Background:Clinical outcomes of undifferentiated arthritis (UA) are diverse,and only 40 ％ of patients with UA develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after 3 years.Discovering predictive markers at disease onset for further intervention is critical.Therefore,our objective was to analyze the clinical outcomes of UA and ascertain the predictors for RA development.Methods:We performed a prospective,multi-center study from January 2013 to October 2016 among Chinese patients diagnosed with UA in 22 tertiary-care hospitals.Clinical and serological parameters were obtained at recruitment.Follow-up was undertaken in all patients every 12 weeks for 2 years.Predictive factors of disease progression were identified using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression.Results:A total of 234 patients were recruited in this study,and 17 (7.3％) patients failed to follow up during the study.Among the 217 patients who completed the study,83 (38.2％) patients went into remission.UA patients who developed RA had a higher rheumatoid factor (RF)-positivity (42.9％ vs.16.8％,x2=8.228,P=0.008),anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodypositivity (66.7％ vs.10.7％,x2 =43.897,P ＜ 0.001),and double-positivity rate of RF and anti-CCP antibody (38.1％ vs.4.1％,x2 =32.131,P ＜ 0.001) than those who did not.Anti-CCP antibody but not RF was an independent predictor for RA development (hazard ratio 18.017,95％ confidence interval:5.803-55.938;P ＜ 0.001).Conclusion:As an independent predictor of RA,anti-CCP antibody should be tested at disease onset in all patients with UA.

Objective:To observe the effect of Zhen'ai needling method in Nei Jing (Classic of Internal Medicine) on quality of life in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR).Methods:A total of 99 patients with AR who met the inclusion criteria were randomized into a conventional needling group (51 cases) and a Zhen'ai needling group (48 cases).The conventional needling group was treated with acupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36),Hegu (LI 4),Juliao (ST 3),Yingxiang (LI 20),Yintang (GV 29),Shangxing (GV 23) and Baihui (GV 20).The Zhen'ai needling group added acupoints of Zhen'ai needling method {Lieque (LU 7),Shanglianquan [Extra,located at 1 cun above Lianquan (CV 23)] and Tianrong (SI 17)} in addition to points in the conventional needling group.The needles were retained for 30 min.The treatment was performed twice a week.All patients were assessed by total nasal symptom score (TNSS),total ocular symptom score (TOSS) and sino-nasal outcome test-20 (SNOT-20) before and after 15 treatments to evaluate the quality of life.The clinical efficacy was evaluated after 15 treatments.Results:During the treatment,8 cases dropped out in the conventional needling group and 7 cases in the Zhen'ai needling group.There were no significant differences in TNSS,TOSS and SNOT-20 scores between the two groups before treatment (all P＞0.05).After treatment,the total effective rate of the Zhen'ai needling group was 92.7％,versus 88.4％ in the conventional needling group.There was no significant difference between the two groups (P＞0.05).After treatment,there were no significant differences between the two groups in TNSS and TOSS scores (both P＞0.05).The SNOT-20 score of the Zhen'ai needling group was lower than that of the conventional needling group,and the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05).There were statistical differences between the two groups in the scores of cough and nasal reflux (to the throat) of the NOT-20 scale (both P＜0.05).Conclusion:Both Zhen'ai needling method and conventional acupuncture are effective in the treatment of AR.Zhen'ai needling method has a better effect than conventional acupuncture in improving cough and nasal reflux (to the throat) in AR patients.

BACKGROUND: Our previous study demonstrated that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) presented with a low survival rate and newly formed vascular-like structures was sparsely distributed in the local infarct tissues after cell transplantation, which certainly impaired the therapeutic efficacy. Long non-coding RNA-H19 (lncRNA-H19) has been confirmed to be associated with MSCs differentiation and mediate vascularization. OBJECTIVE:To observe the influence of lncRNA-H19 on the survival and vascularization potential of MSCs in vitro and to explore the possible mechanism. METHODS:MSCs were obtained and cultured in vitro.Cells were divided into five groups:MSCs+H19,MSCs+H19 negative control (MSCs+H19 NC), MSCs+si-H19, MSCs+si-H19 negative control (MSCs+si-H19 NC) and MSCs groups. MSCs+H19 and MSCs+H19 NC groups were transfected with lncRNA-H19 and lncRNA-H19 scramble RNA respectively, while MSCs+siH19 and MSCs+si-H19 NC groups were transfected with lncRNA-H19 siRNA and lncRNA-H19 siRNA scramble respectively. Cells were cultured under hypoxic-ischemic condition (serum-free medium, 1% O2) for 24 hours. Then, cell proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated using MTS and TUNEL, respectively. Cell supernatant from each experimental group was further co-cultured with human umbilical vein endothelial cells to induce vascularization. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) was thereafter detected using western blot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with MSCs+H19 NC and MSCs groups, MSCs+H19 group presented with significantly higher proliferation rate, lower apoptosis percentage and a larger number of vascular branches on matrigel (P < 0.01). There was a significantly higher expression of VEGFA in the MSCs+H19 group than MSCs+H19 NC and MSCs groups. Compared with the MSCs and MSCs+si-H19 NC groups, MSCs+H19 group presented with significantly lower proliferation rate, higher apoptosis percentage and a less number of vascular branches on matrigel (P < 0.01). In addition, VEGFA expression was distinctly downregulated in the MSCs+si-H19 group in comparison with the MSCs+si-H19 NC and MSCs groups. These findings indicate that lncRNA-H19 effectively promotes MSCs survival and vascularization under hypoxic-ischemic condition in vitro,and this effect may be associated with the upregulation of VEGFA.

