Objective To observe the characterization of fat emboli in cardiac chamber in pig model and the patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty(THA) by transesophageal echocardiography(TEE). Methods Different dose of fatty liquid was injected slowly via the internal jugular vein. The changes of the image were observed by continuous TEE. The lethal dose of fat embolism was recorded. Twenty-two patients underwent TEE during THA. Gray scale and echo intensity of fat embolism in right atrium were studied quantitatively in varied periods of the operation. Results With the increase of fat liquid injected in pig model, the strong- echo particles in right atrium and ventricle became more and more, the imaging of the particles was from “moving star”, “shower-like” to “snow fluffy”, at last paradoxical fat embolism occurred when the dose of fat liquid was over 4 ml. The accumulated lethal dose of fat embolism was 15.8 ～ 27.8 ml.②Fat emboli appeared as strong- echo particles in right atrium were found in different period of THA. Average gray scale and echo intensity of emboli in right atrium were significantly higher in period B than in other periods during THA. Conclusions Fat emboli in cardiac chamber can be found sensitively by TEE. Intra-operative monitoring and quantitative analysis is helpful to identifying fat embolism syndrome.Paradoxical embolism is a reliable evidence of fat embolism syndrome.

Objective To investigate the role and mechanism of B7-H4, a negative costimulatory molecule, in mediating the immunomodulatory effects of mesenchymal stem cells C3H10T1/2 (C3H10) on T cell polarization. Methods The lentiviral vectors that carried the shRNA targeting mouse B7-H4 were transfected into mouse mesenchymal stem cells (C3H10-B7-H4). The cells were co-cultured with PHA-acti-vated mice spleen lymphocytes before and after the transfection. ELISA was performed to detect the concen-trations of cytokines in supernatants of cell culture in order to elucidate the effects of B7-H4 expressed by C3H10 on T cell polarization. A mouse model of experimental allergic encephalitis (EAE) was established. Fifty C57BL/6 mice were divided into five groups including control group, EAE group, C3H10 group (injec-ting EAE mice with C3H10 cells), C3H10-NC group ( injecting EAE mice with C3H10-NC cells) and C3H10-B7-H4 group (injecting EAE mice with C3H10-B7-H4 cells). ELISA was performed to detect the soluble form of IL-2, IL-17, IFN-γ and IL-4 in plasma samples. Results Knocking down the B7-H4 gene with shRNA significantly decreased the expression of B7-H4 on C3H10 cells, which weakened the inhibitory effects of C3H10 cells on the secretion of IL-2, IL-17 and IFN-γ by spleen lymphocytes. The therapeutic effects of C3H10-B7-H4 cells on mice with EAE were weakened after silencing the B7-H4 gene expression, which was manifested as higher nerve function score and earlier onset and bring forwarded peak time of EAE than those of the C3H10 group. Treating EAE mice with C3H10-B7-H4 cells was less efficient in inhibiting the expression of IL-2, IL-17 and IFN-γin plasma. However, knocking down the B7-H4 gene had no signif-icant effect on the expression of IL-4 in terms of treating EAE with C3H10 cells. Conclusion The co-inhib-itor molecule B7-H4 expressed on C3H10 cells mediated the treatment of EAE with C3H10 cells by regula-ting Th1 and Th17 effector T cells.

Objective:To investigate the prognostic significance of preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)combined with tu-mor-associated neutrophils(TANs)in the stroma of gastric cancer tissues of patients.Methods:One hundred and twenty-six gastric cancer tissue samples from patients enrolled in Changhai hospital from June 2006 to May 2011 were divided into four groups accord-ing to NLRs in preoperative peripheral blood combined with high or low infiltration of neutrophils in gastric cancer tissues.The 5-year survival of the four groups was then compared,and their correlations with clinicopathologic features and prognosis were analyzed.Re-sults:High NLRs in peripheral blood combined with low infiltrating TANs in gastric tissues was associated with lower differential grade (P<0.001)and larger tumor size(P=0.026).Of the four groups,patients with high NLR in peripheral blood combined with low infiltrat-ing TANs in gastric cancer tissues demonstrated the lowest survival rates,whereas those with low NLR and high infiltrating TANs had highest survival rates, and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that high NLR in peripheral blood combined with low infiltrating TANs in gastric cancer tissues(P<0.05)was an independent factor indicating poor prognosis.Conclusions:NLR in preoperative peripheral blood combined with infiltrating TANs in gastric cancer tissues can be used as a prognostic indicator for patients with gastric cancer,especially high NLR in preoperative peripheral blood com-bined with low infiltrating TANs in gastric cancer tissue indicates poor prognosis.

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of serum ferritin (SF) detection in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).Methods A total of 42 cases of MDS without blood transfusion who were admitted to General Hospital of Huainan Eastern Hospital Group from January 2010 to July 2017 were collected.There were 27 males and 15 females,aged 46-90 years old with a median age of 72 years old.In 42 cases of MDS,10 cases had refractory anemia (RA),4 cases had refractory anemia with ring increased iron bead young cell (RARS),8 cases had refractory blood cells decreased with more dysplasia (RCMD),and 20 cases had refractory anemia with primitive cells increased (RAEB).According to the International Prognostic Scoring System,22 cases had low risk,and 20 cases had high risk.At the same time,40 healthy checkers were chosen as healthy control group.SF levels were measured and compared between the MDS patients and healthy controls.Results The SF level in the MDS group was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group [(479±267) ng/ml vs.(153±56) ng/ml],and the difference was statistically significant (t =7.379,P ＜ 0.05).The difference in SF levels among the patients with different subtypes of MDS was statistically significant (F =4.81,P =0.006).Among them,the RA group had the lowest SF level,while the RAEB group had the highest,and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant [(346±257) ng/ml vs.(818±443) ng/ml,P =0.005].The SF level in the low-risk group was lower than that in the high-risk group [(456±238) ng/ml vs.(788±467) ng/ml],and the difference was statistically significant (t =2.867,P =0.008).Conclusion Patients with MDS show a significant increase in SF level,and high-risk patients are associated with iron overload,and SF may be an auxiliary indicator for judging the prognosis of MDS.

Objective To explore the immunopathological mechanism for the imbalance between the positive signal mediated by inducible costimulator (ICOS) and the negative signal mediated by programmed death-1 (PD-1) in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG).Methods Eighty-two patients with MG,56 healthy controls (HC) and 20 non-MG (NMG) patients,collected in the First Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University from February 2014 to December 2016,were chosen to participate in the study.The expression of ICOS and PD-1 on peripheral blood mononuclear cells was detected by immuno-fluorescence staining and flow cytometry.The levels of soluble programmed death-1 (sPD-1),soluble programmed death ligand 1 (sPD-L1),IL-4 and other cytokines were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results (1) Flow cytometry analysis:The co-expression of PD-1,ICOS on CD4 + T cells from MG group (9.64％ (8.82％)) was higher than in HC (1.81％ (2.10％),Z =-7.389,P ＜0.05) and NMG group (2.86％ (1.49％),Z =-4.636,P ＜ 0.05).The expression of ICOS on CD4 + T cells,ICOS ligand (ICOSL) on CD14+ monocytes and CD19+ B cells were increased in MG group comparing with that of the control groups.The proportion of PD-1 + CD4 + T cells (MG group 16.82％ (10.66％),HC 9.34％ (9.18％),Z =-4.345,P＜0.05;NMG group 7.07％ (3.40％),Z=-4.594,P＜0.05) and PD-1 Ligand (PD-L1) + CD14+ monocytes was higher in MG patients.All of these were detected by flow cytometry.(2) ELISA analysis:Serum sPD-1 expression significantly increased in MG group compared with that in the control groups (MG group (1.87 ± 0.64) ng/ml,NMG group (1.49 ± 0.70) ng/ml,t =2.04,P ＜ 0.05;HC (1.05 ± 0.50)ng/ml,t =2.08,P ＜ 0.05),while for serum sPD-L1,there was no significant difference between MG and control groups.(3) Serum cytokines detection:The expression of IL-4 was increased in MG patients (MG group (61.88 ±5.15) pg/ml,HC (32.03 ±1.84) pg/ml,t=2.50,P＜0.05;NMG group (42.62± 3.31) pg/ml,t =2.34,P ＜0.05),and there was a negative correlation between the expression of sPD-1 and the concentration of IL-4.Conclusions The increased expression of PD-1 + ICOS + CD4 + T cells suggested the subset involved in the pathological progress of MG.sPD-1 might disturb the ligation of PD-1 on T cells and PD-L1 on antigen presenting cells,while the ligation of ICOS and ICOSL passed positive signal,leading to over activity of the subsets and the progression of disease.

Objective: To investigate the current basic situation of ultrasound machines of ultrasound departments in Shanghai medical institutions, and to provide the basis for making management policy in order to promote medical quality. Methods: Questionnaire surveys about ultrasound machines and service ability including producing countries of ultrasound machines, the number of ultrasound machines, using years of ultrasound machines, yearly workload and the yearly number of patients that each ultrasound machine accepted were made in 2013 and 2018, respectively. Statistical results were compared between the two surveys. Results: Compared with 2013, the share of imported ultrasound machines declined in 2018 (82% vs 91%). Compared with 2013, the number of ultrasound machines in Shanghai medical institutions had increased by 31% in 2018 (2 123 vs 1 617). The occupancy rate of ultrasound machines in tertiary hospitals was the highest (tertiary hospitals 40%, secondary hospitals 25%, primary grade hospitals 20%, and private hospitals 15%). Compared with 2013, the proportion of ultrasound machines that have been used for more than 10 years increased (9% vs 4%), the yearly workload of ultrasound examination had increased by 46% (19.82 million person-time vs 13.59 million person-time). Tertiary hospitals bored the highest proportion of the workload (tertiary hospitals 51%, secondary hospitals 35%, primary grade hospitals 4%, and private hospitals 10%). Currently, the number of ultrasound machines per 10, 000 people in Shanghai was 1.14. The yearly number of patients that each ultrasound machine accepted had increased by 11% (9300 person-time vs 8400 person-time in 2018). Conclusions The scale of ultrasound departments in Shanghai medical institutions has been developing. Brand localization of ultrasound machines is improving. However, the renewal ability of ultrasound machines still needs to be improved. The workload of ultrasound department is getting heavier. Hierarchical diagnosis and treatment is unbalanced.