Alteration of Th17 and Foxp3 regulatory T cells in patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion before and after the therapy of hCG combined with immunoglobulin.

We conducted this study to investigate the effects of the combination therapy of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) plus immunoglobulin (IG) on the levels of T helper 17 (Th17) cells and Foxp3 regulatory T cells (Treg) in patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA). Twenty pregnant women with URSA underwent combination therapy of hCG plus IG. Flow cytometry was performed to measure the proportions of Th17 and Treg cells before and after treatment.

Clinical application of simultaneous detection of cystatin C, cathepsin S, and IL-1 in classification of coronary artery disease.

Unlabelled: Cystatin C, cathepsin S, and IL-1 are three important biomarkers of atherosclerosis. Previous studies emphasized the relationship between individual biomarkers in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and severity of atherosclerostic lesions of the coronary arteries, while combined cystatin C, cathepsin S, and IL-1 have not been reported for clinical classification of CAD. We aimed to establish a link between cystatin C, cathepsin S, IL-1 and CAD in this cohort study.

Role of autophagy in regulating the radiosensitivity of tumor cells.

Background: Autophagy is a metabolic response of cells to chemical and physical factors, such as nutrition or growth factor deprivation, proinflammatory state, hypoxia, accumulation of reactive oxygen species, presence of infectious agents, and DNA damage. Autophagy maintains the homeostasis of intracellular metabolism mainly by degrading cellular organelles and critical proteins. In a sense, autophagy protects cells from death.

Serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 levels and prognosis of acute ischemic stroke.

Objective: To examine the association between serum matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP-9) levels and prognosis of acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: We measured serum MMP-9 levels in 3,186 participants (2,008 men and 1,178 women) from the China Antihypertensive Trial in Acute Ischemic Stroke (CATIS). Study outcome data on death, major disability (modified Rankin Scale score ≥3), and vascular disease were collected at 3 months after stroke onset.

Rap2B promotes angiogenesis via PI3K/AKT/VEGF signaling pathway in human renal cell carcinoma.

Human renal cell carcinoma which is a highly vascular tumor is the leading cause of death from urologic cancers. Angiogenesis has a pivotal role in oncogenesis and in the viability and expansion of renal cell carcinoma. Rap2B, as a small guanosine triphosphate-binding protein of the Ras family, was first discovered in the early 1990s during the screening of a platelet complementary DNA library.

Conformability in everolimus-eluting bioresorbable scaffolds compared with metal platform coronary stents in long lesions.

The aim of this study was to determine if there are significant differences in curvature of the treated vessel after the deployment of a polymeric BRS or MPS in long lesions. The impact of long polymeric bioresorbable scaffolds (BRS) compared with metallic platform stents (MPS) on vessel curvature is unknown. This retrospective study compares 32 patients who received a single everolimus-eluting BRS with 32 patients treated with a single MPS of 28 mm.

Predictive value of CHADS and CHADS-VASc scores for acute myocardial infarction in patients with atrial fibrillation.

The presence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) confers a poor prognosis in atrial fibrillation (AF), associated with increased mortality dramatically. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of CHADS and CHADS-VASc scores for AMI in patients with AF. This retrospective study enrolled 5140 consecutive nonvalvular AF patients, 300 patients with AMI and 4840 patients without AMI.

Suncon medical adhesive is a suitable alternative to fibrin glue in the 23G minimally invasive vitrectomy.

Fibrin glue is frequently used to close the incision of the sclera and conjunctiva. However, its use is limited due to its blood-borne origins. The study evaluated the suitability of Suncon medical adhesive as a replacement for fibrin glue in 23G minimally invasive vitrectomy as an animal study.

Demethoxycurcumin in combination with ultraviolet radiation B induces apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway and caspase activation in A431 and HaCaT cells.

Photodynamic therapy is widely used in the clinical treatment of tumors, especially skin cancers. It has been reported that the photosensitizer curcumin, in combination with ultraviolet radiation B, induces HaCaT cell apoptosis, and this effect may be due to the activation of caspase pathways. In this study, we examined the photodynamic effects of demethoxycurcumin, a more stable analogue of curcumin, to determine whether it could induce apoptosis in skin cancer cells.

