Objective To study the relationship between soluble CD147 (sCD147) level in peripheral blood and serum lipid level and explore the effect of sCD147 on atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods The level of sCD147 in 36 patients with RA,36 patients with coronary artery disease (CAHD) and 30 healthy volunteers was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) .The disease activity score (DAS28) in RA patients was evaluated and the correlation between sCD147 level and DAS28 score was analyzed.The serum lipid level of RA patients was detected by an automatic biochemical analyzer and the cor relation between sCD147 level and serum lipid level was analyzed.Results The level of sCD147 in serum of RA patients was significantly higher than that in patients with CAHD and healthy volunteers,sCDI47 level in the RA group with high DAS28 score was significantly higher than that with low or medium DAS28 score.In RA patients,elevated total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) level was positively correlated with serum sCDI47 level (r=0.84,P＜0.05;r=0.87,P＜0.05;while slightly elevated,normal TC and normal TG had no correlation with serum sCDI47 level (r=0.41,P=0.21;r=0.14,P=0.57;r=0.49,P=0.87).Elevated or slight ly elevated LDL-C was positively correlated with serum sCD147 level (r=0.86,P＜0.05;r=0.81,P＜0.05), while no correlation could be found in the group with normal LDL-C level (r=0.78,P=0.22).The high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) level decrease in RA patients had no correlation with serum sCD147 level (r--0.04,P=0.96;r=0.13,P--0.87).Conclusion sCD147 may be involved in the pathogenesis of RA and associate with disease activity.Elevated sCD147 level may be associated with abnormal serum lipid in RA.

Objective To report the experiences in the endovascular embolization treatment of intracranial aneurysm. Methods A total of 29 patients with intracranial aneurism were treated with Gugliemi detachable coils(GDC). Results Complete occlusion was found in 15 cases, 90% occlusion in 12 and 80% in 2. Three patients had different degrees of headache. The coil escaping from the sac of the aneurysm and suspending in the parent artery of the aneurysm was seen in 1 patient. Two patients died: one was due to disruption of aneurysm and another severe bleeding in digestive tube. Conclusion Endovascular embolization of intracranial aneurysm is a minimally traumatic, safe and effective method for the treatment of intracranial aneurysm. GDC system is of easy operation, high safety and low incidence of complications.

Objective To analyze the histological changes of bone diseases and to investigate the noninvasive measurements for diagnosing renal osteodystrophy (ROD) in maintenance dialysis patients . Methods Ninety-one patients were selected to receive bone biopsy . The bone samples were stained with HE, toluidine blue and Masson, and were examined with light microscopy . The levels of immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (iPTH), osteoprotegerin (OPG),sRANKL and osteocalcin (OCN) were determined in the patients enrolled from 2004 to 2006 . The level of iPTH was measured by radioimmunoassay . OPG and sRANKL were measured by ELISA,and OCN was measured by chemiluminescence . Results The incidence of ROD in the maintenance patients was 100% . According to the histological appearance, 50 cases (54 .9%) were high turnover bone disease (secondary hyperparathyroid bone disease), 9 cases (9 .9%) were low turnover bone diseases(osteomalacia and adynamic bone disease), and 32 cases(35 .2% ) were mixed bone disease . The level of iPTH in patients with ROD was significantly increased compared with healthy controls . It was the lowest in low turnover bone diseases . There was no difference among three types of ROD . OPG level was significantly increased compared with healthy controls [(2176 .58±1576 .08) pmol/L vs (1310 .46±1254 .00) pmol/L, P＜0 .05] . The level in high turnover bone diseases was higher than that of the healthy controls [(2261 .85±1712 .22) pmol/L vs (1310 .46±1254 .00) pmol/L, P＜0 .05] . There was no difference among three types of ROD .sRANKL level in high turnover bone disease was significantly increased compared with healthy controls [(0 .328±0 .524)pmol/L vs (0 .084±0 .190) pmol/L, P＜0 .05] . OCN level was also higher than that of the healthy controls (P＜0 .05), and the OCN level in low turnover ROD was the lowest among three types of ROD . OCN level in mixed ROD was dramatically increased as compared to low turnover ROD [(226 .633±66 .455) pmol/L vs (193 .03±104 .269) pmol/L, P ＜0 .05] .Conclusions The histological changes of bone disease can be indicated by iPTH level, but the types of ROD can not be distinguished according to iPTH level neither be differentiated by the levels of OPG, sRANKL and OCN . Bone histomorphometry is still the golden standard for diagnosing renal osteodystrophy .

