OBJECTIVEIt is revealed that circulating fibrocytes are elevated in patients/animals with cardiac fibrosis, and this review aims to provide an introduction to circulating fibrocytes and their role in cardiac fibrosis.

DATA SOURCESThis review is based on the data from 1994 to present obtained from PubMed. The search terms were "circulating fibrocytes " and "cardiac fibrosis ".

STUDY SELECTIONArticles and critical reviews, which are related to circulating fibrocytes and cardiac fibrosis, were selected.

RESULTSCirculating fibrocytes, which are derived from hematopoietic stem cells, represent a subset of peripheral blood mononuclear cells exhibiting mixed morphological and molecular characteristics of hematopoietic and mesenchymal cells (CD34+/CD45+/collagen I+). They can produce extracellular matrix and many cytokines. It is shown that circulating fibrocytes participate in many fibrotic diseases, including cardiac fibrosis. Evidence accumulated in recent years shows that aging individuals and patients with hypertension, heart failure, coronary heart disease, and atrial fibrillation have more circulating fibrocytes in peripheral blood and/or heart tissue, and this elevation of circulating fibrocytes is correlated with the degree of fibrosis in the hearts.

CONCLUSIONSCirculating fibrocytes are effector cells in cardiac fibrosis.

Coronary Disease ; pathology ; Fibroblasts ; physiology ; Fibrosis ; pathology ; Heart Failure ; pathology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; pathology ; Myocardium ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo explore the therapeutic effect and the hemorrheology change of berberine in new diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes combining nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

METHODSixty patients, in our department from March 2009 to March 2010, with type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease were randomly divided into two groups. One group was given berberine, another group was given Xuezhikang, both for 12 weeks. The indicators, include B-ultrasound of liver, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspertate aminotransferase (AST), hemorrheology, were detected before and after treatment.

RESULTAfter treatment by berberine, B-ultrasound of liver were better than before, the effective rate was 70%, vs 73.3% after treatment by Xuezhikang. ALT, AST, TC, TG, LDL-L, hemorrheology (including the whole blood viscosity, whole blood viscosity, high cutting reduction of whole blood viscosity, plasma cutting reductive low viscosity, blood sedimentation, RBC deposited, fibrinogen) were significantly lower than before, however, HDL-L significantly increased (P<0.05). The therapeutic effect of xuezhikang was the same as berberine. The distance between the indicators of the two groups was no different.

CONCLUSIONBerberine can obviously improve the conditions of new diagnostic T2DM patients with nonalcoholic liver lesions, effectively reduce hemorrheology indicators, and has good application prospect.

Adult ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Berberine ; therapeutic use ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Fatty Liver ; blood ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Lipoproteins, HDL ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Treatment Outcome ; Triglycerides ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of aerosols on the expression of cyclin B(1), cyclin C and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in wound tissue healing of burned rat models.

METHODSSprague Dawley (SD) rats were inflicted as the deep partial thickness burn models. Rats were randomly divided into experimental group and control group. The experimental group were treated with aerosols. Samples were collected in 1 approximately 10 postburn days. Immunohistochemistry and image analysis methods were conducted to examine the expression of cyclin B(1), cyclin C and PCNA in both experimental and control groups.

RESULTSThe expression of cyclin C in experimental group was detected in nucleus of skin basal cell on the second postburn day, increased evidently at the fifth days and sustained at high expression level up to the tenth days after treatment. The expression of cyclin C in experimental group was significantly higher than control group (P < 0.05). The expression of PCNA was first observed in skin basal cell nucleus and hair follicle cell nucleus in both experimental and control group on the third postburn day. The expression of PCNA increased evidently at the fifth days in experimental after treatment and that increased evidently at the seventh days in control group, which showed there were lots of active proliferation cell. And the difference of the expression of PCNA between experimental and control group was significant (P < 0.01). The expression of cyclin B(1) was detected in nucleus and cytoplasm of skin basal cell in both groups on the third postburn day, and no difference between the experimental and control group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAerosols can up-regulate the expression of cyclin C and PCNA in skin basal cell nucleus. Therefore the aerosols can accelerate wound tissue healing.

Aerosols ; Animals ; Burns ; metabolism ; therapy ; Cyclin B ; biosynthesis ; Cyclin B1 ; Cyclin C ; Cyclins ; biosynthesis ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electric Stimulation Therapy ; methods ; Female ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; biosynthesis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Wound Healing ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the relationship between the levels of HBV DNA loads and both the clinical characteristics and 48-week prognosis in patients with decompensated cirrhosis due to hepatitis B.

