ObjectiveMicrotube associated protein-2 （MAP-2）， alpha-tubulin （α-tubulin）， and synaptophysin （SYP） are important proteins in neuronal signal communication. This paper observed the effects of modified Zhigancao Tang on the expression of serum α-Synuclein （α-Syn） and its oligomers， MAP-2， α-tubulin， and SYP of patients with liver and kidney deficiency of Parkinson's disease （PD）， analyzed their correlation， and evaluated the therapeutic effect of modified Zhigancao Tang in patients with liver and kidney deficiency of PD based on α-Syn transmission pathway mediated by neuronal communication in vivo. MethodsA total of 60 patients with PD who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a treatment group （30 cases） and a control group （30 cases）. Both groups were treated on the basis of PD medicine， and the treatment group was treated with modified Zhigancao Tang. Both groups were treated for 12 weeks. The changes in UPDRS score， TCM syndrome score， and expression of serum α-Syn and its oligomers， MAP-2， α-tubulin， and SYP were observed before and after 12 weeks of treatment in each group. The correlation between the above-mentioned serum biological indexes and the levels of serum α-Syn and its oligomers was analyzed. ResultsAfter treatment， the TCM syndrome score， UPDRS score， UPDRS-Ⅱ score， and UPDRS-Ⅲ score of the treatment group were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The UPDRS score， UPDRS-Ⅱ score， and UPDRS-Ⅲ scores in the treatment group were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group after treatment （P<0.05）. After treatment， the total effective rate of the control group was 63.3% （19/30）， and that of the treatment group was 86.7% （26/30）. The clinical effect of the observation group was better than the control group （Z=-2.03， P<0.05）. The total effective rate of the observation group was better than that of the control group， and the difference was statistically significant （χ²=5.136， P<0.05）. After treatment， the oligomer level of serum α-Syn and MAP-2 level in the treatment group were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The levels of serum α-Syn and its oligomers， as well as α-tubulin in the treatment group， were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum α-Syn was correlated with serum MAP-2 and α-Syn oligomer in patients with PD （P<0.05， P<0.01） but not correlated with serum SYP . Serum α-Syn oligomers of patients with PD were correlated with serum MAP-2 and α-tubulin （P<0.05， P<0.01） but not correlated with serum SYP level. Serum SYP of patients with PD was correlated with serum MAP-2 （P<0.05）. ConclusionModified Zhigancao Tang has a therapeutic effect on patients with liver and kidney deficiency of PD by inhibiting the production of α-Syn oligomers and intervening α-Syn microtubule transport pathway in vivo.

In recent years, the clinical treatment of colorectal cancer(CRC) has made great progress, but chemoresistance is still one of the main reasons for reducing the survival rate of patients with colorectal cancer. Therefore, ameliorating chemotherapy resis-tance is an urgent problem to be solved. The purpose of this study was to investigate the regulatory role and related molecular mechanisms of hydroxysafflor yellow A(HSYA) in colorectal cancer cell proliferation, migration, and 5-fluorouracil(5-FU) chemoresistance. In this study, HCT116 and HT-29 cells were used as research subjects. Firstly, methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT) assay and colony formation assay were used to detect and analyze the effect of HSYA on the proliferation of CRC cells. Secondly, the effect of HSYA on the cell cycle in CRC cells was analyzed by cell cycle assay. Furthermore, the effect of HSYA on the migration of CRC cells was analyzed by wound-healing assay and Transwell assay. Based on the above, the influences of HSYA on 5-FU chemoresistance of CRC cells and related molecular mechanisms were explored and analyzed. The results showed that HSYA significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of CRC cells, and arrested the cell cycle in G_0/G_1 phase. In addition, HSYA significantly ameliorated the chemoresistance of CRC cells to 5-FU. The results of acridine orange staining and Western blot showed that the autophagy activity of CRC cells in the HSYA and 5-FU combined treatment group was significantly higher than that in the 5-FU single drug treatment group. As compared with the 5-FU single drug treatment group, the phosphorylation levels of protein kinase B(Akt) and mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR) in the HSYA and 5-FU combined treatment group were significantly reduced, indicating that the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in the combined treatment group was down-regulated in CRC cells. In conclusion, HSYA may upregulate autophagy activity through the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting the proliferation and migration of CRC cells and ameliorating the chemoresistance to 5-FU.
Humans ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Cell Line, Tumor ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Fluorouracil/pharmacology* ; Cell Proliferation ; Autophagy ; Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy*

Anemia of chronic disease (ACD), complicated by various chronic inflammatory diseases, is the second most prevalent type of anemia after iron deficiency anemia in the world. ACD significantly reduces the life quality of patients with chronic diseases, and represents an independent poor prognostic factor in certain chronic diseases. A large body of studies has demonstrated that most of anemia is related to abnormal iron metabolism. In the past decade, hepcidin, as a key factor in regulating iron metabolism, has attracted enormous attention due to its important role in the pathogenesis of ACD. This article reviews the research progress on the role and underlying regulatory mechanisms of hepcidin in ACD. We also discuss the potential of hepcidin as an effective therapeutic target for ACD treatment, in order to provide a new maneuver for improving the quality of ACD patients' life.
Anemia ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency/pathology* ; Chronic Disease ; Hepcidins ; Humans ; Iron/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To detect the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viral load of children after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) using chip digital PCR (cdPCR). METHODS: The sensitivity of cdPCR was determined using EBV plasmids and the EBV B95-8 strain. The specificity of EBV cdPCR was evaluated using the EBV B95-8 strain and other herpesviruses (herpes simplex virus 1, herpes simplex virus 2, varicella zoster virus, human cytomegalovirus, human herpesvirus 6, and human herpesvirus 7). From May 2019 to September 2020, 64 serum samples of children following HSCT were collected. EBV infection and the viral load of serum samples were detected by cdPCR. The epidemiological characteristics of EBV infections were analyzed in HSCT patients. RESULTS: The limit of detection of EBV cdPCR was 110 copies/mL, and the limit of detection of EBV quantitative PCR was 327 copies/mL for the pUC57-BALF5 plasmid. The result of EBV cdPCR was up to 121 copies/mL in the EBV B95-8 strain, and both were more sensitive than that of quantitative PCR. Using cdPCR, the incidence of EBV infection was 18.75% in 64 children after HSCT. The minimum EBV viral load was 140 copies/mL, and the maximum viral load was 3,209 copies/mL using cdPCR. The average hospital stay of children with EBV infection (184 ± 91 days) was longer than that of children without EBV infection (125 ± 79 days), P = 0.026. CONCLUSION EBV cdPCR had good sensitivity and specificity. The incidence of EBV infection was 18.75% in 64 children after HSCT from May 2019 to September 2020. EBV cdPCR could therefore be a novel method to detect EBV viral load in children after HSCT.
Child ; DNA, Viral/analysis* ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/epidemiology* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Herpesvirus 4, Human/genetics* ; Humans ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Viral Load

Cryotherapy ; Humans ; Hypopharynx ; Respiratory System

OBJECTIVE: To explore the synergistic immunomodulatory mechanism of interferon alpha-1b, interleukin-2 and thalidomide (ITI) regimen on patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: Sixty eight untreated de novo or relapsed or refractory or maintenance therapy patients with AML admitted in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and the other 11 medical units from March 2016 to May 2019 were treated with ITI regimen. Peripheral blood specimen per patient was collected into EDTA-K3 anticoagulation vacuum tube before the administration of ITI and 3 months after the treatment; peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and perforin and Granzyme B expression were analyzed by using flow cytometry; the levels of VEGF, IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-6 in the plasma were detected by using a cytometric bead array. Thirty-five healthy subjects from the hospital physical examination centre were selected as normal controls. RESULTS: The ratio of CD4 CONCLUSION The ITI regimen can raise the ratio of CD4
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; Interleukin-2 ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy* ; Perforin ; Thalidomide

Blastocystis hominis is a parasite that parasitizes in the intestines of humans and animals, and is closely related to a variety of gastrointestinal diseases such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. B. hominis is distributed worldwide, and the prevalence of B. hominis infections and dominant subgenotypes vary in countries and in regions from the same country. This paper reviews the global prevalence of B. hominis human infections, its subtypes and geographical distribution, so as to provide insights into the understanding of the global epidemiology of B. hominis and the management of B. hominis infections.