BACKGROUND:Transplantation of autologous stem cells for treatment of liver cirrhosis has been widely reported.But up to now,there exist some concerns for clinical physicians,including relationship between stem cells and post-transplantation prognosis/turnover of liver cirrhosis,directed differentiation of stem cells in the impaired liver,and malignant phenotype.OBJECTIVE:To dynamically monitor the serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)and AFP variants(AFP-L3)in decompensated cirrhosis patients following intrahepatic transplantation of peripheral blood stem calls via portal vein and evaluate the safety of this treatment method.METHODS:A total of 44 decompensated cirrhosis patients who underwent intrahepatic transplantation of peripheral blood stem cells via portal vein in the 309 Hospital of Chinese PLA in April 2007 were included in this study.Prior to and after surgery,serum levels of AFP and AFP-L3 were detected by chemiluminescence.Through the use of a positive criterion for liver cirrhosis,i.e.,the proportion of AFP-L3 in AFP[AFP-L3(%)]≥10%,and the relationship between decompensated cirrhosis treatment using stem cells transplantation and the malignant phenotype of liver cancer were analyzed.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:At 2 months after surgery,serum level of AFP showed a transient increase.There was no significant difference in AFP-L3(%)between prior to and after surgery(P>0.05).No significant difference in AFP-L3-positve rate,as well as AFP-L3(%),existed among patients with different serum level of AFP.These findings indicate that clinical symptoms and liver function of decompensated cirrhosis patients recovered to some extent after transplantation of peripheral blood stem cells via portal vein.Results regarding serum level of AFP-L3,a serological marker of liver cancer,did not demonstrate the appearance of malignant biological phenotype.

Objective To establish z-score model for fetal aorta (Ao) and pulmonary artery (PA) dimensions base on fetal femur length (FL),then to evaluate them in prenatal diagnosis of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).Methods Three hundred twenty-nine normal fetuses and 43 fetuses with TOF were involved,Ao and PA dimensions were measured for all cases offline after cardio-spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) volume acquisition,and PA to Ao ratio (PA/Ao) was calculated.Normal Ao and PA dimensions z-score models were constructed by using first standard regression analysis using FL as independent variable.Subsequently,the three parameters between normal and TOF fetuses were compared.Results The models use to calculate z-score for Ao and PA dimensions were constructed,FL had close correlation with fetal Ao and PA dimensions.Compared with normal fetuses,the mean z-scores of Ao,PA and PA/Ao ratio were statistical different in TOF fetuses.All Ao z-scores were ＞ + 2 z-scores and all the PA/Ao ratio were ＜ the 95％ CI in TOF group,however,only 48.84％ (21/43) PA z-scores of TOF cases were ＜-2 z-scores.Conclusions The Ao and PA dimensions z-score can provide quantitative evidence in prenatal diagnosis of TOF.Aortic dilatation and abnormal PA/Ao ratio are the main performances in fetal TOF and would be markers for prenatal diagnosis of TOF.

Objective To investigate the expression and significance of adaptor protein containing PH domain,PTB domain,and leucine zipper motif 1 (APPL1) in gastric cancers.Methods Expressions of APPL1 protein and mRNA were detected with immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 47 surgical specimens of gastric carcinomas (GC) and 27 normal gastric tissue specimens,respectively.Results The expression rate of APPL1 protein was 59.6％ (28/47) in GCs,and 26.1％ (6/23) in normal gastric tissues,with a statistically significant difference between two groups (P ＜0.05).The relative expression of mRNA was 0.821 ±0.141 in GCs,and 0.731 ±0.112 in normal gastric tissues,with a statistically significant difference between two groups (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The expressions of APPL1 protein and mRNA are increased in GCs,with a close relationship between GC and APPL1.

