Cajal initially identified interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC).In recent decades the researches on ICC were rapid.It is known to all that ICC contribute to several important functions in the gastrointestinal tract including:generation of electrical slow wave activity,coordination of pacemaker activity and active propagation of slow waves,transduction of motor neural inputs from the enteric nervous system,and mechanosensation to stretch of gastrointestinal muscles.The changes of morphology,distribution,number,phenotypic in ICC might affect on the gastrointestinal function,and might lead to gastrointestinal disease.Expression of c-kit has an important role in the ICC.Regulation of SCF/c-kit signaling system can lead to changes in morphology of ICC.In the gastrointestinal tract,motilin receptor expression in the ICC.The promotion of motilin receptor agonist to intestinal tract were mediated by ICC.ICC can be isolated and subcultured.

Vimentin is an important member of intermediate filament family in mesenchymal cells.Recently,several researches found that the changes of vimentin expression and distribution played important roles in regulating cell growth,migration,apoptosis,signaling,gene expression,as well as cellular integrity.Thus,vimemtin has relationship with some diseases,and this article summarized the progress in this field.

Functional constipation is a common and frequently occurring disease in childhood. In addition to meeting the clinical di-agnostic criteria for constipation and performing the general routine examinations, there are the need to have further examinations such as colonic transit time measurement, anorectal manometry and colonoscopy in order to rule out other causes. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to introduce several latest research progress in examinations related to constipation in children and to provide some gui-dance and references for clinicians.

Gastrointestinal motility disorders are in high incidence in children.Due to moderate prokinetic effects,poor symptomatic responses and the presence of adverse effects,there is a clear need for new classes of prokinetics.Currently available drug classes in adult include antidopami-nergic agents,serotonergic agents,and motilin-receptor while there are less available drug classes in children.The aim of the present article is to review and address the present use of promotility drugs in the treatment of different gastrointestinal motor disorders,as well as the potential for future developments.

BACKGROUND: Functional constipation (FC) might exert great influence on children in body and mental health, social-psychological development and long-term life quality. At present, there is not precise definition, clear classification, unite diagnostic standards and practicable systematic treatment project for FC in children. As a non-traumatic diagnostic means for chronic transiting constipation, gastrointestinal transit time (GTT) is considered as one of the objective indexes for dynamically observing gastrointestinal transit function, and has significance in the diagnosis of abnormal gastrointestinal dynamics, etiological investigation and therapeutic effect assessment.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the difference of GTT between constipation children and normal healthy control, so as to elicit its significance in assessing the dynamics of whole gastro-intestine and each segment.DESIGN: Case control comparative study based on FC children and healthy children.SETTING: Department of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial General Hospital, Chinese People's Armed Police Forces.PARTICIPANTS: This study was carried out at Pediatric Department of Guangdong Provincial General Hospital, Chinese People' s Armed Police Forces. Totally 28 children with confirmed FC in the General Hospital of Armed Police took part in the experiment, and 68 healthy children from a certain kindergarten and an elementary school in Guangdong province were selected as normal controls.METHODS: Whole gastrointestinal transit time(GTT), mouth-intestine transit time and colon transit time(CTT) were determined with plain abdominal photograph at 12 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours after orally administrated of radio-opaque markers.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Whole GTT, mouth-intestine transit time and CTT, as well as right colonic transit time, left colonic transit time, rectosigmoid transit time.RESULTS: 50% whole gastrointestinal transit time, mouth-intestine transit time and CTT were[(23.6±1.6) vs (80.4±2.1) hours], [(9.9±1.4)vs(20.7±0.6) hours] and[(14.8±0.8) vs (59.9±2.3) hours] in constipation and healthy group respectively, with significant difference between them( P < 0.01 ) . Moreover there was statistical difference in right colon transit time, left colon transit time and rectosiqmoid transit time between two groups( P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: GTT of constipation children is obviously different from that of healthy children; it can be used for assessing the dynamics of whole gastrointestine and each segment, thereby possess practical significance in the diagnosis and therapeutic effect assessment of FC in children.Yang M, Wang BX, Wang MG. Determination of gastrointestinal transit time in functional constipation in children.

