The crude toxin was extracted from hypha and culture solution of Phyllosticta commelimecola through three different polarity solvent: benzinum, puncificatum ethyl acetate and chloroform. The result indicated that the toxin secreted by Phyllosticta commelimecola not only was in hypha but also in culture solution and the extracting effect of ethyl acetate was the best. The soybean median and PSK media can be respectively used as solid and liquid culture media to produce toxin and grow mycelium. The optimal cultural conditions for producing toxin were temperature 32℃,cultured period 14d, cultured ways shaking of 150r/min.

Aged ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Skeletal/physiology* ; Vibration

OBJECTIVETo observe blood uric acid levels and Goldstein grading, as well as their correlation in Wilson's disease (WD) patients with different Chinese medical syndrome types.

METHODSTotally 906 WD patients in line with inclusive criteria were assigned to 6 groups, i.e., the heart spirit confused by phlegm group (HSCP, 26 cases), the phlegm-fire disturbing heart group (PFDH, 90 cases), the retention of damp-heat group (RDH, 113 cases), deficiency of qi and blood group (DQB, 168 cases), the deficiency of Gan-yin and Shen-yin group (DGYSY, 327 cases), the deficiency of Gan and Shen group (DGS, 182 cases) due to different Chinese medical syndrome types. Recruited were another 160 healthy subjects having similar ages and diet structures, who came for medical examinations, as the healthy control group. Venous blood was collected from the medial cubital vein of each-patient on an empty stomach in early mornings to detect blood uric acid levels. Results Blood uric acid levels were lower in each syndrome type group than in the healthy control group (146.08 +/- 67.24 micromol/L in the HSCP group; 157.08 +/- 69.77 micromol/L in the PFDH group; 162.58 +/- 97.72 micromol/L in the RDH group; 156.20 +/- 62.63 micromol/L in the DQB group; 161.83 +/- 111.23 micromol/L in the DGYSY group; 194.41 +/- 90.01 micromol/L in the DGS group; 242.39 +/- 87.55 micromol/L in the healthy control group, P < 0.01). Blood uric acid levels were higher in the DGYSY group than in the other 5 syndrome groups (P < 0.01). Correlation analyses between Goldstein grading and blood uric acid showed that, along with increased Goldstein grade (that was aggravating disease conditions), WD patients' blood uric acid levels decreased (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSWD patient's blood uric acid levels decreased more. Blood uric acid levels and Goldstein grading were different in various Chinese medical syndrome types. Blood uric acid levels had certain value in assessing the severity of WD.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Heart ; Hepatolenticular Degeneration ; blood ; classification ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Syndrome ; Uric Acid ; blood

Objective To detect the expression of interleukin (IL)-18 of the peripheral blood cells and IL-18 receptor α chain(IL-18Rα) on the surface of CD_3~+ cells in patients newly diagnosed as immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) before medication and to explore the roles of IL-18 and IL-18Rα in the development of ITP. Methods Eighteen out-patients or inpatients with acute ITP accepting treatment in Qilu Hospital were enrolled in this study and 15 matching healthy subjects were taken as control. Plasma IL-18 level was detected with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the expression of IL-18Rα on CD_3~+ lymphocytes and total lymphoeytes were measured with flow cytometry; T-bet and GATA-3 mRNA were measured with reverse transcriptase polymcrase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results The expression of IL-18 in acute ITP plasma was (468. 57 ± 141.62) ng/L and IL-18Rα on the surface of CD_3~+ cells and lymphocytes were (8.50 ±3. 16)% and (9. 16±2.98)% respectively. The levels of IL-18 and IL-18Rα were increased in active ITP patients as compared with those in the controls (P <0. 05). The levels of IL-18 mRNA (0. 12 ±0. 02) and T-bet mRNA (0. 07 ±0. 02) were significantly increased in patients with active ITP as compared with those in the controls (P <0.05), while GATA-3 mRNA (0.0039±0.0014) were significantly decreased in patients with active ITP (P < 0. 05). The balance between T-bet and GATA-3 was significantly disturbed in ITP. Conclusions Through the variation of the levels of gene and protein, our study showed that IL-18 and IL-18Rα might upregulate the expression of Th1-cytokines in ITP patients. It is also suggested that IL-18 has potential association with the development of ITP. Especially, it may provide a new treatment method for ITP by regulating the ratio of T-bet and GATA-3 and resuming the balance of Th1/ Th2.

