Profiling dendritic cell subsets in the patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Dendritic cell (DC) plays an important role in the immune response against pulmonary tuberculosis. However, the phenotypic profile of DC subsets in peripheral blood in individuals with active pulmonary tuberculosis (APT) is still inconclusive. Here, we demonstrated that the absolute numbers of total DC (tDC), myeloid DC (mDC) and plasmacytoid DC (pDC) in individuals with APT were decreased compared to healthy controls (HCs).

Development and characterization of monoclonal antibody against human IL-37b.

IL-37 has been described as a natural inhibitor of immune responses. Monoclonal antibody (mAb) against human IL-37b with high affinity and specificity can serve as a molecular probe to detect IL-37 and study IL-37 functions, mechanisms and related signal pathways in inflammatory diseases. However, there are very few such mAbs against human IL-37 commercially available so far.

BTLA-expressing CD11c antigen presenting cells in patients with active tuberculosis exhibit low capacity to stimulate T cell proliferation.

Despite past extensive studies on B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA)-mediated negative regulation of T cell activation, the role of BTLA in antigen presenting cells (APCs) in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (ATB) remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that BTLA expression on CD11c APCs increased in patients with ATB. Particularly, BTLA expression in CD11c APCs was likely associated with the attenuated stimulatory capacity on T cells (especially CD8+ T cell) proliferation.

Icariin Inhibits Pulmonary Hypertension Induced by Monocrotaline through Enhancement of NO/cGMP Signaling Pathway in Rats.

It has been reported that icariin (ICA) increased contents of nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) by improving expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and inhibition of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5). In addition, dysfunction of the NO/cGMP pathway may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension (PH). In this study, the potential protective effects of ICA on PH induced by monocrotaline (MCT, 50 mg/kg) singly subcutaneous injection were investigated and the possible mechanisms involved in NO/cGMP pathway were explored in male Sprague Dawley rats.

Elevated serum IL-35 and increased expression of IL-35-p35 or -EBI3 in CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells in patients with active tuberculosis.

Despite the recent appreciation of interleukin 35 (IL-35) function in inflammatory diseases, little is known for IL-35 response in patients with active tuberculosis (ATB). In the current study, we demonstrated that ATB patients exhibited increases in serum IL-35 and in mRNA expression of both subunits of IL-35 (p35 and EBI3) in white blood cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Consistently, anti-TB drug treatment led to reduction in serum IL-35 level and p35 or EBI3 expression.

IL-6 Inhibition Reduces STAT3 Activation and Enhances the Antitumor Effect of Carboplatin.

Recent studies suggest that tumor-associated macrophage-produced IL-6 is an important mediator within the tumor microenvironment that promotes tumor growth. The activation of IL-6/STAT3 axis has been associated with chemoresistance and poor prognosis of a variety of cancers including colorectal carcinoma and thus serves as a potential immunotherapeutic target for cancer treatment. However, it is not fully understood whether anticytokine therapy could reverse chemosensitivity and enhance the suppressive effect of chemotherapy on tumor growth.

BTLA associates with increased Foxp3 expression in CD4(+) T cells in dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease, and its pathogenesis involves a variety of genetic, environmental, and immunological factors such as T helper cells and their secreted cytokines. B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) is an immunoregulatory receptor that has a strong suppressive effect on T-cell function. However the role of BTLA in UC remains poorly understood.

[Treatment of chronic heart failure of Xin-Shen yang deficiency, interior retention of water-fluid syndrome by external application of Zhuangshenling recipe combined with western medicine: a clinical study].

Objective: To observe the effect of external application of Zhuangshenling Recipe (ZR) combined with Western medicine (WM) on the heart function of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients of Xin-Shen yang deficiency, interior retention of water-fluid syndrome (XSYDIRWFS).

Methods: Totally 140 CHF patients of XSYDIRWFS were randomly assigned to two groups, the treatment group and the control group, 70 in each group. All patients received WM therapy.

[Cited status and its correlated factors of articles published in Chinese Journal of Pediatrics from 2001 to 2010].

Objective: The present study was designed to explore the cited status and its correlated factors of articles published in Chinese Journal of Pediatrics.

Method: Articles published in Chinese Journal of Pediatrics from 2001 to 2010 were searched using Wanfang Medical Online database, and the relationship between cited number and column and funding status were analyzed.

Results: Totally 3209 articles were published by Chinese Journal of Pediatrics from 2001 to 2010.

[Influence of journals indexed by Science Citation Index (SCI) on Chinese medical journals based on the data of published articles by Chinese authors from 2000 - 2009].

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the influence of journals indexed by Science Citation Index (SCI) on Chinese medical journals.

Method: Articles on medicine written by Chinese and the journals that published these articles from 2000 to 2009 were searched using Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E) database, and the status and variation tendency of the impact factors (IF) of these journals were analyzed. Data of articles on medicine included Chinese Scientific and Technical Paper and Citations Data (CSTPCD) from 2000 to 2008 were searched (the data of 2009 have not been released).

Design of broadband polarization splitter based on partial coupling in square-lattice photonic-crystal fiber.

We propose a design for a novel broadband polarization splitter based on an asymmetric dual-core square-lattice photonic-crystal fiber. The fiber is designed such that index-matched coupling between the two cores can be achieved for one polarization state, while only a part of the energy could be coupled for the other polarization state. Numerical results demonstrate that a device length of 5.

Retrospective analysis of thrombolysis therapy for 64 cases of acute myocardial infarction with elevated ST segment.

Objective: To explore the cardiac protective effect of integrative therapy in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with elevated ST segment after reperfusion.

Methods: Sixty-four AMI patients who having received decimalization by thrombolysis were assigned to two groups by retrospective analysis, 36 patients in the treated group and 28 in the control group. Both were treated by intravenous administering of urokinase for thrombolysis, and to the treated group, intravenous dripping of Xueshuantong Injection (, XST) was added.