Objective To study the radiographic findings of anomalies of thoracic skeletion in patients with congenital heart disease.Methods Frontal and lateral chest films of 252 cases with congenital heart disease proved by operation were reviewed.Results The skeletal anomalies in 8 cases including generalized sternal prominence,sternal bowing,pouter pigeon breast,hemivertebrae and butterfly vertebrae of thoracic spine,and deformities of ribs were discovered.Conclusion The skeleton anomalies which are divided into primary and secondary types often occur in patients with congenital heart disease.

Objective To explore the effect of chlamydia pneumoniae(CP)infection on T lymphocyte subsets in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).Methods A total of 176 patients with acute exacerbations of COPD who were admitted to hospital from Jan.2001 to Jan.2005,and 46 healthy subjects were selected.Chlamydia pneumoniae-specific serum IgG,IgA,IgM antibodies were measured by microimmunofluorescence(MIF)test;the flow cytometer was used to analyze the frequency of CD+_3,CD+_4 and CD+_8 lymphocytes in patients with COPD and controls.Results The rate of acute chlamydia pneumoniae infection in COPD patients with acute exacerbations was 27.3% and that of chronic CP infection was 19.3%.They were all significantly higher than that in healthy subjects(P﹤0.01).The frequency of the CD+_3 and CD+_4 lymphocytes showed no difference in each group.The frequency of CD+_8 lymphocyte in COPD patients of chronic CP infection rose and the CD+_4/CD+_8 ratio was decreased in comparison with controls.On the other hand,the CD+_8 lymphocytes and the CD+_4/CD+_8 ratio showed no difference between chronic CP infection group,no CP infection group and controls.Conclusion The chlamydia pneumoniae infection is a rather frequent event in acute exacerbations of COPD,and it is an important reason to cause the disorder of cell-mediated immunity in COPD patients.The disorder of cell-mediated immunity may be involved in pathogenesis of COPD.

AIM: To identify the key factors responsible for drug resistance in different ovarian cancer cell lines using protein microarray system. METHODS: Six ovarian cancer cell lines were employed. The sensitivity of ovarian cancer cell line to common chemotherapeutic drugs was determined by using MTT assays. The expression of 78 cytokines and other factors was examined by using cytokine antibody array technology. RESULTS: Different ovarian cancer cell line responded to chemotherapeutic agents differently. The drug resistance was correlated with certain cytokine expression. Cell line SKOV3 was less sensitive to first line chemotherapeutic drug (ADM, CBPDA) and accumulated high amounts of GRO and TIMP-2 compared with other 5 cell lines. OVCAR4 cells were more resistant to second line chemotherapeutic drug (TAXOL, VP16) and had higher levers of IL-6 and IL-8 than IGROV1, OVCAR3 and OVCAR5. CONCLUSIONS: Among the most common excretive cytokines, increasing of GRO, IL-6, IL-8 and TIMP-2 might be related to drug-resistance of ADM and CBPDA in ovarian cancer cell, while IL-6 and IL-8 might also be related with drug resistance of TAXOL and VP16. The different types of ovarian cancer cell might have roughly similar excretive cytokines-induced mechanism of drug resistance.

Objective To observe the neuroprotective role and its mechanism of estrogens in male Sprague-Dawley rats with focal cerebral ischemia. Methods The rats were randomly divided into three groups: E2-pretreat group, E2+TAM (tamoxifen)-pretreat group and control group. The models of cerebral ischemia were maded by occlusion middle cerebral artery using an intraluminal filament method. 2 and 24 hours after focal cerebral ischemia, the neurological deficit scores and the death rate of rats were evaluated. 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) stain was used to assess the volume of infarction. Terminal transferase dUTP nick ending labeling (TUNEL) and immunohistochemistry were carried to observe neuron apoptosis and the expressions of Bcl-2, Bax and p53. Results Compared with control group, the volumes of infarction, death rates, neurological deficit scores and the numbers of neuron apoptosis both at 2 and 24 h were significantly decreased in E2-pretreated group (all (P

Objective:To study the effects of anti-oncogene PTEN transfection on apoptosis of human bladder cancer cell lines,BIU-87,and to bring a new method of gene therapy for bladder cancer. Methods:A eukaryotic expression vector containing PTEN was transfected into BIU-87,and positive cell clones were selected and amplified.Expression of PTEN was detected by RT-PCR.Apoptosis of BIU-87 were measured before and after transfection by in situ cell apoptosis detection kit and flow cytometry. Results:PTEN transfected BIU-87 could steadily express PTEN mRNA,and cell apoptosis significantly increased compared with control groups. Conclusion:Transfection of PTEN might induce apoptosis of bladder cancer cells so as to inhibit the occurrence and development of tumor.

