Chronic Periodontitis ; therapy ; Dental Implantation ; Dental Scaling ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oral Hygiene ; Periapical Periodontitis ; therapy ; Root Planing ; Tooth Extraction

OBJECTIVETo explore lupus nephritis (LN) patients' monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) and urinary IP-10 (ulP-10) levels, the correlation between each clinical activity index and rheumatism syndrome, thereby proving objective evidence for microscopic typing of rheumatism syndrome.

METHODSTotally 60 LN patients were assigned to the rheumatism group (31 cases) and the non-rheumatism group (29 cases). Besides, 20 healthy volunteers were recruited as the normal control group. Clinical data and renal pathology were collected, and urinary levels of MCP-1 and IP-10 detected by ELISA. The correlation between rheumatism syndrome and each activity index as well as manifestations of clinical activities was comprehensively analyzed. Results (1) Patients in the rheumatism group were more liable to occur fever, serositis, edema, and hypertension (P<0.05). (2) Compared with the non-rheumatism group, patients in the rheumatism group exhibited much higher levels of 24 h protein quantification and blood urea nitrogen, higher levels of uMCP-1 and ulP-10. Microscopic hematuria, anti-ds-DNA, anti-Sm, the positive rate of AnuA, scores of SLEDAI and BILAG were higher in the rheumatism group than in the non-rheumatism group (P<0.05). Levels of plasma albumin and complement C3 were lower in the rheumatism group than in the non-rheumatism group (P<0.05). (3) The average activity index (AI) of the renal pathology was higher in the rheumatism group than in the non-rheumatism group. The most frequent pathological type of rheumatism group was type IV of LN.

CONCLUSIONSMore severe renal damage and immune abnormality occurred in LN patients of rheumatism syndrome. Rheumatism syndrome is closely correlated to clinical activity indices.

Biomedical Research ; Chemokine CCL2 ; metabolism ; Complement C3 ; metabolism ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Kidney ; Lupus Nephritis ; epidemiology ; metabolism ; Rheumatic Diseases ; epidemiology ; metabolism

Oligosaccharides are one of the essential physiological constituents of glycoproteins and glycolipids on mammalian cell surfaces and microbial metabolites. They have considerable potential as therapeutics but are only now slowly assuming this important role. One of the reasons for their slow development has been the considerable difficulty in synthesizing oligosaccharides on the scale necessary for their clinical evaluation. Classical chemical and enzymatic methods both have limitations in synthesizing large-scale oligosaccharides. In recent years, the rapid progress on molecular biotechnology has promoted the development of retaining glycosidases in oligosaccharides synthesis, which led to the production of a novel class of enzymatic activities termed the glycosynthases. These new enzymes are retaining glycosidase mutants in which the catalytic nucleophile has been converted to a non-nucleophilic residue,synthesizing oligosaccharides in high yields ( the highest yields reach 99%) without any hydrolysis. Furthermore thioglycoligases and thioglycosynthases have been developed subsequently in the past three years. Glycosynthases can be screened in high-throughput assay by the two-plasmid system and the yeast three-hybid system respectively. Their activity can be significantly enhanced by substituting alternative residues for nucleophile, additional random mutations and optimizing reaction conditions. Their regioselectivity can be modified through changes in receptors.

Objective To study the chemical constituents of Swertia decora, a traditional herb used to treat hepatitis by the minority.Methods The constituents were separated and purified by column chromatography with silica gel.Their structures were identified on the basis of spectral analysis such as UV, MS, NMR, HMPC, HMQC and by HPLC.Results Three compounds were isolated from the chloroform part and ethyl acetate part of the extracts.Their structures were identified as 1-hydroxy-4, 5, 6, 7-tetra- methoxy -9H-xanthen-9-one (swertiadecoraxanthone-Ⅰ, Ⅰ), 5, 7, 3′, 4′- tetrahydroxyflavone (luteolin, Ⅱ), and 3, 5, 7, 3′, 4′-pentahydroxyflavone (quercetin, Ⅲ), respectively.Conclusion Swertiadecora- xanthone -Ⅰ is a new compound and the other two are found from this plant for the first time.The pentaoxygenated patterns of compound Ⅰ is also found for the first time in the plants of Swertia L.

Objective To investigate the injuries caused by cholesterol to the vascular endothelial cells (VECs). Methods Different dosage of cholesterol (6.25,12.5,25.0,50.0 mg/L) was used on human umbilical endothelial cell line,ECV304,respectively. LDH activity,nitric oxide and the nitric oxide synthetase activity in the supernatant of cell culture were detected. The concentration of MCP-1 protein in cell culture was detected by ELISA. Results As compared with the normal control cells,a significant increase of LDH activity was found in the cells treated with 50.0 mg/L cholesterol. The NO level decreased in the cells treated by 25.0 or 50.0 mg/L cholesterol. When treated by cholesterol at dose of 6.25,12.5,25.0 or 50.0 mg/L respectively,the NOS activity was greatly decreased and MCP-1 protein was significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion Cholesterol of high concentration could directly injure the structure and partial function of VECs.

Objective To establish a calculation software to determine paternity index(PI) in parentage testing and likelihood ratio (LR) in individual recognition.Methods Based on relevant industry standards and literature, using Visual Basic 6.0 to write the program.Results We successfully developed the calculation software for paternity index (PI) in parentage testing and likelihood ratio (LR) in individual recognition.Conclusion The calculation software can help staff to improve the calculation efifciency, and serve the forensic evidence.

