Objective To observe the effects of Jianpi Liqi Huashi Prescription on hepatocyte injury,oxidative stress and nitrative stress in mice with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH);To explore its mechanism in the treatment of NASH.Methods Totally 32 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group,model group and TCM low-and high-dosage groups,with 8 mice in each group.The control group was fed with ordinary diet,and the other groups were fed with high-fat diet,for consecutive 16 weeks.Starting from the 13th week,the control group and model group were given 0.4%CMC-Na solution by intragastric administration and the TCM groups were given corresponding doses of drugs by intragastric administration,respectively.Biochemical instrument was used to detect serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)contents,HE staining and oil red O staining were used to detect liver histopathology,triglyceride(TG)content and myeloperoxidase(MPO)activity in liver tissue were detected through test kit.immunofluorescence staining was used to detect positive expression of CD11b in liver tissue,the mRNA expressions of NOX1 and NCF1 were detected by RT-PCR,and the protein expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)and 3-nitrotyrosine(3-NT)in liver tissue were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with the control group,the hepatocytes in the model group showed diffuse steatosis,hepatocyte swelling and inflammatory cell infiltration;a large number of fat droplets were formed by oil red O staining;serum ALT and AST contents significantly increased(P<0.05),the TG content and MPO activity in liver tissue significantly increased(P<0.05);the positive expression of CD11b in liver tissue increased;the mRNA expressions of NOX1 and NCF1 in liver tissue significantly increased(P<0.05);the expressions of iNOS and 3-NT protein in liver tissue significantly increased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the degree of liver steatosis,the level of inflammatory cell infiltration and the number of lipid droplets in TCM groups decreased significantly;serum ALT and AST contents significantly decreased(P<0.05);the TG contents and MPO activity in liver tissue significantly decreased(P<0.05);the positive expression of CD11b in liver tissue decreased;the mRNA expressions of NOX1 and NCF1 in liver tissue significantly decreased(P<0.05);the expression of 3-NT protein in liver tissue significantly decreased(P<0.05);the expression of iNOS protein in liver tissue of mice in TCM high-dosage group significantly decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion Jianpi Liqi Huashi Prescription may relieve liver cell damage,lipid deposition and inflammation in NASH mice by alleviating oxidative stress and nitrative stress in the liver,and play a role in the treatment of NASH.

Objective:To analyze the gene mutation type and clinical phenotype of patients with PRRT2 mutation, and explore their relations with prognosis. Methods:A total of 18 patients with PRRT2 gene mutation (1 patient with novel mutation in PRRT2 gene, and 17 probands in 17 families with PRRT2 gene mutation) were enrolled in Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from January 2018 to July 2023. Serum of the patients was collected for whole exon sequencing, and mutation sites and types of PRRT2 gene were analyzed. SWISS-MODEL website was used to predict the changes in protein structure caused by PRRT2 gene mutation. The relations of gene mutation type and clinical phenotype with prognosis of these patients were analyzed. Results:(1) All 18 patients with PRRT2 gene mutation were heterozygous mutation, including 12 frameshift mutations, 5 missense mutations, and 1 integer mutation. The clinical phenotype included benign familial infantile epilepsy (BFIE) in 5 patients, epilepsy in 6 patients, exercise-induced paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) in 5 patients, and infantile convulsion and choreoathetosis (ICCA) in 2 patients. A total of 8 mutation sites were found in 18 patients with PRRT2 gene mutation, of which 3 mutation sites have been reported, and 5 mutation sites have not been reported, including c.647(exon2)C>A, c.647(exon2)C>G, c.170(exon2)delC, c.981(exon3)C>G, and lossl(EXON: 2)(all). (2) Eighteen patients mainly accepted oxcarbazepine, levetiracetam, and sodium valproate in combination or monotherapy. Among them, 5 BFIE patients, 2 ICCA patients and 3 epilepsy patients were seizure-free after treatment. PKD patients did not respond well to oxcarbazepine. (3) Three frameshift mutations (mutation sites: c.649 [exon2]_c.650 [exon2] insC, c.640 [exon2]_c.641 [exon2] insC, and c.170 [exon2] delC) led to premature termination of protein translation, resulting in significant changes in protein structure. Four missense mutations (mutation sites: c.640[exo2]G>C, c.647[exon2]C>A, c.647[exon2]C>G, and c.981[exon3]C>G) had little effect on protein structure changes. No relation was found between changes of protein structure caused by different mutation types and prognosis. Conclusion:PRRT2 gene mutation patients with clinical phenotypes of BFIE and ICCA have good prognosis, but the mutation type is not related with the prognosis of patients.

