Objective To reveal the effect of lutein on the status of oxidative stress in rats with high homocysteine levels (HHcy) and relevent molecular mechanisms.Methods The wistar rat HHcy model was established by intra-gastric administration with L-methionine suspension and treated with lutein.The oxidative stress status and the gene expression changes of transcription Nf-E2-related factor2 (Nrf2),a regulation factor of down stream antioxidant protein gene expression,were detected in HHcy rats and lutein intervention rats.Results Compared with the rat serum SOD activities (134.32 ± 12.65) U/mL in the control group,the serum SOD activities in the HHcy model group (95.6 ± 10.92) U/mL were significantly lower (P ＜ 0.05).The serum glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities in the HHcy model group (121.66 ± 18.64) U/mL were also significantly lower as compared with the the control group (183.17 ± 21.29) U/mL,P ＜ 0.05.However,the serum SOD (126.75 ± 11.26) U/mL and GPx activities (167.18 ± 19.66) U/mL in the lutein intervention group were significantly higher as compared with the HHcy model group.As compared with the rat serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content (5.11 ± 0.68) μmol/L as well as the hydroxyl free radical levels (0.53 ± 0.05) U/L in the control group,the serum MDA content (7.65 ± 0.87) μmol/L and the hydroxyl free radical levels (0.92 ± 0.09) U/L in the HHcy model group were significantly higher.The serum MDA content (6.44 ±0.91) μmol/L and the hydroxyl free radical levels (0.74 ± 0.06) U/L in the lutein intervention group were significantly lower as compared with the HHcy model group.RT-PCR and Western blot results also showed decreased expression of SOD2 and GPxl mRNA in aorta epithelial tissues of HHcy model rats.With lutein intervention,the expressions ofSOD2 and GPx1mRNA were significantly increased and the gene expression of Nrf2 also up-regulated.Conclusions The Hhcy model rats were under the status of augmented oxidative stress,and carotenoid lutein could attenuate the Hcy-mediated oxidative stress,and its mechanism might be potentially associated with up-regulating the expression of Nrf2,thereby inducing the expression of its downstream antioxidant proteins.

Objectives:To investigate the effects of morning blood pressure on vascular endothelial function and chronic inflammatory response in the elderly.Methods:349 elderly people aged ≥60 who underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in Gaomi Municipal Hospital from April 2018 to October 2019 were selected to detect brachial artery flow mediated vasodilation (FMD) and chronic inflammatory factors [high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-17] levels. According to the results of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, the subjects were divided into normal blood pressure group ( n=108), simple morning hypertension group ( n=114) and hypertension group ( n=127). The clinical data, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure parameters, vascular endothelial function and inflammatory factors of the three groups were compared. The correlation between 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure parameters and FMD and inflammatory factors was analyzed by partial correlation. Results:Compared with the normal blood pressure group, the simple morning hypertension group and the hypertension group had lower FMD (all P<0.05), higher serum hsCRP and TNF-α , IL-17 levels (all P<0.05). Compared with the simple morning hypertension group, the hypertension group had lower FMD ( P<0.05), higher serum hsCRP, TNF-α and IL-17 levels (all P<0.05). After controlling for age, sex, smoking history, drinking history, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood glucose and 24 h average blood pressure, the morning systolic blood pressure was negatively correlated with FMD ( P<0.05), and positively correlated with serum hsCRP and TNF-α and IL-17 levels (all P<0.05); the morning diastolic blood pressure was negatively correlated with FMD ( P<0.05) and positively correlated with serum hsCRP and TNF-α levels (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Morning blood pressure level is closely related to vascular endothelial function and chronic inflammation level, and is independent of 24-hour average blood pressure. The increase of morning blood pressure may be an important risk factor for endothelial dysfunction and chronic inflammation in the elderly.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of metoprolol on elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF)and its influence on serum interleukin-12 (IL-12)and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP)levels.Methods A total of 86 patients with CHF served as study objects and ran-domly divided into observation group and control group,43 cases for each.Routine medicines were given to control group while observational group added with metoprolol for 12 weeks.Clinical effica-cy and changes of serum IL-12 and BNP levels were observed.Results Total response rate in obser-vation group was 93.02%,evidently higher than in control group (P <0.01),and there were sig-nificant differences before and after treatment and between two groups in blood pressure,heart rate and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)(P <0.01).Conclusion Basic therapies concomitant with metoprolol have better clinical efficacy than single application of basic therapies,and can more effectively regulate serum IL-12 and BNP expressions and improve the internal environment of body of elderly patients with CHF.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of metoprolol on elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF)and its influence on serum interleukin-12 (IL-12)and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP)levels.Methods A total of 86 patients with CHF served as study objects and ran-domly divided into observation group and control group,43 cases for each.Routine medicines were given to control group while observational group added with metoprolol for 12 weeks.Clinical effica-cy and changes of serum IL-12 and BNP levels were observed.Results Total response rate in obser-vation group was 93.02%,evidently higher than in control group (P <0.01),and there were sig-nificant differences before and after treatment and between two groups in blood pressure,heart rate and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)(P <0.01).Conclusion Basic therapies concomitant with metoprolol have better clinical efficacy than single application of basic therapies,and can more effectively regulate serum IL-12 and BNP expressions and improve the internal environment of body of elderly patients with CHF.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for three Chinese patients with McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS). METHODS: Three children who had respectively presented at Shandong Provincial Hospital in April 2019 and Peking Union Medical College Hospital in August 2020 and May 2021 were selected as the research subjects. Peripheral blood samples of the probands and their family members were taken for the extraction of genomic DNA. Potential variants were screened by whole exome sequencing (WES), and candidate variants were validated by Sanger sequencing of the patients and their family members. RESULTS: The proband from family 1 was found to harbor a heterozygous c.601C>T (p.R201C) missense variant in exon 8 of the GNAS gene, whilst the probands from families 2 and 3 were both found to harbor a heterozygous c.602G>A (p.R201H) missense variant in exon 8 of the GNAS gene. Both variants were known to be pathogenic, and all probands were found to be mosaics for the corresponding variants but with various degrees. CONSLUSION WES can effectively diagnose MAS and other somatic genetic disorders. In this study, the combined WES and Sanger sequencing have verified the degree of mosaicisms of pathogenic variants in the three MAS patients, albeit no apparent correlation was found between the degree of mosaicisms and the phenotype of patients. Above finding has provided a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for the affected families.
Humans ; Mutation ; Fibrous Dysplasia, Polyostotic/genetics* ; East Asian People ; Exons ; Phenotype ; Pedigree

