Objective To explore the molecular mechanisms of primary amenorrhea by using arrayCGH technology. Methods Ten patients with primary amenorrhea and 10 female volunteers with regular menstrual cycles as healthy controls were selected. All patients and control samples were analyzed by conventional chromosome analysis (G-banding technology) and array-CGH technology, respectively. ArrayCGH was performed using Affymetrix Cytogenetic 2. 7M arrays following the manufacturer's standard protocol. Results Both the patient group and control group analyzed by conventional G-banding karyotype technology showed a negative result with a normal female karyotype: 46, XX. The result of array-CGH analysis demonstrated a microdeletion of approximately 110 000 bp located at the end of the short arm of X chromosome [46, X, del (X) (p22. 33 )] were identified in 5 patients, which was not detected in the control group. All healthy control samples by array-CGH analysis showed no pathological DNA copy number variation. Conclusions Array-CGH technology can improve the diagnosis rate of chromosomal disease at the DNA level. It is necessary to provide array-CGH for higher resolution genetic analysis of idiopathic primary amenorrhea patient who can not be identified by conventional technology.

The progress in research on the active ingredients of Sambucus Chinensis and pharmacological activities was reviewed. It is important to study the chemical constituents and phamacological activities of Sambucus chinensis.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; pharmacology ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; Flavones ; isolation & purification ; Glycosides ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Lignans ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Sambucus ; chemistry

A comprehensive HPLC-DAD-MS method was developed to study the chemical components of semi-bionic extract of Coptis-Evodia herb couple. The extract was isolated on a Hypersil BDS C18 column (4.6 mm x 200 mm, 5 microm) using acetonitrile-ammonium formic buffer as mobile phase by gradient elution. Detection was performed on DAD and MS equipped with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source by full scan and product full scan on positive mode. The chromatogram of Coptis-Evodia showed seventeen main peaks, eight of which were from Evodia while the others were from Coptis. By comparison of the retention time, the on-line UV spectra and MS spectra, four peaks were identified as jatrorrhizine, hydroxevodiamine, palmatine and berberine, and three peaks were deduced as epiberberine, columbamine and coptisine. In addition, berberine and palmatine were quantitatively determined. No new component was created in the semi-bionic extract of the herb couple, yet the solubilities of berberine and palmatine decreased.
Berberine ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Berberine Alkaloids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Coptis ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Evodia ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

BACKGROUNDComplete tumour resection is important for improving the prognosis of brain tumour patients. However, extensive resection remains controversial because the tumour margin is difficult to be distinguished from surrounding brain tissue. It has been established that 5-amino-4-oxopentanoic acid (5-aminolevulinic acid, ALA) can be used as a photodynamic diagnostic marker and a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy in surgical treatment of brain tumours. We investigated the efficacy of ALA photodynamically guided microsurgery and photodynamic therapy on VX(2) brain tumour implanted in a rabbit model.

METHODSEighty New Zealand rabbits implanted with VX(2) brain tumours were randomly assigned to five groups: control, conventional white light microsurgery, a photodynamic therapy group, a photodynamically guided microsurgery group and a group in which guided microsurgery was followed by photodynamic therapy. The VX(2) tumour was resected under a surgical microscope. The tumour resection was confirmed with histological analysis. All animals were examined with MRI for presence of any residual tumour tissue. The survival time of each rabbit was recorded.

RESULTSAll treatment groups showed a significantly extended survival time compared with the control group. Photodynamically guided microsurgery combined with photodynamic therapy significantly prolonged survival time, compared with guided microsurgery alone. MRI and the autopsy results confirmed removal of most of the tumours.

CONCLUSIONSOur results suggest that photodynamically guided surgery and photodynamic therapy significantly reduce or delay local recurrence, increase the effectiveness of radical resection and prolong the survival time of tumour bearing rabbits. Their combination has the potential to be used as a rapid and highly effective treatment of metastatic brain tumours.

Animals ; Brain Neoplasms ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; therapy ; Disease Models, Animal ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Microsurgery ; methods ; Photochemotherapy ; methods ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation

