Objectives: To investigate the effects of medium-and long-chain triacylglycerol (MLCT) on blood triglyceride (TG) in Chinese hypertriglyceridemic subjects. Methods: A double-blind controlled clinical trial was carried out, in which 112 subjects with hypertriglyceridemia were randomly divided into two dietary oil groups: (1) long-chain triacylglycerol (LCT) and (2) MLCT. All subjects were requested to ingest fixed energy and to continue their normal activity levels, and to consume LCT or MLCT oil at 25-30 g daily during the study period. Anthropometric measurements of body weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat, body fat percentage, waist and hip circumference (WC and HC), areas of subcutaneous and visceral fat by computed tomography scanning and blood biochemical markers were measured at the beginning and end of the study. Results: There were 50 and 51 subjects left in LCT and MLCT groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in daily intake of energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate, as well as the daily physical activity between the two groups during the study. After 8 weeks, MLCT group showed a significant decrease in body weight, BMI, WC, HC, ratio of WC and HC, body fat, body fat percentage and subcutaneous fat when compared with the initial values. The decrease in body weight, BMI, WC, body fat and subcutaneous and visceral fat was significantly greater in MLCT group than that in the LCT group. Furthermore, the serum concentrations of TG in MLCT group were significantly lower than those in the LCT group. Conclusions: Consumption of MLCT may reduce body weight, body fat and blood TG in hypertriglyceridemic subjects under an appropriate dietary regime.

For inoperable HCC patients, PMCT is one of the treatment choices shown to be effective. Apart from its tissue coagulation effect, an increased systemic immune response directed against the tumour may also play an important role in improved survival.

SummaryAlthough the delayed-type hypersensitivity skin test reaction to tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) is used worldwide for tuberculosis (TB) detection, it is incapable of distinguishing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection from bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination or infection with non-tuberculous Mycobacteria. As a result, there is an urgent need for a more specific diagnostic tool for TB. This study reports the skin reactions of guinea pigs and human volunteers to recombinant early secreted antigen target 6 (rESAT6), a secretory protein found only in MTB, M. bovis and few other mycobacterial species. These volunteers had varying histories of BCG vaccination and exposure to MTB, allowing us to determine the specificity of their response to TB exposure. Our results show that 1·0 mg of the purified MTB rESAT6 antigen elicited a positive skin response in both animals and humans exposed to MTB, as well as in animals exposed to M. bovis and M. marinum, all species of Mycobacteria that contain the gene for early secreted antigen target 6 (ESAT6). ESAT6 appears to be more specific to MTB infection than PPD, as demonstrated by the fact that we saw no skin responses in the BCGvaccinated volunteers, nor in the guinea pigs sensitized with BCG vaccine, or with Mycobacteria that do not contain the gene encoding ESAT6. We believe that this is the first report of the use of a rESAT6 protein in a skin test in human volunteers, and that these data support its use in the specific detection of MTB infection.

BackgroundImaging modalities are essential for the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) due to the absence of specific clinical manifestations. Sacroiliac Joint (SIJ) CT has been used to identify sacroiliitis for decades with a higher diagnostic accuracy than radiography in detecting structural changes, and not reducing the specificity like MRI. However, no well-accepted grading system for SIJ CT existed.ObjectivesWe evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of existing grading criteria of sacroiliitis, aiming to provide references for future better reading of SIJ CT in AS.MethodsA total of 2714 patients who had received CT scanning for any reasons with complete SIJ structures displaying between June 2012 and December 2015 were included. The CT scans were read by 2 rheumatologists together who had received professional training in radiology. Patients with sacroiliitis were selected and bilateral SIJs of each patient were evaluated separately by the 1984 modified New York (mNY) criteria, the criteria proposed by Lee (Lee criteria)[1] and the criteria from Innsbruck workshop report (Innsbruck criteria)[2], respectively. The grading differences among these criteria were analyzed.ResultsAmount to 509 patients were detected having sacroiliitis with an average age of 34 years and 64% of male. Among 1018 SIJs of these patients, 45 SIJs graded 1∼3 by mNY criteria were graded 0 by Lee criteria, indicating the better specificity of Lee criteria. Lee criteria was much more convenient and reliable than mNY criteria for its more explicit definitions. The SIJs with definite sacroiliitis estimated by mNY and Lee criteria were 79.37% and 82.91%, respectively, and simply divided into grade 3 or grade 4. Conversely, 85.27% SIJs were identified as definite sacroiliitis and classified into 5 grades, from grade IIB to grade IVB, by Innsbruck criteria, and the percentages of each grade were 8.94%, 26.82%, 20.92%, 10.12% and 18.47%, respectively, which means a higher discrimination capability than the other two criteria. Other than graded by the extent of lesions in mNY criteria or Lee criteria, the grading assessment by Innsbruck criteria was based on the lesion types, which was more consistent with the natural progression of sacroiliitis.Table 1.The existing grading criteria of SIJ CTmNY criteriaLee criteriaInnsbruck criteria 0 = Normal1 = Suspicious for erosions or sclerosis2 = Mildly abnormal with definite erosions or sclerosis, but without alteration in the joint width3 = Moderately abnormal with erosions or sclerosis, joint space narrowing or widening and/or partial ankylosis4 = Complete ankylosis0 = Normal1 = Focal erosions seen on only one of either semi-coronal or axial images2 = ≤25% erosions*, but without alteration in the joint width3 = ≥25% erosions*, joint space alteration and/or partial ankylosis4 = Complete ankylosisIA = SIJ>4 mmIB = SIJ<2 mmIIA = Contour irregularitiesIIB = ErosionIIIA = Subchondral sclerosisIIIB = Spur formationIVA = Transarticular bony bridgesIVB = Ankylosis*Extent of erosions; (%) = number of slices wit...

There was a higher rate in males and younger age at disease onset in these Chinese iRPF patients than in other populations. Acute-phase reactants and serum IgG were elevated in some patients. Tobacco use may be a risk factor for iRPF in Chinese populations.