Objective To investigate the relationship between interleukin (IL)-34 and bone erosions in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients.Methods Forty PsA patients,20 psoriasis (Ps) patients and 20 healthy volunteers were recruited into this study.The levels of IL-34 and osteoclast related cytokines [including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α,receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL),osteoclast precursors (OPG)] were detected in the serum samples of all subjects.The correlations among IL-34,the number of osteoclast precursors (OCP),disease activity and imaging scores were analyzed.All data were analyzed by graphpad prism 6.Differences between groups was analyzed with One-way analysis of variance,q tests,and Spearman's correlation was used to explore the relation between disease activity/radiographic scores and laboratory results and followed by linear regressions.Results The serum level of IL-34 in patients with PsA [(328±476) pg/ml] was higher than that in Ps [(33±52) pg/ml,q =3.92,P＜0.01] and healthy controls [(32±32) pg/ml,q =3.93,P＜0.01],the erosive PsA group were higher than the non-erosive PsA group [(449±527) pg/ml and (47±24) pg/ml,q=4.04,P＜0.01].The levels of TNF-α,RANKL and OCP in patients with PsA [(125±79) pg/ml,(488± 475) pg/ml and (17.7±4.8) 5 sigh views] were higher than those in PS [(40±22) pg/ml,(26±3) pg/ml and (5.2± 0.8),q=7.32,6.14 and 2.94,P＜0.01] and healthy controls [(41±19) pg/ml,(65±8) pg/ml and (6.2±1.8),q=6.67,5.62 and 2.71,P＜0.01],whereas the OPG/RANKL ratio in PsA patients (0.5±0.4) was significantly lower than Ps patients (4.3±2.7,q=-3.30,P＜0.01) and healthy controls (1.8±0.6,q=-1.72,P＜0.01).IL-34,TNF-α and RANKL levels were all positively correlated with OCP (r=0.10,P＜0.05;r=0.12,P＜0.05;r=0.13,P＜0.(5,respectively).Conclusion The level of IL-34 is not only high in patients with PsA but also positively correlates with the number of OCP.In PsA,IL-34 is probably related to the OCP and osteoclast differentiation,and further participates in the process of bone destruction.Therefore,IL-34 is promising to become a new target or alternative choice for the treatment of PsA.

Depression is a common mental disease, which mainly presents with a state of low mood and aversion to activity. Epigenetics is to study the influence of structural modification of pre?transcriptional gene to gene function in chromatin level. Recent studies have found that epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation, histone modification, and non?coding RNA regulation play important roles in the pathogenesis of depression. This article reviews the research advances on epigenetic mechanisms of depression.

ObjectiveThe clinical features, bacteria distribution and antibiotic resistance proifle of blood stream infection(BSI) were investigated in the patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis for better management of such infections.MethodsThe clinical data of BSI were collected in the patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis between January, 2012 and December, 2014, and reviewed retrospectively in terms of risk factors, diagnosis and treatment, pathogen distribution and prognosis.ResultsOf the 1 071 patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis and suspected bacterial infection, 154 (14.4%) were diagnosed as BSI evidenced by blood culture. Of these patients, the leukocyte count in the peripheral blood was higher than 10×109/L in only 48 (31.2%) patients; neutrophil proportion>0.75 in 133 patients (86.4%); serum procalcitonin level>0.5 ng/mL in 74 patients (68.5%). A total of 155 bacterial strains were isolated, including 115 strains of gram-negative bacilli and 40 strains of gram-positive cocci. Most patients (68.8%) recovered and 31.2% died or discharged from hospital voluntarily. All these BSI patients had Child-Pugh grade C liver function. Some patients also had other serious systemic diseases or repeated hospitalization.ConclusionThe prevalence of BSI is high in the decompensated liver cirrhosis patients with poor prognosis. Gram-negative bacilli are the major pathogens of such septicemia. Early diagnosis and proper use of antibiotics based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing are important to improve patient outcome.

