In recent years, with the further study of cell biology and genetics, the role of autophagy in bronchial asthma is becoming more and more obvious. Especially in the aspects of genetic factors, oxidative stress and environment, autophagy regulation may directly affect the occurrence and development of asthma, which may become a new direction of asthma treat-ment. In this review we will discuss what is autophagy, and the relationship between autophagy and asthma.

BACKGROUND: There are obvious neuropsychological changes after stroke besides the damage of cognitive function, and the symptoms of depression and anxiety which are also very conspicuous.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the related characteristics of neuropsychological changes after stroke by means of neuropsychological methods.DESIGN: A case-control study.SETTING: Department of Psychology, the Third Hospital of Daqing; Department of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University.PARTICIPANTS: Sixty stroke inpatients (33 males and 27 female)aged from 42 to 75 years old with an average of (59.3±8.8) years old were selected from the Department of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between October 2001 and June 2002. Totally 49 cases had cerebral infarction and 11 cases had cerebral hemorrhage; 31 cases had single focus and 29 cases had multiple focuses (including 2 focuses or more); 20 cases had lesion in left hemisphere,21 cases had lesion in right hemisphere and 19 cases had bilateral lesions. The lesion was at temporal lobe in 6 cases, at occipital lobe in 2 cases, at frontoparietal temporal lobe in 15 cases, at internal capsule in 4 cases, at basal nuclei in 19 cases, at lateral ventricle in 4 cases, at thalam us in 4 cases, at cerebellum in 1 case and at multiple sites in 5 cases. The focal size was ＜ 15 mm in 33 cases and ≥ 15 mm in 27 cases. Sixty residents (33 males and 27 females) aged 42to 75 years with an average of (58.7±7.9) years old were selected simultaneously from the communities and suburbs of Harbin city as the controls and they all had no cerebral and organic lesion, mental disorder, severe somatic diseases and family history of mental disease.INTERVENTIONS: The poststroke mental status of the patients at stable recovery period was assessed with symptom checklist-90 (SCL-90, consisted of 90 items and 9 symptoms, scored by 5 grades of 0 to 4, including 0 as never, 1 as mild, 2 as moderate, 3 as a little severe and 4 as severe;Hamilton depression scale (HAMD, consisted of 24 items, including 11 somatic symptoms scored by 0 to 2 grades and 13 mental symptoms scored by 0 to 4 grades; the total score ＞ 24 points was taken as severe depression, 17 to 24 as moderate depression, 7 to 16 as mild depression, ＜ 7 as no depression), self-rating depressive scale (SDS, consists of 20 items, evaluated according to the occurrence frequency of the symptom, and classified into 4 grades; the score was 1, 2, 3 and 4 points for the forward scored questions, but 4, 3, 2 and 1 point for the backward scored questions; the highest total score was 80 points; the depressive severity=accumulative scores of each item/80×100, the depressive index ranged 25 to 100, the index ＜ 0.5 was taken as no depression, 0.5 to 0.59 as mild depression,0.6 to 0.69 as moderate depression, ＞ 0.7 as severe depression) and selfrating anxiety scale (SAS, consisted of 20 items, scored by 4 grades, mainly evaluated according to the occurrencefrequency of the symptoms. The forward scores were 1, 2, 3 and 4 points, and the backward scores were 4,3, 2 and 1 point; the total score multiplied by 1.25, and then the integer was taken as the standard score, the lower the better, and the delimitative value was 50. The total score of anxiety ＜ 50 points was taken as normal,50 to 60 as mild anxiety, 61 to 70 as moderate anxiety, ＞ 70 as severe anxiety). According to the different characters of disease, the patients with moderate depression and above were given suitable psychotherapy and psychiatric drugs for 4 weeks as a course.of the 4 scales between stroke patients with different lesion natures, foin the patients accompanied by depression. RESULTS: All the 60 stroke patients and 60 eases in the control group were involved in the analysis and SAS between the stroke group and control group: All the total scores were higher in the stroke group than in the control group [(131.45 ±18.89), (94.25 ±9.08) points; (18.73 ±6.54), (8.60 ±2.39)points; (56.49±11.85), (41.63±9.91) points: (40.08±6.55), (28.72±1.84)the 4 scales between stroke patients with different lesion natures, focal sites and focal sizes: In the stroke group, the total scores were higher in the patients with lesion in left hemisphere, cortical lesion, multiple focuses and large focal size (≥ 15 mm) than in those with lesion in right hemisphere, subcortical lesion, single focus and small focal size (＜ 15 mm)(t=1.92 to 4.31, P ＜ 0.05), but the scores were almost the same between the patients with cerebral infarction and those with cerebral hemorrhage accompanied by depression before and after treatment: 21 patients had moderate depressive symptoms and above, and their total scores of SCL90, HAMD, SDS and SAS were obviously higher than those in the control group (t=7.45 to 13.75, 9.83 to 21.20, P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: The poststroke neuropsychological changes are more obvious, and the changes are associated with the lesion location, focal size and focal site, but have no close correlation with the lesion nature.After psychological interventions, the depressive emotion is markedly ameliorated in the patients with obvious depressive symptoms and it is then indicated that poststroke patients should be given psychological interventions.

