The serum IgG antibody level as a biomarker for clinical outcome in patients with cerebral sparganosis after treatment

IntroductionCerebral sparganosis is a rare parasitic infection of the brain tissue. The remission of MRI change and clinical symptom has been used to evaluate the therapeutic effect. However, there is no study to correlate the serum IgG antibody level of sparganum to the prognosis of disease after treatment. Methods87 patients with cerebral sparganosis were collected from three medical centers. Clinical symptoms and MRI changes were evaluated at 12 months after initial treatment, and serum IgG antibody level of sparganum was evaluated at 2, 6, and 12 months after treatment. The positive cut-off value was based on 2.1 times the optical density (OD) of negative control. The index value was defined as the sample OD divided by the cut-off value.ResultsAmong the 87 patients after treatment, 71 patients had good clinical outcomes, and 16 had poor clinical outcomes. The area under the curve (AUC) showed that the index value measured at 12 months after treatment had the best prediction effect, with a value of 2.014. In the good-outcome group, the index values were less than 2.014 in all 71 patients, and only 8 patients had mildly enhanced residual lesions on MRI. In the poor-outcome group, the index values were more than 2.014 in all 16 patients, and all patients still showed significantly enhanced lesions on MRI. Compared with poor-outcome patients, only 2 patients with good outcomes had disease recurrence after treatment.DiscussionThis study provided evidence that the serum IgG antibody level of sparganum was a promising biomarker to evaluate the prognosis of patients with cerebral sparganosis after treatment

Clinical Analysis of Sphenoid Sinus Mucocele With Initial Neurological Symptoms

Background and Objectives: Neurological manifestations associated with sphenoid sinus mucocele (SSM) are easily misdiagnosed due to nonspecific symptoms. The objective is to analyze and report the clinical features of SSM presenting with neurological manifestations, to allow an earlier diagnosis and more timely intervention for this disease. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study including 19 patients. The detailed clinical information of 19 patients with the initial symptom of neurological manifestations caused by SSM presenting at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between January 2000 and May 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Collected data including symptoms, signs, neuroimaging, and pathologic diagnoses. Results: There were eleven males and 8 females, and their ages ranged from 23 to 71 years. Headache was the most frequent symptom, in 12 of the 19 patients presenting as the initial symptom. The visual disturbance included visual loss (4/19), diplopia (3/19), and another patient had both visual loss and diplopia. Neurophysical examination found that 4 patients presented with oculomotor nerve palsy, 4 patients had optic nerve or abducens nerve palsy, and 1 patient had optic neuropathy, oculomotor nerve palsy and abducens nerve palsy simultaneously. All patients underwent endoscopic surgery and had postoperative clinical symptom improvement. Conclusions: Headache is the most common symptom of SSM and should be on the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with headache, even if in isolation. The results suggest that CT and MRI are the best tools in diagnosis of SSM and endoscopic sphenoidotomy is a safe and effective method in the treatment of SSM.</p

Clinical Analysis of Sphenoid Sinus Mucocele With Initial Neurological Symptoms

Background and Objectives: Neurological manifestations associated with sphenoid sinus mucocele (SSM) are easily misdiagnosed due to nonspecific symptoms. The objective is to analyze and report the clinical features of SSM presenting with neurological manifestations, to allow an earlier diagnosis and more timely intervention for this disease. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study including 19 patients. The detailed clinical information of 19 patients with the initial symptom of neurological manifestations caused by SSM presenting at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between January 2000 and May 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Collected data including symptoms, signs, neuroimaging, and pathologic diagnoses. Results: There were eleven males and 8 females, and their ages ranged from 23 to 71 years. Headache was the most frequent symptom, in 12 of the 19 patients presenting as the initial symptom. The visual disturbance included visual loss (4/19), diplopia (3/19), and another patient had both visual loss and diplopia. Neurophysical examination found that 4 patients presented with oculomotor nerve palsy, 4 patients had optic nerve or abducens nerve palsy, and 1 patient had optic neuropathy, oculomotor nerve palsy and abducens nerve palsy simultaneously. All patients underwent endoscopic surgery and had postoperative clinical symptom improvement. Conclusions: Headache is the most common symptom of SSM and should be on the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with headache, even if in isolation. The results suggest that CT and MRI are the best tools in diagnosis of SSM and endoscopic sphenoidotomy is a safe and effective method in the treatment of SSM.</p

Re-Os dating of molybdenite from the Kafang skarn copper (tin) deposit in the Gejiu tin polymetallic ore district and its geological significance

The Gejiu tin polymetallic ore district is a famous tin polymetallic ore producing area in Yunnan Province. The Kafang skarn copper (tin) deposit is one of important mineral deposits of the Gejiu region. Re-Os dating of five molybdenite separated from the Kafang skarn ore bodies gives an isochron age of 83.4 ± 2.1Ma and model age ranges from 82.95 ± 1.16 to 83.54 ± 1.31 Ma. This age is in good agreement with Laoka granite zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb age(85 ± 0.85Ma). These ages suggest that the mineralization in the Kafang skarn deposit was genetically assoicatted to the Laoka granite. The Re contents of molybdenite indicate that ore-forming materials are derived from mantle and crust. Based on the geochronological data of Dulong Sn-Zn deposit, Bainiuchang Ag super-large deposit, Dachang tin polymetallic ore field and Wangshe Cu-W deposit and analysis of tectonic evolution of Southeast of Yunnan Province, we propose that these deposits occurred at the same geodynamic framework as a result of large scale mineralization in South China

SHRIMP zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopic compositions of Zhangshiying intrusive complex in the southern margin of the North China Craton and their geological implications

Zhangshiying intrusive complex (ZIC), consisting of K-feldspar granite, granite porphyry and quartz porphyry, is located in the southern margin of the North China Craton. The mafic enclaves are merely in K-feldspar granite and have textures indicating magma mixing. We obtained their SHRIMP zircon U-Pb ages of 107. 3 ± 2.4Ma, 106. 7 ± 2. 5Ma and 101 ± 3Ma for K-feldspar granite, granite porphyry and quartz porphyry, respectively. According to zircon Hf isotope analyses, their εHf(t) values are -15.96 - -20.80, - 18.97 - -22. 18 and -23. 41 - -27.95 and their corresponding Hf two-stage model ages (tDM2) are 1880-2018 Ma, 1925-2080Ma and 2144 - 2330 Ma One exception is the zircon inherited Archean information with 207Pb/206Pb age of 2.6 Ga, -0. 71 of εHf(t) and 3.0 Ga of tDM2. These data suggest that the source of ZIC is mainly either juvenile crust formed at 1.9 - 2.3Ga or an enriched mantle source with the contribution of Archean continental crust. On integration of regional research results, we suggest that ZIC could form at a regional lithospheric extensional setting which is confined to the existing NE-SW or NW-SE fault zones and is triggered by the drifting direction of the Pacific plate changing to southwest ward

Dissecting the Molecular Mechanism of Ionizing Radiation-Induced Tissue Damage in the Feather Follicle

<div><p>Ionizing radiation (IR) is a common therapeutic agent in cancer therapy. It damages normal tissue and causes side effects including dermatitis and mucositis. Here we use the feather follicle as a model to investigate the mechanism of IR-induced tissue damage, because any perturbation of feather growth will be clearly recorded in its regular yet complex morphology. We find that IR induces defects in feather formation in a dose-dependent manner. No abnormality was observed at 5 Gy. A transient, reversible perturbation of feather growth was induced at 10 Gy, leading to defects in the feather structure. This perturbation became irreversible at 20 Gy. Molecular and cellular analysis revealed P53 activation, DNA damage and repair, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in the pathobiology. IR also induces patterning defects in feather formation, with disrupted branching morphogenesis. This perturbation is mediated by cytokine production and Stat1 activation, as manipulation of cytokine levels or ectopic Stat1 over-expression also led to irregular feather branching. Furthermore, AG-490, a chemical inhibitor of Stat1 signaling, can partially rescue IR-induced tissue damage. Our results suggest that the feather follicle could serve as a useful model to address the in vivo impact of the many mechanisms of IR-induced tissue damage.</p></div

Involvement of Stat1 gene in IR-induced feather defects.

<p>(A) RT-PCR and densitometrical quantification showing increased Stat1 expression in the feather follicles. **, p<0.01; ***, p<0.001. (B) Stat1 antibody staining showing nuclear enrichment after IR exposure (T1 samples). (C) Whole-mount view of the feather epithelium after lentiviral-mediated Stat1 over-expression in the feather follicle. In control experiments, a lentivirus carrying GFP was used. (D) H&E analysis of Stat1 over-expressed feather follicle showing abnormal epithelial branching. Samples were collected 2 weeks after virus infection. Bar = 100 µm.</p

AG-490 partially rescues IR-induced defects in feather formation.

<p>(A) Statistics of feather morphology after 20 Gy IR exposure and AG-490 rescue. Compared to un-rescued samples shown in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0089234#pone-0089234-g001" target="_blank">Figure 1</a>, the feather morphology was significantly improved (n = 57). (B) Whole-mount view of feather branching and (C) H&E staining showing the improved feather morphology after AG-490 rescue. Epithelial branching was retained at both T1 and T2. (D) Molecular analysis of AG-490 rescue at T1. Notice the reduced nuclear Stat1, similar P53/gama-H2AX, increased PCNA, and reduced TUNEL staining. (E) Statistics of PCNA and (F) TUNEL staining results. **, p<0.01. (G) Summary of IR-responses in the feather follicle. A cytokine/Stat1 cascade disrupts the normal patterning event in the feather epithelium. Bar = 100 µm.</p

Analysis of IR-induced defects in feather formation.

<p>(A–B) H&E analysis of feather follicles after IR-exposure at different doses. At 10 Gy, the total epithelial cell number remains unchanged, yet extensive branching abnormality is seen. This is transient and reversible; at T2 (2 days post-IR) the feathers become normal again. At 20 Gy, the feather epithelium is significantly reduced. Heterogeneity in T3 (3 days post-IR) is noticed, with some recovered little while others showed branching epithelium again. Representative examples of 8 follicles examined in each case are shown. (C) Whole-mount prep of feather epithelial branching at T1 (1 day post-IR) showing the disrupted patterning at 10 or 20 Gy. Bar = 100 µm.</p

Molecular analysis in the feather follicles after IR exposure.

<p>(A) Immunohistochemistry (red) showing P53 activation, gama-H2AX expression, and PARP activation after IR exposure. Cell proliferation is indicated by PCNA staining, and cell apoptosis is monitored by Caspase-3 staining and TUNEL analysis (green). (B–C) Quantification of PCNA staining and TUNEL analysis. Significant decrease in PCNA staining is noticed after 20 Gy treatment, when TUNEL staining is also the most significant. **, p<0.01; ***, p<0.001. (D) RT-PCR analysis of gene expression in the feather follicle. T0, control samples before IR; T1, 1 day post-IR; T2, 2 days post-IR. Bar = 100 µm.</p