Effect of renal function status on the prognostic value of heart rate in acute ischemic stroke patients.

Background And Aims: The association between heart rate and prognosis of ischemic stroke remains debatable, and whether renal function status influences the relationship between them is still not elucidated.

Methods: A total of 3923 ischemic stroke patients were included in this prospective multicenter study from the China Antihypertensive Trial in Acute Ischemic Stroke (CATIS). The primary outcome was a combination of death and major disability (modified Rankin Scale score ≥3) at 3 months after stroke.

Efficacy of recombinant human adenovirus-p53 combined with chemotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer: A clinical trial.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of recombinant human adenovirus-p53 (rhAd-p53) combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). A total of 40 patients with LACC (stage IB2 to IIIA) were randomized into 2 groups (n=20 each): PVB group (cisplatin + vincristine + bleomycin, intravenously) and combined group (rhAd-p53 gene therapy + neoadjuvant chemotherapy). Both groups underwent a course of chemotherapy; the only exception was the injection of the rhAd-p53 solution 1×10 VP intratumorally at an interval of three days thrice in the combined group thereafter.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency predicts long-term poor prognosis among ischemic stroke patients without hyperglycaemia.

Background: It is unclear whether 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] has a protective effect on long-term prognosis of ischemic stroke and whether it is affected by blood glucose levels. We aim to examine the effect of serum vitamin D especially its deficiency on 1-year poor outcome of ischemic stroke patients in total patients and by blood glucose subgroups.

Methods: A total of 3041 ischemic patients from China Antihypertensive Trial in Acute Ischemic Stroke were included.

Diagnostic and clinical application value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for progressive massive fibrosis of coal worker pneumoconiosis: Case reports.

Rationale: Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we diagnosed pneumoconiosis by identifying the content and distribution of hydrogen protons in the water molecules in different tissues and lesions.

Patient Concerns: 25 cases of CWP patients with progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) lesions.

Diagnoses: Patients were correctly diagnosed, with one case each of Phase I and II pneumoconiosis and 23 cases of Phase III pneumoconiosis.

DDX11-AS1 as potential therapy targets for human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most fatal cancers, whose incidence and death rates are still rising. Here, we report the identification of long non-coding RNAs (IncRNAs) that associated with HCC progression and metabolism based on the systematically analysis of large scale RNA-seq data from HCC patients. We identified seven lncRNAs with high confidence which were highly related with prognostic of HCC.

[Value of texture analysis in evaluating liver cancer recurrence after transarterial chemoembolization].

To investigate the feasibility of contrast-enhanced computer tomography (CT) texture analysis in predicting early recurrence after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with liver cancer. A retrospective analysis was performed for 47 patients with liver cancer confirmed by liver biopsy and digital subtraction angiography who underwent upper abdominal contrast-enhanced CT scan before TACE, and according to the presence or absence of focal recurrence within half a year, these patients were divided into early recurrence (ER) group and non-early recurrence (NER) group. The texture analysis was used to delineate tumor boundary layer by layer on the axial contrast-enhanced CT image before liver cancer surgery, and related parameters of tumor heterogeneity, including entropy, mean, non-uniformity, skewness, and kurtosis, were obtained.

Novel roles for podocalyxin in regulating stress myelopoiesis, Rap1a, and neutrophil migration.

Podocalyxin (Podxl) is a CD34 orthologue and cell surface sialomucin reported to have roles in renal podocyte diaphragm slit development; vascular cell integrity; and the progression of blood, breast, and prostate cancers. Roles for Podxl during nonmalignant hematopoiesis, however, are largely undefined. We have developed a Vav-Cre Podxl knockout (KO) mouse model, and report on novel roles for Podxl in governing stress myelopoiesis.

Efficacy and safety of fosaprepitant in the prevention of nausea and vomiting following highly emetogenic chemotherapy in Chinese people: A randomized, double-blind, phase III study.

The prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting was one of the most challenging supportive care issues in oncology, especially to highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC). A total of 645 patients were randomized into fosaprepitant group (fosaprepitant/placebo 150 mg d1 in combination with granisetron and dexamethasone) or aprepitant group (aprepitant/placebo 125 mg d1; 80 mg d2-d3 plus granisetron and dexamethasone).The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients who had a complete response (CR) over the entire treatment course (0-120 hr, overall phase [OP]).

Anthelmintic drug albendazole arrests human gastric cancer cells at the mitotic phase and induces apoptosis.

As microtubules have a vital function in the cell cycle, oncologists have developed microtubule inhibitors capable of preventing uncontrolled cell division, as in the case of cancer. The anthelmintic drug albendazole (ABZ) has been demonstrated to inhibit hepatocellular, ovarian and prostate cancer cells via microtubule targeting. However, its activity against human gastric cancer (GC) cells has remained to be determined.

NPAS2 promotes cell survival of hepatocellular carcinoma by transactivating CDC25A.

Emerging evidences show that disruption of the circadian rhythm is associated with tumor initiation and progression. Neuronal PAS domain protein 2 (NPAS2), one of the core circadian molecules, has been proved to be a potential prognostic biomarker in colorectal and breast cancers. However, to date, the potential functional roles and molecular mechanisms by which NPAS2 affects cancer cell survival are greatly unclear, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

[Expression of LIM and SH3 protein 1 in renal clear cell carcinoma and its effects on invasion and migration of renal clear cell carcinoma 786-O cells].

To investigate the expression of LIM and SH3 protein 1 (LASP1) in renal cell carcinoma and its significance in the invasion and migration of renal clear cell carcinoma 786-O cell line. The expression level of LASP1 in 41 cases of renal cell carcinoma tissues and normal renal tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between the expression level of LASP1 and clinical characteristics was further analyzed.

Investigating ego modules and pathways in osteosarcoma by integrating the EgoNet algorithm and pathway analysis.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone malignancy, but current therapies are far from effective for all patients. A better understanding of the pathological mechanism of OS may help to achieve new treatments for this tumor. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate ego modules and pathways in OS utilizing EgoNet algorithm and pathway-related analysis, and reveal pathological mechanisms underlying OS.

Blood pressure reduction in acute ischemic stroke according to time to treatment: a subgroup analysis of the China Antihypertensive Trial in Acute Ischemic Stroke trial.

Objective: The optimal time to initiate antihypertensive therapy among patients with acute ischemic stroke remains uncertain. We tested the effects of blood pressure reduction among patients with acute ischemic stroke according to time from onset to initiation of antihypertensive treatment.

Methods: We randomly assigned 4071 acute ischemic stroke patients with elevated SBP to receive antihypertensive treatment or to discontinue all antihypertensive medications during hospitalization.

Identification of four potential predicting miRNA biomarkers for multiple myeloma from published datasets.

Background: Multiple myeloma is a cancer which has a high occurrence rate and causes great injury to people worldwide. In recent years, many studies reported the effects of miRNA on the appearance of multiple myeloma. However, due to the differences of samples and sequencing platforms, a large number of inconsistent results have been generated among these studies, which limited the cure of multiple myeloma at the miRNA level.

MicroRNA-9 plays a role in interleukin-10-mediated expression of E-cadherin in acute myelogenous leukemia cells.

We previously showed that the CD82/signal transducer and activator of transcription/interleukin-10 (IL-10) axis is activated in CD34 /CD38 AML cells that favor the bone marrow microenvironment. The present study explored the novel biological function of IL-10 in regulation of expression of adhesion molecules in AML cells and found that exposing AML cells to IL-10 induced expression of E-cadherin, but not other adhesion molecules, including VLA4, CD29, and LFA1. Downregulation of E-cadherin with an siRNA suppressed the adhesion of leukemia cells to bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and enhanced the anti-leukemia effect of cytarabine.