Objective To examine the association of pro-hepcidin with iron metabolism and inflammation in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients with erythropoietin (EPO) resistance.Methods Forty MHD patients and twenty healthy controls were enrolled in the study.Among MHD patients,20 were hyporesponsive to EPO therapy and 20 were normal responsive to EPO therapy.Complete blood red cell count (RBC),Hb concentration,hematocrit (Hct),reticulocyte count (Ret),and serum ferritin (SF),serum iron (Fe),total ironbinding capacity (TIBC),saturation rate of transferrin (TSAT),transferrin (TF),hyper-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP),pro-hepcidin were measured in all the patients and controls.Differences were compared between groups.Influencing factors were analyzed by Pearson correlation.Predicting value of pro-hepcidin was investigated by ROC curve.Results Serum levels of SF,pro-hepcidin and hs-CRP were significantly higher in MHD patients than those in healthy controls (P＜0.01),while serum TF was lower in MHD patients (P＜0.05).Serum levels of SF,pro-hepcidin and hs-CRP were significantly higher in EPO resistant patients as compared to normal responsive cases (P＜0.01).Serum prohepcidin level was positively correlated with SF (r=0.843,P=0.000) and hs-CRP (r=0.695,P=0.001).In predicting EPO resistance,area under ROC curve of pro-hepcidin,SF and hs-CRP was 0.713,0.769 and 0.958 respectively.Conclusions EPO resistance is correlated with inflammation and iron metabolism.Serum pro-hepcidin,SF and hs-CRP may be used as markers of EPO resistance in MHD patients.

[Objective] To observe protective effect of taurine, a main component of Calculus Bovis and Scorpio, on diaphragm in diabetic rats. [Methods] Twenty-four SD rats were equally randomized into normal control group, model group and taurine group. Except the normal control group, the other rats were given intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin 50mg/kg to induce diabetic models. Taurine group was fed with 10g/L water solution of taurine, and the other two groups with water for 4 weeks. After treatment, the rats were executed and the isolated diaphragm strips were prepared. Single contraction (SC) , maximum titanic tension, contraction time, half relaxation time, force-frequency curve and fatigue index (FI) of the diaphragm strips were examined. The contents of blood sugar, superoxide dismustase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the diaphragm were detected and the diaphragm ultrastructure was also observed. [Results] SC, maximum titanic tension and fatigue index were decreased, contraction time and half relaxation time prolonged, diaphragm tension in force-frequency curve decreased, SOD activity reduced and MDA content increased in the model group (P

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of navigation of sentinel lymph node (SLN) combined with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for non curative treatment of early gastric cancer.Methods Clinical data of 9 cases with early gastric cancer treated with ESD from August 2015 to December 2015 were enrolled.The SLNs were explored by laparoscopy after nano carbon or indocyanine green(ICG) was injected under endoscopy.Then all stained nodes were resected by laparoscopy.Results The mean number of SLN were 2.75±1.50 in ICG group,which was significantly smaller than the number in nano carbon group(8.40±4.93) according to the laparoscopic pathology,so the accuracy of ICG was higher than that of nano carbon.But ICG performed better in development.The postoperative complications such as postoperative intestinal obstruction,enteritis and gastric paralysis were found in 5 patients of nano carbon group.But no serious complications after operation were found in patients of ICG group.Conclusion Application of ICG can help avoid the excessive removal of tissue,and reduce the incidence of complications.ICG,as a new type of tracer for early gastric cancer,shows good application prospects.

Observed index is a very important element in a research design, because it is a specific reflection of the effects of research factors on the research subjects and is indispensable in any research. Generally, there are two types of observed indexes: the indexes that reflect natural attributes, habits or states of the research subjects and the indexes that reflect the effects of different drugs or treatments on research subjects. This article mainly introduces the definition, characteristics, selection and observation of research indexes and the major and minor indexes.