Objective To investigate the correlation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) as well as serum levels of NT-proBNP, Hcy and D-Dimer (D-D) with different traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome types of chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods A total of 178 CHF patients were divided into heart function normal ejection fracture group (HF?NEF, n=86) and heart function reduction (HFREF, n=92) according to their LVEF performance. Another 35 cases with nor?mal cardiac function were included in control group. All CHF patients was also divided into 3 TCM syndrome types:both de?ficiency of Qi and Yin syndrome group(n=64),Qi asthenia causing blood stasis syndrome group(n=59) andYang defi?ciency water stop group (n=55). All patients were examined with cardiac color doppler and LVEF values were recorded. And serum NT-proBNP、Hcyand D-D levels were all quantified. Results As to serum levels of NT-proBNP, Hcy and D-D, they were higher in HFREF group than those in HFNEF group than those in control group. On the other hand, LVEF was lowest in HFREF group but highest in control group. All differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Among patient in HFNEF group, LVEF in theYang deficiency water stop groupwas lower than that inboth deficiency of Qi and Yin syn?drome group(P<0.05). Serum levels of NT-proBNP, Hcy, and D-D were not significantly different between different TCM syndrome groups. By contrast, among patients in HFREF group, LVEF values did not differ significantly between different TCM syndrome groups. Serum level of NT-proBNP was lower inboth deficiency of Qi and Yin syndrome groupthan that inQi asthenia causing blood stasis syndrome group than that in Yang deficiency water stop group. As to serum levels of Hcy and D-D, they are higher inYang deficiency water stop groupthat those inboth deficiency of Qi and Yin syndrome group and Qi asthenia causing blood stasis syndrome group(P<0.05). Conclusion Patients with different TCM syn?drome types of CHF present different levels of serum NT-proBNP, Hcy, D-D level and LVEF. Changes of indicators in HFREF groups are more obvious than they did in HFNEF group.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the gene polymorphisms of patients with lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome in Longyan area, Fujian province. METHODS: A total of 125 patients with lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome in Longyan, Fujian province, admitted to Longyan First Hospital from May 2017 to November 2020 were selected. Peripheral venous blood was collected from all the patients, and the genotypes of perforin 1 (PRF1) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene loci were detected by PCR-fluorescence probe method, and the correlation between PRF1 and IL-10 gene polymorphisms and lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome was analyzed. RESULTS: The mutation frequencies of PRF1 gene loci rs885821 (C>T), rs885822 (C>T), rs1889490 (G>A) in patients with lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome were 10.40%, 78.8% and 64.4%, respectively. The mutation frequencies of rs1800872 (A>C), rs1800871 (C>T) and rs1800896 (G>A) of IL-10 loci were 56.0%, 45.2% and 77.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION PRF1 and IL-10 gene loci were polymorphic in patients with lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome in Longyan area, Fujian province. Alleles C and G of PRF1 and IL-10 were risk factors, and alleles T and A were protective factors.
Humans ; Genotype ; Interleukin-10/genetics* ; Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic/genetics* ; Lymphoma/genetics* ; Perforin/genetics* ; Polymorphism, Genetic

