Objective To investigate the changes of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) patients with thermal ablation therapy(TAT),and to explore the mechanisms of immunity enhancement induced by TAT.Methods A total of 36 patients with HCC undergoing TAT (observation group) were enrolled in this study from December 2009 to December 2010.Another 20 healthy person were selected as control group.The percent of Tregs was detected by flow cytometry analysis.The level of serum IL-10 was measured with ELISA.Results Before treatment,the percent of Tregs in TAT group was significantly higher than that in control group [(11.44 ± 2.74)％ vs.(2.45 ± 0.67)％] (P ＜ 0.01).After treatment,the percent of Tregs in TAT group decreased significantly[(11.44 ± 2.74)％ vs.(5.07 ± 0.82)％] (P ＜ 0.01).The level of serum IL-10 in TAT group [(41.66 ± 9.24) mg/L] was significantly higher than that in control group [(14.32 ± 3.64) mg/L] (P ＜ 0.01).After treatment,the level of serum IL-10 in TAT group decreased significantly[(41.66 ± 9.24) mg/L vs.(25.47 ± 5.43) mg/L] (P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion TAT can enhance immunity in HCC patients,and which may accomplish by down regulation of Treg and IL-10.

2 weeks ) were screened by BAEP. Results Hearing-ability of 11 children(11/23,47.8%) was abnormal,one month later hearing-ability of 2 children was abnormal, and there months later hearing-ability of only 1 child was abnormal. Conclusion Hyperbilirubinemia may cause hearing-ability damage in neonates and BAEP is one of effective audiometric means.

Objective To explore the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and nitric oxide (NO) on coronary collateral blood flow (CCBF) in a rabbit model of physical ischemic training (PIT),and to provide a foundation for the study of the mechanism of collateral circulation formation in PIT.Methods Models of intermittent myocardial ischemia were established in 55 rabbits by installing a water balloon constrictor on the left ventricular coronary artery.The rabbits were then divided into a sham-operation group,a pure ischemia group,a PIT group,a PIT group with NO inhibition pretreatment,a PIT group with VEGF inhibition treatment,and a PIT group with both NO and VEGF inhibition pretreatment.Microspheres were injected at modeling and before sacrifice before and after ischemic stimulation.At the termination of the experiment the ischemic myocardial tissue of the left ventricular anterior wall was sampled,and then relative CCBF was measured using the microspheres.Results There was no significant difference among the 6 groups before training.After training prominent differences among the groups were observed,with the PIT group having the greatest increase in CCBF.CCBF in the pure ischemia group,the PIT group,and the PIT group with NO inhibition pretreatment were significantly higher than in the sham-operation group.Significant differences were also found between the PIT group and the three pretreatment groups.CCBF in the PIT group with NO pretreatment and VEGF inhibition was significantly different from that in the NO pretreatment group,while it was not found in the group with VEGF inhibition pretreatment.The CCBF in the group with VEGF inhibition pretreatment and the group with NO inhibition pretreatment was similar.Conclusions PIT can improve CCBF to the remote ischemic myocardium when combined with VEGF and NO pretreatment.Blocking VEGF or NO can reduce CCBF after training,and both VEGF and NO are involved in the formation of collateral circulation,with VEGF playing the major role.

Objective To investigate the G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK 2) level in peripheral blood lymphocytes with cardiac func-tion in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction. Methods This study enrolled 40 patients with acute ST-segment elevation myo-cardial infarction (STEMI) and 40 patients with unstable angina. All patients were 65 years or older. Cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography, and the GRK 2 level in peripheral blood lymphocytes was measured. Patients with STEMI were followed up for 2 years. Results The GRK 2 level in peripheral blood lymphocytes was significantly higher in patients with STEMI than in patients with unstable angina, and was negatively correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction, cardiac output, stroke volume, and left ventricular fractional shortening. The GRK 2 level was significantly elevated in some patients with acute STEMI and poor cardiac function. Conclusions In-creased GRK 2 level in patients with acute STEMI may contribute to poor myocardial systolic function and myocardial remodeling. Meas-urement of the GRK 2 level in peripheral blood lymphocytes may assist in the evaluation of cardiac function and myocardial remodeling in elderly patients with acute STEMI.

Objective: To investigate influence of isometric exercise (IE) training on number of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) of circulating blood in patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO). Methods: A total of 20 CTO patients were divided into training group (n=10) and control group (n=10). Both groups received routine medication for three months, training group also received three-month IE training (maximal handgrip was used to induce maximum IE of upper limb muscles, leading to temporary physiological ischemia of skeletal muscle),while control group remained sedentary without exercise training. Flow cytometry was used to measure number of blood EPCs, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure serum concentration of VEGF. Results: Before treatment, the differences of levels of blood EPCs and VEGF between two groups were no significant（P>0.05）. Compared with before treatment, there were significant increase in blood number of EPCs [(0.028±0.009)% vs. (0.044±0.016)%] and VEGF concentration [(65.3±15.1) pg/ml vs. (98.5±17.4)pg/ml] after three-month treatment in training group (P=0.015, P<0.01), and they were significantly higher than those of control group after treatment. Compared with before treatment, there were no significant difference in blood number of EPCs and concentration of VEGF after treatment in control group, P>0.05. The blood numbers of EPCs were positively correlated with VEGF concentration in training group and control group (r=0.727, r=0.785, P<0.05 both). Conclusions: Isometric exercise training can increase blood number of EPCs and VEGF concentration in coronary CTO patients, which may contribute to collateral angiogenesis in remote ischemic myocardium.

Objective:To study the genetic profile of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia with unknown etiology in Guangdong Province and the clinical significance of jaundice-related genetic screening.Methods:From July to September, 2021, neonates with hyperbilirubinemia of unknown etiology born in different hospitals in Guangdong Province were studied. 24 neonatal jaundice-related exons were sequenced using targeted capture and high-throughput sequencing technology. The pathogenic variants were analyzed.Results:A total of 331 cases, 139 (42.0%) cases showed positive screening results with five diseases, including 65 (19.6%) cases of Gilbert syndrome, 48 (14.5%) cases of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency,18 (5.4%) cases of sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide deficiency, 4 (1.2%) cases of Citrin deficiency and 4 (1.2%) cases of Dubin-Johnson syndrome. 149 (45.0%) cases carried one or more genetic variants and 43 (13.0%) cases showed no clinically significant variants. The 8 high-frequency mutation loci (carrier rate >1%) are UGT1A1 gene c.211G>A and c.1091C>T, G6PD gene c.1466G>T and c.1478G>A, SLC10A1 gene c.800C>T, SLC25A13 gene c.852_855del TATG, HBB gene c.126_129delCTTT and c.316-197C>T.Conclusions:Genetic factors are important for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia with unknown etiology in Guangdong. The common pathogenic genes are UGT1A1, G6PD, SLC10A1, and SLC25A13 and the population carries high-frequency mutation loci. Therefore, genetic screening in neonates with hyperbilirubinemia of unknown etiology has important clinical significance.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiao′er Huangjin Zhike Granules in the treatment of cough caused by acute bronchitis in children, which is defined in TCM terms as a syndrome of phlegm-heat obstructing the lung.Methods:This was a block-randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial.From January 2022 to September 2023, 359 children aged 3 to 7 years old diagnosed as acute bronchitis (lung-obstructing phlegm-heat syndrome) were enrolled from 21 participating hospitals and randomly assigned to the experimental group and placebo group in a 3︰1 ratio, and respectively treated with Xiao′er Huangjin Zhike Granules and its matching placebo.Cough resolution/general resolution rate after 7 days of treatment was used as the primary efficacy outcome for both groups.Results:(1)On the seventh day of treatment, the rate of cough disappearance/basically disappearance in the experimental group and placebo group were 73.95% and 57.61% retrospectively, which had statistically significance ( P=0.001).(2)After 7 days of treatment, the median duration of cough disappearance/basic disappearance were 5 days and 6 days in the two groups , with a statistically significant difference ( P=0.006).The area under the curve of cough symptom severity time was 7.20 ± 3.79 in the experimental group and 8.20±4.42 in the placebo group.The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P=0.039).(3) After 7 days of treatment, the difference between TCM syndrome score and baseline was -16.0 (-20.0, -15.0) points in the experimental group and -15.0 (-18.0, -12.0) points in the placebo group, with significant difference between the two groups ( P=0.004).In the experimental group, the clinical control rate, the markedly effective rate, the effective rate and the ineffective rate were 49.04%, 28.35%, 16.48% and 6.13% severally; and in the placebo group, the clinical control rate, the markedly effective rate, the effective rate and the ineffective rate were 38.04%, 26.09%, 29.35%, and 6.52% separately, which had statistically significant ( P=0.014).(4) There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events or adverse reactions during the trial between both groups.Moreover, while adverse reactions in the form of vomiting and diarrhea were occasionally reported, no serious drug-related adverse event or adverse reaction was reported.(5)The tested drug provided good treatment compliance, showing no statistically significant difference from the placebo in terms of compliance rate. Conclusions:Based on the above findings, it can be concluded that Xiao′er Huangjin Zhike Granules provides good safety, efficacy, and treatment compliance in the treatment of cough caused by acute bronchitis, and lung-obstructing phlegm-heat syndrome, in children.