(10/62).The intergroup comparison showed that the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).The symptoms of adverse reactions in the two groups disappeared after symptomatic treatment,and there were no adverse reactions related to the medication of Chinese medicine during the study.Conclusion The combination of Bushen Quyu formula combined with western medicine is more effective than western medicine alone for the treatment of patients with uterine adhesions after TCRA.The application of Bushen Quyu formula can further promote the recovery of menstruation in the patients,improve the circulation of blood flow in the endometrium,increase the endometrial thickness,regulate the expression of fibrosis factors,up-regulate the mRNA expressions of PI3K and MMP-9,restore the balance of the extracellular matrix(ECM),and prevent the reoccurrence of intrauterine adhesions.And its clinical medication is safe.

Noninfectious uveitic macular edema (NIU-ME) is a major cause of visual impairment in patients with uveitis. Intravitreal route can control inflammation rapidly, reduce macular edema, and improve vision with relatively lower doses of the drug. Currently, several intravitreal injection drugs have been used for the treatment of NIU-ME. Cataract and elevated intraocular pressure are the major complications. Due to its efficacy and safety, intravitreal drugs have gradually become an effective alternative to systemic treatment, especially in patients with unilateral disease. However, more studies are needed on drug selection, timing of injection and combination therapy in clinical practice. There are various treatments for NIU-ME, and the ultimate treatment should be individualized based on the severity of the disease, the risk/benefit ratio of each therapy, and the patient's tolerance.