Interleukins were only measured at admission, and were tested in serum, not in the cerebrospinal fluid. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that higher serum IL-8 levels may predict more severe withdrawal symptoms at 2 weeks after METH abstinence. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.OBJECTIVE The serum kynurenine pathway metabolites kynurenic acid (KYNA), kynurenine (KYN), and tryptophan (TRP) were examined in chronic ketamine users and in schizophrenic patients. The correlations of the metabolites with sociodemographic data, clinical characteristics, and drug use status were analyzed. METHODS Seventy-nine healthy controls, 78 ketamine users, and 80 schizophrenic patients were recruited. Serum TRP, KYN, and KYNA levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography following tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Psychotic symptoms were evaluated using the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). RESULTS Serum levels of TRP, KYNA, and KYN (in ketamine users only) were lower in ketamine users and schizophrenic patients than in controls (p  less then  .05). TRP and KYN were lower in ketamine users than in schizophrenic patients (p  less then  .01). KYNA levels were positively correlated with the current frequency of ketamine use in ketamine users (p = .031), and serum KYNA levels were negatively correlated with the duration of schizophrenia (p = .015). CONCLUSION TRP, KYNA, and KYN were lower in chronic ketamine users than in controls, and the alterations were in the same direction as those observed in schizophrenic patients. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.BACKGROUND Preschool asthma / recurrent wheeze is a heterogenous condition. Different clinical phenotypes have been described, including episodic-viral wheeze (EVW), severe intermittent wheeze (SIW), and multiple-trigger wheeze (MTW). OBJECTIVE To compare clinical, viral and inflammatory/immune profiling at exacerbation between MTW, SIW and EVW phenotypes. METHODS Multicenter, prospective, observational cohort (VIRASTHMA-2). Children (1-5 years) with preschool asthma were enrolled during hospitalization for a severe exacerbation. History and anamnestic data, plasma and nasal samples were collected at exacerbation (T1) and at steady state, 8 weeks later (T2), and sputum samples were collected at T1. RESULTS 147 children were enrolled, 37 (25%) had SIW, 18 (12.2%) EVW, and 92 (63%) MTW. They were atopic (47%), exposed to mold (22%) and cigarette smoke (50%) and prone to exacerbations (≥2 in the previous year in 70%). At exacerbation, at least one virus was isolated in 94%, rhinovirus in 75%, with no difference between phenotypes. Children with MTW and SIW phenotypes displayed lower plasma concentrations of IFN-γ (p=0.002), IL-5 (p=0.020), TNF-α (p=0.038), IL-10 (p=0.002), IFN-β (p=0.036) and CXCL10 (p=0.006), and lower levels of IFN-γ (p=0.047) in sputum at exacerbation than children with EVW. At T2, they also displayed lower plasma levels of IFN-γ (p=0.045) and CXCL10 (p=0.013). CONCLUSION Among preschool asthmatic children, MTW and SIW, prone to exacerbations, display lower systemic levels of Th1, Th2 cytokines, pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and anti-viral responses during severe virus-induced exacerbation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.At the time of medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO) to realign the lower limb and offload medial compartment knee osteoarthritis, unwanted fractures can propagate from the osteotomy apex. The aim of this study was to use finite element (FE) analysis to determine the effect of hinge location and apical drill holes on cortical stresses and strains in HTO. A monoplanar medial opening wedge HTO was created above the tibial tuberosity in a composite tibia. Using the FE method, intact lateral hinges of different widths were considered (5, 7.5, and 10 mm). Additional apical drill holes (2, 4, and 6 mm diameters) were then incorporated into the 10 mm hinge model. The primary outcome measure was the maximum principal strain in the cortical bone surrounding the hinge axis. Secondary outcomes included the force required for osteotomy opening, minimum principal strain, and mean cortical bone stresses (maximum principal/minimum principal/von Mises).  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/bb-94.html  Larger intact hinges (10 mm) were associated with higher cortical bone maximum principal strain and stress, lower minimum principal strain/stress, and required greater force to open. Lateral cortex strain concentrations were present in all scenarios, but extended to the joint surface with the 10 mm hinge. Apical drill holes reduced the mean cortical bone maximum principal strain adjacent to the hinge axis 2 mm hole 6% reduction; 4 mm 35% reduction; and 6 mm 55% reduction. Incorporating a 4-mm apical drill hole centered 10 mm from the intact lateral cortex maintains a cortical bone hinge, minimizes cortical bone strains and reduces the force required to open the HTO; thus improving control. © 2020 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.The aim of our study was to investigate whether low androgen level inhibits the erectile function of rats by regulating the expression of P2X receptors. Thirty-six 8-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into six groups sham-operated groups (4w-sham, 8w-sham), castration groups (4w-cast, 8w-cast) and androgen replacement after castration groups (4w-cast + T, 8w-cast + T). The maximum intracavernous pressure/mean arterial pressure (ICPmax/MAP), the levels of serum testosterone (T) and nitric oxide (NO), and the expression of P2X1, P2X2, P2X3, eNOS, p-eNOS, ROCK1 and ROCK2 in the cavernous tissue of rats were determined. The serum T, ICPmax/MAP and NO levels in penile corpus cavernosum in the castration groups were significantly lower than those in other groups (p  less then  .01). The protein expression of P2X1, P2X2, P2X3, ROCK1 and ROCK2 in the castration groups was significantly higher than those in other groups (p  less then  .01). P-eNOS/eNOS of the castration groups were significantly lower than those of other groups (p  less then  .