This article reported a case of suppurative meningitis caused by Streptococcus suis infection. The patient is an old man who has been engaged in pig breeding. The common symptoms include fever, headache and disturbance of consciousness. According to the results of magnetic resonance imagine and cerebrospinal fluid examination, the patient was considered purulent meningitis caused by Streptococcus suis type 2. After treatment with penicillin anti-infection and dexamethasone inhibition of immune response, the symptoms improved significantly. Three weeks after the onset of the disease, hearing loss occurred, after six months of follow-up, serious hearing impairment was still left.

Objective To investigate the effect of Treg cells and Th17 cells on the pathogenesis of SLE in patients with SLE,by detecting levels of serum IL-10 and IL-17 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Methods Selected 54 patients with SLE diagnosed in Suzhou Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University from July 2013 to July 2015 as subjects,and 19 healthy persons were selected as control group.Using double antibody sandwich method (ELISA) to detect the levels of IL-10 and IL-17 in two groups.Using indirect immunofluorescence and western blot method to detect ANA,dsDNA,RNP,Sm,SSA and SSB in patients with SLE.Then compared and correlation analysed the level of IL-10 and IL-17,the levels of IL-10 and IL-17 in ANA,RNP,Sm,SSA and dsDNA groups were analyzed simultaneously.Results The level of IL-10 and IL-17 in SLE were 63.7±89.0 pg/ml and 87.7±123.0 pg/ml,and control group were 20.8±8.9 pg/ml and 18.5 ± 111.6 pg/ml,with the statistically significant difference (trL10 =3.484,tIL-17 =4.076,P＜0.01).The level of positive group in SLE were 176.5±93.2 pg/ml and 237.2±107.5 pg/ml,and negative group were 16.2±5.7 pg/ml and 12.9 ±8.3 pg/ml,with the statistically significant difference (tIL-10 =6.875,tIL-17 =8.843,P＜0.01).The level of IL-10 was positively correlated with IL-17 level in SLE (r=0.96,P＜0.05).The level of IL-10 and IL-17 in ANA high titer group were 91.8±100.8 pg/ml and 135.5±140.9 pg/ml,ANA low titer group were 44.5±76.7 pg/ml and 54.4±98.5 pg/ml,with the statistically significant difference (tIL10 =2.215,tIL-17 =2.345,P＜0.05).The level of IL-10 and IL-17 in anti ds-DNA antibody positive group were 87.1 ± 101.1 pg/ml and 122.4 ± 137.1 pg/ml,negative group were 27.4± 50.1 pg/ml and 28.6 ± 61.6 pg/ml,with the statistically significant difference (tIL-10 =2.904,tIL-17 =3.443,P＜0.05).Conclusion The levels of IL-10 and IL-17 were significantly increased and there was positive correlation.It was explained that the anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory response existing at the same time in SLE patients and Treg cell and Th17 cell may also play an important role in the occurrence and development in SLE.

AIM:To investigate the protective effect of somatostatin (SST) and octreotide (OCT) on rat hepatocytes. METHODS: The primary hepatocytes were pretreated with different concentrations of SST and OCT. The levels of alanine minotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in culture supernatant were analyzed by the model of ethanol/carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatocyte injury. Additionally, 75 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups at random, including normal control, model control, SST-treated model groups at high, medium and low doses (200 ?g?kg-1?d-1, 100 ?g?kg-1?d-1 and 50 ?g?kg-1?d-1, respectively). Except for the normal controls, all rats were injected with 40% CCl4 subcutaneously for 8 weeks to establish hepatic fibrosis. Meanwhile, rats of SST-treated model groups were given at different doses of SST twice a day in the same way. Thereafter, the liver function and apoptosis index of hepatocytes were detected by standard enzyme method, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), respectively. RESULTS: Compared with those of injury model group, the hepatocytes pretreated with SST (10-8-10-6 mol/L) and OCT (10-7-10-5 mol/L) exhibited significantly decreased levels of ALT and AST in the culture supernatant. Furthermore, most indices of liver function including ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TBIL) and albumin (ALB) improved obviously in all SST-treated groups, especially in the group treated with low dose of SST. The apoptosis index of hepatocytes in the fibrotic liver was also reduced greatly by the treatment with low dose of SST. CONCLUSION: SST and OCT may protect hepatocytes against CCl4-induced injury, inhibit hepatocyte apoptosis, and improve the liver function. These findings suggest them a potential efficiency in the prevention of hepatic fibrosis.