Objective:To establish the reference values of stimulation single fiber electromyography (SFEMG) in orbicularis oculi, and to explore its sensitivity in repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) negative ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) patients, and the relationship between jitter and various clinical parameters.Methods:Thirty-two healthy volunteers were included to establish the reference value of normal controls from January 2019 to December 2019. From December 2019 to January 2023, 36 OMG patients with negative RNS were collected. Quantitative MG score (QMGS) was performed, neostigmine test and antibody titers as well as thymus CT results were recorded. One side of the orbicularis oculi muscle was tested with a disposable concentric needle electrode in stimulation SFEMG, and the mean consecutive difference (MCD) value was calculated, which was compared with the average MCD value and upper limit of individual values in normal controls to evaluate whether the jitter was abnormal. Spearman correlation analysis of abnormal mean MCD values with QMGS and antibody titer was conducted.Results:Among the 32 healthy volunteers, there were 13 males and 19 females, the age was (46.8 ±18.7) years, and the MCD was (19.0 ±4.4) μs. The upper limit of the reference value was 27.7 μs for average MCD, and 37.4 μs for 10% individual values. Among 36 OMG patients negative at RNS tests, 20 were male and 16 were female, with a age of (37.2 ±17.0) years. The MCD was (29.9 ±14.7) μs, and Jitter was abnormal in 29 patients (81%). Among them, 20 (20/25) patients were antibody positive, 6 (6/26) patients had thymic hyperplasia, and 7 (7/26) patients had thymoma. The QMGS was 3(2, 4). There were 7 patients (19%) with normal jitter, whose QMGS was 3(2, 4). Among the patients with normal Jitter, 5 (5/5) patients were antibody positive, 2 (2/6) patients had thymic hyperplasia. There was no statistically significant difference in clinical indicators between the two groups of patients with abnormal or normal jitter. There was no significant correlation in antibody titer or QMGS with abnormal mean MCD value. Conclusions:The upper limit of the mean MCD value in the normal controls is 27.7 μs. The upper limit of a single value is 37.4 μs. Its sensitivity for OMG patients with RNS negative is 81%, and the abnormal mean MCD value does not show a significant correlation with various clinical indicators. Abnormal jitter indicates dysfunction of neuromuscular junction transmission, which is an important neuroelectrophysiological indicator for MG patients and is suitable for RNS negative patients. Orbicularis oculi muscle stimulation SFEMG provides a reliable and sensitive electrophysiological means for functional evaluation of neuromuscular junction.

Objective The leptin receptor,encoded by the LEPR gene,is involved in tumorigenesis.A potential functional variant of LEPR,rs1137101(Gln223Arg),has been extensively investigated for its contribution to the risk of digestive system(DS)cancers,but results remain conflicting rather than conclusive.Here,we performed a case-control study and subsequent meta-analysis to examine the association between rs1137101 and DS cancer risk. Methods A total of 1,727 patients with cancer(gastric/liver/colorectal:460/480/787)and 800 healthy controls were recruited.Genotyping of rs1137101 was conducted using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP)assay and confirmed using Sanger sequencing.Twenty-four eligible studies were included in the meta-analysis. Results After Bonferroni correction,the case-control study revealed that rs1137101 was significantly associated with the risk of liver cancer in the Hubei Chinese population.The meta-analysis suggested that rs1137101 is significantly associated with the risk of overall DS,gastric,and liver cancer in the Chinese population. Conclusion The LEPR rs1137101 variant may be a genetic biomarker for susceptibility to DS cancers(especially liver and gastric cancer)in the Chinese population.

Effective supplementation of probiotics can be beneficial to intestinal health, but in situ analysis of probiotics activity has rarely been reported. In this study, by coupling fluorescein 5-isothiocyanate (FITC) and 5(6)-carboxytetramethylrhodamine N-succinimidyl ester (5(6)-TAMRA-SE) with D-lysine, two fluorescent D-amino acids (FDAAs) probes were obtained: green probe (fluorescein-D-lysine, FDL) and red probe (TAMRA-D-lysine, TDL). Then, we tried to label the three kinds of probiotics, Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA), Lactobacillus casei (LC) and Veillonella atypica (VA) in vitro. FDAAs was applied to the labeling of intestinal flora in mice, and a method was established to investigate the oral survival rate of three commonly used probiotics. All animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. The results show that the two synthetic FDAAs can be non-toxic and 100% for the in vitro labeling of the three probiotics. Known by FDAAs two-step labeling of oral probiotics, the high survival rate of LA was 92.30% ± 1.67%. The survival rates of VA and LC are similar, 84.13% ± 4.06% and 82.27% ± 2.43%, respectively. This study can quickly compare the changes of colonization survival rate of different probiotics in vivo, provide theoretical support for the in situ colonization activity of probiotics in the intestine, and guide the rational drug use of clinical probiotics.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features and outcome of neonatal acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in southwest Hubei, China. METHODS: According to the Montreux definition of neonatal ARDS, a retrospective clinical epidemiological investigation was performed on the medical data of neonates with ARDS who were admitted to Department of Neonatology/Pediatrics in 17 level 2 or level 3 hospitals in southwest Hubei from January to December, 2017. RESULTS: A total of 7 150 neonates were admitted to the 17 hospitals in southwest Hubei during 2017 and 66 (0.92%) were diagnosed with ARDS. Among the 66 neonates with ARDS, 23 (35%) had mild ARDS, 28 (42%) had moderate ARDS, and 15 (23%) had severe ARDS. The main primary diseases for neonatal ARDS were perinatal asphyxia in 23 neonates (35%), pneumonia in 18 neonates (27%), sepsis in 12 neonates (18%), and meconium aspiration syndrome in 10 neonates (15%). Among the 66 neonates with ARDS, 10 neonates (15%) were born to the mothers with an age of ≥35 years, 30 neonates (45%) suffered from intrauterine distress, 32 neonates (49%) had a 1-minute Apgar score of 0 to 7 points, 24 neonates (36%) had abnormal fetal heart monitoring results, and 21 neonates (32%) experienced meconium staining of amniotic fluid. Intraventricular hemorrhage was the most common comorbidity (12 neonates), followed by neonatal shock (9 neonates) and patent ductus arteriosus (8 neonates). All 66 neonates with ARDS were treated with mechanical ventilation in addition to the treatment for primary diseases. Among the 66 neonates with ARDS, 10 died, with a mortality rate of 15% (10/66), and 56 neonates were improved or cured, with a survival rate of 85% (56/66). CONCLUSIONS Neonatal ARDS in southwest Hubei is mostly mild or moderate. Perinatal asphyxia and infection may be the main causes of neonatal ARDS in this area. Intraventricular hemorrhage is the most common comorbidity. Neonates with ARDS tend to have a high survival rate after multimodality treatment.
China ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Meconium Aspiration Syndrome ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy of specific sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) with Dermatophagoides farinae drops on children with allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis of the preschool and school-age groups of children and adolescents.

