BACKGROUND:Genetic factors, environment, chronic infection, and autoimmune disorders are considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis. Genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Ethnic and regional diversity of differentialy expressed genes has become research hotspot because of family aggregation and ethnic diversity of ankylosing spondylitis.
OBJECTIVE:To screen differentialy expressed genes in Xinjiang Uygur and Han patients with ankylosing spondylitis by microarray screening and compare differences in gene expressions.
METHODS: Uygur and Han patients with active ankylosing spondylitis in department of rheumatology of our hospital were randomly colected with five patients for each. In addition, three healthy volunteers were selected as controls. RNA from peripheral blood was extracted and used for microarray hybridization after probe preparation to screen differentialy expressed genes in ankylosing spondylitis samples and the microarray results were verified by semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Twenty differentialy expressed miRNAs were screened in Uygur and Han patients with active ankylosing spondylitis (P < 0.05). From relationship analysis of target genes and miRNAs, 15 target genes corresponding to the 79 miRNAs involved in human leucocyte antigens and interleukins which linked to human immunity system were found. These findings suggest that differentialy expressed genes can be screened from Uygur and Han patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

BACKGROUND:Because the geographical environment and diet cause obesity and osteoarthritis in Xinjiang Uygur local patients, the number of patients became more. At present, more and more patients received artificial knee replacement. How to master and further apply the technology of soft tissue balance during artificial knee replacement in patients of different physical fitness and nations becomes the focus of many scholars. OBJECTIVE:To analyze the clinical efficacy of soft tissue balance in Xinjiang Uygur patients with knee valgus in total knee replacement. METHODS:A total of 60 cases (72 knees) with severe knee osteoarthritis with a certain degree of knee valgus were subjected to total knee replacement through anterior lateral approach and individualized soft tissue balance from February 2009 to December 2010. Folow-up mode was the clinic visit. X-ray was used to measure tibiofemoral angle (i.e., the supplementary angle of the included angle between anatomic axis of femur and tibia). Clinical score and functional score of American knee society knee score were applied to assess knee joint function. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 57 patients were folowed up for 6-35 months. The tibiofemoral angle decreased from 27.9° preoperatively to 5.6° postoperatively. Clinical score of American knee society knee score elevated from 16.7 points preoperatively to 87.5 postoperatively. Functional score of American knee society knee score elevated from 7.9 points preoperatively to 85.2 postoperatively. Significant differences in preoperative and final folow-up scores were detected (P < 0.01). Valgus deformity was corrected and joint stability was good in 57 patients after replacement. These findings indicate that in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis and valgus deformity, to select individualized treatment of soft tissue balance can effectively correct soft tissue imbalance and get more satisfactory clinical results.

BACKGROUND: Common complication of traditional joint replacement is hip joint dislocation and large head joint implant can effectively solve this problem. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the preliminary efficacy of large head metal-on-metal implants for patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: Prospective cohort study. The patients were selected from Department of Joint Surgery, Xinjiang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between February 2007 and January 2008. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 65 patients (71 hips) undergoing large head metal-on-metal implantation in Xinjiang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were selected, including 21 females and 44 males with an average age of 54.6 years (ranging 19 to 77 years). Of them, there were 28 cases of necrosis of the femoral head, 24 of hip osteoarthritis, 9 of femoral neck fracture and 4 of acetabular dysplasia. METHODS: According to age, sex, cause of disease and preoperative joint function, the patients were divided into traditional prosthesis (n=30, 33 hips, metal-on-polyethylene implant) and large head M-O-M group (n=35, 38 hips, ASR/XL prosthesis, DePuy, Motech, Warsaw, IN, USA). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The pre and postoperative Harris scores for the hip, range of motion, periprosthetic radiolucency, leg-length inequality and complications were recorded and compared. RESULTS: All patients were followed-up. The traditional group was followed up for 20 months (ranging 13-28 months), and the large head M-O-M group was followed up for 17 months (ranging 10-26 months). The mean Harris score was 89 points (ranging 59-98) in traditional group, and 94 points (ranging 71-100) in large head M-O-M group (P=0.014). The range of motion of hip was improved, and the large head M-O-M group (34?) was superior to traditional group (26?, P=0.004) at 6 months after surgery; the range of motion was improved 27? in traditional group and 37? in large head M-O-M group (P=0.009) over 1 year of follow up. The leg-length inequality was 4 mm (2-11 mm) in large head M-O-M group and 7 mm (5-16 mm) in traditional group (P=0.005). Both groups exhibited periprosthetic radiolucency (≤1 mm, 2 cases in traditional group and 3 cases in large head M-O-M group). One patient in the traditional group suffered dislocation. CONCLUSION: The large head M-on-M implants in total hip arthroplasty has excellent short-term effects on patients compared with traditional prosthesis. They offer the more stability and better restoration of hip articulation function and biomechanical reconstruction.