Objective:To summarize the clinical and imaging features of five patients of cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) with cysteine-sparing NOTCH3 gene missense mutations and explore potential pathogenicity of gene mutations.Methods:The clinical data from five patients who were admitted to the People′s Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March 2017 to November 2018 were collected. The patients were found to carry cysteine-sparing NOTCH3 gene mutations through genetic testing and diagnosed pathologically. They were probands confirmed from five unrelated family and all five patients were performed full exon detection and skin biopsy.Results:Genetic testing identified five patients with cysteine-sparing NOTCH3 gene missense mutations, a total of five different mutations, including p.R75Q, p.D80G, p.V237M, p.S1418L and p.R1761H. The first three mutations were found in the epidermal growth factor-like repeats (EGFr), the latter two mutations near the transmembrane domain. Granular osmiophilic material was identified in all cases examined with skin biopsy. The age at initial symptom onset of these five cases was ranged from 22 to 58 years and three cases presented cardiovascular risk factors. The primary clinical manifestations included migraine in one case, ischemic stroke in three cases, psychiatric disturbances in four cases, cognitive dysfunction in five cases, while gait disturbance, pseudobulbar palsy, and seizures accounted for only one case each. Magnetic resonance imaging of five patients all showed white matter hyperintensities (WMLs) and lacunar infarcts, and WMLs involved the anterior temporal pole and external capsules in three cases separately. According to the criteria proposed by Mui?o et al for evaluating the pathogenicity of cysteine-sparing NOTCH3 mutations, all five mutations are potentially pathogenic.Conclusions:Most characteristics of CADASIL patients with cysteine-sparing NOTCH3 gene mutations are similar to those of CADASIL patients with cysteine NOTCH3 gene mutations. Mutations not involving the EGFr may also have potential pathogenicity, and the specific mechanism still needs further study.

Objective:To evaluate the performance of three antibody kits for novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and to investigate the feasibility and advantages of them in clinical application.Methods:A total of 104 patients who were admitted to Guangzhou Eighth People′s Hospital with COVID-19 from January to February 2020 were selected as research group. Fifty-one healthy subjects were selected during the same period as negative control group. Serum antibodies (IgM/IgG) against SARS-CoV-2 were detected using two kinds of colloidal gold kits (A and B kits) and one chemiluminescence kit (C kit). The positive rates of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid in different samples from patients with COVID-19 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:The clinical sensitivity of A kit to detect SARS-CoV-2-specific IgM and IgG was 77.88% (81/104) and 65.38% (68/104), respectively, and the clinical specificity was 70.59% (36/51) and 100.00% (51/51). However, the false positive rate in IgM detection was as high as 29.41% (15/51). The sensitivity of B kit to test total antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 was 63.46% (66/104), and the clinical specificity was 94.12% (48/51). The clinical sensitivity of C kit to detect SARS-CoV-2-specific IgM and IgG were respectively 31.73% (33/104) and 64.42% (67/104), and the clinical specificity were both 98.04% (50/51). There was a moderate correlation between the detection results of two colloidal gold kits and the chemiluminescence kit with the Kappa values of 0.462 and 0.587 ( Z=6.157, P<0.01; Z=7.345, P<0.01). C kit had the highest positive detection rate for IgG, and would be more reliable to be used for IgG detection in COVID-19 patients 14 d after onset. The total positive detection rate of nucleic acid in all types of samples was 63.46% (66/104). The highest positive detection rate was in throat swabs or sputum samples, followed by those in blood samples and anal swabs. No viral nucleic acid was detected in urine samples for the time being. Conclusions:SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies could be detected in the early or late stage of COVID-19. The method of antibody detection has the advantages of shorter detection time, simple operation and high biological safety, indicating that it could be used as a supplementary or auxiliary detection for the diagnosis of suspected COVID-19 cases with negative nucleic acid test results. The chemiluminescence kit has good sensitivity and specificity, and is well recommended for clinical laboratories.

