Objective:To explore whether multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI) combined with 68Ga-prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT can improve the detection efficiency of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). Methods:Clinical and imaging data of 152 patients (age (68.5±8.5) years) who underwent mpMRI and 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT examination for suspected prostate cancer in the First Affiliated Hospital of the Air Force Medical University from January 2021 to November 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, with the histopathological results from transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy as reference. Lesions with Gleason scores (GS) ≥3+ 4 from the biopsy were diagnosed with csPCa, and lesions with negative biopsy or GS 6 were diagnosed with non-csPCa. MpMRI was evaluated independently by two radiologists according to the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) version 2.1. The radioactive uptake of 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT in prostate lesions was evaluated by SUV max. The independent-sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test and χ2 test were used to compare differences between the two groups, and then multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. ROC curves analysis was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacies of individual and combined factors and Delong test was used. Results:There were 85 csPCa and 67 non-csPCa confirmed. Prostate specific antigen (PSA), PI-RADS score and SUV max were significantly different between the csPCa group and the non-csPCa group ( χ2=68.06, U values: -7.66, -8.98, all P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that PI-RADS score (odds ratio ( OR)=3.424, 95% CI: 1.651-7.100) and SUV max ( OR=1.931, 95% CI: 1.403-2.658) were independent predictors of csPCa (both P<0.001). ROC curves analysis revealed that the cut-off value for diagnosing csPCa was 4 for PI-RADS score and 5.6 for SUV max. The accuracy of mpMRI and PET/CT alone in csPCa diagnosis was 80%(122/152) (AUC of 0.789(95% CI: 0.711-0.866) with the sensitivity and specificity of 91%(77/85) and 67%(45/67)), and 87%(132/152) (AUC of 0.876(95% CI: 0.817-0.936) with the sensitivity and specificity of 81%(69/85) and 94%(63/67)), respectively. Several joint models incorporating 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT with mpMRI data were investigated, the model of PI-RADS 5 or PI-RADS 3-4 and SUV max>5.6 showed better performance than mpMRI and PET/CT alone and other joint models ( z values: 2.01-3.64, all P<0.05), with the accuracy of 91%(138/152) (AUC of 0.910(95% CI: 0.857-0.962) with the sensitivity and specificity of 89%(76/85) and 93%(62/67)). Conclusion:MpMRI combined with 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT can significantly improve the detection efficiency of csPCa, with the principal effect being improved in risk stratification of PI-RADS 3-4 lesions in mpMRI.

Heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)is an inducible heme oxygenase and a catalytic enzyme for heme decomposition reactions,which can catalyze the heme decomposition into CO,biliverdin and Fe2+.HO-1 and its metabolites have anti-inflammatory,antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects in human body,and play an important role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson's disease,amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,and Huntington's disease.This article will review the production,distribution,and gene structure of HO-1,the biological characteristics of its metabolites,and the role and mechanism of HO-1 in neurodegenerative diseases,in order to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of HO-1.

This work was aimed at predicting and verifying B-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 E protein through bioinformatics methods,and clarifying the dominant B cell epitopes with mouse polyclonal antibody serum prepared through SARS-CoV-2 re-combinant E protein immunization and human positive serum vaccinated with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.The structural and B-cell linear epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 E protein were predicted with SOPMA,Expasy,SWISS-MODEL,IEDB database,and Bepid-2.0 software.Candidate epitopes were expressed as GST-tagged recombinant protein fragments in an E.coli sys-tem,and their immunoreactivity with mouse and human poly-clonal positive serum against SARS-CoV-2 E protein was de-tected by western blotting and indirect ELISA,respectively.The epitope prediction results showed that E protein contained linear B cell epitopes Ser6-Val14 and Tyr57-Pro71,and the conformational epitopes of Glu8-Val12,Leu39-Tyr59,and Ser60-Leu65.The GST tagged recombinant E protein fragments of E1 and E3,containing Ser6-Val14 and Tyr57-Pro71 epitopes,respectively,as well as E2 without an epitope sequence as a control,were expressed in an E.coli expression system and successfully purified with an Ni-NTA column.Western blotting and indirect ELISA analysis indicated that all mouse and human SARS-CoV-2 positive sera positively reacted with only E1 and E3 proteins,but negatively reacted with E2 protein,thus indicating that the corresponding epitope prediction with Ser6-Val14 and Tyr57-Pro71 was correct.This study successfully predicted and preliminarily identified two linear B cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 E protein,thus providing a reference for the preparation of new coronavirus vaccines and the analysis of immune response characteristics.

