Objective:To evaluate the clinical value of musculoskeletal ultrasound in the diagnosis of sarcopenia by measuring the muscle mass and hardness of medial head of gastrocnemius.Methods:According to the diagnostic criteria of Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia(AWGS), 60 patients with sarcopenia were selected as the case group and 24 normal elderly people with matched age as the control group.Two dimensional gray-scale ultrasound was used to measure the muscle thickness, pinnate angle and fascicle length of the right gastrocnemius muscle, and the shear wave elastography was used to measure the Young's modulus(the dynamic stiffness)of the muscle in the states of relaxation and contraction, respectively.The differences of various ultrasound parameters between the two groups were compared, and the relativity of muscle thickness of the medial head of the right gastrocnemius muscle, the feather horn, fascicle length in the case group with sarcopenia was analyzed.The value of the ultrasound measurements in predicting sarcopenia was analyzed by ROC curve.Results:The muscle thickness(10.0±2.1)mm, pinnate angle(16.9±3.2)°, fascicle length(30.5±3.2)mm and Young's modulus[(11.5±2.2)kPa in relaxation state, (23.2±4.0)kPa in contraction state]of the right gastrocnemius muscle were lower in the sarcopenia group than in the control group with matched age[(14.8±1.2)mm, (21.7±2.5)°, (34.2±1.6)mm, (15.0±1.5)kPa, (30.6±2.8)kPa, respectively, t=10.454, 3.612, 5.631, 6.922, 8.173, all P<0.05]. The Young's modulus value was lower in relaxed state than in the contraction state.Pearson correlation analyses showed the muscle thickness and Young modulus were negatively correlated with the age( r=-0.307, -0.285, P<0.05), and the muscle thickness was positively correlated with the limb skeletal muscle mass index( r=0.838, 0.761, P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed the muscle thickness and Young's modulus were significantly correlated with sarcopenia( OR=4.576, 3.867). ROC analysis revealed that the threshold values of ultrasound examination of the right gastrocnemius muscle medial head for diagnosis of sarcopenia were as follows: muscle thickness of 11 mm, pinnate angle of 17 degrees, fascicle length of 32 mm, Young modulus at the relaxation state of 12.4 kPa.The sensitivity and specificity of muscle thickness for diagnosis of sarcopenia were the best(86.7% and 100%, respectively)as compared with other measurements. Conclusions:The measurement of muscle mass and muscle hardness of the medial head of gastrocnemius by ultrasound can reflect the decrease of muscle mass and muscle hardness quantitatively, and provide imaging indicators for the prediction of sarcopenia.

Objective:To observe the effect of peripheral 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HT)-induced neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) on lung injury in septic mice.Methods:Wild-type (WT type) and Tph1 knockout (KO) C57 mice (6-8 weeks) were selected and divided into WT mice sham group, WT mice sepsis group, Tph1 KO mice sham group and Tph1 KO mice sepsis group according to the random number table method. Mice in the sham group received sham surgery (only open the abdominal cavity to flip the cecum without ligation and puncture, and then close the abdominal cavity); the mice in the sepsis group received cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to establish sepsis model. The mice were sacrificed 12 hours after the operation, and the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in bronchialalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected by enzyme linked immunoadsordent assay (ELISA); at the same time, the lung tissues were collected, and the pathological changes of lung tissues were observed under light microscope, and the production of NET in lung tissues was observed by immunofluorescence microscope. Results:The pathological results suggested that the lung tissue structure in sham groups was intact without exudation, while the alveolar structures of mice in the sepsis groups were damaged, with obvious exudation in the alveolar cavity and thickened alveolar walls accompanied by a large number of inflammatory cell infiltration, and the degree of lung injury in the sepsis group of WT mice was more severe than that of the sepsis group of Tph1 KO mice. ELISA results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the contents of TNF-α and IL-6 in mice BALF from different strains of the sham group; while the contents of TNF-α and IL-6 in BALF of septic