OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical effects of Dynesys system combined with posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) in treating multiple lumbar degenerative disease.

METHODSThe clinical data of 46 patients with multiple lumbar degenerative diseases treated by Dynesys system combined with PLIF from September 2010 to May 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 17 males and 29 females, aged from 38 to 68 years old with an average of (56.38±11.63) years. Operation section was in L2-L5 of 16 patients (6 with fusion of L4,5 and 10 with fusion of L4,5,L5S1) and in L3-S1 of 30 patients (11 with fusion of L5S1 and 19 with fusion of L4,5,L5S1). Patients were followed up for three times: postoperative 3 months, 1 year and final follow-up. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to assess clinical symptoms preoperatively and postoperatively. All patients underwent flexion/extension radiographs examinations before surgery and at final follow-up. Range of motion (ROM) and disc height index (DHI) were recorded.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 16 to 48 months with the mean of (23.23±7.34) months. At third follow-up after operation, ODI and VAS of lumbago and leg pain were significant improved than that of preoperative (P<0.01). DHI of fusion segment was significantly increased than that of preoperative (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in adjacent non-fusion segment between preoperative and postoperative (P>0.05). Postoperative ROM of fusion and non-fusion segments were obviously decreased than that of preoperative. There was no significant difference in ROM of upper adjacent non-fusion segment between 3 months and 1 year after operation (P>0.05), but at final follow-up, the ROM was increased (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe preliminary clinical results of the Dynesys system combined with PLIF in the treatment of multiple lumbar degenerative diseases are satisfactory. It can be determined in fusion or non-fusion according to the individual needs and can reserve the some intervertebral motion, prevent the early degeneration of adjacent segments. However, its long-term clinical efficacy should be verified with long time.

Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Diseases ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Spinal Fusion ; methods ; Visual Analog Scale

Abstract: Occupational epidemiology aims to explore the effect of occupational hazards on the health of workers and understand ， their mechanisms. It plays an important role in occupational health and occupational medicine.Currently occupational ， ， exposures in the workplace are complex and diverse and multiple factors affect workers´ health at the same time. Therefore it is important to elucidate the pathogenesis of occupational disease caused by occupational hazards and implement early - - intervention. System epidemiology collects data on multi level exposure and multi omics information to conduct network analysis - on the relationship amongrisk factors. and to study the mechanisms of exposures and health outcomes based on multi level data. ， ， ， ， Using the study design of system epidemiology occupational environmental lifestyle and social factors are combined as a ， system to evaluate the health of workers which can better evaluate the adverse health effects caused by occupational hazards. - ， ， The studies base on multi omics design will explore the pathogenesis of occupational diseases at the molecular cellular and tissue levels to evaluate the impact of occupational hazards on workers´ health and to explore interventions from multiple - perspectives to reduce the occurrence of occupational or work related diseases.

Objective To preliminarily evaluate the value of color power doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of sacroiliitis in ankylosing spondylitis(AS). Methods Fifty-seven sacroiliac joints in 31 patients with active AS and 40 sacroiliac joints in 20 volunteers were detected by color power doppler ultrasonography.The color flow signs inside the sacroiliac joints were observed,and the resistance index(RI) was measured. Results In active AS,color flow signs were seen in 55 joints,and the mean RI value was 0.53?0.08 in 45 joints,while the other 10 color flow signs represented reversed phase in diastolic phase on pulse doppler ultrasonography.In the volunteers,color flow signs were seen in 16 joints,and the mean RI value was 0.97?0.01 in 6 joints,while the other 10 color flow signs represented reversed phase in diastolic phase on pulse doppler ultrasonography. Conclusion The abnormal flow signs at the sacroiliac joints can be detected by color power doppler ultrasonography.Low RI values provide diagnosis evidence for active AS.

