Objective To assess the effects of artificial cordyceps sinensis(Jin shuibao) on the numbers of podocytes and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in diabetic rats.Methods Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of low dose streptozocin.Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups:control group (CON),diabetic model group(DM),and artificial cordyceps sinensis treatment group(CS).After intervention for 8 weeks,the numbers of podocytes were estimated hy immunohistochemistry.The expressions of nephrin,desmin,and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were detected.Results Compared with control group,DM group showed significantly decreased podocyte numbers and nephrin mRNA,with increased desmin and MCP-1 levels(P＜0.05).While the numbers of podocytes and nephrin mRNA were increased,and the expressions of desmin and MCP-1 were decreased in CS group as compared with those in DM group (all P＜0.05).Conclusions Artificial cordyceps sinensis notably improves epithelial-mesenchymal transition of podocytes,and increases the number of podocytes in diabetic rats.

OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to conduct a preliminary study on the possible role and significance of interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-27 in the pathogeneses of oral lichen planus (OLP).

METHODSThirty cases of patients with OLP (fifteen cases of reticular OLP and fifteen cases of erosive OLP) were enrolled in this study, and twenty cases of healthy people served as controls. Lymphocyte subsets CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, and CD16+56 [natural killer cell (NK)] were tested using flow cytometry, and humoral immunity [immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgA, IgM, C3, C4] were examined using nephelometry assays. IL-12 and IL-27 contents in serum of patients with OLP and normal controls were detected through enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The correlations between the levels of IL-12, IL-27, immune status, and clinical characteristics of patients with OLP were analyzed, respectively.

RESULTSCD3+, CD4+, and CD8+in patients with OLP were markedly lower than the normal value, whereas CD 19+ of OLP in patients was significantly higher than the normal value (P<0.05). IgM inpatients with OLP was increased, whereas C4 was declined (P<0.05). IL-12 and IL-27 levels showed significant upregulation or ULF patients compared with control groups (P<0.05). Meanwhile, positive correlations existed between IL-12 andIL-27 levels in the serum of patients with OLP (r=0.912, P<0.01). No significant correlations of IL-12 and IL-27 epressions with clinical characteristics of OLP were found (P>0.05). Negative correlations of IL-12 and IL-27 levels with CD16+56(NK) cells were observed (r1 = -0.416, P1 = 0.022; r2 = -0.392, P2=0.032, respectively), whereas a positive correlation existed for IgG (r1=0.445, P1=0.014; n=0.549, P2=0.002, respectively).

CONCLUSIONA cellular immune dysfunction mainly dominate in patients with OLP, accompanied by some degree of humoral-immunity-function disorder. The abnormally high expressions of IL-12 and IL-27 are possibly synergized and promoted inflammation development in OLP. Its promotion takes place through the negatie feedback regulation of humoral immune responses, which are involved in the regulation of immune mechanisms of OLP.

Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; blood ; Interleukin-12 ; blood ; Interleukin-12 Subunit p35 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-27 ; blood ; Interleukins ; metabolism ; Killer Cells, Natural ; Lichen Planus, Oral ; blood ; immunology

Objective To investigate the relationship of S100B protein expression and the pathogenesis of early-onset and late-onset preeclampsia.Methods Sixty patients with preeclampsia who received caesarean section at Qingdao Municipal Hospital from October 2010 to September 2011 were enrolled in this study.Thirty cases were early-onset preeclampsia( referred as early-onset preeclampsia group,＜ 34 weeks),and the other 30 cases were late-onset preeclampsia (referred as late-onset preeclampsia group,≥34 weeks).Thirty women who received caesarean section because of pelvic structural deformities,breech presentation,macrosomia and social factors were included as the control group.The expression of S100B mRNA in the placenta was detected by reverse transcription ( RT)-PCR.The expression of S100B protein in the placenta was detected by immunohistochemistry.Results ( 1 ) S100B mRNA was expressed in the trophoblasts of preeclampsia and control groups.The expression of S100B mRNA in early-onset preeclampsia group (0.73 ±0.11 ) was significantly higher than the control group (0.58 ±0.08) and lateonset preeclampsia group (0.64 ±0.10,P ＜0.05 ).There was no significant difference between late-onset preeclampsia group and the control group ( P ＞ 0.05 ).(2) S100B protein was expressed in the plasma membrane and cytoplasm of the trophoblasts,correlated positively with the brownish yellow and brown particles inside the cells.It was expressed in all the three groups.Immunohistochemistry revealed that the expression of S100B protein in the placenta of early-onset preeclampsia group was 100％ (30/30),significantly higher than those of late-onset preeclampsia group and the control group,in which the positive rate were 70％ (21/30) and 63％ (19/30) respectively (P ＜0.05).There was no difference between late onset preeclampsia group and the control group (P ＞0.05).Conclusion Early-onset and late-onset preeclampsia may have different etiology and pathogenesis.S100B may be a factor in the pathogenesis of early-onset preeclampsia.