Objective: To analyze the clinical data of a family with early-onset familial Alzheimer′s disease and to analyze the mutation of the pathogenic gene in the family. Methods: The clinical data of a proband who was clinically diagnosed as early-onset Alzheimer′s disease in the Department of Neurology, People′s Hospital of Zhengzhou University in October 2018 and her family members were collected. Moreover, whole exome sequencing was performed on blood sample from the proband, then its deleterious effects were assessed according to the Standards and guidelines for the interpretation of sequence variants, a joint consensus recommendation of the American College of Medical Genomics. Subsequently, the strong pathogenic mutation was validated by Sanger sequencing in the some members of the family and 50 sporadic Alzheimer′s disease and 50 normal individuals of the family. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) typing of 10 family members was all epsilon 3/epsilon 3. Results: The proband in this family showed decreased memory, visual space disorder, verbal repetition, personality change and abnormal mental behavior. The mutation at codon 717 of exon 17 of the proband amyloid precursor protein gene was detected by gene detection. The mutation at codon 717 of exon 17 of the proband beta-amyloid precursor protein gene was also found in the other five members of the family. The mutation was not found in 50 sporadic Alzheimer′s disease patients and 50 normal individuals outside the family. The proband′s head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed bilateral hippocampal atrophy on plain scan, especially on the left side. No obvious abnormality was found in the head magnetic resonance angiography. The head MRI of the proband′s sister showed brain atrophy and bilateral hippocampal atrophy. Conclusions The study identified the pathogenic mutation of the beta-amyloid precursor protein gene p.V717I in six patients of a family with early-onset familial Alzheimer′s disease, and the mutation showed a phenomenon of family segregation. This finding is of great significance to the study of early-onset Alzheimer′s disease in Chinese population.

Objective To investigate the clinical manifestations,imaging features,molecular genetic characteristics and possible pathogenic mechanisms of hereditary cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) caused by heterozygous mutation of HtrA serine protease-1 (HTRA1) gene.Methods The clinical data of a Chinese Han family with CSVD carrying a heterozygous mutation of HTRA 1 gene,which came from the Department of Neurology,Henan Provincial People's Hospital in March 2018,were analyzed retrospectively.The clinical and radiographic features were summarized.Several high-throughput whole exon high-throughput sequencing was used to capture the mutation sites and the Sanger sequencing was used to validate the results.The family diagram was drawn and the 3D model construction and mutation function prediction were performed using silico tools.The relevant literature was reviewed and the pathogenesis was explored.Results The pedigree map showed that the family had an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern.Three generations of the family were investigated,and three family members in the same generation suffered from the disease.The first symptom of the proband was diplopia at the age of 39,accompanied by recurrent stroke,cognitive impairment and mood disorders,without alopecia.Head magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral diffuse,symmetric lesions,multiple lacunar infarcts,perivascular space,and microbleeds.The elder sister of the proband developed symptoms of left limb weakness at the age of 46,whose other clinical and imaging features were similar to those of the proband.The proband's mother died at the age of 59 due to repeated strokes.Whole exon sequencing indicated heterozygous missense mutation at c.821G＞A locus of HTRA1 gene in the proband and her 4th elder sibling,which was a new pathogenic mutation after consulting several mutation sites of databases.Function prediction suggested pathogenicity.Conclusions The heterozygous mutation of c.821G＞A in HTRA1 gene may lead to autosomal dominant CVSD.This genetic type should be given clinical attention.

Objective To explore the clinical features,auxiliary examinations,therapies and prognoses of patients with antibodies against contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2).Methods The clinical data of 11 anti-CASPR2 encephalitis patients who were admited to the People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March 2015 to April 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.Results The age of these 11 cases was (35.6± 19.4) years (ranged 20-74 years),and eight cases were females.There were seven cases with limbic encephalitis which included six cases of epilepsy,four cases of memory impairment,two cases of mental and behavioral abnormalities.Four cases had peripheral nerve hyperexcitability.Four cases had neuropathic pain.There were six cases with autonomic dysfunction including five cases of constipation,three cases of tachycardia,two cases of hyperhidrosis,two cases of urinary disorder.Seven cases had sleep disorder.Four cases had weight loss.Two cases showed cerebellar symptoms and two cases had hyponatremia.Magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain showed abnormal signal in two cases,mainly involved medial temporal lobe and the hippocampus.Six cases underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) examination,and three cases showed abnormalities,including two with temporal hypermetabolism and one with cortical hypermetabolism.Chest enhanced CT and PET-CT showed thymoma in one case.All cases received immunotherapy,and after treatment their symptoms were improved.Long-term follow-up was performed in nine cases,and three cases relapsed.Conclusions The major clinical manifestations of anti-CASPR2 encephalitis were limbic encephalitis,peripheral nerve hyperexcitability,neuropathic pain,autonomic dysfunction,insomnia and so on.Immunotherapy was effective and some patients may have recurrence.