Objectives: To investigate the clinical application effect of a quantitative method of atlantoaxial reduction angle in basilar invagination. Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical and radiographic data was conducted of 38 patients with complicated atlantoaxial dislocation and basilar invagination admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from May 2020 to May 2022. There were 5 males and 33 females, aged (53.5±9.9) years (range: 38 to 80 years). All patients underwent C_1-2 interarticular fusion cage implantation+occipital-cervical fixation by pressing rob with the cantilever technique. The atlantoaxial reduction model of previous studies by our team was used to calculate the reduction angles before surgery. Then titanium rods of prebending angle were prepared according to the calculation before the operation. After that quantitative reduction of angle was performed during the operation. The paired t-test was used to compare the difference between the theoretical and actual reset value. Results: The theoretical reduction angle of all patients was (10.62±1.78)° (range: 6.40° to 13.20°), the actual reduction angle was (10.53±1.63)° (range: 6.70° to 13.30°) and there was no statistical difference between them (t=1.688, P=0.100). The theoretical posterior occipitocervical angle after the operation of all patients was (117.37±5.88)° (range: 107.00° to 133.00°), the actual posterior occipitocervical angle after the operation was (118.25±6.77)° (range: 105.40° to 135.80°) and there was no statistical difference between them (t=-0.737, P=0.466). The postoperative follow-up time of the patients was more than 6 months and the symptoms of all patients were relieved. All patients had satisfactory fusion between small joints without incision infection, internal fixation fracture, displacement, atlantoaxial redislocation, and other long-term complications. Conclusion: The quantitative method of atlantoaxial reduction angle in basilar invagination can calculate the theoretical reduction angle of the clivus axis angle and guide the preparation of the pre-bending titanium rod before surgery, so as to realize the quantification of the atlantoaxial reduction angle.

In August 2021, three students with diarrhea from the same school visited a local hospital in the S district of Beijing. An epidemic investigation showed that there were more students with diarrhea in the same school and they had one meal together. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from both patients with diarrhea and asymptomatic food handlers; however, the latter also carried Campylobacter coli. Phylogenomic analysis showed that there was a campylobacteriosis outbreak among the students, and the asymptomatic food handler may have been the source of the infection. Routine inspection and surveillance for Campylobacter is needed for the food producing staff, particularly those cooking in the cafeteria in schools or other public food services.
Humans ; Campylobacter Infections/epidemiology* ; Gastroenteritis ; Diarrhea ; Campylobacter ; Disease Outbreaks

