AIM: To discuss the safety of hands chopping phacoemulsification in patients with microcoria cataract.METHODS:Hands chopping phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation was used for the microcoria cataract of 30 patients ( 32 eyes ) . Their visual acuity, pupil, and complication were observed in postoperative 1d,1wk and 1mo.
RESULTS: Postoperative naked vision be or more than 0. 3 were in 27 eyes (84. 4%) at one day, be or more than 0. 3 were in 30 eyes (93. 8%) at one week, be or more than 0. 5 were in 28 eyes (87. 5%) at one month. All pupil returned to round or oval. No synechia happened in postoperative 1mo.
CONCLUSION:Hands chopping nucleus operation is safe and effective for uveitis combined with microcoria phacoemulsification.

A safe and effective anesthesia technique is necessary in ensuring a successful surgical operation in rabbit experiments.A variety of anesthesiamethod have been reported, yet, no one matured and widely accepted anesthesiamethod is available so far.This article aims to provide an information basis for further research on general anesthesia in rabbits by reviewing the literature on single and combined anesthesia techniques in rabbits reported in the last decade.

Objective To evaluate the value of ultrasound (US) in assessment knee joint inflammation in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis(JRA).Methods US scans of the knees obtained in 30 children at clinically active stage; JRA was compared with those obtained in 30 healthy children and 10 JRA patients in clinical remission.Results Changes in synovial membrane thickness and presence of fluid in suprapatellar bursa showed statistically significant differences between JRA patients with active disease and the other subjects.Alterations in contour of the articular cartilage were demonstrated in 10 knees of patients with JRA.Conclusion US is a simple sensitive and reliable methods for the assessment and monitoring of knee joint involvement in JRA.

BACKGROUNDWe assessed whether the CaNa2 EDTA could improve the accumulation of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) and photosensitisation in HEp-2 cells as well as the depth of treatment of skin cancers on the topical 5-Aminolaevulinic acid (5-ALA) PDT.

METHODSHEp-2 cells were incubated with 5-ALA (0-1 mmol/L) and CaNa2EDTA (0-1 mmol/L) for 4 hours, intracellular protoporphyrin IX content was quantified by extraction, and cell viability was assessed by use of the methyl-tetrazolium (MTT) assay four hours after exposure to light. In comparison with the pictures before and after treatment, depth of treatment could be determined using a Acuson Sequioa 512 phase-array system in paired experiments.

RESULTSPpIX accumulation increased with increasing extracellular concentrations of ALA (0-1 mmol/L). Adding 1 mmol/L of CaNa2EDTA increased 30% PpIX accumulation over the same period of incubation in the concentration of 1 mmol/L ALA. Significant difference was observed between the 5-ALA alone group and 5-ALA combined CaNa2 EDTA group in the PpIX accumulation (P < 0.01). Cell viability after exposure to light decreased with adding CaNa2 EDTA, a statistical difference in a same fluence above 1.2 J/cm2 between two groups was demonstrated (P < 0.05, P < 0.01 respectively). Depth of treatment of skin cancers were increased in CaNa2 EDTA-treated group.

CONCLUSIONCaNa2 EDTA could improve the PpIX accumulation and photosensitisation in HEp-2 cells. Clinically, CaNa2 EDTA could increase the depth of treatment in the cutaneous cancers.

Aminolevulinic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; Edetic Acid ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Photochemotherapy ; Protoporphyrins ; analysis ; Skin Neoplasms ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence factors of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) after instrumented lumbar fusion.

METHODSThirty-three patients who had undergone an instrumented lumbar fusion from March 1998 to May 2002 were reviewed. The incidence, age, position, radiographic characteristics and clinical manifestations of ASD were studied. Then the relations between "floating fusion" and ASD were compared, the range of fusion and ASD and investigated the incidences of different adjacent segments.

RESULTSThe mean follow-up period for the patients was 4 years and 7 months (24 - 82 months). Adjacent segment degeneration mainly occurred in patients older than 60. Ten patients (10%) were found to have radiographic characteristics of ASD. Nine of the ten patients had ASD at cranial segments. Using "floating fusion" or not did not show difference in the risk of ASD. There was a trend of more ASDs after long-segment fusion than short-segment fusion. As an adjacent segment, L(2)/L(3) had a high risk of ASD, while L(5)/S(1) had a much lower risk.

CONCLUSIONSThe cranial segment has a higher degeneration risk than the caudal segment. If L(2)/L(3) has degenerative appearance and has chance to be the adjacent segment, we'd better fuse it. If there is no evidence of obvious degeneration, L(5)/S(1) should not be fused. During instrumented lumbar fusion, long-segment fusion should be avoided if possible.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Diseases ; etiology ; Spinal Fusion ; adverse effects ; methods

Objective To clone and express specific genes (YP01089,psi.ymt) from Yersinia pestis in Escherichia Coli(E.coli)and to analyze the antigenicity of these recombinant proteins.Methods The target genes were amplified by polymerose chmn reaction(PCR).The amplified products were ligated with pET-30a(+) vector after purification and cut by two different restriction enzymes,then these recombinant plasmids were transfefred into the host cells of E.coli BL21(DE3) strain.The target genes were successfully expressed following induction with Isopropyithio-β-D-galactoside(IPTG),and the target proteins were purified by the method of affinity chromatography.Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyaerylamide gel eleetrophoresis(SDS-PAGE)and Westem blot were used to detect the expressed recombinant protein.Results Three recombinant plasmids were finally constructed. rYP01089,rPst and rYmt were expressed stably and effectively in E.coli thmngh optimizing the induction condition. The Western blot analysis indicated that rPst was capable of binding with positive sernm of phgue.The purity of rest was up to 95%in this stuay.Conclusions This work indicates that the genes of Yersinia pestis are able to be efficiently expressed in the prokaryotie protein expression system.The immune characteristic of rPst is sensitive and specific,80 this study has settled a foundation for developing a new type diagnostic reagent of plague.

Objective To investigate the clinical cross infections of myeoplasma pneumoniae(MP)and other viruses in children,providing a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory disease.Methods Serum specimens of the children hospitalized with fever,respiratory symptom besides positive results of MP-Ab IgM detection were collected.And several common viruses popular in children were investigated within the specimens collected by ELISA kits or indirect immunofluorescence.Results (1)The PCT levels of 385 cases(81.7%)appear to be under 0.5 ng/ml.(2)In the 514 cases detected for Cox-IgG and Cox-IgM,the positive rates are respectively 40.3% and 35.6%.(3)2 cases(0.8%)appear to be irdluenza B virus positive.And the positive rates of parainfluenza virusl,2 and 3 are 0.8%,0,and 9%.4,84 cases(11.8%)are positive for EB-IgM and 451 cages(63.6%)positive for EB-IgG.Conclusion Cross infections rarely occur between MP and common respiratory viruses in Children.The cross-infection rate between Cox-virus and MP iS up to 35.6%.

BACKGROUNDChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated not only with airway inflammation characterized by mucin hypersecretion but also with systemic inflammation. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is found to take part in systemic inflammation, and ErbB3 plays an important role in mucin hypersecretion of COPD. Since TNF-alpha converting enzyme (TACE) is involved in the activation of both TNF-alpha and ErbB3, we established rat models of COPD to investigate the expressions of TACE, TNF-alpha and ErbB3 and to explore the correlations among TACE, TNF-alpha and ErbB3 respectively.

METHODSThirty Wistar male rats were randomly divided into COPD group (group C, n = 10), saline solution parallel group (group P, n = 8), and normal control group (group N, n = 8). Group C was challenged with passive cigarette smoking and intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide. Six weeks later pulmonary functions were tested, bronchoalveolar fluid and arterial blood gases were assayed, and histopathological evaluations were performed in turn. The expressions of TACE, TNF-alpha and ErbB3 in lungs of all rats were determined histochemically.

RESULTSThe expressions of TACE, TNF-alpha and ErbB3 were significantly higher in group C than in group N (P < 0.01). The contents of TNF-alpha in serum (P < 0.01) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) (P < 0.01) were elevated more significantly in group C than in group N. A positive correlation existed between TACE and TNF-alpha (r = 0.784, P < 0.01) and between TACE and ErbB3 (r = 0.526, P < 0.01) respectively.

CONCLUSIONSTNF-alpha and ErbB3 are involved in the pathogenesis of COPD. TACE contributes to the progress of COPD indirectly through the function of TNF-alpha and ErbB3.

ADAM Proteins ; analysis ; physiology ; ADAM17 Protein ; Animals ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; chemistry ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung ; physiopathology ; Male ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptor, ErbB-3 ; analysis ; physiology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of interferon -alpha1b (IFN-alpha1b) on hepatic intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression and serum HBV DNA in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

METHODSBefore and 6 months after IFN-alpha1b treatment, liver biopsy was performed in patients with chronic hepatitis B to detect the expression of ICAM-1 in the liver tissues using immunohistochemistry. Serum HBV load was detected with real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTCAM-1 expression in the liver tissue was significantly down-regulated after IFN treatment in patients with severe and moderate chronic hepatitis B (P<0.05). No significant variation was noted in the expression of ICAM-1 in the livers of patients with mild chronic hepatitis B after the treatment (P>0.05). In the patients weakly positive for ICAM-1 expression (+), serum HBV DNA varied scarcely after the treatment (P>0.05), while in the patients with strong ICAM-1 positivity (++, +++, or ++++), significant variation of serum HBV DNA occurred after the treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe therapeutic effect of IFN-alpha1b is associated with the expression of ICAM-1 in the hepatocytes, and its expression might enhance the effects of IFN on HBV DNA in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Adolescent ; Adult ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; genetics ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; biosynthesis ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Viral Load ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDTo investigate the differential expression levels of thymosin beta 10 (T beta 10) and the corresponding changes of actin filament organization in human tumor cell lines with different metastatic potential.

METHODSFour groups of nine human tumor cell lines with different metastatic potential were analyzed for the amount of T beta 10 mRNAs by Northern blot and for their peptide expression levels by immunohistochemistry. The filamentous actin (F-actin) was observed by staining of TRITC-phalloidin to detect changes in actin organization.

RESULTSIn comparison with non-/weakly metastatic counterparts, T beta 10 was upregulated in highly metastatic human lung cancer, malignant melanoma and breast cancer cell lines. Staining of TRITC-phalloidin revealed less actin bundles, a fuzzy network of shorter filaments and some F-actin aggregates in the highly metastatic tumor cells. Meanwhile, the actin filaments were robust and orderly arranged in the non-/weakly metastatic cancer cell lines.

CONCLUSIONT beta 10 levels correlate positively with the metastatic capacity in human tumors currently examined. The increasing metastatic potential of tumor cells is accompanied by a loss of F-actin, poorly arranged actin skeleton organizations and presence of F-actin aggregates. There is a consistent correlation between the elevated T beta 10 expression and the disrupted actin skeleton.

Actin Cytoskeleton ; ultrastructure ; Blotting, Northern ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; genetics ; ultrastructure ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Thymosin ; analysis