Objective To analyze the effects on control rate and the outcome of pulmonary function in children with bronchial asthma (abbreviated asthma) who were received the two years standardized treatment and management,and to explore the sensitive parameters of control effects in children with asthma.Methods Using the retrospective analysis,asthmatic children were selected from January 2014 to January 2015 in Beijing Children's Hospital,allergy and asthma outpatient clinics.All the patients were received asthma control treatment and management according to GINA guidelines (2014 version).They were assessed on asthma control level at one year and two years follow up visits respectively and their pulmonary function were evaluated at the same time.According to response status to therapy and adjustment of step up and down,children were divided into two groups,the stable control group and the difficult to control group.The parameters of sex,age,asthma,combined with rhinitis,allergen sensitization and pulmonary function were compared between the two groups.Results A total of 149 patients were enrolled in this study.The treatment levels were 20.2％,67.1％ and 12.7％ respectively at grade 2,grade 3 and ≥ 4 grade.After Treatment management for one year and two years,the asthma control level were assessed as good control was 81.8％ and 83.2％ respectively (P ＜ 0.05) Each parameter of pulmonary function excepted FEV1/FVC at the one year visit point after treatment and management was significantly higher than that at enrollment (P ＜ 0.05).After two years of treatment and management,PEF％ pred and FEF25 ％ pred was higher than that at first follow up visit (P ＜ 0.05).There were no significantly different on the distribution of sex,age,course of asthma,allergic rhinitis,allergen sensitization and initial control treatment level between the stable control and the difficult to control groups.Asthma control stability status assessment and analysis at the one year follow up visits showed that PEF％ pred was significantly higher in the group of stable control than that in group of difficult to control (97.3 ± 14.3 vs 93.1 ± 15.1,P ＜ 0.05).Asthma control stability starus assessment and analysis at two years follow up visits showed that the positive rate of allergen sensitization was significantly lower in the group of stable control than that in group of difficult to control (P ＜ 0.05),while FEV1/FVC was significantly higher in the group of stable control than that in group of difficult to control (81.0 ± 9.47vs77.4 ± 8.95,P＜0.05).Conclusion School age children asthma control level were improved with longer time regular treatment and management as well as the pulmonary function improvement.Multiple allergenic sensitization and lower PEF％ pred value and FEV1/FVC are suggestive parameters for children with difficult to control asthma.

With annual Glycyrrhiza uralensis seedlings as experimental material, using "3414" optimal regression design and applied fertilizer, through the sampling of G. uralensis at harvest, root fresh weight and content of active components were measured in Lanzhou, Bayan Nur city, Chifeng, Jiuquan. Combined with NPK content in soil, potted experiments were used to study the effects of different nitrogen and phosphorus ratios on the dry matter accumulation and accumulation of active components of G. uralensis. The results reported as follows: the optimum fertilizer treatment in Lanzhou, Bayan Nur city, Chifeng, Jiuquan was N₁P₂K₁,N₂P₂K₁,N₁P₁K₂ and N₂P₁K₂, respectively. The efforts of single fertilizer on the fresh root weight acted as parabolic type.There was no significant effect of fertilizer treatment on the accumulation of active components of G. uralensis. Furthermore, in terms of nitrogen and phosphorus, the type of fertilizers that restricted the growth of the region was the type of elements with lower content in the soil. The optimal fertilizer usage was in inverse proportion to content of elements in soil. When the content of phosphorus in soil was low, nitrogen fertilizer and potash fertilizer showed positive interaction with phosphorus fertilizer, whereas, they showed negative interaction.

Aged ; Biopsy ; methods ; Bronchoscopy ; methods ; Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia ; diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Image-Guided Biopsy ; methods ; Lung ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ultrasonography ; methods

To study the inhibitory effect of Glehniae Radix petroleum ether part on TGF-β1-induced epithelial mesenchymal transition in non-small cell lung cancer A549 and its possible mechanism. With type Ⅱ epithelial cells of lung cancer A549 as the research object, the experiment was performed in 5 μg•L⁻¹ TGF-β1-induced epithelial mesenchymal transition model,and blank control group, model group and Glehniae Radix petroleum ether group were set up. MTT assay was carried out to detect the effect of petroleum ether extract of Glehniae Radix on the survival of A549 cells. A549 cells induced by TGF-β1(5 μg•L⁻¹) was intervened by different polar parts of Glehniae Radix, Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) was used to analyze mRNA expressions of the epithelial mesenchymal transition markers, such as ColⅠ,E-cadherin,Vimentin and α-SMA. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect hydroxyproline(HYP) level. The migration and invasion abilities of cells were detected through wound scratch assay. According to the experimental results, the petroleum ether extract of Glehniae Radix could inhibit the growth of A549 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Compared with model group, Glehniae Radix petroleum ether part group could effectively inhibit mRNA expressions of ColⅠ,Vimentin and α-SMA, but improve expression of E-cadherin.Glehniae Radix petroleum ether part could reduce the content of hydroxyproline in cells and inhibit the migration of A549 cells.Therefore, the petroleum ether extract of Glehniae Radix can effectively inhibit the occurrence of epithelial mesenchymal transition induced by TGF-β1 induced alveolar epithelial cells, and Glehniae Radix petroleum ether part may be a potential drug for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The mechanism may be achieved through the regulation of ColⅠ, Vimentin, α-SMA and E-cadherin.