AIM:To evaluate the negative regulatory effects of somatostatin(SST) and octreotide(OCT) on the extracellular matrixes(ECM) metabolism in rat hepatic stellate cells(HSCs).METHODS:HSCs were treated with different concentrations of SST or OCT.The mRNA levels of collage type I,III and the intracellular expression of collagen,matrix metalloproteinase-1(MMP-1),tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1(TIMP-1) in activated HSCs were assessed by in situ hybridization(ISH),[3H]-proline incorporation and immunocytochemistry,respectively.In addition,levels of hyaluronic acid(HA),laminin(LM),and procollagen type III(PCIII) in the culture supernatant of HSCs were also detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS:Both SST(10-7 mol/L-10-6 mol/L) and OCT(10-7 mol/L-10-5 mol/L) markedly down-regulated the transcription of collagen type I,III,and the production of collagen,HA,LM,PCIII in HSCs in a dose-dependent manner.Furthermore,HSCs treated with SST(10-6 mol/L) and OCT(10-6 mol/L-10-5 mol/L) significantly reduced TIMP-1 level,which resulted in an elevated ratio of MMP-1/TIMP-1.CONCLUSION:SST and its analogy inhibit the synthesis of ECM and enhance its degradation both at transcriptional and translational levels.

Objective To investigate the imbalance of peripheral Th17 cells(Th17)and regulatory T cells(Treg)in children with allergic rhinitis(AR)and bronchial asthma(BA)and its clinical significance.Methods A total of 25 children with simple AR(AR group),25 children with simple BA(BA group)and 25 children with AR complicated with BA(AR+BA group)were selected.Another 25 healthy children were selected as control group at the same time.The levels of Th17 cells and Treg cells in peripheral blood,immunoglobulin E(IgE),transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1),percentage of forced expiratory volume in one second in predicted value(FEV1％)and levels of serum IL-6,IL-17,IL-23 and IL-10 were compared among four groups.The correlations between IgE,FEV1％and Th17,Treg,TGF-β1,IL-17 in children with AR complicated with BA were analyzed.Results There were significant differences in peripheral blood Th17 cells,Treg cells,IgE,TGF-β1 and FEV1％between AR group,BA group,AR+BA group and the control group(P<0.05).IL-17 level was significantly higher in AR+BA group than AR group and BA group(P<0.05).Correlation analysis showed that IgE was positively correlated with levels of Th17 and IL-17,and negatively correlated with Treg and TGF-β1(P<0.05).Conclusion There is imbalance of Th17 and Treg cells in children with AR and BA.Their expression are correlated with IgE and FEV1％.

Objective To investigate the imbalance of peripheral Th17 cells(Th17)and regulatory T cells(Treg)in children with allergic rhinitis(AR)and bronchial asthma(BA)and its clinical significance.Methods A total of 25 children with simple AR(AR group),25 children with simple BA(BA group)and 25 children with AR complicated with BA(AR+BA group)were selected.Another 25 healthy children were selected as control group at the same time.The levels of Th17 cells and Treg cells in peripheral blood,immunoglobulin E(IgE),transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1),percentage of forced expiratory volume in one second in predicted value(FEV1％)and levels of serum IL-6,IL-17,IL-23 and IL-10 were compared among four groups.The correlations between IgE,FEV1％and Th17,Treg,TGF-β1,IL-17 in children with AR complicated with BA were analyzed.Results There were significant differences in peripheral blood Th17 cells,Treg cells,IgE,TGF-β1 and FEV1％between AR group,BA group,AR+BA group and the control group(P<0.05).IL-17 level was significantly higher in AR+BA group than AR group and BA group(P<0.05).Correlation analysis showed that IgE was positively correlated with levels of Th17 and IL-17,and negatively correlated with Treg and TGF-β1(P<0.05).Conclusion There is imbalance of Th17 and Treg cells in children with AR and BA.Their expression are correlated with IgE and FEV1％.

