The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) based on peripheral lymphocyte, neutrophil and platelet counts has been considered a good index that reflects the local immune response and systemic inflammation. However, the use of the SII has not been reported in cervical cancer. In this study, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that a high SII was associated with poor prognosis in cervical cancer patients in the primary and validation cohorts. A higher SII had a significant correlation with larger tumours but had no correlation with other clinicopathological parameters. Among all systemic immune indexes, the SII is the only independent prognostic factor for cervical cancer patients. Compared with the area under the curve for the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR), the area for the SII was larger at 3 and 5 years. In addition, the SII still retains it prognostic values across all FIGO stages. The SII can independently predict the overall survival of patients with cervical cancer receiving radical resection and is thus superior to existing systemic inflammatory indexes. The prognostic nomogram based on the SII is a reliable model for predicting the postoperative survival of patients with cervical cancer.

We regularly face primary challenges in deciding what to eat to maintain young and healthy skin, defining a healthy diet and the role of diet in aging. The topic that currently attracts maximum attention is ways to maintain healthy skin and delay skin aging. Skin is the primary barrier that protects the body from external aggressions. Skin aging is a complex biological process, categorized as chronological aging and photo-aging, and is affected by internal factors and external factors. With the rapid breakthrough of medicine in prolonging human life and the rapid deterioration of environmental conditions, it has become urgent to find safe and effective methods to treat skin aging. For diet, as the main way for the body to obtain energy and nutrients, people have gradually realized its importance to the skin. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the skin structure, aging manifestations, and possible mechanisms, summarize the research progress, challenges, possible directions of diet management, and effects of foodborne antioxidants on skin aging from the perspective of food and nutrition.

No abstract

Observational studies of thyroid function and dementia have reported conflicting results. We reviewed cohort and case-control studies from MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library that focused on the association between serum thyroxine, thyrotropin and dementia. A total of 24,952 participants from three case-control and eight cohort studies were included. The relationships between dementia and the per standard deviation (SD) increment of free thyroxine (FT4) (random relative ratio (RR) = 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00–1.17) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) (fixed RR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.84–0.99) were well established. TSH levels in the low category were associated with an increased risk of dementia (fixed RR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.27–2.00). However, the positive association was confined to TSH levels below the normal range (fixed RR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.31–2.39), not those in the lower tertile of the normal range (fixed RR = 1.39, 95% CI 0.98–1.97). Additionally, dementia was not significantly associated with high TSH levels (fixed RR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.76–1.29). Furthermore, there was no positive association between dementia and the low or high categories of TSH in men. Thus, individuals with higher FT4 levels or those with TSH levels below the normal range have an increased risk of dementia.

Background. Cardiovascular complications are known to be the main determinants of reduced life expectancy and decreased quality of life in acromegaly patients. Our study aimed to provide insight into the cardiovascular changes that occur in acromegaly patients and to investigate the correlative risk factors. Methods. A total of 108 patients definitively diagnosed with acromegaly and 108 controls matched for age and gender were recruited into study and control groups, respectively. Standard echocardiography was performed on all of the participants, and data were collected and analyzed. Results. All acromegaly patients presented with structural cardiac changes, including a larger heart cavity, thicker myocardial walls, and increased great vessel diameters compared with the control group. Additionally, the acromegaly patients presented with reduced diastolic function. Aging and increased body mass index (BMI) were correlated with myocardial hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction; a longer disease duration was correlated with larger great vessel diameters. Conclusions. Ageing and increased BMI are independent risk factors for acromegalic cardiomyopathy, and a long disease duration results in the expansion of great vessels. Increased efforts should be made to diagnose acromegaly at an early stage and to advise acromegaly patients to maintain a healthy weight.

No abstract

A novel recombinant hirudin, RGD-hirudin, inhibits the activity of thrombin and the aggregation of platelets. Here, we successfully expressed 15N, 13C-labeled RGD-hirudin in Pichia pastoris in a fermenter. The protein was subsequently purified to yield sufficient quantities for structural and functional studies. The purified protein was characterized by HPLC and MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy. Analysis revealed that the protein was pure and uniformly labeled with 15N and 13C. A bioassay showed that the anti-thrombin activity and the anti-platelet aggregation ability of the labeled protein were the same as those of unlabeled RGD-hirudin. Multidimensional heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy has been used to determine almost complete backbone 15N, 13C and 1H resonance assignments of the r-RGD-Hirudin. The 15N-1H HSQC spectrum of uniformly 15N, 13C-labeled RGD-hirudin allowed successful assignment of the signals. Examples of the quality of the data are provided for the 15N-lH correlation spectrum, and by selected planes of the CBCA(CO)NH, CBCANH, and HNCO experiments. These results provide a basis for further studies on the structure-function relationship of RGD-hirudin with thrombin and platelets.

No abstract