A modality-specific somatosensory evoked potential test protocol for clinical evaluation: A feasibility study

ObjectiveWe aimed to establish an objective neurophysiological test protocol that can be used to assess the somatosensory nervous system.MethodsIn order to assess most fiber subtypes of the somatosensory nervous system, repetitive stimuli of seven different modalities (touch, vibration, pinprick, cold, contact heat, laser, and warmth) were synchronized with the electroencephalogram (EEG) and applied on the cheek and dorsum of the hand and dorsum of the foot in 21 healthy subjects and three polyneuropathy (PNP) patients. Latencies and amplitudes of the modalities were assessed and compared. Patients received quantitative sensory testing (QST) as reference.ResultsWe found reproducible evoked potentials recordings for touch, vibration, pinprick, contact-heat, and laser stimuli. The recording of warm-evoked potentials was challenging in young healthy subjects and not applicable in patients. Latencies were shortest within Aβ-fiber-mediated signals and longest within C-fibers. The test protocol detected function loss within the Aβ-fiber and Aδ-fiber-range in PNP patients. This function loss corresponded with QST findings.ConclusionIn this pilot study, we developed a neurophysiological test protocol that can specifically assess most of the somatosensory modalities. Despite technical challenges, initial patient data appear promising regarding a possible future clinical application.SignificanceEstablished and custom-made stimulators were combined to assess different fiber subtypes of the somatosensory nervous system using modality-specific evoked potentials.     

中医药调控IL-1治疗肿瘤机制的研究进展

炎症已成为影响肿瘤细胞增殖转移的第七大因素,而白细胞介素-1(IL-1)是炎性微环境的重要因子之一。中医药在治疗肿瘤时具有多途径、多靶点的优势,同时炎性微环境致病特点与现代中医学"癌毒"的理论相吻合。查阅近年中医药调控IL-1家族分子治疗肿瘤机制的文献,对其进行梳理,并做出概括及评价,从中医药主要调控IL-1α、IL-1β和IL-18因子治疗肿瘤展开综述,为中医药更系统化治疗肿瘤提供参考。     

Pharmacotherapeutic strategies for critical asthma syndrome: a look at the state of the art

ABSTRACT

Introduction

‘Critical Asthma Syndrome’ (CAS) is an umbrella term proposed to include several forms of asthma, responsible for acute and life-threatening exacerbations. CAS requires urgent and adequate supportive and pharmacological treatments to prevent serious outcomes.     

体外转染Cyclin A2基因对原代大鼠心肌细胞增殖的影响

目的探讨体外转染细胞周期素A2(Cyclin A2)基因对原代大鼠心肌细胞增殖的影响,为心脏再生提供细胞学依据。方法 SD乳鼠12只,分离、培养、鉴定原代乳鼠心肌细胞并分为3组,实验组:转染带有强化绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)和Cyclin A2基因的重组腺病毒(Ad-Cyclin A2-GFP);空病毒组:转染不含目的基因带有GFP的重组腺病毒(Ad-Null-GFP);阴性对照组:未做转染处理,仅加入等量的培养基。利用GFP示踪技术,评估原代心肌细胞转染效率;转染后的细胞继续体外培养3~5d,利用免疫荧光技术分别检测Cyclin A2、磷酸化组蛋白H3(H3P)、心肌肌钙蛋白-T(c Tn T)。结果 1.荧光GFP示踪表明原代心肌细胞的转染效率高达(97±0.74)%;2.免疫荧光标记显示,空病毒组和对照组结果相似;心肌细胞特异性标记蛋白c Tn T分布于细胞质,原代心肌细胞纯度高达(95±0.62)%;心肌细胞Cyclin A2主要在胞核内聚集,少数分布于细胞质。H3P为核蛋白在细胞核内分布。3.转染Cyclin A2后,实验组H3P阳性率明显高于空病毒组和对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);实验组可见大量多核细胞,以双核为主,伴少量3核细胞。结论腺病毒作为转染载体对原代心肌细胞有很好的侵染效率;Cyclin A2超表达促进原代心肌细胞形成双核。     

低密度脂蛋白在2型糖尿病骨质疏松中的作用研究进展

2型糖尿病及骨质疏松已成为我国最主要的慢性代谢性疾病。2型糖尿病常伴有血脂紊乱，常表现为低密度脂蛋白升高，而越来越多的研究表明血脂通过不同的方式影响骨代谢，其机制可能是通过抑制骨髓间充质干细胞成骨分化，通过RANK/RNAKL/OPG信号通路及炎症反应调节破骨细胞等方式调节骨代谢。     

