Objective To explore the early brain microstructural changes in patients with alcohol use disorder(AUD)and the correlations with cognitive function.Methods Totally 81 AUD patients(AUD group)and 75 healthy volunteers(control group)were retrospectively enrolled.Gray matter volume(GMV)and cortical thickness of brain regions were calculated with voxel-based morphometry and surface-based morphometry,and the correlations of the above indexes of brain regions being significantly different between groups and clinical cognitive function scale scores were analyzed.Results In AUD group,GMV of bilateral hippocampus,insula,inferior parietal angular gyrus,straight gyrus,central posterior gyrus and cerebellar angle 1 area,of left medial superior frontal gyrus,precuneus,anterior cingulated cortex,middle temporal gyrus and middle occipital gyrus,as well as of right lingual gyrus reduced significantly compared with those in control group.The cortical thickness of bilateral superior frontal gyrus,middle frontal gyrus,inferior frontal gyrus,supramarginal gyrus,superior parietal lobule,inferior parietal lobule,central posterior gyrus,central anterior gyrus,temporal superior gyrus and middle temporal gyrus reduced in AUD group.In AUD group,GMV of left medial superior frontal gyrus was positively correlated with Pittsburgh sleep quality index score(r=0.301,P=0.006),while of the left and right straight gyrus were positively correlated with Hopkins verbal learning test-revised score(r=0.328,0.326;both P=0.003)but negatively correlated with trail making test-B score(r=-0.295,-0.312;P=0.008,0.005),while the cortical thickness of the left central anterior gyrus and the lower part of the right middle frontal gyrus were positively correlated with Beck anxiety inventory score(r=0.323,0.289;P=0.003,0.009).Conclusion Prefrontal cortex atrophy could be observed in early stage AUD patients,which was correlated with cognitive function impaired.

Objective To explore the early brain microstructural changes in patients with alcohol use disorder(AUD)and the correlations with cognitive function.Methods Totally 81 AUD patients(AUD group)and 75 healthy volunteers(control group)were retrospectively enrolled.Gray matter volume(GMV)and cortical thickness of brain regions were calculated with voxel-based morphometry and surface-based morphometry,and the correlations of the above indexes of brain regions being significantly different between groups and clinical cognitive function scale scores were analyzed.Results In AUD group,GMV of bilateral hippocampus,insula,inferior parietal angular gyrus,straight gyrus,central posterior gyrus and cerebellar angle 1 area,of left medial superior frontal gyrus,precuneus,anterior cingulated cortex,middle temporal gyrus and middle occipital gyrus,as well as of right lingual gyrus reduced significantly compared with those in control group.The cortical thickness of bilateral superior frontal gyrus,middle frontal gyrus,inferior frontal gyrus,supramarginal gyrus,superior parietal lobule,inferior parietal lobule,central posterior gyrus,central anterior gyrus,temporal superior gyrus and middle temporal gyrus reduced in AUD group.In AUD group,GMV of left medial superior frontal gyrus was positively correlated with Pittsburgh sleep quality index score(r=0.301,P=0.006),while of the left and right straight gyrus were positively correlated with Hopkins verbal learning test-revised score(r=0.328,0.326;both P=0.003)but negatively correlated with trail making test-B score(r=-0.295,-0.312;P=0.008,0.005),while the cortical thickness of the left central anterior gyrus and the lower part of the right middle frontal gyrus were positively correlated with Beck anxiety inventory score(r=0.323,0.289;P=0.003,0.009).Conclusion Prefrontal cortex atrophy could be observed in early stage AUD patients,which was correlated with cognitive function impaired.

Radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) is considered as an imaging marker of the prodromal stage of multiple sclerosis (MS), and approximately one-third of patients might convert to clinically isolated syndrome or clinically definite multiple sclerosis within 5 years after diagnosis. Although it still remains inconclusive whether or not disease-modifying therapies for RIS need to be initiated, effective identification of prognostic factors for conversion would be of great benefit for early screening of high-risk patients and subsequent clinical precision management. Combined with the latest research progress at home and abroad, this review summarizes the prognostic factors for conversion of RIS to MS from the aspects of demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, imaging manifestations, cerebrospinal fluid and ophthalmological examinations. Given that disease-modifying therapies for RIS are still in clinical research stage and there are no definite recommendations to date, this article expounds the research progress on clinical monitoring, therapeutics and prevention of disease progression, which aims to provide neurologists with reference suggestions on clinical management of RIS.

Objective To explore the expression and prognostic significance of histone demethylase JMJD2B and HIF-1α in rhabdomyosarcoma(RMS) tissues. Methods A total of 78 RMS patients were followed up to obtain survival time, and immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of JMJD2B and HIF-1α in RMS tissues and analyze their relation with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis. Results Among the 78 samples, there were 46 (59.0%) and 44 (56.4%) cases of positive expression of JMJD2B and HIF-1α, respectively. The expression of JMJD2B and HIF-1α were positively correlated (P < 0.001, r=0.518) and related to tumor risk, metastasis, IRS staging and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (all P < 0.05). The Kaplan-Meier survival curve and univariate Cox regression analysis showed that the risk level, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the expression of HIF-1α and JMJD2B were related to the prognosis of patients (all P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that JMJD2B (HR=3.161, P=0.039) and risk degree (HR=2.925, P=0.001) could be used as independent prognostic factors for RMS patients. Conclusion JMJD2B and HIF-1α expression are both significantly related to the overall survival of rhabdomyosarcoma patients, and JMJD2B is an independent prognostic indicator.

Objective To study the changes and significance of the frequencies of circulating follicular helper T cells (cTfh) and circulating regulatory follicular T cells (cTfr) as well as the cTfh/cTfr ratio in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).Methods The frequencies of cTfh,cTfr and B cells in patients with NMOSD and health controls(HCs) were measured by flow cytometry.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the level of IL-21 and AQP4-Ab in patients and HCs.Results The frequencies of cTfh and B cells,the cTfh/cTfr ratio and the plasma level of IL-21 werc significantly higher in the relapsing patients than those in the remitting patients and HCs(P ＜ 0.05),and the cTfr level in the relapsing patients was lower than that in the remitting patients and healthy population (P ＜ 0.05).But no statistical differences were observed in the above indexes between the remitting paticnts and HCs.There was also no significant difference in AQP4-Ab level between the patients with relapse and remission (P ＞ 0.05).The frequency of cTfh in the patients wasc positively correlated with the level of B cells and IL-21(P ＜ 0.05),and the frequency of cTfr was negatively correlated with B cells and IL-21 (P ＜ 0.05).The ratio of cTfh/cTfr was positively correlated with B cell frequency and IL-21 level (P ＜ 0.05).AQP4-Ab level had no correlation with the frequencies of cTfh cells and B cells,cTfh/cTfr ratio and IL-21 concentration (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion The changes in the frequencies of cTfh and cTfr as well as the imbalanced cTfh/cTfr ratio may promote the activation of humoral immunein NMOSD and participate in the pathogenesis of this disease.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to identify the expression of CD68-tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and CD34-microvascular density (MVD) in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), to study the relationship with clinical pathological parameters and to determine whether their expression is predictive of disease. METHODS: Pathologically confirmed 45 LSCC tissue and 20 peritumoral non-tumor tissue were examined. Immunohistochemical studies were used to detect the expression of CD68-TAMs and CD34-MVD. RESULTS: The positive expression rate of CD68 in LSCC tissue was 82% (37/45), which was higher than the 10% (2/20) expression rate of the peritumoral tissue (P<0.05). The CD34-MVD positive expression rate in the LSCC tissue was 26.5±6.4, which obviously higher than 12.2±4.0 expression rate of the peritumoral tissue (P<0.05). The positive expression rates of both CD68 and CD34-MVD were higher in the lymph node metastasis (LNM) positive group than in the LNM negative group. The expression of CD68 had positive correlation with CD34-MVD. The 5-year disease-free survival rate in the group with the low CD68 expression was significantly higher than that in the group with high CD68 expression (76% vs. 42%, respectively). CONCLUSION: The high expression of CD68-TAMs in LSCC and its positive correlation with CD34-MVD illustrates that both play an important role in promoting the metastasis and angiogenesis of this cancer. Their expression was also positively correlated with the prognoses of these patients, suggesting that they could be used as important prognostic markers for LSCC.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Epithelial Cells* ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; Lymph Nodes ; Macrophages* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis*