mice group were significantly higher than those in sham group [WT mice: TNF-α (μg/L) was 158.20±28.46 vs. 14.00±3.28, IL-6 (μg/L) was 304.98±21.78 vs. 57.70±12.30; Tph1 KO mice: TNF-α (μg/L) was 85.88±20.13 vs. 14.95±1.53, IL-6 (μg/L) was 169.50±45.61 vs. 55.05±12.68, all P < 0.01], and the above index levels in the sepsis group of WT mice were significantly higher than the sepsis group of Tph1 KO mice [TNF-α (μg/L): 158.20±28.46 vs. 85.88±20.13, IL-6 (μg/L): 304.98±21.78 vs. 169.50±45.61, both P < 0.01]. Immunofluorescence staining showed that a very small amount of NET formation was detected in the mice lungs from the sham group; a large amount of NET formation was detected in the lung tissues in the sepsis group, which were significantly higher than those in sham group [WT mice: (34.75±7.27)% vs. (1.75±0.96)%, Tph1 KO mice: (14.25±5.74)% vs. (2.50±1.29)%, both P < 0.01], and the amount of NET produced in the lung tissues of the WT mice sepsis group was significantly higher than that of the Tph1 KO mice sepsis group [(34.75±7.27)% vs. (14.25±5.74)%, P < 0.01]. Conclusions:In sepsis, the increased production of inflammatory factors in the mice lung tissues induces to lung injury. The mechanism may relate to the increased production of NET in the lung tissues mediated by peripheral 5-HT synthesized by enterochromaffin cells and released into the blood; inhibiting the production of 5-HT in the peripheral blood can effectively reduce the production of NET in the lung tissues, thereby reducing lung injury.

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women worldwide and the leading cause of most cancer-related deaths, posing a serious threat to women′s health worldwide. At present, although the prognosis of some patients with breast cancer has improved, the emergence of drug resistance and the metastasis and recurrence of breast cancer are still the main reasons for poor prognosis. CD36 is a multiligand transmembrane glycoprotein expressed on various cell types. In recent years, studies have confirmed that CD36 can reshape the lipid metabolism of cancer cells; promote the differentiation of tumor-related macrophages into M2 type and recruitment into tumor tissues; regulate the function of Treg cells, CD8+ T cells, DCs, and other immune cells, and thus promote tumor development. In addition, CD36 is also associated with breast cancer stem cells, metastasis-initiating cells, and breast drug resistant cells. Therefore, CD36 could be an important potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Objective:To explore the impact of graft recipient weight ratio(GRWR)on pediatric whole liver transplantation in infants aged under 1 year.Methods:From January 2014 to December 2019, clinical data were retrospectively reviewed for 140 children aged under 1 year with whole liver transplantation.They were divided into 3 groups of low GRWR(GRWR<2.5%, 48 cases), middle GRWR(2.5%≤GRWR<5%, 73 cases)and high GRWR(GRWR≥5%, 19 cases). Basic profiles, major postoperative complications and survival rate of graft/recipient were compared.Results:There were 62 males and 78 females with an average age of (7.34±1.81)months and an average weight of(6.81±1.09)kg.The median GRWR was 3.27%(1.33%~8.12%). The higher level of GRWR, the greater age, weight and graft weight of donor in three groups and there was statistical difference ( P<0.05); operative duration, postoperative ICU stay and hospital stay were longer in low GRWR group than those in middle GRWR group and there was statistical difference( P<0.05); The incidence of postoperative hepatic artery thrombosis was higher in low GRWR group than that in middle GRWR group(31.3%vs 8.2%)and there was statistical difference( P<0.05); 4 cases of small-for-size syndrome occurred in low GRWR group, it was significantly different from the other two groups and there was statistical difference( P<0.05); the median follow-up period was(50.7±23.4)months.The survival rates of grafts at 3-month and 1/5-year were 89.6%, 91.8%, 100%; 87.5%, 87.7%, 100%; 87.5%, 87.7%, 100%and there was no inter-group difference( P>0.05). The survival rates of recipients at 3 months, 1 year and 5 years post-operation were 93.8%, 91.8%, 100%; 91.7%, 87.7%, 100%; 91.7%, 87.7%, 100%and there was no inter-group difference( P>0.05). Conclusions:Different from pediatric living donor transplantation, GRWR≥5%does not affect the survival rate of recipient/graft during whole liver transplantation.And GRWR<2.5%may boost the postoperative incidence of hepatic artery thrombosis and small liver syndrome.