OBJECTIVE: To observe the skin surface temperature at the related back-shu points in the patients with the different levels of pulmonary ventilation function in chronic persistent asthma, and to explore the correlation between the skin temperature at the back-shu points and pulmonary ventilation function indexes based on "lung governing the skin and hair". METHODS: Sixty-one patients with chronic persistent asthma, based on the level of pulmonary ventilation function, were assigned into a reduced pulmonary ventilation function group (reduced function group, 32 cases) and a normal pulmonary ventilation function group (normal function group, 29 cases). In the two groups, the skin surface temperature was measured in the sites of bilateral Feishu (BL13), Geshu (BL17), Pishu (BL20) and Shenshu (BL23); and the pulmonary ventilation function indexes (the percentage of predicted value of forced vital capacity [FVC%pred], the percentage of predicted value of forced expiratory volume in the first second [FEV1%pred], the percentage of predicted value of FEV1/FVC [FEV1/FVC%pred] and the percentage of predicted value of the peak expiratory flow [PEF%pred]) were recorded. The correlation between the skin surface temperature of acupoints and pulmonary ventilation function was analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the normal function group, the surface skin temperature at the bilateral Feishu (BL13), Geshu (BL17), Pishu (BL20) and Shenshu (BL23) was higher in the reduced function group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the normal function group, FEV1%pred, FEV1/FVC%pred and PEF%pred were decreased in the reduced function group (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in FVC%pred between the two groups (P>0.05). The skin surface temperature at the bilateral Feishu (BL13), Geshu (BL17), Pishu (BL20) and Shenshu (BL23) was negatively correlated with FVC%pred, FEV1%pred, FEV1/FVC%pred and PEF%pred in 61 patients with chronic persistent asthma (P<0.001, P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSION The skin surface temperature at back-shu points is elevated in line with the the decline of pulmonary ventilation function in the patients with chronic persistent asthma, presenting a negative correlation with pulmonary ventilation function indexes. It is preliminarily verified that back-shu point is characterized by reflecting the visceral disorders.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Asthma/therapy* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Skin Temperature ; Lung/physiopathology* ; Acupuncture Points ; Pulmonary Ventilation ; Aged ; Chronic Disease/therapy* ; Young Adult ; Hair

Stresses induced by the deficiency or excess of trace mineral elements, such as manganese (Mn), represent a common limiting factor for the production of crops like Brassica napus. To identify key genes involved in Mn allocation in B. napus and elucidate the underlying mechanisms, a member of the metal tolerance protein (MTP) family obtained in the previous screening of cDNA library of B. napus under Mn stress was selected as the research subject. Based on the sequence information and phylogenetic analysis, it was named as BnMTP10. It belongs to the Mn-cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) subfamily. Expression of BnMTP10 in yeast significantly improved the tolerance of transformants to excessive Mn and iron (Fe) and reduced the accumulation of Mn and Fe. However, the yeast transformants exhibited no significant changes in tolerance to excess cadmium, boron, aluminum, zinc, or copper. The qRT-PCR results demonstrated that the flowers of B. napus had the highest expression of BnMTP10, followed by roots and leaves. Subcellular localization studies revealed that BnMTP10 was localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Compared with wild-type plants, transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing BnMTP10 exhibited enhanced tolerance to excessive Mn stress but showed no significant difference under Fe stress. Correspondingly, under excessive Mn stress, the Mn content in the roots of transgenic Arabidopsis increased significantly. However, under excessive Fe stress, the Fe content in transgenic Arabidopsis did not alter significantly. According to the results, we hypothesize that BnMTP10 may alleviate excessive Mn stress in plants by mediating Mn transport to the ER. This study facilitated our understanding of efficient mineral nutrients, and provided theoretical foundations and gene resources for breeding B. napus.
Brassica napus/genetics* ; Manganese/metabolism* ; Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics* ; Plant Proteins/physiology* ; Arabidopsis/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Phylogeny ; Cation Transport Proteins/metabolism* ; Stress, Physiological

There are millions of patients with taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy （TIPN）， and there is no effective treatment or prevention measure in clinical practice. The occurrence of TIPN may be related to the dosage form of paclitaxel drugs， genetic and molecular markers， drug dosage and chemotherapy cycle， patient factors， etc. At present， drugs for treating TIPN mainly include those that inhibit axonal degeneration （such as dosazosin， tamsulosin）， prevent mitochondrial dysfunction （such as glutathione trisulfides， antioxidants α -lipoic acid）， improve calcium imbalance in the internal environment （Shaoyao gancao decoction， N-type voltage-gated calcium channel inhibitor IPPQ）， and inhibit neuroinflammation （such as chemokine inhibitors and selective interleukin-8 receptor inhibitors DF2726A）. Further exploration of drug treatment strategies targeting different induction mechanisms is expected to become a new direction for precise clinical prevention and personalized treatment of TIPN.

Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is the "gold standard" for the diagnosis of portal hypertension, which could be applied in the evaluation of liver cirrhosis. Combined use of HVPG with model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scoring system may more accurately match the donors and recipients undergoing liver transplantation for liver cirrhosis, select the appropriate timing of surgery, and provide guidance for bridging treatment for patients on the waiting list for liver transplantation. Besides, HVPG may also predict clinical prognosis of liver transplant recipients, and provide evidence for early detection and intervention of potential complications. Therefore, the value of HVPG in preoperative evaluation and prognosis prediction of liver transplant recipients was reviewed, aiming to provide guidance for clinical diagnosis and treatment of liver transplant recipients before and after surgery.

Objective:To explore the prognostic values of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR)and NLR-PLR score for carcinoma(HCC)patients undergoing liver transplantation(LT).Methods:From July 2015 to October 2021, clinical data are retrospectively reviewed for 110 HCC patients undergoing orthotopic LT at Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University.The values of NLR and PLR were calculated.And the cut-off values of NLR and PLR were obtained by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and then grouped according to the cut-off values.Survival time is analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test performed for inter-group comparison.Univariate and multivariate analyses are performed based on Cox proportional risk regression model.NLR <3.37 and PLR <105.96 are denoted as 0 point while NLR ≥3.37 and PLR ≥105.96 as 1 point.Two points are added up as NLR-PLR score.According to NLR-PLR score, they are divided into 3 groups of 0, 1 and 2.Results:Median overall survival(OS)is 27 months in patients with NLR-PLR score 0, 26.5 months in patients with NLR-PLR score 1 and 6 months in patients with NLR-PLR score 2.Median OS in patients with NLR-PLR score 2 is significantly shorter than that in those with NLR-PLR score 0/1.And the difference is statistically significant( P<0.001).Median disease-free survival(DFS)is 24.5 months in NLR-PLR 0 group, 24 months in NLR-PLR 1 group and 6 months in NLR-PLR 2 group.The difference is statistically significant( P=0.002).Univariate analysis show that Child-Pugh grade, MELD score, NLR/PLR level, NLR-PLR score, complying with University of California San Francisco Criteria(UCSF)criteria and absence/presence of microvascular invasion(MVI)have an impact on patient survival.Further multivariate analysis show that NLR-PLR score, complying with UCSF criteria and MELD score are independent risk factors affecting patients' prognosis and survival. Conclusions:NLR, PLR and NLR-PLR score may predict long-term survival of patients.And NLR-PLR score is an independent risk factor for patient survival.It has more predictive value than NLR/PLR.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in liver transplant recipients.Methods:Clinical data of 130 liver transplant recipients with COVID-19 infection followed in Hebei Medical University Third Hospital from November 2022 to January 2023 were retrospectively collected, including 103 males and 27 females, aged (53.6±11.4) years. The severity of COVID-19 infection, its clinical symptoms, and negative conversion time for each recipient were analyzed and compared.Results:For the disease severity, 121 (93.1%) were mild, 5 (3.8%) were moderate, 3 (2.3%) were severe, and 1 (0.8%) was critically severe. The most common symptoms in the 126 patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection were successively fever, fatigue, cough and myalgia, with a negative conversion time of (10.1±4.5) (3.0-29.0)d. In those who underwent transplantation less than 12 months ( n=28), those who were taking mycophenolate mofetil ( n=53) and those who were taking methylprednisolone ( n=10), the negative conversion time was (11.6±5.1) d, (11.4±5.4) d, and (13.4±6.4) d, respectively, longer compared to those who underwent transplantation more than 12 months (9.7±4.2 d, n=98), and who were not taking mycophenolate mofetil (9.2±3.4 d, n=73) or methylprednisolone (9.8±4.2 d, n=116, all P<0.05). The negative conversion times were longer in recipients with symptoms (eg. fatigue and cough) than those in asymptomatic recipients (11.0±5.1 d vs. 9.0±3.3 d, t=2.64, P=0.009, and 11.4±5.2 d vs. 9.0±3.4 d, t=2.92, P=0.004). Conclusion:The COVID-19 infection in liver transplant recipients was mainly mild and moderate. The most common symptoms are fever, fatigue, cough and myalgia. The short time (less than 12 months) after liver transplantation, oral mycophenolate mofetil and methylprednisolone, with symptoms (fatigue and cough) could be associated with a prolonged negative conversion time.

Objective:To study the clinical characteristics of orobuccal involuntary movements (OB) induced by anticholinergic agents.Methods:The clinical characteristics of patients with OB induced by anticholinergic agents in Qilu Hospital (Qingdao) from April 2018 to October 2021 and cases reported in the literature were analyzed in combination with literature review.Results:Seven patients in Qilu Hospital (Qingdao) and 10 cases in the literature were analyzed. Of these 7 patients, 6 were elderly female, with involuntary, repetitive, stereotypical movements of the lips, tongue, and sometimes of the jaw after intake of anticholinergic medication with the latency 21-60 days and the involuntary movements improved 7-30 days after discontinuation of anticholinergic medication. Of 10 cases reported in the literature, 7 were elderly female and 8 only with OB and 2 patients had extremities dyskinesia plus OB. Involuntary movements appeared after latency of 3-93 days following the introduction of anticholinergic drugs and resolved after latency of 2-60 days following their withdrawal.Conclusions:OB induced by anticholinergic agents mostly occur sub-acutely during the treatment of Parkinson′s disease, and can resolve in a short time after withdrawal, which is independent of the dose of levodopa and anticholinergic agents. The aging, female, and anxiety and depression may be the risk factors.

