Growth patterns of trichome and contaminative bacteria in Spirulina sp. liquid culture were observed, and it was found that the number of neutral and alkalophilic bacteria was always 105～106 times of that of Spirulina sp. trichome. It would be very difficult to get real pure Spirulina sp. strain by classical methods of dilution plate, capillary and single trichome selecting methods. A great deal of contaminative bacteria was washed out by two pretreatment processes. Low speed centrifugation was designed to wash the strains which usually deposit at bottom, and filtration method was designed to treat the strains usually floating at surface. Sandwich plate and dilution plate were designed for the purification of the mobile strains and non-mobile strains, respectively. A lot of strains were purified by the above processes and pure single trichome formed pure colonies on plates.

For purifying recombinant human IL—2 (rhIL—2),the columns of immunoabsorptionwere prepared with 4 anti—IL—2 McAb (9B12,9F5,9B2 and 8H7) purified by caprylic acid.Although 4 McAbs differ as regards their antigen—antibody binding characteristics,all they canserve as effective immnoabsorbents,provided optimum condition was adopted.The recoveryrate of 9B12,9F5,8H7 and 9B2 columns were 49.2%,37.5%,31.5% and 18.8% respec-tively.The purity of rhIL—2 obtained was more than 95% and biological activity remainedhigher.

Objective To discuss the combined value of gray-scale ultrasound ( GSUS) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid lesions and to explore the optimal diagnostic point of scoring method .Methods Ultrasound images of 178 thyroid lesions confirmed by pathology were synthetically reviewed by scoring 5 GSUS indicators including shape , orientation, interior echogenicity, halo sign, microcalcification and 6 CEUS indicators including relative arrival time of microbubbles in the periphery and interior, peak periphery and interior echogenicity, peripheral ring-enhancement, and homogeneity of enhancement .One positive indicator scored one point .The optimal diagnostic points and their clinical value were explored according to ROC curves .Results Scores of GSUS, CEUS and the combination of GSUS and CEUS were significantly different (Z =10.188,9.843,10.705,all P <0.001). Areas under ROC curves of GSUS, CEUS and the combination of GSUS and CEUS were 0.936, 0.919 and 0.964, respectively.Three or more positive GSUS indicators of five in a thyroid lesion predicted that the thyroid lesion was malignant , with the sensitivity of 79.6% and the specificity of 91.2%.Two or more positive CEUS indicators of six in a thyroid lesion predicted that the thyroid lesion was malignant , with the sensitivity of 91.8% and the specificity of 81.2%.Five or more positive GSUS and CEUS indicators of eleven in a thyroid lesion predicted that the thyroid lesion was malignant , with the sensitivity of 93.6%and the specificity of 92.3%.The areas under the ROC curve of GSUS and CEUS were 0.936 and 0.919.The area under the ROC curve of the combination of GSUS and CEUS was 0.964, larger than the areas under the GSUS ROC curve and the CEUS ROC curve.Conclusion Ultrasound is valuable in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid lesions , and the combination of GSUS and CEUS is the most valuable with 5 points as the optimal diagnostic scoring method .

Objective To investigate the change of the basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) leve in human detrusor muscle(DM)in bladder outlet obstruction(BOO)due to benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)and its implication.Methods Fifty-four patients with BPH were divided into two groups:the obstructive DM stability and instability groups;and 15 men with bladder tumor who underwent operation in the same period were enrolled in the control group.The bFGF mRNA level in DM was measured by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)and the bFGF protein level was measured by immunohistochemical staining method.Results The bFGF-mRNA expression level of bladder smooth muscle cells was significantly lower in the control group than that in the obstructive DM stability and instability groups(all P＜0.05),but there was no significant difference between the obstructive DM stability and instability groups(P＞0.05). Conclusions The expression level of bFGF mRNA in bladder DM is elevated in BOO due to BPH,but there is little or no correlation between the increased expression of bFGF mRNA and detrusor muscle instability.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the change of nerve growth factor (NGF) mRNA in human detrusor in bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and their implication.

METHODSEight cases of bladder cancer and 40 patients with BPH were included in this study. All patients were divided into three groups, a control group, an obstructive detrusor stability group and an obstructive detrusor instability group. NGF mRNA in detrusor from all patients was measured using a RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe RT-PCR study indicated that NGF mRNA was expressed in detrusor of three groups of patients. There were significant differences among the three groups (P < 0.01). The expression of NGF mRNA in the obstructive instability group was higher than that in the obstructive stability group and in the control group. The NGF mRNA level in the obstructive stability group was higher than that in the control group.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of NGF mRNA in detrusor was elevated in BOO with BPH. The elevated expression of NGF mRNA might be correlated with detrusor instability (DI) due to BOO.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nerve Growth Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Urinary Bladder ; metabolism ; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction ; metabolism ; Urodynamics ; physiology

OBJECTIVESome members of the S100 gene family have been suggested to be associated with cancer development and metastasis. Our previous cDNA micro-array studies have showed S100A6 expression is elevated in gastric cancer compared with that in paired normal mucosa. To validate our previous results and further investigate the possible role of S100A6 gene in gastric cancer, we carried out this detailed S100A6 expression analysis in more matched gastric cancer samples.

METHODSS100A6 expression was detected in 20 paired fresh surgical samples of gastric tumor tissue and matched non-cancerous mucosa by QRT-PCR. A gastric cancer tissue microarray (TMA) containing 1020 duplicate matched normal mucosa, gastric cancer tissue and metastatic lymph node tissue cores from 208 gastric cancer patients was constructed. S100A6 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and the correlation between S100A6 expression with clinicopathological factors and survival was analyzed.

RESULTSAs quantitated by QRT-PCR, S100A6 transcript level was elevated in 73.7% of the primary cancer lesions with an average 2.25-fold up-regulation than that in matched non-neoplastic mucosa. As displayed by immunohistochemistry, the positive rate of S100A6 in non-neoplastic mucosa, tumor lesions and metastatic lymph nodes was 34.3%, 84.1% and 90.9%, respectively. S100A6 expression level in cancer and metastatic lymph node was significantly higher than their matched non-neoplastic mucosa (P < 0.05). 65.5% of patients showed an increased S100A6 expression in cancer tissue compared with that in matched normal mucosa. S100A6 overexpression was associated with larger tumor size and deeper invasion (P = 0.022 and P = 0.009). No evidence was found for an association between S100A6 expression level and other variables, including tumor grade, nodal metastases, and TNM stage. There was no association between S100A6 expression level and survival. But compared with paired non-neoplastic mucosa, an increased S100A6 expression in tumor lesion predicated a decreasing suvival if compared with a decreased S100A6 expression, though the difference was statistically not significant.

CONCLUSIONElevated expression of S100A6 gene may be an early event in the development and progression of gastric cancer. Further study of this gene may be helpful for understanding the nature of gastric carcinoma.

Cell Cycle Proteins ; metabolism ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastric Mucosa ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Staging ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; S100 Calcium Binding Protein A6 ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Survival Rate ; Tumor Burden ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the early diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in acute renal failure (ARF) of rabbit.

METHODSThe rabbit model of ARF was established by intramuscular injection of 50% glycerin (12 ml/kg) into the hind legs of 18 New Zealand rabbits. CEUS was performed for both kidneys before injection and 6 hours after the injection. The slope rate of ascending curve (A), the slope rate of descending curve (alpha), area under curve (AUC), derived peak intensity (DPI), and time to peak (TTP) were measured in renal cortex of rabbits using Q-lab software package. Blood serum urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (SCr) were measured.

RESULTSThe values of A and alpha before the injection of glycerin were (3.07 +/- 1.83) dB/s and (0.19 +/- 0.15)/s, respectively, which were significantly higher than the values after injection [ (2.76 +/- 1.31) dB/s and (0.09 +/- 0.02)/s, respectively] (P < 0.05). The values of AUC and TTP before the injection of glycerin were (137.4 +/- 68.4) dB s and (6.33 +/- 3.71) s, which were significantly lower than the values after injection [(309.5 +/- 88.9) dB s and (8.61 +/- 3.97) s, respectively] (P < 0.01). No significant change of DPI, BUN or SCr was found.

CONCLUSIONSCEUS can precisely display the hemodynamic change of ARF model of rabbit in the early stage, with superior sensitivity than BUN and SCr. It may be a promising imaging method for the early diagnosis of ARF.

Acute Kidney Injury ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Animals ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Contrast Media ; Creatinine ; blood ; Early Diagnosis ; Rabbits ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUNDThe effectiveness and influence of surgery followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on the survival of patients with resectable esophageal carcinoma are still under debate. The outcomes of clinical trials have not been consistent. This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis of eligible published clinical trials to compare CRT with surgery without adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (non-CRT) for resectable esophageal carcinoma.

