Objective To study the effectiveness of comprehensive rehabilitative therapy with paraplegic spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Methods Forty patients with SCI-caused paraplegia were divided randomly into a rehabilitation group and a control group. The routine treatment was administered to both groups, and comprehensive rehabilitative therapy was also administered to patients in the rehabilitation group as an addition. Functional assessments and somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) tests were performed with the two groups pre-treatment and 30 days post-treatment. Results The rehabilitation group achieved, on average, greater improvement in their physical functions , as demonstrated by their much higher scores in terms of the Barthel index than those of the control group ( P

Objective: To study the influence of pre-operative disease course on the operation and post-operation quality of life of adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Methods: A total of 110 AIS patients who were treated with classic posterior correction, pedicle internal fixation were divided into two groups according to their disease courses (n=55): short course group with a pre-operation course <2 years (S group), long course group with a pre-operation course ≥2 years (L group). The gender, Lenke type, and major curve Cobb angle were matchable between the two groups. Various radiographic measurements and indices like fusion level, intraoperative blood loss and scores of SRS-22 scale were compared between the two groups before operation, immediately, and 2 years after operation. Results: The pre-operative Cobb angles of the major curve were similar between the two groups, but the flexibility of the major curve averaged (55.7±18.77)% in the S group and (48.1±18.24)% in the L group (P = 0.034). Pre-operative Cobb angles of the minor curve were larger in L group than those in S group ([30.1±12.10]° in the S group and [34.8±10.85]° in the L group, P = 0.035). The post-operative radiographic measurements and the blood loss/infusion were similar between the two groups. The number of fused vertebrae in the L group was significantly more than that in the S group (P = 0.027). The parameters in the SRS-22 scale, including function/activity, pain, self-image/appearance, and mental health were similar between the two groups during follow-up. And the L group had a significantly lower satisfaction rate of treatment compared with the S group ([4.0±0.70] vs [3. 7±0.78], P = 0.037). Conclusion: The flexibility of the curve in AIS decreases with the increase of disease course, and the disease course might be a risk factor for the scoliosis progression of the minor side. Patients with a disease course ≥2 years have more fused vertebrae than those with a disease course <2 years. The length of pre-operative disease course has influence on the quality of life of AIS patients after operation.

AIM:To observe whether modified epitopes from osteosarcoma high-expressing antigen papilloma-virus-binding factor (PBF) have HLA-A2 restricted antitumor ability,and to develop peptide-based immunotherapy for os-teosarcoma. METHODS:RT-PCR and Western blot were used to determine the expression of PBF in the osteosarcoma cell lines U2OS and Saos-2. HLA-A2 epitopes from PBF protein were predicted by NetCTL 1.2, SYFPEITHI and IEDB. The modified peptides from PBF containing HLA-A2 binding anchor motifs were designed by replacing the anchor residues. The peptides were synthesized by standard solid-phase methods,and the binding affinity of the peptides to HLA-A?0201 was evaluated by T2A2 cell binding assay. ELISPOT assay was used to investigate the seretion of interferon-γ(IFN-γ) from the peptide-induced specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs). The ability of inducing T-cell response was analyzed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay and carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) cytotoxicity assay in vitro. RE-SULTS:The expression of PBF was observed in the U2OS and Saos-2 cells. The candidate peptides P75-1Y2L,P412-1Y, P416-1Y2L9V, P107-1Y and P435-1Y2L showed moderate affinity toward HLA-A2 molecule. The modified peptides showed significantly higher affinity with HLA-A2 than the native peptide. ELISPOT assay showed that P412, P412-1Y, P416,P416-1Y2L9V and P435-1Y2L induced specific CTLs to secrete IFN-γ, and P412-1Y and P416-1Y2L9V induced more secretion of IFN-γ than the native peptide. The CTLs induced by P412, P412-1Y, P416 and P416-1Y2L9V lysed U2OS cells. P412-1Y and P416-1Y2L9V peptide-specific CTLs showed higher cytotoxicity against U2OS cells than the native peptide-specific CTLs. CONCLUSION:Compared with the native peptide,modified epitopes P412-1Y and P416-1Y2L9V have higher binding affinity with HLA-A?0201 and retain immunogenecity. In addition,the anti-tumor immunity effects of modified epitopes P412-1Y and P416-1Y2L9V are stronger than the native peptide. The peptides P412-1Y and P416-1Y2L9V is excellent HLA-A?0201 restricted CTL epitopes from tumor antigen PBF,which could serve as new can-didates towards antitumor peptide vaccines.

