Objective To study the expression of aspartic proteinase cathepsin D in the germinal center of follicular lymphoma and follicular hyperplasia. Methods Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of cathepsin D in paraffin sections of 10 cases of follicular lymphoma and 9 cases of follicular hyperplasia. Results Cathepsin D was weakly expressed in the plasma of dendritic cells and histiocytes in the germinal centers of 9 out of 10 cases of follicular hyperplasia. The number of positive cells were smaller in the center of follicles, but larger in the periphery. It was more strongly expressed in the plasma of dendritic cells and histiocytes located predominantly in the peripheral areas of germinal centers of follicular lymphoma in 10 patients. Some germinal centers were surrounded by T lymphocytes in 4 cases of follicular lymphoma, and cathepsin D positive cells in these germinal centers were more in number than that in the germinal centers without being surrounded by T cells in other 6 cases of follicular lymphoma, in which positive sign even absent in some germinal centers. Conclusion Cathepsin D is a good marker for the dendritic cells and histiocytes, and its differential expression in follicular lymphoma and follicular hyperplasia is helpful for differential diagnosis of the diseases. Based on the former reports of cathepsin D with its important roles in antigen processing, we suppose that lower expression of this protease is probably due to the decreased ability of immunological response to tumor in follicular lymphoma patients.

Objective:To explore whether spontaneous sene-scence widely existed in malignant tumor cells. Methods:Sene-scence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) staining kit was used to detect the activity of SA-β-Gal in ten different malignant tumor cell lines before and after serum deprivation. Results:SA-β-Gal was expressed in some cells of 10 malignant tumor cell lines during exponential growth phase without any treatment. However, the percentage of senescent cells was significantly different among them, the lowest expression was observed in HeLa cell line (0.65%), and the highest expression was seen in HepG2 cell line (3.69 %, F=13.006, P= 0.000). Furthermore, not all the SA-β-Gal positive aging cells were polyploid cells. After 24-h serum deprivation, the number of SA-β-Gal positive cells was significantly increased (P=0.001). Conclusion:These findings indicate that immortal malignant tumor cell lines could undergo spontaneous senescence but the level was different between various cell lines. Short-term serum de-privation significantly increased the percentage of aging cells indicating that serum deprivation-induced cell senescence may be a rapid, easy, and effective way for anti-tumor therapy.

Objective To investigate the expression of anti-apoptosis gene bag-1 and its relation to the differentiation of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Methods Immunohistochemical techniques were adopted to study the expression of bag-1 in ICC tissue ( n=48) and para-hepatocarcinoma bile duct ( control group, n=25). Results Expression of bag-1 in the ICC group was significantly higher than that in the control group. In the ICC group (P

Objective To study the therapeutic regimen for the simple third or fourth grade of traumatic spleen rupture in patients with hemorrhagic shock. Methods A total of 58 patients with traumatic spleen rupture complicated with hemorrhagic shock admitted between January 2012 and June 2016 were enrolled for analysis. The causes of the casualties suffering from closed abdominal injuries including 31 traffic accident, 13 falling down from a height, 8 tumbling on the ground, 2 beaten trauma and 4 other traumatic injuries. All the patients were divided into the conventional surgery group or proximal selective spleen artery embolization (PASE) group. Comparisons of surgery and postoperative relevant parameters between two groups were analyzed, and the curative effects of the two kinds of treatments was evaluated. Results There were no statistically significant difference in age, sex, degree of spleen rupture, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, and hemoglobin concentration between two groups (P＞ 0.05). The time consumed for operation (T1),the time required for systolic blood pressure recovery (T2), and the allogeneic blood volume capacity (V2) transfused in PASE group were significantly lesser than those in the conventional surgery group (P＜0.05), however there was no difference in the autologous blood volume reinfusion (V1) (P＞ 0.05). Furthermore, the incidence of fever, infection of incision, ileus, ICU treatment, time required fro intestinal function time and hospital stay in PASE group were significantly lesser than those in conventional surgery group (P＜0.05), but the incidence of left upper abdominal pain in PASE group was higher (P＜0.05). Conclusions Selective spleen artery embolization can rapidly stabilize hemodynamics, and shorten the operation time. It also can reduce the complications and allogeneic blood use, shorten recovery time and hospital stay. It is a preferential choice for treatment of traumatic spleen rupture with shock, and worth popularizing in clinical.

