BACKGROUND: Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of sepsis, but the exact mechanism remains debatable. In this study, we investigated the associations among the serum levels of PAI-1, the incidence of 4G/5G promoter PAI-1 gene polymorphisms, immunological indicators, and clinical outcomes in septic patients. METHODS: A total of 181 patients aged 18-80 years with sepsis between November 2016 and August 2018 in the intensive care unit in the Xinhua Hospital were recruited in this retrospective study, with 28-day mortality as the primary outcome. The initial serum level of PAI-1 and the presence of rs1799768 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were examined. Univariate logistic regression and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the factors associated with different genotypes of PAI-1, serum level of PAI-1, and 28-day mortality. RESULTS: The logistic analysis suggested that a high serum level of PAI-1 was associated with the rs1799768 SNP of PAI-1 (4G/4G and 4G/5G) (Odds ratio [OR]: 2.49; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09, 5.68). Furthermore, a high serum level of PAI-1 strongly influenced 28-day mortality (OR 3.36; 95% CI 1.51, 7.49). The expression and activation of neutrophils (OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.93, 0.99), as well as the changes in the expression patterns of cytokines and chemokine-associated neutrophils (OR: 1.00; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.00), were both regulated by the genotype of PAI-1. CONCLUSIONS Genetic polymorphisms of PAI-1 can influence the serum levels of PAI-1, which might contribute to mortality by affecting neutrophil activity. Thus, patients with severe sepsis might clinically benefit from enhanced neutrophil clearance and the resolution of inflammation via the regulation of PAI-1 expression and activity.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; Genotype ; Neutrophils ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1/genetics* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics* ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis/genetics*

【Objective】 To investigate the safety and efficacy of flexible ureteroscope (FU) combined with retrograde ureteroscope (URS) in the treatment of lower ureteral calculi with ureteral atresia. 【Methods】 Clinical data of 7 patients treated during Jan.2018 and Jun.2021 were retrospectively analyzed. 【Results】 Ureteral calculi and ureteral atresia were successfully treated, without serious complications. Six to eight weeks after operation, CT examination showed that hydronephrosis was relieved to varying degrees and the ureteral stents were in good position, without residual stones. Six months after operation, there was no significant exacerbation of hydronephrosis and the renal function remained stable. 【Conclusion】 Anterograde FU combined with retrograde URS has high stone-clearance rate, small trauma and high safety in the treatment of ureteral stricture and ureteral calculi.

Objective:To summarize the clinical experience of transurethral columnar balloon dilation of prostate (TUCBDP) in the treatment of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH).Methods:A retrospective analysis of 379 BPH clinical data from the Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine using TUCBDP was performed between June 2015 and June 2018.Their age was (71.3±14.5)years old. The history of disease ranged from 1 month to 36 years. The prostate volume was(47.4±2.1) ml. Preoperative maximum urinary flow rate was (Q max)(9±4) ml/s, postvoid residual urine(PVR) was (123.1±72.4) ml. Their international prostate symptom score (IPSS) was (21±6) points. The quality of life score (QOL)was (5±1) points. The international index erectile function questionnaire (IIEF-5)in 32 patients, who had sex before surgery, was 15±4. We set the time of catheter structure improvement in June 2016 as the boundary, including the early stage (June 2015 to May 2016, 121 cases) and the recent stage (June 2016 to June 2018, 258 patients). In the early stage, the principle of operation is the inner balloon of the catheter to dilate the membrane urethra, and the outer balloon to dilate the urethra of the prostate and the bladder neck. The main surgical steps include the insertion of a dilatation catheter, localization by touching the skin of the scrotum bottom, the inner and outer balloon are filled with water, the first time of drainage and decompression in the inner and outer balloon, the catheter continuous irrigation, drainage and decompression of the inner and outer balloon again, removing the dilatation catheter, and the ordinary urinary catheter was replaced and continuous irrigation. In the recent stage, the principle of surgery is that the inner balloon only served for positioning and fixation. The outer balloon is used to dilate the membrane urethra, prostate urethra, and bladder neck. The inner and outer balloon are drained and decompressed at one time after surgery. The main surgical steps are that the resectoscope was used to examine the bladder and urethra and to guide the dilatation catheter into the bladder. The apex of the prostate touching was used to conform the location. The inner balloon water filling was used for fix the positioning. The inner and outer balloon are filled with water, decompressed and pulled out for urination test, the gland expansion is observed under the resectoscope, and ordinary urinary catheter is replaced for continuous flushing. We observed the changes in Q max, PVR, IPSS, and QOL at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after the operation. the complications differences in two-stage patien, including the International Incontinence Advisory Committee Urinary Incontinence Questionnaire (ICI-Q-SF) score; those who had sex before surgery were recorded changes in the IIEF-5 score, was compared. Results:There were no deaths during and after operation in this study. The operation time was (18.5±6.7) min. The number of follow-up cases at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after operation were 326, 253, 201, 194, and 181, respectively. The Q max at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after operation were (17±9)ml/s, (15±2)ml/s, (12±4)ml/s, (13±6)ml/s and (13±4)ml/s, respectively. The PVR were (17.4± 11.6) ml, (20.6±9.8)ml, (25.4±13.1)ml, (31.5±11.5)ml, and (29.1±12.4)ml, respectively. The IPSS were(7±5) points, (4±4) points, (4±4) points, (6±5) points, (4±4) points, respectively. The QOL were (2±1) points, (2±1) points, (2±1) points, (2±1) points, and (2±1), respectively. All those results that were significantly different from those before surgery ( P<0.05). There were 32 patients who had sex before the operation. The postoperative IIEF-5 score was (17± 6), which was not significantly different from that before the operation ( P>0.05). Two patients had transient retrograde ejaculation, which relieved spontaneously within the 6 month. 4 cases with pseudourinary incontinence in the recent stage (1.5%) were not statistically different from 6 cases (4.9%) in the early stage ( P>0.05). one case(0.4%) of major bleeding in the recent stage was statistically different from 6 cases (4.9%) in the early stage ( P<0.05). 2 cases (0.7%) of patients with acute urinary retention in the recent stage were significantly different from 15 cases (12.4%) in the early stage ( P<0.05). Conclusions:TUCBDP has a positive overall effect and high safety. The major complications of surgery in the recent stage, except for pseudo-urinary incontinence, are significantly lower than that in the early stage, which may be related to the improvement of the catheter structure and the accumulation of clinical experience.

We constructed the CAP2NC prokaryotic expression vector of HIV-1 NL4-3 strain and obtained relatively pure CAP2NC protein by optimizing its purification conditions to explore its in vitro self-assembly conditions. Primers were designed according to the CAP2NC DNA sequence of HIV-1 NL4-3 strain. The target gene was amplified by PCR and cloned into prokaryotic expression vector pTO-T7. Then the recombinant strain was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). IPTG induced protein expression, then the protein was purified by hydrophobic chromatography. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting were performed to analyze the target protein, and the biological activity of the antigen was identified through ELISA. The self-assembly of CAP2NC protein was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and gel filtration chromatography. The protein had good reaction with the specific antibodies of p24 and formed different structures in various conditions. When 10% yeast RNA was added to the protein complex, the recombinant protein only formed into a tubular structure, which was similar to the self-assembled structure of the HIV-1 virus capsid. The results showed that the HIV-1 CAP2NC protein had in vitro self-assembly activity, and the RNA affected the structure of CAP2NC protein assembly. The protein can be used as a simple and effective molecular model to study its structure, and then it can provide a reference for the study of HIV immature virus particles.

