Change of hs-CRP,sVCAM-1,NT-proBNP levels in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension after therapy with magnesium sulfate and nifudipine

Objective:To investigate the change of the hs-CRP,sVC AM-1,NT-proBNP levels of the patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension(PIH) syndrome.Methods:A total of 200 patients with PIH were divided into mild,moderate and severe group,and 50 healthy pregnancy patients served as the control group.The serum sVCAM-1 levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,hs-CRP were detected by immunity transmission turbidity,and NT-proBNP levels were determined by the colloidal gold method.Patients were treated with magnesium sulfate and nifudipine and the contrastive analysis was performed before and after treatment.And the pathological changes in placental of PIH patients were delected by hematoxylin-eosin staining at the same time.Results:The hs-CRP,sVCAM-l,NT-proBNP levels of patients in the mild, moderate and severe PHI group were significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05). The hs-CKP,sVCAM-l,NT-proBNP levels in the severe group were significantly higher than the mild group and the moderate group,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The hsCRP,sVCAM-l,NT-proBNP of the moderate group were significantly higher than the mild group(P<0.05).There was a positive correlation between hs-CRP,sVCAM-1,NT-proBNP expression levels and the degree of the PIH.The expression of hs-CRP,sVCAM-1,NT-proBNP levels of the moderate and the severe group were significantly decreased(P<0.05).The number of placental villi and interstitial blood vessel in the moderate and severe PIH group were significantly less than the control group(P<0.05).Conclusions:The increased levels of serum hs-CRP,sVCAM-1, NT-proBNP may be involved in the process of vascular endothelial cell injury of the PIH,and the hs-CRP,sVCAM-1,NT-proBNP can be used as the auxiliary index for diagnosis of PIH and determination of PIH severity.

Clinical features and risk factors of severely and critically ill patients with COVID-19

BACKGROUND As of June 1,2020,over 370000 coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)deaths have been reported to the World Health Organization.However,the risk factors for patients with moderate-to-severe or severe-to-critical COVID-19 remain unclear.AIM To explore the characteristics and predictive markers of severely and critically ill patients with COVID-19.METHODS A retrospective study was conducted at the B11 Zhongfaxincheng campus and E1-3 Guanggu campus of Tongji Hospital affiliated with Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan.Patients with COVID-19 admitted from 1st February 2020 to 8th March 2020 were enrolled and categorized into 3 groups:The moderate group,severe group and critically ill group.Epidemiological data,demographic data,clinical symptoms and outcomes,complications,laboratory tests and radiographic examinations were collected retrospectively from the hospital information system and then compared between groups.RESULTS A total of 126 patients were enrolled.There were 59 in the moderate group,49 in the severe group,and 18 in the critically ill group.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age[odd ratio(OR)=1.055,95%(confidence interval)CI:1.099-1.104],elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios(OR=4.019,95%CI:1.045-15.467)and elevated high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I(OR=10.126,95%CI:1.088-94.247)were high-risk factors.CONCLUSION The following indicators can help clinicians identify patients with severe COVID-19 at an early stage:age,an elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and high sensitivity cardiac troponin I.

A NEW APPROACH TO ELECTROACTIVE POLYMERS VIA WELL-DEFINED OLIGOMERRS WITH FURTHER POLYMERIZABLE END-GROUPS

Among the inherent drawbacks of conducting polymers are the limited processibility, uneven polydispersity in molecular weight and the existence of structure defects, which become the obstacles for many electronic, optical and biological applications that demand the materials to have well-defined structures and high chemical purity. To solve these problems, our research in the last decade or so has focused on the synthesis of electroactive oligomers of well-defined structures, controllable molecular weights, narrow or uniform polydispersity. We have developed a general strategy for the synthesis of such oligomers based on the theory of non-classical or reactivation chain polymerization. The aniline oligomers with minimum 4 nitrogen atoms and 3 phenylene rings exhibit similar characteristic redox behavior and electroactivity as polyaniline. Electronic conductivity of the oligomers of 7 or 8 aniline units approaches that of polyaniline. Solubility of the oligomers is much improved over that of conventional polyaniline. Various functional groups can be introduced into the oligomers either by proper selection of starting materials or by post-synthesis modifications via common organic reactions. The functionalized oligomers undergo further polymerizations to afford a variety of new electroactive materials, including polyamides, polyimides, polyureas, polyurethanes, polyacrylamides and epoxy polymers. Numerous potential applications, particularly as anticorrosion materials, are discussed for the oligomers and their polymeric derivatives.

c-Jun, at the crossroad of the signaling network

c-Jun,the most extensively studied protein of the activator protein-1(AP-1)complex,is involved in numerous cell activities,such as proliferation,apoptosis,survival,tumorigenesis and tissue morphogenesis.Earlier studies focused on the structure and function have led to the identification of c-Jun as a basic leucine zipper(bZIP)transcription factor that acts as homo-or heterodimer,binding to DNA and regulating gene transcription.Later on,it was shown that extracellular signals can induce post-translational modifications of c-Jun,resulting in altered transcriptional activity and target gene expression.More recent work has uncovered multiple layers of a complex regulatory scheme in which c-Jun is able to crosstalk,amplify and integrate different signals for tissue development and disease.One example of such scheme is the autocrine amplification loop,in which signal-induced AP-1 activates the c-Jun gene promoter,while increased c-Jun expression feedbacks to potentiate AP-1 activity.Another example of such scheme,based on recent characterization of gene knockout mice,is that c-Jun integrates signals of several developmental pathways,including EGFR-ERK,EGFR-RhoA-ROCK,and activin B-MAP3K1-JNK for embryonic eyelid closure.After more than two decades of extensive research,c-Jun remains at the center stage of a molecular network with mysterious functional properties,some of which are yet to be discovered.In this article,we will provide a brief historical overview of studies on c-Jun regulation and function,and use eyelid development as an example to illustrate the complexity of c-Jun crosstalking with signaling pathways.

Abnormal expression of TFIIIB subunits and RNA PolⅢgenes is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma

The levels of the products of RNA polymeraseⅢ-dependent genes(PolⅢgenes),including tRNAs and 5S rRNA,are elevated in transformed and tumor cells,which potentiate tumorigenesis.TFIIB-related factor 1(Brf1)is a key transcription factor and specifically regulates the transcription of PolⅢgenes.In vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated that a decrease in Brf1 reduces PolⅢgene transcription and is sufficient for inhibiting cell transformation and tumor formation.Emerging evidence indicates that dysregulation of Brf1 and PolⅢgenes is linked to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)in humans and animals.We have reported that Brf1 is overexpressed in human liver cancer patients and that those with high Brf1 levels have shorter survivals.This review summarizes the effects of dysregulation of these genes on HCC and their regulation by signaling pathways and epigenetics.These novel data should help us determine the molecular mechanisms of HCC from a different perspective and guide the development of therapeutic approaches for HCC patients.