OBJECTIVE: To study the expression of CD68 antibody marked tumor associated macrophage TAMs and matrix solution element MMP-7 in laryngeal squamous carcinoma tissue and the relationship with clinicopathological parameters, so that to explore the relationship between the expression of the two molecular markers and laryngeal cancer tissue microvascular density (MVD). METHOD: Immunohistochemical method was employed to detect the expression of CD68 and MMP-7 in 65 cases (laryngeal squamous carcinoma tissue in 45 cases; peritumoral nontumor tissue in 20 cases) and CD 34 antibody marked MVD expression. RESULT: CD68 positive rate in squamous carcinoma tissue (82.2%, 37/45) is obviously higher than that in the peritumoral tissue (15%, 3/20) (P < 0.05), and MMP-7 positive rate in squamous carcinoma tissue is significantly different from that in peritumoral tissue (71.1%; 25%) (P < 0.05). The expression rate of CD34-MVD in laryngeal squamous carcinoma tissue( 26.52 +/- 6.36 )is higher than that in peritumoral tissue (12.23 +/- 4.01) (P < 0.05). In lymph node metastasis group, the positive expression rates of CD68 and MMP-7 are higher than those in the group without lymph node metastasis. MMP-7 showed no correlation with cancer stage, and CD68 was related with cancer stage; CD68, MMP-7 and CD34- MVD have positive correlation. CONCLUSION The high level of expression of TAMs and MMP-7 in laryngeal cancer tissue and the positive correlation with MVD illustrate that both of the markers play important roles in promoting laryngeal squamous carcinoma tissue metastasis and angiogenesis, which can be used as important markers to evaluate the invasion and metastasis of laryngeal cancer.
Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Macrophages ; cytology ; metabolism ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 7 ; metabolism ; Microvessels ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neovascularization, Pathologic

Objective To discuss the mechanism and characteristics of clinic presentation and neuropathology in idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (IHES) encephalopathy. Methods IHES encephalopathy was diagnosed by clinical presentations,lab examinations,neurologic images,marrow and brain biopsy,then treated with corticosteroids and continuous follow-up. Results The IHES patient presented progressive limbs weakness and cognitive deficit with elevated eosinophil count. Results of lab examinations and bone marrow biopsy ruled out secondary eosinophilia and clonal eosinophilia such as eosinophilic leukemia.Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study showed multiple lesions in right frontal lobe, bilateral parietal and occipital lobe, presenting hypointensity in T1 weighted images,hyperintensity in T2 and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery weighed images. Brain biopsy showed proliferation of vascular membrane,small vessels stenosis,ischemia-induced morphological change and necrosis of neurons in the lesions.The patient was continuously treated with corticosteroids,and the situation was stabilized with follow-up.Conclusions IHES encephalopathy should be paid more attention in clinical practice of neurologists for its rarity. Brain vascular damages caused by elevated eosinophil may be an important pathophysiological mechanism of IHES encephalopathy,and corticosteroids or hydroxycarbamide should be used for the treatment.

AIM: To explore the role of plasma endothelin (ET) in patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI) and its change after nimodipine treatment.METHODS:Sixty-six patients with ACI were randomly divided into 2 groups according to blood pressure:hypertension ACI group 35 patients［M 20,F 15;age (65±　s　11) a］ and pure ACI group 31 patients［M 17,F 14; age (62±10) a］.Plasma ET was measured by radioimmunoassay and compared with 27 healthy individuals.Among them,42 patients（hypertension ACI group 25 patients，pure ACI group 17 patients） with ACI were given nimodipine 4 mg, iv,gtt, qd, for 2 wk and measured ET again.　RESULTS:Plasma ET in 2 groups were (144±42) ng*L-1 and (72±35) ng*L-1 respectively, and that were (94±55) ng*L-1 and (60±37) ng*L-1 respectively after treatment with nimodipine, but was still higher than that in healthy individuals (P<0.01).　CONCLUSION: The level of plasma ET was associated with blood pressure and the severity of disease. ET is closely related with ACI. Nimodipine reduces the plasma ET while nerve function default degree is effectively improved.