· AIM: To investigate the expression and the possible implication of CD40/CD40L costimulatory molecules in erythema nodosum of patients with Beh(c)et's disease.· METHODS: Sampling was done from erythema nodosum of 5 patients with Beh(c)et's disease and normal skin of 2 healthy individuals. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to examine the expression of CD4, CD8, CD19, CD68, HLA-DR,CD40 and CD40L molecules in the obtained tissues.· RESULTS: Approximately 90% of epidermic cells in erythema nodosum expressed CD40 molecule. In the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, a significantly increased number of CD4+Tcells, CD8+Tcells, CD19+cells, CD68+cells, HLA-DR+cells,CD40L+cells, and CD40+cells were observed in the erythema nodosum as compared with that in normal skin. Double staining showed that CD40L molecules were expressed on 45% of CD4+T cells. CD40 molecules were expressed on 100% CD68+ cells and 59.2% of HLA-DR+cells respectively.· CONCLUSION: A number of CD40/CD40L costimulatory molecules are upreguiated in the erythema nodosum of patients with Behcet's disease.

Animals ; Brain Edema ; Brain Ischemia ; Cerebral Infarction ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Rats ; Reperfusion ; Reperfusion Injury

Thermogravimetry (TG), TG-MS, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM)-energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS) were adopted to investigate the pyrolysis characteristics of calamina. According to the findings of the qualitative and quantitative studies on the changes in the content of relevant elements, the whole shape, the functional groups, and the volatile components of calamina before and after being pyrolyzed, the 200-360, 580-750 degrees C were two sensitive temperature ranges related to the changes in effective component during calamina processing. Thermal weight loss was observed for ZnCO3, Zn(OH)2 and ZnCO3-2Zn(OH)2-H2O under 200-360 degrees C and for CaCO3 under 580-750 degrees C. The results of studies on chemical reaction kinetics showed good linear relations. This experiment integrated relevant methods and theories of physical chemistry and science of traditional Chinese medicine processing, and interpretes calamina processing techniques and mechanism, in order to provide a good example for modem studies on other traditional Chinese medicine processing.
Drug Combinations ; Drug Compounding ; methods ; Ferric Compounds ; chemistry ; Kinetics ; Temperature ; Zinc Oxide ; chemistry

We used metabolomics to investigate the ability of a traditional Mongolian medicine called modified Tabusen-2 (MT-2) to improve kidney yang deficiency (KYD) in rats. All animal experiments were conducted under the guidance and standards of the Medical Ethics Committee of Inner Mongolia Medical University. SD rats were divided into 6 groups of six rats: a normal group, a model group, Jinkuishenqi pill administration group (1.26 g·kg^-1), and MT-2 administration in high-, medium- and low-dose groups (1.512, 0.756, and 0.378 g·kg^-1). KYD was established by intramuscular injection of hydrocortisone (HC) and biochemical indicators and clinical characterization was used to confirm that KYD was established. All groups received intragastrically administered drug (Jinkuishenqi pill or MT-2) or saline. Serum from each group was collected after 8 weeks and analyzed by UPLC-Q-exactive-MS to measure various biochemical indicators. The biomarkers affected by MT-2 were identified and the metabolic pathways of KYD regulated by MT-2 were analyzed by metabolomic analysis. The results show that MT-2 can decrease serum creatinine (Cr) in KYD rats and significantly increase (P<0.05) the content of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). In serum samples, 38 biomarkers such as corticosterone, L-phenylalanine, and DL-tryptophan were measured as possible indicators for disease development in KYD rats. MT-2 lowered 18 biomarkers of KYD, including corticosterone, deoxycorticosterone, and L-phenylalanine, and altered 13 related metabolic pathways including phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism and steroid hormone biosynthesis, resulting in an overall improvement in KYD. MT-2 appears to be important in improving KYD in rats mainly by regulating metabolites such as amino acids, steroids and lipids.

BACKGROUNDHelical tomotherapy (HT) is a new image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) technique. It is reported that HT plan for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can give better dose uniformity, dose gradients, and protection for the lung than IMRT plan. We compared the dosimetric characteristics of HT for NSCLC with those of conventional IMRT to observe the superiority of HT.

METHODSThere was a comparative case series comprising 10 patients with NSCLC. Computed tomographic (CT) images of delineated targets were transferred to the PrecisePlan planning system (IMRT) and Tomo planning system (HT). The prescription doses were 70 Gy/33F for the gross tumor volume (GTV) and the visible lymph nodes (GTVnd), and 60 Gy/33F for the clinical target volume (CTV) and the clinical target volume of the visible lymph nodes (CTVnd). The dose restrictions for organs at risk were as follows: the maximum dose to spinal cord ≤ 45 Gy, V20 to the total lungs < 30%, V50 to the heart < 50%, and V55 to the esophagus < 50%. Both plans were evaluated by means of the dose coverage of the targets, dose-volume histograms (DVHs), and other dosimetric indices.

RESULTSThe dose coverage, conformity, and homogeneity of the targets' volumes were found to be satisfactory in both plans, but the homogeneity of the HT plan was better than that of IMRT. The high-dose radiation volume (V20-V30) to the lung and the mean lung dose (MLD) decreased (P < 0.05), but the low-dose radiation volume (V5-V10) increased slightly in the HT plan (P > 0.05). The maximum doses to the spinal cord, heart, esophagus and trachea in the HT plan were lower than those in the IMRT plan, but the differences were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONSThe HT plan provids better dose uniformity, dose gradients, and protection for the organs at risk. It can reduce the high-dose radiation volume for lung and the MLD, but may deliver a larger lung volume of low-dose radiation.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; radiotherapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; methods ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo define the frequency and spectrum of c-kit gene mutations in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

METHODSFifty two cases of GIST and 28 cases of other tumors were examined for mutations in exon 11, 9 and 13 of c-kit gene using PCR amplification and DNA sequencing.

RESULTSFourteen out of 25 malignant GIST (56%), while 2 of 27 benign and borderline GIST (7.4%) revealed mutations in exon 11 of c-kit gene (P < 0.01). Most of the mutations consisted of in-frame deletion or replication from 3 to 48 bp in heterozygous and homozygous fashions, but none of the mutations disrupted the downstream reading frame of the gene. Point mutation and deletion concentrated at 550 - 570 codons but replication clustered within 570 - 585 codons. The mutation pattern in recurrence tissues was the same as the primary ones. Normal tissues adjacent to GIST with or without c-kit gene mutations showed wild type c-kit gene sequence. No mutation was found in exon 9 and 13. Neither c-kit gene expression nor gene mutations was found in 3 leiomyomas, 8 leiomyosarcomas, 2 schwannomas, 2 intra-abdomenal fibromitoses and 8 adenocarcinomas.

CONCLUSIONThe mutations in exon 11 of c-kit gene might partially represent one of the molecular mechanisms of GIST. It can be used as a marker for distinguishing benignancy and malignancy of GIST. The mutations did not involve the reading frame. Except for long frame deletion, most mutations also did not affect protein expression. Mutation of c-kit gene in GIST provides a new genotypic marker to distinguish GIST from authentic leiomyomas, leiomyosarcomas, schwannomas and etc.