Objective To analyze the clinical data of a family with early?onset familial Alzheimer′s disease and to analyze the mutation of the pathogenic gene in the family. Methods The clinical data of a proband who was clinically diagnosed as early?onset Alzheimer′s disease in the Department of Neurology, People′s Hospital of Zhengzhou University in October 2018 and her family members were collected. Moreover, whole exome sequencing was performed on blood sample from the proband, then its deleterious effects were assessed according to the Standards and guidelines for the interpretation of sequence variants, a joint consensus recommendation of the American College of Medical Genomics. Subsequently, the strong pathogenic mutation was validated by Sanger sequencing in the some members of the family and 50 sporadic Alzheimer′s disease and 50 normal individuals of the family. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) typing of 10 family members was all epsilon 3/epsilon 3. Results The proband in this family showed decreased memory, visual space disorder, verbal repetition, personality change and abnormal mental behavior. The mutation at codon 717 of exon 17 of the proband amyloid precursor protein gene was detected by gene detection. The mutation at codon 717 of exon 17 of the proband beta?amyloid precursor protein gene was also found in the other five members of the family. The mutation was not found in 50 sporadic Alzheimer′s disease patients and 50 normal individuals outside the family. The proband′s head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed bilateral hippocampal atrophy on plain scan, especially on the left side. No obvious abnormality was found in the head magnetic resonance angiography. The head MRI of the proband′s sister showed brain atrophy and bilateral hippocampal atrophy. Conclusions The study identified the pathogenic mutation of the beta?amyloid precursor protein gene p. V717I in six patients of a family with early?onset familial Alzheimer′s disease, and the mutation showed a phenomenon of family segregation. This finding is of great significance to the study of early?onset Alzheimer′s disease in Chinese population.

Objective To investigate the frequency and location of cerebral microbleeds in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarct and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) to understand the imaging and clinical features of the disease.Methods Cranial magnetic resonance imaging and susceptibility-weighted imaging were assessed in seven symptomatic CADASIL patients in People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2014 to 2017.Imaging features and clinical significance of these patients were analyzed retrospectively.Results The seven patients were diagnosed by Notch3 gene detection.Mutations were found in exon 11 in four cases,and in exon 4 in three cases.All the seven patients with CADASIL had cerebral microbleeds,the number of which was 108 (4-36).The number of cerebral microbleeds was found to be higher in cortico-subcortical region than in any other regions.One of CADASIL patients with cerebral microbleeds had intracerebral hemorrhage located in external capsule.The patient with intracerebral hemorrhage had hypertension and multiple cerebral microbleeds.Conclusions Cerebral microbleeds are common imaging characteristics in symptomatic CADASIL,most of which locate in cortico-subcortical region.Cerebral hemorrhage is one of the clinical manifestations of CADASIL patients.

OBJECTIVETo investigate a cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with the subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) case with clinical manifestations of baldness, lumbago and Parkinson's symptoms.

METHODSClinical and imaging data of the patient were analyzed. The patient and his family members were also subjected to genetic testing.

RESULTSThe symptoms of the patient included recurrent stroke, dementia, and mood disturbance, in addition with lumbago, baldness and Parkinson's symptoms but no migraine. Cranial MRI of the patient showed bilateral symmetric leukoencephalopathy and multiple small subcortical lacunar infarcts. A point mutation in exon 11 of the NOTCH3 gene (R558C) was discovered in the proband and four asymptomatic relatives.

CONCLUSIONCADASIL is characterized by recurrent subcortical ischemic stroke, dementia, pseudobulbar palsy, and mood disturbance. Baldness, lumbago and Parkinson's symptoms may also be seen in such patients.

Alopecia ; etiology ; CADASIL ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; genetics ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; etiology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Parkinsonian Disorders ; etiology ; Receptor, Notch3 ; genetics