Objective To construct the eukaryotic expression vector containing short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting the inhibition of Smad3 gene segment in keloid fibroblasts (KFBs) and to investigate the effects on the expression of Smad7 in KFBs. Methods A couple of the most effective siRNA screened from former experiments were used to recombine the plasmids of Smad3 shRNA, and then Smad3 shRNA was transfected into KFBs by LyoVec TM. The expressions of Smad3 and Smad7 at different time points (0～9 d) were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting. Results ① The recombinant Smad3 shRNA vectors were identified by RT-PCR and Western blotting. ② The expressions of mRNA and protein of Smad3 in KFBs decreased significantly in a time-dependent manner after transfection of Smad3 shRNA and reached the lowest point at 72 hours in the experimental group. Optical density analysis revealed a significant difference between the experimental group and the control group (P

0 05). Conclusions Serum ? hCG could reflect the degree of functional imbalance of the placental trophoblasts on PIH and it may be used as a clinical detecting index of PIH. On the other hand, HPL is not such a useful factor.

Objective To probe the neuroprotective mechanism of Donepezil in hippocampus of mice with vascular dementia(VD).Methods The mice were subjected for reperfusion repeatedly on bio-lateral common carotid arteries by repeatedly clipping and injected sodium nitroprusside into the abdominal cavity to establish the imitative VD rat models.Then Donepezil was given by intragastric administration.The behavioral abnormalities were investigated by Y-type maze test.The expressions of N-methy1-D-aspartate receptor subunit proteins(NR1)in neuron of hippocampus were observed by immunohistochemistry technique,and the activities of glutathione peroxidase(GSH-PX)and catalase(CAT)were measured with dithio-bis-nitrobenzoic acid(DTNB)and ultraviolet spectrophotometry(UV)methods,respectively.Results Compared with VD control group,the performance records of learning and memory in Donepezil group were better(all P

Objective To study the effect of Atorvastatin on the level of serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP) and nitric oxide(NO) in patients with acute cerebral infartion(ACI). Methods 60 patients with ACI were randomly divided into the Atorvastatin therapy group (n=30) and the conventional therapy group (n=30). At the basic of conventional therapy, the Atorvastatin therapy group was treated with Atorvastatin 20 mg/d. Both groups were treated for 14 consecutive days. The levels of serum hs-CRP and NO were measured and the scores of neurological deficit (NDS) were evaluated before and after treatment. Results The levels of serum hs-CRP in both two groups after 14 d treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment ( all P

Objective To study the clinical features and therapeutic effects of pituitary adenomas in elderly patients. Methods The clinical materials including main clinical manifestations, diagnostic methods and outcome of treatments of 49 elderly patients with the pituitary adenomas from 1987 to1998 were analyzed retrospectively. Results It was showed from the data that the average duration of illness was 4 4 years; and 46(93 8%) cases were with visual deterioration, 20 (40 8%) with headache, and 16(32 7%) with endocrine abnormality. The diameter of tumors was more than 3 cm in 25 (51 0%), and the non functioning adenomas were found in 27 (55 1%). Operation was undergone through trans sphenoidal (61 2%), subfrontal (32 7%) and extensive subfrontal extradural approaches(6 1%), respectively. Among the 49 cases, tumor was totally or subtotally removed in 38 cases (77 6%), large partially or partially removed in 11 cases (22 4%). The results of operation through the trans sphenoidal approach were superior to other routes All patients were long term followed up for an average of 50 5 months. Visual disturbances were improved in 27 of 46(58 7%). A total of 43 patients could live by themselves Tumor disappearance was observed in 30 cases and recurrence in five cases. Five cases showed no changes in tumor size. 28 cases underwent radiotherapy after surgery and the occurrence rate of hypopituitarism after radiotherapy turned to be 50%. Total tumor control rate was calculated as 93%. Conclusions Macroadenomas and non functional pituitary adenomas happened most frequently in elderly patients and the main clinical symptoms was visual deterioration. Trans sphenoidal route for microsurgery was believed to be the first choice of operation. Tumor recurrence can be controlled or delayed by postoperative radiotherapy, but severe complication of the visual injury and pituitary dysfunction should be paid much attention.