Analysis of characteristics of four patients with adrenal unicentric Castleman disease

BackgroundCastleman Disease (CD) is a group of diseases with characteristic lymph node histopathology, characterized by marked enlargement of deep or superficial lymph nodes. Adrenal CD is rarely reported, and an accurate preoperative diagnosis of adrenal CD is difficult.MethodWe report four cases of CD in the adrenal gland confirmed by pathology and review the characteristics of this rare disease, highlighting the necessity of diagnostic evaluation and follow-up of the patients.ResultsAll of the patients sought medical advice because of adrenal incidentalomas. No significant abnormalities were presented in the biochemistry or endocrine systems. The imaging suggested a moderate-to-large mass with uneven moderate contrast enhancement of the adrenal region, similar to a pheochromocytoma. All cases were misdiagnosed as pheochromocytomas before operation and finally confirmed by histopathology. Three cases were pathologically diagnosed as hyaline vascular CD, and one case was diagnosed as plasma cell CD. All the patients are alive without recurrence after a median follow-up of 8 years.ConclusionThe adrenal CD should be considered after excluding pheochromocytoma and malignancy in the adrenal region. The long-term prognosis of patients with complete resection of the mass is excellent

Bulk Deposition and Source Apportionment of Atmospheric Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Agricultural Areas of Rural Beijing during 2016–2020

While atmospheric deposition plays a vital role in cleaning air pollutants, it also supplies toxic heavy metals and metalloids (MMs) to the receiving terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and threatens human health through food chains. To characterize the input of atmospheric deposition to agricultural soils, bulk rain samples were collected on an event basis at a rural site in the North China Plain during 2016–2020. The results show that higher concentrations of MMs in bulk rain samples were associated with western and southern air masses passing polluted areas. In addition, the annual deposition flux of MMs tends to decline during the study period, coinciding with the inter-annual variations of particulate matter rather than the precipitation amounts. Of note, the deposition flux of MMs that exist entirely in fine particles declined significantly compared to those that exist in coarse particulate form, indicating that the clean air actions implemented in recent years were highly effective in reducing ambient MMs from anthropogenic emissions. The positive matrix factorization receptor model was also applied to the whole data set for bulk depositions and five sources were identified as agricultural (biomass burning and soil), dust, coal combustion, industrial and traffic emissions. These factors contributed 41%, 24%, 21%, 9% and 5% of the chemical components in bulk depositions, respectively. Future control strategies should tighten the emissions from combustion and soil/dust in the North China Plain to protect agriculture from atmospheric MMs depositions

Regional arterial infusion with lipoxin A4 attenuates experimental severe acute pancreatitis.

Investigate the therapeutic effect of regional arterial infusion (RAI) with Aspirin-Triggered Lipoxin A4 (ATL) in experimental severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in rats.SAP was induced by injection of 5% sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic duct. Rats with SAP were treated with ATL (the ATL group) or physiological saline (the SAP group) infused via the left gastric artery 30 min after injection of sodium taurocholate. The sham group was subjected to the same surgical procedure, though without induction of SAP. Serum levels of amylase, phospholipase A2 (PLA2), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured at 12 and 24 h after induction of SAP. Ascitic fluid, the pancreatic index (wet weight ratio) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels in the pancreas were determined and histopathological findings were evaluated. The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1), NF-κB p65, and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the pancreas were estimated by immunofluorescence and western blot, respectively.ATL rats had lower serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 (P<0.01), PLA2 (P<0.05), and amylase levels (P<0.05) studied as compared with the SAP group. The pancreatic index in the ATL group decreased only at 24 h as compared with the SAP group (P<0.05). The histopathological findings and MPO levels in the pancreas significantly decreased in the ATL group as compared to the SAP group (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). Immunofluorescence and western blot showed that ATL attenuated the expression of NF-κB p65, ICAM-1 and PECAM-1 in the pancreas, and increased the expression of HO-1 in SAP animals.We demonstrated that RAI with ATL attenuated the severity of experimental SAP, maybe achieved by improving the expression of HO-1, and down-regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway, with decreased expression of ICAM-1 and PECAM-1 and reduced generation of pro-inflammatory cytokines

Size distribution and formation processes of aerosol water-soluble organic carbon during winter and summer in urban Beijing