METHODSOne hundred and forty-three patients with decompensated cirrhosis of hepatitis B virus infection were divided into low level HBV DNA group [HBV DNA < 10(5) copies/ml = (46 cases) and high-level HBV-DNA group (HBV DNA > or = 10(5) copies/ml) (97 cases)]. 21 cases in low-level group and 52 cases in high-level group treated with nucleoside analog.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference between the two groups on the demography and the baseline in ALT, ALB, TBil, CHE before treatment, while in AST and HBeAg were statistically different. At 48-week, there was no significant difference between the two groups on the liver function. The mortality rate in low-level group was similar to that in high level group. In the low-level HBV DNA patients, hepatocellular carcinoma, spontaneous peritonitis and gastrointestinal hemorrhage were higer than that in the high-level HBV DNA patients.

CONCLUSIONIn patients with decompensated cirrhosis due to hepatitis B, those who were in low-level HBV DNA had not got better than that in high-level HBV DNA, which indicated that earlier treatment was also needed in low-level HBV DNA patients.

Adult ; Aged ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; drug therapy ; virology ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; physiology ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Viral Load ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDGenetic variations at the interleukin 28B (IL-28B) locus are important in predicting outcome following therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The aim of this research was to evaluate the role of IL-28B single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variations in Chinese patients undergoing pegylated interferon-α plus ribavirin (PEG-IFN-α/RBV) treatment.

METHODSTo determine the effect of IL-28B variation on the response to HCV therapy, these variants were genotyped in a cohort of 220 patients who were chronically infected with HCV and received combined PEG-IFN-α/RBV therapy.

RESULTSThe proportions of rs12979860 CC, CT, and TT genotypes were 71.4%, 25.0%, and 3.6% respectively, in the sustained virological response (SVR) group; 15.8%, 60.5%, and 23.7% respectively, in the null virological response (NVR) group; and 38.1%, 52.4%, and 9.5% respectively, in the relapse (Rel) group (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that, compared to those having the CC genotype, CT heterozygotes had an increased risk of NVR and Rel (OR = 10.95, 95%CI = 4.12-29.11, P = 1.5×10(-7) and OR = 3.93, 95%CI = 1.86-8.32, P = 2.1×10(-4) respectively). The RNA quantification assay showed that patients with genotype CC exhibited much higher levels of IL-28 expression than those with genotype CT or TT (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSThe IL-28B SNP rs12979860 genotype was related to the effectiveness of HCV therapy: patients with the CC rs12979860 genotype had higher rates of SVR than those with the CT or TT genotype, and the CC genotype revealed a significantly higher level of IL-28 mRNA expression.

Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Genotype ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Interleukins ; genetics ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; genetics ; Ribavirin ; therapeutic use

BACKGROUNDMetabolic syndrome (MS) is a risk factor for stroke and thromboembolism event. Left atrial or LA appendage (LA/LAA) thrombus is a surrogate of potential stroke. The relationship between MS and atrial thrombus remains unclear. In this study, we sought to investigate the effect of MS on risk stratification of LA/LAA thrombus formation in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF).

METHODSThis cross-sectional study enrolled 294 consecutive NVAF patients without prior anticoagulant and lipid-lowering therapies. LA/LAA thrombus was determined by transesophageal echocardiography. Risk assessment of LA/LAA thrombus was performed using the CHADS2 , CHA2DS2 -VASc, MS, CHADS2 -MS, and CHA2DS2 -VASc-MS scores. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine which factors were significantly related to LA/LAA thrombus. Odds ratio (OR) including 95% confidence interval was also calculated. The predictive powers of different scores for the risk of LA/LAA thrombus were represented by C-statistics and compared by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

RESULTSLA/LAA thrombi were identified in 56 patients (19.0%). Logistic analysis showed that MS was the strongest risk factor for LA/LAA thrombus in NVAF patients (OR = 14.698, P < 0.001). ROC curve analyses revealed that the C-statistics of CHADS2 -MS and CHA2DS2 -VASc-MS was significantly higher than those of CHADS2 and CHA2DS2 -VASc scores (CHADS2 -MS vs. CHADS2 , 0.807 vs. 0.726, P = 0.0019). Furthermore, MS was helpful for identifying individuals with a high risk of LA/LAA thrombus in the population with a low risk of stroke (CHADS2 or CHA2DS2 -VASc score = 0).