Objective　To investigate the prognostic influencing factors and recovery of CD4+ T lymphocytes in elderly HIV/AIDS patients after antiviral therapy by analyzing basic data and clinical follow-up data of elderly HIV/AIDS patients. Methods　The clinical data of 3 618 elderly AIDS patients aged ≥50 yeas who received antiretroviral therapy (ART) at HIV ART sites in Liuzhou City from 2005-2015 were collected. The data, including basic information, CD4+ T cell count, WHO clinical stage, infection route and follow-up, were retrospectively analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the differences in patient survival, multivariate Cox regression to analyze the independent influencing factors influencing the risk of death, and to compare the recovery of CD4+ T cell counts during follow-up of patients of different genders. Results　During the follow-up period, the 5-year cumulative survival rate up to the observation endpoint was 0.82 (female) and 0.66 (male). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors affecting the effect of antiviral treatment were age (OR=1.909, 95%CI:1.474-2.464, P<0.001), body mass index (BMI) (OR=0.744, 95%CI: 0.574-0.965, P=0.026), opportunistic infections (OI) (OR=1.223, 95%CI:1.028-1.454, P=0.023), gender (OR=0.692, 95%CI:0.503-0.952, P=0.023) and baseline CD4+ T lymphocytes count (OR=0.563, 95%CI:0.429-0.739, P<0.001). Recovery of CD4+ T lymphocyte counts showed when baseline CD4+ T lymphocyte counts were less than 200 cells/mm3, older women with HIV/AIDS had higher CD4+ T lymphocytes than men at all times of ART treatment (P<0.05). Conclusions　Older women have a higher survival rate than older men after five years of antiviral therapy. Age, BMI, gender, OI and baseline CD4+T lymphocyte count may be important indicators that affect the survival of elderly HIV/AIDS patients. Older women showed better recovery of CD4+ T lymphocytes than older men during the 4-year follow-up period after ART.

A total of 180 type 2 diabetic patients with negative anti-thyroid autoantibodies were recruited.According to the levels of serum 25-OH vitamin D [25 (OH) D],these patients were divided into four groups:sufficient group (≥ 30 ng/ml),insufficient group (20-＜30 ng/ml),deficiency group (10-＜20 ng/ml),and severe deficiency group(＜ 10 ng/ml).The results showed that compared with sufficient vitamin D group,the group with severe deficient vitamin D had higher TT3,FT3,FT3/FT4,and TSH (all P＜0.05).The serum 25(OH) D level was negatively correlated with TSH values (r =-0.207,P＜0.05) after adjustment for gender,age,and body mass index.Multivariate regression analysis indicated that serum 25 (OH) D level was an independent influencing factor for TSH value (β =-0.201,P＜0.05),suggesting that serum 25 (OH) D level seems to be correlated with thyroid function in type 2 diabetic patients.

Malignant tumors are a prominent societal and public health challenges. Occupational tumors, as a subset of malignant tumors, have drawn considerable attention, particularly those caused by carcinogenic heavy metals and metalloids. The International Labor Organization has classified malignant tumors caused by hexavalent chromium compounds, arsenic and its inorganic compounds, cadmium and its compounds, and nickel compounds as occupational diseases, while China only classified lung cancer caused by hexavalent chromium compounds and lung and skin cancers caused by arsenic and its inorganic compounds as occupational diseases. In term of prevention and treatment of occupational tumors caused by carcinogenic heavy metals and metalloids, the principles of tertiary prevention should be followed, and the focus should be paid to combation of carcinogen exposure assessments and tertiary prevention strategies to set up a comprehensive system of prevention and treatment. Multiple effort on its source control, etiology diagnosis, biomarker research, and high-risk population screening can effectively reduce the risk of occupational tumors and improve patients′ quality of life. Advancing research on the mechanisms of occupational tumors caused by carcinogenic heavy metals and metalloids and improving study on the occupational health surveillance are crucial for early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of occupational tumors. Future study on occupational tumors caused by carcinogenic heavy metals and metalloids should combine the etiology, pathogenesis, and tertiary prevention strategies with active application of artificial intelligence. Therefore, developing a preventive model that encompasses the entire occupational population and life cycle will offer support for the prevention and treatment of occupational tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sub-acute oral effect of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles on the oxidation/antioxidation biomarkers and inflammatory cytokines in blood, liver, intestine, and colon in rats. METHODS: Twenty four 4-week-old clean-grade Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly devided into 4 groups by body weight (n=6, control, low, middle, and high), in which the rats were orally exposed to TiO₂ nanoparticles at doses of 0, 2, 10 and 50 mg/kg body weight/day for 28 consecutive days separately. Food intake, body weight and abnormal behaviors during the experiment were recorded. The rats were euthanized on the 29th day. The blood was collected via abdominal aortic method and centrifuged to collect the serum. Tissues from liver, intestine and colon were collected and homogenated. Then enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and microwell plate methods were used to detect oxidation/antioxidation biomarkers including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total mercapto (T-SH), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), malomdialdehvde (MDA) and inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the serum, liver, intestine and colon in the rats. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, no significant differences in body weight, food intake and organ coefficients were observed in all the three groups after TiO₂ gavage. No significant changes in GSH, GSH-Px, T-SH, and IL-6 were observed. Compared with the control group, significant increase of SOD activity in serum in high dose group, signi-ficant increase of GSSG concentration in intestine in middle and high dose group and significant increase of MDA concentration in liver in low and high dose group were observed. Compared with the control group, a significant increase of TNF-α in liver in middle and high dose group was observed. CONCLUSION TiO₂ nanoparticle can increase antioxidant enzymes activities in blood, increase oxidative biomarkers in liver and intestine, increase inflammatory cytokines in liver in rats after a 28-day sub-acute orally administration. Among blood, liver, intestine, and colon, liver is most sensitive to the toxicity induced by TiO₂ nanoparticles, followed by intestine, blood, and colon in sequence.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; Biomarkers ; Cytokines ; Nanoparticles ; Oxidative Stress ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Titanium

OBJECTIVETo study the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype in 5 cities of Fujian province and the clinical implications of distinct genotypes in HBV-related liver diseases.

METHODSHBV genotype was determined by the restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in patients with chronic HBV infection in 5 cities of Fujian province. The relationship between HBV genotype and its clinical implications was studied by multinomal logistic regression and correspondence analysis.

RESULTSOf the 431 HBV DNA positive patients detected by PCR, 275 (63.8%) belonged to HBV genotype B, 100 (23.2%) to genotype C, 51 (11.8%) to genotype D and D-mixed genotype. Genotype A, E and F were not found. Multinomal logistic regression showed that genotype B was more prevalent in Quanzhou and Sanming cities than in Fuzhou (P = 0.002, P = 0.006), and genotype B appeared significantly more common in asymptomatic carriers (ASC), chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and severe hepatitis (SH). Genotype C was most prevalent in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) (47.0%) than in those with ASC (14.5%) and SH (14.7%) (P = 0.009, P < 0.001). The positive rate of hepatitis B e antigen was higher in patients with genotype C than in those with genotype B and genotype D (56.0% vs. 52.4%, P = 0.008, and 56.0% vs. 30.8%, P = 0.051, respectively). By correspondence analysis, genotype D and D-mixed genotype seemed to be correlated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

CONCLUSIONS(1) The major popular genotypes of HBV were B, C and D in Fujian. (2) Data of our study suggested that the geographic distribution of genotype B and C might be different in some cities of Fujian. (3) Genotype B might have a tendency to lead to SH in younger patients with chronic hepatitis B and the development of LC might be associated with genotype C among the elder patients. (4) Genotype D appeared to associate with development of HCC, which called for further study to confirm.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Hepatitis B ; virology ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

OBJECTIVETo study the phamacokinetics and relative bioavailability of combination Radix Angelicae Sinensis and Cortex Cinnamomi.

METHODThe content of ferulic acid in plasma was determined directly by HPLC after oral administration of Cortex Cinnamomi in combination individually with Radix Angelicae Sinensis. The plasma concentration-time curve were plotted. The main pharmacokinetic parameters and relative bioavailability were obtained.

RESULTThe plasma concentration-time curve of fenalic aclid conformed to one-compartment model. The relative bioavailability of Cortex Cinnamomi combined with Radix Angelicae Sinensis were 226.75%.

CONCLUSIONBy the statistical analysis, Cortex Cinnamomi combined with Radix Angelicae Sinensis can increase the relative bioavailability of ferulic acid.

Angelica sinensis ; chemistry ; Animals ; Biological Availability ; Cinnamomum aromaticum ; chemistry ; Coumaric Acids ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Female ; Male ; Mice ; Plant Bark ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

BACKGROUNDA prospective 2-night polysomnographic (PSG) study in Chinese snorers was designed to assess the role of the first night effect (FNE) in PSG parameters and the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).

METHODSSeventy-two snorers from two teaching hospitals underwent overnight PSG on two consecutive nights. The night-to-night variability of PSG parameters were recorded and analyzed.

RESULTSSixty-six patients were analyzed. Among all the PSG parameters, only the total time of stage 2 presented a significant difference between two nights: 219.50 (83.50 - 353.50) vs. 215.25 (59.50 - 342.50) (P = 0.000). Subgroup assessment showed a slight night-to-night difference in about 1 - 2 parameters in the group with the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 20 events per hour as well as the group with AHI < 20 events per hour, but there was no night-to-night difference in the AHI in each group. And slighter FNE was found among patients ≥ 40 years old. There was no significant difference in diagnosis of OSAHS. In the decision of severity, a slight difference was found between the two nights with a Kappa value = 0.531.

CONCLUSIONSOnly mild FNE can be found on two consecutive nights of PSG in adult Chinese snorers, but it has no effect on the diagnosis of OSAHS. A single polysomnographic night may be adequate for the diagnosis of OSAHS.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polysomnography ; methods ; Prospective Studies ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; physiopathology ; Snoring ; physiopathology ; Young Adult