Characteristics of Pruritus according to Morphological Phenotype of Psoriasis and Association with Neuropeptides and Interleukin-31

BackgroundPruritus is a common symptom in psoriasis. However, few studies have assessed the characteristics of pruritus according to morphological phenotypes of psoriasis.ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of pruritus according to morphological phenotypes of psoriasis and to assess the association with inflammatory mediators related to pruritus.MethodsPsoriasis patients were divided into 2 groups according to clinical phenotype: eruptive inflammatory (EI) and chronic stable (CS). Clinical data of pruritus were assessed by an itch questionnaire. Serum neuropeptides and cytokines including substance P, histamine, vasoactive intestinal peptide, neuropeptide Y, calcitonin gene-related peptide and interleukin-31 (IL-31) were quantitatively measured.ResultsIn total, 50 patients with psoriasis (30 male, 20 female; mean age, 45.7 years) were studied (EI, n=15 and CS, n=35). Pruritus was reported by 80% of EI and CS patients. There were no significant differences in prevalence of pruritus, pruritus intensity, severity of psoriasis, serum neuropeptides, or IL-31 between the 2 groups.ConclusionThe morphological phenotype does not seem to be an important factor affecting the prevalence and characteristics of pruritus in psoriasis.     

Oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain involves HOXA6 via a TET1-dependent demethylation of the SOX10 promoter

Chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain is a common dose-limiting side effect of cancer treatment but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we used a whole-genome expression microarray and gene ontology analysis to identify the upregulation of a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein, HOXA6, in the spinal dorsal horn on Day 10 after injection of rats with oxaliplatin. Genetic disruption of HOXA6 with siRNAs alleviated mechanical allodynia after oxaliplatin administration. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing assays indicated that oxaliplatin decreased the methylation levels of the SOX10 promoter but not of HOXA6. TET1 was also upregulated by oxaliplatin. Genetic disruption of TET1 with siRNA blocked the promoter demethylation of SOX10 and the upregulation of HOXA6 and SOX10. Importantly, inhibition of SOX10 by intrathecal application of SOX10 siRNA ameliorated the mechanical allodynia induced by oxaliplatin and downregulated the expression of HOXA6. Consistently, overexpression of SOX10 through intraspinal injection of AAV-SOX10-EGFP produced mechanical allodynia and upregulated the expression of spinal dorsal horn HOXA6. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that oxaliplatin increased the binding of SOX10 to the promoter region of HOXA6. Taken together, our data suggest that HOXA6 upregulation through the TET1-mediated promoter demethylation of SOX10 may contribute to oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain.     

Interleukin-8 dysregulation is implicated in brain dysmaturation following preterm birth

BackgroundPreterm birth is associated with dysconnectivity of structural brain networks, impaired cognition and psychiatric disease. Systemic inflammation contributes to cerebral dysconnectivity, but the immune mediators driving this association are poorly understood. We analysed information from placenta, umbilical cord and neonatal blood, and brain MRI to determine which immune mediators link perinatal systemic inflammation with dysconnectivity of structural brain networks.MethodsParticipants were 102 preterm infants (mean gestational age 29⁺¹ weeks, range 23⁺³-32⁺⁰). Placental histopathology identified reaction patterns indicative of histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA), and a customized immunoassay of 24 inflammation-associated proteins selected to reflect the neonatal innate and adaptive immune response was performed from umbilical cord (n = 55) and postnatal day 5 blood samples (n = 71). Brain MRI scans were acquired at term-equivalent age (41⁺⁰ weeks [range 38⁺⁰-44⁺⁴ weeks]) and alterations in white matter connectivity were inferred from mean diffusivity and neurite density index across the white matter skeleton.ResultsHCA was associated with elevated concentrations of C5a, C9, CRP, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1 in cord blood, and IL-8 concentration predicted HCA with an area under the receiver operator curve of 0.917 (95% CI 0.841 – 0.993, p < 0.001). Fourteen analytes explained 66% of the variance in the postnatal profile (BDNF, C3, C5a, C9, CRP, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, MCP-1, MIP-1β, MMP-9, RANTES and TNF-α). Of these, IL-8 was associated with altered neurite density index across the white matter skeleton after adjustment for gestational age at birth and at scan (β = 0.221, p = 0.037).ConclusionsThese findings suggest that IL-8 dysregulation has a role in linking perinatal systemic inflammation and atypical white matter development in preterm infants.     

High throughput sequencing reveals high specificity of TNFAIP3 mutations in ocular adnexal marginal zone B-cell lymphomas

The majority of ocular adnexal (OA) lymphomas (OAL) are extranodal marginal zone lymphomas (MZL). First high throughput sequencing (HTS) studies on OA-MZL showed inconsistent results and the distribution of mutations in reactive lymphoid lesions of this anatomic region has not yet been sufficiently addressed. We characterized OAL and lymphoid lesions of the OA by targeted HTS. The study included 34 OA-MZL, 11 chronic conjunctivitis, five mature small cell B-cell lymphomas spreading to the OA, five diseases with increase of IgG4+ plasma cells, three Burkitt lymphomas (BL), three diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL), three mantle cell lymphomas, three idiopathic orbital inflammations/orbital pseudo tumors (PT), and three OA lymphoid hyperplasia. All cases were negative for Chlamydia. The mutational number was highest in BL and lowest in PT. The most commonly (and exclusively) mutated gene in OA-MZL was TNFAIP3 (10 of 34 cases). Altogether, 20 out of 34 patients harbored mutually exclusive mutations of either TNFAIP3, BCL10, MYD88, ATM, BRAF, or NFKBIE, or nonexclusive mutations of IRF8, TNFRSF14, KLHL6, and TBL1XR1, all encoding for NK-κB pathway compounds or regulators. Thirteen patients (38%) had, to a great part, mutually exclusive mutations of chromatin modifier-encoding genes: KMT2D, CREBBP, BCL7A, DNMT3A, EP300, or HIST1H1E. Only four patients harbored co-occurring mutations of genes encoding for NK-κB compounds and chromatin modifiers. Finally, PTEN, KMT2D, PRDM1, and HIST1H2BK mutations were observable in reactive lymphoid lesions too, while such instances were devoid of NF-κB compound mutations and/or mutations of acetyltransferase-encoding genes. In conclusion, 80% of OA-MZL display mutations of either NK-κB compounds or chromatin modifiers. Lymphoid lesions of the OA bearing NF-κB compound mutations and/or mutations of acetyltransferase-encoding genes highly likely represent lymphomas.     

CD10蛋白在结直肠癌组织中的表达及其临床意义

目的：研究CD10蛋白在结直肠癌组织中的表达及其与结直肠癌的各临床病理指标之间的关系,探讨其在结直肠癌发生、发展中的作用。方法：收集78例结直肠癌组织标本及22例癌旁正常组织样本,运用免疫组化EliVision法检测CD10蛋白的表达,并采用卡方检验分析其表达强度及分布比例与结直肠癌临床病理指标的关系。结果：CD10蛋白在结直肠癌组织和正常结肠黏膜组织中的阳性表达率分别为46.2%（36/78）和0,差异有统计学意义（P < 0.01）。结直肠癌组织中CD10蛋白表达比例与各临床病理指标均无明显相关（P > 0.05）。结直肠癌组织中CD10蛋白表达强度与患者性别、年龄、肿瘤部位、分化程度、浸润深度无明显相关（P > 0.05）,而与肿瘤的临床分期、有无脉管侵犯及淋巴结转移有关（P < 0.05）,中晚期结直肠癌CD10蛋白表达强度高于早期肿瘤（P=0.033）,周围淋巴结转移阳性的结直肠癌CD10蛋白表达强度高于淋巴结阴性病例（P=0.023）,存在脉管受侵犯的结直肠癌CD10蛋白表达强度高于无脉管受侵病例（P=0.004）。结论：CD10蛋白在结直肠癌组织中呈高表达,且表达强度与肿瘤的临床分期、有无脉管侵犯及淋巴结转移有关,可能有促进结直肠癌发展和浸润转移的作用。     

白细胞介素35和白细胞介素37与结直肠癌临床病理学特征及预后的相关性研究

背景与目的：结直肠癌（colorectal cancer,CRC）为世界第三常见恶性肿瘤,近年来研究者认为白细胞介素（interleukin,IL）-35和（或）IL-37与CRC的发展有关,但其作用机制尚未阐明。探究IL-35和IL-37在CRC发展中的作用及其可能的机制,分析IL-35和IL-37与CRC患者预后的相关性。方法：收集2013年—2017年在上海交通大学医学院附属同仁医院接受治疗的191例CRC患者手术病理蜡块的肿瘤组织,与其匹配的非癌组织是来源于同一患者的肠癌手术切缘蜡块组织。应用免疫组织化学（immunohistochemistry,IHC）染色法将CRC患者的癌组织与非癌组织染色,并运用Image-Pro Plus将IHC染色阳性部分定量分析,结合随访结果,探讨癌组织与非癌组织中IL-35和IL-37的表达水平与CRC临床病理学特征及预后的相关性。结果：与非癌组织相比,CRC组织中IL-35的表达量减少了50%（P<0.000 1）。CRC组织中IL-37的表达量与非癌组织相比增加了40%（P=0.012）。多因素生存分析显示,癌组织中IL-35（HR=0.39;95% CI：0.16~0.97;P=0.04）的表达水平是CRC患者术后生存的独立预测指标。结论：IL-35和IL-37蛋白的表达水平可能与CRC的发展有关,IL-35的表达水平可能是CRC患者术后生存的独立预测指标。     

脑脊液hs-CRP、IGF-1及IL-6水平与高血压性脑出血神经功能损害程度的相关性

目的 探讨脑脊液超敏C-反应蛋白(hs-CRP)、胰岛素样生长因子-1(IGF-1)、白介素-6(IL-6)水平与高血压性脑出血病人神经功能损伤程度的关系.方法 选择2017年1月～2019年12月收治高血压性脑出血164例和按4:1比例匹配同期行蛛网膜下腔神经阻滞采集脑脊液标本但无神经系统疾病的41例作为对照组.发病...     

Voice outcome indicators for unilateral vocal fold paralysis surgery: A survey among surgeons

IntroductionStandardization of voice outcomes indicators (VOIs) is an important issue when it comes to evaluating and comparing surgical treatments for Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis (UVFP). In a recent review, 11 VOIs were found to represent 80% of the VOIs cited in the literature. A survey was launched among the European laryngologists to acquire surgeons’ opinions on the above mentioned preselected VOIs.Material and methodThe electronic survey took place between November and December 2016. Three general questions were asked about surgeon's practice setting(s) and experience. The eleven next questions concerned (a) surgeon's VOIs preference and (b) their estimates of post-operative target values, they would consider being satisfactory.ResultsThe response rate was 16% (50 surveys). The majority of responders worked in tertiary hospitals (50%), had 15 years of experience with UVFP and performed on average 20 UVFP related procedures a year. The VOIs that were favored by the responding surgeons were, in decreasing order of importance, Voice handicap Index (VHI-30), Maximum Phonation Time (MPT), GRBAS-I, Mean Airflow Rate (MeAF), Jitter and Shimmer. There was an excellent consensus on post-operative VOI target values between survey's results and the literature data, except for three VOIs that showed somewhat divergent tendencies (absolute VHI-30, Jitter and Shimmer).ConclusionsThree VOIs are favored by surgeons: VHI-30, MPT and GRBAS-I. Jitter and Shimmer, although very frequently reported and statistically valid in the literature, come last concerning surgeon's choice as VOI for UVFP treatment assessment.