OBJECTIVES: Verrucous epidermal nevus (VEN), seborrheic keratosis (SK), verruca plana (VP), verruca vulgaris (VV), and nevus sebaceous (NS) are common verrucous proliferative skin diseases with similar clinical appearances, often posing diagnostic challenges. Dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) can aid in their differentiation, yet their specific features under these tools have not been systematically described. This study aims to summarize and analyze the dermoscopic and RCM features of VEN, SK, VP, VV, and NS. METHODS: A total of 121 patients with histopathologically confirmed verrucous proliferative skin diseases were enrolled. Dermoscopy and RCM imaging was used to observe and analyze the microscopic features of these conditions. RESULTS: Under dermoscopy, the 5 diseases displayed distinct characteristics: VEN typically showed gyriform structures; SK was characterized by gyriform structures, comedo-like openings, and milia-like cysts; VP and VV featured dotted vessels and frogspawn-like structures; NS presented as brownish-yellow globules. RCM revealed shared features such as hyperkeratosis and acanthosis across all 5 diseases. Specific features included gyriform structures and elongated rete ridges in VEN; pseudocysts and gyriform structures in SK; evenly distributed ring-like structures in VP; vacuolated cells and papillomatous proliferation in VV; and frogspawn-like structures in NS. CONCLUSIONS These 5 verrucous proliferative skin conditions exhibit distinguishable features under both dermoscopy and RCM. The combination of these 2 noninvasive imaging modalities holds significant clinical value for the differential diagnosis of verrucous proliferative skin diseases.
Humans ; Dermoscopy/methods* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Microscopy, Confocal/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Adolescent ; Keratosis, Seborrheic/pathology* ; Young Adult ; Warts/diagnosis* ; Child ; Aged ; Skin Diseases/pathology* ; Nevus, Sebaceous of Jadassohn/diagnosis* ; Skin Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Child, Preschool

Objective:To study the incidences of complications in twins with birth weight discordance (BWD) during hospitalization.Methods:From January 2011 to December 2020, twins born in the Department of Obstetrics and hospitalized in NICU of our hospital were retrospectively studied. Twins with BWD>15% were assigned into BWDT group and BWD≤15% into twins with birth weight concordant (BWCT) group. Complications during hospitalization were compared between the two groups.Results:A total of 1 546 pairs of twins were enrolled, including 486 (31.4%) in BWDT group and 1 060 (68.6%) in BWCT group. Compared with BWCT group, BWDT group had significantly higher incidences of pulmonary surfactant (PS) utilization (47.7% vs. 42.2%), continuous positive airway pressure ≥ 24 h (40.5% vs. 35.0%), high-flow nasal cannula ≥ 24 h (22.8% vs. 16.3%), neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (52.9% vs. 47.1%), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (15.6% vs. 11.1%), persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (3.1% vs. 1.4%) and anemia (79.6% vs. 70.1%) (all P<0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, the risks of pulmonary hemorrhage ( OR=2.036, 95% CI 1.119-3.703, P=0.020) and BPD ( OR=2.960, 95% CI 1.656-5.219, P=0.010) in BWDT group were higher than BWCT group. Conclusions:BWD twins has higher incidences of complications during hospitalization than BWC twins.

ObjectiveTo investigate the analgesic action and mechanism of intrathecal 2R， 6R-hydroxynorketamine （2R， 6R-HNK） on spared nerve injury （SNI）-induced chronic neuropathic pain （CNP） in female mice. MethodsSNI was used to establish acute and chronic CNP models in female mice. The mice were randomly divided into different groups with administration of vehicle， 2R， 6R-HNK or S-ketamine （10 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection/i.p. or 7， 21 μmol/L intrathecal injection/i.t.） at 3 weeks after or 30 min/1 d before operation （n = 3 - 7 mice/group）. The curative or preventive effect of 2R， 6R-HNK was evaluated by mechanical paw withdrawal threshold （PWT） and the analgesic efficiency. Finally， immunofluorescence and RT-PCR of dorsal root ganglion （DRG） and spinal dorsal horn （SDH） were used to explore the possible mechanisms. ResultsCompared with vehicle， intrathecal injection of 2R， 6R-HNK largely reversed SNI-induced bilateral mechanical allodynia in a delayed-and-dose-dependent way. Among them， 21 μmol/L 2R， 6R-HNK reached its maximum analgesic efficiency （75.32±7.69） % at 2 d. Pre-intrathecal delivery of 2R， 6R-HNK also delayed the development of bilateral mechanical hypersensitivity 2 - 3 d induced by SNI. Mechanically， 2R， 6R-HNK reversed not only the abnormal excitability of neurons in bilateral DRG and superficial SDH， but also the upregulation of calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP） and brain-derived nerve growth factor （BDNF） in DRG. ConclusionIntrathecal administration of 2R， 6R-HNK exerts an analgesic effect against CNP， probably via suppressing abnormal neuronal excitability in ascending pain pathway as well as down-regulating CGRP and BDNF expression in DRG neurons.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether there exists gender differences in mechanical pain hypersensitivity induced by the subcutaneous injection of macrophage colony-stimulating factor （M-CSF） in normal mice and to explore the preliminary mechanism. MethodsThirty 10-week-old C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups， (n = 10 mice/group, half male and half female). The albumin control group （BSA， 0.3 μg）， low dose M-CSF group （L M-CSF， 0.075 μg） and high dose M-CSF group （H M-CSF， 0.3 μg） received 50 μL BSA or M-CSF injected subcutaneously into the left medial thigh once daily for 3 consecutive days. Before and after drug administration， von-Frey mechanical sensitivity test was used to detect the mechanical paw withdrawal threshold （PWT） in each group. Immunofluorescence was performed to examine the expression changes of Ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) in skin， calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP） and phosphorylated ERK1/2 （p-ERK） in L5-L6 DRG and lumbar spinal dorsal horn. ResultsIn female mice， only high dose of M-CSF caused mechanical allodynia， whereas in male mice both doses produced marked allodynia. Mechanically， high-dose M-CSF induced massive aggregation of subcutaneous macrophages （marked by Iba1） in male and female mice， but more dramatic dependence in female mice. Similar gender differences were also found in the increase of p-ERK and CGRP expression in dorsal root ganglion （DRGs）. Notably， CGRP expression was especially elevated in the fibers of DRG in male mice. Correspondingly， the expressions of p-ERK and CGRP⁺ terminals in the superficial spinal dorsal horn of male mice were significantly higher than those of female mice after M-CSF treatment. ConclusionSubcutaneous injection of M-CSF triggers sexual dimorphism in mechanical pain hypersensitivity, which is related with differential changes in peripheral macrophage expansion and sensitization of the nociceptive pathway.

Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-17 ; Interleukin-23 ; Macrophages ; Pain

ObjectiveTo investigate the analgesic effect and its mechanism of （-）-gallocatechin gallate （EGCG） on high-frequency stimulation （HFS）-induced chronic primary pain in female mice. MethodsThe model of chronic primary pain in female mice were established by HFS of sciatic nerve in left hind limb at 10 V （100 Hz， 0.5 ms， 4 trains of 1-s duration at 10-s intervals）. The mice were randomly divided into sham operation group， vehicle （saline） + HFS group， different concentrations of EGCG + HFS groups （4~5 mice in each group）. 10 μL EGCG （10， 20， 50， 200 μmol/L） or vehicle was injected intrathecally 1 h before surgery. The therapeutic effect of EGCG was evaluated by paw withdrawal threshold （PWT） and analgesic efficiency. Immunofluorescence of lumbar spinal cord was used to evaluate the possible mechanisms. ResultsCompared with vehicle HFS group， intrathecal administration of EGCG alleviated HFS-induced mechanical allodynia in a dose-dependent manner， and the maximum analgesic efficiency was 84.95%. EGCG also blocked the increases in c-Fos （a marker for neuronal excitability） positive neurons and the expressions of calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP⁺） terminals， Iba1 （a marker for microglia） and GFAP （a marker for astrocytes） in the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horn. ConclusionIntrathecal injection of EGCG exerts an analgesic effect against HFS-induced chronic primary pain， mediated by inhibiting the increases in presynaptic CGRP⁺ terminals， postsynaptic neuronal excitability and glial activation in the spinal dorsal horn.

Animals ; Bleomycin ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Lung ; Male ; Pulmonary Fibrosis/drug therapy* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Simvastatin/pharmacology*

ObjectiveTo investigate whether L-theanine exerts anti-pruritic effect on mice with imiquimod （IMQ）-induced psoriasis and its related mechanisms. MethodsWe established the psoriasis model by applying the IMQ ointment topically on mice back skin and oral （10 mg/kg∙d） or topical pretreatment （50， 125， 250 mmol/L， twice one day） of L-theanine was used as the treatment. Spontaneous behavior， such as scratching， was used to detect the therapeutic effect. Immunofluorescence （IF）， Western Blot （WB） and primary dorsal root ganglion （DRG） neuronal culture were used to investigate the mechanisms. ResultsOral administration of L-theanine had no apparent effect on IMQ-induced pruritus， but topical delivery in the lesional skin significantly improved the spontaneous behavior such as licking or biting and flinching in a dose-dependent manner. IF and WB results showed that L-theanine not only inhibited the overexpression of TNF-α in model mouse skin， but also prevented the abnormal growth of β3-tubulin⁺ nerve fibers and the upregulation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 （TRPV1）， an itch-related molecule. Moreover， the results from the experiments with primary cultured DRG neurons further confirmed that L-theanine directly reduced IMQ-induced abnormal outgrowth of CGRP⁺， β3-tubulin⁺ neurites in a concentration dependent manner. ConclusionsTopical application of L-theanine can relieve pruritus or discomfort in IMQ-induced psoriasis mouse model by inhibiting abnormal growth of skin nerve fiber endings. Therefore， L-theanine could be a potential treatment for chronic itch in psoriasis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features and outcome of neonatal acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in southwest Hubei, China. METHODS: According to the Montreux definition of neonatal ARDS, a retrospective clinical epidemiological investigation was performed on the medical data of neonates with ARDS who were admitted to Department of Neonatology/Pediatrics in 17 level 2 or level 3 hospitals in southwest Hubei from January to December, 2017. RESULTS: A total of 7 150 neonates were admitted to the 17 hospitals in southwest Hubei during 2017 and 66 (0.92%) were diagnosed with ARDS. Among the 66 neonates with ARDS, 23 (35%) had mild ARDS, 28 (42%) had moderate ARDS, and 15 (23%) had severe ARDS. The main primary diseases for neonatal ARDS were perinatal asphyxia in 23 neonates (35%), pneumonia in 18 neonates (27%), sepsis in 12 neonates (18%), and meconium aspiration syndrome in 10 neonates (15%). Among the 66 neonates with ARDS, 10 neonates (15%) were born to the mothers with an age of ≥35 years, 30 neonates (45%) suffered from intrauterine distress, 32 neonates (49%) had a 1-minute Apgar score of 0 to 7 points, 24 neonates (36%) had abnormal fetal heart monitoring results, and 21 neonates (32%) experienced meconium staining of amniotic fluid. Intraventricular hemorrhage was the most common comorbidity (12 neonates), followed by neonatal shock (9 neonates) and patent ductus arteriosus (8 neonates). All 66 neonates with ARDS were treated with mechanical ventilation in addition to the treatment for primary diseases. Among the 66 neonates with ARDS, 10 died, with a mortality rate of 15% (10/66), and 56 neonates were improved or cured, with a survival rate of 85% (56/66). CONCLUSIONS Neonatal ARDS in southwest Hubei is mostly mild or moderate. Perinatal asphyxia and infection may be the main causes of neonatal ARDS in this area. Intraventricular hemorrhage is the most common comorbidity. Neonates with ARDS tend to have a high survival rate after multimodality treatment.
China ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Meconium Aspiration Syndrome ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; Retrospective Studies

【Objective】Due to the tough nature of skin tissue and a high presence of RNases，the isolation of skin RNA by the classical Trizol method presents a challenge. Therefore，we adapted and tested different sample treatment protocols to improve the Trizol method for high- quality extraction of skin RNA.【Methods】In this study，normal skin of mice processed by different treatments（Tri：submersion Trizol；Pro：RNA sample protector；Cry：cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen frozen and then - 80 ℃ refrigerator；LNG：liquid nitrogen grinding；Cut：scissor cutting）were used as the experimental groups. Spinal cord tissue（Sp）was used as the reference group，and skin tissue of mouse psoriasis model induced by imiquimod（IMQ）was used as the validation group. We compared skin RNA concentration，purity and integrity， as well as IL- 1β mRNA expression extracted by conventional Trizol methods（1-Tri，Nor）and modified Trizol methods（2-Tri，LNG-Tri，Tri-Cut，Pro），which were determined by UV spectrophotometry，agar gel electrophoresis and quantitative reverse transcription PCR（qRT- PCR）.【Results】① Compared with spinal cord（Sp），the total RNA of normal skin tissue extracted with the same classical Trizol method（1-Tri）was with lower yields，more obvious DNA contamination and 5S RNA bands，and higher IL-1β mRNA relative expression，suggesting that skin tissue was relatively special and the classical Trizol methods of skin RNA extraction should be improved. ② Among the different treatment methods of skin tissue，2-Tri and LNG-Tri methods resulted in higher RNA concentrations，lower RNA degradation and lower DNA contamination，and the expression of IL-1β mRNA was closer to normal levels. More importantly，the skin RNA samples extracted by the 2-Tri method can reflect more realistically the variation of IL-1β mRNA expression between normal and psoriasiform groups.【Conclusion】Improved 2-Tri or LNG-Tri method has the advantage of high quality of total RNA，and 2-Tri can more reliably reflect the mRNA expression pattern under physiological and pathological conditions.