OBJECTIVETo examine the expression changes of activin beta A, beta C, beta E and follistatin mRNA in the development of rat hepatic fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)).

METHODSHepatic fibrosis was induced in rats by subcutaneous injections of 40% carbon tetrachloride oily solution for a period of 1 to 7 weeks. After carbon tetrachloride injection of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 weeks, the 6-12 rats were killed every time. The kinetics of activin beta A, beta C, beta E and follistatin mRNA expression were assessed by the semi-quantity RT-PCR.

RESULTSActivin beta A, beta C, beta E and follistatin mRNA could be detected in normal rat livers. After CCl(4) injection for 2 or 3 weeks, beta A mRNA was transiently decreased and became undetectable, then increased gradually. After CCl injection for 6 and 7 weeks, beta A mRNA level was significantly higher than controls (P<0.01). beta C mRNA could be detected after CCl(4) injection for 1 to 4 weeks and was significantly increased after 5 weeks over controls (P<0.05). beta E mRNA could not be detected after CCl(4) injection for 1 to 5 weeks, but significantly increased after CCl(4) injection for 6 or 7 weeks compared with controls (P<0.01). Except for normal rat liver, no follistatin mRNA was detected in rats after CCl(4) injection.

CONCLUSIONSActivins and follistatin have different expression changes in the development of hepatic fibrosis and the imbalance of activins and follistatin expression may involve in the formation of hepatic fibrosis.

