Background： Atopic dermatitis （AD） is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by chronic recurrent dermatitis with profound itching. Most patients have personal and/or family history of atopic ...diseases. Several criteria have been proposed for the diagnosis of AD. Although the clinical features of childhood AD have been widely studied, there has been less large-scale study on adult/adolescent AD. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features of adult/adolescent patients with chronic symmetrical eczemaJAD and to propose Chinese diagnostic criteria for adult/adolescent AD. Methods： A hospital-based study was performed. Forty-two dermatological centers participated in this study. Adult and adolescent patients （12 years and over） with chronic symmetrical eczema or AD were included in this study. Questionnaires were completed by both patients and-investigators. The valid questionnaires were analyzed using EpiData 3.1 and SPSS 17.0 software. Results： A total of 2662 valid questionnaires were collected （1369 male and 1293 female）. Of all 2662 patients, 2062 （77.5%） patients had the disease after 12 years old, while only 600 （22.5%） patients had the disease before 12 years old, suggesting late-onset eczema/AD is common. Two thousand one hundred and thirty-nine （80.4%） patients had the disease for more than 6 months. One thousand one hundred and forty-four （43.0%） patients had a personal and/or family history of atopic diseases. One thousand five hundred and forty-eight （58.2%） patients had an elevated total serum IgE and/or eosinophilia and/or positive allergen-specific IgE. Based on these clinical and laboratory features, we proposed Chinese criteria for adult/adolescent AD. Of all 2662 patients, 60.3% were satisfied with our criteria, while only 48.2% satisfied with Hanifin Rajka criteria and 32.7% satisfied with Williams criteria, suggesting a good sensitivity of our criteria in adult/adolescent AD patients. Conclusion： Late-onset of eczema or AD is common. The clinical manifestations of AD are heterogeneous. We have proposed Chinese diagnostic criteria for adolescent and adult AD, which are simple and sensitive for diagnosis of adult/adolescent AD.
To solve the problem of easy spoilage of chilled meat during storage, we fabricated a novel composite film using carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS)/pullulan (Pul)/eugenol (E) by casting method. The ...results showed that the mechanical properties of the films were better when the CMCS/Pul ratio was 2.5/2.5. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results showed that intermolecular hydrogen bonds were formed among E, CMCS, and Pul, which was consistent with the rheological test results. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images showed that eugenol was well dispersed in the CMCS/Pul matrix. The addition of eugenol significantly increased the antibacterial properties and antioxidant properties. Moreover, when 5% eugenol was added, the water vapor permeability (WVP) of the film reduced to 2.41 × 10−11 g/m·s·Pa. Finally, the freshness of the chilled meat wrapped with the eugenol-containing composite film was prolonged, thereby offering a potential alternative to synthetic materials.
•The proportion of CMCS/Pul was selected to prepare CMCS/Pul/E composite films.•The performance difference between CMCS/Pul composite films and CMCS/Pul/E composite films was compared.•Thermal stability, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties, and water resistance of films were improved by eugenol.•The freshness of the chilled meat wrapped with the eugenol-containing composite film was prolonged.
Patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) are highly vulnerable to infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The current study was designed to evaluate the ...prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection based on both nucleic acid testing (NAT) and antibody testing in Chinese patients receiving MHD.
Cross-sectional study.
From December 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020, a total of 1,027 MHD patients in 5 large hemodialysis centers in Wuhan, China, were enrolled. Patients were screened for SARS-CoV-2 infection by symptoms and initial computed tomography (CT) of the chest. If patients developed symptoms after the initial screening was negative, repeat CT was performed. Patients suspected of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 were tested with 2 consecutive throat swabs for viral RNA. In mid-March 2020, antibody testing for SARS-CoV-2 was obtained for all MHD patients.
NAT and antibody testing results for SARS-CoV-2.
Morbidity, clinical features, and laboratory and radiologic findings.
Differences between groups were examined using t test or Mann-Whitney U test, comparing those not infected with those infected and comparing those with infection detected using NAT with those with infection detected by positive serology test results.
Among 1,027 patients receiving MHD, 99 were identified as having SARS-CoV-2 infection, for a prevalence of 9.6%. Among the 99 cases, 52 (53%) were initially diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection by positive NAT; 47 (47%) were identified later by positive immunoglobulin G (IgG) or IgM antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. There was a spectrum of antibody profiles in these 47 patients: IgM antibodies in 5 (11%), IgG antibodies in 35 (74%), and both IgM and IgG antibodies in 7 (15%). Of the 99 cases, 51% were asymptomatic during the epidemic; 61% had ground-glass or patchy opacities on CT of the chest compared with 11.6% among uninfected patients (P<0.001). Patients with hypertensive kidney disease were more often found to have SARS-CoV-2 infection and were more likely to be symptomatic than patients with another primary cause of kidney failure.
Possible false-positive and false-negative results for both NAT and antibody testing; possible lack of generalizability to other dialysis populations.
Half the SARS-CoV-2 infections in patients receiving MHD were subclinical and were not identified by universal CT of the chest and selective NAT. Serologic testing may help evaluate the overall prevalence and understand the diversity of clinical courses among patients receiving MHD who are infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Display omitted
•The human CYP inhibition profile of sanguinarine (SAG) is firstly reported.•SAG is a reversible inhibitor of CYP1A2, 2C8, 2C9 and 3A4.•SAG is a time-dependent inhibitor of CYP1A2 and 3A4.•The ...magnitude of the in vivo interactions was extrapolated using in vitro data.•More than 35.9% of the four CYPs activities could be inhibited by SAG.
Sanguinarine (SAG) has been recognized as an anticancer drug candidate. However, the drug–drug interactions (DDI) potential for SAG via the inhibition against human cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes remains unclear. In the present study, the inhibitory effects of SAG on seven major human CYP isoforms 1A2, 2A6, 2E1, 2D6, 2C8, 2C9 and 3A4 were investigated with human liver microsomes (HLM). The results showed that SAG was a potent noncompetitive inhibitor of CYP2C8 activity (Ki=8.9μM), and competitive inhibitor of CYP1A2, CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 activities (Ki=2.7, 3.8 and 2.0μM, respectively). Furthermore, SAG exhibited time- and NADPH-dependent inhibition towards CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 with KI/kinact values of 13.3/0.087 and 5.58/0.029min−1μM−1, respectively. Weak inhibition of SAG against CYP2E1, CYP2D6 and CYP2A6 was also observed. In vitro–in vivo extrapolation (IV–IVE) from HLM data showed that more than 35.9% of CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C8 and CYP3A4 activities in vivo could be inhibited by SAG, suggesting that harmful DDIs could occur when SAG or its medical preparations are co-administered with drugs primarily cleared by these CYP isoforms. Further in vivo studies are needed to evaluate the clinical significance of the data presented herein.
The C-8 phenol group is essential to exert the bioactivities of daphnetin, but it is readily conjugated with glucuronic acid prior to excretion. In this study, daphnetin-7-methylether (7M-DNP) was ...used to investigate the effect of 7-methyl substitution on daphnetin glucuronidation in human/rat liver (HLM/RLM) and intestine (HIM/RIM) microsomes, and recombinant UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs). Compared with daphnetin, the Vmax /Km values of 7M-DNP via 8-O-glucuronidation were 2.1-fold lower in HLM, 1.7-fold lower in HIM, and 2.4-fold lower in RLM, suggesting an improvement in metabolic stability. Different from daphnetin 8-O-glucuronidation exclusively catalyzed by UGT1A6 and UGT1A9, UGT1A1, -1A3, -1A7, -1A8, and -1A9 showed glucuronidation activity toward 7M-DNP. Kinetics studies, chemical inhibition, and the relative activity factor approach were used to demonstrate that UGT1A9 was mainly responsible for the reaction in HLM, whereas UGT1A1 was a primary contributor in HIM. The Vmax /Km values of 7M-DNP glucuronidation in HLM and HIM were 0.61-0.74-fold lower than those of rat, suggesting the differences between the two species. The bioactivity analysis demonstrated that 7M-DNP had an anti-inflammatory activity comparable to that of daphnetin. These findings indicated that the outcomes of 7-methyl substitution on daphnetin might be positive, but this should be confirmed in future in vivo studies.
