Dendritic cells (DC) are highly efficient antigen-presenting cells. DC may be used to create DC vaccines against cancer, but the optimal strategies remain to be elucidated. This study aimed to examine the benefits and adverse effects of using esophageal cancer cell antigens to stimulate DC to trigger the specific immune response in patients with esophageal cancer undergoing radiotherapy. This was an observational cohort study performed at Lianshui County People's Hospital between September 2010 and June 2012. Forty patients with esophageal cancer planned to receive radiotherapy were selected, and 28 received the DC vaccine. DC were isolated, loaded with antigens, and intradermally injected after being cultured for 1 week. One week after injection, the patients underwent a delayed-type hypersensitivity test. Serum Th1 cytokines [interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12, and interferon (IFN)-γ] and antigen-specific IFN-γCD8 T cells were tested before and after vaccination. Patients were followed up for 2 years. Adverse events were monitored. Patients in the vaccine group tolerated the DC vaccine. Levels of serum IL-2 (+92.4%), IL-12 (+70.9%), and IFN-γ (+214.3%) as well as the proportion of IFN-γCD8 T cells (3.0-16.4-fold) were significantly increased compared with baseline and the control group (all P<0.05). The 1- (82.1% vs. 50.0%, P=0.04) and 2-year survival (67.8% vs. 33.3%, P=0.04) was improved by vaccination. Only 2 patients showed mild fever. In conclusion, the DC vaccine triggered the specific immune response and induced the secretion of Th1 cytokines. The vaccine may lead to better survival, but this have to be confirmed. Adverse events were rare and mild.

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Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is common in hypertension and is a predictor of increased cardiovascular risk, however the effect of LVDD, detected by new guideline, on major adverse cardiac events (MACE) is unknown in hypertensive patients without known cardiovascular disease. The present study aims to evaluate LVDD in a community hypertension cohort study and assess the effect of LVDD on MACE. we studied 283 asymptomatic nonischemic patients with hypertension who had baseline echocardiogram between 2012 and 2014. Patients were followed for MACE (myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization procedures, heart failure, stroke, all-cause mortality) with mean follow-up of 5.4 years. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the association of LVDD with MACE. At baseline, 35 of the 283 hypertensions were diagnosed with LVDD (12.3%) and 25 patients were women (15.5%). Women had higher frequency of LVDD than men (8%). During follow-up, there were 26.6% patients occurring MACE in the LVDD group at baseline, 9.9% patients occurring MACE in the group with normal diastolic function. In multivariable Cox regression analyses, LVDD was a stronger predictor of MACE (HR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.20 to 5.25; c- statistics 0.805) than E/e′ ratio (HR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.22). LVDD was strongly associated with MACE in hypertension patients.

Rational exploration of earth-abundant, highly active and stable non-noble metal electrocatalysts toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) through the compositional manipulation and nano-architectural design is of great significance for the development...