Imaging Features of Pulmonary Immune-related Adverse Events

Pulmonary immune-related adverse events represent rare but potentially severe side effects of immunotherapies. Diagnosis is often challenging, as symptoms and imaging features are not specific and may mimic other lung diseases, thus potentially delaying appropriate patient management. In this setting, an accurate imaging evaluation is essential for a prompt detection and correct management of these drug-induced lung diseases. The purpose of this article is to review the different types of pulmonary immune-related adverse events, describe their imaging characteristics on both high-resolution computed tomography and positron emission tomography/computed tomography and stress their underlying diagnostic challenge by presenting the mimickers.     

High-resolution optical coherence tomography as a non-destructive monitoring tool for the engineering of skin equivalents

BACKGROUND: Three dimensional skin equivalents are widely used in dermatopharmacological and toxicological studies and as autologous transplants in wound healing. In pharmacology, there is tremendous need for monitoring the response of engineered skin equivalents to external treatment. Transplantation of skin equivalents for wound healing requires careful verification of their quality prior to transplantation. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-contact, non-destructive imaging technique for living tissues offering the potential to fulfill these needs. This work presents an analysis of OCT for high-resolution monitoring of skin equivalents at different stages during the culture process. METHODS: We developed a high-resolution OCT imaging setup based on a commercially available OCT system. A broadband femtosecond laser light source replaces the original superluminescence diode. Tomograms of living skin equivalents were recorded with an axial resolution of 3 mum and correlated with histology and immunofluorescence images. Comparison with standard low-resolution OCT is presented to emphasize the advantages of high-resolution OCT for this application. RESULTS: OCT is particularly able to distinguish between different layers of skin equivalents including stratum corneum, epidermal and dermal layer as well as the basement membrane zone. The high-resolution OCT scans correlate closely with two key benchmarks, histology and immunofluorescence imaging. CONCLUSIONS: This study clearly demonstrates the benefits of high-resolution OCT for identifying living tissue structure and morphology. Compared with the current gold standard histology, OCT offers non-destructive tissue imaging, enabling high-resolution evaluation of living tissue morphology and structure as it evolves.     

Erythematous and reticular forms of oral lichen planus and oral lichenoid reactions differ in pathological features related to disease activity

BACKGROUND: Common clinical forms of oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral lichenoid reactions (OLR) are erythematous (ERY) or reticular (RET). The purpose of this study was to find histopathological changes that differ between these forms. METHODS: Epithelial thickness, epithelial proliferation rate, apoptosis, and HLA-DR expression were compared among 10 reticular and 12 erythematous lesions, and 11 normal oral mucosa samples (NOM). RESULTS: The epithelium in ERY was thinner than in NOM, whereas RET showed values between ERY and NOM. Cell proliferation increased significantly in ERY as compared with RET and NOM, with no difference between RET and NOM. Relative numbers of epithelial cell nuclei displaying visible chromatin condensation were reduced in ERY form. CONCLUSIONS: The markedly increased cell proliferation in ERY supports the notion that this form displays a higher disease activity as compared to RET. It can therefore be important to study each disease form separately.     

57例胎膜早破的临床分析

目的探讨胎膜早破与剖宫产及母儿并发症的关系。方法对本院2004年~2005年分娩的898例产妇资料进行回顾性分析,其中胎膜早破组57例,对照组(胎膜未破)841例,对两组进行总体成数假设检验。结果胎膜早破组羊膜腔感染率、早产率、子宫内膜炎发生率均较对照组显著升高(P<0.01),但剖宫产率、新生儿成活率、产后出血率两组间无显著差异(P>0.01)。结论胎膜早破与羊膜腔感染综合征、早产、子宫内膜炎成因果关系,与剖宫产、新生儿成活、产后出血无必然的因果关系。故及时应用抗生素,适时促胎肺成熟,适时终止妊娠,合理选择分娩方式,可以使胎膜早破者不会提高剖宫产率、产后出血率、新生儿死亡率,但对于胎膜早破者需及时、有效、合理选择广谱抗生素,降低羊膜腔感染和子宫内膜炎发生率,降低早产率。     

人精子体外氧化损伤对线粒体tRNA~(LeuUUR)基因的影响

目的:探讨活性氧(ROS)对人类精子线粒体tRNALeuUUR基因的氧化损伤。方法:采用Percoll梯度离心法筛选具有正常生理功能的精子,作为正常精子模型,并分为损伤组20例和对照组20例,分别加入次黄嘌呤-黄嘌呤氧化酶体系或不予处理,37℃有氧环境中孵育60min。分别提取精子DNA,以Fpg酶切损伤碱基并采用接头介导PCR(LM-PCR)检测线粒体tRNALeuUUR基因的氧化损伤。采用Rhodamine(Rh123)荧光探针标记精子,通过流式细胞仪检测线粒体膜电位,观察精子的功能。结果:与对照组相比,损伤组精子孵育后线粒体膜电位明显降低[(116.27±11.72)%vs(64.00±4.88)%,P<0.05]。Fpg酶切和LM-PCR显示精子线粒体tRNALeuUUR基因损伤。结论:ROS可能通过对精子线粒体tRNALeuUUR基因氧化损伤而影响精子功能(线粒体膜电位明显降低),从而引起不育。     

Design of an intravenous oxygenator

The aim of this study was to design a new intravenous blood–gas exchange device and to estimate the design characteristics of the device with a dimensionless function by using a substance that can be used instead of bovine blood. In addition, the characteristics of oxygen transfer were estimated using empirical formulas and the reliability of the equations was ascertained by comparing their output with an experiment performed using bovine blood. The dimensionless function was derived using distilled water and bovine blood to estimate the oxygen transfer rate. Using the derived equations, the calculated oxygen transfer rates for bovine blood and distilled water were similar for Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.7 to 7.0. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the oxygen transfer rate in bovine blood, which is a non-Newtonian fluid, using distilled water, which is a Newtonian fluid. Moreover, it was possible to verify the related equations because the oxygen transfer rate could be estimated using the derived equations, according to the diameters of the various device modules.     

Excretory/secretory antigen of Toxocara canis: recognition profiles of polyclonal and larvicidal monoclonal antibodies

Summary Five monoclonal antibodies against the excretory/secretory (E/S) antigen of Toxocara canis were obtained and characterized. Immunoprecipitating activity was demonstrated in an in-vitro micropre-cipitating assay using live T. canis larvae. Their capacity to kill larvae was also shown in an in-vitro assay. Two zones of reactivity were observed in 7.5 and 12.5% SDS-PAGE (177-77 kD, 43-15 kD) of immunoprecipitates of human and mouse positive polyclonal anlisera. The murine monoclonal antibodies showed a common pattern of reactivity with the proteins in the 177-77 kD range.     

Adsorption of Human Recombinant Erythropoietin on Dialysis Membranes In Vitro

Abstract: The adsorptive characteristics of 5 dialysis membranes for recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) were studied in vitro in a closed circuit system. For 120 min, EPO added with bovine serum was significantly adsorbed by polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA) and polyacry–lonitrile (PAN) membranes but not by Cuprophan, ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVAL), or polysulfone (PS) membranes. In addition the EPO adsorptive rate, as well as that of β₂–microglobulin (β₂–MG), was greater with a PMMA membrane than with a PAN membrane. EPO was not detected in the ultrafiltrate at 15 min with 5 membranes. These results indicate that EPO was eliminated by membrane adsorption only with some dialysis membranes.     

碱性成纤维细胞生长因子对慢性鼓膜穿孔愈合的影响

目的 :探讨碱性成纤维细胞生长因子 (bFGF)在慢性鼓膜穿孔愈合中的作用。方法 :在豚鼠慢性创伤性鼓膜穿孔的动物模型上 ,观察应用bFGF 磷酸缓冲液 (2 5 0mg/L)治疗的鼓膜愈合率 ,用组织学检查鼓膜中层厚度 ,并与仅用磷酸缓冲液 (PBS)处理的作对照。结果 :bFGF治疗组鼓膜愈合率明显高于PBS组 (89.3%vs 37.5 % ,P <0 .0 1) ;鼓膜中层厚度bFGF组显著高于PBS组 [(30 5± 37) μmvs (10 2± 2 1) μm ,P <0 .0 1]。结论 :局部应用bFGF有明显促进慢性鼓膜穿孔鼓膜中层厚度及上皮细胞增生 ,促进鼓膜愈合的作用。     

胃癌和胃癌前病变Cx43、PCNA的表达及意义

目的　通过观察间隙连接蛋白 Cx4 3和增殖细胞核抗原 (PCNA )在正常胃粘膜、胃癌前病变和胃癌中的表达和分布情况 ,探讨 Cx基因表达与胃癌发生的关系。　方法　运用 SP免疫组织化学方法检测 Cx4 3、PCNA在 70例原发性胃癌 ,6 2例中、重度不典型增生和 16例正常胃粘膜中表达规律。　结果　 Cx4 3在正常胃粘膜 ,中、重度不典型增生和胃癌中表达的阳性率分别为 10 0 % ,83.9%和 17.1% ,三者比较差异有显著性 (P<0 .0 5 )。 Cx4 3表达与胃癌的分化程度相关 (P<0 .0 1)。胃癌前病变、胃癌组中的 PCNA较正常胃粘膜组增高 (P<0 .0 1)。 Cx4 3表达与 PCNA呈负相关 (P<0 .0 1)。　结论　 Cx4 3表达降低在胃癌发生发展中起重要作用 ,Cx4 3可做为胃癌早期诊断的指标