Willa D. Brenowitz, Yang Xiang, Claire T. McEvoy, Cui Yang, Kristine Yaffe, Wei-Dong Le, Yue Leng
Chinese Medical JournalVol.134,No.182021
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000001706
Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia characterized by the progressive cognitive and social decline. Clinical drug targets have heavily focused on the amyloid hypothesis, with amyloid beta (Aβ), and tau proteins as key pathophysiologic markers of AD. However, no effective treatment has been developed so far, which prompts researchers to focus on other aspects of AD beyond Aβ, and tau proteins. Additionally, there is a mounting epidemiologic evidence that various environmental factors influence the development of dementia and that dementia etiology is likely heterogenous. In the past decades, new risk factors or potential etiologies have been widely studied. Here, we review several novel epidemiologic and clinical research developments that focus on sleep, hypoxia, diet, gut microbiota, and hearing impairment and their links to AD published in recent years. At the frontiers of AD research, these findings and updates could be worthy of further attention.
Xuan Li, Shuan-Shuan Xie, Guo-Shu Li, Jie Zeng, Hong-Xia Duan, Chang-Hui Wang
Chinese Medical JournalVol.134,No.182021
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000001681
Abstract
Background:
The effectiveness of bronchial thermoplasty (BT) has been reported in patients with severe asthma. This study compared the effects of BT and cryoballoon ablation (CBA) therapy on the airway smooth muscle (ASM).
Methods:
Eight healthy male beagle dogs were included in this experiment. In the preliminary experiment, one dog received BT treatment for both lower lobe bronchus, another dog received CBA treatment for 7 s on the upper and lower lobe of right bronchus, and 30 s on the left upper and lower lobe. The treatments were performed twice at an interval of 1 month. In subsequent experiments, the right lower lobe bronchus was treated with BT, and the left lower lobe bronchus was treated with CBA. The effects of treatment were observed after 1 (n = 3) month and 6 months (n = 3). Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson trichrome staining, and immunohistochemical staining were used to compare the effects of BT and CBA therapy on the ASM thickness, collagen fibers synthesis, and M3 receptor expression after treatment. One-way analysis of variance with Dunnett post hoc test was used to analyze the differences among groups.
Results:
In the preliminary experiment, the ASM ablation effect of 30-s CBA was equivalent to that of 7-s CBA (ASM thickness: 30.52 ± 7.75 μm vs. 17.57 ± 15.20 μm, P = 0.128), but the bronchial mucociliary epithelium did not recover, and large numbers of inflammatory cells had infiltrated the mucosal epithelium at 1-month post-CBA with 30-s freezing. Therefore, we chose 7 s as the CBA treatment time in our follow-up experiments. Compared with the control group (35.81 ± 11.02 μm), BT group and CBA group (13.41 ± 4.40 μm and 4.81 ± 4.44 μm, respectively) had significantly decreased ASM thickness after 1 month (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the ASM thickness was significantly lower in the 1-month post-CBA group than in the 1-month post-BT group (P = 0.015). There was no significant difference in ASM thickness between the BT and CBA groups after six months (9.92 ± 4.42 μm vs. 7.41 ± 7.20 μm, P = 0.540). Compared with the control group (0.161 ± 0.013), the average optical density of the ASM M3 receptor was significantly decreased in 6-month post-BT, 1-month post-CBA, and 6-month post-CBA groups (0.070 ± 0.022, 0.072 ± 0.012, 0.074 ± 0.008, respectively; all P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the average optical density of ASM M3 receptor between the BT and CBA therapy groups after six months (P = 0.613).
Conclusions:
CBA therapy effectively ablates the ASM, and its ablation effect is equivalent to that of BT with a shorter onset time. A neural mechanism is involved in both BT and CBA therapy.
Macrophages are involved in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, partially by activating lung fibroblasts. However, how macrophages communicate with lung fibroblasts is largely unexplored. Exosomes can mediate intercellular communication, whereas its role in lung fibrogenesis is unclear. Here we aim to investigate whether exosomes can mediate the crosstalk between macrophages and lung fibroblasts and subsequently induce fibrosis.
Methods:
In vivo, bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung fibrosis model was established and macrophages infiltration was examined. The effects of GW4869, an exosomes inhibitor, on lung fibrosis were assessed. Moreover, macrophage exosomes were injected into mice to observe its pro-fibrotic effects. In vitro, exosomes derived from angiotensin II (Ang II)-stimulated macrophages were collected. Then, lung fibroblasts were treated with the exosomes. Twenty-four hours later, protein levels of α-collagen I, angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and phospho-Smad2/3 (p-Smad2/3) in lung fibroblasts were examined. The Student’s t test or analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis.
Results:
In vivo, BLM-treated mice showed enhanced infiltration of macrophages, increased fibrotic alterations, and higher levels of Ang II and AT1R. GW4869 attenuated BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Mice with exosomes injection showed fibrotic features with higher levels of Ang II and AT1R, which was reversed by irbesartan. In vitro, we found that macrophages secreted a great number of exosomes. The exosomes were taken by fibroblasts and resulted in higher levels of AT1R (0.22 ± 0.02 vs. 0.07 ± 0.02, t = 8.66, P = 0.001), TGF-β (0.54 ± 0.05 vs. 0.09 ± 0.06, t= 10.00, P < 0.001), p-Smad2/3 (0.58 ± 0.06 vs. 0.07 ± 0.03, t= 12.86, P < 0.001) and α-collagen I (0.27 ± 0.02 vs. 0.16 ± 0.01, t = 7.01, P = 0.002), and increased Ang II secretion (62.27 ± 7.32 vs. 9.56 ± 1.68, t= 12.16, P < 0.001). Interestingly, Ang II increased the number of macrophage exosomes, and the protein levels of Alix (1.45 ± 0.15 vs. 1.00 ± 0.10, t = 4.32, P = 0.012), AT1R (4.05 ± 0.64 vs. 1.00 ± 0.09, t = 8.17, P = 0.001), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (2.13 ± 0.36 vs. 1.00 ± 0.10, t = 5.28, P = 0.006) were increased in exosomes secreted by the same number of macrophages, indicating a positive loop between Ang II and exosomes production.
Conclusions:
Exosomes mediate intercellular communication between macrophages and fibroblasts plays an important role in BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
Yu-Chun Jin, Jun-Xian Du, Shao-Mei Fu, Qin Chen, Yi-Ran Qiu, An Pei, Yi-Jing Yao, Wei Zhu, Ke-Jin Wu
Chinese Medical JournalVol.134,No.182021
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000001697
Abstract
Background:
Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is a special type of breast cancer that occurs during pregnancy and within 1 year after childbirth. With the rapid social development and the adjustment of reproductive policies in China, the average age of females at first childbirth is increasing, which is expected to lead to an increase in the incidence of PABC. This study aimed to accumulate clinical experience and to investigate and summarize the prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of PABC based on large multicenter samples in China.
Methods:
According to the Chinese Society of Breast Surgery, a total of 164 patients with PABC in 27 hospitals from January 2016 to December 2018 were identified. The pregnancy status, clinicopathological features, comprehensive treatment methods, and outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method.
Results:
A total of 164 patients of PABC accounted for 0.30% of the total number of cases in the same period; of which, 83 patients were diagnosed during pregnancy and 81 patients during lactation. The median age of PABC was 33 years (24-47 years). Stage I patients accounted for 9.1% (15/164), stage II 54.9% (90/164), stage III 24.4% (40/164), and stage IV 2.4% (4/164). About 9.1% (15/164) of patients were luminal A. Luminal B patients accounted the most (43.3% [71/164]). About 15.2% (25/164) of patients were human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her-2) overexpression and 18.9% (31/164) of patients were triple-negative breast cancer. For pregnancy breast cancer, 36.1% (30/83) of patients received direct surgery and 20.5% (17/83) received chemotherapy during pregnancy. About 31.3% (26/83) chose abortion or induction of labor. The median follow-up time was 36 months (3-59 months); 11.0% (18/164) patients had local recurrence or distant metastasis and 3.0% (5/164) died.
Conclusions:
It is safe and feasible to standardize surgery and chemotherapy for PABC.
Previous studies have demonstrated different predominant sites of distant metastasis between patients with and without neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT). This study aimed to explore whether NCRT could influence the metastasis pattern of rectal cancer through a propensity score-matched analysis.
Methods:
In total, 1296 patients with NCRT or post-operative chemoradiotherapy (PCRT) were enrolled in this study between January 2008 and December 2015. Propensity score matching was used to correct for differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. After propensity score matching, the metastasis pattern, including metastasis sites and timing, was compared and analyzed.
Results:
After propensity score matching, there were 408 patients in the PCRT group and 245 patients in the NCRT group. NCRT significantly reduced local recurrence (4.1% vs. 10.3%, P = 0.004), but not distant metastases (28.2% vs. 27.9%, P= 0.924) compared with PCRT. In both the NCRT and PCRT groups, the most common metastasis site was the lung, followed by the liver. The NCRT group developed local recurrence and distant metastases later than the PCRT group (median time: 29.2 [18.8, 52.0] months vs. 18.7 [13.3, 30.0] months, Z=-2.342, P= 0.019; and 21.2 [12.2, 33.8] vs. 16.4 [9.3, 27.9] months, Z=-1.765, P = 0.035, respectively). The distant metastases occurred mainly in the 2nd year after surgery in both the PCRT group (39/114, 34.2%) and NCRT group (21/69, 30.4%). However, 20.3% (14/69) of the distant metastases appeared in the 3rd year in the NCRT group, while this number was only 13.2% (15/114) in the PCRT group.
Conclusions:
The predominant site of distant metastases was the lung, followed by the liver, for both the NCRT group and PCRT group. NCRT did not influence the predominant site of distant metastases, but the NCRT group developed local recurrence and distant metastases later than the PCRT group. The follow-up strategy for patients with NCRT should be adjusted and a longer intensive follow-up is needed.
Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) has been demonstrated to influence the keloid recurrence rate after surgery and to relieve keloid symptoms and other pathological processes in keloids. To explore the mechanism of the effect of HBOT on keloids, tumor immune gene expression and immune cell infiltration were studied in this work.
Methods:
From February 2021 to April 2021, HBOT was carried out on keloid patients four times before surgery. Keloid tissue samples were collected and divided into an HBOT group (keloid with HBOT before surgery [HK] group, n = 6) and a non-HBOT group (K group, n = 6). Tumor gene expression was analyzed with an Oncomine Immune Response Research Assay kit. Data were mined with R package. The differentially expressed genes between the groups were compared. Hub genes between the groups were determined and verified with Quantitative Real-time PCR. Immune cell infiltration was analyzed based on CIBERSORT deconvolution algorithm analysis of gene expression and verified with immunohistochemistry (IHC).
Results:
Inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced in the HK group. There were 178 upregulated genes and 217 downregulated genes. Ten hub genes were identified, including Integrin Subunit Alpha M (ITGAM), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-2, Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor Type C (PTPRC), CD86, transforming growth factor (TGF), CD80, CTLA4, and IL-10. CD80, ITGAM, IL-4, and PTPRC with significantly downregulated expression were identified. IL-10 and IL-2 were upregulated in the HK group but without a significant difference. Infiltration differences of CD8 lymphocyte T cells, CD4 lymphocyte T-activated memory cells, and dendritic resting cells were identified with gene CIBERSORT deconvolution algorithm analysis. Infiltration levels of CD4 lymphocyte T cell in the HK group were significantly higher than those of the K group in IHC verification.
Conclusion:
HBOT affected tumor gene expression and immune cell infiltration in keloids. CD4 lymphocyte T cell, especially activated memory CD4+T, might be the key regulatory immune cell, and its related gene expression needs further study.
Yue-Lei Zhang, Zhen-Zhong Zhu, Le-Cheng Zhang, Gang Wang
Chinese Medical JournalVol.134,No.182021
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000001530
Abstract
Background:
Accumulating evidence suggests that lithium influences mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. As decreased bone formation in femoral heads is induced by glucocorticoids (GCs), we hypothesized that lithium has a protective effect on GC-induced osteonecrosis of femoral heads (ONFH).
Methods:
A rat ONFH model was induced by methylprednisolone (MP) and the effect of lithium chloride on the models was evaluated. Micro-computed tomography (CT)-based angiography and bone scanning were performed to analyze the vessels and bone structure in the femoral heads. Hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemical staining were performed to evaluate the trabecular structure and osteocalcin (OCN) expression, respectively. Bone marrow-derived MSCs were isolated from the models, and their proliferative and osteogenic ability was evaluated. Western blotting and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed to detect osteogenic-related proteins including Runx2, alkaline phosphatase, and Collagen I.
Results:
Micro-CT analysis showed a high degree of osteonecrotic changes in the rats that received only MP injection. Treatment with lithium reduced this significantly in rats that received lithium (MP + Li group); while 18/20 of the femoral heads in the MP showed severe osteonecrosis, only 5/20 in the MP + Li showed mild osteonecrotic changes. The MP + Li group also displayed a higher vessel volume than the MP group (0.2193 mm3vs. 0.0811 mm3, P < 0.05), shown by micro-CT-based angiography. Furthermore, histological analysis showed better trabecular structures and more OCN expression in the femoral heads of the MP + Li group compared with the MP group. The ex vivo investigation indicated higher proliferative and osteogenic ability and upregulated osteogenic-related proteins in MSCs extracted from rats in the MP + Li group than that in the MP group.
Conclusions:
We concluded that lithium chloride has a significant protective effect on GC-induced ONFH in rats and that lithium also enhances MSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation in rats after GC administration.
Yong-Na Yao, Xue-Lian Yuan, Jun Zhu, Liang-Cheng Xiang, Qi Li, Kui Deng, Xiao-Hong Li, Han-Min Liu
Chinese Medical JournalVol.134,No.182021
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000001613
Abstract
Background:
Although congenital hypothyroidism (CH) has been widely studied in Western countries, CH incidence at different administrative levels in China during the past decade remains unknown. This study aimed to update the incidence and revealed the spatial pattern of CH incidence in the mainland of China, which could be helpful in the planning and implementation of preventative measures.
Methods:
The data used in our study were derived from 245 newborns screening centers that cover 30 provinces of the Chinese Newborn Screening Information System. Spatial auto-correlation was analyzed by Global Moran I and Getis-Ord Gi statistics at the provincial level. Kriging interpolation methods were applied to estimate a further detailed spatial distribution of CH incidence at city level throughout the mainland of China, and Kulldorff space scanning statistical methods were used to identify the spatial clusters of CH cases at the city level.
Results:
A total of 91,921,334 neonates were screened from 2013 to 2018 and 42,861 cases of primary CH were identified, yielding an incidence of 4.66 per 10,000 newborns screened (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.62-4.71). Neonates in central (risk ratio [RR] = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.82-0.85) and western districts (RR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.69-0.73) had lower probability of CH cases compared with the eastern region. The CH incidence indicated a moderate positive global spatial autocorrelation (Global Moran I value = 0.394, P < 0.05), and the CH cases were significantly clustered in spatial distribution. A most likely city-cluster (log-likelihood ratio [LLR]= 588.82, RR = 2.36, P < 0.01) and 25 secondary city-clusters of high incidence were scanned. The incidence of each province and each city in the mainland of China was estimated by kriging interpolation, revealing the most affected province and city to be Zhejiang Province and Hangzhou city, respectively.
Conclusion:
This study offers an insight into the space clustering of CH incidence at provincial and city scales. Future work on environmental factors need to focus on the effects of CH occurrence.
Ming Gao, Na Liu, Xue-Mei Li, Liu-Wen Chao, Hong-Qi Lin, Yan Wang, Yan Sun, Chen Huang, Xiao-Gang Li, Min Deng
Chinese Medical JournalVol.134,No.182021
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000001679
Abstract
Background:
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder associated with loss of motor neurons. Our objective was to explore the epidemiology, clinical features, and survival factors of 1809 patients with ALS.
Methods:
We analyzed 1809 ALS patients, who were recruited from the Peking University Third Hospital from January 2005 to December 2015. Demographic data and disease-related parameters were collected. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to compare survival time. Cox proportional hazards function and the hazard ratio were used to identify adjusted prognostic predictors.
Results:
The results showed that the average annual incidence in Beijing alone was 0.38 cases/100,000 person-years and the mean age of onset was 48.88 ± 11.35 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 48.17-49.85) years. The median survival time from onset to death/tracheostomy was 58.89 ± 33.03 (95% CI: 51.46-63.84) months. In the adjusted Cox proportional hazard model, age of onset, diagnosis delay, rate of disease progression (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale Revised decline [points/month]), and body mass index all had an independent effect on survival in ALS.
Conclusions:
Our study provides information on epidemiology, clinical features, and survival factors of patients with ALS in China. These results can be helpful in clinical practice, clinical trial design, and validation of new tools to predict disease progression.