Elevated Adenosine Induces Placental DNA Hypomethylation Independent of A2B Receptor Signaling in Preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a prevalent pregnancy hypertensive disease with both maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Emerging evidence indicates that global placental DNA hypomethylation is observed in patients with preeclampsia and is linked to altered gene expression and disease development. However, the molecular basis underlying placental epigenetic changes in preeclampsia remains unclear.

Administration of anti-CD20 mAb is highly effective in preventing but ineffective in treating chronic graft-versus-host disease while preserving strong graft-versus-leukemia effects.

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is an autoimmune-like syndrome, and donor B cells play important roles in augmenting its pathogenesis. B cell-depleting anti-CD20 mAb has been administered before or after cGVHD onset for preventing or treating cGVHD in the clinic. Although administration before onset appeared to be more effective, the effect is variable and sometimes minimal.

Irregular location of major pectoral muscle can be a causative factor of pectus excavatum.

Pectus excavatum-commonly known as funnel chest-is one of the most frequently observed congenital deformities, in which the patients' thoraces present concavity. This paper presents our original hypothesis that the abnormal positioning of the major pectoral muscle can be a potential factor in the occurrence of pectus excavatum, and evaluates the validity of the hypothesis by performing an anatomical and a biomechanical study. An anatomical study on clinical cases revealed that the major pectoral muscle tends to be positioned more superiorly in pectus excavatum patients than in normal persons.

Prognostic factors associated with rebleeding in cirrhotic inpatients complicated with esophageal variceal bleeding.

Background: Esophageal variceal bleeding is a frequent and severe complication in patients with cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors of esophageal variceal rebleeding in cirrhotic inpatients.

Methods: Consecutive cirrhotic patients who were admitted to Changhai Hospital because of esophageal variceal bleeding were retrospectively analyzed.

[Roles of Cytokines in Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease].

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is the major complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), significantly limits the application of the therapy. Current evidence suggests that dysregulated cytokine production is responsible for many manifestations of aGVHD. The mechanisms have been most clearly delineated in mouse models, detailed analysis of human tissue is required.

[Study on Relation of Early Immune Reconstitution with Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease].

To analyze the relation of early immune reconstitution with acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (all-HSCT), the changes of CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), CD25(+) and CD69(+) cells in peripheral blood from 26 patients with hematologic malignancies were assayed by flow cytometry within 2 months after allo-HSCT. All patients achieved hematopoietic reconstitution, and grade I and II - IV GVHD were developed in 9 and 5 patients, respectively. CD25(+) cells were increased in patients aGVHD at week 2 after transplantation and the peak value was appeared at week 3.