Objective To evaluate the interactive relationship between inflammation detected by single photon emission computed tomography combined with computed tomography (SPECT/CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detection of synovitis,bone marrow edema (BME) in the early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.Methods Twenty patients with early RA were included into this study.All patients were diagnosed based on the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criterion.Patients' unilateral hands (MCP 2-5 and PIP 2-5 joints) were inspected by SPECT/CT (label:99Tcm-MDP) and MRI (3.0 T).SPECT/CT and MRI images were analyzed by two reviewers blinded to other clinical information.Increased bone metabolism of the regional area of interest (ROI) was analyzed and the uptake ratio was calculated.MRI quantitative evaluation was completed by RAMRIS score system.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 17.0 software.Student's t-test,analysis of variance (ANOVA),x2 test and post-hoc analysis (Scheffe) were used for comparison of datas,correlation analysis was carried out with Spearman rank correlation test.Results Twent ypatients with a total of 160 joints were examined.MRI examination revealed synovitis (39,24.4％),or BME (24,15.0％) in 63(39.4％) joints.99Tcm-MDP uptake increased in 79(49.4％) joints,and the uptake ratio was higher than normal joints (1.59±0.26 vs 1.15±0.09,t=6.408,P＜0.01).The uptake ratio between the graded synovitis level and RAMRIS synovitis score had a moderate correlation (r=0.535,P=0.001).The uptake ratio of BME level and BME score was well correlated (r=0.765,P=0.001).Conclusion In early RA patients,MRI is sensitive for synovitis and BME.SPECT/CT can detect early abnormal bone metabolism associated with inflammation,which is more sensitive than MRI.SPECT/CT can be used to detect changes of RA at the molecular level.Compared with synovitis,BME is more closely related to bone metabolism changes,which may suggest that BME may play a major role in the bone destruction in RA.However,further studies are needed to verify this hypothesis.

Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; drug therapy ; Probiotics ; therapeutic use

Objective This study is aimed to assess the accuracy of clinical measurement of remission and investigate the association between clinical remission and the ultrasound imaging assessment of synovitis and infla'mation and to explore the value of ultrasound imaging in the evaluation of disease activity in the tight control of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods RA patients with a disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28-ESR) ≤2.6 for at least 3 months were stratified-using a standard and more stringent DAS28 and simplified disease activity index (SDAI) remission thresholds and the corresponding clinical and ultrasound imaging measures of synovitis were recorded.In addition,a retrospective analysis of disease activity in patients was carried out.Mann-Whitney U test,x2 test and multi-factor analysis of variance of repeated measurements were used for statistical analysis.Results A total of 48 cases were recruited.Thirty-seven cases (77％) met the ACR remission criteria,29 cases (60％) fulfilled the SDAI remission criteria,and 32 (67％) cases reached 2010 ACR/EULAR Boolean-based definition of remission criteria.There was no significant differences on imaging disease activity between SDAI remission patients and those who were not in remission (GS score,P=0.38; PD score,P=0.32).Seventy-nine percent patients in SDAI remission had GS and/or PD activity,but the difference was not statistically different when compared with patients who did not reach SDAI remission (P=0.29).Sustainable remission obtained in patients who also had achieved image remission could have longer remission time (P＜0.01) Conclusion Using more stringent clinical remission criteria could help in reducing residual inflammatory activity of,but ultrasound PD activities may not be significantly reduced.Integrated clinical indicators such as physical examination and imaging tools such as ultrasound can provide more accurate assessment of disease activity and could be used to guide treatment to achieve trueremission.

Objective To evaluate the effects of comprehensive schistosomiasis control in marshlands of Pukou District Nanjing City so as to provide the evidence for developing the strategy of the disease control. Methods The information of the prevention and control of schistosomiasis was collected in Pukou District from 2004 to 2013. The variations of the infection rates of human livestock and Oncomelania hupensis snails were analyzed. Results In 2013 the area with snails in the entire dis-trict was 384.09 hm2 which was 66.24%decrease compared to 1 137.61 hm2 in 2004. Moreover after 2008 no infected-snails and schistosomiasis patients were found and both the density of live snails and serum positive rate of schistosomiasis declined with years. Conclusions After the comprehensive prevention and control is conducted the schistosomiasis situation in Pukou District is stable. However in order to consolidate the results it is still essential to continue monitoring the previous infected snail environments and implementing the comprehensive prevention and control measures.

Objective To study the clinicopathologic characteristics and differential diagnosis of T-cell immunophenotype in intestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL).Methods The clinicopathologic characteristics of 13 cases with intestinal T-cell lymphoma were analyzed by light microscopy and immunohistochemistry(Envision detection method).Results The lesions of 8 cases with T-cell lymphoma were found on the small intestine and 5 on the colon.Grossly,8 cases showed ulcer pattern,3 polypoid pattern and 2 presented as a regional thickening of intestinal wall.The tumor cells were medium to large size with pleomorphic nuclei and inflammatory background.The neoplastic lesions expressed the immunophenotype of peripheral T cells.The neoplastic cells of 13 cases(100%)expressed leukocyte common antigen(LCA);10(76.9%)cases expressed CD3;9(69.2%)CD45RO;5(38.5%)EB virus(EBV);3(23.1%)CD56 and 2(15.4%)vimentin(VIM).All the cases were negative for CD20,CD79a,CK,CDX2,NSE,CgA and CD117.ConclusionIntestinal T-cell lymphoma is a rare,aggressive neoplasm with poor prognosis and should be distinguished from other malignant tumors of intestine.