The occurrence and development of breast cancer depend on the reciprocal effects between breast cancer cells and tumor microenvironment. Adipocytes are not only the component of breast interstitial cells, but also an important part of the tumor microenvironment in breast cancer. Among them, cancer-associated adipocytes, which are located at the invasive front of breast cancer, participate in the progression and metastasis of breast cancer by secreting multiple active factors and related mechanisms. The authors made a brief review on the mechanisms related to the development and therapeutic effects of adipocytes on breast cancer.

The occurrence and development of breast cancer depend on the reciprocal effects between breast cancer cells and tumor microenvironment. Adipocytes are not only the component of breast interstitial cells, but also an important part of the tumor microenvironment in breast cancer. Among them, cancer-associated adipocytes, which are located at the invasive front of breast cancer, participate in the progression and metastasis of breast cancer by secreting multiple active factors and related mechanisms. The authors made a brief review on the mechanisms related to the development and therapeutic effects of adipocytes on breast cancer.

Objective:To investigate HER2 mRNA expression in breast cancer with HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) 0 and to analyze the feasibility of distinguishing between the tumor with HER2 μltra-low expression and the one without expression of HER2 (no staining by IHC) by HER2 mRNA level preliminarily.Methods:HER2 mRNA was analyzed by reverse transcription digital PCR in 41 cases of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded surgical tissue samples of invasive breast cancer obtained between January 2020 and March 2023 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The cohort included 21 HER2 IHC 1+ and 20 IHC 0 (12 ultra-low and 8 non-expression of HER2). HER2 mRNA expression level was quantitatively evaluated by the FAM (HER2)/VIC (reference gene) ratio.Results:The expression of HER2 mRNA for the cases with 1+, ultra-low, and non-expression of HER2 by IHC was 0.30 to 1.78 (average 0.90, median 0.82), 0.55 to 1.51 (average 0.93, median 0.90) and 0.22 to 0.78 (average 0.41, median 0.36), respectively. For the mean and median HER2 mRNA levels, there was no significant difference between HER2 IHC 1+ and HER2 ultra-low expression diseases ( P=0.757). A remarkable difference in HER2 gene expression was found between the tumors with 1+ and non-expression of HER2 by IHC ( P=0.002). And, HER2 ultra-low cases contained statistically higher levels of HER2 mRNA compared with non-expression of HER2 subgroup by IHC ( P=0.001). Conclusions:Based on HER2 mRNA, HER2 non-expression and HER2 weak expression (including HER2 IHC 1+ and ultra-low) belong to two different types of the tumor and the disease with HER2 IHC 1+ and HER2 ultra-low expression may be the same. It is necessary to further test the performance of HER2 mRNA detection for stratifying the HER2 weak expression subgroup and to determine the threshold.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic effect of percutaneous intranodal lymphography in patient with chylous leakage.Methods:The clinical data of percutaneous intranodal lymphography in patients with chylous leakage from January 2019 to November 2019 in Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 8 patients (5 males and 3 females, median age 64 years old) were enrolled. Four patients were iatrogenic chylothorax, 3 patients iatrogenic chyloperitoneum, and 1 patient chyloperitoneum with unknown cause. All 8 patients were received inguinal lymph nodes puncture under ultrasound guidance, and contrast agent iodinated oil was injected for lymphography. The procedure complications were recorded and the follow-up data were collected for efficacy assessment.Results:The percutaneous intranodal lymphography was successfully performed in all patients (8/8). The median amount of iodinated oil used was 17.5 ml; the median operation time was 88 min, without complications found during the procedure. The results of percutaneous intranodal lymphography was positive in 5/8 cases, of which chylothorax and chyloperitoneum was 4/4 and 1/4, respectively. Four cases with chylothorax showed contrast extravasation at different level of thoracic duct, and 1 case after pancreatic cancer resection showed contrast extravasation at L3-4 level. The chylous leakage was treated in 5 patients (5/8) during and resolved after percutaneous intranodal lymphography, with 3 chylothorax and 2 chyloperitoneum cases, respectively.Conclusion:Percutaneous intranodal lymphography is a safe and effective lymphography method for the diagnosis of chylous leakage, and also has application values in the treatment of chylous leakage.