Objective To study the role of Th17 cells proportions and the cytokines levels in the diagnosis and treatment of acute pancreatitis (AP).Methods Patients with AP (n =82) treated in our hospital between August 2017 and August 2018 were divided into the mild AP group (MAP,n =36),the moderately severe AP group (MSAP,n =26) and the severe AP group (SAP,n =20).Twenty-five healthy subjects were chosen as the control group.The proportions of Th17 cells and the levels of cytokines including IL-17,IL-21,IL-22 and IL-23 in peripheral blood from the four groups were analyzed.The APACHE Ⅱ and Ranson scores were used to evaluate the illness severity.Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to detect the correlation between the Th17 cells,cytokines,and inflammatory factor,APACHE Ⅱ and Ranson scores.Results Compared with the control group,the proportion of Th17 cells and the levels of IL-17,IL-21,IL-22 and IL-23 in the peripheral blood of MAP,MSAP and SAP groups were significantly increased (SAP ＞ MSAP ＞ MAP,P ＜ 0.05).The levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-6,IL-8 and TNF-α,and the scores of APACHE Ⅱ and Ranson in the SAP group were significantly higher than those in the MSAP group and MAP group (P ＜ 0.05).The proportion of Th17 cells and their cytokine levels were positively correlated with IL-6,IL-8,TNF-o,APACHE Ⅱ and Ranson scores.The levels of Th17 cytokines returned to normal in AP patients after treatment.Conclusion Th17 cells and the cytokines have certain clinical significance in evaluating early inflammatory response,severity of illness,and therapeutic effect in AP patients.

Objective:To investigate the correlations between level of serum heparin binding protein (HBP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-18 (IL-18) and the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP).Methods:A total of 86 patients with AP admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital, University of Science and Technology of China from December 2017 to May 2019 were included and divided into mild AP group (MAP) with 36 cases, moderate AP group (MSAP) with 26 cases, and severe AP group (SAP) with 24 cases. There were 25 healthy subjects were chosen as the control group. Serum HBP, PCT, and IL-18 levels were dynamically monitored in all patients at 1, 3 and 7 days after admission. The Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to detect the correlation between the three indicators and inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and APACHEII and Ranson score, and analyzed the early diagnostic value of HBP, PCT, and IL-18 in SAP patients.Results:In 86 AP patients, 53 were males and 33 were females, aged (48.3±8.0) years. In 25 healthy subjects, 15 were males and 10 were females, aged (40.5±5.9) years. Serum levels of HBP, PCT and IL-18 in AP patients were significantly higher than those of healthy control group at 1, 3 and 7 days after admission ( P<0.05), and the most significant increase was observed on the 1st day. At the meanwhile, HBP, PCT, and IL-18 were positively correlated with level of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, APACHEII and Ranson scores ( P<0.05). The AUC area of SAP diagnosis by using HBP, PCT or IL-18 alone was respectively 0.825, 0.896, 0.799, the Yoden index was respectively 0.605, 0.628, 0.583, the sensitivity and specificity were 75.3%, 76.2%, 74.8% and 85.2%, 86.6%, 83.5%. The AUC area, Yoden index, sensitivity and specificity of joint detection were 0.923, 0.787, 85.5%, 93.2%, and the positive predictive value and negative predictive value were also increased. Conclusion:Monitoring of serum HBP, PCT and IL-18 can predict the severity of AP patients, and it may serve as an early diagnostic marker for AP.

