Objective To determine the expression of CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+ regulatory T cells(Treg cells) in peripheral blood of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and investigate the clinical significance of Treg cells determination in clinical practice. Methods Flow cytometry was employed to measure the levels of CD4+ CD25+ T cells and CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+ T cells in peripheral blood of 18 HCC patients, 26 hospitalized patients without HCC (clinical control) as well as 24 healthy persons (healthy control). Results The percentage of CD4+ CD25+ T cells in total CD4+T cells isolated from the HCC patients(4.25% ± 3.98 % ) was elevated significantly compared to that in the clinical control group (1.34% ± 1.14%) or healthy control group (1.29% ±0.95%) (both P＜0.01). There was no difference in the percentage between the clinical control group and the healthy control group (P＞0.05). Meanwhile, the ratio between CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+ T cells and CD4+ T cells in HCC patients (2.94%0.91%) also increased significantly compared to that in the clinical control group (0.76% ± 0.34%) or healthy control group (0.81% ± 0.29%) ( both P＜0. 001), which showed a more obvious increasing tendency than the ratio of CD4+ CD25+ T cells and CD4+ T cells. No difference in percentage of CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+ T cells in CD4+ T cells was found between the clinical control group and the healthy control group (P＞0.05). Conclusion As the more accurate regulatory T cells, CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+ T cells are able to detect the increase of population in HCC patients. Therefore, it is important to determine the levels of CD4+ CD25+FOXP3+ T cells in HCC patients for prevention and treatment of malignancy.

Background Clinical work found that triamcinolone acetonide (TA)bleeding during vitrectomy in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR),but its mechanism is not clear.Objective This study was to explore the anastalsis of TA in vitrectomy for PDR.Methods A prospective study was performed.Twelve eyes of 12 patients who received vitrectomy combined with the intraocular use of TA for PDR were in cluded in Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from 2011 to 2014 and served as TA group.Thirty-two eyes of 32 patients who underwent vitrectomy for epimacular membrane or macular hole were enrolled as control group.The vitreous specimens of 0.6 ～0.8 ml was collected during the surgery.The concentrations of urokinase plasminogen activator (u-PA),tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitors 1 (PAI-1) in vatreous were measured by ELISA.Results The mean contents u-PA,t-PA and PAI-1 in the vatreous were 25.45,127.44 and 0.42 ng/ml respectively in the TA group,and those the mean contents in the control group were 22.94,142.37 and 0.27 ng/ml respectively,shouwing a significant difference between the TA group and the control group (Z=-2.268,P＜0.05).NO significant difference was found in vitreous t-PA and PAI-1 between TA and control groups (Z =-0.092,-1.847,both at P＞0.05).Conclusions Vitreous u-PA content is increased in PDR eyes,which is more likely to lead bleeding.Anastalsis of TA during vitrectomy for PDR may be relatived to decreasing vitreous t-PA and u-PA contents as well as increasing PAI-1 contents.