METHODSComputerized bibliographic and manual searches were undertaken to identify all eligible literature between 1990 and 2012. PubMed, EMBASE, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases were our primary sources for published clinical trials. The quality of the methodology and reliability of the data from all of the clinical trials were assessed. All data were extracted by three independent researchers.

RESULTSSeven studies that included a total of 523 patients were selected. It was found that CRT significantly improved survival. The odds ratio (OR) in comparing CRT and non-CRT groups was 1.75 (95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.17 - 2.60, P = 0.006) for 1-year survival, 2.07 (95%CI: 1.45 - 2.96, P < 0.0001) for 3-year survival, and 2.17 (95%CI: 1.45 - 3.26, P = 0.0002) for 5-year survival. There have been no CRT treatment-related deaths reported in the literature. The incidence of related complications was high in the cases with CRT. Patients treated with CRT had a lower incidence of local-regional cancer recurrence (OR: 0.49, 95%CI: 0.31 - 0.76, P = 0.002) and a similar incidence of distant cancer recurrence (OR: 0.90, 95%CI: 0.60 - 1.34, P = 0.60).

CONCLUSIONSIt was found that patients with resectable esophageal carcinoma could gain a survival benefit from CRT. However, CRT was associated with a high incidence of related complications.

Carcinoma ; surgery ; therapy ; Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant ; methods ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; surgery ; therapy ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo assess the early therapeutic and cognitive effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) combined with antidepressant medication in treatment of first-episode patients with major depression.

METHODSSixty first-episode depressed inpatients aged 18-45 y, who met the DSM-IV clinical criteria for major depressive episode were randomly assigned to citalopram treatment (20 mg/d) in combination with a two-week period of either rTMS (study group)or sham procedure (control group) on left dorsal-lateral prefrontal cortex (10 Hz, 90% motor threshold). The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) was used to assess the severity of depression. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and Continuous Performance Test (CPT) were used to assess cognitive function of depression.

RESULTThe response rate was significantly greater in the study group compared to the control group after treatment (57% compared with 29%,P<0.05). The HAMD scores significantly declined after treatment in two groups, and the study group showed lower scores compared to the control group after 2 weeks (P<0.01). Neuropsychological assessments showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups except for the significant improvement in the categories on WCST in study group compared to the baseline (P<0.05) and the control group (P<0.05)after 2 weeks treatment. No serious event occurred in the patients during the rTMS study.

CONCLUSION10 Hz rTMS enhances early effects of citalopram and improves cognitive function in first-episode major depressive patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antidepressive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Citalopram ; therapeutic use ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; therapy ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVEThe aims of this study were to evaluate whether the presence of -2518A/G polymorphism in the distal regulatory region of the monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) was associated with tuberculosis (TB) in Chongqing Han population and to find whether it has a significant impact on the pediatric patient.

METHODOne hundred children [ < or = 15 years old, mean age (7.3+/-4.6) years, 53 male, 47 female] and one hundred adults [51 male, 49 female, age (44.6+/-13.5) years with TB] and 200 healthy controls of comparable age were screened for genotype by PCR-sequence-specific primer (SSP) method. MCP-1 levels in the sera were detected by ELISA.

RESULT(1) TB patients and controls showed different single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) distribution patterns (58%, 36%). MCP-1 alleles -2518G was associated with increased TB susceptibility (P<0.01). (2) The -2518 GG genotypes was associated with increased TB susceptibility (32% in TB patients and 13% in non-TB controls respectively, P<0.01). (3) The odds of developing TB in genotypes GG were higher than those in homozygous AA, and the risk was higher in children than in adult (7.0-fold in children and 5.1-fold in adults, respectively). (4) Cases of homozygous GG had the highest plasma levels of MCP-1, which increased the likelihood of developing TB. Furthermore, higher levels were observed in children than in adults.

CONCLUSIONThese findings suggest that persons bearing the MCP-1 genotype GG produce high concentrations of MCP-1, which increases the risk of active TB infection in Chongqing Han people. These findings are more significant in child patients than in adult patients with TB.

Adult ; Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Chemokine CCL2 ; blood ; genetics ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; DNA Primers ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Tuberculosis ; ethnology ; genetics ; metabolism