ObjectiveTo study the clinical features, arterial involvement, therapeutic strategies and outcomes of Takayasu arteritis (TA). MethodsThe clinical symptoms, arterial images, inflammatory parameters and follow-up information of 173 patients with TA were retrospectively studied. Comparisons between groups were performed by t-test. ResultsThere were 136 female and 37 male patients in this study. The mean age at onset was(26±11 ) years. Hypertension, pulse deficit or asymmetrical pulse, and fever were present in 46.6％, 41.1％, 28.7％ of patients, respectively. The distribution of arterial involvement were 64.7％in aorta, 9.8％ in pulmonary artery, 19.1％ in innominate artery, 65.9％ in common carotid arteries, 65.3％in the subclavian artery, 36.2％ in the renal artery, 12.1％ in the vertebral artery, and 5.8％ in coeliac axis.Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR) was found in 61.0％ patients. Active tuberculosis or history of tuberculosis was implicated in 45 patients(26.0％). Ten patients(5.8％) were hepatitis B virus carriers.Among 105 followed-up patients, 98 patients(94.2％) achieved persistent remission, 17 patients relapsed when corticosteroids were tapered. ConclusionCorticosteroids combined with or steroid alone, supplemented with endovascular intervention procedures or surgical bypass procedures when necessary, can effectively control the clinical symptoms and inflammatory parameters and improve the quality of life of patients.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; therapy ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic ; methods ; Endostatins ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; therapy ; Microvessels ; pathology ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; pathology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors ; metabolism

Objective To study the association of peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PADI4) (padi4_94 and padi4_104) genetic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility in Han population of Hebei province. Methods This hospital-based case-control study included 115 RA patients and 106 healthy controls. All the individuals were recruited from Han Hebei residents and were randomly selected. The genotype and allele frequencies of PADI4 gene polymorphisms (padi4_94 and padi4_104) were analyzed by PCR-DNA sequencing method. Results The distribution of padi4_94 and padi4_104 genotypes between the two groups was not significantly deviated from that expected by Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P>0.05). The combined effect of padi4_94 and padi4_104 SNPs was analyzed and three haplotypos (AA, AG and GG) were found but without GA haplotype. The genotype and allele distribution of padi4_94 and padi4_104 in the patients with RA was not significantly different from that in healthy controls,and the analysis of haplotypes revealed that no haplotypes were risk factors for RA. Conclusion In Han population of Hebei province, the SNPs of PADI4 (padi4_94 or/and padi4_104) is no associated with RA susceptibility. Therefore, it should not be regarded as a genetic risk factor for RA.

Objective To study the gene polymorphism at position padi4_94 in Chinese Han people of Hebei Province and the characters of distribution.Methods 106 healthy individuals and 115 rheumatoid arthritis patients in Hebei Province were randomly selected. Padi4_94 gene was screened by sequencing of the promotor. The correlations between the SNP site and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP) was discussed.Results There were three genotypes: AA, AG and GG in Chinese Han people of Hebei Province. No significant differences of gene frequency and allele gene frequency were found between healthy individuals and RA patients, and no correlation between SNP and the production of anti-CCP.Conclusions Hebei Province The gene polymorphisms at position padi4_94 existed in Chinese Han people of Hebei Province,but possibly would not affect RA susceptibility and the production of anti-CCP.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a common cancer in hepatobiliary system .Because CCA is in sensitive to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy ,the current treatment is mainly depending on the surgical operation when diagnosed early .Tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand ( TRAIL) plays a key role in the process of controlling cell proliferation by binding with its receptor and therefore mediated cell apoptosis . Although the characteristic of selectively killing tumor cells by TRAIL makes it become the new direction of clini -cal treatment of cancer ,the condition that CCA cells are resistant to TRAIL mediated apoptosis restricts its scope of application.Nowadays many studies demonstrate that multiple signaling pathways can regulate the sensitive of CCA cells to TRAIL mediated apoptosis .In this review,we summarize the expression and effects of TRAIL and its receptor in CCA , and conclude the mechanism of multiple pathways restoring the sensitivity of CCA cells to TRAIL mediated apoptosis .