Multi-target drugs attract increasing attentions for the therapy of complicated neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, a computer-assisted strategy was applied to search for multi-target compounds by the pharmacophore matching. This strategy has been successfully used to design dual-target inhibitor models against both the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1). Based on two pharmacophore models matching and physicochemical properties filtering, one hit was identified which could inhibit AChE with IC50 value of (0.337 +/- 0.052) micromol x L(-1) and PARP-1 by 24.6% at 1 micromol x L(-1).
Acetylcholinesterase ; metabolism ; Cholinesterase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Computer-Aided Design ; Drug Discovery ; methods ; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of cerebrospinal lactate for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis in patients post-neurosurgical operation (PNBM) with blood-contaminated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Methods A prospective observational study was conducted. 101 patients underwent neurosurgical operation and clinically suspected PNBM admitted to neurosurgical intensive care unit (NSICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from October 2015 to December 2016 were enrolled. Based on red blood cell quantitative test in CSF, the patients were divided into blood-contaminated and non blood-contaminated CSF groups. According to the PNBM diagnostic criteria of 2008 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Healthcare Safety Network (CDC/NHSN), all patients were divided into PNBM group and non-PNBM group. The biochemical indexes levels in CSF were compared among the groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic power of CSF lactate for PNBM in blood-contaminated patients.Results A total of 101 suspected PNBM patients were enrolled. In 77 blood-contaminated CSF patients, 39 patients were diagnosed as PNBM (account for 50.6%); in 24 non-blood-contaminated patients, 12 patients were diagnosed as PNBM (account for 50.0%). ① In non-PNBM patients, the lactate level in blood-contaminated CSF was significantly higher than that of non-blood-contaminated CSF (mmol/L: 3.5±1.3 vs. 2.3±1.1,P < 0.01). In PNBM patients, there was no significant difference in lactate level between blood-contaminated CSF and non blood-contaminated CSF (mmol/L: 6.8±2.1 vs. 6.9±2.5,P > 0.05). ② In both blood-contaminated and non blood-contaminated CSF, white blood cell (WBC), protein and lactate levels in PNBM group were significantly higher than those in non-PNBM group [WBC (×106/L): 660.0 (67.5, 1105.0) vs. 41.0 (15.0, 142.5) in blood-contaminated CSF,168.0 (86.5, 269.5) vs. 34.5 (7.0, 83.5) in non-blood-contaminated CSF; protein (mg/L): 4757.8 (2995.2, 10219.8) vs. 1292.8 (924.2, 1936.2) in blood-contaminated CSF, 39247.3 (14900.6, 62552.2) vs. 1441.6 (977.3, 2963.9) in non blood-contaminated CSF; lactate (mmol/L): 6.8±2.1 vs. 3.5±1.3 in blood-contaminated CSF, 6.9±2.5 vs. 2.3±1.1 in non blood-contaminated CSF, allP < 0.05], and glucose and CSF glucose/blood glucose ratio in PNBM group were significantly lower than those in non-PNBM group [glucose (mmol/L): 2.5±1.2 vs. 4.4±1.6 in blood-contaminated CSF, 1.9±1.4 vs. 3.4±0.9 in non blood-contaminated CSF; CSF glucose/blood glucose ratio: 0.28±0.15 vs. 0.46±0.16 in blood-contaminated CSF, 0.24±0.16 vs. 0.45±0.11 in non blood-contaminated CSF, allP < 0.01]. ③ It was shown by ROC curve analysis that CSF lactate level was a good diagnostic parameter for PNBM both in blood-contaminated and non blood-contaminated CSF, and the area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.91 and 0.97, respectively. When the cutoff value of lactate in non blood-contaminated CSF was 3.35 mmol/L, the sensitivity was 100%, and the specificity was 91.7%. When the cutoff value of lactate in blood-contaminated CSF was 4.15 mmol/L, the sensitivity was 92.3%, and the specificity was 71.1%, and the combination of CSF lactate and glucose achieved better diagnostic specificity (AUC = 0.96, sensitivity was 97.4%, specificity was 84.2%).Conclusions Blood in CSF led to the elevation of CSF lactate as compared with that in non-blood-contaminated CSF of patients with PNBM. CSF lactate was still a good diagnostic parameter for PNBM both in blood-contaminated patients, and the combination of CSF lactate and glucose achieved better diagnostic specificity.

Objective To revise the medication error evaluation scale and to explore its clinical application effect .Methods The medication error cases from January 2007 to November 2012 were analyzed , and the expert reasoning conference was held to discuss and revise the medication error evaluation scale based on the statistical results .The historical controlled study was used in this study , and 84 medication error cases from January 2007 to November 2012 were chosen as the control group , and 8 cases from December 2012 to May 2013 were chosen as the observation group .All cases were surveyed by the revised medication error evaluation scale , and the incidence rate of medication error was compared between two groups .Results The incidence rates of serious medication error , intravenous administration error , intramuscular/subcutaneous administration error , high-risk drug medication error were respectively 0.54, 1.97, 1.37, 0.95/100,000 occupied bed day in the control group, and were higher than 0.00, 0.62, 0.62, 0.00/100,000 occupied bed day in the observation group, and the differences were statistically significant (χ2 =54.000, 70.368, 28.267, 95.000, respectively;P<0.01 ).Conclusions The revised medication error evaluation scale can reduce the incidence rate of medication error to some extent , but the further study is still needed to explore its long-term application effect .

Objective To indentify the gene mutation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene in a Chinese family with congenital achondroplasia (ACH). Methods The genomic DNA from 2 clinically diagnosed ACH patients and the other 4 members from the same family was prepared for PCR. The products of PCR were purified and then sequenced directly. Results Two patients with ACH in this family showed G-A transition mutation at nucleotide 1138 as heterozygotes. Conclusion The G-A transition mutation at nucleotide 1138 in transmembrane domain of FGFR3 gene seems to be the pathologic cause of this Chinese family with ACH.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of unilateral pedicle screw fixation in treating thoracolumbar fractures through paraspinal approach.

METHODSFrom January 2006 to January 2009,21 patients with single level thoracolumbar fracture without neurological symptoms were treated with unilateral pedicle screw fixation through paraspinal approach. There were 14 males and 7 females,aged from 21 to 65 years old with a mean of 36.4 years. The duration from injury to operation ranged from 6 h to 5 d with an average of 3 d. According to the classification of Denis fracture, compression fractures happedned in 12 cases and burst fractures happened in 9 cases,including 1 case with T5 fracture, 2 cases with T7 fracture, 2 cases with T10 fracture, 3 cases with T11 fracture, 8 cases with T12 fracture, and 5 cases with L1 fracture. Based on the Flankel grade, all patients were classified as grade E. Anterior vertebral body height ratio, sagittal Cobb angle, condition of internal fixation failure, visual analogue score (VAS) were evaluated.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 12 to 36 months with an average of 20.5 months. No internal fixation failure was found. Anterior vertebral body height ratios at preoperative 3 days after operation and last follow-up were 54.3 +/- 2.8, 92.9 +/- 1.5, 93.8 +/- 1.7, respectively;sagittal Cobb angle at the three timepoints were (27.8 +/- 2.5) degrees, (5.3 +/- 0.8) degrees, (6.3 +/- 1.4) degrees, respectively; the difference was statistical significant (P < 0.05). VAS was (1.2 +/- 0.4) points at last follow-up and had obviously improved (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTreatment of thoracolumbar fractures with unilateral pedicle screw fixation through paraspinal approach is safe with the advantages of micro-trauma and less blood loss,which can not only completely retain the posterior spinal complex structure, reinforce the spinal stability, raise the reductional quality, but also improve the strength of fixation and the distribution of stress force.

Adult ; Bone Screws ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Fractures ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; diagnostic imaging ; injuries ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the efficacy of a new elastic suspension strap orthosis, designed by the authors, in improving the motor function and walking ability of stroke patients. Methods Thirty-nine stroke pa-tients less than 1 month after stroke were recruited and divided randomly into a treatment group and a control group. The patients in the treatment group accepted walking training with the assistance of an elastic suspension strap orthosis, 5 times a week for 8 weeks, while the control group accepted the same training without the assistance of the elastic suspension strap orthosis. Results The treatment group improved significantly more than the control group with regard to its average Fugl-Meyer score, the functional ambulation categories of its members, and their walking speeds. Conclusions The elastic suspension strap orthosis could help correct abnormal gait patterns, improve walking speed, and enhance the recovery of walking ability in stroke patients.