The term vasculogenic mimicry describes the formation of fluid-conducting channels by highly invasive and genetically dysregulated tumor cells. The molecular mechanisms of vasculogenic mimicry may be associated with phenotypically interconversion, tumor-extracellular matrix interactions and abnormality in signal pathway of tumor cells. It is recently discovered that in hepatocellular carcinoma vasculogenic mimicry may be associated with the invasive and metastatic potential of tumor cells, as well as poor clinical outcome. This article reviews the present research progression of vasculogenic mimicry in hepatocellular carcinoma.

0.05 ). But CD8 +CD28 -T suppressor cells from colitis rats was significantly higher than that from controls (spleen: 11.3% ? 2.3% vs. 5.6% ? 1.0% ; colon: 6.5% ?5.4% vs. 1.1 %? 0.6% , P 0.05 ; colon: 7.5% ? 4.2% vs. 16.9% ? 4.1% , P

Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Pharyngeal Diseases ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Pharynx ; innervation ; physiopathology ; Sensation

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Asthma ; therapy ; Female ; Humans

Objective To evaluate the clinical outcome of severe ulcerative colitis(UC)and to find the factors related to treatment and outcome.Methods Forty one hospitalized patients with UC during 1988-2004 were retrospectively reviewed.Data were recorded including the onset,symptoms,signs, laboratory,endoscopic,radiologic and pathologic findings,as well as the processes of clinical treatment. The patients who undergone surgery were also analysed.Results Forty one of 144(28.5%)hospital ized patients were suffered from severe UC,and among them 92.7%(38/41)had pancolitis.The patients who had first onset,chronic persistent,chronic recurrent type were account for 36.9%(15/41),36.9%(15/41) and 26.8%(11/41),respectively.The steroids treatment played the main role in the inducing remission of severe UC(61.0%).Thirty one cases(75.6%)could be relieved by drug therapy.Seven cases(17.1%) were progressed to have operation.The age of early onset,pancolitis,low hemoglobin and serum albumin levels and need of intravenous steroids treatment were associated with the need of surgery.Conclusions Most of the severe UC patients respond well to the medical therapy,but for some non-responding or steroids depending individuals,after a reasonable duration of treatment,surgery should be considered.

Objective To investigate retrospectively the clinical characteristics of hospitalized ulcerative colitis(UC)patients of our department,and evaluate the diagnosis and treatment.Methods The cases of UC patients from 1989 to Jun 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. We analyzed the patients' symptoms,diagnosis,and treatment.Results There were 155 cases reviewed. The sex ratio(M/F)was 1.54∶ 1. The average age of patients was 41.8. The peak age of onset was 20~30. 32.3% of our cases were mild type,and 41.3% were moderate type,severe type were 26.5%. Of these pateints,52.9% were pancolitis,and 39.4% were chronic recurrent type,which was very common. Most cases(72.9%)were diagnosed by clinic combined with endoscope and pathology. Most of the severe UC responded well to the drug therapy. Very less(4.5%)had to underwent surgery. No patient died.Conclusion Most of our patients are mild or moderate type,and they respond well to drug some severe and moderate types need steroids and immuno suppressor. The extracolonic manifestation rate(12.9%)and operation rate(4.5%)are low.

Objective To study the differences of anal manometry among dirrhea-dominant(DD), constipation-dominant(CD) irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) and functional constipation(FC), and to evaluate effects of sex and age on these parameters.Methods Age-matched 18 DD-IBS, 14 CD-IBS and 30 FC patients were selected, and 18 volunteers as healthy controls. Anal manometry was evaluated with localized point pull-extraction technique.Results The pressure parameters in DD-IBS, CD-IBS and FC were no significantly difference from those in healthy controls, but the threshold volume of gas to induce RAIR was significantly larger(P

Objective To investigate the role of CD80/CD86 and CTLA-4 in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) and its clinical significance. Methods Applying RT-PCR technique to semiquantitatively analyze CD80/CD86 and CTLA-4 mRNA expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 32 active SLE patients. Results Compared with normal controls, the percentage of positive CD86 expression in active SLE, accounted for 90.63% (29/32), was significantly increased (P 0.05, both). Conclusion The abnormal expression of CD86 and CTLA-4 might play an important role in the pathogenesis of SLE.

The expression of nm23-H1 and p53 genes were studied with ABC immunohistochemical method in 54 cases of gastric cancer and 57 cases of colorectal cancer. The result showed that the expression of nm23-H1 was 72.2% in gastric cancer and 64.9% in colorectal cancer, respectively. No significant difference was found between the expression of this gene and lymph node metastasis of the cancers. The mutant p53 protein expression was 53.7% and 52.6% in gastric and colorectal cancers, respectively. Although it was not correlated with lymph node metastasis, its expression was significantly higher in cancers with distant metastases, suggesting that the mutant p53 protein expression may be indicative of poor prognosis in gastrointestinal cancers.

Objective To study the changes of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and ? hydroxybutyric acid (HBD) in atrophic gastritis type A(AAG) patients. Methods Auto biochemistry instrument was used to detect serum LDH and HBD. Hemoglobin, vitamin B 12 and gastrin were also examined routinely. Results All AAG patients had elevated levels of LDH and HBD in serum and 60 percent of patients had a rise of indirect bilirubin. In the first day after supplement with folic acid and vitamin B 12 , LDH and HBD decreased simultaneously by 30% along with a decrease of indirect bilirubin. The changes of LDH and HBD were earlier than changes of reticulocytes. Conclusions Serum LDH and HBD rise significantly in AAG patients. This might be associated with in situ hemolysis of bone marrow. And it may be a good index for differential diagnosis between AAG and atrophic gastritis type B.