Objective To explore the atopic condition of children with stable asthma and their parents by detecting total IgE concentration in serum and collecting history. Methods Fifteen children with asthma in remission stage and 24 parents and 40 normal children were involved in this study. The concentrations of serum total IgE were measured with UniCAP Pharmacia system. The history including eczema and allergic rhinitis and asthma of children and parents were collected. Skin test with 10 kinds of inhalant allergens were taken in children with asthma. Results Of 15 children with asthma, 13 cases (86.7%)had eczema in infant stage and allergic rhinitis, 13 parents(86.7%)had allergic rhinitis or asthma. There was significant difference in the stable asthmatic children compared with parents and normal control group increased amounts of serum total lg IgE(F=68.42 P=0). There was significant difference in serum total lg IgE in patients group(2.43?0.73)kU/L compared with that in normal control group(0.72?0.54)kU/L (q=14.176 P0.05). Twelve children were positive in skin test, which were mainly dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and dermatophagoides farinae.Conclusions There is obvious congregate phenomena of atopy in the family of asthmatic children. The continuous high IgE concentration was associated with immune pathological mechanisms of atopic diseases.

Objective To explore the changes of interleukin-13(IL-13) and total immunoglobulin E(IgE) levels in children with stable asthma.Methods Eighty-eight cases of children with asthma in remission stage aged 6-14 years old and 40 normal children were involved in this study.The concentrations of serum IL-13 and total IgE were measured with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) method and UniCAP pharmacia system.Results Clinical evaluation and lung function were improved in asthmatic children.Serum IL-13 level of asthmatic children in remission stage was higher than that of control group(U=3.93 P0.05).Conclusions There exists continuous allergic inflammation for children with asthma in remission stage.The high concentrations of serum IL-13 and IgE are associated with immune pathological mechanisms of asthma.

Objective To explore the expression and clinical significance of microRNA-7 (miR-7) in serum of ovarian cancer patients.Methods Serum samples of 42 ovarian patients confirmed by pathological histology and 40 healthy women who underwent a physical exam were collected from January 2011 to January 2012 in the Sixth People's Hospital of Foshan Nanhai District of Guangdong Province.Expression levels of miR-7 in the serum samples of the two groups were examined using reverse transcription-real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).The relationship between the expression of miR-7 and the clinicopathologic feature of ovarian was analyzed.Results Compared with the controls,the expression of miR-7 in the serum of ovarian cancer patients was significantly reduced (0.246 ± 0.017 vs.0.488 ± 0.042),with a significant difference (t =11.23,P =0.01).The expression of miR-7 in the serum of ovarian cancer patients was related to the clinical stage (t =10.12,P =0.01),pathological type (t =6.90,P =0.02),differentiation degree (t =4.46,P =0.03),regional lymph node or distant metastasis (t =5.62,P =0.02),but it was not related to the age (t =0.03,P =0.83).The patients with high miR-7 expression had better overall survival than the patients with low miR-7 expression (36.7 months vs.24.3 months),with a significant difference (x2 =6.04,P =0.02).Conclusion The expression of miR-7 in serum of ovarian cancer patients is down regulated,which may be helpful for the overall assessment of ovarian carcinoma.miR-7 may be one of the important prognostic indicators for ovarian carcinoma.

Objective To investigate the effect of leukotriene receptor antagonist montelukast on inflammatory factors in children with asthma.Methods Eighty children with moderate asthma who aged 6-14 years old were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups:5 mg once daily montelukast,or inhaled 100 ?g twice daily budesonide and 5 mg montelukast with inhaled budesonide 100 ?g per day.Each dose group received medicine for 12 weeks.Before starting therapy and 12 months later,clinical effects were observed,and pulmonary function was measured in patients simultaneously;concentrations of serum and sputum eosinophil cationic protein(ECP), IL-5 and TNF-? were measured respectively;also the peripheral blood eosinophil (Eos)was counted.Results Following treatment,clinical evaluation was improved and there were significant increases in pulmonary function in asthmatic children.Compared with control group,the levels of serum ECP,IL-5,TNF-? and blood Eos counting increased significantly in asthmatic children.The blood Eos counting was significantly correlated with ECP concentration in serum of children with asthma(P

Objective To explore the therapeutic mechanism of kidney-reinforcing,blood-activating and phlegmresolving therapy for left ventricular fibrosis of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).Methods Twenty SHR were randomly assigned to Chinese medicine group and model group.Additionally,ten Wistar-Kyoto(WKY) rats served as normal control group.After 12-week prevention,Masson staining method was used to measure the degree of fibrosis of left ventricular myocardial tissues,reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) was used to detect Smad3 mRNA expression,and Western blotting method was used for the detection of Smad3 protein expression.Results The degree of left ventricular fibrosis myocardial tissue in Chinese medicine group was milder than that in the model group,and Samd3 protein and mRNA expression levels in Chinese medicine group were lower than those in the model group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Kidney-reinforcing,blood-activating and phlegmresolving therapy can improve left ventricular fibrosis in SHR by inhibiting Smad3 expression.