This study is to explore whether the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway is involved in the process of tripchlorolide (T4) protecting against oligomeric Abeta(1-42)-induced neuronal apoptosis. Primary cultured cortical neurons were used for the experiments on day 6 or 7. The oligomeric Abeta(1-42) (5 micromol x L(-1) for 24 h) was applied to induce neuronal apoptosis. Prior to treatment with Abeta(1-42) for 24 h, the cultured neurons were pre-incubated with T4 (2.5, 10, and 40 nmol x L(-1)), Wnt3a (Wnt signaling agonists) and Dkk1 (inhibitors) for indicated time. Then the cell viability, neuronal apoptosis, and protein levels of Wnt, glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta), beta-catenin and phospho-beta-catenin were measured by MTT assay, TUNEL staining and Western blotting, respectively. The result demonstrated that oligomeric Abeta(1-42) induced apoptotic neuronal cell death in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment with T4 significantly increased the neuronal cell survival and attenuated neuronal apoptosis. Moreover, oligomeric Abeta(1-42)-induced phosphorylation of beta-catenin and GSK3beta was markedly inhibited by T4. Additionally, T4 stabilized cytoplasmic beta-catenin. These results indicate that tripchlorolide protects against the neurotoxicity of Abeta by regulating Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. This may provide insight into the clinical application of tripchlorolide to Alzheimer's disease.

Objective:To investigate the impact of aging on the correlation between the intestinal microorganism Akkermansia and obesity, and to analyze the features of the correlation in the elderly population. Methods:This was a cross-sectional study.A total of 6896 cases were collected from the Guangdong intestinal microbiome in 2018, aged 18-94 years old, including 3806 females, 1641 cases with abdominal obesity(23.7%)and 707 cases with systemic obesity(10.3%). The 16S rRNA sequencing data were from individuals of Cantonese descent.The abundance of Akkermansia was calculated after data cleaning, clustering and annotation.The type of abdominal obesity or systemic obesity was diagnosed based on the standards of the Working Group on Obesity in China(2002). According to the five quintiles of the abundance of Akkermansia, subjects were divided into Q1~Q5(Q1-Q4: n=1379, Q5: n=1380). Logistic regression was used to study the relationship between Akkermansia and obesity after adjusting for common confoundors such as gender.Subjects were subgrouped into two types of age groups: the <65 group(n=5467)and the ≥65 group(n=1519); the <70 group(n=6136)and the ≥70 group(n=850). Age windows were used to analyze changes in characteristics of this relationship with increasing age. Results:There were significant differences in age and gender among different Akkermansia groups( t/ χ2=3.51, -5.03, P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for two main confounding factors, age and gender, the risk of systemic obesity and abdominal obesity gradually decreased from Q2 to Q5 group, compared with Q1 group( P<0.001). The correlation between Akkermansia and obesity decreased with age.The protective effect of Akkermansia on obesity was weaker in the ≥65 and ≥70 groups, respectively, than in the <65 and <70 groups. Conclusions:Akkermansia is a protective factor for obesity, but the protective effect is affected by aging and weakened in the elderly.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relation of peripheral blood estradiol, progesterone and testosterone levels with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

METHODSForty-eight patients with IBS identified according to Rome II diagnostic criteria and 30 healthy subjects as controls were analyzed for peripheral blood sex hormone levels by radioimmunoassay and corresponding software.

RESULTSIn male patients with IBS, blood testosterone level was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05), but blood estradiol and progesterone showed no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). In the female patients, blood estradiol level was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05), whereas blood progesterone and testosterone levels had no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONPeripheral blood testosterone level in male IBS patients and estradiol level in female patients are lower than those of healthy subjects, suggesting that IBS might be associated with blood sex hormone disorder.

Adult ; Aged ; Estradiol ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Progesterone ; blood ; Radioimmunoassay ; Testosterone ; blood

Objective To observe the characteristics of hepatic progenitor cells(HPCs)activation in liver tissues of patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis,and to investigate the relationship between the number of HPCs and HBV infection.Methods Cytokeratin 7(CK7)-was stained immunohistochemically in liver tissues of 16 patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis.HPCs and duetular reactions were quantitively analyzed.The expression of HBsAg and HBcAg were also detected to evaluate its relationship with HPCs activation.Results HPCs were extensively activated and marked duetular reactions can be observed in cirrhotic liver tissues.Tlle expression of HBsAg was positively correlated with HPCs activation.Conclusions HPCs are extensively activated in cirrhotic liver tissues,and HBV infection may facilitate its activation.