The production of IL-2 by peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) was compared with that of healthy controls. Patients with AS and RA showed a significant overproduction of IL-2.Membrane-bound IL-2 receptor was recognized by monoclonal anti-Tac antibody by using a flow cytometry. There was a marked increase of IL-2 receptor in patients with RA, while the level of IL-2 receptor in patients with AS was comparable to that of normal controls. The results suggested that there was obvious abnormalities of membrane-bound IL-2 receptor expressing and production of IL-2 in patients with AS and.RA which may contribute to the pathogenesis of these diseases.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a serious infectious disease caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Increasing cases of HIV infection have been detected in adolescents. Intravenous drug abuse and sexual behavior, which are affected by various individual and environmental factors, are the major ways of HIV infection. The current situation and influential factors of HIV infection in adolescents are introduced in this paper.

Objective To investigate the characters of TCM syndromes of HIV/AIDS patients by intraveneous drug. Method Based on the TCM theories,related literature and experts' experience,the questionnaire was compiled and revised,170 patients were investigated one by one,and the data was analysed. Result The frequency lines in turn:spleen qi deficiency,liver depression with qi stagnation,kidney yin deficiency,phlegm-heat congestion of lung,disharmony of liver and stomach,lung qi deficiency,kidney deficiency of both yin and yang,qi deficiency,phlegm-damp congestion of lung,liver fire,heart yin deficiency. The excess syndromes lies in the liver and the lung. The deficiency syndromes lies in kidney,spleen and stomach,and lung. Conclusions The frequent syndromes in the study distinguished from the other congener study. It may be caused by many different contribution factors of patients and researchers.

Currently,bone marrow derived mescenchymal stem cells(MSCs) are the best available cell population for tendon tissue engineering.Recent adipose-derived MSCs show characteristics of multipotentital and may be used as functional cells for tendon tissue engineering.Nanofiber scaffolds can mimic the structure and function of extracellular matrix,and have advantages for tendon tissue engineering.A variety of gene transfer techniques can be used to maintain local concentrations of growth factor at tendon repair site.Although tremendous progress has been achieved in the field of tendon tissue engineering,many challenges remain and much work still needs to be done.

Recent studies of immunology have aroused new interest in regulatory T cell for immune responses,and scientists have recognized that suppressor T cells exist in vivo and regulatory T(Treg) cells play a crucial role in mediating immune tolerance and preventing autoimmune diseases.This article reviews the types,characteristics,mechanisms,and roles of Treg in immune tolerance,aiming to offer some important theoretical evidence for the treatment of allograft rejection and autoimmune diseases.

Objective To compare expression and distribution of CD68 protein and TRAP positive protein in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), and normal synovial tissues to study the differentiation of osteoclast in synovial tissues obtained from AS patients and its role in the pathogenesis of bone destruction in AS. Methods Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using CD68 monoclonal antibody to detect CD68 expression, and the distribution of TRAP positive cells in the synovial tissues was examined by enzyme histochemistry in 13 AS, 16 RA, 17 OA patients and 6 healthy controls. The above two variables were quantified in the labeled sections by digital image analysis and semiquantitative analysis to compare the expression of CD68 positive cells in different patient groups and normal subjects. Results Positive CD68 staining was seen in synovial cells from all the patients with AS, RA, OA and normal subjects, and the expression levels of CD68 from patients with AS and RA were higher than those from OA patients and healthy subjects. The CD68 positive cells were abundant mainly in lining layer. In areas where elevated RANKL expression levels were present, the number of TRAP positive cells was found significantly increased in AS and RA synovium. TRAP positive cells were rarely observed in synovium from OA patients and normal controls. There was positive correlation between the number of TRAP positive cells and the RANKL expression (r=0.442, P=0.043) in RA patients. Conclusions An obvious increase in the number of CD68 positive cells and TRAP positive cells in synovium may provide a main source of osteoclastogenesis in AS patients. The up-regulation of activity and quantity of osteoclast may have an important role in peripheral articular destruction in patients with AS.

30 mm Hg) was diagnosed with Doppler echocardiography in 28 patients with SSc.Twenty patients have isolated PHT,while 8 patients were of secondary PHT which was due to severe pulmonary fibrosis.The levels of albumin, ? globulin ,IgA,IgG and CRP in serum of patients with PHT were significantly higher than those without PHT ( P

[Objective] To observe the effect of serum containing Bushen prescription (BP) on inhibition of chondrocyte proliferation and nitric oxide (NO) production in chondrocyte induced by interleukin-1 (IL-1). [Methods] Four New Zealand rabbits were administered BP 2.5mL (1.15kg/L) for 3 days for the preparation of BP-containing serum. Rabbit chondrocytes were cultured in-vitro and were added with DMEM culture containing IL-1 1, 10 and 20 ?g/L to examined the inhibition concentration of IL-1 for chondrocyte proliferation. After then, BP group was added with 20 ?g/L IL-1 and various concentrations of BP-containing serum and the model group with 20 ?g/L IL-1 and various concentrations of blank serum. Alter 3-day culture, chondrocyte proliferation were dectected by thiazolyl blue colorimetry (MTT) and NO content by Griess method. [Results] The inhibition concentration of IL-1 for chondrocyte proliferation was 20 ?g/L; various concentrations of BP-containing serum could counteract chondrocyte proliferation and inhibit NO pnxluction in chondrocyte induced by IL-1. [Conclusion] BP can counteract chondrocyte proliferation directly or indirectly by the mediation of NO, which may be one of its therapeutic mechanisms in treating osteoarthritis.

Objective To detect osteoprotegerin (OPG) protein levels in synovial tissues from ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and compare the expression level and distribution of OPG protein in AS, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA) and normal synovial tissues. By studying the correlation of OPG expressions with pathological changes of inflammatory joints to explore the role of OPG in the pathogenesis of bone destruction in AS. Methods Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using OPG monoclonal antibody to detect OPG expression in 13 AS, 16 RA,17 OA patients and 6 healthy controls. The labeled synovial tissue sections were quantified by digital image analysis and semiquantitively analyzed to compare the expression of OPG positve cells in different patient groups and normal subjects. In addition, the correlation of OPG expression with certain inflammatory indices (including ESR, CRP, blood platelet count) and radiological stage of involved joints was analyzed respectively. Results Positive staining of OPG was seen in all 13 AS patients. OPG expression was predominantly seen in the synovial lining layer and sublining areas. Positive staining of OPG was also found in the synovial tissues of 2 normal subjects, but the OPG level was significantly lower. No positive staining of OPG was found in synovial tissues from all patients with RA and OA. Conclusions {1}Higher levels of OPG are expressed in synovial tissues from AS patients than in tissues from normal subjects (P

Objective To explore the misdiagnostic reasons of 24 cases with low back pain misdiagnosed as spondyloarthropathies and to raise the correctness of spondyloarthropathies diagnosis. Methods Using follow-up and counterchecking combined with review medical records, a retrospective analysis of 24 cases misdiagnosed as spondyloarthropathies in our hospital from 2001 to 2005 were done. Results Among the 24 patients misdiagnosed as spondyloarthropathies, 3 had sacral tubulocyst or parathyroid adenoma associated with hyperparathyroidism, 7 patients with benign or malignant tumors had persistent low back pain that aggrevated at night without morning stiffness. The pain could not be relieved by rest or exercise and could not be relieved by administration of multiple nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The final diagnosis of these 24 cases were as follows: 4 were malignant tumors (retroperitoneal adipose sarcoma, advanced gastric carcinoma, ovarian papillary epithelioma, acute lymphocytic leukemia), 6 were benign tumors (2 parathyroid adenoma associated with hyperparathyroidism, 1 intraspinal lipoma, 1 intraspinal ependymomas, 1 sacral tubulocyst and intraspinal and 1 schwannoglioma respectively). The other 14 cases were fibromyalgia syndrome (3), osteitis condensans (3), diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (2), lubar intervertebral disc protrusion (1), congenital scoliosis (1), Wilson′s disease (1), ochronosis (1), Fanconi′s syndrome (1) and hypophosphatemic rhachiopathy (1). Although 11 patients had presented inflammatory low back pain defined by Calin, only 2 patients satisfied spondyloarthritides as defined by the classification criteria of the European Spondylarthropathy Study Group (ESSG). Conclusion The misdiagnosis of spondyloarthropathy can be improved by way of careful differential diagnosis of low back pain and holding the classification criteria of the European Spondylarthropathy Study Group (ESSG) as guideline.