Objective To elucidate the mechanism of SSA/Ro formation after UV exposure,and its significance in the pathogenesis of photosensitive LE skin lesion.Methods Human keratinocytes(HKC)were cultured in Medium-154.After ultraviolet-B light(UVB)irradiation,the morphological change of apoptotic HKC was observed under phase contrast microscopy,the DNA fragment of apoptotic cell was de-tected by in situ nick end-labeling.And the expression of SSA/Ro was detected by indirect immunofluores-cence(IIF).As target cells,UVB irradiated keratinocytes were incubated with affinity-purified anti-SSA/Ro sera,with or without freshly prepared human sera.SSA/Ro antigen from supernatant of irradiated ker-atinocytes was also detected with an ELISA method.Results The treatment of keratinocytes with serial dos-es(52.8mJ/cm 2 ?105.6mJ/cm 2 ?158.4mJ/cm 2 ?200mJ/cm 2 ?211mJ/cm 2 )of UVB induced SSA/Ro expression on cell membrane and apoptosis,leading to apoptotic bleb formation on cell surface,which were proved con-taining SSA/Ro and ribonucleoprotein.SSA/Ro antigen expressed on UVB irradiated keratinocytes was proved to be bound to affinity purified anti-SSA/Ro sera and lead to complement-depend cytotoxicity.But no SSA/Ro in supernatant was detected.Conclusions UVB irradiation induces SSA/Ro expression on the HKC sur-face through apoptosis,and no SSA/Ro antigen was found in supernatant.The result suggests that SSA/Ro anti-gen expressed on UVB irradiated keratinocytes could be recognized and presented to immune cells by direct cell-cell contact.

Objectives To evaluate bioMerieux VIDAS(Vitek Immune Diagnositc Assay System) Chlamydia test (CHL) and to determine its performance(sensitivity and specificity) by comparing with cell culture. Methods C. trachomatis in urogenital samples was detected by both cell culture and VIDAS CHL. The different results were confirmed by direct fluorescent antibody assay (DFA). The sensitivity to C.trachomatis serotype D and E stocks was alsode tected with VIDAS CHL and cell culture. Results C.trachomatis was found in 33 (20.2%) of 163 urogenital samples by cell culture in coutrast to in 44(27.0%) by VIDA CHL. As the expanded gold standard was defined as either cell culture positive or cell culture negative and both CHL and DFA positive, the sensitivity was 80.5% and 95.3% and the specifiaty were 100% and 97.6% in cell culture and VIDAS CHL, respectively. In the sensitivity test, C. trachomatis serotype D was tested positive at the highest dilution of one to 102 400 dilution and serotype E was at one in 51 200 by cell culture. However, both serotype D and E were tested positive at the highest dilution of one to 6 553 600 by VIDAS CHL. Conclusions Comparing with the expanded gold standard, VIDAS CHL is sensitive and specific for C.trachomatis in urogenital specimens, with simple and short running hours (1 h). First catch urine (FCU), which avoids the painful male swab collectionin male patients, could also be used as specimen in VIDAS CHL test.

Objective To analyse gene mutation in members of a Chinese family with Hailey-Hailey disease(HHD)and study the relationship between the genotype and clinical features of the disease.Meth-ods Genomic DNA of leucocytes were obtained from members of the Chinese family with HHD including4patients and6normal persons.Ten exons of ATP2C1gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction(PCR)and the products were analysed by single-strand conformation polymorphism(SSCP)and direct DNA sequencing.Results A novel mutation was identified in this family.The sequence of"TGTAGCCAT"(2068→2076)was substituded by"AGATGGAACA",which caused a frame shift of open reading frame and premature termination codon(PTC)in gene ATP2C1.There was no relationship between the genotypes and the phenotypes.Conclusion Gene mutation of ATP2C1gene at exon21is the cause for HHD in this fami-ly.

Objective To study the clinical characteristics of generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) and to compare the efficacy of different remedies. Methods A total of 84 patients with GPP collected from 1995 to 2004 were analysed according to the severity of the disease. Results The patients with a history of psoriasis vulgaris and those without the history of psoriasis vulgaris accounted for 50%, 50%, respectively. Of the GPP patients, 16.6% developed complications. A secondary infection occurred in partial patients. Clinically the outbreak of GPP was earlier in patients without the history of psoriasis than those with a history of psoriasis, which often occurred following corticosteroid therapy. Sudden withdrawal of corticosteroids was also an important inducing factor of GPP. Abnormal laboratory examination results included the decrease of hemoglobin and serum albumin, the increase of peripheral blood leucocytes and liver enzymes. Considering the efficacy and side effects, acitretin was the first choice for GPP; corticosteroids were unnecessary for severe GPP unless the acute symptom could not be controlled with other drugs. Conclusion It is suggested that appropriate drug therapy be chosen based on the disease severity after the diagnosis of GPP is established.

Skin microbiome maintain homeostasis with the host, and affect skin barrier and immune function. The components of skin microbiome are diverse and specific, and are affected by multiple factors. The predominance of Staphylococcus aureus and decrease in diversity of skin microbiome are a characteristic of atopic dermatitis. The overgrowth of S. aureus can aggravate inflammatory reactions in AD. S. epidermidis, although another predominant bacterium in AD, exerts an immunoprotective role by regulating skin barrier?associated immunoreactions through the dendritic cells, interleukin (IL)?17A?producing Th17 cells/IL?17 pathway, and by suppressing the overgrowth of S. aureus. Malassezia can induce and aggravate inflammatory reactions in AD through colonization, sensitization, cross reactions, and other mechanisms. Studies on skin probiotics may provide new directions for the treatment of AD.