OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeutic effect of reconstruction of facial defects with frontal expanded flaps bipedicled by superficial temple vessels and supraorbital/supratrochlear neurovascular bundles.

METHODSFrom June 2006 to Mar. 2013, the patients with mostly unilateral facial defects which affected temple area and crossed the facial midline, were treated with frontal expanded flaps. The expanders were implanted at first stage and the expanded frontal flaps were transferred at second stage. At third stage, pedicle division was performed and the pedicle skin tissue was used to repair the residue defect.

RESULTAll the 18 flaps survived completely with satisfactory color and texture. Good results were achieved during the follow-up period of one year.

CONCLUSIONThe bipedicled frontal expanded flap has a reliable blood supply which is very suitable for large facial defect.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Face ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Skin Transplantation ; methods ; Surgical Flaps ; blood supply ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Objective:To comparatively analyze the efficacy of S-1 plus cisplatin as first-line chemotherapy between advanced AFP posi-tive and AFP negative gastric cancer. Methods:A total of 89 eligible patients with advanced gastric cancer from January 2010 to June 2013 were enrolled in this retrospective study. The cases were divided into AFP positive group (n=18) and AFP negative group (n=71) based on serum AFP level before treatment. Both groups received S-1 plus cisplatin as first-line treatment. Results:Significant differ-ences were observed in remission rate (66.7% versus 32.4%, P=0.028) and radical surgical resection rate (44.5% versus 18.3%, P=0.029) after chemotherapy between AFP positive group and AFP negative group. In the two groups, neither progression-free survival nor overall survival (OS) showed any significance (P>0.05) in patients without surgery after chemotherapy. However, the disease-free survival of the two groups with radical surgical resection after chemotherapy was significantly different (median:27.0 months versus 15.6 months, P=0.034). The OS of the AFP positive group was evidently longer than that of the AFP negative group (median:16.0 months versus 11.0 months, P=0.005). Conclusion:As first-line chemotherapy, S-1 plus cisplatin was more effective for the advanced AFP positive gastric cancer and prolonged overall survival.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dienogest (DNG) in the treatment of refractory endometriosis-associated pain (REAP).Methods:In this study, REAP was defined according to the following criteria: (1) the pain duration was ≥12 months and visual analogue scale (VAS)≥60 mm; (2) the previous treatments with over two medicines like oral contraceptives and levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system failed to achieve satisfactory relief of pain, with VAS reduction less than 50%; with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or mifepristone, the pain could be controlled temporarily, but it recurred after discontinuation of medicines; (3) the pain could not be relieved by surgery or even repeated surgeries. In the present study, 48 patients with REAP were treated with DNG 2 mg/day orally and the clinical outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. The VAS scores, levels of CA 125, estradiol, FSH, LH and changes in the size of endometriotic lesions before and after treatment were compared respectively. The side effects were also analyzed. Results:The average duration of DNG treatment was (20.1±12.8) months. After 3 months of medication, the VAS score was significantly reduced from (77.9±15.8) mm to (20.8±10.7) mm ( P<0.01), and CA 125 level was significantly reduced from (95±139) kU/L to (38±45) kU/L ( P<0.05). The effects were maintained with continuation of DNG treatment. Endometriotic lesions tended to shrink, after 12 months of DNG treatment, the size of ovarian endometriomas was reduced significantly from (3.1±1.0) cm to (1.9±1.2) cm ( P<0.05). The mean level of estradiol was maintained at 124.82-221.04 pmol/L and levels of FSH and LH did not change significantly during the treatment. The major side effect was irregular bleeding (75%, 36/48). Conclusions:DNG could effectively relieve REAP and is a well-tolerated therapy. It may supply an alternative option for patients with REAP.