CONCLUSIONSMS is associated with LA/LAA thrombus risk in patients with NVAF. In addition to the CHADS2 and CHA2DS2 -VASc scores, the CHADS2 -MS and CHA2DS2 -VASc-MS scores provide additional information on stroke risk assessment.

Aged ; Atrial Appendage ; pathology ; Atrial Fibrillation ; complications ; physiopathology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; complications ; physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; ROC Curve ; Risk Factors ; Thrombosis ; etiology ; physiopathology

Objective To investigate the changing trend of platelet count (PLT) and related influencing factors in patients with hepatitis B virus-related chronic-on-acute liver failure (HBV-ACLF) after artificial liver support system (ALSS) therapy. Methods A total of 152 patients with HBV-ACLF who were hospitalized and treated in The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University from January 2018 to November 2021 were included in the study, among whom 102 patients received plasma exchange (PE) and 50 patients received double plasma molecular absorption system combined with low-dose PE, and their clinical data and laboratory marker were measured. The independent samples t -test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for the comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test was used for the comparison of categorical data between two groups; a multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for PLT > 50×10 9 /L after ALSS therapy; the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to investigate the value of baseline PLT in predicting PLT > 50×10 9 /L after ALSS therapy. Results The patients were mostly middle-aged male adults; among the 152 patients, 70 (46.1%) had liver cirrhosis on admission, 114 (75.0%) received three sessions of ALSS therapy, and 88% had a baseline PLT count of > 50×10 9 /L. There was a significant reduction in PLT from baseline to after ALSS therapy (79.5±47.7 vs 112.5±64.1, t =4.965, P < 0.001), and at 1 week after treatment, PLT increased to the baseline level (97.2±50.7 vs 112.5±64.1, t =1.787, P =0.075). As for the change in PLT from baseline to 1 week after ALSS therapy, the liver cirrhosis group had a significantly greater reduction in PLT than the non-liver cirrhosis group ( U =1986.5, P =0.026), while there was no significant difference between different procedures of ALSS therapy and different sessions of treatment (3-5 sessions) (all P > 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that cirrhosis (odds ratio [ OR ]=3.097, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.255-7.645, P =0.014) and PLT > 50×10 9 /L at baseline ( OR =0.019, 95% CI : 0.002-0.154, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for PLT > 50×10 9 /L after ALSS therapy. The ROC curve analysis of baseline PLT showed that PLT > 80.5×10 9 /L at baseline was the optimal cut-off value affecting PLT > 50×10 9 /L after treatment, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.818. Conclusion The influence of ALSS therapy on PLT is temporary, but cirrhotic patients have a weaker PLT generation ability than non-cirrhotic patients. PLT > 80.5×10 9 /L at baseline is the optimal cut-off value to reduce the risk of bleeding after ALSS therapy.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy of the 96-week antiviral therapy with adefovir dipivoxil in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

METHODS80 patients with chronic hepatitis B received the antiviral therapy of adefovir dipivoxil (ADV, 10 mg/d). At the 12th week, 19 cases without early viral response (EVR, HBV DNA drop < 2 log10copies/ml) switched to the therapy of other nucleoside analogues. Aminotransferase (ALT) normalization, HBV DNA negative, HBeAg loss and HBeAg seroconvertion were accessed at the 96th week.

RESULTSAt week 96, ALT normalization and HBV DNA negative in 61 patients with ADV therapy were 85.25% (52/61) and 95.08% (58/61); and HBeAg loss and HBeAg seroconvertion were 52.52% (17/33) and 42.42% (14/33) respectively. While for the other 19 patients switching to other nucleoside analogues, ALT normalization and HBV DNA negative came to 57.89% (11/19) and 68.42% (13/19). Both HBeAg loss and HBeAg seroconvertion were 58.33% (7/12).

CONCLUSIONLong term ADV antiviral therapy is effective to inhibit HBV DNA replications and benefits patients with chronic hepatits B. Switching to another nucleoside analogue is an optimal alternative if there is no EVR at week 12 in ADV therapy.

Adenine ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; Drug Resistance, Viral ; genetics ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; analysis ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; immunology ; pathogenicity ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Kidney Function Tests ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Organophosphonates ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Renal Insufficiency ; etiology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of skin-derived progenitor cell (SKP) combined with hyaluronic acid( HA) on the wound healing in diabetic rats.

