Objective:To analyze the expression levels and clinical significance of interferon (IFN)-α/β in the renal cortex and serum of children with lupus nephritis (LN).Methods:A total of 32 children with LN diagnosed in the pediatric nephrology department of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from December 2017 to September 2020 were selected as the study subjects (LN group). The normal kidney control group consisted of 3 normal kidney transplant volunteers who underwent biopsy of kidney tissue (normal kidney control group), while 14 healthy children who underwent physical examination were collected as the normal control group. According to the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), LN patients were divided into mild activity group ( n=8), moderate activity group ( n=9), and severe activity group ( n=15). According to the International Society of Nephrology/Society of Nephrology (ISN/RPS) 2003 LN classification criteria, pathological classification was performed (3 cases in the mild pathological damage group, 8 cases in the moderate pathological damage group, and 11 cases in the severe pathological damage group); Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression and distribution of IFN-α/β in glomeruli and renal interstitium; Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the concentration of IFN-α/β in serum samples and analyze its correlation with the pathological classification and disease activity of LN patients. Results:The serum and renal cortex IFN-α/β levels in the LN group were higher than those in the normal control group and normal kidney control group, respectively (all P<0.05). The average level of serum IFN-α/β in the heavy activity group was higher than that in the light and moderate activity groups (all P<0.05). The serum and renal cortex IFN-α/β levels in the severe pathological damage group were significantly higher than those in the mild and moderate pathological damage groups (all P<0.05). Conclusions:IFN-α/β in the renal cortex is closely related to renal injury in LN; Serum IFN-α/β can assist in evaluating the disease activity level of LN to a certain extent.

Objective:To study the inhibitory effect of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) on aortic injury in mice with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) arteriosclerosis.Methods:APOE -/- mice were injected with norphytane and high fat diet to establish lupus vascular injury model. Then the mice were divided into normal control group (ND group), high fat diet group (HFD group), high fat diet+ SLE vascular injury group (HFD+ SLE group), high fat diet+ SLE vascular injury+ hydroxychloroquine treatment group (HFD+ SLE+ Hydro group), high fat diet+ SLE vascular injury+ EPCs treatment group (HFD+ SLE+ EPCs group). At the end of the experiment, urine, blood and aortic tissues of mice in each group were collected, and the content of urinary protein and the depth of serum type I interferon (IFN-Ⅰ) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The activation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate synthase/interferon gene stimulating factor/type I interferon (cGAS/STING/IFN-Ⅰ) pathway, the levels of inflammatory factors, adhesion fractions and chemokines in the aorta of mice in each group were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting (WB). The lipid deposition in the aorta was detected by oil red staining. Results:The results of ELISA showed that the levels of urinary protein and serum IFN-Ⅰ in HFD+ SLE group were higher than those in normal control group. EPCs treatment could reduce the levels of urinary protein and serum IFN-Ⅰ in SLE atherosclerotic mice. WB results showed that the expression of CD19, CD68, CD34, chemokine, cGAS, p-STING, phosphorylated TANK binding kinase 1 (p-TBK1), phosphorylated interferon regulatory factor 3 (p-IRF3) and IFN-Ⅰ increased in HFD+ SLE group, and hydroxychloroquine and EPCs decreased the levels of these factors. CGAS/STING/IFN-Ⅰ signal pathway is involved in the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis in SLE patients; both EPCs and hydroxychloroquine can inhibit the activation of cGAS/STING/IFN-Ⅰ signal, thus reducing atherosclerosis in SLE mice.Conclusions:cGAS/STING/IFN-Ⅰ pathway is involved in the development of SLE atherosclerosis. EPCs can inhibit the activation of cGAS/STING signal, reduce the expression and secretion of IFN-Ⅰ, and then reduce vascular inflammation and inhibit the development of SLE-related atherosclerosis.

