Objective: To study the association between the outcomes of intravenous pulse-therapy with immunosuppressants and the changes of peripheral blood T cell subgroup in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO). Methods: Fifty-eight patients with GO were randomized into 2 groups (n=29). All patients received antithyroid drugs orally and (or) Levothyroxine; they also received intravenous meprednisone (0.5 g) and cyclophosphamide (0.2 g) once a day for 3 days. After an interval of 4 days the administration of meprednisone and cyclophosphamide was repeated. All patients received a total of 3-6 times of treatment. Patients in group A were given prednisone and cyclophosphamide orally after immunosuppressants. Patients in group B were injected with Dexamethasone into thyroid after immunosuppressants. Results: Two patients withdrew from group A and one from group B. The therapeutic effect in group B was significantly better than that in group A (P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, the degrees of exophthalmos and exophthalmos activity were significantly lowered after treatment (P<0.05); the thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAb), thyroid peroxidase (TPOAb), peripheral blood NK cells, CD3+ T lymphocytes, and CD8+ T lymphocytes were significantly reduced after treatment (P<0.05); the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ was increased after the treatment (P<0.05). The degrees of exophthalmos, exophthalmos activity and levels of CD3+ T lymphocytes decreased more significantly in group B than in group A (P<0.05). The ratio of CD4+/CD8+ increased more significantly in group B than in group A(P<0.05). Before treatment the counts of CD4+ T lymphocytes were markedly different between the effective, moderately effective, and the ineffective group (P<0.05). Significant differences in TRAb, TPOAb, CD3+, CD8+ cells were found among the 3 groups after treatment. (P<0.05). CD4+ T lymphocytes and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were significantly higher after treatment compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). Significant differences in TRAb, CD4+, CD8+ T lymphocytes, CD4+/CD8+ ratio were found among 3 groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: Combination of meprednison and cyclophosphamide can relieve the abnormality of peripheral blood T cells in GO and has obvious therapeutic effect. Additional intrathyroid injection of dexamethasone may achieve even better outcome. The reduction of CD4+ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood of GO patients may indicate poor prognsis.

Objective: To investigate the expression of recombined human immunoglobulin λ light chain 022 and TOM1 gene and to determine the protein expression of HSIGVL022 in omental adipose tissues of patients with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance (T2DM-IR). Methods: Fat tissues from greater omentum of T2DM-IR patients and normal controls were obtained. The mRNA levels of recombined human immunoglobulin λ light chain 022 and TOM1 were measured by fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR; expression of HSIGVL022 protein was identified by immunohistochemistry. Results: The mRNA levels of HSIGVL022 and TOM1 in T2DM-IR patients were (34 140±6 160) copy/million house-keeping genes and (4 440±617) copy/ million housekeeping genes, respectively; those in control group were (5 930±661) copy/million house-keeping genes and (1 360±82) copy/million house-keeping genes, respectively. There were significant difference between the 2 groups (P<0.05). The mRNA level of HSIGVL022 was significantly higher than that of TOM1 (P<0.01) and was linearly correlated with homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index(P<0.05). The positive rates of HSIGVL022 protein in T2DM-IR and control group were (12.43±2.41)% and (2.31±0.48)%, respectively; the strong positive rates were (6.62±1.69)% and (2.12± 0.34)%, respectively (P<0.05). Conclusion: Both HSIGVL022 and TOM1 are expressed in the fat tissues of greater omentum, with the level of HSIGVL022 higher than that of TOM1. The 2 genes are up-regulated in patients with insulin resistance and the HSIGVL022 protein increases correspondingly. The mRNA level of HSIGVL022 is linearly correlated with HOMA-IR index. The 2 genes are possibly related with insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; instrumentation ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Prosthesis Failure ; Stents

Animals ; Bone Density ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Osteoporosis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; metabolism ; Ovariectomy ; Phytotherapy

Brugada Syndrome ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Coronary Artery Disease ; physiopathology ; Coronary Vasospasm ; physiopathology ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) pathway in knee joint synovial tissues of rats with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to explore the action mechanism of EA on RA. Methods: Twelve of the 48 SPF male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were assigned to a normal group by the random number table method. The remaining 36 rats were subjected to RA model preparation by intradermal injection of the Freund's complete adjuvant into the right hind foot pad of each rat under sterile conditions. After the model was successfully prepared, rats were then divided into a model group, a drug group and an EA group according to a random number table method (n=12). Rats in the drug group were treated with 2 mL aqueous solution of tripterygium glycosides [8.1 mg/(kg?bw)]; rats in the EA group were treated with EA at bilateral Yanglingquan (GB 34) and Zusanli (ST 36), for 30 min each time; rats in the normal group and the model group were placed in a special rat fixation tank for 30 min each time, and received the same dose of normal saline as those in the drug group. Rats in all groups received intervention once a day for 4 weeks. Diameter of rat ankle joint and rat arthritis index were measured before and after the intervention. At the end of the experiment, the expressions of phospho-JAK2 and phospho-STAT3 were determined by immunohistochemistry. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect JAK2 and STAT3 mRNAs expressions. Results: After the model was produced, the arthritis index >2 was considered successful in model preparation. Compared with the model group, the ankle joint diameters and arthritis indexes of rats in the drug group and the EA group were significantly lower (all P<0.01); immunohistochemical staining cells with phospho-JAK2 and phospho-STAT3 were significantly decreased (all P<0.01); the expression levels of JAK2 and STAT3 mRNAs were decreased with statistical differences (all P<0.01). There were no significant differences between the EA group and the drug group (all P>0.05). Conclusion: EA can alleviate the inflammatory response of RA rats, improve their pathological conditions, reduce the expressions of phospho-JAK2 and phospho-STAT3 in the synovial tissue of knee joint, and decrease the expressions of JAK2 and STAT3 mRNAs. The therapeutic effect of EA is comparable to that of the tripterygium glycosides. The mechanism of EA treatment may be related to the inactivation of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

Objective To observe the effects of estrogen on the behavior and the norepinephrine level in the habenular nucleus of depressive rats,and explore the mechanism of estrogen involved in the process of antidepression.Methods Thirty rats were chosen from forty male Wistar rats,which had the similar scores in open field test.The depression models of rats were established by chronic mild stress.Open field test and forced swimming test were performed to detect the behavioral changes between rats with ovary excision(OVX) and with estradiol-treated ovary excision(OV/ER).High performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) was used to observe the changes of norepinephrine level in habenular nucleus.Results After 21-day chronic mild stress,the open field test showed that the vertical motion and cross motion in OV/ER group were increased(P

Background The characteristics of anisometropic amblyopia in ocular morphology are becoming a hot topic in amblyopia field.And the interocular difference in corneal parameters of anisometropic amblyopia is to be understood here.Corneal topography is a non-invasive method for in vivo corneal examination and applied in our study.Objective This study was to investigate the interocular difference of corneal topography in anisometropic amblyopic patients Methods This was a serial cases observation.Thirty anisometropic amblyopes were selected in Center for Optometry and Visual Science,People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.The patients were divided into amblyopic eye group and fellow eye group based on the best corrected distance visual acuity.Corneal topography was examined with Orbscan Ⅱ z,and corneal morphological parameters such as Diff values of the anterior and posterior corneal surface,Sim K 's astigmatism,Kmax,angle kappa and central corneal thickness (CCT) were measured.The interocular differences in these parameters were evaluated by paired t test,and the correlations in these parameters between the amblyopic eyes and the fellow eyes were analyzed by Pearson linear correlation and simple regression analysis.Results The Diff values of the anterior corneal surface were (0.011±0.006)mm and (0.011±0.017)mm,and those in the posterior corneal surface were (0.031 ±0.012)mm and (0.026 ±0.008)mm in the amblyopic eye group and the fellow eye group,respectively.In addition,Sim K's astigmatism were (1.8± 1.1)D and (1.1 ±0.6) D,JCC were (77±80) °and (100±80) °,J0 values were (-0.17±0.72) D and (0.02±0.41) D,J45 values were (-0.16±0.79) D and (0.13 ±0.48) D,CCT values were (551 ±37) μm and (551 ±31) μm,angle kappa values were (6.4± 1.4) ° and (4.9 ± 1.2) ° in the amblyopic eye group and the fellow eye group,respectively.Significant differences were found in the Diff values of the anterior and posterior corneal surface,Sim K's astigmatism and angle kappa between the two groups (t=-3.041,P=0.005 ;t=-4.317,P=0.000 ;t=-4.571,P=0.000).Pearson's linear correlation test demonstrated significant interocular positive correlations in parameters such as the anterior corneal surface Diff values (r =0.444),J0 (r =0.383),posterior Diff values (r =0.600),and Sim K 's astigmatism (r =0.479),and CCT (r =0.948,P＜0.05).The linear regression equation between the two groups was Y =-0.005 +1.392X (R2 =0.197,F=6.858,P=0.014) in the Diff values in the anterior corneal surface,Y =-0.013+0.421X (R2=0.360,F=15.761,P=0.000) in the Diff values in the posterior corneal surface,Y =0.616+0.27X (R2=0.230,F=8.348,P=0.007) in the Sim K's astigmatism,Y=0.060+0.219X (R2 =0.147,F=4.814,P=0.037) in theJo and Y=i08.289+0.804X (R2 =0.899,F=250.293,P=0.000) in CCT.Conclusions Corneal morphological interocular differences exist significantly in anisometropic amblyopic patients.

Objective To investigate the effect of psychological stress on serum iron concentration of SD rats and its mechanism. Method SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group (CG), psychological stress 1w group (PG 1w) and 2w group (PG-2w), and psychological stress 2w with 1w free group (PG 2w-1w). The animal model of stress was tested for 1w, 2w, and 2w with 1w free from stress. The iron concentration of serum, liver, spleen and the expression of liver hepcidin were detected by atomic absorption spectrometry and Western blot respectively. Result (1) Compared with control group, serum iron concentration of rats under stress decreased. (2) Free of psychological stress 1w later, serum iron concentration was not significantly changed. (3) Iron concentration of liver and spleen was increased significantly compared with control group, and the expression of liver hepcidin was also increased. Conclusion Psychological stress may cause serum iron of rats to decrease obviously, and it was restored after 1w free from psychological stress. The mechanism is supposed to be increase of iron storage in liver and spleen by hepcidin in rats under psychological stress.

Abnormalities, Multiple ; pathology ; Adolescent ; Alopecia ; pathology ; Bone Diseases, Developmental ; pathology ; Diarrhea ; pathology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Muscle Spasticity ; pathology ; Syndrome