Objective:To explore the differences of clinical laboratory indicators between Kawasaki disease (KD) and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA), providing objective evidence for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of these diseases.Methods:A total of 41 children patients with KD (KD group) and 33 children patients with SJIA (SJIA group) who received treatment in Huainan Maternal and Child Health Hospital between September 2017 and January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. An additional 50 healthy children who concurrently received physical examination in the same hospital were included in the control group. Platelet count (PLT), white blood cell count (WBC), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) as well as C-reactive protein (CRP), serum procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and serum ferritin (SF) levels were compared among groups before treatment.Results:One-way analysis of variance and pairwise q test were performed to compare laboratory indicators among KD, SJIA and control groups. CRP, ESR, SF and IL-6 levels in the KD group were significantly lower than those in the SJIA group [CRP: (57.80 ± 25.23) mg/L vs. (77.72 ± 45.64) mg/L; ESR: (67.02 ± 28.80) mm/h vs. (83.84 ± 47.64) mm/h; SF: (320.21 ± 182.53) μg/L vs. (945.58 ± 604.65) μg/L; IL-6: (50.35 ± 20.54) ng/L vs. (89.35 ± 45.54) ng/L, q = 4.34, 3.42, 11.51, 8.85, all P < 0.05]. IL-10 level in the KD group was significantly higher than that in the SJIA group [(18.52 ± 16.71) ng/L vs. (10.01 ± 3.24) ng/L, q = -5.25, P < 0.05]. WBC, CRP, ESR, PCT, PLT, IL-6, IL-10 and SF in the KD and SJIA groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P < 0.05). Conclusion:Detection of CRP, ESR, SF, IL-6, IL-10 in blood can provide objective evidence for the early diagnosis and differential diagnosis of KD and SJIA, thereby reducing the misjudgment of clinical diagnosis.

Social isolation represents the development of a certain level, either partial or complete, of deprivation of socialization and may have adverse effects in many aspects for the elderly, which can be physiological, psychological and social.Meanwhile, during the course of human life, aging becomes an inevitable process and brings about changes in cognitive ability, which become an important focus of our attention.This paper reviews the research progress on the relationship between social isolation and cognitive ability in the elderly, in order to provide a new perspective for future research on social isolation and cognitive ability in the elderly and also to offer new insight on how to construct a model of intervention and health management for the elderly population with social isolation.

Objective:To establish an in vivo infection model of West Nile virus (WNV) pseudovirus and evaluate the neutralizing activity of antibody WNV-XH1.Methods:A stable cell line that can package the WNV pseudovirus was established in the early stage to prepare the pseudovirus supernatant. The supernatant was concentrated and infected BHK21 cells to detect the titer of the pseudovirus. After intraperitoneal injection of the pseudovirus into C57BL/J mice, bioluminescence imaging was performed to observe the infection status of the pseudovirus in the mice. After simultaneous infection, blood was collected and ELISA was used to detect NS1 levels in mouse serum. The in vivo functional activity of antibody WNV-XH1 was evaluated using the established mouse infection model.Results:Fluorescence was detected in C57BL/J mice infected with WNV pseudovirus, and the NS1 levels in the peripheral blood serum of mice infected with pseudovirus were significantly higher than those of non infected mice (1.453±0.09vs0.305±0.018). After intravenous administration of WNV-XH1 antibody before the attack, the fluorescence signal in the mice decreased and the serum NS1 level decreased (0.384±0.015).Conclusions:A successful in vivo infection model of WNV pseudovirus was established, and it was confirmed that the antibody WNV-XH1 had a protective effect against WNV pseudovirus infection in vivo.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of dexmedetomidine on the expression of DNA methyltransferases in septic mice with acute lung injury.Methods:Forty-eight clean-grade healthy male C57BL/6 mice, aged 6-8 weeks, weighing 20-25 g, were divided into 4 groups ( n=12 each) using a random number table method: sham operation group (group Sham), sham operation + dexmedetomidine group(group Sham+ DEX), sepsis group (group Sepsis) and sepsis + dexmedetomidine group(group Sepsis+ DEX). Sepsis model was established by cecal ligation and puncture(CLP)in anesthetized mice. At 30 min before model preparation, dexmedetomidine 0.05 μg/g (in 0.5 ml of normal saline) was administered in Sham + DEX and Sepsis + DEX groups, and normal saline 0.5 ml was given instead in Sham and Sepsis groups. The mice were sacrificed at 24 h after CLP, and the lung tissue was taken to determine the wet to dry lung weight ratio, contents of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and high mobility group box-1 (HMGB-1), activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and myeloperoxidase (MPO), and content of malondialdehyde (MDA) (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), global DNA methylation (by colorimetric assay), and expression of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTl, DNMT3a, DNMT3b) (by Western blot) and to examine the histopathological changes of lung tissues (by HE staining) which were scored. Results:Compared with group Sham, the lung injury score, wet/dry lung weight ratio, contents of IL-6, TNF-α and HMGB1 and MDA, MPO activity and global DNA methylation were significantly increased, SOD activity was decreased, and the expression of DNMT1 and DNMT3a was up-regulated in group Sepsis and group Sepsis+ DEX ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in the aforementioned indexes in group Sham+ DEX ( P>0.05). Compared with group Sepsis, the lung injury score, wet/dry lung weight ratio, contents of IL-6, TNF-α and HMGB1 and MDA, MPO activity and global DNA methylation were significantly decreased, SOD activity was increased, and the expression of DNMT1 and DNMT3a was down-regulated in group Sepsis+ DEX ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The mechanism by which dexmedetomidine reduces acute lung injury is related to inhibition of up-regulation of DNMT1 and DNMT3a expression in septic mice.