Objective:To observe the preventive effects of infliximab in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and to explore its mechanism.Methods:The mice AIH model was established by injecting concanavalin A (Con-A) into the caudal vein. Forty mice were divided into prevention group and control group, with 20 mice in each group. The mice of prevention group were injected intravenously with infliximab (20 mg/kg) one hour before Con-A injection and the mice of control group were administrated with 200 μL phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Serum was collected 3, 8, 12 and 24 h after Con-A/PBS injection. The serum level of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was detected by colorimetry. The level of cytokine interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), IL-4, IL-17A, IL-10 and chemokine C-X-C motif ligand 10 (CXCL10) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Liver samples were taken 12 h after Con-A/PBS injection for hematoxylin-eosin staining. Liver infiltrated lymphocytes were assessed by flow cytometry. The expression of T-box transcription factor 21 ( TBX21), GATA binding protein 3 ( GATA3), RAR related orphan receptor C ( RORC) and CXCL10 at mRNA level was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The expression of CXCL10 in liver was detected by Western blotting. Paired t test and one-way analysis of variance were used for statistic analysis. Results:At 8, 12, and 24 h after Con-A injection, the serum ALT level, AST level, IL-1β and IFN-γ of prevention group were all lower than those of control group ((545.8±190.3) U/L vs. (865.8±237.7) U/L, (947.6±267.9) U/L vs. (1 448.0±403.5) U/L, (508.6±131.1) U/L vs. (976.6±207.6) U/L; (620.7±132.0) U/L vs. (952.9±106.8) U/L, (801.6±212.0) U/L vs. (1 424.8±236.0) U/L, (632.1±117.8) U/L vs. (1 008.3±187.5) U/L; (31.38±10.12) ng/L vs. (48.12±11.53) ng/L, (39.34±11.40) ng/L vs. (60.00±14.17) ng/L, (29.49±8.22) ng/L vs. (46.89±5.50) ng/L; and (432.93±66.82) ng/L vs. (674.66±97.88) ng/L, (655.09±169.17) ng/L vs. (937.90±166.36) ng/L, (263.40±54.97) ng/L vs. (410.74±86.64) ng/L), and the differences were statistically significant ( t = 2.350, 2.308, 4.263, 4.374, 4.860, 3.806, 2.440, 2.541, 3.939, 4.560, 2.660 and 3.210; all P<0.05). The serum IL-6 levels 3, 8, 12 and 24 h after Con-A injection of prevention group were all lower than those of control group ((1 075.79±303.77) ng/L vs. (1 914.48±317.80) ng/L, (1 945.97±271.85) ng/L vs. (2 100.80±378.42) ng/L, (1 578.60±504.54) ng/L vs. (2 525.40±406.55) ng/L, (1 020.64±280.03) ng/L vs. (1 582.00±311.96) ng/L), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=4.266, 2.903, 3.267 and 2.994; all P < 0.05). At 3 h after Con-A injection, serum CXCL10 level and CXCL10 mRNA expression in liver tissues of prevention group were both lower than those of control group ((1 755.8±148.1) ng/L vs. (2 102.0±334.0) ng/L and 7.20±3.00 vs. 27.60±1.90), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=2.356 and 2.623, both P<0.05). At 3 and 8 h after Con-A injection, T- bet expression at mRNA level in liver tissues of prevention group was lower than that of control group (6.94±2.29 vs. 15.20±3.48 and 9.38±3.48 vs. 18.17±4.48), and the differences were both statistically significant ( t = 4.427 and 3.673, both P<0.05). However, 3, 8, 12 and 24 h after Con-A injection, there were no statistically significant differences in serum IL-4, IL-17A, IL-10, or GATA3 or RORC expression at mRNA level between prevention group and control group (all P > 0.05). Conclusions:Infliximab has certain preventive effects in mice AIH model, which may be achieved by antagonizing TNF-α and decreasing the expression of CXCL10 in liver, reducing the infiltration of T-helper 1 cells and CD8 + T cells into liver, and by reducing T lymphocyte activation induced by inflammatory cytokines thus alleviating the damage of T lymphocytes to hepatocytes.

Objective:To observe the level of microparticles in the vitreous of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), and preliminarily explore the role of microparticles in the pathogenesis of PDR.Methods:A case control study. From January to December 2018, 54 cases of 54 eyes of PDR patients (PDR group) and 20 cases of non-diabetic retinopathy patients (control group), who were diagnosed and treated with vitrectomy (PPV) in the Department of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital vitreous samples were included in the study. Among 54 eyes in the PDR group, there were 42, 21, and 17 eyes with vitreous hemorrhage (VH), traction retinal detachment (TRD), and previous intravitreal injection of drugs, respectively. Among the 20 eyes of the control group, idiopathic macular hole, idiopathic anterior macular membrane, vitreous macular traction syndrome, and complete lens dislocation were 6, 6, 2, and 6 eyes, respectively. The PDR group was divided into uncombined TRD group and combined TRD group according to PDR stage and whether TRD occurred, with 33 and 21 eyes, respectively. According to the presence or absence of VH, they were divided into groups with VH and without VH, with 42 eyes and 12 eyes, respectively. According to whether anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs were injected into the intravitreal cavity 3 days before PPV, they were divided into anti-VEGF drug group and no anti-VEGF drug group, with 17 eyes and 37 eyes respectively. The levels of retinal photoreceptor cells (RMP), platelets (PMP), endothelial cells (EMP) and phosphatidylserine (PS-MP) expressing on the membrane surface in the sample were detected by flow cytometry. The comparison between the two groups of samples was performed by t test, and the comparison between multiple groups of samples was performed by one-way analysis of variance or Mann-Whitney test. Results:Compared with the control group, the vitreous RMP level of the PDR group was significantly decreased, and the EMP and PMP levels were significantly increased. The differences were statistically significant ( t=-2.361, 5.064, 3.531; P=0.018, <0.001, 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in PS-MP levels between the two groups ( t=-1.617, P=0.110). Compared with the TRD group, the levels of RMP and PMP in the vitreous of the TRD group were significantly increased, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-2.221, -2.098; P=0.031, 0.041). The level of EMP in the vitreous body of the anti-VEGF drug group was significantly lower than that of the non-anti-VEGF drug group, however, it was still higher than the control group. The difference was statistically significant ( Z=-2.430, -2.499; P=0.015, 0.012). The level of PMP in the vitreous body of the eye without VH was significantly higher than that in the group with VH, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-3.097, P=0.003). Conclusions:The elevated levels of EMP and PMP in the vitreous of PDR patients may be related to the damage of retinal capillaries; intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF drugs before surgery can reduce the level of EMP. VH may be related to the procoagulant effect of PMP.

ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of health-related physical fitness of patients with chronic neck pain, and the relationship between neck pain and physical fitness. MethodsFrom Match to June, 2020, 30 healthy controls and 30 patients with chronic neck pain in Dalian University of Technology were included. They were assessed with Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Visual Analog Scale for pain (VAS). The body composition, grip strength (dominant), shoulder joint flexibility, cardiopulmonary endurance and neck muscle endurance of all the participants were measured. ResultsThe content of standardized subcutaneous fat was more, and the trunk muscle content was less in the patients than in the healthy controls, while the standardized grip strength, endurance of neck flexor and extensor, right shoulder flexibility, absolute maximum oxygen uptake were all poorer (|t| > 2.088, P < 0.05). The score of VAS correlated (P < 0.05) with the score of NDI score (r = 0.407), grip strength (r = -0.406), endurance of neck extensor (r = -0.384), right shoulder joint flexibility (r = -0.551) and absolute value of maximal oxygen uptake (r = -0.510). ConclusionHealth-related physical fitness has been impaired for patients with chronic neck pain, and correlates with the intensity of pain.

Objective Explore differences in the cognitive abilities of socially different Labradors.Methods The dog mentality assessment(DMA)test created by the Swedish Working Dog Association was modified to employ 12 behavioral variables from five subtests of the DMA test,social contact,play Ⅰ,distance-play,ghosts and play Ⅱ,to assess sociability of the dogs.In accordance with the scoring criteria,49 labradors provided by the China Guide Dog Training Centre in Dalian were scored on the social behavioral variables and classified into high(n=15)and low(n=34)sociability groups by cluster analysis.A new system to test canine cognitive ability was developed using the dog cognitive development battery,which tests various domains of cognitive ability such as social cue use,unsolvable task,inhibitory control,cognitive flexibility,working memory,and multistep problem solving task.The dogs'behavioral performance and duration of the test were also recorded.Statistical analysis was performed to determine assess differences in the cognitive abilities of socially diverse dogs.Results Dogs in the high and low social subgroups differed significantly in behavioral variables of the unsolvable task,inhibitory control test,and multistep problem solving task.In the unsolvable task,dogs in the high social group looked at people for significantly longer than dogs in the low social grouping(P=0.008)and looked at people with significantly less latency time than dogs in the low social group(P=0.0001).In the inhibitory control,dogs in the high social group chose significantly more correctly than dogs in the low social group(P=0.034)and chose for significantly less time than dogs in the low social group(P=0.039).In the multistep problem solving task,for dogs in the high social group.successfully completed number of stakes was significantly higher than for dogs in the low social group(P=0.044).The percentage of operation pale time was significantly lower than for dogs in the low social group(P=0.05).The average latency time to solve the bone task was significantly higher than for dogs in the low social group(P=0.037).Moreover,the percentage of operation bone time was significantly lower than for dogs in the low social group(P=0.038).In tests involving a manipulable apparatus,dogs in the high social group spent more time looking at people than dogs in the low social group and less time manipulating the apparatus than dogs in the low subgroup,but no statistically significant differences were observed(P＞0.05).Conclusions Highly sociable labradors have a greater cognitive ability,they are more able to suppress impulses during tests,more able to complete the multistep problem solving task,and more inclined to change strategies to seek new cues from people rather than obsessing over manipulating the apparatus when they are unable to solve a problem.

