ow and high doses. Anti-inflammatory effect is observed with a high-dose infusion.
  This study is aimed at investigating the effect of combined transplantation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) and umbilical cord blood-derived endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) on diabetic foot ulcer healing and at providing a novel therapy for chronic diabetic foot ulcer.
 
  We reported the treatment of refractory diabetic foot ulcers in twelve patients. Among them, five patients had two or more wounds; thus, one wound in the same patient was treated with cell injection, and other wounds were regarded as self-controls.  https://www.selleckchem.com/Proteasome.html  The remaining seven patients had only one wound; therefore, the difference between the area of wound before and after treatment was estimated. The UCMSCs and ECFCs were injected into the wound along with topically applied hyaluronic acid (HA).
 
  In this report, we compared the healing rate of multiple separate wounds in the same foot of the same patient one treated with cell injection combined with topically applied HA-based hydrogel and was later covered by the hydrocolloid dressings, while the self-control wounds were only treated with conventional therapy and covered by the hydrocolloid dressings. The wound underwent cell injection showed accelerated healing in comparison to control wound within the first week after treatment. In other diabetic patients with only one refractory wound, the healing rate after cell transplantation was significantly faster than that before injection. Two large wounds healed without needing skin grafts after combination therapy of cell injection and HA. After four weeks of combination treatment, wound closure was reached in six patients, and the wounds of the other six patients were significantly reduced in size.
 
  Our study suggests that the combination of UCMSCs, ECFCs, and HA can safely synergize the accelerated healing of refractory diabetic foot ulcers.
 Our study suggests that the combination of UCMSCs, ECFCs, and HA can safely synergize the accelerated healing of refractory diabetic foot ulcers.The lung is a radiosensitive organ, which imposes limits on the therapeutic dose in thoracic radiotherapy. Irradiated alveolar epithelial cells promote radiation-related pneumonitis and fibrosis. However, the role of lung stem cells (LSCs) in the development of radiation-induced lung injury is still unclear. In this study, we found that both LSCs and LSC-derived type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECII) can repair radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks, but the irradiated LSCs underwent growth arrest and cell differentiation faster than the irradiated AECII cells. Moreover, radiation drove LSCs to fibrosis as shown with the elevated levels of markers for epithelial-mesenchymal transition and myofibroblast (α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)) differentiation in in vitro and ex vivo studies. Increased gene expressions of connective tissue growth factor and α-SMA were found in both irradiated LSCs and alveolar cells, suggesting that radiation could induce the fibrogenic differentiation of LSCs. Irradiated LSCs showed an increase in the expression of surfactant protein C (SP-C), the AECII cell marker, and α-SMA, and irradiated AECII cells expressed SP-C and α-SMA. These results indicated that radiation induced LSCs to differentiate into myofibroblasts and AECII cells; then, AECII cells differentiated further into either myofibroblasts or type I alveolar epithelial cells (AECI). In conclusion, our results revealed that LSCs are sensitive to radiation-induced cell damage and may be involved in radiation-induced lung fibrosis.Generalized peritonitis caused by spontaneous gall bladder perforation is rare and difficult to diagnose preoperatively. The increased absorption of the spilling conjugated bile from the gall bladder by the inflamed peritoneum causes jaundice and direct hyperbilirubinemia. A 56-year-old male patient with septic generalized peritonitis and obstructive-type hyperbilirubinemia came to our hospital. The blood examination showed that total, direct, and indirect bilirubin were 6.20, 5.38, and 0.82 mg/dl. The gall bladder perforation was not detected on USG, CT scan, and MRCP. On laparotomy, we found a 0.5 cm perforation on the fundus of the gall bladder and 2500 cc of bilious fluid in the peritoneal cavity. Cholecystectomy was performed, and the patient completely recovered after the surgery. Preoperative diagnosis of spontaneous gall bladder perforation is difficult even by using ultrasonography, CT scan, and MRCP. The inflammatory reaction of the peritoneum in bile peritonitis increases the absorption of the spilled conjugated bile from the peritoneal cavity. The obstructive-type hyperbilirubinemia without dilatation of the bile duct on imaging examination was the sign of bile leakage into the peritoneal cavity. In septic condition, the preoperative diagnosis of the spontaneous gall bladder perforation is important to establish so that the surgeon can make only a minimal procedure in reducing the morbidity. Therefore, it could be concluded that the presently occurring obstructive-type jaundice without dilatation of the bile duct in the case of generalized peritonitis is a specific sign of spontaneous gall bladder perforation.We retrospectively evaluated five maternal mortality cases that occurred in our institution within the last 10 years. Rate of maternal mortality was 24.5 per 100000 live births. Maternal mortality causes were cardiopulmonary failure secondary to veno-occlusive disease, septic shock secondary to osteosarcoma, pulmonary thromboembolism secondary to metastatic breast cancer, septic shock secondary to cholecystitis, and postpartum hemorrhage secondary to Niemann-Pick disease. Four out of five cases were evaluated as indirect maternal mortality cases. Three out of five cases ended up with a healthy newborn, while other cases ended up with abortus and postpartum exitus.
  Kisspeptin 1 might reflect increased androgen level in polycystic ovarian syndrome instead of other markers. 
  . A case control study was performed in Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital from 1
  of July 2016 to 1
  of July 2017; it involved 87 women divided into two groups 44 women diagnosed as PCOS, 22 women with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m
  and 22 women with BMI < 25 kg/m
  , and another 43 women without PCOS, 22 women with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m
  and 21 women with BMI < 25 kg/m
  . Hormonal, metabolic profiles, and hirsutism scores, as well as serum kisspeptin level, were assessed by using Human Kisspeptin 1(KISS-1) ELISA Kit. The blood samples between days 2 and 5 of menstrual cycle were drawn by an disposable sterile syringe and collected in EDTA containing tubes (as anticoagulant), and the hormonal profile was measured using a biotech ELISA reader.
 
  Serum level of kisspeptin was significantly higher in PCOS compared to control (322.4 vs. 235.3 ng/L, respectively). There was no significant difference in age, BMI, and parity between control and PCOS; the frequency of hirsutism, acne, elevated LH, and increased free testosterone (fTT) were significantly higher in PCOS compared to control.