Objective To study the changes of plasma ET-1,CGRP,TXA2 and their receptor expression in lung tissue of children with congenital heart disease-assicated pulmonary artery hypertension.Methods Plasma was collected from 60 children patients.ET-1,CGRP and TXB2 levels were measured by EIA,RIA and ELISA,respectively.Expression of their receptors in the lung tissue was detected by RT-PCR.Results The plasma ET-1 and TXB2 levels were significantly higher in CHD patients than in control children.The plasma CGRP level was significantly lower in CHD patients than in control children.Fourteen days after treatment with PGE1,the plasma ET-1 and TXB2 levels were significantly decreased with no significant changes in CGRP.The expression level of ET-1 and TXA2 receptor mRNA was significantly higher in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension than in those without pulmonary artery hypertension.However,the expression of CGRP receptor mRNA was lower in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension than in those without pulmonary artery hypertension.Conclusion Plasma ET-1,CGRP and TXA2 levels are closely related with congenital heart disease-associated pulmonary artery hypertension,and can be used as an index for its prognosis.

Objective To evaluate effectiveness of prevention and treatment for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for one year at community health-care service (CHS)centers. Methods A quasi-experiment design was used to evaluate effectiveness of community management for patients with COPD who visited and registered at Xiaokunshan and Xinbang CHS centers in Songjiang district of Shanghai in 2008, with COPD patients from Xiaokunshan community CHS center as management group and those from Xinbang as control. Measures for community management included training for local general practitioners in essential knowledge of COPD prevention and treatment, allocation of necessary drugs for COPD treatment, and health education for COPD patients and their family members. No special measures were taken for control group except routine treatment. Results A total of 132 patients were diagnosed as COPD according to their pulmonary function on 2008, 61 at Xiaokunshan and 71 at Xinbang CHS canters.One hundred and two patients, 47 at Xiaokunshan and 55 at Xinbang, finished one-year follow-up. Five patients from Xiaokunshan who were smokers at their first visits and three of them quitted smoking after oneyear management. Meanwhile, none of nine smoked patients from Xinbang quitted smoking in the same period. There was no statistically significant difference in symptom scores, pulmonary function, and forced expiratory volume at the first second (FEV1) between patients in the two groups during one-year follow-up.Average score of quality of life in patients at Xiaokunshan dropped to 39. 12 after one-year management from 46. 96 at their first visits, and that in patients at Xinbang increased to 62. 11 from 56. 55 (P＜0.01).Average six-minute walking distance (6-MWD) in patients at Xiaokunshan reduced to 354. 26 meters after one-year management from 361.66 meters at their first visits, meanwhile that in patients at Xinbang reduced to 351.18 meters from 398.07 meters (P =0. 008). Scores of functional dyspnea in patients at Xiaokunshan fell to 0.34 from 0.40 at their first visit, meanwhile that in patients at Xinbang increased to 1.00 from 0.95(P =0.038). During the one-year follow-up, 13 patients at Xiaokunshan and 53 at Xinbang visited emergency departments for treatment, and four at Xiaokunshan were hospitalized and none died, and five at Xinbang were hospitalized due to acute exacerbation of COPD and four of them died. Conclusions The study suggests that strengthening prevention and treatment for COPD patients at community level by general practitioners, patients themselves and their family members can improve their quality of life, reduce emergency visits and hospitalization, alleviate dyspnea symptoms and delay the decline of 6MWD.

