ObjectivesTo study the expression of lipoxygenase-12 (12-LOX) in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma and its relationship with the clinicopathological parameters.MethodsExpression of 12-LOX in pancreatic carcinoma tissue,pancreatic cancer cell lines SW1990 and PANC1,and adjacent normal pancreatic tissue was detected by using immunohistochemistry,RT-PCR,and Western blot,respectively.The relationship between 12-LOX expression and clinicopathological parameters was analyzed.ResultsExpression of 12-LOX was negative in 8 cases,weak positive in 7 cases and strong positive in 15 cases of pancreatic carcinoma.The overall positive rate in pancreatic carcinoma was 73.3％.The expressions of 12-LOX mRNA and protein were positive in pancreatic cancer cell lines SW1990 and PANC1,and negative in adjacent normal pancreatic tissue.The strong positive expression of 12-LOX in pancreatic cancer was associated with TNM stage,pathological grade,lymph node metastasis (P ＜ 0.05 ).ConclusionsThe expression of 12-LOX was up-regulated in pancreatic cancer and is correlated well to malignant behaviors of tumor.

Objective To assess whether low dose corticosteroid could improve muscle strength and motor function in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy ( DMD) .Methods In this randomized double-blind con-trolled trial , patients with DMD at the age of 5-10 diagnosed from September 2005 to December 2008 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were enrolled .The patients were divided into treatment group and control group randomly.The treatment group was given prednisone at a dosage of 0.75 mg/(kg· d) for three months, and the control group was given vitamin C 0.3 mg/d as placebo in the same period .Every patient was followed-up once a month for a total of 4 times, testing muscle strength , motor function ( 9-meter walk test ) , respiratory function [forced vital capacity (FVC)], and serum creatine kinase .Results Thirty-one eligible DMD patients were en-rolled, including 17 in the treatment group and 14 in the control group.The mean muscle strength scores of the con-trol group at the 4 clinic visits were 38.2 ±7.5, 37.0 ±8.0, 36.2 ±7.6, and 36.6 ±7.7, while those of the treat-ment group were 37.7 ±6.1, 39.1 ±6.4, 40.3 ±5.9, and 40.0 ±5.6, respectively .The changes in muscle strength scores at 1, 2, 3 months after treatment compared with the scores at diagnosis were all significantly larger in the treatment group than in the control group (P=0.024, P=0.000, P=0.002).The mean time of 9-meter walk at the 4 visits in the control group were (7.7 ±2.5), (7.6 ±2.8), (8.1 ±2.4), and (7.6 ±2.8) s, and those in the treatment group were (8.5 ±3.4), (7.2 ±3.3), (7.6 ±3.1), and (7.1 ±2.8) s, showing signifi-cantly larger changes of time in the treatment group than in the control group at 2 and 3 months after treatment com-pared with the time at diagnosis ( P=0.013, P=0.003) .The four mean FVCs in the control group were (1.24 ± 0.28), (1.13 ±0.26), (1.21 ±0.31), and (1.16 ±0.26) L, and the mean FVCs in the treatment group were (1.14 ±0.37), (1.40 ±0.35), (1.42 ±0.36), and (1.52 ±0.37) L, showing significantly larger changes in the treatment group than in the control group at 1, 2, and 3 months after treatment compared with the FVCs at diag-nosis (P=0.000, P=0.006, P=0.000).The decrease of creatine kinase in the treatment group was significantly larger after 1-month treatment than that in the control group (P=0.035).There were no serious adverse effects in the treatment group except weight gain .Conclusions Short-term application of low dose prednisone in children with DMD can increase muscle strength , improve motor and respiratory functions .

OBJECTIVETo explore a good way of the reconstruction of severe tibial shaft fractures by using different flaps and external fixators.

METHODSEighty-five patients of Type IIIC tibial shaft fractures with average age of 42.5 years were treated in our hospital from 1990 to 2005. Injuries were caused by motorcycle accidents in 66 patients, by machine accidents in 16 patients, and by stone bruise in 3 patients. The management procedures consisted of administration of antibiotics, serial debridment, bone grafting if needed, application of different flaps, such as free thoracoumbilical flaps, fasciocutaneous flaps, saphenous neurocutaneous vascular flaps, sural neurocutaneous vascular flaps and gastrocnemius muscular flaps, and different external fixations, for instance, half-ring fixators, unilateral axial dynamic fixators, AO fixators, Weifang fixators, and Hybrid fixators. The average follow up was 6.3 years.

RESULTSAll flaps survived. Eighty-three cases had bone healed. The average bone healing time of different external fixations was 5.5 months in 47 cases with half-ring fixators, 9.2 months in 4 cases treated with unilateral axial dynamic fixators, 8.5 months in 6 cases with AO fixators, 10.7 months in 16 cases with Weifang fixators, and 7.8 months in 10 cases with assembly fixators. Except half-ring fixation, other fixations all needed necessary bone graft. Two cases treated with unilateral axial dynamic fixators had nonunion of bone and developed osteomyelitis. The wounds healed after the removal of the fixators and immobilization by plaster. The last follow up examination showed ankle and knee motion was normal and no pain was noted.

CONCLUSIONSThe combination of half-ring external fixators with various flaps provides good results for Type IIIC tibial shaft fractures.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bone Transplantation ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Debridement ; Female ; Fracture Fixation ; methods ; Fracture Healing ; Humans ; Leg Injuries ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Flaps ; Tibial Fractures ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome