Objective To study the corelation of mucosal involvement and corticosteroid dosage in the control of bullous pemphigoid(BP). Methods One hundred and three in-patients with bullous pemphigoid hospitalized during 1988 - 2002 were retrospectively analyzed for their mean corticosteroid dosage for controlling the disease and the duration for complete relieving the skin lesions, as well as the duration to start corticosteroid tapering. All the patients were divided into two groups: group A (37 cases) with mucosal involvement and group B (66 cases) without mucosal involvement. Results The mean corticosteroid dosage used to control the disease in group A was much higher than that in group B (t = 3.488, P 0.05). Conclusion Patients with mucosal involvement require a higher dosage of corticosteroids to control the disease.

Purpose To investigate the imaging features of lumbar spinal epidural angiolipoma, and to improve the imaging diagnostic capability of the disease. Materials and Methods Four patients with lumbar spinal epidural angiolipoma confirmed by pathology were recruited in the study. CT and MRI images were reviewed and the imaging characteristics including the shape, size, location, density, and signal intensity were analyzed. Results The lesions located at the right front of the spinal canal in two cases, at the left front in one case, and the residual one case located directly behind the spinal canal. The longitudinal axis of the lesions paralleled to the longitudinal axis of the spine. The dura mater spinalis was compressed and inward shifted. All of the four cases showed homogeneous iso- or hypo-density on CT without calcification or necrosis in the lesions. The maximum diameter was 3 to 5 cm. The boundary was clear and smooth. Three lesions showed dumbbell-shaped and crossed foramen, but the adjacent bone were not absorbed or destructed. One lesion showed scallop-like. On MRI, four cases displayed slightly hypointense on T1WI and hyperintense on T2WI. On STIR images, the lesions showed hyperintense with patchy low signal intensity in it. The boundary of the lesions was clear. After administration of contrast media, two lesions presented remarkably homogeneous enhancement, one lesion showed dual tail sign, and one lesion displayed pen-tip-like at the both ends. Conclusion MRI plays an important role in locating the lesion and distinguishing internal tissue components of spinal angiolipoma, which is the gold standard for the diagnosis of the tumor. CT provides excellent supplement. The Combination of CT and MRI will improve the diagnostic accuracy of the spinal angiolipoma.

Objective To validate the safety and accuracy of a rapid prototyping drill template (RPDT) for posterior atlantoaxial transarticular screw placement and analyze factors for screw deviation.Methods Twelve normal cadaveric cervical spines were examined using 64 slice CT with 1-mm thick scan and data in Dicom format were recorded.After data was processed using software Mimics 10.01 for three-dimensional (3-D) model reconstruction,computer-assisted design of optimum trajactory for atlantoaxial transarticular screw placement was worked out and made into a drill template,where the surface was created as the inverse of axial posterior surface.The drill template was materialized in a rapid prototyping machine and used to place the screws.After surgery,the position of posterior atlantoaxial transarticular screw was evaluated by X-ray and CT scan.Screw entry point,angle and orientation of the optimal and actual trajactory were determined after fitting the position of the pre-operative and post-operative specimen in computer software and the redefining the 3-D coordinate axis.Results Twenty-four screws were implanted with no cortex perforation.Depth of the optimum save screw trajectory for atlantoaxial transarticular fixation was (37.34 ± 2.31) mm on the left side and (37.11 ± 2.21) mm on the right side.Introversion angles of the optimum save screw trajectory was 0° in both sides,but the actual angle was (0.15 ±0.58)°on the left side and (0.11 ±0.46)°on the right side.Elevation angle of the optimum save screw trajectory was (49.35 ± 1.62) °on the left side and (48.83 ± 1.83) ° on the right side,but the actual angle was (49.29 ± 1.68) °and (49.10 ± 1.45) °respectively.Average displacement of screw entry point in the x,y and z axis was respective (0.21 ±0.65) mm,(0.69 ± 1.48) mm and (0.39 ±0.11) mm on the right side,while (0.19 ± 0.66) mm,(0.53 ± 1.45) mm and (0.38 ± 0.13) mm on the left side.There were no statistically significant differences in deviation levels of entry point and orientation between the optimum and actual screw trajectory (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Causes for deviation in RPDT-assisted placement of atlantoaxial transarticular screw are mainly intrinsic factors of the hardware and software and human factors in the operation.RPDT is easy in operation and has individualized design,which greatly improves the accuracy of screw placement and reduces screw deviation.RPDT can be widely used in clinical practice.