Objective To explore the status quo of medication belief in the patients with myasthenia gravis and analyze their influencing factors,so as to provide reference for health care professionals to develop targeted interventions.Methods A total of 145 patients with myasthenia gravis visiting the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from July 2021 to March 2022 were selected.The Be-liefs about Medicines Questionnaire(BMQ)was used to investigate.The multiple linear regression was used to analyze the relevant influencing factors.Results The scores of medication belief,necessity belief and con-cern belief in 145 patients were(4.17±1.23)points,(19.52±3.45)points and(18.29±4.26)points respec-tively.There was statistically significant difference between the scores of necessity belief and concern belief(P＜0.05).The education level,financial burden,duration of illness,length of medication,number of recur-rent hospitalizations,and inappropriate medication-induced exacerbations had influence on the medication be-lief scores of the patients with myasthenia gravis(P＜0.05).The duration of illness,length of medication and number of recurrent hospitalizations had the influence on the medication necessity scores of patients with my-asthenia gravis(P＜0.05).The financial burden had the influence on the medication concerns scores of the patients with myasthenia gravis(P＜0.05).Conclusion The medication belief in the patient swith myasthe-nia gravis is at a low level,and the number of recurrent hospitalizations and financial burden are the independ-ent risk factors affecting the medication belief scores in the patients with myasthenia gravis.The number of recurrent hospitalizations is an independent risk factor for the score of medication necessity dimension.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia(CAH) is a group of autosomal recessive disorders caused by deficiency of specific enzymes in the adrenocortical hormone synthesis pathway, resulting in impaired corticosteroid synthesis. 21-hydroxylase deficiency is the most common type of CAH, and the disorder can lead to impaired fertility in patients. Most current studies have focused on fertility problems in female CAH patients. The most common causes of impaired fertility in men with 21-OHD include testicular adrenal rest tumors(TART), low gonadotropin secretion, and inappropriate glucocorticoid therapy. This article reviews the causes of impaired fertility and its treatment in male patients with 21-OHD, with the aim of providing guidance for improving the fertility of male patients with 21-OHD.

Objective: To investigate the effects of exogenous interleukin (IL)-35 on the balance of helper T cell 17 (Th17) and regulatory T cell (Treg) in peripheral blood of patients with oral lichen planus (OLP). Methods: Totally 12 peripheral blood samples of OLP patients (OLP group, one male and 11 female, 26-68 years old; four cases of reticular OLP and eight cases of erosive OLP) were collected from patients of Department of Oral Mucosal Specialist of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from October to December 2016. During the same period, thirteen normal peripheral blood samples were collected from the Physical Examination Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University (normal control group, one male and 12 female, 20-68 years old). The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were extracted in sterile condition and CD4+ T cells were sorted by flow cytometry (FCM). Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) technique was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of retinoid-related orphan nuclear γt (RORγt) and forkhead box3 (Foxp3). The CD4+ T cells were divided into experimental group and control group. The CD4+ T cells of experimental group were cultured in vitro by adding rhIL-35, and the CD4+ T cells of control group were cultured with the same volume of phosphate buffered saline (PBS). After the completion of the culture, the cells were collected. The expression levels of the same factors were detected by qPCR. Results: The expression [M(Q₂₅, Q₇₅)] of Foxp3 [0.15 (0.09, 0.30)] and RORγt mRNA [1.04 (0.45, 2.15)] in the CD4+ T cells of OLP were significantly higher than those in normal control group [0.04 (0.02, 0.06), 0.10 (0.05, 0.11)] (Z=-4.134, P<0.01; Z=-3.699, P<0.01). The ratio of ROR γt/Foxp3 mRNA in OLP group [6.22(3.67, 15.34)] was higher than that in normal control group [2.50 (1.24, 5.23)] (Z=-2.665, P=0.007). In the CD4+ T cells of OLP patients, the expression of Foxp3 mRNA in the experiment group [0.40 (0.21, 1.22)] was higher than that in the control group [0.15 (0.11, 0.26)](Z=-2.510, P=0.012), and the expression of ROR γt mRNA between two groups showed no significant difference (P>0.05). The ROR γt/Foxp3 mRNA ratio [3.44 (1.55, 8.16)] of the experiment group was lower than that in the control group [6.22 (4.43, 12.21)] (Z=-2.746, P=0.006). Conclusions There was a Th17/Treg imbalance with predominated by Th17 cells in the peripheral blood of patients with OLP. Exogenous rhIL-35 had an immunomodulatory effect on the balance of Th17/Treg.