Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Systems Biology

Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Inflammation ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Papilloma ; surgery ; Pneumonia ; diagnosis ; Postoperative Complications ; diagnosis

ObjectiveTo detect BAG1 expressions in digestive tract cancer by tissue microarray and to evaluate its clinical significance.MethodsTissue microarray of digestive tract cancer and normal tissues were analyzed by DAKO Envision system immunohistochemical staining for apoptosis related gene BAG-1 expression.ResultsThe positive rate of BAG-1 expression among esophagus cancer,gastric cancer and rectal cancer were higher than that of normal tissues respectively(P<0.01).ConclusionThere is an overexpression of BAG-1 in digestive tract cancer,which suggest that apoptosis related gene BAG-1 may be related to these cancer.

Objective To identify the histological features as well as factors influencing the course of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B virus ( HBV)-infected patients with persistently normal alanine amino-transferase (ALT) levels (PNAL). Methods Ninety-eight HBeAg-negative chronic HBV-infected patients with PNAL who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy were recruited from October 2003 to March 2008. The ALT level, HBV markers, HBV DNA level and liver histological changes were detected. Comparison of means was done by t test and single factor analysis of variance. Nonparametric statistics was done by Marm-Whitey U test and Kruskal-Wallis test. Analysis of independent risk factor was done using Logistic model. The dianostic value of ALT level to significant liver histological changes was evaluated by receiver performance curve. Results Twenty-two point four percent and 17.3% of subjects had the histological activity index (HAI)≥4and fibrosis (F) score≥3 respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that subjects with ALT＞0.50 × upper limit of normal (ULN) had a significantly higher rate of HAI≥4 and F score≥3 than those with ALT≤0.50×ULN (HAI≥4:36.4% vs 11.1%, χ2 =8.881, P=0.003;F score≥3:27.3% vs 9.3%, χ2 =5.487, P= 0.019, respectively), and older subjects (more than 45 years old) had a higher proportion of HAI ≥4 than the younger (33.3% vs 13.4%, χ2 =4.923, P=0.027). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that a decade increase in age was the independent predictor of HAI≥4 (OR=2.410, P=0.023).Receive operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that 87.0% and 90.7% of subjects with ALT＜0.50× ULN had histological changes of HAI＜4 and F score＜3 respectively. The proportions of HAI≥4 and F score≥3 in subjects with HBV DNA＜1×104 copy/mL were 14.9% and 12.8%, respectively. Conclusions Significant histological changes may be present in part of the subjects with persistently normal ALT and different HBV DNA levels, so that liver biopsy is very important, especially in those with age ＞45 years.Half time the ULN may serve as an appropriate cutoff value of normal ALT level for managing Chinese HBeAg-negative chronic HBV-int'ected patients.

Objective To investigate the expression and function of retinoic acid-inducible gene Ⅰ(RIG-Ⅰ) in monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDC) at different stages of hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection and to explore the role of RIG-Ⅰ in the disease progression after HBV infection. Methods Peripheral blood samples were collected from 28 hepatitis B virus-infected persons, including 21 cases of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 7 of acute hepatitis B (AHB). Eighteen healthy subjects were recruited as controls. Purified CD14~+ monocytes were isolated by CD14 microbeads. MoDCs were induced from CD14~+ monocytes with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin (IL)-4 for 7 days, and then were infected with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) to stimulate RIG-Ⅰ expression. The mRNA expression levels of RIG-Ⅰ, interferon (IFN )-promoter stimulating factor-1 (IPS-1) and IFN-β at 16 hours and 24 hours after infection with VSV were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Data with normal distribution were tested by analysis of variance. Continuous variables between groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. Comparison among multiple groups was done by Kruskal-Wallis test. Results The expression levels of RIG-Ⅰ in MoDCs from CHB patients were significantly lower than those in AHB patients and healthy controls at 16 hours (2.44±2.03, 19. 54±3. 15, 21. 48±8. 39, respectively; F=7.451,P=0.002) and 24 hours (2. 68±2. 93, 10. 31 ±3. 88, 14. 01 ±5. 04, respectively, F = 7. 908, P = 0. 001)following VSV stimulation. The IPS-1 levels in both CHB patients and AHB patients were higher than those in healthy controls at 16 hours (2. 05±l. 08, 1. 99±1. 56, 0. 60±0. 31, respectively) F=7.246,P =0.003) and 24 hours (2. 27±2. 16, 3.24 ± 1.21, 1. 08±0. 73, respectively; F= 13. 598, P = 0. 001).Furthermore, the IFN-β expression levels were significantly lower in CHB patients compared to AHB patients and healthy controls at 16 hours and 24 hours after VSV stimulation. Conclusions The expressions of RIG-Ⅰ and IPS-1 in MoDC are abnormal in HBV infected persons, which indicates that RIG-Ⅰ signaling pathway might be blocked by HBV. The impaired function of MoDC may play a role in HBV infection and chronicity.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of umbilical sticking therapy (UST) with Qitou Xiaugu Plaster (QXP) on hemodynamics of portal system in patients with liver cirrhosis.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty patients of liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension were assigned to two groups. On the basis of conventional therapy, UST was applied in the 66 patients in treated group, which was exchanged once every 3 days with an interval of 1-day rest. The 54 patients in the control group were orally administered with propanolol. The therapeutic course for both groups was 1 month. Before and after treatment, the hemodynamic changes in portal or splenic veins were observed by color Doppler ultrasonograph, and the changes of liver function, blood coagulation and patients' subjective symptoms were observed as well.

RESULTSAfter treatment, portal vein diameter and splenic vein diameter significantly decreased (P < 0.05, portal venous flow velocity and splenic venous flow velocity apparently increased (P < 0.05), and portal venous flow apparently decreased in both groups (P < 0.05), while no significant change was found in the splenic venous flow (P > 0.05). The liver function and blood coagulation indexes in both groups were improved. The improvement of clinical symptoms in the treated group was superior to that in the control group.

CONCLUSIONUST with QXP could decrease the portal vein pressure in a short time, with the therapeutic effect comparable to propanolol, and with no adverse reaction.

Adult ; Aged ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; drug effects ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Portal Pressure ; drug effects ; Portal Vein ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Splenic Vein ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Umbilicus ; blood supply ; Young Adult

Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear ; Humans ; Male ; Young Adult

Anticonvulsants ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsies, Myoclonic ; complications ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Female ; Fever ; complications ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Prognosis ; Seizures ; drug therapy ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Severity of Illness Index

Objective To study the expression of NKx2.5 on the heart of offspring during the development of embryo,whose mother is deficient of folic acid.Methods 1.Control group involving 18 rats and study group involving 18 rats were chosen from the total 36 adult female SD rats randomly copulate with the male normal rats after feeding different fodder for 2 weeks.The heart of the 13.5 days,17.5 days embryos and the newborns were obtained;2.the expression of NKx2.5mRNA by RT-PCR was observed;3.the expression of NKx2.5 protein by Western-blotting was investigated.Results 1.The expression of NKx2.5 mRNA of study group was weaker than control group in heart of the 13.5 days,17.5 days embryos and the newborns(P