Inthe past few years, the study on gene therapy has achieved significant progress. However, many issues concerning ethics, safety and techniques inadequacy still exist in gene therapy and need to be solved. This article gives a brief introduction about the history, progress and presently existing problems of gene therapy. Meanwhile, it has put forward the counter measures for solving the existing problems.

Birth defects are the abnormalities in structure,function or metabolism of embryonic or fetal development.They are the main cause of early abortion,stillbirth,perinatal mortality,infant mortality and congenital disabilities.Birth defects affect not only the health and life quality of children,but also the population quality of the whole country.This paper reviews the current epidemic situation and possible causes and risk factors of birth defects.It also expounds on the importance of epidemiological study on birth defects,possibility of primary prevention of birth defects,and necessity of interdisciplinary and collaborative research.It may provide reference for prevention and control of birth defects.

Objective Summarize the lesion characters, procedure results and clinical follow up results of the elderly patients with coronary heart disease who underwent coronary angioplasty Methods 53 cases of coronary heart disease patients undergoing PTCA and stenting were ≥65 years old 35 were male, 18 were female 33 patients were diagnosed acute Q wave myocardial infarction, 2 patients acute non Q wave myocardial infarction, 14 patients unstable angina pectoris, and 4 patients coronary heart disease with severe heart failure PTCA and stenting were performed with conventional method, and temporary pacemakers were used if necessary Heparin was used if target vessel were involved in small vessels or the patients had multivessel diffuse lesions or PTCA was performed in more than one vessel Results Multivessel diffuse severe atherosclerosis was common in elderly patients The lesions were complex, and the procedures were difficult The success rate was 98% and the mortality was 11% during hospitalization 30 patients were follow up in 8 7?5 4 months, during which 11 (36%) patients had angina, 1 (3 5%) patients suffered acute myocardium infarction, 1 (3 5%) patient died of cerebral infarction, and the other 17 patients were asymptomatic Conclusion PTCA for the elderly patients is feasible The lesions in elderly patients with coronary heart disease are complex, the procedures are difficult and the mortality in hospitalization and the recurrent of ischemic chest pain are higher However, if we sufficiently estimate the lesion′s characters, PTCA can be safely performed in the elderly patients, and PTCA is the better method for elderly patients than medicine treatment

Objective To explore the effects of the application of targeted surveillance in the Deparment of Neurosurgery. Methods Someone was specially assignedd to work out both process and outcome goals by means of perspective investigation, clinical groups were formed and information feedback, evaluation of effects and correction of deviation were regularly conducted. Results The process goals were obtained: from July 1996 to June 1997, the rate of hospital infection in the Department of Neurosurgery droppoed from 26.07% to 21.32% (x2 = 4.3465,P ＜0.05). The outcome goals were also obtained: from July 1997 to June 1998, the rate of infection dropped from 21. 32% to 13.40% (x2 = 16.1193,P＜0.01). Conclusion Targeted surveillance is a really effective form of surveillance and information feedback and evaluation of effects are indispensable. Application of targeted surveillance in the Department of Neurosurgery has won initial success.

Objective To understand the trend of the constituent ratio of atrial fibrillation(AF)and primary etiology in hospitalized cases with chronic heart failure(CHF)and complicated with AF in late 20 years.Methods 1 180 patients with CHF(thereinto,440 complicated with AF)were selected from the hospitalized cases during the past 20 years(1983—2002),and a retrospective analysis was performed with every 5 years interval.Results The constituent ratio of AF in the general cases with CHF was 37.3%,and it was higher in females than in males(41.3% vs 33.4%,P

3626 cases of abdominal cystic mass wereclassified by authors. Results showed that ovarycystic mass was the most common among them.there were 2653 cases in all, accounting for73. 167%. In this paper 88 cases that were compar-atively rare were classified in details, according tooriginal tissue inflammatory cystic mass and reten-tive hydrops were the mose common, there were40 cases in all (45. 45%), congenital cystic masswas the second, 26 cases (29. 55%), developing lo-cation abserved was the most common in meson-tery, 32 cases (36. 36%), the second in abdominalcavity, and then, retroperitoneum, appendix, ete.