Objective:To analyze the clinical and radiological features of patients with hypoplasia of the internal carotid artery.Methods:Four patients with hypoplasia of the internal carotid artery (including 3 patients with congenital absence of the internal carotid artery), admitted to our hospital from January 2010 to December 2021, were chosen in our study. The clinical data and imaging features of these patients were retrospectively analyzed.Results:The age of these patients ranged from 31 to 73 years, and two patients were female. Clinically,2 patients presented with dizziness, 1 patient presented with limb weakness, and 1 patient was asymptomatic. In 3 patients with congenital absence of the internal carotid artery, DSA results showed that the internal carotid artery was not developed, and CT bone window showed that the internal carotid artery canal was absent; 1 patient with hypoplasia of the internal carotid artery showed thin imaging in DSA results. One patient was combined with anterior communicating artery aneurysm and left internal carotid artery aneurysm. One patient was with vertebral arterial dolichoectasia. The collateral circulation compensation: type A was noted in 3 patients and type C was noted in 1 patient.Conclusion:The patients with hypoplasia of the internal carotid artery are usually asymptomatic, and patients with congenital absence of the internal carotid artery can have ischemic symptom; these patients can be complicated with vascular abnormalities such as aneurysm and vascular thickening.

Objective:To analyze the clinical and radiological features of patients with hypoplasia of the internal carotid artery.Methods:Four patients with hypoplasia of the internal carotid artery (including 3 patients with congenital absence of the internal carotid artery), admitted to our hospital from January 2010 to December 2021, were chosen in our study. The clinical data and imaging features of these patients were retrospectively analyzed.Results:The age of these patients ranged from 31 to 73 years, and two patients were female. Clinically,2 patients presented with dizziness, 1 patient presented with limb weakness, and 1 patient was asymptomatic. In 3 patients with congenital absence of the internal carotid artery, DSA results showed that the internal carotid artery was not developed, and CT bone window showed that the internal carotid artery canal was absent; 1 patient with hypoplasia of the internal carotid artery showed thin imaging in DSA results. One patient was combined with anterior communicating artery aneurysm and left internal carotid artery aneurysm. One patient was with vertebral arterial dolichoectasia. The collateral circulation compensation: type A was noted in 3 patients and type C was noted in 1 patient.Conclusion:The patients with hypoplasia of the internal carotid artery are usually asymptomatic, and patients with congenital absence of the internal carotid artery can have ischemic symptom; these patients can be complicated with vascular abnormalities such as aneurysm and vascular thickening.

Objective:To investigate the expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC) and its relationship with the prognosis of patients with PDAC.Methods:From January 2001 to December 2012, 109 paraffin embedded PDAC tissue samples and 27 normal pancreatic tissue samples were collected from the Department of Pathology, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University. The expression of HER2 protein in pancreatic tissue was detected by immunohistochemical Envision two-step method. HER2 expression was evaluated according to Hercept test, and its relationship with clinicopathological features and survival time was analyzed.Results:The expression of HER2 protein was negative (-) in 29.4% of PDAC tissues, weakly positive (+ ) in 35.8%, positive (+ + ) in 25.7% and strongly positive (+ + + ) in 9.2%, respectively, and the overexpression rate (+ + , + + + ) was 34.9%; the negative (-) and weakly positive (+ ) expression of HER2 protein in normal pancreatic tissues accounted for 88.9% and 11.1% respectively. There was no expression with positive (+ + ) or strongly positive (+ + + ), therefore, the overexpression rate was 0. The overexpression rate of HER2 protein in PDAC and normal pancreatic tissues was significantly different ( P=0.000). The expression of HER2 protein was significantly correlated with age, and the expression of HER2 protein in patients with PDAC over 65 years old was significantly higher than that in patients with PDAC under 65 years old ( P=0.043), but not with gender, tumor location, tumor grade, T stage, N stage and nerve invasion (all P>0.05). Univariate Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that HER2 expression was associated with postoperative survival time of patients with PDAC ( P=0.032). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that HER2 expression was an independent prognostic factor for survival of patients with PDAC ( P=0.040). The median survival period of patients with HER2 expression + + + was significantly longer than that of patients with HER2 expression -~+ + (128.4 months vs 21.5 months), and the difference was statistically significant ( P=0.038). Conclusions:The overexpression of HER2 in PDAC tissue was related to the age of patients. The survival time of patients with HER2 strongly positive PDAC was significantly longer. HER2 can be considered as an index to evaluate the biological behavior and prognosis of PDAC.