Minimal change disease associated with gastrointestinal stromal tumor accompanied by significantly elevated serum IgE level: a case report.

Background: Minimal change disease (MCD) is a common cause of the nephrotic syndrome. Several studies have shown an increased incidence of cancer in patients with MCD. However, there are no reports on the association between MCD and gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST).

[Homozygous CFAP65 mutation induces multiple morphological abnormalities of sperm flagella: A preliminary genetic study].

Objective: To search for the possible pathogenic genes for multiple morphological anomalies of sperm flagella (MMAF).

Methods: We performed whole exome sequencing (WES) of a typical case of MMAF and analyzed its possible pathogenic genes. We examined the semen sample from the patient and identified the ultrastructural characteristics of the sperm flagella under the scanning electron and transmission electron microscopes, and analyzed the expression pattern of cilia and flagela-associated protein 65 (CFAP65) in spermatogenesis by immunofluorescence assay.

Intravenous Administration of Vitamin C in the Treatment of Herpes Zoster-Associated Pain: Two Case Reports and Literature Review.

Background: Herpes zoster (HZ) is an acute inflammatory neurocutaneous disease caused by the reactivation of varicella-zoster virus. It is estimated that the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia following HZ is 10-20%. The leading risk factors of the prognosis are aging and immunity dysfunction.

Blockade of insulin receptor substrate-1 inhibits biological behavior of choroidal endothelial cells.

Aim: To investigate the effects of blockade of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) on the bio-function of tube formation of human choroidal endothelial cells (HCECs).

Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot were performed to determine the expression level of IRS-1 and phospho-IRS-1 in HCECs. Tube formation of HCECs was analyzed using three dimensional Matrigel assay with or without IRS-1 blockage IRS-1 inhibitor (GS-101) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) inhibitor.

Predictive Capabilities of Three Widely Used Pathology Classification Systems and a Simplified Classification (Beijing Classification) in Primary IgA Nephropathy.

Background/aims: Several pathological classification systems were commonly used in clinical practice to predict the prognosis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). However, how prognostic value differs between these systems is unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the Lee grade, the Oxford classification, and the Haas classification and to find a simplified classification.

EGFL6 promotes breast cancer by simultaneously enhancing cancer cell metastasis and stimulating tumor angiogenesis.

EGFL6, a member of the EGF-like superfamily, plays an important role during embryonic development and has been implicated in promotion of tumor angiogenesis without affecting wound healing. There is very little known about the function of EGFL6 in cancer cells. Here, we investigated whether EGFL6 plays a direct role in cancer cells in addition to the promotion of tumor angiogenesis.

Membranous and Cytoplasmic Expression of PD-L1 in Ovarian Cancer Cells.

Background: Expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) on tumor cells represents a powerful immune evasion pathway, but the role of intracellular or cytoplasmic PD-L1 has not been investigated in ovarian cancer cells.

Methods: Flow cytometry (FCM), Real-time PCR (qPCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot were used to determine the expression of PD-L1 in ovarian cancer cells. The cytokines detected in the tumor or tumor associated macrophage (TAM) were used to treat cancer cells.

Serum is an indispensable factor in the maintenance of the biological characteristics of sweat gland cells.

The tolerance of sweat gland cells for in vitro amplification and subcultivation is low as they are somatic cells. The present study aimed to formulate an optimal medium for the culture of human eccrine sweat gland cells (HESGCs) and to establish a method for induction of HESGCs proliferation, whilst maintaining the characteristics of sweat gland cells. HESGCs cultured in sweat gland (SG):keratinocyte growth medium‑2 (KGM‑2) (1:1) medium had a higher proliferation rate and a stable morphology compared with cells cultured in SG and KGM‑2 medium only.

Minimally invasive thalamic hematoma drainage can improve the six-month outcome of thalamic hemorrhage.

Objective: To explore predictors of the 6-month clinical outcome of thalamic hemorrhage, and evaluate if minimally invasive thalamic hematoma drainage (THD) could improve its prognosis.

Methods: A total of 54 patients with spontaneous thalamic hemorrhage were evaluated retrospectively. Clinical data, including demographics, stroke risk factors, neuroimaging variables, Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) on admission, surgical strategy, and outcome, were collected.

Urinary sediment miRNAs reflect tubulointerstitial damage and therapeutic response in IgA nephropathy.

Background: Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common glomerulonephritis worldwide. The clinical spectrum of IgAN varies from minor urinary abnormalities to rapidly progressive renal failure. Evaluation of the disease by repeated renal biopsy is not practical due to its invasive procedure.

Clinical Significance of Dynamics of Programmed Death Ligand-1 Expression on Circulating CD14 Monocytes and CD19 B Cells with the Progression of Hepatitis B Virus Infection.

Programmed death-1 (PD-1) expression has been revealed to be upregulated on T cells and contributes to T cell exhaustion in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. In this study, we investigated the dynamic expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1), the ligand of PD-1, on circulating CD14 monocytes and CD19 B cells of HBV-infected patients at the stages of chronic HBV (CHB) infection, liver cirrhosis (LC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), respectively. The results showed that compared with healthy controls, the levels of PD-L1 expression on CD14 and CD19 populations were both upregulated in CHB, LC, and HCC groups.

Assessment of plasma B7-H3 levels in pediatric patients with different degrees of surgical stress.

Background: Surgical stress initiates a series of host hormone, metabolism and immune responses, which predominantly affect the homeostatic mechanism of patients with major surgery. B7-H3 is a co-stimulatory molecule and has been shown to participate in both adaptive and innate immune responses. In this study we evaluated the clinical significance of plasma B7-H3 levels in pediatric patients with different types of operation and degrees of surgical stress.

[Therapeutic Effect of Combined Cytokines on Nonhuman Primate Model of Severe Haemopoietic Acute Radiation Sickness].

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of combined administration of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF), recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) and recombinant human interleukin-2 (rhIL-2) on radiation-induced severe haemopoietic acute radiation sickness (ARS) in rhesus monkeys, so as to provide experimental evidences for the effective clinical treatment.

Methods: Seventeen rhesus monkeys were exposed to 7.0 Gy (60)Co γ-ray total body irradiation (TBI) to establish severe haemopoietic ARS model, and were randomly divided into supportive care group, rhG-CSF+rhTPO treatment group and rhG-CSF+rhTPO+rhIL-2 treatment group.

Enhancement of CD4(+) T cell response and survival via coexpressed OX40/OX40L in Graves' disease.

OX40/OX40L pathway plays a very important role in the antigen priming T cells and effector T cells. In the present study, we aimed to examine the involvement of OX40/OX40L pathway in the activation of autoreactive T cells in patients with Grave's disease (GD). We found that OX40 and OX40L were constitutively coexpressed on peripheral CD4(+) T cells from GD patients using flow cytometry analysis.

Renal Light Chain Deposition Associated with the Formation of Intracellular Crystalline Inclusion Bodies in Podocytes: A Rare Case Report.

We herein report the case of an elderly woman with bone pain and proteinuria as the main clinical manifestations. The patient was diagnosed with the IgG κ type of multiple myeloma. Her renal pathology consisted of widespread κ light chain protein deposition associated with the formation of large quantities of rod-like crystals in podocytes.

Dysmorphic erythrocytes are superior to hematuria for indicating non-diabetic renal disease in type 2 diabetics.

Aims/introduction: There are sparse and limited studies on erythrocyte morphology in renal biopsy identifying nephropathic patients among type 2 diabetics. The present study sought to clarify the predictive value of dysmorphic erythrocytes in type 2 diabetics with non-diabetic renal disease and influences on hematuria.

Materials And Methods: We examined 198 patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent kidney biopsies between 2012 and 2013.

Anti-apoptosis effects of vascular endothelial cadherin in experimental corneal neovascularization.

Aim: To explore the effects and mechanism of vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) on experimental corneal neovascularization (CRNV).

Methods: Mouse corneas were burned with sodium hydroxide to build a CRNV model. The burned corneas were locally administrated with anti-mouse VE-cadherin neutralizing antibody.

Krüppel-Like Factor 5 Promotes Epithelial Proliferation and DNA Damage Repair in the Intestine of Irradiated Mice.

Background & Aims: High doses of radiation induce severe DNA damage in intestinal epithelial cells, especially crypt cells, and cause intestinal injury, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5), a zinc finger-containing transcription factor, is induced by various stress stimuli and is involved in cell proliferation and survival. The role of KLF5 in radiation-induced intestinal injury was investigated here.

The increase of circulating PD-L1-expressing CD68(+) macrophage in ovarian cancer.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) have been characterized as a critical population of immunosuppressive cells in a variety of tumor types. PD-L1 (also termed B7-H1) has been described to exert co-inhibitory and immune regulatory functions. Here, in ovarian cancer, PD-L1 is selectively overexpressed on some TAM compared that of benign ovarian disease.

Expression of PD-L1 on CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells of Patients with Chronic HBV Infection and Its Correlation with Clinical Parameters.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a pivotal role in suppressing specific antiviral immune responses during the progression of chronic hepatitis B virus infection (CHB) as well as tumorigenesis. Programmed death-1 ligand-1 (PD-L1) expressed on Tregs can transduce an inhibitory signal into effector T cells through interacting with programmed death-1 (PD-1). However, in CHB patients, the clinical significance of PD-L1 expression on Tregs has not been clearly described.

Amniotic fluid stem cells provide considerable advantages in epidermal regeneration: B7H4 creates a moderate inflammation microenvironment to promote wound repair.

The current treatments for severe skin injury all involve skin grafting. However, there is a worldwide shortage of donor skin tissue. In this study, we examined the advantages of using human amniotic fluid stem (hAFS) cells in skin wound healing.

Therapeutic effect of double-filtration plasmapheresis combined with methylprednisolone to treat diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis.

Objective: The efficacy of double-filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP), combined with methylprednisolone, to treat diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis (LN) was studied.

Methods: Twenty-four patients who were admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with diffuse proliferative LN (LN Class IV-G(A)) through renal biopsy from 2011 to 2013 were recruited as the study subjects. The patients' clinical manifestations were nephritic syndrome and/or renal insufficiency.