Objective To estimate effects of AG490, a selective inhibitor of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, on the biological behavior of human keloid?derived fibroblasts (HKFs), and to explore their possible mechanisms. Methods In vitro cultured human skin fibroblasts(HSFs)and HKFs were both divided into several groups to be treated with AG490 at different concentrations (12.5, 25, 50, 75, 100 μmol/L), with those receiving no treatment serving as the control group. Then, cell counting kit?8(CCK?8)assay was performed to evaluate cellular proliferative activity of HSFs and HKFs after 24?, 48?and 72?hour treatment, flow cytometry to estimate cell cycle distribution and apoptosis rate in HKFs after 24?hour treatment, reverse transcription(RT)?PCR to measure STAT3 and cyclin D1 mRNA expressions in treated HKFs as well as STAT3 mRNA expression in untreated HSFs and HKFs after 24?hour culture, and Western blot analysis to measure the protein expressions of STAT3 and p?STAT3 in HSFs and HKFs after 24?hour treatment. Results CCK?8 assay showed that the proliferation inhibition rates of both HSFs and HKFs gradually increased along with the increase in AG490 concentrations and treatment duration, and the inhibitory effects increased in both dose?and time?dependent manners(all P<0.05). Besides, when cells were treated with the same concentrations of AG490 for same durations, the proliferation of HKFs were inhibited to a greater extent than that of HSFs(all P<0.05). As flow cytometry revealed, along with the increase of AG490 concentrations, the proportion of HKFs in G1 phase and the apoptosis rate in HKFs both increased gradually(all P < 0.01), while the proportion of HKFs in G2 phase gradually decreased(all P < 0.01), and the proportion of HKFs in S phase remained insignificantly changed. RT?PCR showed that the mRNA expression of STAT3 was significantly higher in untreated HKFs than in untreated HSFs after 24?hour normal culture(P < 0.05). After 24?hour treatment with AG490, the mRNA expressions of STAT3 and cyclin D1 in HKFs gradually decreased with the increase of AG490 concentrations. Correlation analysis revealed that the mRNA expression of cyclin D1 was positively correlated with that of STAT3 in AG490?treated HKFs (r = 0.855, P < 0.01). Western blot analysis showed that the protein expressions of both STAT3 and p ? STAT3 gradually decreased in HKFs and HSFs along with the increase of AG490 concentrations(all P < 0.05), and were significantly lower in HKFs than in HSFs (both P < 0.05). Conclusion AG490 can effectively inhibit HKF proliferation by selectively blocking the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Child ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary

Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Radiation, Ionizing ; Radiology Department, Hospital ; Serum ; metabolism ; radiation effects ; Testosterone ; blood ; Thyroid Hormones ; blood

Objective To assess the estimated 10-year risk of stroke among hypertensive outpatients known with diabetes from cardiovascular clinics of 36 tertiary hospitals in China and to analyze the characteristics of the risk factors and the 10-year risk of stroke between the southern and the northern patients.Methods A multi-center prevalence survey was conducted from October 2011 to June 2012.Hypertensive outpatients known with diabetes were enrolled from cardiovascular clinics of 36 tertiary hospitals in China.A total of 15 914 outpatients were included in the final analysis.The 10-year probability of stroke was evaluated by the Framingham stroke risk profile.According to the 10-year probability of stroke,patients were divided into low risk (≤ 5％),medium risk (6％ ～9％) and high risk (≥10％).Results (1) Of all the hypertensive outpatients known with diabetes,the mean age was (64.6 ± 10.1) years and the mean systolic pressure was (138.7 ± 19.3) mmHg(1 mmHg =0.133 kPa).Among them,7.4％ with atrial fibrillation,11.2％ with left ventricular hypertrophy,57.2％ with cardiovascular diseases,17.1％ smokers and 37.0％ using mono-hypoglycemic agent.The southern patients who were older with more smokers had higher proportions of men and left ventricular hypertrophy,lower Levels of systolic blood pressure,and lower proportions of other cardiovascular diseases than those of the northern patients (all P ＜ 0.05).(2) The mean 10-year probability of stroke was (20.9 ± 16.2) ％.The southern patients had a higher mean 10-year probability of stroke than that of the northern patients [(22.4 ± 17.1)％ vs (19.7 ± 15.2)％] (P ＜ 0.01).After adjusted by age and sex,the southern patients still had a higher mean 10-year probability of stroke (P ＜0.05).(3) All the patients had 7.7％ with low risk,17.4％ with medium risk,and 74.9％ with high risk.The southern patients had lower proportions of low and medium risk than those of the northern patients (6.7％ vs 8.4％,15.5％ vs 18.9％),but had a higher proportion of high risk than that of the northern patients (77.7％ vs 72.7％,all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Among the hypertensive outpatients known with diabetes from the cardiovascular clinics of our study,most of them were at the 10-year high risk of stroke.The southern patients had a higher mean 10-year probability of stroke than that of the northern patients.