Objective: To understand the HIV infection status and related factors in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Tianjin during 2016-2018. Methods: According to the sentinel surveillance protocol, continuous cross-sectional studies were conducted to collect the information about the awareness of AIDS, related behaviors, HIV infection, syphilis prevalence and HCV infection in the MSM in Tianjin with the annual sample seize of 400 between April and June during 2016-2018. Results: From 2016 to 2018, a total of 1 200 MSM were surveyed. The condom use rate in anal sex was 45.4% (544/1 198) in the past 6 months. The HIV test rate in MSM recruited through network declined with year (trend χ²=42.742, P<0.001). The overall HIV infection rate was 3.3% (40/1 200). The HIV-1 infection rate was 2.6% (95%CI: 1.7%-3.5%). The overall prevalence rate of syphilis was 6.7% (80/1 200). The overall HCV infection rate was 0.8% (9/1 200). Results from multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors associated with HIV infection in the MSM included divorced or widowed (compared with unmarried, aOR=7.137, 95%CI: 1.621-31.419) and syphilis positive group (compared with syphilis negative group, aOR=3.684, 95%CI: 1.520-8.932). The protective factors for HIV infection in the MSM included consistent use of condom in the past 6 months (compared with occasional use of condom, aOR=0.343, 95%CI: 0.126-0.932) and HIV test (compared with receiving no HIV test, aOR=0.314, 95%CI: 0.123-0.801). Conclusions The HIV infection rate in the MSM in Tianjin was high from 2016 to 2018. Syphilis prevalence status in MSM should not be neglected. The rate of consistent condom use in anal sex was low in the MSM. It is necessary to take effective measures to promote condom use and strengthen HIV test in MSM.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic non-specific disease of the rectum and colon. The disease cause is still unclear. Due to the repeated episodes of UC, the treatment is very difficult. There are serious impact on pa-tients' life and work. According to the current UC condition and existed problems with Chinese medicine treat-ment and in combination with experiences of new Chinese medicine drug development of the author, a new Chi-nese medicine drug research idea of UC has been proposed. It includes the establishment of UC animal model in line with the characteristics of Chinese medicine and the selection of appropriate clinical treatment targets.

Objective To investigate the stimulative effects of CollagenⅠon the increased adhesion of rabbit bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), cytoskeleton actin organization and intracellular free Ca~(2+) concentration. Methods The third generation BMSCs isolated from mature rabbits were cultured at different initial concentrations on cover-slice coated by collagenⅠin RPMI1640 containing 10% fetal calf serum, and cultured on the same kind of cover-slice untreated with collagenⅠas control. The cells adhesive behavior at different times was assessed. Cellular actin organization was described as either typeⅠor typeⅡcells. In general, typeⅠcells are round and represent a preliminary stage of actin assembly, while typeⅡcells are elongated with organized actin fiber network. At the same time intracellular free Ca~(2+) concentration was measured by using calcium fluorescent probe Fluo-3/AM and laser confocal microscope. Results We found more typeⅡcells in BMSCs cultured with collagen typeⅠsix hours after culture than in the control group. At 12 hours 89% of the BMSCs were typeⅡcells, while only 55% were typeⅡcells in the control group. This indicated active cellular actin organization after being modified by collagen typeⅠ. We also found that the BMSCs cultured with collagen typeⅠincreased intracellular free Ca~(2+) concentration in monolayer culture. Conclusions CollagenⅠis effective in promoting the cellular adhesion, which suggests that a kind of internal relationship or cross-talk may exist between cellular actin organization, intracellular free Ca~(2+) concentration and cell adhesion. Further study, however, is needed.

In order to meet the requirements of cultivating the practical abilities and creativities of students who receive higher education, we initiated the reformation of education in the microbiology experiment teaching methods, implementing a system for module-based education, carefully monitoring every link in teaching, combining the encouragement and strict requirements together, adopting a proper way of assessment. It is proven that the implementation of the educational reformation mobilizes the interests of students and enhances the comprehensive qualities of students, which accomplishes the purposes of teaching.