Activins ; genetics ; Animals ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; Follistatin ; Gene Expression ; Inhibin-beta Subunits ; genetics ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; chemically induced ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective To explore the mechanism of Marsdenia tenacissima in the treatment of breast cancer through network pharmacology and experimental verification.Methods Literature retrieval was conducted to obtain the active components of Marsdenia tenacissima.The SwissTargetPrediction database was used to predict the potential targets of these active components.Targets of breast cancer were obtained from GeneCards,GEPIA2,OMIM,PharmGKB and TTD databases.The intersection targets were obtained,and a Marsdenia tenacissima-breast cancer-targets network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.9.0 software.The core targets were identified through protein-protein interaction(PPI)network analysis,followed by GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis to screen relevant signaling pathways.Molecular docking validation was performed for the top 10 key targets and major active components.The human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 was treated with Marsdenia tenacissima injection in vitro.Cell proliferation ability was detected by CCK-8 assay and colony formation assay.Cell apoptosis was detected by Calcein-AM/PI staining and flow cytometry.Cell migration ability was detected by Transwell assay.Western blot experiment was used to validate the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.Results Totally 37 active components and 276 potential targets against breast cancer were screened from Marsdenia tenacissima,including 11alpha-O-Benzoyl-12beta-O-acetyl tenacigenin B,Caffeic acid,Drevogenin A and Kaempferol.25 core targets were screened by PPI network such as AKT1,EGFR,TNF,CTNNB1 and IL-6,which mainly affected the estrogen signaling pathway,ErbB signaling pathway,HIF-1 signaling pathway and PI3K-AKT signaling pathway,etc.The molecular docking results showed that the main active components of Marsdenia tenacissima exhibited good binding activities with the core targets AKT1,ALB,CASP3,ESR1 and TNF.The results of in vitro experiments showed that Marsdenia tenacissima injection could inhibit the proliferation and migration ability of MDA-MB-231 cells(P<0.01,P<0.001)and induce apoptosis(P<0.001),as well as inhibit the activation of PI3K-AKT signaling pathway(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Marsdenia tenacissima may exert its anti-breast cancer effects through multiple targets and pathways,and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the iodine nutritional and thyroid stimulating hormone level of patients with thyroid nodules in different regions of Qinghai Province and analyze the characteristics of changes in different regions.Methods In 2014-2016,thyroid nodules in 9 regions of Qinghai Province (Tibetan areas:Xiewu,Nangqian,Jiegu,Guoluo;non-Tibetan areas:Xining,Huzhu,Menyuan,Minhe,and Ledu) were selected and serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and urine iodine were measured.Results A total of 553 thyroid nodules,the median urinary iodine (MUIC) was 160.8 μg/L and the median TSH was 2.97 mU/L.The iodine nutritional status was at an appropriate level.Among them,MUIC (206.8 μg/L) in thyroid nodules in the Menyuan area was slightly higher than the appropriate amount,there was a significant difference in MUIC among different region (x2 =47.747,P ＜ 0.05);of TSH in thyroid nudules in the 9 regions,the differences were statistically significant (x2 =34.832,P ＜ 0.05).Non-Tibetan areas were compared with Tibetan areas,there was a significant difference in MUIC (155.6,185.6 μg/L),TSH (2.68,3.45 mU/L,Z =-3.677,-5.410,P ＜ 0.05);Among them,the differences was statistically significant between MUIC (152.8,187.7 μg/L) of women with thyroid nodules (Z =-3.504,P ＜ 0.05);there was a statistically significant difference in TSH levels among men (2.58,3.46 mU/L) and women (2.80,3.44 mU/L) with thyroid nodules (Z =-3.613,-4.040,P ＜ 0.05);there were no significant differences in MUIC levels among thyroid nodules of each age groups (P ＞ 0.05);of the TSH level in 30-and 50-＜ 65 years groups (2.63,3.17;2.25,3.58 mU/L),the differences were statistically significant (Z =-2.892,-3.233,P ＜ 0.05),and other groups were no significant differences (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion The iodine nutrition of patients with thyroid nodules in these regions of Qinghai Province is generally at an appropriate level,the MUIC and TSH levels in Tibetan areas were lower than those in non-Tibetan areas,and iodine nutrition status and TSH levels should be monitored for key populations.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic values of interleukin-22 (IL-22), interferon-γ(IFN-γ)and macrophage migration inhibition factor (MIF) in pleural effusion for tuberculosis pleurisy.Methods:From April 2018 to May 2019, a total of 77 patients including 45 cases of tuberculous pleurisy, 19 cases of malignant pleurisy, 13 cases of parapneumonia and 13 cases of healthy control in Wuxi Fifth People′s Hospital were enrolled. The levels of IL-22, IFN-γ and MIF in plasma and pleural effusion were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Mann-Whitney U test was used for statistical analysis.The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic values of IL-22, IFN-γ and MIF for tuberculous pleurisy. Results:The median levels of IL-22, IFN-γ, MIF and adenosine deaminase in 45 cases with pleural effusion in tuberculosis pleurisy group were 396.8 ng/L, 2 200.0 ng/L, 241.3 μg/L and 70.8 U/L, respectively, which were all significantly higher than 32 cases with non-tuberculosis pleurisy group, including 19 cases with malignant pleurisy and 13 cases with parapneumonia (52.8 ng/L, 232.3 ng/L, 179.6 μg/L and 17.0 U/L, respectively). The differences were all statistically significant ( U=179.000, 118.500, 287.000, 162.000, respectively, all P<0.05). The median levels of IL-22 and IFN-γ in plasma of tuberculosis pleurisy group were 20.0 ng/L and 45.9 ng/L, respectively, which were both higher than healthy control group (14.3 ng/L and 33.4 ng/L, respectively). The level of MIF was 96.2 μg/L, which was lower than healthy control (159.5 μg/L). The differences were all statistically significant ( U=74.000, 13.000 and 73.000, respectively, all P<0.05). The areas under ROC curve (AUC) of IL-22, IFN-γ and MIF in pleural effusion for the diagnosis of tuberculosis pleurisy were 0.876, 0.917 and 0.682, respectively.The sensitivities were 93.75%, 100.00% and 63.64%, respectively; the specificities were 82.22%, 91.11% and 65.85%, respectively. The median levels of IL-22 and IFN-γ in plasma in tuberculosis pleurisy group at two months of follow-up after anti-tuberculosis therapy were 16.0 ng/L and 33.9 ng/L, respectively, which were both lower than baseline (20.0 ng/L and 44.7 ng/L, respectively). The differences were both statistically significant ( U=2.156 and 2.221, respectively, both P<0.05). Conclusion:IFN-γ and IL-22 in pleural effusion could be used as effective indicators to identify tuberculous pleurisy, and the dynamic monitoring of IL-22 in patients′plasma could be an important biomarker in evaluating the efficacy of anti-tuberculosis treatment.