Base Sequence ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; analysis ; genetics ; Proto-Oncogenes

OBJECTIVE: To compare the levels of short-chain fatty acids in enterobacteria-related metabolites in feces between infants with cholestatic hepatopathy and healthy infants. METHODS: Thirty infants with cholestatic hepatopathy were enrolled in this study as the disease group, while 30 healthy infants were enrolled as the control group. Fecal specimens were collected from the disease group before and after treatment and from the control group. Gas chromatography was used to quantitatively determine the content of short-chain fatty acids in the feces of both groups including acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, and isovaleric acid. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the concentrations of acetic acid and propionic acid between the control and disease groups before and after treatment, as well as no significant changes in the two markers in the disease group after treatment (P>0.05). The disease group had a significantly increased concentration of butyric acid after treatment (P<0.05). The concentrations of isobutyric acid and isovaleric acid in the control group were significantly higher than those in the disease group before and after treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Intestinal protein metabolites in infants with cholestatic hepatopathy are significantly different from those in healthy infants, whereas there is no significant difference with respect to carbohydrate metabolites.
Acetates ; Butyric Acid ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Fatty Acids, Volatile ; Feces ; Humans ; Infant

BACKGROUND:We explore the transfection effects of different lentiviruses on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) from the same source in order to screen out appropriate cell transfection tools.OBJECTIVE:To explore the difference in the transfection efficiency of three different lentiviruses carrying green fluorescent protein (GFP) to transfect the rabbit BMSCs.METHODS:Bone marrow samples were extracted from the ilium of 2-week-old Japan white rabbits,and then the BMSCs were separated,purified and extended using density gradient centrifugation.Cell surface markers were identified using flow cytometry.pTomo-GFP lentivirus,Ad-GFP lentivirus and lenti-GFP lentivirus were used to transfect the BMSCs,and the transfection efficiency was tested using flow cytometry.The cell viability was detected using cell counting kit-8 before and after transfection.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:As the positive rates of CD44,CD34 and CD45 were 75.64％,6.14％ and 9.48％,respectively,the cultured cells were identified as BMSCs by the flow cytometry.The expression levels of GFP after transfection by pTomo-GFP,Ad-GFP and ienti-GFP were 2.64％,16.72％ and 45.24％,respectively.The cell growth curve showed that pTomo-GFP lentivirus,Ad-GFP and ienti-GFP lentivirus showed certain effects on cell growth,pTomo-GFP and Ad-GFP had an effect on cell growth at incubation period and logarithmic growth phase at 1-8 days after transfection,which may cause some interference to the viability of early cells,ienti-GFP had little effect on cell growth in the short term,but there was a change in cell growth at day 12 after lenti-GFP transfection,and a long-term effect of lenti-GFP on cell viability was considered.Therefore,lenti-GFP lentivirus could highly transfect the BMSCs and could not impact the normal growth of BMSCs,indicating that lenti-GFP lentivirus is suitable for BMSCs tracing and gene transfection.

Objective:To analyze the DIP medical insurance settlement situation of neonatology and its influencing factors,to optimize the medical insurance settlement rules of neonatology,and to promote the fine management of payment method reform.Methods:City Y,the pilot city of national DIP payment method,was selected as the case area,and the data of the whole sample of patients in neonatology department of City Y were analyzed by descriptive analysis,four-quadrant bubble chart,and multivariate linear regression methods,combined with qualitative data analysis and interview study.Results:There were 1 372 neonates in City Y in 2022,with a health insurance billing rate of 84.82%and 81.10%in tertiary care facilities.There were 718 unenrolled cases.Tertiary care institutions,not enrolled,low-birth-weight babies,higher days of hospitalization,lower days of birth,and lower settlement scores were the influencing factors for the low rate of health insurance settlement in neonatology(P<0.05).Conclusion:Neonatology medical insurance settlement rate was significantly lower than that of the city,and tertiary care institutions had higher deficits,which may lead to the risk of shirking critically ill neonatal patients.There were problems of insufficient grouping refinement and score distortion in neonatology.Recommendation:We should improve the management and adjustment mechanism of core elements,optimize the DIP grouping of neonatology,comprehensively consider the resource consumption characteristics of neonates,rationally and dynamically adjust the price of neonatal medical services,and scientifically set the neonatology markup coefficients,so as to achieve synergistic improvement in the development of neonatology and health insurance,and to push forward the connotative and refined development of the reform of the payment method of health insurance.