Objective: To analyze the associations of Notch 1 expression with the lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) by Meta analysis. Methods: Computer retrieve was conducted in PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Library, EMBASE, China Journal Full-text Database (CNKI), China Biology Medicine disc (CBMdisc) to search the studies which were about the association of Notch1 signal with the lymph node and distant metastases of PTC, and published from 2010 to 2017. The literatures were screened and evaluated, then the information was extracted independently by 2 researchers according to the literature selection criteria. Meta analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 and STATA 12.0 software. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. The sensitivity analysis and publication bias test were performed. Results: A total of 7 clinical case-control studies involving 743 patients with PTC were selected. Meta-analysis showed that the expression of Notch1 was significantly positively correlated with lymph node metastasis of PTC (OR = 4.68, 95% CI: 3.00-7.30), furthermore the test for overall effect showed that Z = 6.80 and P < 0.000 01. However, there was no significant correlation between Notch1 expression and the distant metastasis of PTC (OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 0.88-2.89), the test for overall effect showed that Z and P values were 1.53 and 0.1 3 respectively. Conclusion: The Notch1 signaling pathway plays a promoting role in the lymph node metastasis of PTC, which suggests that the expression of Notch1 has a certain predictive value for the clinical prognosis of PTC.

Recently, the droplet microfluidic system attracts interests due to its high throughput and low cost to detect and screen. The picoliter micro-droplets from droplet microfluidics are uniform with respect to the size and shape, and could be used as monodispensed micro-reactors for encapsulation and detection of single cell or its metabolites. Therefore, it is indispensable to characterize micro-droplet and its application from droplet microfluidic system. We first constructed the custom-designed droplet microfluidic system for generating micro-droplets, and then used the micro-droplets to encapsulate important amino acids such as glutamic acid, phenylalanine, tryptophan or tyrosine to test the droplets' properties, including the stability, diffusivity and bio-compatibility for investigating its application for amino acid detection and sorting. The custom-designed droplet microfluidic system could generate the uniformed micro-droplets with a controllable size between 20 to 50 microm. The micro-droplets could be stable for more than 20 h without cross-contamination or fusion each other. The throughput of detection and sorting of the system is about 600 micro-droplets per minute. This study provides a high-throughput platform for the analysis and screening of amino acid-producing microorganisms.
Amino Acids ; isolation & purification ; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques ; Microfluidics ; instrumentation

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of different types of biliary tract reconstruction on the post- resection of congenital choledochal cyst (CCC). Methods 106 cases of CCC undergoing resection of CCC with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy as biliary tract reconstruction were followed up and analysed. Results In this series, three kinds of biliary tract reconstruction were performed, including single Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy in 48 cases, intussusceptive valve and rectangular valve lying on the jejunal segmental of Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy in 37 and 21 cases, respectively. 61 cases were followed up for 4.82 years in average. None of them occurred anastomasis stricture. There were 4 cases with ascending cholangitis after primary operation: of them 3 after single Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy; symptoms of 2 out of the 3 cases disappeared after reoperation to set up an intussusceptive valve plasty on the jejunal segmental of Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy; another one was in rectangular valve group. Occasional abdominal pain tooke place in 8 patients, of them, 5 in single Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy group, 2 and 1 in intussusceptive valve and rectangular valve groups, respectively. No patients suffered from ascending cholangitis in the intussusceptive valve plasty group. Conclusions The postoperative ascending cholangitis and anastomasis stricture can be prevented effectively, if a prophylactic intussusceptive valve on the jejunal segmental of Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy is carried out after resection of CCC for biliary tract reconstruction. This procedure corresponds to the biliary tract physiology.

Forty patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis ( HT) and 20 healthy subjects with matched age-and sex-features ( NC) were selected. The patients with HT were further divided into normal thyroid function ( HT-A) and hypothyroidism ( HT-B) groups. Real-time PCR was performed to evaluate the expressions of Notch1, Dll4, and retinoid-related orphan receptor ( ROR )-γt mRNA. Flow-cytometry was used to detect the percentage of Th17 cells. Thyroid function, thyroid peroxidase antibody ( TPOAb) , and thyroglobulin antibody ( TgAb) were detected by electrochemiluminescence immunoassaies. The results showed that the Notch1, Dll4, ROR-γt mRNA levels and Th17 cell percentage were significantly increased in HT group compared with NC group (all P<0.01), especially in HT-B group. In HT patients, Notch1 and Dll4 mRNA expression levels were positively correlated with Th17 cell percentage and its transcription factor ROR-γt ( all P<0.01) . Besides, there were significantly positive correlations of Notch1 and Dll4 mRNA expressions with TPOAb and TgAb titers (P<0.05 or P<0.01). These results suggest that Notch1-Dll4 signaling pathway might be involved in the pathogenesis of thyroid-specific autoimmune damage by regulating Th17 cells in HT patients.

Objective: To investigate the association between macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) -173G/C gene polymorphism and the susceptibility to immune-related diseases in Chinese Han population. Methods: Databases of Wanfang, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), PubMed, Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMbase) and Web of Science (WOS) were comprehensively searched for pertinent articles published in Chinese and English. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used as effect size measures. Publication bias was examined by Brgge′s funnel plots and Egger′s test. Revman 5.3 and STATA 12.0 software were used for statistical analysis. Results: Nine articles were included in this meta-analysis and the studied immune-related diseases included UC (ulcerative colitis), CD (Crohn′s disease), RA (rheumatoid arthritis), PS (psoriasis), asthma, BD (Behçet′s disease), VKH (Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome), AOSD (adult-onset Still′s disease) and AD (atopic dermatitis). The overall result of the meta-analysis showed that the MIF 173G/C gene polymorphism could increase the susceptibility to immune-related diseases in Chinese Han people (recessive genetic model: OR=1.92, 95%CI: 1.44-2.58; dominant genetic model: OR=1.44, 95%CI: 1.28-1.61; allele model: OR=1.34, 95%CI: 1.22-1.34; homozygote model: OR=1.98, 95%CI: 1.51-2.60; heterozygote model: OR=1.24, 95%CI: 1.11-1.40; all P<0.01). In addition, a subgroup analysis of the North and South of China showed that except for the heterozygote model in the North group, the recessive model (OR=2.03, 95%CI: 1.24-3.31), dominant genetic model (OR=1.51, 95%CI: 1.24-1.83), allele model (OR=1.37, 95%CI: 1.22-1.54) and homozygote model (OR=2.08, 95%CI: 1.31-2.30) all had statistical significance. All of the five models in the South group showed statistical significance (recessive model: OR=1.88, 95%CI: 1.31-2.69; dominant genetic model: OR=1.40, 95%CI: 1.22-1.61; allele model: OR=1.29, 95%CI: 1.10-1.52; homozygote model: OR=1.93, 95%CI: 1.38-2.71; heterozygote model: OR=1.19, 95%CI: 1.08-1.31; all P<0.05). Conclusion The polymorphism of MIF -173G/C gene may be a susceptible gene to immune-related diseases in Chinese Han people.