Objective To evaluate the value of transient elastography (FibroScan,FS)in predicting hepatic fibrosis in patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB).Methods One hundred and four patients with HBeAg-negative CHB,who were diagnosed and treated in Hubei Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from June 2011 to May 2013,were enrolled in this study.All patients underwent FS for liver stiffness measurement before liver biopsy.Statistical analysis was applied to compare liver stiffness (kPa)with fibrosis stage (de-termined by liver biopsy).The receiver operating characteristic (ROC)curve of FS was constructed,and the area under the ROC curve (AUC)was calculated to analyze the accuracy of live stiffness in predicting significant fibrosis and cirrhosis.Comparison between groups was made by Kruskal-Wallis H test,followed by Mann-Whitney U test for multiple comparisons.The correlation between two variables was an-alyzed by Spearman rank and Pearson correlation test.Results Liver stiffness gradually rose as the degree of hepatic fibrosis increased, with significant differences between groups (P<0.01 or P<0.05).Liver stiffness was positively correlated with the stage of hepatic fibrosis (r=0.810,P<0.01).The AUC of liver stiffness for detecting liver cirrhosis was 0.956;the cut-off value for diagnosing liver cirrhosis was 13.1 kPa;the sensitivity was 92.7%,and the specificity was 80%.Conclusion FS is a promising noninvasive method for the assessment of hepatic fibrosis in patients with HBeAg-negative CHB;particularly,it has high accuracy in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis.FS combined with direct or indirect markers may play an important role in differential diagnosis and efficacy evaluation in patients with hepatic fibrosis.

AIM: To investigate the molecular mechanism of microRNA-21 (miR-21) in the regulation of Schwann cell proliferation following nerve injury.METHODS:The expression of miR-2l was detected by real-time PCR. Synthetic miR-21 mimic and its control were transfected into rat Schwann cells.CCK-8 assay was performed to evaluate the influence of miR-21 on the proliferation of Schwann cells.The cell cycle distribution was determined by flow cytometry. The expression of transforming growth factorβ-induced protein ( TGFBI) and cyclin D1 were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS:The expression of miR-21 in model group was 7.87 ±0.75 and 7.75 ±0.80 times higher than that in sham operation group and blank group respectively.After transfected with miR-21 mimic, the expression of miR-21 in experimen-tal group was 2.21 ±0.14 and 2.29 ±0.21 times higher than that in negative control group and blank group respectively. Moreover, the A450 value of CCK-8 assay in experimental group at 48 h was higher than that in negative control group and blank group.The proliferation index in experimental group was higher than that in negative control group and blank group. At the same time, the expression of TGFBI obviously decreased and the cyclin D1 increased in the Schwann cells 48 h after transfection with miR-21.CONCLUSION:miR-21 promotes the proliferation activity of Schwann cells by down-regulating TGFBI expression.

Objective:To observe the expression of interleukin-17 and the infiltration of eosinophilic cells in nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis, and investigate the roles of IL-17 and eosinophils in the etiology of nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis.Method:A study was conducted on 21 patients of nasal polyps, 18 ones of allergic rhinitis and 12 normal individuals. Immunohistochemical stain with the rabbit monoclonal antibodies of IL-17 was carried out.The eosinophilic cells infiltrated in different tissues were stained with HE, then counted under high power filed.The data was analyzed with ANOVA of SPSS12.0 software.Result:Many IL-17 stained cells were found in the samples of nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis, which were significantly higher than those in normal individuals(P<0.05). Positive cell number in tissues of allergic rhinitis was similar to that in nasal polyps, but higher than in normal individuals. As for HE staining, there was no significant deviation of numbers of eosinophilic cell in tissue between allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps,while which differed from the normal ones(P<0.05).Conclusions:①IL-17 is a newly cytokine which expressed in mucosa of allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps tissue. It indicates the degree of immunological reaction and inflammatory reaction, and can be used as an index to research the mechanism of nasal polyps as well as allergic rhinitis.②The eosinophilic cells count was correlated with the amount of IL-17 positive cells in nasal ployps and with allergic rhinitis correlation coefficients were R=0.606(P<0.01)and R=0.446(P<0.05) respectively . It seems that eosinophils, which are regulated by IL-17, play an important roles in the development of nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis.

Objective To investigate the infection state and genotype of Babesia from tick at Alataw port,the China-Kazakhstan border.Methods Drag-flag method and animal body surface method were used to collect ticks at Ebinur Lake wetland,Alataw port.18s rRNA gene of Babesia was tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR),the sequence analysis was conducted with Blast and phylogenetic analysis was conducted with Mega 6.0.Results The positive rate of Babesia gene in ticks was 12.65％ (32/253) at Alataw port.By sequencing,32 sequences were divided in ALSK174,ALSK191,ALSK019 three groups.Analysis of Blast showed that ALSK174 had the highest homology with Babesia caballi (EU888904,South Africa),it was 99.72％ (356/357);ALSK191 had the highest homology with Babesia occultans (KP745626,Turkey),it was 99.72％ (350/351);ALSK019 had 95.76％ (339/354) homology with Babesia odocoilei (KC460321,Canada).Conclusion In this study,we have first reported that the Babesia is infected from ticks at Alataw port,the China-Kazakhstan border.

Objective To analyse the cost-effectiveness analysis of the focal injection treatment under the guidance of contrast enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) for the severe abdominal parenchymal organs trauma.Methods One hundred and twelve patients with severe abdominal parenchymal organs trauma,including 42 hepatic injuries,52 splenic injuries and 33 renal injuries,were rolled in this study. The cost-effectiveness of this group was compared with that of surgery group. Results Treatment duration of single organ trauma under the guidance of CEUS was 20 - 30 minutes. During the first 72 hours after the focal injection, blood pressure and heart rate were improved ( P ＜0.05). Free intraperitoneal liquid did not increase on immediate US image of post-therapy and then it disappeared gradually. Heart rate returned to normal level after injection treatment ( P ＜0. 001 ). Lengths of stay in hospital was 3 - 11 (5.4 ± 2.4)days, which was not different with 3 - 9(5.1± 1.9) of surgery group( P ＞0.05). Treatment cost was 0.32 - 0.43 (0.36 ±0. 14) ten thousand RMB, which was obviously less than 3. 1 - 4. 2 (3.6 ± 10.8) ten thousand RMB of surgery group ( P ＜ 0.01 ). Conclusions The efficacy of the focal injection treatment of the severe abdominal parenchymal organs trauma under the guidance of CEUS was consistent with that of the operative treatment, but its cost was less. Especially it benefited for reserving organs and less pain.

AIM:To investigate the specific anti-tumor effects of mature dendritic cells ( DCs) transfected with amplified mucin 1 ( MUC1) mRNA in vitro.METHODS:DCs separated and purified from the peripheral blood mononu-clear cells were induced in vitro and then identified by flow cytometry .pcDNA3.1(+)-MUC1 plasmid was constructed and was able to transcribe MUC1 mRNA in vitro.The MUC1 mRNA was transfected into DCs by electroporation .MUC1-trans-fected DCs were used to induce T cells to be cytotoxic T-lymphocytes .Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to assess MUC1 mRNA expression in transfected DCs .The proliferation of T cells was examined by MTT assay .The proportion of CD8 +cells in the T cells was determined by flow cytometry and the specific cytotoxicity was measured by LDH assay .The secretion of IFN-γwas detected by ELISA .RESULTS: The marker gene expression in the DCs transfected with MUC 1 mRNA was significantly increased compared with control group , peaking at 24 h.The transfection group showed the higher capacity to stimulate the proliferation of T cells compared with control group when the ratio of DCs to T cells was 1∶10.The proportion of CD8 +cells in transfection group was higher than that in control group .The lethal effect of special cytotoxic T-lymphocytes on target cells in transfection group was stronger than that in control group .The level of IFN-γin the cell su-pernatant of transfection group was higher than that in control group .CONCLUSION:DCs plus MUC1 mRNA by electri-cal transfection induces specific anti-tumor effects , which provides an experiment evidence of using MUC 1 as a target for immunotherapeutic strategy against non-small cell lung cancer .

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of hyperthermic intraperitoneal perfusion chemotherapy (HIPC) in treatment of advanced colorectal cancer.Methods The Meta-analysis was applied to analyze 8 randomized controlled quantitative studies published at domestic and abroad.These patients treated by HIPC after radical operation with colorectal cancer were included for the treatment group,and those treated only by radical operation with colorectal cancer for the control group.Relative risk (RR) of outcome variable of 3-year and 5-year survival rate and safety between the two groups were compared.Results There were 8 selected literatures,including 1 501 cases,in which 765 cases for treatment group,and 736 cases for control group.RR of 5-year survival rate of the total patients was 2.39 (95% CI:1.66-3.45).RR of 3-year survival rate of the total patients was 2.13 (95% CI:1.45-3.13).The results demonstrated that HIPC could improve 5-year and 3-year survival rate,and sensitivity analysis confirmed the conclusions more reliable.The security was described in 5 literatures,the available information showed smaller potential security issue.Conclusions HIPC after radical operation of advanced colorectal cancer can increase 5-year and 3-year survival rate of patients,improve the prognosis of patients.Whether patients with increased incidence of postoperative complications related to the HIPC is no clear-cut conclusions for lack of related research.