METHODThis study analyzed the efficacy of SLIT in 122 children (aged 3-14 yr) with house dust mites-induced allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis. According to the age, patients were defined as the preschool group ( ≤ 6 years old, n = 59) and school-age group (> 6 years old, n = 63). All children were treated with Dermatophagoides farinae drops for at least 2 years. Clinical observation and follow-up study were conducted during the treatment. Before and after SLIT for half a year, 1 year and 2 years, asthma symptom scores (day and night), rhinitis symptom scores and medication scores were evaluated. The adverse events were assessed during the study.

RESULTAfter SLIT for half a year, 1 year and 2 years, there were no significant differences between the preschool group (0.3 ± 0.5,0.0 ± 0.1,0.0 ± 0.0) and school-age group (0.3 ± 0.4,0.0 ± 0.1,0.0 ± 0.0) in day scores of asthma (Z value was -1.687, -0.613,0.000, all P > 0.05). There were no significant differences between the preschool group (0.2 ± 0.5,0.1 ± 0.3,0.0 ± 0.0) and school-age group (0.2 ± 0.4,0.1 ± 0.3, 0.0 ± 0.0) in night scores of asthma (Z value was -0.496, -0.486,0.000, all P > 0.05). There was no significant differences between the preschool group (1.4 ± 0.9,0.4 ± 0.5,0.1 ± 0.3) and school-age group (1.3 ± 0.9,0.5 ± 0.6,0.2 ± 0.4) in symptom scores of allergic rhinitis (Z value was -0.394, -1.166, -1.075, all P > 0.05). There were no significant differences between the preschool group (1.6 ± 0.8,0.0 ± 0.0,0.0 ± 0.0) and school-age group (1.7 ± 0.7,0.0 ± 0.0,0.0 ± 0.0) in medication scores of allergic rhinitis (Z value was -0.655,0.000,0.000, all P > 0.05). After SLIT for 2 years, most children in the preschool and school-age groups were no longer using asthma controlling medication, with no significant difference between the two groups (Z value was 0.000, P > 0.05). The overall incidence of adverse reactions was only 7%, and there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (χ(2) = 0.000, P > 0.05). The local adverse events were mild gastrointestinal discomfort and rash, a majority of local adverse events in the preschool group were diarrhea. No severe adverse events happened in the treatment.

CONCLUSIONSLIT with Dermatophagoides farinae drops is safe and effective in children with allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis of the preschool and school-age groups of children and adolescents, which provides evidences for early SLIT intervention of the disease.

Administration, Sublingual ; Adolescent ; Antigens, Dermatophagoides ; administration & dosage ; immunology ; Asthma ; immunology ; therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; immunology ; therapy ; Sublingual Immunotherapy ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of generic bortezomib in the treatment of Chinese patients with multiple myeloma (MM). METHODS: Clinical data of 62 MM patients (median age of 62 years) who had accepted at least 2 cycles of chemotherapy based on generic bortezomib in our center from December 2017 to July 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, including 47 newly diagnosed patients and 15 with disease recurrence or progression. RESULTS: Anemia, renal dysfunction, hypoproteinemia and high level of β CONCLUSION The disease severity can be rapidly alleviated after generic bortezomib-based chemotherapy, and a favorable short-term efficacy and survival have been observed with a generally acceptable toxicity profile. However, the long-term outcomes will be examined through further follow-up.
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Bortezomib/therapeutic use* ; Dexamethasone/therapeutic use* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma/drug therapy* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Treatment Outcome