Aim To study the relationship between theeffects of saponins of panax notoginseng(PNS)on fir-ing frequency and hyperpolarization potential in neu-rons.Methods Applieation of a depolarizing currentpulse to stellate ganglion(SG) neurons of rat evokedaction potentials(AP).These neurons were classifiedas phasic or tonic neurons on the basis of their firingpatterns.Then we investigated the effects of PNS on fir-ing pattern and frequency,after hyperpolarization po-tential(AHP) and fastexcitatory postsynaptic potential(f-EPSP) in high Ca2 +Krebs’solution of SG neuronsin rat.Results The firing frequency of tonic neuronswas reduced by PNS.At the concentration of0.12 ~0.16 g.L-1,PNS reversibly depressed AHP in a dosedependentmanner.And the aggrandizing action of highCa2 +on f-EPSP was antagonized by PNS.Conclusion PNS can reduce the firing frequency of rat SG neu-rons,but this action was not caused by reinforcement ofAHP potential.The restraining regulation of excitabili-ty of neurons by PNS may underlie its inhibitory actionon calcium influx.

Objective: To investigate the optimal gene transfer protocols of hematopoietic cells mediated by retrovirus. Methods: Murine bone marrow cells were infected by co-culture with murine bone marrow stromal cell line TC-1 or retro-virus packaging cells or retrovirus supernatant. Human mdr-1 and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) were used as report genes. Results: Stromal cells could greatly increase the gene transfer efficiency when compared with that of supernatant transfection. Transduction efficiency was highest when infected BM cells were co-cultured with virus producer cells. Conculsion: It may be clinically feasible in gene therapy to perform retroviral transduction by co-culture of target cells with stromal cells or cell lines.

Objective: To explore the reasonable compatibility of anesthetics in painless small intestinal endoscopy by comparing the influence of different target plasma propofol concentrations combined with remifentanil on anesthesia effects and respiratory and circulatory functions.Methods: Two hundred patients requiring small intestinal endoscopy were randomly divided into 4 groups,Group Ⅰ given 1% propofol only,with the target plasma propofol concentration set at 4.5 ?g/ml,and Group Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ receiving 30-second injection of remifentanil(0.3 ?g/kg) 1 min before target-controlled infusion(TCI) of propofol,with the target plasma propofol concentration set at 3.0,3.5 and 4.0 ?g/ml,respectively.The mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR),pulse oxygenation(SpO2),induction time,awakening time,orientation recovery time and the incidence of patients' body motion were observed before anesthesia,at the vanishment of the eyelash reflex,while the small intestine endoscope passing through the Treitz ligament or ileoceal valve and after endoscopy.Results: Compared with baseline values,MAP and HR were significantly decreased in all groups when the eyelash reflex vanished,markedly increased in Group Ⅰ,although not so obvious in Groups Ⅱ and Ⅲ,when the small intestinal endoscope passed through the Treitz ligament or ileoceal valve,and greatly reduced at all time points in Group Ⅳ,with difficult entrance of the small intestine endoscope due to low tension of the intestinal cavity.Comparatively,the induction time was shorter and the awakening time and orientation recovery time were longer in Group Ⅰ,the total dose of propofol and the incidence of body motion notably decreased in Groups Ⅱand Ⅲ,and the incidence of respiratory depression obviously increased in Group Ⅳ.Conclusion: Propofol TCI combined with remifentanil can be used safely and effectively in painless small intestinal endoscopy.Target plasma propofol concentration(3.5 ?g/ml) in combination with remifentanil(0.3 ?g/kg) gives more efficient anesthesia,lower incidence of body motion and respiratory suppression and better recovery.Therefore,it is the suitable anesthetic compatibility in painless small intestinal endoscopy.