The AP2/ERF gene family is one of the largest transcription factor families in the plant kingdom, and plays an important role in response to biological and abiotic stresses, plant hormone responses, and plant growth and development. In this study, the AP2/ERF family of Panax notoginseng was identified by bioinformatics methods, and the physicochemical properties, structure, phylogenetic relationship, expression pattern and function of PnDREB4 gene of the family were analyzed. The results showed that 140 AP2/ERF family members were identified in P. notoginseng, which were divided into DREB, ERF, AP2, RAV and Sololit subgroups. The physicochemical properties and motifs of proteins were similar among the subgroups. There were 34 differentially expressed genes in the AP2/ERF family of Fusarium oxysporum infected P. notoginseng plants, and 19 genes were up-regulated. The expression level of PnDREB84 was up-regulated with the extension of Fusarium oxysporum infection time in the range of 0-96 h. The content of ABA and SA in P. notoginseng plants overexpressing PnDREB84 gene increased after 4 ℃ stress. The results showed that PnDREB84 gene plays a dual regulatory role in the process of biological stress and abiotic stress. PnDREB84 gene can be used as a potential molecular marker for the breeding of new varieties of P. notoginseng. The identification of AP2/ERF transcription factor and function analysis of PnDREB84 gene of P. notoginseng provided data support for the analysis of stress resistance mechanism of P. notoginseng and the breeding of new varieties.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the potential of glycyrrhizic acid(GL)to improve the solubility and bioavailability of ost-hole(Ost),and to explore the underlying mechanism of the potential solubility and pharmacokinetic interactions.METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally given osthole(20 mg·kg-1)alone or with glycyrrhizic acid(45 mg·kg-1).Blood and liver samples were collected at specific time points and determined by an LC-MS/MS method.The effect of glycyrrhizic acid on the solubility of ost-hole,and physical characterizations,including X-ray diffraction(XRD)and Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR)spectroscopy,were performed to reveal the mechanism of the solubilization of GL.In addition,bidirectional transport study using Caco-2 cell monolayer model was employed to study the effects of glycyrrhizic acid and its active metabolite glycyrrhetinic acid(GC)on the absorption of ost-hole.In incubation studies,rat enterocyte S9 and liver S9 were used to explore the potential effect of GL and GC on the metabolism of osthole.RESULTS The results of pharmacokinetics in rats showed that co-administration of glycyrrhizic acid could significantly in-crease the AUC of osthole as compared with osthole administered alone.The results of rat liver tissue samples indicated that glycyrrhizic acid increased the distribution of osthol in liver tissue.Solubility study found that glycyrrhizic acid could significantly enhance the solu-bility of osthole in water due to the decreased crystallinity of osthole and the formation of hydrogen bonding between Ost and GL.Caco-2 cell monolayer model demonstrated that neither GL nor GC could enhance osthole absorption.Further in vitro incubation study re-vealed that there was little metabolic interaction between osthole and GL or GC in phaseⅠmetabolism.CONCLUSION Increased AUC and liver concentration of osthole are probably due to the increased solubility of osthole by GL.The current study has significant implications for further investigation on the potential combination use of natural solubilizing agent GL and drugs with solubility as the rate-limiting step to absorption from the gastrointestinal tract.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of nutritional status on 90-day functional outcomes of stroke patients with acute large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation after endovascular treatment (EVT). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the baseline, laboratory, surgical and 90-day follow-up data of patients with stroke resulting from acute large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation, who underwent emergency endovascular treatment in our hospital from July, 2015 to December, 2020. A favorable outcome was defined as a modified Rankin scale score ≤2 at 90 days. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to explore the relationship between nutritional status and 90-day functional outcomes of the patients. RESULTS: A total of 459 patients (mean age of 68.29±11.21 years, including 260 males) were enrolled in this study. According to their prognostic nutritional index (PNI), the patients were divided into normal nutrition group (392 cases, 85.4%), moderate malnutrition group (44 cases, 9.6%), and severe malnutrition group (23 cases, 5.0%). Univariate analysis showed that the patients with good clinical outcomes had a lower proportion of malnutrition with a younger age, a lower rate of diabetes, lower baseline blood pressure, lower baseline NIHSS score, higher baseline ASPECT score, and higher rates of good collateral circulation and complete vascular recanalization. Multivariate analysis showed that in addition to age, diabetes, baseline systolic blood pressure, successful recanalization, baseline ASPECT score, baseline NIHSS score and collateral circulation, a greater PNI was a protective factor for a good 90-day outcome of patients after EVT (moderate vs severe: OR=0.245, 95% CI: 0.066-0.908, P=0.035; normal vs severe: OR=0.185, 95% CI: 0.059-0.581, P=0.004). CONCLUSION Nutritional status an important factor affecting the 90-day outcomes after EVT of stroke patients with acute large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation.
Aged ; Brain Ischemia/etiology* ; Endovascular Procedures/methods* ; Humans ; Male ; Malnutrition/etiology* ; Middle Aged ; Nutritional Status ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke/surgery* ; Thrombectomy/methods* ; Treatment Outcome