Objective\ To observe the long term results of expansive open door laminoplasty of cervical spine for cervical spinal stenotic myelopathy.Methods\ From April 1986 to March 1988, 98 cases were operated upon with expansive open door laminoplasty of cervical spine. Sixty one cases had been followed up for an average of 11 years and 8 months. The long term results were analyzed.Results\ The best results were obtained at the third year after operation among the OPLL (32 cases),DCS (20 cases) and CSM (8 cases),with an average JOA recovery rate for an average of 72.30%in OPLL, 67.74%in DCS and 67.80%in CSM. JOA recovery rate were 66.81%in OPLL, 66.57%in DCS and 66.1%in CSM at following up for an average of 11 years and 8 months. Instability of the cervical spine and reclosed open door were not found at the follow up for an average of 11 years and 8 months.Conclusion\ The long term results of expansive open door laminoplasty of cervical spine for cervical spinal myelopathy were good and stable. Expansive open door laminoplasty of cervical spine did not affect the stability of cervical spine.\;

Objective To evaluate the value in following up the patients with clipped aneurysms with the subtraction CT angiography technique.Methods 30 consecutive patients with clipped aneurysms were followed up with 64-slice spiral CT angiography (CTA) and DS angiography 10 d later postoperatively.CT images were reconstructed with volume rendering (VR) and maximum intensity projection(MIP) techniques to display the vessels.The site of the clip and patency of the parent vessel on both CT and DSA were studies independently by two radiologists.Results The clips in 27 patients were showed clearly by the subtraction CTA.Subtraction CTA demonstrated a partial remnant of aneurysm in 2,28 cases were complete occlusion.The loading vessels were free in passing in 28 cases,occlusion and narrowing of a parent vessel were seen in one respectively.The sensitivity and specificity in detecting neck remnants on MSCT angiography were 67% and 100%,and the sensitivity and specificity in evaluating vessel patency were 100% and 100%,Inter-observer agreements were 0.78 and 1.00,respectively.Conclusion Subtraction CT angiography can be used as the mainly method in following up the patients with clipped aneurysms.

Objective To study the clinical characteristics of atlanto-axial dislocation and instability caused by different reasons. Methods 388 cases of atlanto-axial dislocation and instability admitted between Jan 1975 and Apr 2000 were reviewed retrospectively. Results 262 cases were caused by anomaly, 71 by trauma and 55 by other reasons. 238/262 had bony deformity, including anomaly of odontoid process, atlanto-occipital assimilation, skull basilar invagination and some others. Simple anomaly of odontoid was the most commonly seen etiology. Myelopathy occurred at similar morbidity among each kind of patients. But patients who presented symptoms for longer time were more likely to have myelopathy. It is difficult to reduce chronic fractures of the odontoid process compared with the fresh fractures. 19 cases with chronic fracture suffered from severe myelopathy. Patients with chronic atlanto-axial fracture over 1 year were more likely to have secondary damage of spinal cord than those within 1 year. Conclusion Atlanto-axial dislocation and instability is more commonly caused by anomaly than trauma. Once the patients with atlanto-axial anomaly present clinical signs, they should be treated as soon as possible. Traumatic atlanto-axial instability should be treated at the early stage to avoid myelopathy.

Death of nerve cells after cerebral ischemia have a variety of forms,including cell necrosis occurs immediately in ischemic core area and the subsequent apoptosis and autophagy induced by oxidative stress and inflammatory response in the course of reperfusion.After cerebral ischemia,a variety of different molecular mechanisms eventually lead to cell death,and the process involves several signaling pathways.Intervention of different forms and mechanisms of cell death may alleviate cell death after cerebral ischemia.