Serum PYCARD may become a new diagnostic marker for rheumatoid arthritis patients

BACKGROUND

The objective of this investigation is to analyze the levels and clinical relevance of serum PYCARD (Pyrin and CARD domain-containing protein, commonly known as ASC-apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase activation and recruitment domain), interleukin-38 (IL-38), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in individuals afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

Our study comprised 88 individuals diagnosed with RA who sought medical attention at the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University during the period spanning November 2021 to June 2023, constituting the test group. Additionally, a control group of 88 individuals who underwent health assessments at the same hospital during the aforementioned timeframe was included for comparative purposes. The study involved the assessment of IL-38, IL-6, PYCARD, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels in both groups. The research aimed to explore the correlations and diagnostic efficacy of these markers, employing pertinent statistical analyses for comprehensive evaluation.

RESULTS

The test group had higher expression levels of PYCARD, IL-6, and IL-38 than the control group (P < 0.05). Based on the correlation analysis, there was a strong relationship between PYCARD and IL-38 (P < 0.01). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.97, 0.96, and 0.96 when using combinations of PYCARD and anti-CCP, IL-38 and anti-CCP, and IL-6 and anti-CCP for predicting RA, respectively. Importantly, all three of these pairs demonstrated superior AUC values compared to PYCARD, IL-38, IL-6, ESR, or anti-CCP used as standalone diagnostic indicators.

CONCLUSION

PYCARD, IL-6, and IL-38 exhibit promising potential as novel diagnostic markers and may constitute valuable tools for supporting the diagnosis of RA.

GaOx@GaN Nanowire Arrays on Flexible Graphite Paper with Tunable Persistent Photoconductivity

Flexible optoelectronic synaptic devices that functionally imitate the neural behavior with tunable optoelectronic characteristics are crucial to the development of advanced bioinspired neural networks. In this work, amorphous oxide-decorated GaN nanowire arrays (GaO_x@GaN NWAs) are prepared on flexible graphite paper. A GaO_x@GaN NWA-based flexible device has tunable persistent photoconductivity (PPC) and shows a conversible fast/slow decay process (SDP). Photoconductivity can be modulated by single or double light pulses with different illumination powers and biases. PPC gives rise to the high-performance SDP such as a long decay time of 2.3 × 10⁵ s. The modulation mechanism is proposed and discussed. Our results reveal an innovative and efficient strategy to produce decorated NWAs on a flexible substrate with tunable optoelectronic properties and exhibit potential for flexible neuromorphic system applications.

[The role of hexokinase 2 in the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells]

Objective: To investigate the regulatory role of HK2 in the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: The protein expressions of HK2 in 73 HCC tumor tissues and paired adjacent non-tumor tissues were evaluated by using immunohistochemical analysis. The scratch wound healing assay and Transwell assay had been used to analyze the migration and invasion of HCC cells with HK2 knockdown. Expressions of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)markers, such as E-cadherin, ZO-1, N-cadherin and vimentin, in HCC cells with HK2 knockdown were determined by qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Results: The expression levels of HK2 in tumor tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues were 5.39±3.40 and 2.16±1.55, respectively. The protein expression of HK2 was significantly higher in tumor tissues compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues of HCC (P<0.05). Knockdown of HK2 in HCC cells decreased the cell motility from 1.00±0.54 to 0.56±0.09 (P<0.05), andknockdown of HK2 in HCC cells decreased the number of invaded cells form 345±42 to 215±34 (P<0.05). The expression of epithelial markers ZO-1 and E-cadherin were up-regulated, while mesenchymal markers vimentin and N-cadherin were down-regulated in HCC cells when HK2 was knockeddown. Conclusions: HK2 is up-regulated in HCC and promotes cell motility by stimulating EMT.

The efficacy of fibrin sealant in knee surgery: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Fibrin sealant is frequently used in knee surgery as an adjuvant method for reducing postoperative bleeding, however, there is no consensus regarding the efficacy of fibrin sealant.

HYPOTHESIS

Fibrin sealant achieves better efficacy in terms of blood loss control, transfusion rate and units in knee surgery compared with controls.

METHODS

A search of the Cochrane Collaboration (2013 Issue 09), Embase (1974-2013.09), PubMed (1966-2013.09) and Chinese databases (up to 2013.09) were conducted. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool was used to assess for bias and data were analyzed by RevMan 5.29 software.

RESULTS

This study included nine RCTs and four prospective comparative trials with a total of 1299 patients. Compared to the control, fibrin sealant achieved a decrease in hemoglobin reduction [MD=1.14, 95% CI (0.61-1.67)], transfusion rate [OR=0.36, 95% CI (0.25-0.51)], transfusion units [MD=0.47, 95% CI (0.24-0.71)], hospital stay [MD=2.22, 95% CI (0.56-3.88)] and the incidence of complications [OR=0.56, 95% CI (0.38-0.83)]. And it also reduced total blood loss, while there was no significant difference [MD=155.83, 95% CI (-525.02-213.15)].

