Aged ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Female ; Heparin ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; surgery ; Thrombocytopenia ; chemically induced

Objective To investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SPN) of Tbx20 gene and congenital atrial septal defects (ASD) in the Xinjiang Han population.Methods A total of 214 ASD patients and 382 controls were included in the present study.Two SNPs (rs17675131,rs4720169) in Tbx20 gene were genotyped by TaqMan SNP genotyping method.Results The distribution of the rs17675131 of Tbx20 were significantly different between normal controls and ASD patients (P =0.014),in which both the A/G allele distribution (P =0.004) and the dominant model (GG vs AG + AA) were significantly different between the 2 groups (P =0.007,OR =0.626).Same is true for the rs4720169 SNP.Its genotype showed significantly different distributions between the 2 groups (P =0.016) specifically for the A/G allele distribution frequencies (P =0.016) and the recessive model (AA vs AG + GG) (P =0.008,OR =1.96).The A-A haplotype was found to be associated with ASD.Conclusion Both rs17675131 and rs4720169 of Tbx20 gene are associated with congenital ASD in the Xinjiang Han population in China.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; physiology ; Dehydroepiandrosterone ; physiology ; Lipid Metabolism ; physiology ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Aim To evaluate the effects of ferulic acid ( FA ) on lipopolysaccharide ( LPS )-induced neuroin-flammation in microglia cells and its potential mecha-nisms. Methods Microglial activation was induced by stimulation with LPS, and the effects of FA pretreat-ment on microglial activation and production of proin-flammatory mediators, nitric oxide/iNOS were investi-gated. The role of the mitogen-activated protein kinases in the antiinflammatory actions of FA in LPS-stimulated microglia was further elucidated. Results Cell viabil-ity experiments revealed that FA did not produce cyto-toxicity in microglia. FA significantly inhibited LPS-in-duced production of tumour necrosis factor-alpha ( TNF-α) , interleukin-6 ( IL-6 ) , interleukin-1 beta ( IL-1β) , and nitric oxide ( NO ) . Protein and mRNA levels of COX-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase ( iNOS) were also attenuated by FA. Further experi-ments on intracellular signalling mechanisms showed that inhibition of extracellular regulated kinase ( ERK) contributed to the anti-neuroinflammatory actions of FA. Conclusion The results suggest that FA inhibits LPS-induced microglial inflammation by partial targe-ting of ERK signalling and attenuation of ERK.

Objective To study the relationship between the washout speed in the contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and the differentiation grading in pathology in patients with hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods Totally 271 patients who underwent complete resection for hypervascular HCC from April 2009 to December 2014 at Nanchong Central Hospital were included in this study.CEUS examinations were perfomred in all patients 2-3 days before liver resection.A timer on the ultrasound screen displayed the time elapsed since the saline flush was used to determine time to washout.The washout rate were categorized into four levels based on enhancement in portal venous phase and delayed phase.The differentiation grade and the washout speed were compared using Kruskal-Wallis test.Results All 271 (100％) lesions were arterially enhanced with different washout rate.Washout speed 1 was found in 19 patients (7.0％),while speed 2 in 157 patients (57.9％),speed 3 in 65 (24.0％),and speed 4 in 30,respectively.The washout speed had a significant correlation with the differentiation (x2=179.8238,P ＜ 0.001).The faster washout speed,the higher differentiated.Washout speed 1 could distinghuish well-differentiated from the poor and moderately differentiated tumor.The sensitivity and specificity of preoperative washout speed 1 to identify well histologic grade were 98.0％ and 77.8％,the positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 96.0％ and 48.8％,and the positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratiowere were 1.9 and 0.01.Washout speed 4 could distinghuish poor differentiated from well and moderately differentiated tumor The sensitivity and specificity of preoperative washout speed 4 to identify poor histologic grade were 24.3％ and 97.0％,the positive predictive value and the negative predictive value were 65.3％ and 61.3％,and the positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratiowere were 3.2 and 0.7.Conculsions Washout speed can reflect the degree of differentiation roughly.Washout speed can effectively diagnose the well-differentiated HCC,but it is difficult for moderate and poor differentiated HCC.

The up-regulation mechanism of membrane type I matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) in macrophages stimulated by silica in vitro and the contribution of early growth response 1 (Egr-1) transcription factor in the gene expression pathway were investigated. Macrophages stimulated by silica were treated with Egr-1 antibody or Egr-1 decoy oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN). The levels of MT1-MMP proteins were determined by Western blot and the expression of MT1-MMP mRNAs was detected by RT-PCR. The results showed as compared with control macrophages, silica-stimulated group showed up-regulated gene expression of MT1-MMP via Egr-1 (P<0.01). Compared with silica-stimulated macrophages untreated with antibody, the cells treated with 5 microg/mL Egr-1 antibody were associated with reduced expression of MT1-MMP protein (P<0.01) and mRNA (P<0.01). Compared with silica-stimulated untransfected group, the Egr-1 "decoy" ODN group was associated with reduction in the expression of MT1-MMP protein and mRNA (P<0.01). It was concluded gene expression of MT1-MMP which may play a critical role in silicosis was up-regulated by silica in macrophages. Egr-1 participated in the expression of MT1-MMP and positively regulated the expression. Both Egr-1 antibody and Egr-1 decoy ODN suppressed the expression of MT1-MMP through the Egr-1 pathway and may become a potential therapeutic tool in the management of silicosis in the future.

Background The main cause of X linked juvenile retinoschisis is mutation of RS1 gene.The phenotype of X linked juvenile retinoschisis is associated with the mutation types of RS1 gene.However,the relationship of genotype and phenotype of X linked juvenile retinoschisis is unclear.Objective The present study was to survey the clinical phenotype of X-linked juvenile retinoschisis in twelve Chinese families with eleven different mutations in the XLRS1 gene. Methods Complete ophthalmic examinations with slit lamp biomicroscopy,fundus examination and Dhotography were carried out in 28 affected males.Ganzfeld electroretinography (ERG),fundus fluorescein angiography,A and B-scan standardized echography and optical coherence tomography(OCT)were also performed in some patients.The coding regions of the XLRS1 gene that encodes retinoschisin were amplified by polymerase chain reaction(PCR)and analyzed by the single strand conformation polymorphism(SSCP)assay.The RS1 gene mutations were determined by direct sequencing in an automated sequencer.Written informed consent wasobtained prior to the survey. Results The 28 affected males showed a typical foveal schisis with or without peripheral retinoschisis.The typical response to white single flash ERG was seen with a reduction of the b-wave amplitude and a relative preservation of the a-wave amplitude.causing a reduced b/a ratio in the male patients.A total of eleven different XLRS1 mutations in 12 families were identified,four of these mutations,including one frameshift mutaion(22 del T)of exon 1,Asp145His,Arg156Gly and Trp163X mutations of exon 5,were first described in this survey.One non-disease-related polymorphism(NSP),or the 576C to T(Pro192Pro)change of exon 6 was also newly reported herein.In the families with a frameshift(22 del T)mutation of exon 1,a splice donor site mutation(IVS1+2T

Objective: To investigate the health-seeking delay in tuberculosis among school students in Yining City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from 2009 to 2020, and analyze the influencing factors, so as to provide the evidence for reducing the health-seeking delay in tuberculosis among students in Yining City. Methods: The demographic features and diagnosis of students with tuberculosis in Yining City from 2009 to 2020 were retrieved from the Tuberculosis Management Information System of the Chinese Disease Control and Prevention Information System, and the factors affecting the health-seeking delay in tuberculosis were identified using the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 443 students with tuberculosis were reported in Yining City from 2009 to 2020, including 209 boys and 234 girls, with a male/female ratio of 1∶1.12. There were 29 primary school students ( 6.55% ), 81 junior high school students ( 18.28% ), 187 high school students ( 42.21% ) and 146 college students ( 32.96% ) reporting tuberculosis, and 394 cases ( 88.94% ) had locally registered residence. There were 287 students with health-seeking delay in tuberculosis ( 64.79% ), and the median duration of health-seeking delay was 35 ( interquartile range, 33 ) days. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that registered residence ( local, OR=1.899, 95%CI: 1.004-3.591 ) and origin of tuberculosis patients ( clinical consultation, OR=3.448, 95%CI: 1.755-6.775; recommendation for symptoms, OR=3.215, 95%CI: 1.161-8.900; tracking, OR=2.415, 95%CI: 1.269-4.596 ) and diagnostic results ( positive sputum smears, OR=3.081, 95%CI: 1.710-5.551 ) statistically correlated with health-seeking delay among students with tuberculosis. Conclusions The proportion of health-seeking delay in tuberculosis was high among students in Yining City from 2009 to 2020; registered residence, origin of tuberculosis patients and diagnostic results were associated.

Objective To observe the time characteristics of acute aortic dissection (AAD) in Urumqi and its peripheral areas in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and to explore the effect of meteorological conditions on the onset of AAD.Methods Retrospective analysis of the related data of the adult AAD patients diagnosed by imaging examination, and admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from March 2010 to July 2016 was performed. The onset time, the contemporaneous meteorological data, including daily minimum, average, and the highest temperature, daily average air pressure, daily average relative humidity, daily precipitation, daily average wind speed, daily maximum wind speed, and sunshine duration per day were collected. Analysis of concentrated distribution trend of the AAD onset was done by circular distribution statistics. Meteorological conditions were compared between the AAD day and no AAD day. The changes of air temperature 5 days before onset were observed.Results A total of 379 patients were enrolled, with 307 male and 72 female. The ratio of male to female was 4.19:1, the average age was 52.27±12.18; and the underlying diseases was hypertension (about 58.05%); the incidence sites were Urumqi and Changji city. ① The incidence of AAD in Urumqi and its peripheral areas had clear concentrated trend, and the peak period of AAD corresponded to January 1st to 2nd (homogeneity testr = 0.104,r0.05 = 0.009,P < 0.05). ② The minimum, mean and maximal atmospheric temperatures on the AAD day were lower than no AAD day [℃: 4.10 (-9.55, 14.60) vs. 7.75 (-6.70, 16.20), 14.10 (-1.50, 25.00) vs. 17.50 (0.60, 26.78), 8.50 (-6.22, 19.45) vs. 12.10 (-3.60, 20.90), allP < 0.05], sunshine duration was significantly shorter than no AAD day [hours: 8.50 (4.60, 10.70) vs. 8.90 (5.50, 11.50), P< 0.01], and atmospheric pressure were higher than no AAD day [kPa: 91.24 (90.66, 91.75) vs. 91.12 (90.62, 91.61), 19.11 (18.99, 19.22) vs. 19.09 (18.98, 19.19), bothP < 0.05]; there were no significant differences in the incidence of daytime temperature difference, average relative humidity, precipitation, average wind speed, and maximum wind speed between the two groups. ③ the peak period of AAD occurrence was December (38 cases), which was followed by January (36 cases); and there were 26 cases of each month in May, June, July, and September, which were lower than the rest of months. It was shown by the temperature distribution that the minimum average temperature was in January (-12.46 ℃), followed by December (-9.03 ℃); the maximum average temperature was in July [(24.59±3.21)℃], followed by August [(23.14±3.64)℃]. ④ The patients was sorted according to the quartile of daily mean temperature, into < -5.2 ℃, -5.2-10.7 ℃, 10.7-20.4 ℃, and > 20.4 ℃ groups, and each group had 104, 99, 98, 78 cases of AAD, respectively. The number of AAD in lowest temperature group was 1.33 times of the highest temperature group. In the 45-59 and 60-74 years, the number of AAD in lowest temperature group was higher than that in the highest temperature group (50 vs. 36, 26 vs. 13). In patients with hypertension, the number of AAD in lowest temperature group was higher than that in the highest temperature group (60 vs. 44). ⑤ The maximum air temperature, mean air temperature of the day from 5 days before to the onset day of AAD, and the lowest temperature from 3 days before to the onset day of AAD display slowly decrease trends, but there was no significant difference in daily temperature.Conclusions The incidence of AAD in Urumqi and its peripheral areas was concentrated from January 1st to 2nd of each year. When the temperature was lower than -5.2 ℃, AAD were more likely to attack. The 5 days changes of temperature and daily temperature before the attack were relevant with onset of AAD. It was speculated that the weather conditions such as air temperature may affect patient who has a past history of cardiovascular disease to attack AAD.