a b s t r a c tAn excess of interleukin 17 (IL-17) may contribute to chronic inflammatory disorders, but mechanisms that regulate IL-17 in immune cells are unclear. Here we report that tristetraprolin (TTP) inhibits IL-17 production in human T cell lines. Overexpression of TTP decreased the expression of IL-17. Conversely, TTP inhibition by siRNA increased IL-17 production. IL-17 mRNA contains eight AREs within its 3 0 UTR. TTP bound directly to the IL-17 mRNA 3 0 UTR at a location between the fourth and seventh AREs and enhanced decay of IL-17 transcripts. These results suggest that TTP could control IL-17-mediated inflammation.

Rationale:Although persistent postoperative hiccups can cause various problems (such as sleep disorders, depression, fatigue) for the patient, there has been little research on this topic. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of treating persistent postoperative hiccups with a stellate ganglion block (SGB), an injection of local anesthetic in the sympathetic nerve tissue of the neck.Patient concerns and diagnoses:Three patients each developed persistent hiccups within 3 days of abdominal surgery, lasting for 3 to 6 days. The patients were diagnosed as having persistent hiccups based on the hiccup duration.Interventions and outcomes:The 3 patients were treated with an SGB. After the procedure, the frequency and intensity of hiccups decreased and then the hiccups stopped completely.Conclusion:An SGB is an effective method that can be considered in conjunction with other treatments for persistent hiccups. Clinicians should be mindful of the negative effects that persistent hiccups can exert on patients.

BackgroundCerebral hypotension and desaturation can occur during shoulder surgery in the seated position. We evaluated the correlation of cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) using near infra-red spectroscopy (NIRS) and mean arterial pressures (MAP) (at the levels of the brain and heart).MethodsFifty patients, scheduled for the arthroscopic shoulder surgery in the seated position, were enrolled to monitor the rSO2, bispectral Index (BIS), and MAPs at the levels of the brain and heart. The values of each parameter were collected at 5 min after intubation, immediately after placing the patient in the sitting position, 5 min after the patient was seated, immediately after the surgical incision, and every 30 min after incision.ResultsA correlation between the cerebral rSO2 and the MAP at the level of brain were statistically significant. Cerebral rSO2 and MAP after a change of posture from supine to sitting position were significantly decreased, compared to the baseline value.ConclusionsMonitoring cerebral rSO2 and MAP at the level of brain can be helpful to detect the possibility of cerebral deoxygenation earlier.