This study reports the stages of change in smoking cessation in a representative sample of Korean adult smokers. The study subjects, all adult smokers (n=2,422), were recruited from the second Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2001. The stages of change were categorized using demo-graphic (age and sex), socioeconomic (education, residence, and household income), and smoking characteristics (age at smoking onset, duration of smoking, and number of cigarettes smoked per day). Age-stratified analyses of the association of socioeconomic and smoking characteristics with the stages of change in male and female smokers were also conducted. According to the stages of change, the study population consisted of 37.6% (95% CI, 35.7-39.5) pre-contemplation, 56.0% (54.0-58.0) contemplation, and 6.4% (5.4-7.4) preparation. The associations between the characteristics of the smokers and the stages of change were all statistically significant. The age-stratified analyses showed that all the socioeconomic and smoking characteristics were significantly associated with the stages in males, while education and residence had significant associations in females. This study revealed that a relatively small number of Korean smokers were prepared to quit and the stage distribution might be influenced by demographic, socioeconomic, and smoking char-acteristics.
Socioeconomic Factors ; Smoking Cessation/*psychology ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Educational Status ; Aged ; Age Factors ; Adult

MHS is a myopathic disorder transmitted by a dominant autosomal gene. The seriousness of the problem is underscored by the fact that the mortality rate, until recently, has ranked the highest among the complications of modern anesthesia. During halothane anesthesia we experienced a case of MHS with high temperature and rigidity after succinylcholine, observed change of serum electrolytes, and noted CPK and myoglobin in the urine. The patient was managed with surface cooling, bicarbonate, diurectics, mechanical ventilator and corticosteroids. The patient survived without any sequelae and was discharged after 10 days.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Anesthesia ; Electrolytes ; Halothane ; Humans ; Malignant Hyperthermia* ; Mortality ; Myoglobin ; Succinylcholine ; Ventilators, Mechanical

BACKGROUND: Diabetes has a critical effect on elderly diabetic patients' quality of life. Elderly diabetic patients have many difficulties in diabetes self-management because their physical, psychological and social functions are decreased as a result of the aging process. Therefore, we evaluated the current status of self-management and barriers in elderly diabetic patients METHODS: The sample was 124 elderly diabetic patients (over 61 years) who visited a hospital and two senior welfare centers in Seoul from July to August 2006. The results of the study were analyzed by descriptive statistics, ANOVA, T-test, and hierarchical regression. RESULTS: 1) Diabetes self-management was composed of insulin injection, diet, exercise, foot management, smoking and drinking alcohol. An average score of self-management in the elderly diabetic patients was 4.5784. In demographic variables, only job status showed a significant effect on self-management. 2) Barriers such as 'forgetting taking diet and medication', 'being interrupted by others', and 'lack of family and social support' were significant factors in diabetes self-management. 3) These barriers for diabetes self-management were still significant in the case of controlling demographic and clinical variables. CONCLUSION: Diabetic educator should identify the significant factors that affect patient's self-management such as whether they have a full-time job, or the type of their job. In addition, diabetes education should focus on assertiveness training to deal with various interpersonal barriers and empowerment for enhancing patient's self-efficacy. These approaches would benefit patients who experience barriers of diabetes self-management
Aged ; Aging ; Assertiveness ; Diet ; Drinking ; Foot ; Humans ; Insulin ; Power (Psychology) ; Quality of Life ; Self Care ; Smoke ; Smoking

No abstract available.

Thyroid carcinogenesis is accompanied by loss of thyroid-specific functions and refractory to radioiodine and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) suppression therapy. Redifferentiating agents have been shown to inhibit tumor growth and improve the response to conventional therapy. Polyphenol phytochemicals (PPs) in fruits and vegetables have been reported to inhibit cancer initiation, promotion, progression and induce redifferentiation in selected types. In this study we examined PPs induce redifferentiation in thyroid cancer cell lines. We investigated the effects of genistein, resveratrol, quercetin, kaempferol, and resorcinol on the F9 embryonal carcinoma cell differentiation model. The thyroid cancer cell lines, TPC-1, FTC-133, NPA, FRO, and ARO, displayed growth inhibition in response to genistein, resveratrol, quercetin. We further demonstrated that genistein decreased the dedifferention marker CD97 in NPA cells and resveratrol decreased CD97 in FTC-133, NPA, FRO cells and quercetin decreased CD97 in all cell lines. We observed increased expression of differentiation marker NIS in FTC-133 cells in response to genistein, and resveratrol but no change in NPA, FRO, ARO cells. Quercetin increased or induced NIS in FTC-133, NPA, FRO cells. These findings suggest that PPs may provide a useful therapeutic intervention in thyroid cancer redifferentiation therapy.
Antigens, CD/metabolism ; Antineoplastic Agents/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Embryonal/*drug therapy/metabolism ; Cell Differentiation/*drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation/*drug effects ; Flavonoids/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Genistein/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Kaempferols/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Models, Biological ; Phenols/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Quercetin/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Resorcinols/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Stilbenes/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Symporters/metabolism ; Thyroid Neoplasms/*drug therapy/metabolism

In recent years, improved antibiotic care and physiologic fluid replacement in cases involving burn wounds have led to a decrease in the rate of fatalaties caused by wound sepsis and shock. There has, however, been an upsurge and relative increase in the frequency (15 -25%) and mortality rate (50 -89 %) of pulmonary complications. Since pulmonary lesions may result from direct injury to the respiratory tract caused by smoke inhalation, from circulatory, metabolic or infectious complications in cases involving cutaneous burns, or may develop during the therapeutic management of these lesions, a wide spectrum of pulmonary abnormalities can occur during the post-burn period. There is considerable overlap between their radiographic appearances, which are often nonspecific. Since the successful management of these patients is based on the early recognition and vig-orous treatment of lesions, familiarity with all facets of these complications, based on a pathophysiology of the injury and on the knowledge of the clinical setting, enables radiologists to make more specific diagnoses.
Burns* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Mortality ; Recognition (Psychology) ; Respiratory System ; Sepsis ; Shock ; Smoke ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: To evaluate the plain chest radiographic findings of smoke inhalation. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Our study included 72 burn patients who had suffered smoke inhalation. On admis-sion,all underwent serial portable chest AP radiography. We retrospectively reviewed the plain chest radi-ographs taken between admission and pootburn day five, evaluating the pattern, distribution, and time onset of direct injury to the respiratory system by smoke inhalation. The lesions were also assessed for change. RESULTS: In 16 of 72 patients (22%), abnormal findings of direct injury to the respiratory system by smoke in-halation were revealed by the radiographs. Abnormal findings were 15 pulmonary lesions and one subglottic tracheal narrowing. Findings of pulmonary lesions were multiple small patchy consolidations (10/15), peri-bronchial cuffing (8/15), and perivascular fuzziness (6/15). Patterns of pulmonary lesions were mixed alveolar and interstitial lesion (n=9), interstitial lesion (n=5), and alveolar lesion (n=1). No interlobular septal thicken-ing was observed. Pulmonary edema was distributed predominantly in the upper lung zone and perihilar re-gion, with asymmetricity. Its time of onset was within 24 hours in 13 cases, 24 -48 hours in two cases, and 48 -72 hours in one. Five of 16 patients progressed to ARDS. CONCLUSION: Chest radiographs showed that pulmonary lesions caused by inhalation injury were due to pul-monary edema, which the pattern of which was commonly mixed alveolar and interstitial.
Burns ; Edema ; Humans ; Inhalation* ; Lung ; Pulmonary Edema ; Radiography ; Radiography, Thoracic* ; Respiratory System ; Retrospective Studies ; Smoke* ; Thorax*