To meet human needs, domestic pigeons (Columba livia) with various phenotypes have been bred to provide genetic material for our research on artificial selection and local environmental adaptation. ...Seven pigeon breeds were resequenced and can be divided into commercial varieties (Euro‐pigeon, Shiqi, Shen King, Taishen, and Silver King), ornamental varieties (High Fliers), and local varieties (Tarim pigeon). Phylogenetic analysis based on population resequencing showed that one group contained local breeds and ornamental pigeons from China, whereas all commercial varieties were clustered together. It is revealed that the traditional Chinese ornamental pigeon is a branch of Tarim pigeon. Runs of homozygosity (ROH) and linkage disequilibrium (LD) analyses revealed significant differences in the genetic diversity of the three types of pigeons. Genome sweep analysis revealed that the selected genes of commercial breeds were related to body size, reproduction, and plumage color. The genomic imprinting genes left by the ornamental pigeon breeds were mostly related to special human facial features and muscular dystrophy. The Tarim pigeon has evolved genes related to chemical ion transport, photoreceptors, oxidative stress, organ development, and olfaction in order to adapt to local environmental stress. This research provides a molecular basis for pigeon genetic resource evaluation and genetic improvement and suggests that the understanding of adaptive evolution should integrate the effects of various natural environmental characteristics.
A polysaccharide (GSP-6B) with a molecular mass of 1.86 × 106 Da was isolated from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma sinense. Chemical composition analysis, methylation analysis, infrared ...spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were conducted to elucidate its structure. GSP-6B contains a backbone of (1→6)-linked-β-d-glucopyranosyl residues, bearing branches at the O-3 position of every two sugar residues along the backbone. The side chains contain (1→4)-linked-β-d-glucopyranosyl residues, (1→3)-linked-β-d-glucopyranosyl residues, and nonreducing end β-d-glucopyranosyl residues. An in vitro immunomodulating activity assay revealed that GSP-6B could significantly induce the release of IL-1β and TNF-α in human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and showed no toxicity to either PBMC or a human macrophage cell line THP-1. GSP-6B could also activate dendritic cells (DC) by stimulating the secretion of IL-12 and IL-10 from DC.
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in human diseases. They control gene expression levels and influence various biological processes through multiple mechanisms. Functional ...abnormalities in lncRNAs are strongly associated with occurrence and development of various diseases. LINC00472, which is located on chromosome 6q13, is involved in several human diseases, particularly cancers of the breast, lung, liver, osteosarcoma, bladder, colorectal, ovarian, pancreatic and stomach. Importantly, LINC00472 can be used as a biomarker for breast cancer cell sensitivity to chemotherapeutic regimens, including doxorubicin. LINC00472 is regulated by microRNAs and several signaling pathways. However, the significance of LINC00472 in human diseases has not been clearly established. In this review, we elucidate on the significance of LINC00472 in various human diseases, indicating that LINC00472 may be a diagnostic, prognostic as well as therapeutic target for these diseases.
Background Tumor necrosis factor-α is a key mediator in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Infliximab is a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to tumor necrosis factor-α. The purpose of this ...study was to validate the efficacy and safety of 5 mg/kg infliximab therapy in Chinese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Methods In this multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 129 patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis were randomized to the induction therapy （weeks 0, 2 and 6） with infliximab 5 mg/kg （n=84） or placebo （n=45）, followed with infliximab 5 mg/kg scheduled at week 14 and week 22 in the infliximab group, and infliximab 5 mg/kg scheduled at weeks 10, 12 and 16 in the placebo group. The primary end point was the proportion of patients who achieved at least 75% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index （PASI 75 response rate） from baseline at week 10. Results At week 10, 81.0% of patients treated with infliximab （5 mg/kg） achieved a 75% or greater improvement compared with 2.2% of patients treated with placebo （P 〈0.001）. A significant improvement in PASI, Physician＇s Global Assessment （PGA） and Dermatology Life Quality Index （DLQI）, was seen from week 6 through week 14 in the infliximab group compared with the placebo group. Through week 22, PASI, PGA, DLQI were well maintained. The incidence of adverse events for the infliximab treatment group was slightly higher in comparison to the placebo treatment group during the first 10 weeks without statistical significance. However, there were 3 cases of tuberculosis that developed during the 26 weeks treatment with infliximal. Conclusions Infliximab treatment was effective as induction and maintenance treatments for Chinese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Most drug-induced adverse events were mild to moderate, and well tolerated. Screening for tuberculosis is essential and prophylactic treatment should be given if necessary.
PDF