Adult ; Bone Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Osteoblastoma ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Patella

Percutaneous sacroplasty is a safe and effective procedure for sacral insufficient fractures under CT or fluoroscopic guidance; although, few reports exist about sacral metastatic tumors. We designed a pilot study to treat intractable pain caused by a sacral metastatic tumor with sacroplasty. A 62-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman with medically intractable pain due to metastatic tumors of S1 from lymphoma and lung cancer, respectively, underwent percutaneous sacroplasty. Over the course of the follow-up period, the two patients experienced substantial and immediate pain relief that persisted over a 3-month and beyond. The woman had deposition of PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) in the needle track, but did not experience significant symptoms. No other peri-procedural complications were observed for either patient.
Adult ; Bone Cements/*therapeutic use ; Female ; *Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain, Intractable/etiology/*therapy ; Polymethyl Methacrylate/administration & dosage ; *Radiography, Interventional ; *Sacrum ; Spinal Neoplasms/complications/radiography/*secondary ; *Vertebroplasty/methods

OBJECTIVETo explore the characteristics of DNA mutations underlying Duchenne muscular dystrophy and provide prenatal diagnosis.

METHODSMultiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) were applied for analyzing DMD gene mutations in 388 unrelated Chinese patients and 53 fetuses.

RESULTSRespectively, 230 and 43 subjects were found to harbor a deletion (59.28%) or duplication (11.08%). Two deletion hotspots were identified, which have located at exons 45-54 and exons 3-19. Duplications were mainly detected at exons 2-43. Point mutations were identified in 29.64% of patients. Fifty three fetuses were prenatal diagnosed, among which 18 were identified as patients.

CONCLUSIONFrequencies of DMD gene deletions and duplications in China are similar to global data. Prenatal diagnosis can help to reduce births of DMD patients.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; Dystrophin ; genetics ; Exons ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne ; genetics ; Mutation ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlation between genotypes and phenotypes in Chinese patients with pseudohypertrophic muscular dystrophy.

METHODSPatients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) were diagnosed clinically. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) were performed to detect potential DMD gene mutations. The results were analyzed statistically.

RESULTSAmong 280 patients, 238(85.0%) were diagnosed with DMD, 35(12.50%) were diagnosed with BMD and 7(2.5%) were diagnosed with intermediate muscular dystrophin (IMD). Among these, 252(92.31%) were in-frame mutations, and 21(7.69%) were out-of-frame mutations. Twelve patients with DMD have carried in-frame mutations, 9 with BMD have carried frame-shift mutations, and 7 IMD patients have carried frame-shift mutation.

CONCLUSIONMost of the genotypes and phenotypes of DMD have complied with the reading-frame hypothesis. Patients with BMD with frame-shift mutations may facilitate understanding of the pathogenesis of DMD, and provide a theoretical basis for clinical therapy.

Dystrophin ; genetics ; Exons ; Genetic Association Studies ; Genotype ; Humans ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Mutation ; Phenotype

OBJECTIVETo analyze the frequency of thyroid dysfunction and determine its influencing factors in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients treated with pegylated-interferon alpha (peg-IFNa)-2a and ribavirin (RBV) combination therapy.

METHODSA total of 194 CHC patients were treated with peg-IFNa-2a and RBV for 48 weeks. Development of thyroid dysfunction was recorded. Clinical and biological factors from pre-treatment (baseline) to post-treatment were statistically analyzed to determine correlation with thyroid dysfunction in this patient population.