AIM: To investigate the processing and HPLC fingerprint of Radix Scutellariae processed with wine,and to set up appropriate quanlity control standard. METHODS: chromatographic condition of HPLC-UV fingerprint consisted of Hypersil C_18 column(200 mm?5.0 mm,5 ?m),mixture of methanol,0.4% phosphoric acid and acetonitrile as a mobile phase in a gradient mode.Flow rate was 1.0 mL/min and detection wavelength was set at 277 nm. RESULTS: There were no evident differences among fingerprints of Radix Scutellariae that was normatively processed from the production areas. CONCLUSION: The process is feasible,and can be used to provide a basis for quanlity control of Radix Scutellariae.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness and left ventricular geometry in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).Methods:Two hundred and twenty-one OSAS patients were enrolled consecutively from the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from January to December 2019. According to left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and relative wall thickness (RWT), OSAS patients were divided into 4 groups based on the left ventricular geometry: 110 with normal geometry (NG group), 56 with concentric remodeling (CR group), 32 with concentric hypertrophy (CH group), and 23 with eccentric hypertrophy (EH group). The patients were examineel by echocardiography, the left ventricular end diastolic diameter, LVMI, interventricular septal thickness, left ventricular posterior wall thickness, left ventricle ejcetion fraction, E/A were collected. Age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), apnea hypopnea index (AHI), nocturnal lowest oxygen saturation (Lowest-SaO 2), nocturnal mean oxygen saturation (Mean-SaO 2), the percentage of the time that oxygen desaturation below 90%(T90), oxygen desaturation index(ODI), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), EAT thickness and the echocardiography parameters were compared among the four groups. The relationships between EAT thickness and the above-mentioned parameters and left ventricular geometry were analyzed by univariate and multivariate linear regressions. Results:①The higher EAT thickness was found in the CH group [(0.50±0.09)cm] and EH group [(0.46±0.07)cm] compared with the NG group [(0.33±0.11)cm] and CR group [(0.36±0.15)cm] (all P<0.05). In addition, age, SBP, DBP, AHI, ODI, T90, LVMI, RWT and E/A ratio were all significantly different among the groups (all P<0.05). ②Univariate linear regression analysis showed that EAT thickness was positively correlated with age, SBP, DBP, AHI, TG, TC and LVMI, RWT, left ventricular geometry, and negatively correlated with Mean-SaO 2 and Lowest-SaO 2. ③Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that EAT thickness was independently correlated with AHI, TG, TC and left ventricular geometry. Conclusions:EAT is independently related to abnormal left ventricular geometry, suggesting that EAT may be involved in the process of left ventricular remodeling.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect of Danxuetong injection (DXT, a combination of Danshen and Xueshuantong injections) against testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury following testis torsion/detorsion in rats.

METHODSThirty-two 4-week-old healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups of equal number: sham operation, normal saline, single DXT injection, and successive DXT injection. The rat models of testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury were established by 2-hour 720-degree torsion/detorsion of the unilateral testis. At 6 weeks after modeling, the rats were killed and their testes were harvested for measure- ment of testicular coefficients, sperm counts, sperm motility, and the levels of total anti-oxidative capacity (T-AOC) , superoxide dismutase (SOD) , nitric oxide synthase (NOS) , and malondialdehyde ( MDA) in the testis tissue.

RESULTSCompared with the rats of the normal saline group, those of the single DXT injection and successive DXT injection groups showed significant increases in the testicular coefficient (0.11 ± 0.03 vs 0.35 ± 0.04 and 0.40 ± 0.06, P < 0.05), sperm count ([0.46 ± 0.10] vs [1.44 ± 0.50] and [3.00 ± 1.28] x10(9)/ml, P < 0.05), sperm motility ([13.63 ± 14.04] vs [39.63 ± 5.04] and [76.31 ± 3.67]%, P < 0.05), the activity of SOD (72.76 ± 5.58 vs 116.25 ± 8.83 and 133.20 ± 13.84, P < 0.05), and the level of T-AOC (5.58 ± 1.07 vs 13.34 ± 5.81 and 19.21 ± 5.69, P < 0.05), but a remarkable decrease in the content of MDA (42.38 ± 8.94 vs 20.94 ± 5.65 and 15.02 ± 1.03, P < 0. 05) in the injured testes.

CONCLUSIONDXT can effectively rid the testis tissue of oxygen free radicals, improve sperm count and motility by antioxidation, and protect the testis tissue of prepubertal rats against testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury after testis torsion/detorsion. It also has a protective effect on the contralateral testis, and successive injection has a better effect than single injection of DXT.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control ; Spermatic Cord Torsion ; complications ; therapy ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Testis ; blood supply ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the procedures of dynamic infusion cavernosometry and cavernosography (DICC) and their application in the diagnosis and classification of venous erectile dysfunction (VED).

METHODSThis study included 103 ED patients, aged 20 to 43 years, highly suspected of VED, with disease courses of 4 months to 6 years. DICC was performed and analyses were made on the results, especially the parameters of flow-to-maintain (FTM) and pressure decay (PD) in the corpus cavernosum.

RESULTSBased on the parameters of FTM and PD, 21 of the patients were normal, 5 were suspected of VED, 39 had mild VED, 25 had moderate VED, and 13 had severe VED. Penile subcutaneous hematoma was found in 4 of the patients, all recovered after 3 to 5 days, with no other complications.

CONCLUSIONDICC is a reliable, safe and minimally invasive method for the diagnosis and classification of VED.

Diagnostic Techniques, Urological ; adverse effects ; Hematoma ; etiology ; Humans ; Impotence, Vasculogenic ; classification ; diagnosis ; Male ; Penile Diseases ; etiology ; Penis ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; Radiography ; Veins

The results of open-field test,step-through passive avoidance task and radial-arm maze experiment showed that changes of locomotor activity,anxiety-related behaviour and ability of learning and memory were associated with the increased apoptosis of neurons in hippocampus in rats with perinatal hypothyroidism.