Objective:To study the inhibitory effect of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) on aortic injury in mice with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) arteriosclerosis.Methods:APOE -/- mice were injected with norphytane and high fat diet to establish lupus vascular injury model. Then the mice were divided into normal control group (ND group), high fat diet group (HFD group), high fat diet+ SLE vascular injury group (HFD+ SLE group), high fat diet+ SLE vascular injury+ hydroxychloroquine treatment group (HFD+ SLE+ Hydro group), high fat diet+ SLE vascular injury+ EPCs treatment group (HFD+ SLE+ EPCs group). At the end of the experiment, urine, blood and aortic tissues of mice in each group were collected, and the content of urinary protein and the depth of serum type I interferon (IFN-Ⅰ) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The activation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate synthase/interferon gene stimulating factor/type I interferon (cGAS/STING/IFN-Ⅰ) pathway, the levels of inflammatory factors, adhesion fractions and chemokines in the aorta of mice in each group were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting (WB). The lipid deposition in the aorta was detected by oil red staining. Results:The results of ELISA showed that the levels of urinary protein and serum IFN-Ⅰ in HFD+ SLE group were higher than those in normal control group. EPCs treatment could reduce the levels of urinary protein and serum IFN-Ⅰ in SLE atherosclerotic mice. WB results showed that the expression of CD19, CD68, CD34, chemokine, cGAS, p-STING, phosphorylated TANK binding kinase 1 (p-TBK1), phosphorylated interferon regulatory factor 3 (p-IRF3) and IFN-Ⅰ increased in HFD+ SLE group, and hydroxychloroquine and EPCs decreased the levels of these factors. CGAS/STING/IFN-Ⅰ signal pathway is involved in the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis in SLE patients; both EPCs and hydroxychloroquine can inhibit the activation of cGAS/STING/IFN-Ⅰ signal, thus reducing atherosclerosis in SLE mice.Conclusions:cGAS/STING/IFN-Ⅰ pathway is involved in the development of SLE atherosclerosis. EPCs can inhibit the activation of cGAS/STING signal, reduce the expression and secretion of IFN-Ⅰ, and then reduce vascular inflammation and inhibit the development of SLE-related atherosclerosis.

Background::Although multiple measures of blood pressure variability (BPV) have been proposed, whether they are better than mean blood pressure in predicting target organs is unclear. We aimed to determine the relationship between short term BPV and target organ injury.Methods::This study was a retrospective study, and 635 inpatients in the Department of Cardiology from 2015 to 2020 were selected. We divided participants into four groups on the basis of the quartiles of BPV. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the differences between the groups, and linear regression was used to analyze the relationship between BPV and target organ damage.Results::The average age of 635 patients was 74.36 ± 6.50 years old. Among them, 354 of 627 patients had diminished renal function (56.5%), 221of 604 patients had associated left ventricular hypertrophy (36.6%), and 227 of 231 patients had carotid plaque formation (98.3%). The baseline data indicated significant differences in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, creatinine, glomerular filtration rate, sex, calcium channel blocker use, and the rate of diminished renal function. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that BPV was negatively correlated with renal injury (creatinine: r= 0.306, p < 0.01; estimated glomerular filtration rate: r = 0.058, p < 0.01), and BPV is positively correlated with cardiac injury ( r= 0.083, p < 0.01). Elevated BPV was not found to be associated with vascular injury. Conclusion::Renal function decreases with increasing BPV and left ventricular mass increases with increasing BPV.

Background::Although multiple measures of blood pressure variability (BPV) have been proposed, whether they are better than mean blood pressure in predicting target organs is unclear. We aimed to determine the relationship between short term BPV and target organ injury.Methods::This study was a retrospective study, and 635 inpatients in the Department of Cardiology from 2015 to 2020 were selected. We divided participants into four groups on the basis of the quartiles of BPV. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the differences between the groups, and linear regression was used to analyze the relationship between BPV and target organ damage.Results::The average age of 635 patients was 74.36 ± 6.50 years old. Among them, 354 of 627 patients had diminished renal function (56.5%), 221of 604 patients had associated left ventricular hypertrophy (36.6%), and 227 of 231 patients had carotid plaque formation (98.3%). The baseline data indicated significant differences in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, creatinine, glomerular filtration rate, sex, calcium channel blocker use, and the rate of diminished renal function. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that BPV was negatively correlated with renal injury (creatinine: r= 0.306, p < 0.01; estimated glomerular filtration rate: r = 0.058, p < 0.01), and BPV is positively correlated with cardiac injury ( r= 0.083, p < 0.01). Elevated BPV was not found to be associated with vascular injury. Conclusion::Renal function decreases with increasing BPV and left ventricular mass increases with increasing BPV.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the use of ?-receptor blockers,angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors,aspirin and statins in acute myocardial infarction patients. METHODS: The general information of 119 cases of established acute myocardial infarction in 4 hospitals in Jiangbei district of Chongqing between 1999 to 2004 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The suitable use rates of ?-receptor blocker and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor are 79.0% and 85.7%, respectively, while their actual rates were 35.3% and 43.7%,respectively. Therefore among the suitable patients,55.3% of them did not receive the treatment with ?-receptor blockers and 49.0% did not take angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors properly. The use rate of aspirin was high to 84.9%. The statins was not used until 2002 and its use rate was 15.1%. CONCLUSION: There exists significant gap between the practice and the requirement in“diagnositic and therapeutic guide for acute myocardial infarction” in the use of these drugs, except the aspirin. However, this situation is being changed.