CONCLUSION

Patients undergoing knee surgery would benefit from high-dose fibrin sealant with reduced transfusion rate and unit, hospital stay and complications, while they might benefit little from it in total blood loss. However, the effects of a low-dose of fibrin in knee surgery remain inconclusive.

Observation of the clinical effects of iontophoresis of a chinese drug in the treatment of degenerative osteoarthropathy

Degenerative osteoarthropathy, a kind of arthrosis induced by various factors, mainly affects articular cartilage and causes syndesmophyte formation. Its morbidity increases year by year, tending to occur more among young people than previously. This paper mainly discusses the clinical effects of iontophoresis of the Chinese drug in treating degenerative osteoarthropathy. A total of 296 cases of degenerative osteoarthropathy were randomly divided into two groups (of both genders): the iontophoresis group: the joint was treated with iontophoresis of the Chinese drug and a medium frequency electrotherapy instrument; the frequency electrotherapy group: the joint was treated only by medium frequency electrotherapy. The two groups were both treated for 30 min once a day, for a total of 4 weeks. The results of the study showed that, the total effective rate in the medium frequency electrotherapy group was 74.3%, the iontophoresis group was 93.2%, indicating the curative effect of iontophoresis of the Chinese medicine. The above finding indicates that, iontophoresis has a good clinical effect in the treatment of osteoarthropathy and deserves to be promoted and applied.

Acetylene-expanded dendralene segments with exotopic phosphaalkene units

Bis-TMS protected C,C-diacetylenic phosphaalkene (A(2)PA) 1 (Mes*P=C(C≡CTMS)(2); Mes* = 2,4,6-tBu(3)Ph) has been used as a building block for the construction of butadiyne-expanded dendralene fragments in which phosphaalkenes feature as exotopic double bonds. Treatment of 1 with CuCl gives rise to a Cu(I) acetylide that is selectively formed at the acetylene trans to the Mes* group. The cis-TMS-acetylene engages in similar chemistry, albeit at higher temperatures and longer reaction times. The differentiation between the two acetylene termini of 1 allows for the controlled synthesis of the title compounds by a variety of different Cu- and Pd-catalyzed oxidative acetylene homo- and heterocoupling protocols. Crystallographic characterization of A(2)PA 1 and dimeric Mes*P=C(C≡CR(1))C(4)(R(2) C≡C)C=PMes* (3b, R(1) = R(2) = Ph; 6, R(1) = R(2) = TMS), and 10 (R(1) = R(2) = C≡CPh) verifies that the stereochemistry across the P=C bond is conserved during the coupling reactions, whereas spectroscopic evidence reveals cis/trans isomerization in an iodo-substituted A(2)PA intermediate 4 (Mes*P=C(C≡CTMS)(C≡CI). UV/Vis spectroscopic and electrochemical studies reveal that efficient π conjugation operates through the entire acetylenic phosphaalkene framework, even in the cross-conjugated dimeric structures. The P centers contribute considerably to the frontier molecular orbitals of the compounds, thereby leading to smaller HOMO-LUMO gaps than in all-carbon-based congeners. Phenyl- and/or ethynylphenyl substituents at the A(2)PA framework influence the HOMO and LUMO to a varying degree depending on their relationship to the Mes* group, thus enabling a fine-tuning of the frontier molecular orbitals of the compounds.

C,C-diacetylenic phosphaalkenes in palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions

The reactivity of bis-TMS-substituted C,C-diacetylenic phosphaalkene (A(2)PA) 1 in Sonogashira-Hagihara cross-coupling reactions has been examined. The selective and successive deprotection of the two silyl groups in 1 is enabled by the steric bulk of the Mes* group which renders the acetylene trans to Mes* more reactive and thereby facilitates selective and consecutive couplings with iodoarenes. In situ transformation of the TMS-protected acetylenes into Cu(i)acetylides is the key step in the synthetic sequence and enables the preparation of the first dimeric A(2)PA linked by a phenylene spacer. cis-trans Isomerization across the P[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond is triggered by a tertiary amine and exclusively observed in the case of nitrophenyl-substituted A(2)PAs. The introduced aryl groups are integral parts of the entire π-system as evidenced by spectroscopic and electrochemical studies.

A Simple Method for Epoxidation of Olefins Using Sodium Chlorite as an Oxidant without a Catalyst

[Reaction: see text]. Sodium chlorite has been demonstrated to be capable of epoxidizing a variety of olefins at 55-65 degrees C (oil bath). Chlorine dioxide is believed to be the pivotal epoxidizing agent in the reaction on the basis of the mechanistic studies.