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus MOTOmed intelligent motor training in treating children with spastic cerebral palsy, and analyze the effects on lower limb motor function, intelligence development level, immune function and cerebral hemodynamics.Methods: A total of 42 children with spastic cerebral palsy were selected as the observation objects, and enrolled into the observation group. Another 42 cases treated in the same period were selected as the control group. Both groups received MOTOmed intelligent motor training, and the observation group was given additional acupuncture therapy, and the control group was given additional conventional rehabilitation treatment. After 2 consecutive treatment courses, the psychomotor development index (PDI) and mental development index (MDI) of Children's Developmental Center of China (CDCC) scale, the scores of gross motor function measure (GMFM) scale and modified Ashworth scale (MAS), and the changes in CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ were observed. The peak systolic velocity (PSV) and mean flow velocity (MFV) of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), middle cerebral artery (MCA) and posterior cerebral artery (PCA) were observed and measured. The clinical efficacy was evaluated. Results: Compared with the same group before treatment, the scores of GMFM, PDI and MDI, levels of CD3+, CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+, PSV and MFV levels of ACA, MCA and PCA in both groups were significantly increased after treatment (all P<0.05), while the CD8+ level had no significant change (both P>0.05). After treatment, the total effective rate of lower limb spasm in the observation group was 90.5％, significantly higher than 71.4％ in the control group (P<0.05). The scores of GMFM, PDI and MDI, the levels of CD3+ and CD4+, PSV and MFV, and the levels of ACA, MCA and PCA in the observation group were all significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the CD8+ level and CD4+/CD8+ between the groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture plus MOTOmed intelligent motor training has a better clinical efficacy than conventional rehabilitation plus MOTOmed intelligent motor training in treating children with spastic cerebral palsy, and is also superior in improving lower limb motor function and the level of intellectual development. And the mechanism may be related to the improvement of cerebral hemodynamics.

Objective To analyze the characteristics of the bilateral external ears of Uygur adults by directly observing the morphological characteristics of the external ears of Uygur adults and classifying each feature. The frequency distribution of the characteristics was calculated to provide reference for forensic identification. Methods The 210 cases （75 males and 135 females） of bilateral external ear photos of Uygur adults in Xinjiang that met the inclusion criteria were collected. The frequencies of the features of the external ear were recorded and distinguished between the two sexes and the different sides. The data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 21.0 statistical software. Results The shapes of the external ears of males and females were commonly oblique or rectangular （34.67% of the left external ear of males and 41.33% of the right were oblique; 30.37% of the left and right external ear of females were rectangular）, while triangular ears were the rare variants and the least common. Sex and bilateral differences were observed as regards the form of the helix in the subjects. Normally rolled helix was the most common （58.67% males and 61.48% females for the left ear; 60.00% males and 72.59% females for the right ear）. Wide covering scapha helix was the most rare for the male left ear and flat helix was the most rare for the female right ear. Square and free earlobes were the most common （49.33% males and 62.96% females for the left ear; 40.00% males and 54.81% females for the right ear）, whereas triangular earlobes were rarely seen. Single knob tragus （40.00% males and 37.78% females for the left ear; 37.33% males and 33.33% females for the right ear） and projection type of Darwin's tubercle （50.67% males and 40.00% females for the left ear; 48.00% males and 39.26% females for the right ear） were found to be common. Conclusion The characteristics of the bilateral external ears of male and female Uygur adults have differences, which can be used for forensic identification.
Adult ; Ear, External ; Ethnicity ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Sex Characteristics

Objective: To explore the effect of combination regimen of interferon alpha-1b, interleukin-2 and thalidomide (ITI regimen) on minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who were in hematologic remission but MRD-positive. Methods: Eighteen patients (17 from Tumor Hospital of Zhengzhou University and 1 from the First People's Hospital of Pingdingshan City) with AML admitted from July 2016 to June 2018, who were in hematologic remission but MRD-positive were treated with different doses of ITI regimen, and the MRD levels were monitored. Results: Among 18 patients who received a conventional dose of ITI regimen for 1 to 2 months, 7 patients had undetectable MRD, 3 had significant decrease in MRD levels, 3 had elevated MRD level and had hematologic recurrence. Three patients with elevated MRD level received a higher dose of ITI regimen, 2 of them turned to MRD negative and the other 1 patient had decreased MRD level. The total response rate was 72.2%, and the response rate in patients with MRD > 1.0% was 57.1% (4/7) , and that of patients with MRD < 1.0% was 81.8% (9/11) , respectively. Conclusion: The ITI regimen can reduce the MRD level of patient with AML who are in hematologic remission but MRD-positive. The therapeutic effect could be improved by a higher dose administration of ITI regimen, and therapeutic effect may be negatively correlated with MRD level before treatment.
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; Interleukin-2 ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy* ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Prognosis ; Remission Induction ; Thalidomide