Background/Aims: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly-used medications, and ailments such as arthritis or heart disease, require long-term use of these drugs, which can induce gastroenteropathy with bleeding and ulcers. This study investigated the associations between efficacy, safety, and gastrointestinal symptoms linked to rebamipide and proton pump inhibitor administration in patients requiring long-term NSAID use. Methods: This study was a multi-center, randomized, open-labeled, pilot design. Results: Thirty-three patients were included. Of these, 15 were included in the study group and 18 were in the control group. NSAID-induced gastric ulcers, which were the primary outcome of this study, did not occur in either the study or control group. Changes in the number of small bowel erosions and ulcers were –0.6 ± 3.06 in the study group and 1.33 ± 4.71 in the control group. The number of subjects with mucosal breaks (defined as multiple erosions and/or ulcers) was three (20%) in the study group and six (40%) in the control group (p = 0.427). No serious adverse events occurred in either group. However, dyspepsia and skin rashes occurred in six patients (31.58%) in the study group and 13 (65%) in the control group (p = 0.036). Conclusions Although statistically significant differences were not generated, possibly as a result of the small sample size, mucosal breaks observed via capsule endoscopy revealed that rebamipide was likely to be more effective than lansoprazole in preventing small intestine damage caused by NSAIDs. Furthermore, fewer side-effects emerged with rebamipide.

Objective: To investigate the distribution of HIV-1 genetic subtypes and pretreatment drug resistance (PDR) among men who have sex with men (MSM) from 19 cities of 6 provinces in China. Methods: From April to November 2019, 574 plasma samples of ART-naive HIV-1 infected MSM were collected from 19 cities in Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong provinces, total ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted and amplified the HIV-1 pol gene region by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after reverse transcription. Then sequences were used to construct a phylogenetic tree to determine genetic subtypes and submitted to the Stanford drug resistance database for drug resistance analysis. Results: A total of 479 samples were successfully amplified by PCR. The HIV-1 genetic subtypes included CRF01_AE, CRF07_BC, B, CRF55_01B, CRF59_01B, CRF65_cpx, CRF103_01B, CRF67_01B, CRF68_01B and unrecognized subtype, which accounted for 43.4%, 36.3%, 6.3%, 5.9%, 0.8%, 0.8%, 0.4%, 0.4%, 0.2% and 5.5%, respectively. The distribution of genetic subtypes among provinces is statistically different (χ²=44.141, P<0.001). The overall PDR rate was 4.6% (22/479), the drug resistance rate of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and protease inhibitors were 3.5% (17/479), 0.8% (4/479) and 0.2% (1/479), respectively. The PDR rate of recent infections was significantly higher than that of long-term infections (χ²=4.634, P=0.031). Conclusions: The HIV-1 genetic subtypes among MSM infected with HIV-1 from 19 cities of 6 provinces in China are diverse, and the distribution of subtypes is different among provinces. The overall PDR rate is low, while the PDR rate of recent infections was significantly higher than that of long-term infections, suggesting the surveillance of PDR in recent infections should be strengthened.
China/epidemiology* ; Cities ; Drug Resistance ; Drug Resistance, Viral/genetics* ; Female ; Genotype ; HIV Infections/epidemiology* ; HIV Seropositivity/drug therapy* ; HIV-1/genetics* ; Homosexuality, Male ; Humans ; Male ; Phylogeny ; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Sexual and Gender Minorities