METHODSSKP of Spraque-Dawley (SD) neonate rats were isolated and cultured and mixed with HA. The differentiation characteristics of SKP in the culture were observed. Sixty SD rats were injected intraperitoneally with 65 mg/kg streptozotocin( STZ) to induce diabetes. Two symmetrical full-thickness cutaneous wounds( 1.0 cm in diameter) were made on the back of each SD rat and randomly divided into A (n = 20, with treatment of 100 mircol SKP-HA) , B (n = 20, with treatment of 100 mirol HA) , and C ( n = 20, with treatment of DMEM/F12 culture medium) groups. Tissue samples from wound in each group were harvested on 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks after the treatment. Wound healing rate, changes in histomorphology, the content of hydroxyproline ( HYP) , and immigration of labelled SKP were determined and analyzed.

RESULTSSKP grew well when cultured with HA. The characteristics of SKP to differentiate into lipocyte, neuron, and neurogliocyte remained in the culture. Compared with that in C group, epithelization in the wounds of A and B groups appeared earlier. The wound healing rate in A group [ (72.1 +/- 2. 8)% ] and B group [ (53.7 +/- 2. 9)% ] were obviously higher at 2 post-treatment weeks(PTW) than that in group C [(42. 5 +/- 1.5)% ( P <0.05) , and that in A group was obviously higher compared with B and C groups at 3 PTW ( P < 0. 05 or 0. 01). The wound healing rates in A and B groups were (100. 00 +/- 0.00) % at 4 PIW, which were obviously higher than that of group C( P <0.01) . There was no obvious difference in the HYP content among the 3 groups at 1 PIW ( P > 0. 05) , but it was obviously higher in A and B groups than that in C group at 2,3,4 PTW( P <0.01) , and that in A group was significantly higher than that in B group at 3 and 4 PTW( P <0. 01). SKP survived well on the wound, and migrated towards the dermis as time elapses.

CONCLUSIONSKP-HA composition can promote wound healing in diabetic rats.

Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; pathology ; Hyaluronic Acid ; pharmacology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin ; cytology ; Stem Cells ; chemistry ; cytology ; Wound Healing ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of citrus reticulata blanco extract on the proliferation and collagen metabolism of fibroblasts from human hypertrophic scar.

METHODSHuman hypertrophic scar fibroblasts from two burn patients obtained from plastic surgery were cultured in vitro and divided into experimental group (n = 12, with basic culture medium and 2.5, 5.0, 10.0,25.0 mg/L citrus reticulata blanco extract, respectively, 3 bottles for each concentration of citrus reticulata blanco extract ), control group 1 (n = 3, with basic culture medium) , and control group 2 ( n = 3, with basic culture medium and 5% ethyl alcohol). The cell proliferation in each group was observed with MTT method, then the inhibition rate was calculated. Apoptosis and its index ( AI) in each group were determined after TUNEL staining . The changes in the content of ICTP and PINP in each group were observed by radioimmunity.

RESULTSThe inhibition rate in the experimental group with the citrus reticulata blanco extract in concentration of 2. 5, 5.0, 10.0, 25. 0 microg/ ml were (7. 100+/-0.038)% , (8. 100+/- 0. 048)% , (10. 900+/-0. 055)%, (15.900+/-0. 097) %, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in other two groups ( P <0.05 ). The Al (69. 7% , 71.7%, 86.4% , 95.2% ), ICTP [(17.2+/-0.6), (18.3+/-0.6), (19.8+/-0.5), (23.2+/-0.6) microg/L] and PINP [ (101.7+/-1.4) , (107. 8+/-1. 1) , (111.6+/-1.2) , (124. 6+/-1.3) microg/L] in experimental group with the citrus reticulata blanco extract in concentration of 2.5, 5.0, 10.0 , 25.0 mg/L were also obviously higher than other two control groups( P <0.05) ,but these indices in control 1 group were similar to those in control 2 group( P >0. 05).

CONCLUSIONThe citrus reticulata blanco extract might be beneficial for the management of hypertrophic scar through inhibition of the proliferation of fibroblasts in hypertrophic scar, by promoting apoptosis and collagen degradation.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Division ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; metabolism ; pathology ; Citrus ; chemistry ; Collagen Type I ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans