A 66-year-old Chinese man underwent a deceased donor kidney transplantation. Induction-immunosuppressive protocol consisted of basiliximab (BAS) and methyl prednisolone (MP), followed by maintenance immunosuppression with cyclosporin (CsA), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and prednisone (PED). The patient’s post-transplantation course was almost uneventful, and the graft was functioning well [serum creatinine (Scr) 2.15 mg/dL]. The MMF and CsA doses were decreased 1-month post-operative as the BK virus activation was serologically positive. His Scr was elevated to 2.45 mg/dL 45 days after the transplant. A graft biopsy showed BKV nephropathy (BKVN) and acute T cell–mediated rejection (TCMR) Banff grade IIA (I2, t2, ptc2, v1, c4d1, g0, and SV40 positive). The conventional anti-rejection therapy could deteriorate his BKVN, therefore, we administered BAS to eliminate activated graft-infiltrating T cells and combined with low-dose steroid. He responded well to the therapy after two doses of BAS were given, and the kidney graft status has been stable (recent Scr 2.1 mg/dL).
Ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3), extracted from the root of Panax ginseng, is one of the most abundant ginsenosides. Rg3 exhibits anticancer activity in various cancer models in vitro and in vivo by modulating several signaling pathways, such as those of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, epidermal growth factor receptor, mitogen-activated protein kinases, p53, nuclear factor kappa-B, and reactive oxygen species. Besides, Rg3 can be used as adjunctive with conventional anticancer therapies, enhancing therapeutic effects and reversing drug resistance in cancer therapy. So, the purpose of this review is to provide a systematic summary and analysis the anticancer effects and the potential mechanisms of Rg3 extracted from ginseng.
To evaluate the impact of a telemedicine medication management service in patients with hypertension.Participants were allocated to either a telemedicine service (N = 173) or usual care (UC) (N = 179). The primary outcome was blood pressure (BP) reduction from baseline to the 6-month follow-up visit, the proportion of the target BP achievement, overall adherence to prescribed medication as well as a composite of non-fatal stroke, non-fatal myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death.At 6 months, BP was controlled in 89.6% (n = 155) of intervention patients and 78.8% (n = 141) of UC patients (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.04-1.25, P = 0.006), giving a mean difference of -6.0 (-13.0 to -2.5 mmHg) and -2.0 mmHg (-4.0 to -0.1 mmHg) in SBP and DBP, respectively. 17.9% (n = 31) of the patients in the intervention group were non-adherent with medications, compared with 29.1% (n = 52) in the UC group (P = 0.014). The composite clinical endpoints were reached by 2.9% in the intervention group and 4.5% in the control group with no significant differences (OR = 1.566, 95% CI = 0.528-4.646).Telemedicine medication management for hypertension management had led to better BP control and medication adherence improvement than UC during COVID-19 epidemic, resulting in a reduction of overall adverse cardiovascular events occurrence.
Abnormal fetal and early postnatal growth is closely associated with adult-onset metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, the underlying etiological factors remain complex. The presence of the autoantibody against the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1-Ab), a known risk factor for pre-eclampsia, may create a suboptimal intrauterine fetal environment. The current study investigated whether middle-aged offspring of AT1-Ab-positive mothers were prone to metabolic disorder development.The AT1-Abs was detected in placental trophoblastic cells, capillary endothelium, and milk of pregnant rats actively immunized with the second extracellular loop of the AT1 receptor. AT1-Abs in newborn rats induced vasoconstriction, increased intracellular-free Ca(2+) in vitro, and was undetectable 7 weeks later. Immunized group offspring exhibited increased weight variability and insulin resistance at 40 weeks of age under a normal diet, evidenced by elevated fasting serum insulin and homeostasis model assessment score compared with the vehicle control. To further observe metabolic alterations, the offspring were given a high-sugar diet (containing 20% sucrose) 40-48 weeks postnatally. The fasting plasma glucose in immunized group offspring was markedly increased. Concomitantly, these offspring manifested increased visceral adipose tissue, increased fatty liver, increased triglycerides, decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and decreased adiponectin levels, indicative of MetS.AT1-Abs could be transferred from mother to offspring via the placenta and milk. Moreover, offspring of an AT1-Ab-positive mother were more vulnerable to MetS development in middle age.AT1-Ab-positivity of mothers during pregnancy is a previously unrecognized "silent" risk factor for MetS development in their offspring.
Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) immunotherapy has shown remarkable effects in only a small subset of patients, largely due to the influence of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which play a key role in shaping the tumor immune microenvironment. In vivo dynamic imaging of TAMs is critical for personalized immunotherapy, as it enables the identification of patients likely to benefit from treatment and allows for real-time monitoring of therapeutic efficacy. Additionally, reprogramming the polarization state of TAMs from the pro-tumoral M2 phenotype to the anti-tumoral M1 phenotype represents a promising strategy to enhance immunotherapy outcomes. To address these challenges, we developed mannose-coated carbon dots/Fe3O4 superparticles (Mannose-DSPE-PEG@Fe3O4/CDs) specifically designed to target TAMs. These superparticles combine the NMR-enhanced imaging capabilities of Fe3O4 with the red fluorescence properties of carbon dots, enabling precise and non-invasive TAM imaging. Furthermore, Mannose-DSPE-PEG@Fe3O4/CDs effectively reprogram TAMs from the M2 to M1 phenotype via the JAK/STAT and ERK/MAPK pathways, thereby reshaping the tumor immune microenvironment and exerting potent anti-tumor effects. In summary, this study demonstrates the potential of Mannose-DSPE-PEG@Fe3O4/CDs as a theranostic nanoplatform for the monitoring and modulation of TAMs, offering a novel strategy for improving immunotherapy outcomes in colorectal cancer.
Purpose: To validate the efficacies of three screening tools including the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians (OSTA), Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) without bone mineral density (BMD), and body mass index (BMI) for predicting postmenopausal osteoporosis (OP) and to define the ideal thresholds for avoidance of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning in a Han Chinese population in Beijing. Patients and Methods: A total of 2055 community-dwelling Han Beijing postmenopausal females aged ≥ 45 years were enrolled in this study. All participants completed a questionnaire, and BMD was measured by DXA. OP was defined by a T-score at least − 2.5 SD less than that of average young adults in different diagnostic criteria [lumbar spine, femoral neck, total hip, worst hip, WHO]. The abilities of the OSTA, FRAX, and BMI to predict OP were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC curves (AUC) were calculated. Ideal thresholds for identifying OP were proposed. Results: The prevalence of OP ranged from 8.1% to 28.4% according to different diagnostic criteria. The AUC range for the OSTA (0.758– 0.849) was similar to the FRAX (0.728– 0.855), which revealed that both tools predicted OP reliably. The AUC range for BMI was 0.643– 0.682, suggesting limited predictive value. According to WHO criteria, the AUC values for the FRAX for hip fracture risk (FRAX-HF) and for the OSTA were 0.796 and 0.798, with corresponding sensitivities of 74.79% and 69.64% and specificities of 70.45% and 75.07%, respectively. At defined thresholds, the FRAX-HF and OSTA allowed avoidance of DXA in 42.4– 37.6% of participants, at a cost of missing only 7.2– 8.6% of individuals with OP. Conclusion: The OSTA and FRAX-HF may be reliable and effective tools for identifying postmenopausal OP in the Han Beijing population without BMD. Keywords: postmenopausal osteoporosis, OSTA, FRAX, BMI
Many concerns still exist regarding the safety of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in the treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of HCQ in the treatment of COVID-19 and other diseases by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis.Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting the safety of HCQ in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were retrieved starting from the establishment of the database till June 5, 2020. Literature screening, data extraction, and assessment of risk bias were performed independently by two reviewers.We identified 53 eligible studies involving 5496 patients. The meta-analysis indicated that the risk of adverse effects (AEs) in the HCQ group was significantly increased compared with that in the control group (RD 0.05, 95%CI, 0.02 to 0.07, P = 0.0002), and the difference was also statistically significant in the COVID-19 subgroup (RD 0.15, 95%CI, 0.07 to 0.23, P = 0.0002) as well as in the subgroup for other diseases (RD 0.03, 95%CI, 0.01 to 0.04, P = 0.003).HCQ is associated with a high total risk of AEs compared with the placebo or no intervention in the overall population. Given the small number of COVID-19 participants included, we should be cautious regarding the conclusion stating that HCQ is linked with an increase incidence of AEs in patients with COVID-19, which we hope to confirm in the future through well-designed and larger sample size studies.
Abstract Background An increasing number of extremely preterm (EP) infants have survived worldwide. However, few data have been reported from China. This study was designed to investigate the short-term outcomes of EP infants at discharge in Guangdong province. Methods A total of 2051 EP infants discharged from 26 neonatal intensive care units during 2008–2017 were enrolled. The data from 2008 to 2012 were collected retrospectively, and from 2013 to 2017 were collected prospectively. Their hospitalization records were reviewed. Results During 2008–2017, the mean gestational age (GA) was 26.68 ± 1.00 weeks and the mean birth weight (BW) was 935 ± 179 g. The overall survival rate at discharge was 52.5%. There were 321 infants (15.7%) died despite active treatment, and 654 infants (31.9%) died after medical care withdrawal. The survival rates increased with advancing GA and BW ( p < 0.001). The annual survival rate improved from 36.2% in 2008 to 59.3% in 2017 ( p < 0.001). EP infants discharged from hospitals in Guangzhou and Shenzhen cities had a higher survival rate than in others ( p < 0.001). The survival rate of EP infants discharged from general hospitals was lower than in specialist hospitals ( p < 0.001). The major complications were neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, 88.0% (1804 of 2051), bronchopulmonary dysplasia, 32.3% (374 of 1158), retinopathy of prematurity (any grade), 45.1% (504 of 1117), necrotizing enterocolitis (any stage), 10.1% (160 of 1588), intraventricular hemorrhages (any grade), 37.4% (535 of 1431), and blood culture-positive nosocomial sepsis, 15.7% (250 of 1588). The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that improved survival of EP infants was associated with discharged from specialist hospitals, hospitals located in high-level economic development region, increasing gestational age, increasing birth weight, antenatal steroids use and a history of premature rupture of membranes. However, twins or multiple births, Apgar ≤7 at 5 min, cervical incompetence, and decision to withdraw care were associated with decreased survival. Conclusions Our study revealed the short-term outcomes of EP infants at discharge in China. The overall survival rate was lower than the developed countries, and medical care withdrawal was a serious problem. Nonetheless, improvements in care and outcomes have been made annually.
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