Objective: To observe the effects of acupoint thread-embedding therapy and low-carbohydrate diet therapy on obese patients with food addiction. Methods: Sixty-five eligible patients were randomized into a thread-embedding group of 33 cases and a diet group of 32 cases to respectively receive 12-week treatment. Before treatment, after treatment and at 6-month follow-up, the two groups were observed and compared in terms of body mass (BM), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI), body fat rate (BFR), basal metabolic rate (BMR) and Yale food addiction scale version 2.0 (YFAS 2.0). Results: At the end of treatment, there were no significant differences in the general efficacy, and the improvements in BM, BMI, WC, HC, WHR and BFR between the thread-embedding group and diet group (all P>0.05). At follow-up, the thread-embedding group showed more significant improvements in all the aforementioned indicators compared with the diet group except HC (all P<0.05). At the end of treatment and follow-up, BMR and YFSA 2.0 had more significant improvements in the thread-embedding group than in the diet group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Acupoint thread-embedding therapy can produce significant efficacy in treating obese patients with food addiction; it can improve the food addiction state and work better in maintaining the efficacy compared with low-carbohydrate diet therapy.

PURPOSE: The role of systemic sensitization in the pathophysiology of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) remains elusive. This study sought to characterize the pattern of cytokines in polyp tissues from atopic and nonatopic patients with CRSwNP. METHODS: Atopic and nonatopic polyp and normal tissues were collected from 70 CRSwNP patients and 26 control subjects, respectively. The distribution of inflammatory cells (eosinophils, neutrophils, mast cells, etc.) were examined using immunohistochemistry, the mRNA levels of the transcription factors GATA-3, T-bet, RORc, and FOXP3 were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The levels of inflammatory mediators (IFN-gamma, IL-5, IL-17A, etc.) in tissue homogenates were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Moreover, the levels of inflammatory mediators in the supernatant of anti-IgE stimulated polyp tissues were measured using ELISA. RESULTS: Atopic CRSwNP patients were characterized by increased eosinophil accumulation, enhanced eosinophilic inflammation (elevated IL-5, ECP, and total IgE), and significantly increased GATA-3 mRNA levels (P<0.05), whereas both atopic and non-atopic CRSwNP patients showed decreased FOXP3 mRNA expression (P<0.05). After addition of anti-IgE stimulation, atopic CRSwNP patients produced more IL-5, IL-2, IL-10, IL-17A, and PGD2 in the supernatant of stimulated polyp tissues than nonatopic CRSwNP patients did. CONCLUSIONS: Atopic and nonatopic CRSwNP patients may possess the patterns of inflammatory response in polyp tissues.
China* ; Cytokines ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-17 ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukin-5 ; Mast Cells ; Nasal Polyps* ; Neutrophils ; Polyps ; Prostaglandin D2 ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger ; Transcription Factors

OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of interleukin-17 and the infiltration of eosinophilic cells in nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis, and investigate the roles of IL-17 and eosinophils in the etiology of nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis. METHOD: A study was conducted on 21 patients of nasal polyps, 18 ones of allergic rhinitis and 12 normal individuals. Immunohistochemical stain with the rabbit monoclonal antibodies of IL-17 was carried out. The eosinophilic cells infiltrated in different tissues were stained with HE, then counted under high power filed. The data was analyzed with ANOVA of SPSS12.0 software. RESULT: Many IL-17 stained cells were found in the samples of nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis, which were significantly higher than those in normal individuals (P < 0.05). Positive cell number in tissues of allergic rhinitis was similar to that in nasal polyps, but higher than in normal individuals. As for HE staining, there was no significant deviation of numbers of eosinophilic cell in tissue between allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps,while which differed from the normal ones (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS 1. IL-17 is a newly cytokine which expressed in mucosa of allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps tissue. It indicates the degree of immunological reaction and inflammatory reaction, and can be used as an index to research the mechanism of nasal polyps as well as allergic rhinitis. 2. The eosinophilic cells count was correlated with the amount of IL-17 positive cells in nasal polyps and with allergic rhinitis correlation coefficients were R = 0. 606 (P < 0 01)and R = 0.446 (P < 0.05) respectively. It seems that eosinophils, which are regulated by IL-17, play an important roles in the development of nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Eosinophils ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-17 ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Nasal Polyps ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rhinitis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Young Adult