0.05);the body weight of 170 and 357 mg/kg 3,4-DCA exposure groups decreased significantly(P

Tacrolimus is a novel immunosuppressant used in the treatment of a variety of autoimmune diseases.More and more studies have shown that tacrolimus has a certain therapeutic effect on myasthenia gravis (MG).This article reviews the mechanism,clinical researches,adverse reactions,dosage and clinical evaluation of tacrolimus in the treatment of MG.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the influence of retinoic acid (RA) on the undifferentiated state and EB formation abilities of human embryonic stem cells.

METHODSThe biological characteristics of H9 ESCs after RA treatment were characterized by real-time PCR, MTS proliferation assay and immunofluorescence staining. The expression of three germ layers markers, osteogenic differentiation markers and adipogenic differentiation markers in H9-differentiated embryoid bodies (EBs) with RA treatment were quantified by real time PCR.

RESULTSThe proliferation of H9 ESCs in the early logarithmic growth phase was accelerated by RA treatment. In addition, RA induced differentiation of H9 ESC coupled with morphology changes, decreased expression of undifferentiated markers Oct4, Nanog, Sox2 and OCT4 mRNA binding protein Lin28 at mRNA level, and reduced expression of Oct4 at protein level. RA induced formation of cavities in EBs. Real time PCR results showed that the expressions of ectodermal markers: NeuroD1, Noggin; mesodermal markers: Brachyury, Twist and endodermal markers: AFP, GATA-4 were significantly increased (P < 0.05), especially for AFP (P < 0.01), by RA treatment in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the expression of adipogenic differentiation marker C/EBPalpha was increased while the osteogenic differentiation marker OPN was decreased in EBs after RA treatment for 5 days.

CONCLUSIONSHigh concentrations of RA induced the loss of stemness in H9 ESCs and excessive differentiation in EBs, and damaged the balance between osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation during early EB differentiation, which may be relevant to the congenital malformations.

Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Humans ; Tretinoin ; pharmacology

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Cell Line ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; genetics ; Virus Replication

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Esophageal Diseases ; etiology ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; administration & dosage ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Particle Accelerators ; Platinum Compounds ; administration & dosage ; Radiation Injuries ; etiology ; Radiotherapy, High-Energy ; adverse effects

Objective To study the effects of diagnostic ultrasound combined with microbubble contrast agent on augmentation thrombolysis in vivo and to discuss the synergism and mechanism of combination of urokinase. Methods Thirty-two rabbits of femoral vein thrombus were divided into four groups: simple urokinase group, ultrasound and contrast microbubble group, ultrasound and contrast microbubble combined with urokinase group, control group. Then according to the best parameter combination which was definited in previous experiment, the experiments combination of urokinase were performed. Color Doppler was used to evaluate the recanalization of different group in 15 rain,30 min and 60 min. Results After the treatment of 15 rain and 30 min,the recanalization rate in ultrasound and contrast microbubble combined with urokinase group improved significantly compared with other groups (P<0.05);after 60 min, the recanalization grade of ultrasound and contrast microbubble and urokinase group was evidently better than other two group. The result of immunohistochemistry showed that disaggregation of clot and fibrous in this group at 60 min was better than the results at 15 min, 30 min. Conclusions Diagnostic ultrasound with microbubble contrast agent showed superior effects of thrombolysis and the synergism of combination of urokinase in vivo.