Objective To explore the changed status of the intestinal flora microecology in the model infant rats with irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) by integrative method.Methods To establish 20 infant rats model with IBS.The IBS rats were randomly divided into the treatment group A with bifico and positive control group B,and another 10 infant rats which grew up regularly were taken as negative control group C.The feces smear staining and intestinal flora detection was performed in the 3 groups respectively,meanwhile the dry and wet weight of each group rats feces and the content of water in the feces were compared.Results The intestinal flora imbalance rate of infant rats IBS group(A+B) was 70%,and there was 30% in the control group C,the difference between model group and group C was very significantly(?~2=4.34 P

Traditional herbal medicines, Panax ginseng, Panax quinquefolium and Panax notoginseng, attract our attention for their extensive and powerful pharmacological activities. Ginsenosides are the main active constituents of these medicinal herbs. The related glycosyltransferases involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis are the key enzymes which catalyze the last important step. Modification of ginsenoside aglycones by glycosyltransferases produces the complexity and diversity of ginsenosides, which have more extensive pharmacological activity. At present, ginsenoside aglycones and compound K have been obtained by synthetic biology. As the last step of ginsenoside biosynthesis, glycosylation of ginsenoside aglycones has been studied intensively in recent years. This review summarizes the basic strategies and research advances in studies on glycosyltransferases involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis, which is expected to lay the theoretical foundation for the in-depth research of biosynthetic pathway of ginsenosides and their production by synthetic biology.
Biosynthetic Pathways ; Ginsenosides ; biosynthesis ; Glycosyltransferases ; metabolism ; Panax ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Synthetic Biology

Pichia pastoris is one of the most important systems used in the field of molecular biology for the expression of recombinant proteins. The system has advantages of high expression, high stability, high secretion, easy high-density fermentation and low cost. Many factors affect the expression of recombinant protein, such as gene copy number, codon usage preference, type of promoter, molecular chaperones, glycosylation, signal peptide and fermentation process. In this review, research advances of the above aspects are summarized, which lay a foundation for improving the expression of recombinant proteins in P. pastoris.
Fermentation ; Gene Dosage ; Glycosylation ; Molecular Chaperones ; Pichia ; metabolism ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Protein Sorting Signals ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis

Lanosterol synthase is encoded by the erg7 gene and catalyzes the cyclization of 2, 3-oxidosqualene, which is a rate-limiting step of the inherent mevalonate (MVA)/ergosterol metabolic pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The intermediate 2, 3-oxidosqualene is also the precursor of triterpenoids. Therefore, the cyclization of 2, 3-oxidosqualene is the key branch point of ergosterol and triterpenoids biosynthesis. Down-regulation of 2, 3-oxidosqualene metabolic flux to ergosterol in S. cerevisiae may redirect the metabolic flux toward the triterpenoid synthetic pathway reconstructed by the synthetic biology approach. To construct erg7 knockout cassette harboring the loxP-Marker-loxP element, long primers were designed, which were homologous to the sequences of both erg7 ORF and plasmid pUG66. The cassette was transformed into diploid wild strain INVSc1 by LiAc/SS Carrier DNA/PEG method and then erg7 gene haploid deficient mutant was obtained by homologous recombination. The results of semiquantitative PCR and real-time quantitative PCR revealed that erg7 expression level in erg7 gene haploid deficient mutant is one time lower than that in wild strain. The results of TLC and HPLC showed that the ergosterol content in deficient mutant decreased to 42% of that in wild strain.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; DNA Primers ; Down-Regulation ; Ergosterol ; metabolism ; Haploidy ; Intramolecular Transferases ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; genetics ; Squalene ; analogs & derivatives ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo search for the best acupuncture and moxibustion treatment program for stroke.

METHODSOne hundred and eighty-three cases of stroke were divided into a scalp-body acupuncture group of 62 cases, a scalp acupuncture group of 60 cases and a body acupuncture group of 61 cases. They were treated for 2 months and then their therapeutic effects were compared.

RESULTSIn the scalp-body acupuncture group, 13 cases were basically cured, 32 cases improved obviously, 15 cases improved, 2 cases was ineffective, and corresponding figures in the scalp acupuncture group were 8, 21, 24, 7, and in the body acupuncture group were 11, 28, 19, 3, with a significant difference between the scalp-body acupuncture group and the scalp acupuncture group (P<0.05) , and with no significant differences between the scalp-body acupuncture group and body acupuncture group, and between the body acupuncture group and the scalp acupuncture group.

CONCLUSIONScalp acupuncture combined with body acupuncture has a better clinical therapeutic effect than that of simple scalp acupuncture for the patient of stroke.