维生素D与多囊卵巢患者胰岛素抵抗相关性及其机制研究

目的:探讨维生素D对多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)患者胰岛素抵抗(IR)的影响及其机制研究.方法:选取自2013年2月～2014年2月在该院就诊的48例PCOS患者作为PCOS组,另选30例健康育龄期妇女作为对照组,测量研究者身高、体质量参数,计算体质指数(BMI),采用全自动生化分析仪葡萄糖氧化酶检测空腹血糖浓度(FBG)、化学发光法检测血清空腹胰岛素(FI)及胰岛素样生长因子-1(IGF-1)水平、ELISA方法测定血清25-(OH)D3浓度,计算稳态胰岛素评价指数(HOMA-IR)用于评价胰岛素抵抗性,量化胰岛素敏感指数(QUICKI)用于评价胰岛素敏感度,并分析FI、HOMA-IR、QUICKI及IGF-1与血清25-(OH)D3浓度的相关性.结果:PCOS组BMI及FBG与对照组相比,差异无统计学差异(P＞0.05),而FI、HOMA-IR、QUICKI、25-(OH) D3及IGF-1与对照组比较,差异均有统计学差异(P＜0.05);并且PCOS组FI和HOMA-IR与血清25-(OH)D3浓度呈显著负相关,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05),QUICKI和IGF-1水平与血清25-(OH)D3浓度呈显著正相关,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论:PCOS患者IR可能与血清中维生素D缺乏有关,而IGF-1分泌减少又可能是导致PCOS患者维生素D缺乏的重要原因.     

Genome wide identification of new genes and pathways in patients with both autoimmune thyroiditis and type 1 diabetes

Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) and Type 1 diabetes (T1D) frequently occur in the same individual pointing to a strong shared genetic susceptibility. Indeed, the co-occurrence of T1D and AITD in the same individual is classified as a variant of the autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 3 (designated APS3v). Our aim was to identify new genes and mechanisms causing the co-occurrence of T1D + AITD (APS3v) in the same individual using a genome-wide approach. For our discovery set we analyzed 346 Caucasian APS3v patients and 727 gender and ethnicity matched healthy controls. Genotyping was performed using the Illumina Human660W-Quad.v1. The replication set included 185 APS3v patients and 340 controls. Association analyses were performed using the PLINK program, and pathway analyses were performed using the MAGENTA software. We identified multiple signals within the HLA region and conditioning studies suggested that a few of them contributed independently to the strong association of the HLA locus with APS3v. Outside the HLA region, variants in GPR103, a gene not suggested by previous studies of APS3v, T1D, or AITD, showed genome-wide significance (p < 5 × 10⁻⁸). In addition, a locus on 1p13 containing the PTPN22 gene showed genome-wide significant associations. Pathway analysis demonstrated that cell cycle, B-cell development, CD40, and CTLA-4 signaling were the major pathways contributing to the pathogenesis of APS3v. These findings suggest that complex mechanisms involving T-cell and B-cell pathways are involved in the strong genetic association between AITD and T1D.     

Dissecting the biological heterogeneity of HER2-positive breast cancer

HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer (BC) is a heterogenous and multifaceted disease, with interesting therapeutic implications. First, all intrinsic molecular subtypes can be identified in HER2+ tumors, with the HER2-enriched being the most frequent. Such subtypes do not differ much from their counterparts in HER2-negative disease, apart for the high expression of genes in/near the HER2 amplicon on chromosome 17. Intrinsic subtyping, along with the quantification of ERBB2 mRNA levels, is associated with higher rates of pathologic complete response across neoadjuvant trials of dual HER2 blockade and might help select patients for de-escalation and escalation treatment strategies. Secondly, HER2+ tumors have a broad range of DNA alterations. ERBB2 mutations and alterations in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway are among the most frequent and might predict benefit from potent pan-HER, PI3K and mTOR inhibitors. Moreover, HER2+ tumors are usually infiltrated by lymphocytes. These tumor infiltrating-lymphocytes (TILs) predict response to neoadjuvant anti-HER2-based treatment and exert a prognostic role. PD-L1, detected in ∼42 % of HER2+ BC, might also be useful to define patients responding to novel anti-PD1/PD-L1 immunotherapies. New multiparametric clinicopathologic and genomic tools accounting for this complexity, such as HER2DX, are under development to define more tailored treatment approaches. Finally, HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) such as trastuzumab deruxtecan might be active in tumors with low expression of HER2. Overall, there is a need to molecularly characterize and develop novel targeted therapies for HER2+ disease.