The flavonoid-3-O-glucosyltransferas (3GT) is one of the most important enzymes for biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites. In this paper, the homology analysis and gene special primers design were used. With the methods of modern molecular biology, the full-length gene of 3GT (GenBank Accession No. JN092127) which was cloned from Saussurea involucrata Kar. et Kir by RT-PCR and RACE. The cDNA sequence of 3GT consisted of 1548 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 516 amino acid, the deduced 3GT protein shared 91% and 89% identities with that of Fragaria x ananassa GT6, Manihot esculenta anthocyanidin 3-O-glucosyltransferase. Homology analysis showed that deduced 3GT protein has a glycosyltransferase signature domain PSPG-box. The transcripts of 3GT members were found mainly in leaves and callus. 3GT gene of S. involucrata was under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter, homologous transformation used an Agrobacterium rihizogenes-mediated transformation system. The results on UV spectrophotometry showed S. involucrata callus after suspension culture that an average of total flavonoids on transgenic callus was 2.06 times higher than non-transgenic callus.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Glucosyltransferases ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Open Reading Frames ; genetics ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; Saussurea ; enzymology ; genetics

Objective:To explore the incidence, diagnosis and treatment of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP) in preterm infants born in the Guangdong Women and Children′s Hospital and transported from other hospital.Method:s Clinical data of 755 premature infants with ROP at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Guangdong Women and Children′s Hospital from January 2013 to December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 239 cases born in the hospital and 516 cases transported from other hospitals.Their gestational age, birth weight, gender, severity of ROP lesion and clinical data were collected and compared.Result:s The birth weight in the group of transported from other hospital was lower than that in the group of born in the hospital[(1 290.64±392.87) g vs.(1 586.21±512.74) g], and the difference was statistically significant( P<0.001). The ROP diagnosis of gestational age in the group of transported from other hospital was higher than that in the group of born in the hospital[(35.53±2.81)weeks vs.(34.51±2.17)weeks], and the difference was statistically significant( P<0.001). On the proportion of severe condition [such as lesion area Ⅰ, aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity(AP-ROP) and plus combined lesions], in the group of transported from other hospital was higher than that in the group of born in the hospital, and the differences was statistically significant( P<0.001). In the comparison of the proportion of laser photocoagulation, vitreous injection, combination of the two operations and supplementary laser therapy, in the group of transported from other hospital were higher than those in the group of born in the hospital[60.1%(310/516 cases) vs.20.9%(50/239 cases); 10.9%(56/516 cases) vs.2.5%(6/239 cases); 8.1%(42/516 cases) vs.1.7%(4/239 cases); 4.5%(23/516 cases) vs.1.3%(3/239 cases)], and the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.001). Conclusions:Premature infants with ROP transported from other hospitals have lower birth weight, severe ROP lesions and high surgical intervention rate.Improving ROP screening level in primary hospitals, timely diagnosis and efficient transportation can help to effectively prevent the deterioration of ROP in premature infants and improve their quality of life.

Objective: To explore the effects of Bmi1 on proliferation of mouse cranial suture mesenchymal cells. Methods: Primary posterior frontal and sagittal suture derived cells were isolated from the 2-5 d old C57BL/6 suckling mice (n=6) of the same brood and cultured. Flow cytometry and multilineage differentiation assay were performed to identify the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) characteristics of the 2 kinds of cranial suture-derived cells. The mRNA expression of stem cell related genes, Bmi1, Twist1, Gli1 and Axin2 were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Then, the proliferation and downstream protein expression were analyzed after down-regulation of Bmi1 in the sagittal suture derived MSCs by transfecting Bmi1 siRNA. The t test was used to compare the mean between two groups. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Results: The mouse cranial suture derived cells were successfully cultured in vitro. These cells expressed typical MSCs markers, CD44, CD90, CD73, except for CD34. These cells had osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation potency. RT-PCR results showed that the mRNA expressions of Bmi1 (0.006 30±0.000 58 vs 0.002 60±0.000 34, t=5.430, P=0.005 6), Twist1(0.000 31±0.000 04 vs 0.000 15±0.000 02, t=3.343, P=0.028 8), Axin2(0.000 33±0.000 03 vs 0.000 17±0.000 05, t=3.067, P=0.037 4) and Gli1 (0.001 10±0.000 13 vs 0.000 60±0.000 33, t=3.956, P=0.016 7) were significantly decreased in the posterior frontal suture MSCs compared with those in sagittal suture derived cells. Among them, Bmi1 has the largest decline. After down-regulation of Bmi1 in sagittal suture MSCs, the protein expression level of Ink4a was significantly up-regulated compared with the control group, and the cell proliferation ability was significantly decreased. Conclusions Inhibition of Bmi1 expression can up-regulate the expression of Ink4a protein and decrease the proliferation ability of suture MSCs, which may lead to craniosynostosis.

Background and Objectives: Cranial sutures play a critical role in adjustment of skull development and brain growth. Premature fusion of cranial sutures leads to craniosynostosis. The aim of the current study was to culture and characterize human cranial suture mesenchymal cells in vitro. Methods: The residual skull tissues, containing synostosed or contralateral suture from three boys with right coronal suture synostosis, were used to isolate the suture mesenchymal cells. Then, flow cytometry and multilineage differentiation were performed to identify the typical mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) properties. Finally, we used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect the mRNA expression of osteogenesis and stemness related genes. Results: After 3 to 5 days in culture, the cells migrated from the tissue explants and proliferated parallelly or spirally. These cells expressed typical MSC markers, CD73, CD90, CD105, and could give rises to osteocytes, adipocytes and chondrocytes. RT-PCR showed relatively higher levels of Runx2, osteocalcin and FGF2 in the fused suture MSCs than in the normal cells. However, BMP3, the only protein of BMP family that inhibits osteogenesis, reduced in synostosed suture derived cells. The expression of effector genes remaining cell stemness, including Bmi1, Gli1 and Axin2, decreased in the cells migrated from the affected cranial sutures. Conclusions The MSCs from prematurely occlusive sutures overexpressed osteogenic related genes and down-regulated stemness-related genes, which may further accelerate the osteogenic differentiation and suppress the self-renewal of stem cells leading to craniosynostosis.

Objective:To explore the application value of real-time shear wave elastography(SWE)and ultrafast pulse wave velocity(UFPWV)techniques in assessing carotid artery stiffness of patients with gouty arthritis(GA).Methods:A total of 80 GA patients admitted to the First People's Hospital of Yibin from August 2022 to July 2023 were selected as GA group.Among of them,24 cases combined with bone erosion who were confirmed by imaging examination,and 56 cases did not combine with bone erosion.In addition,a total of 40 healthy individuals,who underwent physical examinations in our hospital during the same period,were selected as the healthy control group.SWE and UFPWV were used to detect the maximum,minimum and mean values of Young's modulus values of the vessel wall of common carotid artery,and the pulse wave velocity at the beginning of systole(PWVBS)and pulse wave velocity at the end of systole(PWVES)of the vessel wall of common carotid artery of all subjects,and to assess the hardness of circumferential and longitudinal vessel wall of common carotid artery of them.The differences in Young's modulus values,PWVBS and PWVES between two groups were compared.And then,the correlations between bone erosion and Young's modulus values,PWVBS,PWVES of GA patients were further analyzed.Results:The maximum,minimum,mean values,PWVBS and PWVES in the GA group were respectively(78.80±12.38)kPa,(57.83±7.42)kPa,(67.67±8.38)kPa,(7.06±0.59)m/s and(9.50±0.63)m/s,which were significantly higher than those in the healthy control group(t=11.066,8.216,11.751,14.159,19.118,P＜0.05).The maximum,minimum,mean values,PWVBS and PWVES of GA patients with bone erosion were respectively(82.95±6.37)kPa,(59.59±5.29)kPa,(72.18±7.62)kPa,(7.37±0.43)m/s,(10.43±0.47)m/s,which were significantly higher than those[(77.01±5.32)kPa,(57.08±4.73)kPa,(65.73±4.54)kPa,(6.92±0.39)m/s and(9.10±0.41)m/s]of GA patients without bone erosion,the differences were significant(t=4.309,2.099,4.699,4.586,12.720,P＜0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that there was significant correlations between maximum,minimum,mean values,PWVBS,PWVES and the combined bone erosion in GA patients(r=0.602,0.421,0.682,0.647,0.732,P＜0.05).Conclusion:SWE and UFPEV techniques can evaluate the hardness of vascular wall of GA patients,and the hardness of circumferential and longitudinal vessel wall of common carotid artery of GA patient is higher than that of healthy person,and the hardness of circumferential and longitudinal vessel wall of common carotid artery of GA patient with bone erosion is higher.

OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of maternal sex chromosomal abnormalities on the prediction of fetal sex chromosome abnormalities (SCAs) by non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). METHODS: Thirty-six pregnant women with a prediction for fetal SCAs by NIPT were verified as false positive after prenatal diagnosis using amniotic fluid samples. With informed consent, these women were subjected to chromosomal karyotyping or copy number variations (CNVs) analysis through high-throughput sequencing. RESULTS: Sex chromosomal abnormalities were found in 8 women, which yielded an abnormal rate of 22.22% (8/36). Among these, 3 had sex chromosome aneuploidies (47, XXX), 4 had sex chromosome mosaicisms, and 1 carried structural chromosomal abnormalities. Reanalysis of the results of NIPT were consistent with the maternal CNVs by large. With the ratio of cffDNA (ChrX)/cffDNA was more than 2, 6 of the eight women were found to harbor sex chromosome abnormalities, and the fetal karyotype was normal. However, with a ratio of less than 2, only 2 of the 38 pregnant women had sex chromosome abnormalities, and 10 of the fetuses were confirmed as positive. CONCLUSION The presence of maternal sex chromosomal abnormalities can greatly influence the result of NIPT, which may also be an important reason for false prediction for fetal SCAs by NIPT. When NIPT indicates abnormal SCAs, it is necessary to analyze maternal sex chromosomes. The ratio of cffDNA(ChrX)/cffDNA may help to determine the source of abnormal signals.

Objective To compare the rate of intraplaque hemorrhage between symptomatic and asymptom-atic vertebral artery stenosis groups using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging(HR-MRI).Methods The patients diagnosed with PCI and with vertebral artery stenosis using HR-MRI were enrolled retrospectively. They were divided into symptomatic and asymptomatic groups according to whether they were detected with PCI by the re-sponsible vertebral artery stenosis before examination. All patients underwent 3D time of flight magnetic resonance angiography(3D TOF MRA)to detect the stenosis location of vertebral artery and the stenosis rate at the narrow-est. T1-weighted fat-suppressed images were positioned on the atherosclerotic plaque that the signal 150% higher than the surrounding muscle was confirmed to be intraplaque hemorrhage. Statistical significance was assessed by chi-square test or Student′s unpaired t test.Results A total of 60 patients were included in this study,28 patients in the symptomatic group and 32 patients in the asymptomatic group.The rate of vertebral artery stenosis in asymp-tomatic group was higher than symptomatic group,but there was no statistical significance[(72 ± 33)% vs.(65 ± 28)%,P=0.383];the number of intraplaque hemorrhage in symptomatic group was significantly higher than that in the asymptomatic group(9 vs.2,P=0.024).Conclusions There is a higher rate of intraplaque hemorrhage in symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis group than asymptomatic group.Intraplaque Hemorrhage could be one of risk factor of acute ischemic cerebral disease.