RESULTSFifty-two (26.80%) of 194 peg-IFNa-2a/RBV-treated patients developed thyroid dysfunction. Dysfunction severity ranged from hyperthyroidism (n = 1, 0.52%) and hypothyroidism (n = 10, 5.15%) to subclinical hyperthyroidism (n = 4, 2.06%) and subclinical hypothyroidism (n = 37, 19.07%). The dysfunction rate was significantly higher after peg-IFNa-2a/RBV treatment (26.80% vs. 12.37% at baseline, x2 = 12.829, P less than 0.05, odds ratio (OR) = 0.386, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.226-0.657), in females (33.00% vs. 20.21% in males, P less than 0.05, 95% CI: 1.016-3.040), and in thyroid auto-antibody positive patients (64.29% vs. 23.89% in negative patients, P less than 0.05, 95% CI: 1.681-36.183). Early virological response did not have any significant effect on dysfunction rate (23.00% vs. 30.85% no early virological response, x2 = 1.522, P more than 0.05) nor did end of treatment response (27.19% vs. 26.25% no response at end of treatment, x2 = 0.021, P more than 0.05). Patients who developed thyroid dysfunction had higher interleukin (IL)-6 at baseline (i.e. before peg-IFNa-2a/RBV treatment) (27.08+/-14.90 vs. 11.65+/-5.46 in patients who maintained normal thyroid function, t = 3.127, P less than 0.05, 95% CI: 5.28-25.58). IL-6 levels were not significantly different between the two groups at 24 weeks (6.30+/-2.47 vs. 6.81+/-2.80, t = 0.352, P more than 0.05). IL-6 levels before and after 48 weeks of treatment in normal thyroid function patients were 27.08+/-14.90 and 6.30+/-2.47, t = 3.632, P less than 0.05, and in thyroid dysfunction patients were 11.65+/-5.46 and 6.81+/-2.80, t = 1.997, P more than 0.05.

CONCLUSIONPeg-IFNa-2a/RBV combination therapy may cause thyroid dysfunction, especially hypothyroidism, in CHC patients. Female sex and thyroid auto-antibody positivity may put CHC patients at higher risk of developing thyroid dysfunction during peg-IFNa-2a/RBV therapy. Elevated IL-6 may be a predictive marker of peg-IFNa-2a/RBV-induced thyroid dysfunction.

Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyethylene Glycols ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Recombinant Proteins ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies ; Ribavirin ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Thyroid Diseases ; chemically induced ; physiopathology ; Thyroid Gland ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo explore the potential mechanisms of leukemia cell resistance to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) -induced apoptosis.

METHODSCells apoptosis, changes of mitochondrial membrane potential, activity of NF-kappaB, activity of caspase-8 and expressions of apoptosis-related proteins in TRAIL treated K562 and CEM cells, were detected by flowcytometry, ELISA and Western blotting methods, respectively.

RESULTSAfter treated with TRAIL, the apoptosis indexes were 29.98% and 14.1%, and mitochondrial membrane potential were decreased to 73.25% and 25.4% in K562 and CEM cells respectively. Constitutive level of caspase-8 expression in CEM was lower than that in K562 cells. Both cells became over-expressed Bcl-xL and down-regulated Bax. The ratio of Bcl-xL/Bax in CEM cells was higher than that in K562 cells. Compared with that in K562, the NF-kappaB activity increased significantly in CEM after treatment with TRAIL in early stage.

CONCLUSIONCEM cells were more resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis than K562 cells did. The potential mechanisms associated with CEM drug resistance might be the lower expression of the constitutive level of caspase-8, lower sensitivity of mitochondrial inner membrane, early increase in NF-KB activity and altered expression of Bcl-2 proteins family.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; metabolism ; Caspase 8 ; metabolism ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Ligands ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand ; pharmacology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured