Objective To analyzed the left ventricular (LV) regional and global strains in coronary artery stenosis by using three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (3D-STI) and two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI) for the assessment of left ventricular systolic function,and to compare the clinical values between 3D-STI and 2D-STI in the detection of coronary stenosis.Methods 39 patients with coronary artery stenosis and 32 sex-age matched controls were enrolled in this study.Coronary artery stenosis group was divided into ischemic group and non-ischemic group.Real-time three dimensional full volume and two-dimensional dynamic image of the LV were obtained and then analyzed by off-line analysis software.The parameters of 3D-STI were three-dimensional longitudinal strain (3D-LS),circumferential strain (3D-CS),radial strain (3D-RS),area strain (3D-AS),global longitudinal strain (3D-GLS),global circumferential train (3D-GCS),global radial strain (3D-GRS) and global area strain (3D-GAS).The parameters of 2D-STI were two-dimensional longitudinal strain (2D-LS),circumferential strain (2D-CS),radial strain (2D-RS),global longitudinal strain (2D-GLS),global circumferential train (2D-GCS) and global radial strain (2D-GRS).The global/regional strains derived from 3D-STI and 2D-STI in patient group and controls were analyzed for comparing their efficacy in detecting coronary artery stenosis.Results Compared with non-ischemic group,2D-LS,2D-CS,3D-LS,3D-CS and 3D-AS were lower in ischemic group (P ＜0.05).ROC curves showed the sensitivity of 2D-LS,3D-LS and 3D-AS for the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia was 60.1％,64.2 ％ and 74.0 ％,while the specificity of them was 60.0％,61.0％ and 63.1％,respectively.There was no significant difference in 2D-GCS and 2D-GRS between coronary artery stenosis group and control group (P ＞ 0.05).Compared with control group,2D-GLS,3D-GLS,3D-GCS,3D-GRS and 3D-GAS were significantly lower in coronary artery stenosis group (P ＜0.05).ROC curves showed the sensitivity of 2D-GLS,3D-GLS and 3D-GAS in the diagnosis of coronary artery stenosis was 61.3％,73.3％ and 79.3 ％,while the specificity was 65.4％,66.0 ％ and 70.8 ％,respectively.The sensitivity and specificity of 3D-GAS were the highest in these parameters.It is revealed that 2D-GLS,2D-GCS and 2D-GRS were correlated with LVEF (r1 =-0.668,P1 ＜0.001 ;r2 =-0.551,P2 ＜0.001 ;r3 =0.310,P3 ＜0.05),and 3D-GLS,3D-GCS,3D-GRS,3D-GAS were correlated with LVEF (r1 =-0.634,P1 ＜0.001 ;r2 =-0.672,P2＜0.001 ;r3 =0.698,P3＜0.001 ;r4 =-0.707,P4＜0.001).The correlate of 3D-GAS and LVEF was higher than other parameters.Conclusions 3D-STI is superior to 2D-STI in assessing regional and global left ventricular systolic function in patients with coronary artery stenosis,and 3D-GAS derived from 3D-STI is a ideal parameter of detecting significant coronary artery stenosis based on its highest sensitivity and specificity.

Histone modification plays an important role in the occurrence and development of acute myocardial infarction(AMI).When AMI occurs,due to the lack of energy supply,the main energy-supplying organelle of cardiomyocytes,mitochon-dria,cannot synthesize ATP normally,which leads to mitochondrial dysfunction,which can induce the apoptosis of cardiomyo-cytes.In addition,apoptosis also plays an important role.Histone modification includes methylation,acetylation,phosphoryla-tion,lactylation and other mechanisms.These diverse modifications cooperate and antagonize each other in the occurrence and development of myocardial infarction,forming a complex regulatory network.Histone modification can alleviate the apoptosis and focal death induced by inflammation by regulating the expression of related genes,thus affecting the pathogenesis of AMI.In this paper,the research progress of histone modification in the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction was re-viewed.

In this study, we used next-generation sequencing methods to screen 300 individuals for BRCA1 and BRCA2. A novel mutation (c.849dupT) in BRCA2 was identified in a female patient and her unaffected brothers. This mutation leads to the truncation of BRCA2 functional domains. Moreover, BRCA2 mRNA expression levels in mutation carriers are significantly reduced compared to noncarriers. Immunofluorescence and western blot assays showed that this mutation resulted in reduced BRCA2 protein expression. Thus, we identified a novel mutation that damaged the function and expression of BRCA2 in a family with breast cancer history. The pedigree analysis suggested that this mutation is strongly associated with familial breast cancer. Genetic counsellors suggest that mutation carriers in this family undergo routine screening for breast cancer, as well as other malignancies, such as prostate and ovarian cancer. The effects of this BRCA2 mutation on drug resistance should be taken into consideration during treatment.
Blotting, Western ; BRCA2 Protein ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Drug Resistance ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Genes, BRCA2 ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Nonsense Mediated mRNA Decay* ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Pedigree ; Prostate ; RNA, Messenger ; Siblings

