[A study of the clinical curative effect of nucleos(t)ide analogues treated to pegylated interferon-α add-on therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B]

Objective: To investigate the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance condition and its predictive factors after treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues to pegylated interferon-α add-on therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Methods: Patients with chronic hepatitis B who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2018~2019 were prospectively enrolled. HBsAg≤ 1500 IU/mL, hepatitis B e antigen-negative, HBV DNA undetectable, received antiviral treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues for at least one year, and pegylated interferon-α add-on therapy for 48 weeks were included. The primary endpoint of study was to determine the proportion of HBsAg clearance at 72 weeks. Concurrently, the predictive factors for HBsAg clearance were analyzed. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using a t-test or non-parametric test and a Fisher's exact test. Results: A total of 38 cases were included in this study, of which 13 cases obtained HBsAg clearance at 48 weeks of therapy and another six cases obtained HBsAg clearance throughout the extended treatment period of 72 weeks, accounting for 50.00% of all enrolled patients. There was a significant difference in HBsAg dynamics between the HBsAg clearance group and the non-clearance group (P < 0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients' age, baseline, 12-and 24-week HBsAg levels, and early HBsAg reduction were predictive factors for HBsAg clearance at 72 weeks of treatment. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR = 1.311; P = 0.016; 95% confidence interval: 1.051~1.635) and HBsAg levels at 24 weeks of treatment (OR = 4.481; P = 0.004; 95% confidence interval: 1.634~12.290) were independent predictors for HBsAg clearance. Conclusion: Hepatitis B e antigen-negative, nucleos(t)ide analogue treated, HBsAg ≤ 1500 IU/mL, and HBV DNA undetectable, peg-IFNα add-on treatment for 48 weeks could promote HBsAg clearance in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Six of the sixteen cases (37.50%) who did not obtain HBsAg clearance at week 48 did so with the course of therapy extended to week 72. Hence, the optimal individualized treatment strategy should be customized according to the predictors rather than the fixed 48-week course. Age (≤ 38), baseline HBsAg level (≤2.86 log(10)IU/ml), HBsAg level at 24 weeks (≤ 0.92 log(10)IU/ml), and 12-week HBsAg decrease from baseline (≥ 0.67 log(10)IU/ml) indicate that patients are highly likely to obtain HBsAg clearance at the 72 weeks of combination therapy, in which the combined indicator based on HBsAg level ≤0.92 log(10)IU/ml at 24 weeks will identify 85.0% to 100.0% of patients with HBsAg clearance.

Tuning Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction via an electric field at the Co/h-BN interface

The Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction (DMI) at the Co/h-BN interface can emerge and be enhanced by applying a downward electric field. The height of the Co atom relative to the h-BN layer with the electric field determines the variation of DMI. One half reduction of J₁ is beneficial to generate skyrmions. Tuning the DMI by an electric field sheds new light for research on skyrmions.

[The relationship between mental stimulation level of life events and suicide attempt of rural residents in Shandong Province]

Objective: To explore the relationship between the level of mental stimulation and the suicide attempts of rural residents in Shandong Province. Methods: A 1:1 matched case-control study was designed to collect 1 200 cases from a survey of three suicide attempts in rural areas of Shandong Province. Controls were selected according to the following matched factors: age difference within 3 years, same gender, same village or neighboring village, no blood relationship, no suicide history. The basic characteristics of all subjects were collected through the questionnaire, and the level of mental stimulation of life events was measured. Multivariate conditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between the level of mental stimulation of life events and suicide attempts. Results: The mean age of the case group and the control group was both (36.6±0.3) years old, and 35.8% (430/1 200) were males in each group. The low-medium level of mental stimulation of negative life events in the case group was 16.7% (200/1 200) and 61.7% (740/1 200), respectively, which was higher than that in the control group, about 2.5% (30/1 200) and 29.3% (352/1 200) (all P values <0.05), respectively. A total of 11.1% (133/1 200) of the case group had positive life events, which was lower than that of the control group [16.8% (201/1 200)] (all P values<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that after the adjustment of gender, age, place of residence, education level, marital status, occupation, family income, somatic disease, mental disorders, family history of suicide, and opposite life events, the low-medium and high level of mental stimulation of negative life events were risk factors for suicide attempts, with OR (95%CI) as 5.88 (4.53-7.64) and 13.94 (8.15-23.86), respectively. Mental stimulation of positive life events was protective factor of suicide attempts, with OR (95%CI) as 0.58 (0.41-0.82). Conclusion: Mental stimulation of negative and positive life events were risk and protective factors for suicide attempts.

[Preliminary evaluation of endoscopic selective varices devascularization in children]

Objective: To investigate the effect of the endoscopic selective varices devascularization (ESVD) for the esophageal gastric varices bleeding (EGVB) in children. Methods: The clinical data of the patients diagnosed with EGVB and treated with ESVD from January 2018 to March 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The effects, safety and complications of ESVD were evaluated. Results: There were five patients (including 2 males and 3 females, age ranged from 4 to 7 years) in the study. No rebleeding was found at the first follow-up on one week post operation. Three patients were treated with the endo-therapy at the twice follow-up (3 months after surgery): 2 patients had ESVD again and 1 patient had resection under endoscopy due to stenosis caused by surgical scar. After the second procedure, there was no rebleeding but one patient had abdominal pain caused by mesenteric thrombosis, cured with low molecular weight heparin. Conclusion: The ESVD for EGVB is safe and effective, but the long-term curative effect should be further studied.

[Gender difference in clinical manifestations and comorbidities in the patients with spondyloarthritis]

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine whether there was gender difference in clinical manifestations and comorbidities in the patients with Spondyloarthritis (SpA) in China. Methods: 346 patients fulfilling ASAS criteria for SpA were recruited from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, including 280 males and 66 females. A comparison was conducted in terms of age at onset, disease course, family history, HLA-B27 positivity, clinical manifestations, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP), the bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index (BASDAI) and AS disease activity score (ASDAS), and comorbidities between male and female patients. Results: Compared with female patients, male patients were younger at disease onset (22±7 vs 27±9, P<0.001),had higher rates of morning stiffness (74.3%), and higher scores of CRP and ASDAS-CRP (P<0.010, P=0.014). However, no significant gender difference was observed in other clinical parameters like clinical manifestations, family history, HLA-B27 positivity, BASDAI, and BASFI and treatment. Male SpA patients had a higher prevalence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (26.2%) than that of female patients (8.3%), and a higher prevalence of osteoporosis (30.5% vs 14.3%,P<0.01), especially with a lower lumbar T score. Logistic regression analysis reviewed that limited weight (OR=0.94, P<0.001), high ASDAS-CRP (OR=1.58, P=0.006) and male (OR=8.02, P=0.004) are more inclined to have osteoporosis. Conclusion: Compared with female patients, male patients were younger at disease onset and higher scores of CRP and ASDAS-CRP. No significant gender difference was observed in clinical manifestations, family history, HLA-B27 positivity, BASDAI, and BASFI and treatment. Male SpA patients had a higher prevalence of HBV infection and osteoporosis than female patients. Comorbidities should be paid more attention in the patients with SpA.

Effect of the IkBα mutant gene delivery to mesenchymal stem cells on rat chronic pancreatitis

This study aimed to investigate the effect of inhibitors of the NF-kΒ alpha mutant gene (IkBaM) delivery to mensenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on rat chronic pancreatitis (CP). A total of 120 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups of 20: Group A was injected with sterile saline solution, Group B was injected with allogenic MSCs, Group C1 was injected with allogenic IkBαM-MSCs cultured in vitro 4 h before CP modeling, Group C2 was injected with allogenic IkBαM-MSCs cultured in vitro during CP modeling, Group C3 was cultured with allogenic IkBαM-MSCs cultured in vitro 4 h after CP modeling, and Group D was injected with rAAV2-MSCs. Cytokine levels of ICAM-1, CTGF, IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, IL-10, FN, MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9 were examined. The results indicated that allogenic IκBαM-MSCs could reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and increase anti-inflammatory cytokine levels in CP. The allogenic IkBαM-MSCs reduced the activation and promoted the apoptosis of pancreatic stellate cells in the rat model of CP. IkBαM-MSCs influenced the proliferation and apoptosis of pancreatic stellate cells by regulating the activation of the PPAR, MAPK, mTOR, TGF-β, NOD-like receptor, Notch, WNT, TGF-β1-SMAD-2/3, and P53 signal transduction pathways.

The novel p53-dependent metastatic and apoptotic pathway induced by vitexin in human oral cancer OC2 cells

Vitexin, identified as apigenin-8-C-D-glucopyranoside, a natural flavonoid compound found in certain herbs such as hawthorn herb, has been reported to exhibit anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-metastatic and antitumor properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible existence of p53-dependent pathway underlying vitexin-induced metastasis and apoptosis in human oral cancer cells, OC2 cells. Vitexin decreased cell viability significantly. Meanwhile, the expression of tumor suppressor p53 and a small group of its downstream genes, p21(WAF1) and Bax, were upregulated. The p53 inhibitor pifithrin-α (PFT-α) knockdown of the signaling of p53 led vitexin to lose its antitumor effect and inhibited the expression of p53 downstream genes, p2(WAF1) and Bax. Vitexin had anti-metastatic potential accompanied with increasing plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) accumulation and decreasing matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression. Our present study evidenced, by using p53 inhibitor PFT-α, PAI-1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ are downstream genes of p53 in vitexin-induced signaling. MAPK inhibitor PD98059 decreased the OC2 cells viability significantly. The expression of p53 and its downstream genes p21(WAF1) and Bax were enhanced by blocking the activation of p42/p44 MAPK in response to treatment with vitexin. Moreover, p42/p44 MAPK played a negative role in p53-dependent metastasis and apoptosis. We give evidence for the first time that the novel p53-dependent metastatic and apoptotic pathway induced by vitexin in human oral cancer OC2 cells.

Associations of lifestyle-related factors, hsa-miR-149 and hsa-miR-605 gene polymorphisms with gastrointestinal cancer risk

To explore the associations of SNPs within hsa-miR-605 (rs2043556) and hsa-miR-149 (rs2292832) and lifestyle-related factors with gastrointestinal cancer, a case-control study including 762 cases and 757 controls was conducted. Marginally significant associations were found both for hsa-miR-149 rs2292832 with gastric cancer risk (TC + CC vs. TT, OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.44-1.04) and for hsa-miR-605 rs2043556 with colorectal cancer risk (AG + GG vs. AA, OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.48-1.02) in males. Tea drinking showed a protective effect on gastric cancer risk (OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.13-0.60), while smoke inhalation increased the risk of gastric cancer (OR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.08-3.47). Irritability was found to be a risk factor for both colorectal cancer (OR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.02-2.53) and gastric cancer (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.17-3.29). Among those that engaged in smoke inhalation, miR-149 CT/CC and miR-605 AG/GG genotype carriers had increased susceptibilities to colorectal cancer (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.11-3.25) and gastric cancer (OR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.03-3.42), respectively. Among the tea drinkers, there exists a marginally protective effect of miR-605 AG/GG genotypes on colorectal cancer incidence (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.47-1.06) and a significantly protective effect of miR-149 CT/CC on gastric cancer incidence (OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.29-0.77). The SNPs of rs2292832 and rs2043556 might be able to modify the susceptibility to male gastric and colorectal cancers, respectively. Tea drinking is a protective factor, while smoke inhalation is a risk factor for gastric cancer, and they might have the potential to modify the associations between miR-149 and miR-605 polymorphisms with gastrointestinal cancer risk. In addition, irritability was shown to be a risk factor for both gastric and colorectal cancers.

Expression of β-catenin in rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes

OBJECTIVE

β-Catenin is the key mediator of the Wnt signal and also a component of E-cadherin complexes at the intercellular adhering junction, which mediates cell-cell adhesion. We hypothesized that β-catenin might be involved in the long-lasting changed phenotype of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLS) and could play a role in the pathogenesis of RA. In this study we investigated the expression of β-catenin in RA-FLS.

METHODS

Synovial tissues were obtained during joint replacement surgery or arthroscopy from six patients with RA, six patients with osteoarthritis (OA), and six patients with joint trauma (Trauma group). Immunohistochemical analysis of β-catenin was performed in the synovial tissues from the three groups. Synovial tissues from three patients in each group were selected at random for FLS isolation. Expression of β-catenin in FLS from the three groups was evaluated at the protein level by western blotting and at the mRNA level by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTS

Immunohistochemistry revealed that the expression of β-catenin in synovial lining cells of the RA samples was significantly greater than that of the OA or trauma samples (p < 0.01). Western blotting and RT-PCR showed that β-catenin expression was elevated in RA-FLS compared with that in OA-FLS or Trauma-FLS (p < 0.05) at the protein level but no difference was found at the mRNA level.

CONCLUSIONS

Expression of β-catenin is elevated in RA-FLS, not only in vitro but also in vivo. The increase is due to activation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling. Wnt/β-catenin signalling is activated in RA-FLS, and contributes to the stable activation of RA-FLS.

An epidemiological survey of low back pain and axial spondyloarthritis in a Chinese Han population

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) in a Chinese Han population.

METHODS

A face-to-face investigation was performed in the Han population of Dalang Town, Yangshan County, Guangdong Province, China, using a questionnaire established in France in 1999. First the clinical features associated with SpA were investigated, then the human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 and sacroiliac joint radiographic examinations were carried out. Finally, the diagnosis of SpA was determined by rheumatologists.

RESULTS

A total of 13 315 subjects participated in the study and 10 921 were aged >16 years; of these, 787 (7.21%) had LBP. There were 92 axial SpA patients (0.782% in subjects >16 years old and 11.96% in subjects with LBP). There were 29 (0.253%) cases of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 60 (0.507%) undifferentiated axial SpA (USpA), and three (0.022%) psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Patients in the SpA groups had higher percentages in onset <40 years, insidious onset, morning stiffness, and affected for >3 months compared with those in other LBP groups. Simultaneous symptoms associated with spondylitis, such as buttock pain, heel pain, psoriasis, and SpA family history, were more commonly present. Of the axial SpA patients, 82.67% were HLA-B27 positive, clearly a greater percentage than those (11.65%) in other LBP groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The survey questionnaire for SpA in this study is useful for axial SpA screening in China. In southern China, the prevalence of LBP is 7.21%. The prevalence of axial SpA is 0.782%. USpA is the most common subtype of SpA, followed by AS.

Effects of dietary methionine and lysine sources on nutrient digestion, nitrogen utilization, and duodenal amino acid flow in growing goats

This study investigated the effects of supplementation of various sources of Met and Lys on nutrient digestion, N utilization, and duodenal AA flows in growing goats. Four 4-mo-old Liuyang Black wether goats were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square experiment and were assigned to 4 dietary treatments: (1) control, (2) control + lipid-coated Met-Zn chelate and Lys-Mn chelate (PML), (3) control + Met-Zn chelate and Lys-Mn chelate (CML), and (4) control + dl-Met, l-Lys-HCl, ZnSO(4).7H(2)O, and MnSO(4).H(2)O (FML). Compared with control, PML reduced (P < 0.05) ruminal NH(3) concentration, urinary N excretion, and plasma urea N concentration and increased (P < 0.05) the activity of ruminal endo-1,4-beta-d-glucanase and beta-glucosidase, the duodenal flow of N, N retention (g/d as well as % of absorbed N), the duodenal flows of Met, Lys, His, Val, and total essential AA, and plasma concentrations of Lys, Val, Phe, and total essential AA. Supplementing Zn-Met and Mn-Lys chelates had similar (P > 0.05) but lesser effects on these measures compared with PML, and the effects on most of the measures were not statistically significant (P > 0.05) when compared with control. Supplementing free-form Met and Lys had no effects compared with control (P > 0.05). The results indicate that lipid coating and chelating of AA provide a protection, and to a lesser extent by only chelating, of the AA from microbial degradation in the rumen and possibly has effects on rumen fermentation, which increases MP supply. This technology could improve productive performance and be of potential benefit to ruminant production if cost-effective products are developed.