OBJECTIVETo discuss the therapeutic effect of thenar perforator flaps for the narrow cicatricial contracture at thumb and the first web.

METHODSFrom Aug. 2010 to Jan. 2012, 9 cases with narrow cicatricial contracture at thumb and the first web, were treated. The defect size after releasing the contracture ranged from 8 mm x 20 mm to 15 cm x 30 mm. The bilateral thenar perforator flaps beside the wound were designed which size was 10 mm x 25 mm to 15 mm x 35 mm. The wounds at donor sites were closed directly.

RESULTSAll the 9 flaps survived completely with primary healing. The patients were followed up for 6-18 months. The flaps had soft texture and good appearance. The shape of flaps and function of the fingers were satisfied after 6-18 months of follow-up. There was no scar contracture at incisions in thenar. The thumb motion was really normal. The abduction of first web was 70 degrees - 90 degrees degrees.

CONCLUSIONSThe thenar perforator flaps is one of the ideal methods for the treatment of narrow cicatricial contracture at thumb and the first web. The main artery is not sacrified.

Arteries ; Cicatrix ; surgery ; Contracture ; surgery ; Fingers ; Humans ; Perforator Flap ; transplantation ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Skin Transplantation ; Thumb ; surgery ; Wound Healing

Objective To understand the clinical features of acute renal failure(ARF)as the initial presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE).Methods Eight cases of ARF in SLE from Jan 1995 to Apt 2006 were investigated,descriptive analysis and literature review were performed.Results①The symp- tom of ARF in SLE was mainly oliguria,with severe accompany symptoms and complications.②The level of leucocyte and hemoglobin was low in laboratory tests,also the complement level decreased significantly.The most frequent renal pathology was typeⅣ,Ⅳ+ⅤLN.③Large dose steroid and CTX were the mainstay of treatment.In addition,SCUF,CVVHDF and hemodialysis could be used for lethal conditions.Conclusion ARF can be the first manifestation of SLE and it usually represents more severe disease and more complica- tions.Large dose steroid and CTX can improve prognois.In cases refractory to steroid and if the effect is obso- lete,CTX treatment SCUF,CVVHDF and hemodialysis can be use.

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical application value of Provider-Initiated HIV Testing and Counseling (PITC) by analyzing the positive rate of HIV tests for people in need of PITC and that of routine HIV tests.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the demographic and epidemiologic data about the patients seeking PITC services or undergoing routine HIV tests in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital between January and December 2013.

RESULTSThe positive rate of initial HIV screening was 1.98% in the PITC group and 0.24% in the routine test group, while that of confirmed HIV was 0. 40% in the former and 0.07% in the latter, both with statistically significant differences between the two groups (P < 0.01). The positive rate of HIV was markedly higher in males than in females, particularly in the PITC group.

CONCLUSIONPITC has a high clinical value in HIV detection for targeted subjects and therefore deserves general application in dermatology.

Counseling ; Dermatology ; Female ; HIV Seropositivity ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Factors

In order to determine the suitable harvest time of Dendrobium officinale from different regions in Yunnan province, the drying rate, mannose and glucose peak area ratio, extract, contents of polysaccharide and mannose of D. officinale samples collected from six producing areas in Ynnnan province were determined. The results indicate that drying rate and the contents of polysaccharide and mannose arrived the peak from January to April, extract reached a higher content from September to December, and mannose and glucose peak area ratio from October to February of the coming met the requirment of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Hence, the suitable harvesting time of D. officinale in Yunnan province is from December to February of the coming year,according to the experimental results and the request of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.
China ; Dendrobium ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Glucose ; analysis ; metabolism ; Mannose ; analysis ; metabolism ; Time Factors

Objective To assess the efficacy of intedeukin (IL)-1Ra,a recombinant human IL-1receptor antagonist,plus methotrexate ( MTX ) in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) refractory to MTX therapy.Methods A total of 54 patients with active RA,who had been taking MTX at a stable dosage,were randomized to receive daily subcutaneous injections of IL-1Ra (80 mg) or placebo.The proportion of patients who had a response as assessed by ACR20,ACR50 and ACR70 was analyzed using Chi-square test measures.Baseline variables and DAS28 were analyzed using Student's t-test (parametric) or Wilcoxon's rank sum test (nonparametric) as appropriate.Results After 24 weeks,more patients achieved clinical benefits treated with IL-1Ra plus MTX compared with MTX alone (64％ vs 17％,P=-0.004) as determined by the ACR20 improvement.In the IL-1Ra group,an ACR50 response was observed in 38％ and an ACR70 response in 17％.None of the patients treated with MTX alone achieved ACR50 or ACR 70 improvement.However,9 of 42 (21％) patients in the IL-1Ra group,who showed therapeutic response initially,had secondary drug failure to IL-1Ra therapy thereafter.A significant increase in mean DAS28 from baseline was found in the nonresponders to IL-1Ra,compared with placebo.Conclusion IL-IRa is effective for the treatment of patients with active RA by blocking IL-1.However,the efficacy of IL-1Ra is lost soon in about one-fifth of patients in soite of initial good resoonse.

Objective To investigate the effect of sulforaphane on 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP +)-induced cell viability loss in cultured PC12 cells and to explore the possible mechanism.Methods MPP + induced damage in PC12 cells was prepared as oxidative damage model.Sulforaphane (0.5,1.O,2.5,5.0 and 10.0 μmol/L) was added in each group cell growth medium.Subsequent experiments were divided into 4 groups:(A) normal control group,(B) sulforaphane group,(C) MPP+ injury group,(D)sulforaphane pretreatment + MPP+ injury group.Cell viability was detected by MTT assay,and the sulforaphane pretreatment PC12 cell viability was observed in different concentrations.Flow cytometry was used to detect changes in the rate of apoptosis in different packet PC12 cells,and protein expression levels of nuclear factor erythroid2-related factor 2 (Nrf2),heme oxygenase (HO-1) and human NAD (P) H dehydrogenase,quinone 1 (NQO1) were detected by Western blot when the PC12 cells were incubated with sulforaphane (2.5 μmol/L) and (or) MPP+ (500 μmol/L) for 24 h in vitro.Results Compared to control group (cell survival rate was 98.70％),the survival percents of PC12 cells were significantly decreased in MPP+-treated group (58.16％).A significant difference was showed between group A and C (F =21.83,P ＜ 0.05),and the cell survival rate in group D was significantly improved.Compared to control group,the rate of apoptosis in MPP+ injury group was increased,and the rate of apoptosis after pretreatment of the sulforaphane was significantly reduced.Compared to MPP+ injury group,the levels of Nrf2,HO-1 and NQO1 protein expression were significantly increased in sulforaphane pretreatment group.Conclusion Sulforaphane have a protective effect against MPP+-induced PC12 cell model damage,and the protective effect may be achieved by activating the Nrf2-antioxidant response element pathway.