Objective To investigate the role of tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2) in the regulation of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) expression in human glomerular mesangial cells induced by high glucose.Methods Cultured human glomerular mesangial cells were divided into normal control group (5.5 mmol/L glucose) and high glucose group (30.0 mmol/L glucose) which was cultured for 12 h to 72 h.The gene expression of TET2 in mesangial cells were inhibited by small molecule chemical called SC1,and which were divided into high glucose group (30.0 mmol/L glucose+ DMEM),DMSO group (30.0 mmol/L glucose+0.1％DMSO) and SC1 group (30.0 mmol/L glucose+3 μmol/L SC1).The mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1,TET1 to 3 and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was detected by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting.Methylation of CpG islands in the regulation region of TGF-β1 was detected by bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP).The activity of mesangial cell proliferation was assessed by colorimetry of thiazolyl blue (MTT).Results Compared with normal control group,the mRNA and protein expression of TET2 in mesangial cells induced by high glucose was increased significantly in a time-dependent manner (all P ＜ 0.05),but the expression of TET1 and TET3 was not affected.Meanwhile methylation rate of 4 CG sites from 24 h to 72 h were decreased in the first exon of TGF-β1 (P ＜ 0.01),but not in the promoter.Compared with high glucose group,when the expression of TET2 was inhibited by SC1,the methylation rate of TGF-β1 was recovered evidently (P ＜ 0.05),the mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA was suppressed,and the proliferation of mesangial cells was decreased (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Demethylation of the CpG island mediated by TET2 may play an important role in the expression of TGF-β1 and mesangial cell phenotype transformation induced by high glucose.

Objective: To apply optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to evaluate the clinical effects of intravitreal injection of antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents on wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: The 31 eyes of 31 wet AMD patients in the Department of Ophthalmology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from April 2018 to December 2018 were included. These patients received monthly intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF agents for three consecutive months. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before and 1, 2 and 3 months after first injection was compared. The macular fovea thickness and choroidal neovascularization (CNV) area at different time points before and after treatment were detected by OCTA and compared. Results: The baseline BCVA (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) of the included patients was 0.93±0.43, and the BCVA was significantly improved after treatment (P<0.05). The results of OCTA showed that before treatment the inner limiting membrane-retinal pigment epithealium thickness and inner limiting membrane-retinal pigment epithelial fit thickness were (329.03±110.73) μm and (468.84±209.50) μm, respectively, and they both decreased significantly after treatment (P<0.05). The CNV area before treatment was (4.78±3.24) mm2, and it decreased gradually with time after treatment (P<0.05). Conclusion: Intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF agents can reduce macular edema and inhibit CNV in the wet AMD patients. OCTA can be used to evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF agents in the treatment of wet AMD.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2), has been spreading rapidly internationally. On the one hand, there is a certain correlation between the basic cardiovascular disease and the severity of COVID-19; on the other hand, the patients with severe and critical COVID-19 often have cardiovascular system-related clinical manifestations. This article reviews the interaction between COVID-19 and cardiovascular system, and the cardiovascular problems that may be encountered in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.

Objective: To explore the application value of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in retinal microvascular blood flow in children with anisometropic amblyopia. Methods: 31 children with monocular anisometropic amblyopia in the Department of Ophthalmology in Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University from June to August in 2018 were included. The 3 mm × 3 mm and 6 mm × 6 mm area centered on the macular area and 4.5 mm × 4.5 mm area centered on the optic disc area were detected by OCTA. The software automatically calculated the average blood flow densities of superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP), and the average blood flow densities of optic disc and the peripapillary area, the average area of foveal avascular zone (FAZ), as well as the average foveal thickness in the anisometropic amblyopia and the contralateral eyes. The anisometropic amblyopia eyes of the children were classified as the amblyopia group, and the contralateral non-ambly eyes were classified as the contralateral eye group. The differences in blood flow parameters between two groups were compared. Results: In the 3 mm × 3 mm macular scan, the average blood flow densities of SCP and DCP in the amblyopia group were (46.40±4.72)% and (52.17±2.82)%, respectively, and the average blood flow densities in the contralateral eye group were (48.48±3.46)% and (54.31±2.18)%, respectively. The differences in the average blood flow densities of SCP and DCP between two groups were statistically significant (P=0.012, P=0.012). In the 6 mm × 6 mm macular scan, the average blood flow densities of SCP and DCP in the amblyopia group were (47.41±3.04)% and (48.92±5.34)%, respectively, and the average blood flow densities in the contralateral eye group were (50.36±2.70)% and (51.54±4.69)%, respectively. The differences between two groups were statistically significant (P=0.016, P=0.046). In the 4.5 mm × 4.5 mm optic disc scan, the average blood flow densities of the optic disc in the amblyopia group and the contralateral eye group were (48.98±4.03)% and (52.06±3.90)%, respectively. The difference was also statistically significant (P= 0.040). The average blood flow densities of the peripapillary area in the amblyopia group and the contralateral eye group were (52.16±2.22)% and (52.44±1.50)%, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The average blood flow densities of SCP, DCP and optic disc in the anisometropic amblyopia eyes are significantly lower than that in the contralateral eyes. OCTA has certain application value in evaluating retinal blood flow in children with anisometropic amblyopia.

Objective • To investigate the impact of body weight and physical activity during different stages of adjuvant chemotherapy on the quality of life after chemotherapy among breast cancer patients. Methods • In a convenient sample of breast cancer patients with no prior history of systemic therapy, physical activity and quality of life were measured with anthropometric measurements, international physical activity evaluation questionnaire and Chinese version of functional assessment of cancer therapy-breast (FACT-B) scale before, during and after chemotherapy. Data was processed using repetitive measurement variance analysis and correlation analysis. Results • Among the 140 breast cancer patients, the average incidence of obesity during chemotherapy was 30.24%. An increase of body mass index (BMI) was observed throughout the treatment course. During adjuvant chemotherapy, the median physical activity was 844.50 (MET•min)/week. Obesity before chemotherapy was significantly negatively correlated with quality of life among patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy (r=-0.21, P=0.014), while physical activity energy consumption was positively correlated with quality of life (r=0.20, P=0.019). Conclusion • Obesity and insufficient physical activity are rather common during adjuvant chemotherapy treatment in breast cancer patients, and they are strongly correlated with patients' quality of life after chemotherapy.