Objective To investigate the clinical value of the plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels in patients with acute cardiac dyspnea or noncardiac dyspnea.Methods 93 patients with acute dyspnea were divided into two groups:cardiac dyspnea group(61 cases)and noncardiac dyspnea group(32 cases).In cardiac dyspnea group,according to the results of echocardiography,the cases were divided into three groups:pure diastolic heart failure(25 cases),pure systolic heart failure(21 cases)as well as diastolic and systolic heart failure(15 cases).At the same time,heart function was classified according to NYHA.The plasma NT-proBNP level was measured by ELISA.The data was analyzed by SPSS12.0.Results The plasma NT-proBNP level of the cases with cardiac dyspnea and noncardiac dyspnea was(3.591 ?2.943)ng/L and(0.429 ?0.119)ng/L respectively.There was a significant difference between cardiac dyspnea cases and noncardiac dyspnea cases(P

Objective To construct an expression vector pGEX-2T/N, and to express the fusion protein consisting of N protein of SARS-CoV in E. coli.Methods The N region gene of SARS-CoV was obtained by RT-PCR. The expression vector PGEX-2T/N was constructed by DNA recombination. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into E. coli BL21(DE3). The expression of the fusion protein was determined by Western blot with anti-SARS-CoV antibody positive blood sera. Results The N region gene of SARS-CoV was obtained. The fusion protein GST-N was soluble. Western blot analysis showed that the reaction of GST-N to anti-SARS-CoV sera was positive. Conclusion The pGEX-2T/N has been constructed and expressed in the form of fusion protein GST-N successfully, and the result lays the foundation for further study of SARS-CoV N protein.

Objective To investigate the expressions of miR-17 and miR-20a in CD4+ T cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their correlations with disease activity.Methods CD4+ T cells were isolated from the venous blood of 30 patients with SLE and 18 healthy human controls.RNA was extracted from the CD4+T cells,and real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) was performed to determine the expression levels of miR-17 and miR-20a.The intergroup comparison of miR-17 and miR-20a expression levels was done using t test and Mann-Whitney test,and the correlations of miR-17 and miR-20a expressions with clinical parameters were assessed using Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficients.Results The patients with SLE showed increased expression levels (2-△c~) of miR-17 and miR-20a compared with the healthy controls (0.24 ± 0.08 vs.0.15 ± 0.06 for miR-17,0.19 ± 0.10 vs.0.12 ± 0.09 for miR-20a,both P ＜ 0.05).The miR-17 and miR-20a expression levels were also significantly higher in patients with active SLE than in those with inactive SLE and the healthy controls (0.27 ± 0.07 vs.0.20 ± 0.05 and 0.16 ± 0.08 for miR-17,0.22 ± 0.10 vs.0.15-0.07 and 0.13 ± 0.09 for miR-20a,all P ＜ 0.05),but similar between the patients with inactive SLE and healthy controls (both P ＞ 0.05).The expression levels of both miR-17 and miR-20a were positively correlated with SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI)(r =0.45,0.38,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05) and anti-dsDNA antibody level (r =0.54,0.46,respectively,both P ＜0.05),but negatively correlated with serum C3 levels (r =-0.43,-0.42,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05).Condusions The expressions of miR-17 and miR-20a are increased in CD4+ T cells from patients with SLE,and correlated with the disease activity in SLE.

Current situation and existed problems on bilingual teaching of molecular biology in medicine in our university were described in brief in present paper.According to actual teaching conditions of our university,and the developmental tendency on bilingual teaching in our state,some suggestions on promoting bilingual teaching of molecular biology in medicine,such as,bilingual teaching materials selection,course arrangement,teaching methods reformation,teachers training etc,were provided.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of scalp acupuncture on cognitive dysfunction of traumatic brain injury. METHODS: Seventy patients with cognitive dysfunction of traumatic brain injury were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 35 cases in each group. After treatment, 5 cases dropped off in each group. The patients in the control group were treated with cognitive training; the patients in the observation group were treated with cognitive training and scalp acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Zhisanzhen and Niesanzhen, and the needles were retained for 6 h. The two groups were treated once a day, 6 times a week; one-month treatment was taken as one course, and 3 continuous courses were given. The scores of mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), activity of daily living (ADL) and functional independence measure (FIM) were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the MMSE and MoCA scores in the observation group, and ADL and FIM scores in the two groups were significantly increased after treatment ( CONCLUSION Scalp acupuncture could improve cognitive function and self-care ability of daily life in patients with traumatic brain injury.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic/therapy* ; Cognition ; Humans ; Scalp ; Self Care

Objective To study the effect of growth hormone (GH) and PRL (prolactin) on the secretion of Th1/Th2 type cytokines in the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods The secretion of cytokines in PBMCs stimulated by GH and PRL was detected by ELISA in vitro. Results The results showed that the secretion levels of IL-6 and IL-10 from PBMCs of the SLE patients in active stage were higher than those of the normal controls, and the secretion level of IFN-? was lower than that of SLE patients in resting stage and the normal controls, but it is of no statistical significance. The secretion levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly increased in PBMC stimulated by GH and PRL, but GH and PRL had no effect on the secretion of IFN-?. There was no difference on the secretion level of IL-6, IL-10 and IFN-? when the PBMC was stimulated by GH and PRL. Conclusion GH and PRL might play an important role in the pathogenesis of SLE.

Objective To investigate the mechanisms and clinical characteristics of fatal asthma attack induced by amiodarone in the elderly,and to discuss its serious potent risks.Methods We reported two cases of fatal asthma attack in the elderly with fast atrial fibrillation induced by amiodarone,and discussed the clinical manifestation and emergency treatment,with literatures review.Results The two patients presented with respiratory arrest.After targeted therapies,including artificial ventilation and hormone injection,the patients were capable of spontaneously breathing,while still in severe asthma attack.And further anti-asthma treatment led to a complete remission.Conclusions Amiodarone may cause extremely severe asthma attack in elder patients with tachyarrhythmia complicated with bronchial hyper-responsiveness diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.Clinicians should pay great attention to this situation and be prepared to cope with serious adverse reactions.

OBJECTIVE:To promote rational drug use clinically. METHODS:Sampling rate of prescriptions in outpatient and emergency departments was no less than 1‰ of total prescriptions and no less than 100 prescriptions were reviewed every month;the sampling rate (according to the hospital records of discharge) of ward (district) doctor’s advice was no less than 1% and no less than 30 prescriptions were reviewed every month. According to drugs evaluation indicators of rational drug use,the prescrip-tions were analyzed statistically,immediate intervention and administrative intervention were adopted for irrational prescriptions and medical orders. RESULTS:The average qualified rate of outpatient prescriptions was 97.86%and 0.92%was non-standard prescrip-tions,1.20% was inappropriate prescriptions and 0.01% was extraordinary prescriptions. The non-standard prescriptions in the sec-ond half year were significantly lowered,with statistical significance(P<0.05). The inappropriate usage and dosage was not effec-tively controlled. The average qualified rate of medical orders was 96.30% and drug replacement withont any reference and incom-plete diagnosis in the second half year were significantly lowered,with statistical significance(P<0.05). The utilization rate of an-tibiotics in emergency department was 41.51%and the other indicators were basic standard. The qualified rate of Majing drugs’pre-scriptions was 81.60%and non-standard prescriptions accounted for 88.37%in the irrational prescriptions. CONCLUSIONS:Imme-diate intervention and administrative intervention have achieved some success. Immediate intervention has mainly reduced the non-standard prescriptions and administrative intervention has controlled some specific irrational prescriptions.

Objective To determine the current prevalence and risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MS) among adult residents in Chinese developed areas.Methods The clinical data of 6614 adult residents,including 4051 women,from Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces from China Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders Study (2007-2008) were analyzed.Age and sex standardized prevalences of MS were calculated according to the criteria of Chinese Diabetes Society (CDS),US National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel Ⅲ (ATP Ⅲ),International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and Joint Interim Statement (JIS),respectively.Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors of MS.Results Age and sex standardized prevalences of MS were 17.88％ (CDS),28.50％ (ATP Ⅲ),21.99％ (IDF) and 31.50％ (JIS),respectively.The prevalences of residents with at least one metabolic abnormality were 67.86％ (CDS) 79.56％ (ATP Ⅲ),79.62％ (IDF) and 80.74％ (JIS),respectively.MS was more common in female than in male by the ATPⅢ and IDF criterion (ATPⅢ:30.63％ vs 26.45％,P ＜0.01 ; IDF:26.04％ vs 17.91％,P ＜ 0.01),while the prevalence was higher in male by CDS criteria (15.94％ vs 19.87％,P ＜0.01).There was no significant difference in the MS prevalence between the rural and the urban residents.Kappa test showed ATP Ⅲ and JIS criteria were most homogenous (κ =0.95,P ＜ 0.01).The risk factors for MS by the logistic regression model were male,older age,lower degree of education,family history of hypertension and obesity,drinker as well as uncontrolled diet.Conclusion The prevalence of MS is high in the adult residents of Chinese developed areas (Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces),whatever diagnostic criterion was used.Effective measures should be taken to control the modifiable MS risk factors.

Objective To compare the validity of general movements ( GM ) assessment with that of a 52 item neurological motor examination in predicting cerebral palsy among high risk neonates.Methods Eighty-four infants aged 12 months at high risk were evaluated simultaneously with GM assessment and the 52 item neurological motor examination.The utility of the two methods in predicting cerebral palsy was then compared.Results There were 4 cerebral palsy patients among the 84 high risk neonates.The GM assessment's predictive validity for Monotonous movements was 78.57％,its sensitivity was 25％,its specificity was 81.25％,its positive predictive value was 6.25％,its negative predictive value was 95.59％,and its kappa value was 0.215.The comparable values for the Cramped-synchronised scale were validity 96.43％,sensitivity 50％,specificity 98.75％,positive predictive value 66.67％,negative predictive value 97.53％,and kappa value O.553.The values for the absence of Fidgety movements were validity 98.81％,sensitivity 75％,specificity 100％,positive predictive value 100％,negative predictive value 98.77％,and kappa value 0.851.For the entire 52 items of the neurological motor examination the corresponding values were validity 51.19％,sensitivity 100％,specificity 48.75％,positive predictive value 8.89％,negative predictive value 100％,and kappa value 0.083.Conclusions GM assessment can predict the severe neurological deficits of cerebral palsy among high risk neonates by the age of 12 months.The 52-item neurological motor examination can detect mild and moderate neurological deficits.GM assessment combined with the 52-item neurological motor examination is a desirable and effective way to assess high risk infants.