Background: Chronic hepatitis C is one of the major causes of end-stage liver disease with a high incidence rate, amounting to a grave and serious problem of public health. Currently, interferon-based (with or without ribavirin) antiviral therapy has limited use due to its stringent indications, possible contraindications and side effects. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may have advantages in the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis C and it is of significant value to discover the advantages. Through this research, a safe and effective treatment protocol of TCM or integrated TCM and Western medicine for chronic hepatitis C can be formed. To this end, during China's Eleventh Five-Year Plan, special research projects on acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), viral hepatitis and the other major infectious diseases were established. Our studies on chronic hepatitis C constitute one of the major special research topics. Methods and design: Clinical information of patients with chronic hepatitis C will be first collected in a large, multicenter epidemiological survey. Positive symptoms will be analyzed by rapid cluster analysis, principal constituent analysis and factor analysis, and syndrome types will be diagnosed based on expert advice. Concurrently, a large, multicenter, randomized, parallel-group prospective study will be launched based on evidence-based medical principles to evaluate the effects and safety of the treatment protocol for chronic hepatitis C. The evaluated indexes will include the normalization rate of liver function, virological improvement and quality of life improvement for the short-term efficacy and the incidence of liver cirrhosis and (or) primary liver cancer and mortality for the long-term efficacy. Discussion: This study will investigate the TCM syndrome differentiation norms and the syndrome distribution rules of chronic hepatitis C and evaluate the efficacy and safety of a treatment protocol for chronic hepatitis C based on TCM theory or combined treatment of TCM and Western medicine. The study results will be helpful to developing a TCM treatment program for chronic hepatitis C. Trial registration: The research program was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry in English and Chinese in January 2010. Registration number: ChiCTR-TRC-10000770.

Objective:To explore the relationship betwwen the different types of ischemic cerebrovascular disease andthe levels of plasma Homocystine(Hcy).Methods:The levels of plasma Hcy in 135 patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease were measured by the fluorometric method.All the patients were divided into transient ischemic attack(TLA)group and atherothrombotic cerebral infarction(ACO group.The patients in both groups and the levels of plasma Hcy between the primary ACI and recurrent ACI were compared.Results:The levels of plasma Hcy in the ACI group(22.0±6.4 μmol/L)group were significantly higher than those in the TIA group(16.6±6.0 μmol/L)(P＜0.01),and the levels of plasma Hcy in the recurrent ACI group(23.0±5.5 5 μmol/L)were significantly higher than those in the primary group(19.6±5.9 μmol/L)(P＜0.01).There were rio significant differences between the two groups in age,sex,history of smoking.lipid,body mass index,as well as the prevalences of hypertension,diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease.Conclusions:The increased level of plasma Hcy is closely associated with ACI.and it is a risk factor for recurrent stroke.

Objective To explore the influence of plasma homocystine(Hcy) level on the prognosis of acute cerebral infarction(ACI) and the effect of interventional therapy.Methods The plasma Hcy levels of 152 patients with ACI were measured by fluorometric method at

Objective Making the fusion protein of IgG-binding peptide with enhanced green fluorescent protein(EGFP) and determining its bioactivity.Methods The enhanced green fluorescent protein(EGFP) gene was cloned into pEZZ 18 vector containing ZZ peptide gene to construct expression vector pSpA-EGFP-His.The fusion protein was expressed in E.coliDH5? and its bioactivity was detected by competitive ELISA and fluorescence properties.Results The fusion protein migrated at approximately 42kD in SDS-PAGE,which correspond to the theoretical molecular weight.The spectra of SpA-EGFP fusion protein was similar to what was reported.SpA-EGFP competed with SpA-Peroxidase to bind IgG.Conclusion The plasmid pSpA-EGFP-His correctly expressed in E.coli.The fusion protein retains the bifunctional effects of EGFP and IgG-binding activity.

Objective　To study　how　ConA actives macrophages in vivo to produce cytotoxic effectors and its phagocytic functions,and　 cytotoxicity. Methods　 ConA was intraperitoneally injected(ip). Cock red blood cells(cRBC) were used to evaluate MΦ phagocytic activity,and S180 cells as target cells to analyze MΦ dependent cytotoxicity(MTC).Nitric oxide(NO),TNF-α　and IL-1 levels of MΦ cultural supernatant were measured using griess reagent,L929 cells MTT method and thymocytes proliferation test respectively. Results　 ConA could promote MΦ　to phagocytize cRBC and kill S180 cells,enhance the production of such factors as NO,TNF-α　and IL-1 by MΦ. There was significant difference compared with PBS　control group(P＜0.01). Conclusions　 ConA could stimulate MΦ to produce effectors, which mediate immune regulation of ConA to MΦ.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of centerline measurement method in estimating aortic diameter at the proximal landing zone in Stanford B type aortic dissection. Methods CT angiography materials of 30 patients with type B aortic dissection were randomly selected from the hospital database (24 males with a median age of 49.5 years), which were retrospectively analyzed with multiplanar reformation (MPR) and centerline technique by two experts in vascular radiology. Difference between two measurement techniques was analyzed by using mixed linear model, and the agreement of measurements between two readers as well as between two techniques were evaluated by Bland-Altman plots. Results The diameters measured with MPR method by two experts were (29.73±2.99) mm and (29.86±2.95) mm respectively, while the diameters measured with centerline measurement method by two experts were (29.66 ±2.81) mm and (29.71 ±2.91) mm respectively. No statistically significant differences in the diameter value existed between the two measurement methods, although the results determined by centerline measurement method were more stable. Conclusion In determining aortic diameter at the proximal landing zone in Stanford B type aortic dissection, the centerline analysis provides a checking method for MPR measurement.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of auricular point sticking with magnetic bead in treating insomnia in hepatocirrhosis patients. Method Ninety patients with hepatocirrhosis complicated with insomnia were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 45 in each group. The treatment group was intervened by auricular point sticking with magnetic bead, while the control group was by auricular point sticking with medical adhesive tape. After successive 2-week treatments, the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the Evaluation Criteria of Therapeutic Efficacy for Mental Disorders were observed for evaluating the treatment result. Result The ISI was significantly improved in the treatment group after intervention (P<0.05), and the improvement was significantly different from that in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 86.7% in the treatment group versus 60.0% in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). Conclusion Auricular point sticking with magnetic bead is easy-to-operate and can produce a satisfactory efficacy in treating insomnia of hepatocirrhosis patients.

Objective To determine the clinical characteristics in elderly patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome ( GBS) and explore the relationship between glucose metabolism and severity and prognosis of disease. Methods Records of patients with GBS admitted between January 2004 and February 2017 from Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University were evaluated, including antecedent infection, initial symp-toms, cranial nerve palsy, subgroup analysis, Hughes score and Medical Research Council ( MRC) score at nadir and when discharged. Results The incidence of ocular palsy (6. 4％ vs 27. 0％, P=0. 02) and of facial palsy (18. 8％ vs 45. 8％, P =0. 016 ) were both lower in older group, compared to non-elderly group. MRC score at nadir (32 vs 44, P=0. 020), rate of severe type (80. 6％ vs 47. 9％, P=0. 004) and rate of poor prognosis when discharged (67. 7％ vs 29. 2％,P=0. 001) in elderly group were higher than non-elderly group. As to the distribution of subtype in these two groups, no significant difference was found (P=0. 691). Hyperglycemia wasn't prognostic factor of severe type (OR =0. 531,P =0. 321) or poor short-term prognosis (OR=0. 519,P=0. 261). Conclusions The clinical characteristics of elderly patients with GBS are distinct from non-elderly patients. Hyperglycemia wasn 't predictor of severe type or poor short-term prognosis of GBS.

OBJECTIVETo assess the relationship of homozygous deletion status of p16 (MTS1/INK4a/CDKN2A), p15(MTS2/INK4b/CDKN2B) genes and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma(LSCC) progression.

METHODSDNA was extracted from fresh tumors. Homozygous deletion of p16 exon 2(p16E2) in 80 cases of LSCC and p15 exon 2(p15E2) in 67 cases of LSCC were detected by the polymerase chain reaction technique.

RESULTSThe p16E2 deletion rate in 80 cases was 12.5%(10/80); the p15E2 deletion rate in 67 cases was 11.94%(8/67); the p16E2 and p15E2 codeletion rate in 67 cases was 5.97%(4/67).

CONCLUSIONHomozygous deletion of p16E2 and p15E2 is related with LSCC oncogenesis, and it may play a role to some extent in LSCC malignant progression.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; Cell Cycle Proteins ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p15 ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 ; genetics ; Gene Deletion ; Genetic Markers ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Homozygote ; Humans ; Introns ; genetics ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins

Fibrotic remodeling is an adverse consequence of immune response-driven phenotypic modulation of cardiac cells following myocardial infarction (MI). MicroRNA-146b (miR-146b) is an active regulator of immunomodulation, but its function in the cardiac inflammatory cascade and its clinical implication in fibrotic remodeling following MI remain largely unknown. Herein, miR-146b-5p was found to be upregulated in the infarcted myocardium of mice and the serum of myocardial ischemia patients. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments demonstrated that miR-146b-5p was a hypoxia-induced regulator that governed the pro-fibrotic phenotype transition of cardiac cells. Overexpression of miR-146b-5p activated fibroblast proliferation, migration, and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition, impaired endothelial cell function and stress survival, and disturbed macrophage paracrine signaling. Interestingly, the opposite effects were observed when miR-146b-5p expression was inhibited. Luciferase assays and rescue studies demonstrated that the miR-146b-5p target genes mediating the above phenotypic modulations included interleukin 1 receptor associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) and carcinoembryonic antigen related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1). Local delivery of a miR-146b-5p antagomir significantly reduced fibrosis and cell death, and upregulated capillary and reparative macrophages in the infarcted myocardium to restore cardiac remodeling and function in both mouse and porcine MI models. Local inhibition of miR-146b-5p may represent a novel therapeutic approach to treat cardiac fibrotic remodeling and dysfunction following MI.