Objective: To study the airway inflammation feature difference in the patients with occupational pulmonary thesaurosis induced by iron. Methods: Induced sputum samples were obtained from 20 healthy men, 20 patients with stable asthma, 25 patients with occupational pulmonary thesaurosis induced by iron. Differential cell counts in induced sputum were examined. The levels of supernatant IL-8 were measured by ELISA. Results: The pulmonary function result was normal in the patients with pulmonary thesaurosis., their FVC (4.1±1.2) L was similar to FVC (4.3±0.9) L in mal group; but their FEV_1.0 (2.9±0.9) L、FEV₁/FVC (71.9%±5.4%) were lower than normal group’s FEV_1.0 (3.2±0.7 L) 、FEV_1.0/FVC (79.2%±9.9%) , and were hirher than asthma group’s FEV₁ (2.5±0.8) L and FEV_1.0/FVC (68.7%±6.1%) . In induced sputum, macrophages percentage in patients with pulmonary thesaurosis (54.3%±9.7%) was higher than asthma group and normal group (48.4±6.4, 51.9±7.3, P<0.05) , neutrophils percentage in patients with pulmonary thesaurosis group (43.9%±7.6%) was higher than asthma group and normal group (41.3%±7.1%, 39.8%±6.9%, P<0.05) , eosinophils percentage in patients with pulmonary thesaurosis group (0.3%±0.1%) was lower than asthma group (2.8±0.3, P<0.05) , lymphocytes percentage in patients with pulmonary thesaurosis group (2.0%±0.4%) was lower than asthma group (4.7±0.6, P<0.05) ; the sputum levels of IL-8 in patients with pulmonary thesaurosis group (914.7±24.3) pg/ml was higher than asthma group and normal group (747.9%±16.8 pg/ml, (405.4±13.7) pg/ml, P<0.05) . Conclusion Macrophages and IL-8 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of airway inflammation after long-term inhalation of iron and its compounds, the airway function in patients of occupational pulmonary thesaurosis was found damaged.

Objective To evaluate the effect of robot-assisted gait training on the walking ability of hemiplegic patients.Methods Sixty hemiplegic patients were randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group,each of 30.Both groups were given traditional rehabilitation and drug therapy.The control group was additionally provided with the traditional gait training,while the treatment group additionally received robot-assisted gait training.The gait training lasted 30 minutes a day,5 days per week.Before and after 8 weeks of training,the time parameters,phase parameters,the joint angles of the lower limbs,and the peak ground reaction forces of both groups were evaluated using a three-dimensional gait analysis system.Results After the intervention,the walking velocity,stride frequency and stride length had increased in the treatment group,while stride width had decreased.Significant improvement was observed in the treatment group in terms of the percentage of swing phase on the paretic side,the percentage of stance phase on the paretic side,the single support time ratio,the percentage of double support phase,the range of motion of the hip and knee joints,and the peak vertical and forward ground reaction force as a percentage of body weight.The improvements were significantly greater than those observed in the control group.Conclusions Compared with traditional walking training,robot-assisted gait training can be more effective in improving the walking ability of hemiplegic patients.

Objective To establish an efficient baculovirus-insect cell expression system for the production of human immunodeficiency virus-1 ( HIV-1 ) envelope glycoprotein gp120 and to evaluate the physiochemical properties, antigenicity and immunogenicity of the recombinant protein. Methods The gene encoding HIV-1 NL4-3 gp120 was cloned into the downstream of pH promoter of the baculovirus transfer vec-tor pAcgp67B to construct the recombinant transfer vector pAc-gp120. Expression of the protein of interest was induced in baculovirus-infected High FiveTM insect cells. ELISA, analytical ultracentrifugation and size-exclusion chromatography were carried out to characterize physicochemical properties of the expressed gp120 protein. Immunogenicity of the recombinant gp120 protein was analyzed by HIV neutralization assay after im-munizing BALB/c mice with it. Results The recombinant HIV-1 gp120 protein was successfully obtained from the established insect cell expression system with a purity of more than 90％ and a mean yield of 13 mg/L in four batches. That recombinant HIV-1 gp120 protein was characterized by homogeneity in solution and possessed a good immunoreactivity to neutralizing antibodies and antisera against HIV. Immunogenicity analysis in BALB/c mice demonstrated that the recombinant gp120 protein could induce effective immune re-sponses against HIV-1 NL4-3. Conclusion A simple and scalable approach to obtain homogeneous and im-munogenic HIV-1 gp120 antigen is successfully established, which will promote further investigation of HIV vaccine candidates.