To assess relationships between xanthine oxidase (XOD) and nephropathogenic infectious bronchitis virus (NIBV) infection, 240 growing layers (35 days old) were randomly divided into two groups (infected and control) of 120 chickens each. Each chicken in the control and infected group was intranasally inoculated with 0.2 mL sterile physiological saline and virus, respectively, after which serum antioxidant parameters and renal XOD mRNA expression in growing layers were evaluated at 8, 15 and 22 days post-inoculation (dpi). The results showed that serum glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities in the infected group were significantly lower than in the control group at 8 and 15 dpi (p < 0.01), while serum malondialdehyde concentrations were significantly higher (p < 0.01). The serum uric acid was significantly higher than that of the control group at 15 dpi (p < 0.01). In addition, the kidney mRNA transcript level and serum activity of XOD in the infected group was significantly higher than that of the control group at 8, 15 and 22 dpi (p < 0.05). The results indicated that NIBV infection could cause the increases of renal XOD gene transcription and serum XOD activity, leading to hyperuricemia and reduction of antioxidants in the body.
Antioxidants ; Chickens ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; Hyperuricemia ; Infectious bronchitis virus* ; Kidney ; Malondialdehyde ; RNA, Messenger* ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Uric Acid ; Xanthine Oxidase* ; Xanthine*

To investigate the effects of molybdenum (Mo) and/or cadmium (Cd) on antioxidant function and the apoptosis-related genes in duck spleens. Sixty healthy 11-day-old ducks were randomly divided into six groups of 10 ducks (control, low Mo group, high Mo, Cd, low Mo + Cd, and high Mo + Cd groups). All were fed a basal diet containing low or high dietary doses of Mo and/or Cd. Relative spleen weight, antioxidant indices, apoptosis-related gene mRNA expression levels, and ultrastructural changes were evaluated after 120 days. The results showed that the relative spleen weight decreased significantly in the high Mo + Cd treatment group which compared with control group. Malondialdehyde levels increased and xanthine oxidase and catalase activities decreased in the Mo and/or Cd groups compared with levels in the control group. Bak-1 and Caspase-3 expressions were upregulated in the high Mo + Cd group, while Bcl-2 was downregulated. In addition, mitochondrial crest fracture, swelling, vacuolation, deformed nuclei, and karyopyknosis in both Mo + Cd treated groups were more severe than in the other groups. The results suggest that Mo and/or Cd can induce oxidative stress and apoptosis of spleen via effects on the mitochondrial intrinsic pathway. Moreover, the results indicate the two elements have a possible synergistic relationship.
Apoptosis* ; Cadmium* ; Caspase 3 ; Catalase ; Diet ; Ducks* ; Malondialdehyde ; Molybdenum* ; Oxidative Stress ; RNA, Messenger ; Spleen* ; Xanthine Oxidase

Objective:To explore the values of Z-scores of fetal heart circumference (HC) and heart area (HA) in prediction of homozygous α-thalassemia.Methods:From February 2014 to March 2019, 233 fetuses of 15 to 23 gestation weeks with risk of homozygous α-thalassemia were examined by prenatal ultrasound in the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. HC, HA and cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) were measured. HC and HA were converted into Z-scores, respectively. The ROC curves were established and analyzed based on HC Z-score, HA Z-score or CTR respectively to compare their predicting efficacies for fetal homozygous α-thalassemia. Finally, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were obtained by the best cutoff values.Results:①Sixty-five fetuses were diagnosed as homozygous α-thalassemia and classified as α-thalassemia group. One hundred and sixty-eight fetuses were mild and normal and were classified as control group. ②HC Z-score, HA Z-score and CTR in the α-thalassemia group were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant ( P<0.001). ③The area under ROC curve of HA Z-score was the largest compared with HC Z-score and CTR, and the prediction efficacy was the highest ( Z test=2.144 and 2.517 respectively, P<0.05). ④The best cutoff values were HC Z-score>1.67, HA Z-score>2.06 and CTR>0.53. Sensitivities of predicting homozygous α-thalassemia in 15 to 23 gestation weeks were 92.31%, 100% and 89.23%, respectively. Specificities were 94.05%, 95.83% and 93.45%, respectively. Positive predictive values were 84.43%, 89.00% and 84.05%, respectively. Negative predictive values were 96.91%, 100% and 95.57%, respectively. Conclusions:Fetal heart HC Z-score and HA Z-score are safe and effective novel ultrasonic indexes for predicting homozygous α-thalassemia. Especially compared with traditional CTR, HA Z-score has a significantly higher predicting efficacy, which can improve the detection rate of homozygous α-thalassemia and reduce the need for invasive examination.