Objective:To investigate the incidence and risk factors of neonatal asphyxia in twin pregnancy.Methods:This study retrospectively recruited 2 035 women with twin pregnancy and their 4 070 twin neonates in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from January 2010 to December 2018. There were 211 cases suffered from neonatal asphyxia (asphyxia group) and 3 859 did not (non-asphyxia group). The demographic information of the women and their newborns and the incidence of perinatal complications were compared between the two groups by two independent samples t-test and Chi-square test. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of neonatal asphyxia in twin pregnancy. Results:The age of 2 035 women was (31.8±4.4) years old (17-52 years old). The gestational age of the twins at delivery was (35.2±2.2) weeks (25-40 weeks). There were 1 330 (65.4%) premature births, including 997 (49.0%) born at ≥34 weeks. Monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies accounted for 22.6% (460/2 035). The total incidence of neonatal asphyxia was 5.2% (211/4 070), 5.0% (102/2 035) in the first- and 5.4% (109/2 035) in the second-born twin infants, and the three figures were all decreased with the increase of gestational age ( χ2trend=1 601.965, 549.693 and 1 089.709, all P<0.001) as well as birth weight ( χ2trend=1 273.386, 437.906 and 848.007, all P<0.001). Univariate analysis showed that the asphyxia group had smaller gestational age and lower birth weight [(34.1±2.8) vs (35.3±2.1) weeks, t=6.279; (2 113.3±565.7) vs (2 339.6±478.7) g, t=5.700], but a higher ratio of male infants [58.3% (123/211) vs 48.5% (1 878/3 859), χ2=7.704], vaginal delivery [10.4% (22/211) vs 4.5% (173/3 859), χ2=15.493], monochorionic diamniotic twins [27.5% (58/211) vs 22.3% (862/3 859), χ2=7.714], special complications related to monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies [8.1% (17/211) vs 2.5% (95/3 859), χ2=23.403] and fetal distress [13.7% (29/211) vs 3.8% (148/3 859), χ2=47.222] than the non-asphyxia group (all P<0.05). After adjusting for the gestational age, birth weight and gender, multivariate logistic regression found that vaginal delivery ( OR=1.748, 95% CI: 1.069-2.861), special complications related to monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies ( OR=3.200, 95% CI: 2.056-4.982) and fetal distress ( OR=2.017, 95% CI: 1.073-3.791) were the risk factors for asphyxia in twin neonates (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The incidence of neonatal asphyxia is high in twins with small gestational age and low birth weight. Vaginal delivery, fetal distress and special complications related to monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies are the high-risk factors. Clinicians should be well prepared for resuscitation when encountering neonatal asphyxia.

To study the regulation of androgen receptor (AR) expression in human prostate cancer LNCaP cells by triptolide (TP) and the possible mechanism, by using qRT-PCR and Western blot, the AR mRNA and protein levels in TP treated LNCaP cells were detected, and the AR protein level in TP and NF-κB inhibitor treated LNCaP cells was also detected; a series of pGL3-AR promoter reporter gene vectors were built using restriction-free cloning method, and the vectors were employed to investigate the effects of TP on the transcriptional activity of AR promoter in LNCaP cells; the upstream proteins which may play regulatory roles were detected using western blot assay. After treated LNCaP cells with TP for 48 h, AR mRNA and protein expressions decreased with increasing TP concentration. The expression of AR target gene PART1 and prostate specific antigen (PSA) was also downregulated by TP treatment; a series of pGL3-AR promoter reporter vectors were constructed and validated by sequencing and luciferase activity; the results of dual luciferase reporter assay showed that TP downregulated AR at the transcriptional level; PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway which is associated with AR promoter activity was drowregulated by TP. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that the transcriptional activity of AR in LNCAP cells was downregulated by TP, and PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway may be involved in the regulation mechanism.
Cell Line, Tumor ; Diterpenes ; pharmacology ; Down-Regulation ; Epoxy Compounds ; pharmacology ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Phenanthrenes ; pharmacology ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; metabolism ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; Receptors, Androgen ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Transcriptional Activation

Objective To study on the effectiveness of endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS)in detec- ting insulinoma preoperatively.Methods Fifteen patients with clinical and biochemical signs of insulinoma were examined by EUS using a radial-scanning ultrasound endoscope and abdominal ultrasonography,CT, DSA prior to surgery.The outcome was evaluated on the basis of surgery and examination of the resected specimens.Results Fifteen patients with 16 lesions of insulinoma were identified by surgery and pathology. The aceuraey of diagnosis with EUS was 13/15(86.7%),and that with B-US,CT,DSA was 3/15(20%), 5/15(33.3%),9/14(64.3%)respectively.In the 14 lesions identified by EUS,10 lesions were depicted to be hypoechogenic,1 lesion was isoechogenic and 3 lesions were hyperechogenie.All 14 lesions were well demarcated and surrounded by normal pancreatic tissue.The minimum size of the lesion visualized by EUS was 0.5cm.Ten lesions were correctly detected by EUS with size of 0.5～2.0cm.EUS missed diagnosis in 2 lesions not for their small size.EUS falsely indicated a 10mm lesion from two lesions inside the head of pancreas.One lesion outside the pancreatic tail and one lesion in the pancreatic head were missed by EUS in another case.Conclusion EUS is superior in assessing the location of pancreatic insulinoma than other ima- ging methods such as B-US,CT,DSA.

Environmental Pollution ; prevention & control ; Health Education ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Iatrogenic Disease ; prevention & control ; Medical Laboratory Personnel ; psychology