Objective To investigate the changes of blood test indexes in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) after 10 years of rehabilitation, and to evaluate the effects of SARS on blood system. Methods Twenty-five cases of SARS confirmed in our hospital (SARS group) and 25 healthy personnel (control group) were included in this study. Values of blood routine test, liver and kidney function, blood lipids, blood glucose, thyroid function, tumor marker and T cell subset index were compared between two groups. Results The serum level of calcium was higher in SARS group than that of control group (mmol/L:2.32 ± 0.08 vs. 2.29 ± 0.08,t=2.072,P<0.05). The level of thyroxine was also higher in SARS group than that of control group (nmol/L: 119.95 ± 29.09 vs. 96.39 ± 14.26, t=3.681,P<0.05), but the results were in the normal range, there was no clinical significance. The level of neuron specific enolase (NSE) was higher in SARS group than that of control group (μg/L, 10.368 ± 3.684 vs. 3.282 ± 1.828, t=9.012, P<0.05), in which only 2 cases were slightly higher than the normal range, but did not exceed more than 1 times of the normal value. The imaging was only part of the old change, and there was no clinical significance. There were no significant differences in other results between two groups. Conclusion Virus of SARS cause no long-term effects on blood system, liver and kidney function, thyroid function and immunity in patients with SARS, and do not increase the probability of cancer.

OBJECTIVETo compare the angiogenesis behaviors of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Chinese medicine Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction (, XZD) treatments.

METHODSHuman microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) were treated with various concentrations of either XZD-containing serum (XZD-CS) or VEGF for 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. Cell viability, proliferation, migration, adhesion, and in vitro tube formation assays were used to assess their angiogenic effects.

RESULTSVEGF promoted all cellular phases involved in angiogenesis including cell viability, proliferation, migration, adhesion, and tube formation (<0.05 or <0.01). Unlike the continuous promotion effects of VEGF at the above stages, XZD inhibited cell viability and proliferation (<0.05 or <0.01) and only promoted tube formation in the early phase of angiogenesis (<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThese two medications promote different angiogenesis behaviors, which might be an important reason for their distinct therapeutic profile in clinical usage.

Cell Adhesion ; drug effects ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Microvessels ; cytology ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; drug effects ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; pharmacology

How follicular T-helper (Tfh) cells develop is incompletely understood. We find that, upon antigen exposure in vivo, both naïve and antigen-experienced T cells sequentially upregulate CXCR5 and Bcl6 within the first 24 h, relocate to the T-B border, and give rise to phenotypic Bcl6(+)CXCR5(+) Tfh cells before the first cell division. CXCR5 upregulation is more dependent on ICOS costimulation than that of Bcl6, and early Bcl6 induction requires T-cell expression of CXCR5 and, presumably, relocation toward the follicle. This early and rapid upregulation of CXCR5 and Bcl6 depends on IL-6 produced by radiation-resistant cells. These results suggest that a Bcl6(hi)CXCR5(hi) phenotype does not automatically define a Tfh lineage but might reflect a state of antigen exposure and non-commitment to terminal effector fates and that niches in the T-B border and/or the follicle are important for optimal Bcl6 induction and maintenance.
Animals ; CD40 Ligand ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; physiology ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; metabolism ; Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Mice ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6 ; Receptors, CXCR5 ; metabolism ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer ; metabolism