Size-resolved aerosol organic carbon (OC) and water-soluble OC (WSOC) was determined weekly in urban Beijing between 2013 and 2018. The results showed that in winter, the concentrations of WSOC and OC in fine (2.1 mu m) mode were highest in 2013. During the following years, the concentrations of WSOC and OC were lower but an increasing trend was found from 2014 to 2016, which might be due to the increasing precursor concentrations. From summer 2013 to 2018, the concentrations of OC and WSOC in both fine and coarse mode decreased, which might be affected by decreasing emission intensity and photochemical oxidation. To characterize the seasonality of WSOC, two intensive field observations were further performed in winter 2013 and summer 2018. In winter of 2013, WSOC was mainly enriched in PM1 (<1 mu m) on clean days and lightly polluted days. In addition, the fine mode maximum shifted from 0.43-0.65 mu m to 1.1-2.1 mu m with the haze development due to the hygroscopic growth of particles. In summer of 2018, the WSOC was mainly concentrated in PM1, but in a few samples, the maximum size appeared in coarse mode. This difference might due to the different relative humidity and air mass sources. While the formation process of WSOC in winter was affected by photochemical oxidation below 2.1 mu m, in 1.1-2.1 mu m, it tended to change from photochemical oxidation to aqueous-phase oxidation. For the coarse mode WSOC formation in winter, however, it was mainly affected by heterogeneous processes. The findings advanced our understanding of the annual trends, size distribution and formation processes of WSOC, with significant implications for air pollution control in Beijing and surrounding regions

Involvement of the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in the Attenuation of Severe Acute Pancreatitis-Associated Acute Lung Injury by Sedum sarmentosum Bunge Extract

Sedum sarmentosum Bunge possesses excellent anti-inflammatory properties and was used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficiency of Sedum sarmentosum Bunge extract (SSBE) on severe acute pancreatitis-associated (SAP-associated) acute lung injury (ALI) in rats and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Here, we used a sodium taurocholate-induced SAP rat model to determine the role of SSBE in ALI. During the course of pancreatitis, the expressions of phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 in the lungs were upregulated. Meanwhile, a parallel increase in the levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the lungs was observed after the induction of SAP. Treatment with SSBE significantly reduced the expression of p-Akt and p-p65 in the lungs and attenuated the severity of SAP-associated ALI compared to the SAP group at 12 h and 24 h. In summary, this study showed that SSBE has beneficial effects on SAP-associated ALI, probably through the PI3-K/Akt signaling pathways by suppressing the NF-κB activities

The serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

<p>Increases in interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) generation at 12 and 24 h after induction of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). These increases in cytokine levels were significantly ameliorated by regional arterial infusion (RAI) with Asprin-Triggered Lipoxin A₄ (ATL) (<i>P</i><0.01). Seven rats were studied in each experimental group at each time point. The results are expressed as means and SD. * <i>P</i><0.05 and ** <i>P</i><0.01, ATL vs. the SAP group.</p

Western blot analysis of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NF-κB p65, ICAM-1 and PECAM-1 in the pancreas.

<p><b>A)</b> Representative photographs of HO-1 protein levels in the pancreas in the three groups. <b>E)</b> Bar graph quantifying the HO-1 protein level in the pancreas. HO-1 protein levels in the pancreas increased after induction of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) compared to the sham group, significantly increased following regional arterial infusion with Asprin-Triggered Lipoxin A₄ (ATL) (<i>P</i><0.01 vs. SAP). <b>B)</b> Representative photographs of nuclear NF-κB protein level in the pancreas in the three groups. <b>F)</b> Bar graph quantifying nuclear NF-κB protein levels in the pancreas. Protein levels of nuclear NF-κB in the pancreas increased after induction of SAP compared to the sham group, and decreased significantly in the ATL group both at 12 and 24 h (<i>P</i><0.05 or <i>P</i><0.01, respectively, vs. SAP). <b>C)</b> Representative photographs of ICAM-1 protein levels in the pancreas in the three groups. <b>G)</b> Bar graph quantifying ICAM-1 protein levels in the pancreas, increased after induction of SAP as compared to the sham group, and significantly decreased in the ATL group (<i>P</i><0.05 vs. SAP). <b>D)</b> Representative photographs of PECAM-1 protein levels in the pancreas in the three groups. <b>H)</b> Bar graph quantifying PECAM-1 protein levels in the pancreas, increased after induction of SAP (vs. sham) and significantly decreased in the ATL group both at 12 and 24 h (<i>P</i><0.05 vs. SAP). The results are expressed as means and SD. * <i>P</i><0.05 and ** <i>P</i><0.01, ATL vs. the SAP group.</p

Immunofluorescence staining for ICAM-1 and PECAM-1 in the pancreas.

<p><b>A)</b> The expression of ICAM-1 in vascular endothelial cells in the pancreas increased after induction of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) compared to the sham group; findings significantly attenuated by regional arterial infusion (RAI) with Asprin-Triggered Lipoxin A₄ (ATL). <b>C)</b> Fluorescence intensity for ICAM-1. The results are expressed as means and SD. The mean fluorescence intensity of ICAM-1 decreased significantly in the ATL group both at 12 and 24 h (<i>P</i><0.05 vs. SAP). <b>B)</b> The expression of PECAM-1 in vascular endothelial cells in the pancreas increased significantly after induction of SAP compared to the sham group, attenuated by RAI with ATL. <b>D)</b> Bar graph demonstrating fluorescence intensity for PECAM-1. The results are expressed as means and SD. The mean fluorescence intensity of PECAM-1 decreased significantly in the ATL group both at 12 and 24 h (<i>P</i><0.05). * <i>P</i><0.05 and ** <i>P</i><0.01, ATL vs. the SAP group.</p