Objective:To bring to doctors' attention to the first time attack of epilepsy in the patients with Parkinson' s disease, enhance the rational drug use and reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions in clinics. Methods: A Parkinson patient with the first time attack of epilepsy was synthetically analyzed on the mechanism of disease, therapy regimen and pharmaceutical care. Results:It was difficult to distinguish the symptom of epilepsy during the treatment of Parkinson' s disease from that of L-dopa induced dyskinesia, therefore, the suitable treatment was difficult to perform. Moreover, antiepileptic drug valproic acid could aggravate Parkinson syn-drome imperceptibly, which was easy to be ignored in clinics. Conclusion:L-dopa induced dyskinesia should try to avoid during the treatment of Parkinson, and should distinguish from the first time attack of epilepsy in order to choose proper antiepileptic drugs.

Objective To compare the differences between endoscopic resection and laparoscopy?assisted surgery or transanal endoscopic resection for rectal neuroendocrinal tumor. Methods Clinical data of patients who underwent endoscopic or surgical resection of neuroendocrinal tumor of less than 2 cm which were confirmed by pathology from December 2010 to November 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Results Twenty cases of endoscopic treatment, including 17 cases of ESD, 3 cases of EMR,were included in endoscopy group;while 18 cases treated with surgery were included in surgery group, among which 12 ca?ses underwent transanal endoscopic microsurgery and 6 cases laparoscopic resection. The mean lesion sizes were 7 mm(4?18 mm)and 8 mm(3?15 mm),respectively. Pathology showed there were 16 cases of grade G1 neurocrinal tumor and 2 G2 cases in surgical group. There was no lymphvascular invasion with clear margin in the endoscopy group,but three cases of lymphvascular invasion in surgical group. No treatment?related se?vere adverse event occurred in either group. The time for oral food intake was 2?0 d(1?4 d) in endoscopy group, while that in surgery group was 2?4 d(1?7 d)(P=0?295). The hospital stay was(6?80±2?12) d in endoscopy group and(8?59±2?85)d in surgery group, respectively(P=0?034). And the total hospitalization cost was 10 488(4 128?15 296) yuan and 15 590(3 024?40 503) yuan(P=0?031) in the two groups, re?spectively. The follow?up was 25 months(2?48 months)and no recurrence was found. Conclusion Endo?scopic resection, especially ESD, is a new approach to treat colorectal neuroendocrinal tumor,advantageous over surgery in shorter hospitalization time, minimal invasiveness, faster postoperative recovery, less compli? cation, and reduced hospitalization cost.

Objective To investigate the changes and related factors of maternal thyroid autoantibodies during early pregnancy. Methods Urinary iodine concentration( UIC) , serum thyroid stimulating hormone( TSH) , free thyroxine ( FT4 ) , thyroid-peroxidase antibody ( TPOAb ) , thyroglobulin antibody ( TgAb ) concentrations were determined in 7 190 women during early pregnancy in an iodine-sufficient region of China. Results The prevalence of TPOAb positivity and TgAb positivity were 8. 7% and 12. 0% respectively. The prevalence of overt hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism increased significantly in group of thyroid antibody positivity. The prevalence of TPOAb positivity and TgAb positivity presented a U-shaped curve, ranging from mild iodine deficiency to iodine excess, especially increased significantly in the group with UIC<100 μg/L. Conclusion Prevalence of thyroid antibodies positivity became higher during early pregnancy. The positive thyroid autoantibodies during pregnancy were significantly associated with maternal hypothyroidism. Both iodine excess and iodine deficiency are risk factors of positive thyroid antibodies.