Objective: To investigate the effect of activation of the stimulator of interferon genes(STING) pathway on macrophage polarization function and its role in T-cell response. Methods: Mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells were used.STING signaling related proteins in RAW264.7 macrophage treated with STING agonist diABZI were analyzed by Western blot,including TANK-binding kinase-1(TBK1),interferon regulatory factor-3(IRF3),STING,p-TBK1,p-IRF3,p-STING.The polarization of macrophage RAW264.7 cells treated with diABZI was analyzed by flow cytometry.Co-culture of diABZI-treated RAW264.7 macrophage and T cells was applied to evaluate the change of T cell response. Results: STING signaling related proteins were upregulated in macrophage RAW264.7 cells treated with diABZI for 3 hours.The expression of CD86 was upregulated on the surface of macrophages after 12 hours of diABZI treatment,and the CD86/CD206 ratio was elevated,which presented the M1 polarization phenotype.When coculturing diABZI-treated macrophage RAW264.7 cells with T cells,the cytokine secretion ability of T cells including CD4+T and CD8+T cells was enhanced and the expression of CD107a in CD8+T cells was upregulated. Conclusion STING signaling induces M1 polarization of macrophages which enhance the function of T cells,especially CD8+T cell immune response.

ObjectiveTo investigate the optimal ratio of goat horn replacing antelope horn in Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills and the blood pressure-lowering mechanism of this medicine. MethodsThe blood pressure-lowering efficacy of Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills with varying proportions of goat horn replacing antelope horn was evaluated on spontaneous hypertensive rats （SHR）. In this experiment， 50 SHR rats were randomly grouped as follows： model （n=8）， captopril （0.01 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， low-dose blank Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.342 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， high-dose blank Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.684 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， low-dose antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.378 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， high-dose antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.756 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， low-dose goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.378 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， and high-dose goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.756 g·kg^-1） （n=6）. Additionally， 8 WKY rats were used as the normal group. Drugs were administered by gavage for 4 weeks while an equal volume of distilled water was administered for the normal and model groups. Blood pressure was measured before administration， 3 h post administration， and biweekly thereafter. In the experiment for Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills with goat horn replacing antelope horn in different proportions， 48 SHR rats were randomly grouped as follows： model， blank Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.684 g·kg^-1）， antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.756 g·kg^-1）， 2× goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.824 g·kg^-1）， 4× goat horn Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.969 g·kg^-1）， and 6× goat horn Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （1.112 g·kg^-1）. The normal group included 8 WKY rats， and the normal group and model group received an equal volume of distilled water. The treatment lasted for 2 weeks， and blood pressure was recorded at various time points （pre-administration， 3 h post administration， and on days 4， 7， 10， and 14 of administration）. Serum levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme （ACE）， angiotensin Ⅱ（Ang Ⅱ）， renin， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Histopathological changes in the heart， kidney， and thoracic aorta were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The protein levels of ACE2， angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor （AT1R）， and angiotensinogen （AGT） in the kidney tissue were determined by Western blot， while the expression of nuclear factor （NF）-κB p65 and Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） in the thoracic aorta tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry. ResultsCompared with the model group， all treatment groups showed lowered blood pressure （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the 6× goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills group showed consistent blood pressure-lowering effect with the antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills group. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed elevated serum levels of ACE， Ang Ⅱ， renin， and IL-6， while the elevations were declined in the Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Pathological changes in the heart， kidney， and thoracic aorta were alleviated in all the treatment groups， with the 6× goat horn- and antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills groups exhibited the best effect. Western blot and immunohistochemistry results showed that all the treatment groups exhibited down-regulated protein levels of AT1R， AGT， NF-κB p65， and TLR4 and up-regulated protein levels of ACE2 （P<0.05， P<0.01） compared with model group， with the 6×goat horn- and antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills groups showcasing the best effect. ConclusionReplacing antelope horn with 6×goat horn in Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills can achieve consistent blood pressure-lowering effect with the original prescription. The prescription may exert the effect by inhibiting the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system （RAAS） and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways.