Description: Discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) is relatively common in East Asia..Symptomatic discoid lateral meniscus (SDLM) is an important indication for knee arthroscopic surgery. However, studies investigating SDLM are r...

Description: Background: Toxoplasma gondii can infect all warm-blooded animals including humans. Infection with T. gondii is probably the leading cause of posterior uveitis in humans and the most comment route of transmission is raw and undercooked meat from infected animals. T. gondii calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 (TgCDPK1) plays a critical role in direct parasite motility, host-cell invasion, and egress. Methods: We constructed a DNA vaccine expressing TgCDPK1 inserted into eukaryotic expression vector pVAX I and evaluated the immune protection induced by pVAX-CDPK1 in Kunming mice. Mice immunized with pVAX-CDPK1 intramuscularly and/or with a plasmid encoding IL-15 and IL-21 (pVAX-IL-21-IL-15). The immune responses were analyzed including lymphoproliferative assay, cytokine, antibody measurements, lymphocyte surface markers by flow cytometry and protective efficacy were measured as survival and cysts numbers after challenge 1 to 2 months post vaccination. Results: Immunization with pVAX-CDPK1 or pVAX-IL-21-IL-15 alone developed strong humoral responses and Th1 type cellular immune responses, and the significantly (P 〈 0.05) increase of both the percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells compared with all the controls (blank control, PBS, and pVAX). Co-injection of pVAX-IL-21-IL-15 significantly increased humoral and cellular immune responses compared to the group of pVAX-CDPK1 or pVAX-IL-21-IL-15. Challenge experiments showed that co-administration of pVAX-IL-21-IL-15 and pVAX-CDPK1 significantly (P 〈 0.05) increased survival time (19.2 +/- 5.1 days) compared with pVAX-CDPK1 (17.3 +/- 4.3 days) or pVAX-IL-21-IL-15 (12.0 +/- 2.0 days) alone, and pVAX-IL-21-IL-15 + pVAX-CDPK1 significantly reduced the number of brain cysts (72.7%) in contrast to pVAX-ROP13 (45.7%) or pVAX-IL-21-IL-15 alone (43.6%). Conclusions: TgCDPK1 is identified to be a promising vaccine candidate for inducing a strong humoral and cellular response against T. gondii infection, and thus synergistic of mIL-21 and mIL-15 can induce non-specific immune responses, but also facilitate specific humoral as well as cellular immune responses elicited by DNA vaccine against acute and chronic T. gondii infection in mice.

Description: Background: Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) is now considered to be one of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, whether statins can alter GGT levels in arterial atheromatous plaque has not yet been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine whether statins can effectively decrease the expression of GGT in arterial atheromatous plaques. Methods: We randomly divided 45 apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoE KO) male mice into three groups: normal diet (ND) group,high-cholesterol diet (HCD) group and high-cholesterol diet and atorvastatin (HCD + Ato) group. We fed high-cholesterol food to the HCD and HCD + Ato group. After eight weeks, atorvastatin 5 mg[bullet]kg-1[bullet]d-1 was given to HCD + Ato group mice. The serum GGT-1, intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell-adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) levels were measured at end of 16 weeks by using ELISA methods. The expressions of GGT-1, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in aorta were measured by RT-PCR and Western Blot. Results: The ApoE KO mice with HCD were associated with a marked increase in plasma lipid, inflammatory factors, GGT-1, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. The expressions of GGT-1, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in HCD aortic tissue were increased. At the HCD + Ato group were treated with atorvastatin, the levels of lipid, GGT-1, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1were suppressed. Meanwhile, the expressions of GGT-1, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were significantly decreased in the whole aorta plaques. Conclusions: The effect of statins on the expression of GGT in aorta plaque was firstly observed in animal model. The research shows that statins can significantly decrease the expression of GGT in aortic atherosclerotic plaques.

Description: Background: Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC ) is a tumor with sizable metastases and local recurrence. It has a worse prognosis than bladder cancer. This study was designed to investigate the urinary potential tumor markers of UTUC. Methods: Between January 2008 and January 2009, urine was sampled from 13 patients with UTUC and 20 healthy adults. The current study identified biomarkers for UTUC using non-fixed volume stepwise weak anion exchange chromatography for fractionation of urine protein prior to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Results: Fifty five differential proteins have been determined by comparing with the 2-DE maps of the urine of UTUC patients and those of healthy people. Western blotting analysis and immunohistochemistry of tumor tissues and normal tissues from patients with UTUC were carried out to further verify five possible UTUC biomarkers, including zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein, calreticulin, annexin A2, annexin A3 and haptoglobin. The data of western blot and immunohistochemical analysis are consistent with the 2-DE data. Combined the experimental data in the urine and in tumor tissues collected from patients with UTUC, the crucial over-expressed proteins are calreticulin, annexin A2, and annexin A3. Conclusions: Calreticulin, annexin A2, and annexin A3 are very likely a panel of biomarkers with potential value for UTUC diagnosis.

Description: Background: The use of adult stem cells is limited by the quality and quantity of host stem cells. It has been demonstrated that Wharton’s jelly–derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs), a primitive stromal population, could integrate into ischemic cardiac tissues and significantly improve heart function. In this randomized, controlled trial, our aim was to assess the safety and efficacy of intracoronary WJMSCs in patients with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: In a multicenter trial, 116 patients with acute ST-elevation MI were randomly assigned to receive an intracoronary infusion of WJMSCs or placebo into the infarct artery at five to seven days after successful reperfusion therapy. The primary endpoint of safety: the incidence of adverse events (AEs) within 18 months, was monitored and quantified. The endpoint of efficacy: the absolute changes in myocardial viability and perfusion of the infarcted region from baseline to four months, global left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from baseline to 18 months were measured using F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission computed tomography (F-18-FDG-PET) and 99mTc-sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography (99mTc-SPECT), and two-dimensional echocardiography, respectively. Results: During 18 months follow-up, AEs rates and laboratory tests including tumor, immune, and hematologic indexes were not different between the two groups. The absolute increase in the myocardial viability (PET) and perfusion within the infarcted territory (SPECT) was significantly greater in the WJMSC group [6.9 ± 0.6 % (95 %CI, 5.7 to 8.2)] and [7.1 ± 0.8 % (95 %CI, 5.4 to 8.8) than in the placebo group [3.3 ± 0.7 % (95 %CI, 1.8 to 4.7), P

Description: Myocardial fibrosis is an essential hallmark of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) contributing to cardiac dysfunctions. Resveratrol, an antioxidant, exerts its anti-fibrotic effect via inhibition of oxidative stre...