Background: It has been proved in animal models that postconditioning (PC) could attenuate reperfusion injury. But there are not many clinical studies on the application of PC. Hypothesis: Four cycles of 1-minute balloon inflation and deflation, following initial balloon reperfusion in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI) but before stenting, might improve clinical outcomes compared with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) alone. Methods: Forty-three patients diagnosed with acute MI were randomly assigned to 2 groups: the control group (n = 20) and the PC group (n = 23). Blood samples were obtained and assayed for creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) and high-sensitive C-reactive protein. Electrocardiogram, echocardiography, and rest technetium Tc 99m-sestamibi (99mTc-MIBI) myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) were performed. Results:The control group presented with higher peak CK-MB as compared with the PC group (351.9 ± 153.6 vs 247.7 ± 118.3 U/L, P = 0.028) as well as the area under the curve (AUC) of CK-MB (8040 ± 3358 vs 5955 ± 2509, P = 0.04). After PCI, PC was associated with a lower level of hs-CRP in comparison with the control group (5.5 ± 4.5 vs 9.5 ± 5.2 mg/L, P = 0.019). More patients in the PC group had complete ST-segment resolution than did patients in the control group (82.6% vs 45.0%, P = 0.049). Left ventricle ejection fraction was better in the PC group than in the control group (0.57 ± 0.09 vs 0.47 ± 0.11, P = 0.002). Compared with the control group, PC greatly reduced infarct size, by 46% as measured by SPECT (13 ± 11.2% vs 24.2 ± 10.6%, P = 0.002). Conclusions: This study indicated that PC in emergent PCI was a valuable modification of primary PCI. IntroductionCoronary heart disease will become the leading cause of death worldwide by 2020. 1 Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a major cause of such mortality. Early and successful myocardial reperfusion with the use of thrombolytic therapy or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the most effective strategy for reducing the size of a myocardial infarct and improving the clinical outcome. But at the same time, the process of restoring blood flow to the ischemic myocardium can induce additional lethal injuries that are termed myocardial reperfusion injury. 2 Studies in animal models of AMI suggest that 50% of the final size of an MI is caused by myocardial reperfusion injury. 3 So new strategies for preventing reperfusion injury should be explored.Postconditioning (PC), defined as a cycle of brief interruptions of reperfusion applied at the onset of reperfusion after a prolonged ischemic insult, has been found to attenuate reperfusion injury in several animal experiments. 4 -7 In our study we applied this cardioprotective intervention at the time of myocardial reperfusion in 23 Chinese AMI patients receiving emergent PCI.

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Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), a critical component of the glycolytic pathway, relates to the development of various cancers, including thyroid cancer. However, the regulatory mechanism of LDHA inhibition and the physiological significance of the LDHA inhibitors in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) are unknown. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a vital role in tumor growth and progression. Here, we identified a novel lncRNA LINC00671 negatively correlated with LDHA, downregulating LDHA expression and predicting good clinical outcome in thyroid cancer. Moreover, hypoxia inhibits LINC00671 expression and activates LDHA expression largely through transcriptional factor STAT3. STAT3/LINC00671/LDHA axis regulates thyroid cancer glycolysis, growth, and lung metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. In thyroid cancer patients, LINC00671 expression is negatively correlated with LDHA and STAT3 expression. Our work established STAT3/LINC00671/LDHA as a critical axis to regulate PTC growth and progression. Inhibition of LDHA or STAT3 or supplement of LINC00671 could be potential therapeutic strategies in thyroid cancer.

Background: no systematic studies on the prevalence of coeliac disease (CD) have been reported from China. In western populations CD is more common in patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and in diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (D-IBS). We have screened patients with these conditions presenting to the outpatient department of a large hospital of "Traditional Chinese Medicine" (TCM) in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, P.R. China. Methods: we tested sera of 78 unrelated Han Chinese patients (5 IDDM and 73 D-IBS), using ELISA serological tests for IgG anti-gliadin antibodies (IgG-AGA) and IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (IgA-tTG). Results: six out of 78 patients (7.7%) were positive for IgG-AGA (two men and four women) and two (2.6%) were positive for IgA-tTGs. One of the latter patients was negative for IgG-AGA. Besides, one patient had a dubious IgA-tTG antibody and a positive IgG-AGA. None of the six patients agreed to undergo duodenal biopsy. Two out of these six patients followed a gluten-free diet for one year. In one patient the diarrhoea ceased and his body weight increased. Another stopped losing weight. Conclusions: this study previously published as a letter in

Purpose. To elucidate the characteristics and risk factors for positive biopsy outcomes in Chinese patients with prostate specific antigen (PSA) 4–10 ng/mL and develop a risk-stratification score model. Methods. The data of 345 patients who underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy between 2011 and 2013 was retrospectively analyzed. Digital rectal examination (DRE), prostate volume (PV), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and smoking status were also collected. Positive biopsy outcomes were defined as prostate cancer (PCa) and high grade PCa (HGPCa, Gleason Score ≥ 7). Results. The median PSA was 7.15 (IQR 5.91–8.45) ng/mL. Overall 138 patients (40.0%) were shown to have PCa, including 100 patients (29.0%) with HGPCa. Smaller PV, elder age, MRI results, and positive DRE were proved to be predictive factors for positive biopsy outcomes in both univariate and multivariate analysis. We developed a “PAMD” score which combined the four factors to categorize patients into three risk groups, and the model performed good predictive sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion. The prevalence of prostate cancer in Chinese patients with PSA 4–10 ng/mL was 40%, including 29% patients with high grade disease. DRE, age, MRI, and PV were predictive factors for positive biopsy outcomes, and the PAMD score model could be utilized for risk-stratification and decision-making.

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