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum interleukin-1β(IL-1β),C-reactive pro-tein to albumin ratio(CAR)and heparin-binding protein(HBP)levels and secondary pulmonary Candida albi-cans infection during chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer.Methods A total of 175 patients with lung cancer admitted to this hospital from January 2018 to April 2022 were selected,and all patients were treated with chemotherapy.According to whether they had secondary pulmonary Candida albicans infection,they were divided into infection group(37 cases)and non-infection group(138 cases).The clinical data,serum levels of IL-1β,HBP and CAR were compared between the two groups.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of secondary pulmonary Candida albicans infection in patients with lung cancer during chemotherapy.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the pre-dictive value of serum IL-1β,CAR and HBP for secondary pulmonary Candida albicans infection during chemo-therapy,and the prognosis of lung cancer patients with different serum IL-1β,HBP levels and CAR were com-pared.Results There were significant differences in smoking,pathological stage,diabetes mellitus,chemo-therapy cycle,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and anatomical location between the infection group and the non-infection group(P＜0.05).The serum levels of IL-1β,HBP and CAR in the infection group were higher than those in the non-infection group(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that smoking,diabetes,anatomical site,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,pathological stage,chemotherapy cycle and serum IL-1β,HBP,CAR were the influencing factors of secondary pulmonary Candida albicans infec-tion in patients with lung cancer during chemotherapy(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of serumIL-1β,CAR and HBP in predicting pulmonary Candida albicans infection was 0.779,0.732 and 0.796,respec-tively.The AUC of the combination of the three was 0.931,and the sensitivity and specificity were 86.49％and 90.58％,respectively.The survival rate of lung cancer patients with high levels of IL-1β,CAR and HBP was sig-nificantly lower than that of patients with low levels of Il-1β,CAR and HBP(P＜0.05).Conclusion The in-crease of serum IL-1β,CAR and HBP levels in patients with lung cancer is related to secondary pulmonary Candida albicans infection during chemotherapy.Detection of these serum Il-1β,CAR and HBP levels is helpful to predict the risk of pulmonary Candida albicans infection and death.

ObjectiveTo understand the development stages and use of policy tools of general practitioner policies in China since it was first proposed, to summarize the experience and explore the shortcomings, so as to provide references for the adjustment and optimization of China’s general practitioner policies. MethodsContent analysis and mathematical statistics analysis were used to conduct a quantitative research on 111 policy documents with 422 policy items involving general practitioners at the national level from 1997 to 2023, through a three-dimensional analysis framework integrating policy tools, human capital process and policy development stages. ResultsCapacity‑building policy tools were most frequently used in general practitioner policies, and the policy tools gradually shifted from mandate to inducement. The general practitioner policies paid less attention to the career selection link, but paid full attention to every segment of human capital links, with a comprehensive application of policy tools observed in the integrated development stage, despite the existence of unbalanced internal distribution. ConclusionIt is suggested to promote the use of incentive policy tools and to explore multiple approaches based on incentive theory; pay attention to the career selection link for guiding the employment of general practitioners; take the appropriateness between the policy tools and human capital process into comprehensive consideration, striking a dynamic balance of the internal structure of general practitioner policies.

ObjectiveTo analyze the characteristics of policy texts related to the physician periodic assessment system in China, providing references for the improvement of the system. MethodsContent analysis was employed, examining 116 policy documents from three dimensions: policy process, policy themes, and policy tools. ResultsA total of 298 codes were obtained. The number of policies related to the periodic assessment of physicians showed an overall trend of increasing first and then decreasing, with the peak annual issuance period between 2011 and 2021, and the average number of policy texts showing a downward trend. Policy documents were summarized into 3 levels: physician periodic assessment work, individual behavior, and institutional systems, encompassing a total of 8 categories of themes. The proportion of supply-oriented, environmental-oriented, and demand-oriented policy tools were 4.03%, 60.40%, and 35.57%, respectively. Moreover, environmental-oriented tools continued to dominate over time, followed by demand-oriented tools, with supply-oriented tools being the least. ConclusionThe policy themes are relatively broad and difficult to implement, focusing on establishing regulations while neglecting resource provision, and failing to continuously improve the construction of the system. It is recommended to clearly define the scope of the periodic assessment management, improve supporting systems, increase resource supply, and continuously promote the execution of assessments and policy revisions.

Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is one of the major complications of diabetes mellitus, characterized by neurodegeneration and microangiopathy. Currently, the treatment of DR is mainly focused on the management of late complications and has not achieved the desired clinical outcome. Evidence suggests that the PI3K/AKT pathway, as one of the important intracellular signaling pathways during the cell cycle, is involved in the whole process of DR pathogenesis. This article focuses on the structural composition, activation and blocking pathways, conduction pathways, regulatory mechanisms and biological functions of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to review its role in DR and to explore the potential of targeting the PI3K/AKT pathway for the treatment of DR.