More Frequent Nutrition Counseling Limits Weight Loss and Improves Energy Intake During Oncology Management: A Longitudinal Inpatient Study in Taiwan

Introduction: Malnutrition increases the risk of cancer treatment-related complications. Nutritional intervention is beneficial for the outcomes of outpatients with cancer. This study investigated the impacts of nutrition consultation and care on energy intake and weight change in inpatients receiving cancer treatment.

Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study, enrolling 3221 inpatients with head and neck, lung, hepatobiliary, upper gastrointestinal, colorectal, breast, or gynecological cancer who received at least two nutrition consultations between April 2010 and July 2015. In every consultation, a dietitian calculated the total energy requirement and the actual energy intake was assessed using a 24-h dietary recall.

Results: Patients with head and neck cancer lost the most weight (1.16?kg/mo). For every consultation, a 0.03-kg weight gain per month was observed (P?=?0.001). The average energy consumption percentage (% estimated energy requirement) at the third consultation was 87.0%. After controlling for potential covariates, the energy consumption percentages at the third, fourth, fifth–seventh, eighth, and subsequent consultations were significantly higher than those at the first consultation (P?<?0.05).

Conclusion: For oncology inpatients, routine screening and at least three active nutrition consultations with dietitians effectively improved energy intake and preserved body weight.     

Lysophosphatidylcholine‐induced cytotoxicity and protection by heparin in mouse brain bEND.3 endothelial cells

A pathological feature in atherosclerosis is the dysfunction and death of vascular endothelial cells (EC). Oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), known to accumulate in the atherosclerotic arterial walls, impairs endothelium‐dependent relaxation and causes EC apoptosis. A major bioactive ingredient of the oxidized LDL is lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), which at higher concentrations causes apoptosis and necrosis in various EC. There is hitherto no report on LPC‐induced cytotoxicity in brain EC. In this work, we found that LPC caused cytosolic Ca²⁺ overload, mitochondrial membrane potential decrease, p38 activation, caspase 3 activation and eventually apoptotic death in mouse cerebral bEND.3 EC. In contrast to reported reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by LPC in other EC, LPC did not trigger ROS formation in bEND.3 cells. Pharmacological inhibition of p38 alleviated LPC‐inflicted cell death. We examined whether heparin could be cytoprotective: although it could not suppress LPC‐triggered Ca²⁺ signal, p38 activation and mitochondrial membrane potential drop, it did suppress LPC‐induced caspase 3 activation and alleviate LPC‐inflicted cytotoxicity. Our data suggest LPC apoptotic death mechanisms in bEND.3 might involve mitochondrial membrane potential decrease and p38 activation. Heparin is protective against LPC cytotoxicity and might intervene steps between mitochondrial membrane potential drop/p38 activation and caspase 3 activation.     

Improvements in epidermal function prevent relapse of psoriasis: a self‐controlled study

While therapeutic approaches for psoriasis are widely available, preventive regimens are lacking. We aimed to determine whether improvements in epidermal function could prevent psoriasis relapse. Two self‐controlled cohort studies were designed, enrolling two cohorts of patients with psoriasis (n = 30 and n = 60) to be treated topically with an in‐house‐prepared emollient or ATOPALM^® cream applied twice daily to one forearm for 20 and 30 days, respectively, while the same sites on the contralateral arm served as the untreated control. Epidermal function on both arms was assessed prior to and at the end of the trials. Delayed relapse on the treated arm was seen in 54.5% and 71% of patients in the first and second cohort, respectively. The time of psoriatic relapse correlated with the extent of abnormalities in baseline epidermal function. These results suggest that improvements in epidermal function with topical emollients can prevent/attenuate the development of psoriasis.     

涎腺导管内癌的病理诊断及新进展

涎腺导管内癌(intraductal carcinoma,IDC)是一种主要发生在腮腺,在导管内或囊内生长为主的罕见肿瘤,但也可伴浸润性生长,生物学行为相对惰性。具有独特的形态学、免疫表型及分子遗传学特征。主要包括4种亚型:闰管型、顶浆分泌型、闰管-顶浆分泌混合型和嗜酸型。闰管型多数存在NCOA4-RET融合,个别存在STRN-ALK融合;混合型存在TRIM27-RET融合,顶浆分泌型具有PIK3CA和HRAS突变或TP53缺失;嗜酸型具有TRIM33-RET融合或BRAF V600E突变。目前多数观点认为与涎腺导管癌不同,即使存在浸润,仍具有良好的预后,罕见复发和淋巴结转移,无远处转移。因此精准诊断对于临床治疗的选择极其重要。     

Inter‐serotype reassortment among epizootic haemorrhagic disease viruses in the United States

First described in 1955 in New Jersey, epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) causes a severe clinical disease in wild and domestic ruminants worldwide. Epizootic haemorrhagic disease outbreaks occur in deer populations each year from summer to late autumn. The etiological agent is EHD virus (EHDV) which is a double‐stranded segmented icosahedral RNA virus. EHD virus utilizes point mutations and reassortment strategies to maintain viral fitness during infection. In 2018, EHDV serotype 2 was predominantly detected in deer in Illinois. Whole genome sequencing was conducted for two 2018 EHDV2 isolates (IL41747 and IL42218) and the sequence analyses indicated that IL42218 was a reassortant between different serotypes whereas IL41747 was a genetically stable strain. Our data suggest that multiple strains contribute to outbreaks each year.     

中医体质研究40年回顾与展望

文章回顾中医体质研究40年来在6大理论创新、3大技术创新、4大转化应用、2大学术平台方面取得的辉煌成就。展望未来，中医体质研究将积极策应国家需求，进一步发挥其原创优势、深化理论研究、完善技术方法、加快平台建设、提升服务能力，为实施“健康中国”战略作贡献。