Objective:To construct Z-score ranges for normal fetal middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity(MCA-PSV).Methods:From May 2017 to October 2019, 865 normal singleton fetuses of 10th to 40th gestational weeks underwent prenatal ultrasound in the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Using fetal biometric parameters as independent variables, and measurement of MCA-PSV on standard section as dependent variables, the regression analyses of the mean(M) and the standard deviation(SD) for each parameter were calculated separately and then the best fitting equation was selected. A group of diseases which might cause the abnormal MCA-PSV were assessed using these standards.Results:①Strong correlations were found between MCA-PSV and fetal biometric parameters ( r=0.935-0.939, P<0.001). ②Quadratic or cubic regression equations were fitted to the models of the means of the MCA-PSV, whereas linear equations were fitted to the SDs. ③In these case groups, intrauterine growth restriction, severe preeclampsia, intrauterine infection and homozygous α-thalassemia-1 demonstrated Z-score>2 reflective of increased MCA-PSV with varying degrees, especially with the homozygous α-thalassemia-1 fetus being the most significant (17/20, 85%). Conclusions:The calculation of Z-score for MCA-PSV as a function of fetal biometric parameters is intuitive and simple, it can be used as an important indicator especially for homozygous α-thalassemia-1.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of the ratio of the fetal cardiac diameter to biparietal diameter( CBR) as a predictor of homozygous α-thalassemia-1 . Methods Single mid-pregnancies ( 15-22weeks) at risk of homozygous α-thalassemia-1 were enrolled . A total of 251 singleton pregnancies were recruited ,in which 63 cases were homozygous α-thalassemia-1 fetuses and the rest were unaffected . The CBR and cardiothoracic ratio(CTR) were measured by two-dimensional ultrasound . Then the accuracy of these variables were analyzed and compared with each other by ROC curves . Results ①The CBR and CTR in affected fetuses were significantly higher than those in the unaffected( P ＜0 .01) . ②With CBR＞0 .43 and CTR ＞ 0 .52 as the best cut off values ,the sensitivity and specificity of predicting homozygous α-thalassemia-1 fetuses in 15-22 gestational weeks were 95 .74% , 92 .06% and 94 .15% , 85 .71% , respectively ;the area under ROC curve were compared with Z test and there was no significant difference between them ( Z ＝ 1 .500 , P ＝ 0 .1335) . ③ When CBR and CTR were combined ,the sensitivity and specificity of the prediction were significantly increased ( the sensitivity of series experiment : 99 .75% ,the specificity of parallel experiment : 98 .87% ) . Conclusions CBR is a novel , effective and noninvasive predictor of homozygous α-thalassemia-1 in mid-pregnancy whose prediction efficiency is the same as traditional CTR . The measurement of CBR is easier to standardize and is not affected by thoracic lesions such as pleural cavity ,pericardial effusion and skeletal dysplasia . If combined with CTR ,it may play an important role in improving the prenatal detection rate of homozygous α-thalassemia-1 fetuses .

Objective:To establish the normal reference range of the ratio of fetal umbilical venous flow rate to umbilical artery pulsatility index (VAI).Methods:A total of 816 normal fetuses underwent prenatal examination and delivery were randomly selected from October 2018 to December 2020 in Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Fetal weight was obtained by measuring fetal biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, and femoral length.Umbilical venous flow (Quv) was measured. Umbilical artery pulsatility index (UA-PI) was obtained in the free segment of amniotic fluid. Quv was standardized according to fetal size to calculate the umbilical venous flow rate (nQuv) and VAI. The association between Quv, nQuv, UA-PI, VAI and the fetal gestational week were analyzed using correlation analysis. VAI was presented as ± s, the upper limit of 95% reference value and the lower limit of 5% reference value were taken as the standards of VAI increase and decrease, respectively. Twenty-six fetuses whose VAI were lower than limit of 5% and 20 fetuse whose VAI were than limit of 95% were chosed as the case group. Results:①Fetal Quv was positively correlated with gestational week ( r=0.893, P<0.001), nQuv and UA-PI were negatively correlated with gestational week ( r=-0.552, -0.827; all P<0.001), and VAI had no significant correlation with gestational week ( r=0.000, P=0.758); ②The mean, standard deviation, lower 5% reference value, and upper 95% reference value of VAI were 195.81, 55.61, 105.95, and 293.33, respectively; ③In the cases with abnormal VAI, 26 fetuses with reduced VAI, of whom there were 16 cases of maternal hypertension, and 13 cases complicated by severe preeclampsia; 1 case with 40 turns of umbilical cord torsion, 3 cases of stillbirth, 16 cases of preterm delivery, 19 cases of low neonatal birth body weight, 4 cases of 1-min Apgar score ≤7, 6 cases of umbilical artery blood pH<7.2, and 1 case without abnormalities in fetus during pregnancy and follow-up newborn. Among the 20 fetuses with increased VAI, there were 10 cases of fetal severe thalassemia, 2 cases of thalassemia, 1 case of sacrococcygeal teratoma, 1 case of portal venous shunt, 3 cases of placental chorioangioma, and 3 cases without abnormalities in fetus during pregnancy and follow-up newborn. Conclusions:The measurement and calculation of fetal VAI is simple and easy to perform. As a comprehensive index, fetal VAI remains constant in mid and late pregnancy, facilitates the follow-up of abnormal fetuses, and has potential clinical application.