Tumor necrosis factor –238A is associated with pediatric‐onset generalized pustular psoriasis in Han patients in Eastern China

The correlation between polymorphisms at the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene and generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) has rarely been reported. The goal of this study is to investigate whether TNF polymorphisms (?238 A/G, ?308 A/G, ?857C/T) are associated with susceptibility to GPP in a Han population from Eastern China and to perform subgroup analysis to explore the influence of age onset. Polymorphisms were assessed by polymerase chain reaction amplification and resequencing in 91 GPP patients and 102 healthy controls. The frequencies of the TNF ?238A allele and GA+AA genotypes were significantly higher in GPP patients than in those of healthy controls. The subgroup analysis revealed that these significant associations were still present between ?238A variants and pediatric‐onset GPP patients who developed GPP at less than 18 years old (PGPP), but not for patients with adult‐onset GPP who developed GPP at 18 years old or more. There were no significant differences in genotype or allele frequencies of TNF ?308 A/G and ?857C/T polymorphisms between GPP and controls. In conclusion, individuals carrying TNF ?238A may be more susceptible to PGPP.     

Influences of simulated gastrointestinal environment on physicochemical properties of gold nanoparticles and their implications on intestinal epithelial permeability

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) hold great promise in food, industrial and biomedical applications due to their unique physicochemical properties. However, influences of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), a likely route for Au NPs administration, on the physicochemical properties of Au NPs has been rarely evaluated. Here, we investigated the influence of GIT fluids on the physicochemical properties of Au NPs (5, 50, and 100?nm) and their implications on intestinal epithelial permeability in vitro. Au NPs aggregated in fasted gastric fluids and generated hydroxyl radicals in the presence of H₂O₂. Cell studies showed that GIT fluids incubation of Au NPs affected the cellular uptake of Au NPs but did not induce cytotoxicity or disturb the intestinal epithelial permeability.     

Identification of UGTs and BCRP as potential pharmacokinetic determinants of the natural flavonoid alpinetin

1. Alpinetin is a natural flavonoid showing a variety of pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and hypolipidemic activities. Here, we aim to determine the roles of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) in disposition of alpinetin.

2. Glucuronidation potential of alpinetin was evaluated using pooled human liver microsomes (pHLM), pooled human intestine microsomes (pHIM) and expressed UGT enzymes supplemented with the cofactor UDPGA. Activity correlation analyses with a bank of individual HLMs were performed to identify the main contributing UGT isozymes in hepatic glucuronidation of alpinetin. The effect of BCRP on alpinetin disposition was assessed using HeLa cells overexpressing UGT1A1 (HeLa1A1) cells.

3. Alpinetin underwent extensive glucuronidation in pHLM and pHIM, generating one glucuronide metabolite. Of 12 test UGT enzymes, UGT1A3 was the most active one toward alpinetin with an intrinsic clearance (CL_int?=?V_max/K_m) value of 66.5?μl/min/nmol, followed by UGT1A1 (CL_int?=?48.6?μl/min/nmol), UGT1A9 (CL_int?=?21.0?μl/min/nmol), UGT2B15 (CL_int?=?16.7?μl/min/nmol) and UGT1A10 (CL_int?=?1.60?μl/min/nmol). Glucuronidation of alpinetin was significantly correlated with glucuronidation of estradiol (an activity marker of UGT1A1), chenodeoxycholic acid (an activity marker of UGT1A3), propofol (an activity marker of UGT1A9) and 5-hydroxyrofecoxib (an activity marker of UGT2B15), confirming the important roles of UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A9 and UGT2B15 in alpinetin glucuronidation. Inhibition of BCRP by its specific inhibitor Ko143 significantly reduced excretion of alpinetin glucuronide, leading to a significant decrease in cellular glucuronidation of alpinetin.

4. Our data suggest UGTs and BCRP as two important determinants of alpinetin pharmacokinetics.

     

Tim‐3 regulates inflammatory cytokine expression and Th17 cell response induced by monocytes from patients with chronic hepatitis B

Tim‐3 is expressed on monocytes/macrophages and is involved in the regulation of inflammatory responses. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Tim‐3 on inflammatory response triggered by peripheral monocytes from patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Tim‐3 expression on peripheral monocytes and frequency of Th17 cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from CHB patients were detected. Followed by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) activation of circulating monocytes from CHB patients, expression of inflammatory cytokines including TNF‐α，IL‐1β and IL‐6 were examined in the presence and absence of Galectin‐9 which is the ligand for Tim‐3. Subsequently, after purified CD4+T cells were cocultured with LPS‐activated monocytes from CHB patients in the presence of anti‐Tim‐3 antibody, percentage of Th17 cells and production of IL‐17 were measured. Tim‐3 expression was significantly upregulated and closely correlated to the frequency of Th17 cells in patients with CHB. Expression of TNF‐α，IL‐1β and IL‐6 increased significantly in monocytes stimulated with LPS and Galectin‐9, compared to LPS stimulation alone. LPS‐activated monocytes from CHB patients could drive differentiation of memory CD4+T cells to Th17 cells. However, under the blockade of Tim‐3 signalling by anti‐Tim‐3 antibody, percentage of Th17 cells and production of IL‐17 decreased significantly. Our results demonstrate that upregulated expression of Tim‐3 on circulating monocytes accelerates inflammatory response by promoting production of inflammatory cytokines and Th17 responses in CHB.     

Enteral Nutrition Support Does Not Improve PNI in Radiotherapy Patients with Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer

Objective: The assessment of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) before and during radiotherapy is an important parameter for the prognosis in patients with cancer. In this study, enteral tube feeding (ETF) was used during radiotherapy in patients with EC. Dynamic changes of various nutritional indicators (including PNI) were monitored.

Methods: Patients with EC who underwent radiotherapy between June 2016 and July 2017 were enrolled. ETF was performing with the energy of 25?kcal?×?kg/d. Nutritional status were evaluated. Least significant difference (LSD) was used for multiple comparisons between groups.

Results: A total of 148 patients were admitted, including 51 patients fed via ETF. For patients who were not scheduled to nutritional support, significant difference were observed in albumin (ALB) (P?<?0.001), prealbimnin (PA) (P?=?0.05) and PNI (P?<?0.001) compared to levels before radiotherapy. In the patients fed via enteral tube, no significant difference were found in weight, BMI, ALB, retinol binding protein (RBP) and PA before and after radiotherapy, while PNI significantly decreased (P?<?0.001).

Conclusion: After preforming ETF with the energy of 25?kcal?×?kg/d in patients with EC during radiotherapy, PNI, the key nutritional index reflecting prognosis, significantly decreased.     

新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情期间肝移植病房管理单中心经验

自2019年12月发生的新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19)影响范围广、感染人数多,在对社会生活造成严重影响的同时,也给医院器官移植病房的管理带来了巨大挑战。肝移植受者术后免疫力低下,新型冠状病毒(2019-nCoV)易感性可能较普通人群更高。因此,肝移植病房的管理具有其特殊性。COVID-19疫情期间,青岛大学附属医院肝脏移植科医护人员通过学习国家卫生健康委员会发布的COVID-19防控和诊疗方案以及相关指南,加强医护人员自身防护,制订适应疫情形势的住院患者管理流程,完善患者及其家属COVID-19相关知识宣教,建立并优化肝移植病房管理方案。期望通过特殊时期肝移植病房的有效管理,在予肝移植受者科学治疗的同时,有效避免2019-nCoV感染。     

白芍对酒精性肝损伤肝阴虚证的保护功效和机制

目的研究白芍对小鼠酒精性肝损伤肝阴虚证的保护功效和机制。方法将ICR小鼠随机分为空白组、模型组、一贯煎组、白芍组,每组10只,除空白组外,用Lieber-DeCarli酒精液体饲料加甲状腺激素灌胃制备小鼠酒精性肝损伤肝阴虚证模型。造模期第1天开始给药,一贯煎组灌胃一贯煎水提液9.07 g/kg,白芍组灌胃白芍水提液4.3 g/kg,空白组和模型组灌胃等量生理盐水。28 d后观察各组小鼠状态,测定体重、体温、心率,测定血清及肝组织转氨酶活性、细胞因子水平、乙醇及脂肪代谢相关酶活性、抗氧化酶活性并取肝脏进行冰冻油红、HE病理切片检查。结果与空白组相比,模型组小鼠体重明显减轻,体温升高,心率加快,且出现毛发无光泽、疲倦易困、烦躁易怒等症状;血清谷丙转氨酶(ALT)、谷草转氨酶(AST)、甘油三酯(TG)、总胆固醇(TC)、环磷酸腺苷(cAMP)水平及肝组织丙二醛(MDA)、细胞色素P450同工酶E1(CYP2E1)、肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)、白细胞介素1β(IL-1β)、白细胞介素6(IL-6)水平明显升高;血清中环磷酸鸟苷(cGMP)水平及肝组织中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、乙醇脱氢酶(ADH)、乙醛脱氢酶2(ALDH2)、白细胞介素10(IL-10)、白细胞介素1Ra(IL-1Ra)水平明显降低;肝脏出现脂质沉积及肝细胞坏死情况。与模型组相比,白芍组小鼠血清中ALT、AST、TG、TC、cAMP水平均明显降低(P<0.05),cGMP水平明显升高(P<0.05);肝组织中CYP2E1、TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6水平明显降低(P<0.05),SOD、CAT、ADH、ALDH2、IL-10、IL-1Ra水平明显升高(P<0.05);肝组织脂质占比显著降低(P<0.05),肝细胞坏死程度改善。结论白芍具有明显的保护酒精性肝损伤肝阴虚证的作用,其机制与调节cAMP/cGMP水平及细胞因子水平、使肝细胞功能与代谢恢复平衡、增强肝组织中乙醇代谢关键酶及抗氧化酶活性、同时抑制脂质过氧化反应、减少脂质沉积有关。     

床旁肺部超声在儿童重度社区获得性肺炎中的应用价值

目的:探讨床旁肺部超声在儿童重度社区获得性肺炎(CAP)中的应用价值。方法:收集2016年12月至2018年8月在本院儿童重症监护病房住院并临床诊断为儿童重度CAP的患儿120例,这些患儿均在入院24 h内进行床旁肺部超声及床旁胸片检查。分析儿童重度CAP的床旁肺部超声特点,并与胸片进行比较。结果:儿童重度CAP的床旁肺部超声的特点是A线消失、B线增多、瀑布征、肺实变、支气管充气征、胸腔积液,床旁肺部超声诊断儿童重度CAP的敏感性为99%,特异性为100%,阳性预测值为100%,阴性预测值为50%,阳性似然比∞,阴性似然比为9%,约登指数0.99。结论:床旁肺部超声诊断儿童重度CAP准确可靠,敏感性高、特异性强,具有能随时检测、无辐射等优点,可作为一项儿童重度CAP的辅助诊断工具。