Visual evoked potentials estimation by adaptive noise cancellation with neural-network-based fuzzy inference system

Visual Evoked potentials (VEPs) are time-varying signals typically buried in relatively large background noise known as the electroencephalogram (EEG). An adaptive noise cancellation with neural-network-based fuzzy inference system was used and the NNFIS was carefully designed to model the VEP signal. An advantage of the method in this paper is that no reference signal is required. The NNFIS based on Takagi and Sugeno's fuzzy model has the advantage of being linear-in-parameter, which is able to closely fit any function mapping and can track the dynamic behavior of VEP in a real-time fashion. 4 sets of simulated data indicate that the proposed method is appropriate to estimate VEP. A total of 150 trials are processed to demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method.

An Outbreak of Typhoid Fever, Xing‐An County, People's Republic of China, 1999: Estimation of the Field Effectiveness of Vi Polysaccharide Typhoid Vaccine

To evaluate the effectiveness of Vi polysaccharide vaccine (Vi vaccine) in preventing typhoid fever, an analysis was done of an outbreak of typhoid fever among students attending a middle school in the People's Republic of China, where Vi vaccine is licensed for use. Vi vaccine effectiveness was analyzed by using Cox proportional hazards modeling to account for the time-dependent nature of vaccination and illness status during the outbreak. Among 1260 students who had been immunized before the outbreak, receipt of Vi vaccine was associated with 73% (95% confidence interval [CI], 32%-89%) protection. Among the additional 441 students immunized during the outbreak, receipt of Vi vaccine was associated with 71% (95% CI, -9% to 92%) protection. These results provide the first evidence about the effectiveness of Vi vaccine when deployed routinely in a typhoid-endemic area and support the use of Vi vaccine as a public health tool to control typhoid fever.

[Studies on the distribution of actin during meiotic prophase I of Nicotiana rustica L]

The Pollen Mother Cells of Nicotiana Rustica L. were studied using the techniques of immunofluorescence microscopy and protein A-colloidal gold IEM. Immunofluorescence microscopy indicates the presence of actin in both nuclei and cytoplasm. IEM observation shows that gold particles are present in cytoplasm, chromatin and cytomictic channels. These results indicate that actin has some relation with chromatin condensing at synizesis. Moreover, actin may also play an important role in cytomixis.

A gene for cytochrome c oxidase subunit II in duck mitochondrial DNA: structural features and sequence evolution

The gene encoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COXII) was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) isolated from two genera of domesticated ducks, Anas platyrhnchos and Cairina muschata, and their intergeneric and intrageneric hybrids as templates. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences from the two different duck lineages shows that they have approximately 91% homology. The nucleotide substitution pattern in the duck COXII gene reveals a high transition/transversion ratio (8.8:1.0) while 93.2% of the nucleotide substitutions are silent. The duck COXII, which uses GUG as the initiation codon, contains 228 amino acid residues. Comparison of the deduced COXII amino acid sequences in duck, chicken, Xenopus laevis, mouse, bovine and human reveals five highly conserved domains. The evolutionary conservation of the primary structure of COXII implies its functional importance.

[Clinical significance of the changes in interpeak latency of brainstem auditory evoked potentials in patients with cerebellopontine angle tumors]

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) were recorded and studied in 21 cases of cerebellopontine angle tumors (CPATs) identified with CT/operations. 111 healthy volunteers with 207 normal hearing ears served as controls. In the main the results indicated that there was an average significant increase of the III-V IPL in comparison with the III-V/I-III IPL on contralateral side. This finding suggested that as a result of its displacement of the brainstem to the opposite side, stem from the contralateral bony structure, when CPAT was suspected. Since individual variations exist especially in aged persons, interpretation in clinical practice had still to be individualized.