Objective:To explore the risk factors and prognosis of sepsis-related cardiomyopathy.Methods:Patients with sepsis and septic shock admitted to the Critical Care Medicine Department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from October 2017 to February 2021 were enrolled. Echocardiographic parameters including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and cardiac index (CI) were obtained within 24 h after admission. Hemodynamic parameters including heart rate, mean arterial pressure and central venous pressure were also collected. The risk factors of 45-day mortality were analyzed using Cox regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to compare 45-day mortality among patients with normal left ventricle (LV) systolic function group, sepsis-related takotsubo cardiomyopathy (ST) and septic cardiomyopathy (SC) group as well as between patients with normal right ventricular (RV) function and patients with RV dysfunction.Results:According to LV systolic function, patients were categorized into three groups: normal group [174 (66.9%)], SC group [66 (25.4%)] and ST group [66 (25.4%)]. In comparison with those in normal group, patients in SC group and ST group had higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score ( P<0.05). No difference was found between SC group and ST group regarding APACHE Ⅱ score and SOFA score( P>0.05). ST group had lower LVEF [33(28, 41)% vs. 45(38, 48)%, P<0.05], CI [2.29 (1.99, 2.53)L·min -1·m -2 vs. 3.04(2.61, 3.61) L·min -1·m -2, P<0.05] higher TAPSE [18.6(16.0, 21.2)mm vs. 15.1(12.5, 19.0)mm, P<0.05] than SC group. A Cox regression survival analysis showed that right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) was an independent predictor of 45-day mortality ( HR=1.992, 95% CI 1.088-3.647, P=0.025). A Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no significant difference regarding 45-day mortality among ST group [25.0%(5/20)], SC group [30.3%(20/66)] and normal group 18.4%(32/174)( P=0.158). RVD patients [38.0%(30/79)] had significantly higher 45-day mortality than patients with normal RV function [14.9%(27/181), P<0.001]. Conclusions:In comparison with SC patients, ST patients tend to have worse LV systolic function, lower cardiac output and better RV function. However, neither ST nor SC is associated with 45-day mortality. RVD is a risk predictor of 45-day mortality, which should be monitored in septic patients.

Objective:To explore the relationship between the pulse pressure/central venous pressure (PP/CVP) ratio and the cardiac output (CO) of patients after cardiac surgery from the basic principles of hemodynamics, and to further evaluate the predictive value of PP/CVP ratio in patients with secondary low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) after cardiac surgery.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted, and patients who received pulse indicator continuous cardiac output (PiCCO) monitoring were enrolled at the department of critical care medicine of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1, 2016, to September 1, 2021. Patients were divided into two groups: the LCOS group [cardiac index (CI) < 33.34 mL·s -1·m -2, 25 cases] and the non-LCOS group (CI ≥ 33.34 mL·s -1·m -2, 125 cases) according to the CI at 6 hours after surgery. The general clinical data and hemodynamic parameters were collected. Correlations between PP/CVP ratio and PiCCO monitoring indicators were performed with Pearson or Spearman correlation test. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) analysis was carried out to evaluate the predictive value of the parameters in patients with LCOS after cardiac surgery. Results:A total of 150 patients with PiCCO monitoring after cardiac surgery were included. There were no differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups, while PP in the LCOS group was lower than that in the non-LCOS group [mmHg (1 mmHg ≈ 0.133 kPa): 40 (37, 44) vs. 55 (46, 64)], CVP was higher than that in the non-LCOS group [mmHg: 12 (11, 14) vs. 10 (8, 12)], and PP/CVP ratio in the LCOS group was lower than that in the non-LCOS group [3.3 (2.9, 3.7) vs. 5.5 (4.6, 6.8)], with significant differences (all P < 0.05). Correlation analysis results showed that PP/CVP ratio was positively correlated with CI, CO, and stroke volume index (SVI), respectively ( rs = 0.660, 0.592, 0.600, all P < 0.001). CI was negatively correlated with PP ( rs = 0.509, P < 0.001) and positively correlated with CVP ( rs = -0.297, P < 0.001). ROC curve analysis revealed that compared with PP, CVP, SVI and cardiac function index (CFI), PP/CVP ratio was the best predictor of LCOS after cardiac surgery [area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.94±0.02, P < 0.001], when the optimum cut-off value was 4.41, the sensitivity was 80.00%, and the specificity was 96.00%. Conclusion:PP/CVP ratio was moderately positively correlated with CO after cardiac surgery, and PP/CVP ratio could be used as a prognostic predictor for LCOS after cardiac surgery.

Humans ; Erythema Infectiosum ; Lymphadenopathy