Objective To assess the value of ultrasound examination in transvaginal diagnosis of normal fetal heart with 11-14 weeks of gestation.Methods Totally 158 cases of normal fetal heart with high risk pregnancy and nuchal translucency thickness were examined by two ultrasoud approaches:transvaginal(TVS) and tranabdomina(TAS) in 11-14 weeks of gestation.Results The group of TVS was obviously clearer than TAS by displaying the normal fetal cardiac structural in 12 week of gestation and 13-14 weeks of gestation with significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05),respectively.No significant difference between the two groups in 11 week of gestation was observed.Conclusion The transvaginal echocardiogram is of clinical value in the high risk gravida during the late first and the early second trimester.

OBJECTIVETo identify the protective effects of hypovolemic hypotension preconditioning on cardiopulmonary function after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury and to explore the possible mechanism.

METHODSTwenty-four male white rabbits were randomly assigned to two groups. In the control group, ischemia/reperfusion animals(Group I/R, n=10) were subjected to thirty-minute occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery and two-hour reperfusion. Animals in hypovolemic hypotension preconditioning group (Group HHP, n=14) experienced brief systemic ischemia preconditioning through blood withdrawal to lower blood pressure to 40%-50% of the baseline before myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded. Blood sample was taken to measure superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrogen monoxide (NO) changes with blood gas analysis. Myocardium specimens were sampled to examine apoptosis-related gene interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme (ICE) mRNA.

RESULTSCardiac mechanical function and lung gas exchange remained stable in Group HHP with a significant increase in NO level; while in Group I/R without preconditioning, cardiopulmonary dysfunction was present after 2 h reperfusion associated with a significant reduction in NO formation and an increase in MDA (P<0.001). There was negative expression of ICE mRNA in the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSHypovolemic hypotension preconditioning significantly improves cardiopulmonary function and increases NO formation and the protective benefit associated with hypovolemic hypotension preconditioning of the heart may be regulated through NO mediated mechanism.

Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Volume ; Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial ; methods ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Rabbits ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to observe the human hair follicle apoptosis status affected by fluorine and the antagonism effect by selenium in vitro.

METHODSThe single hair follicles were separated and cultured, then they were added in different concentrations of sodium fluoride and sodium selenite. Chosen the appropriate concentrations, they were divided into 7 groups. The TUNEL was used to investigate the apoptotic cells of different parts. The morphous of hair follicles was observed consecutively and electron microscope was used.

RESULTSWe found that in 1 mmol/L and 10 mmol/L sodium fluoride groups, when the human hair follicles in vitro were cultured on the 5th day, the apoptotic cells of outer root sheath (ORS), dermal sheath and hair papilla, hair bulb were obviously increased. But 0.01 mmol/L sodium selenite weakened the toxicity of 1 mmol/L sodium fluoride at the outer root sheath and hair bulb (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSDifferent concentrations of sodium fluoride had different effect on the growth of human hair follicle in vitro which were cultured on 5th day. Sodium fluoride of certain concentration could accelerate the apoptosis of human hair follicle in vitro. Sodium selenite of certain concentration could act antagonism to the toxicity of sodium fluoride.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Hair Follicle ; drug effects ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Sodium Fluoride ; pharmacology ; Sodium Selenite ; pharmacology ; Tissue Culture Techniques ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo clone human canstatin gene and express its recombinant protein.

METHODSThe total RNA was extracted from human placenta. The canstatin gene fragment was synthesized and amplified from the total RNA by RT-PCR. The resulting product was cloned into pUCm-T vector and transformed into E.coli DH5alpha through electroporation. The gene was sequenced by the Sanger Dideoxy-mediated chain-termination method, and then the canstatin cDNA was cloned into the BamHI and HindIII sites of plasmid pET-22b (+) and transformed into E.coli BL21 where it was induced to express proteins by isopropyl-1-thio-b-Dgalactopyranoside (IPTG).

RESULTSThe extracted total RNA was separated into three clear bands indicating 28S, 18S, and 5S after electrophoresis. The canstatin gene fragment was synthesized and amplified from the total RNA by RT-PCR. The resulting products were cloned into pUCm-T vectors, and then were transformed into E.coli DHSa. After an over night culture, both blue and white colonies were found on the agar plate. Six white colonies were selected and cut by BamHI and HindIII. The plasmids DNA in one white colony showed one band near the location of primary plasmid after digested by BamHI and two bands near the locations of primary plasmid and objective gene fragment after digested by HindIII. The cloned gene in this white colony was sequenced and demonstrated to have the same sequence as that of canstatin gene in GenBank. Then canstatin cDNA was cut down from pUCm-T with BamHI and HindIII and ligated into the vector pET-22b (+). The resultant plasmid pET-22b (+)/canstatin was then transformed into E.coli BL21. White colonies were found on LB agar plate. Seven of them were selected and their plasmids were digested with both BamHI and HindIII. After electrophoresis, all selected colonies showed two specific bands, one was found near the location of primary plasmids, and the other near that of objective gene fragment. After IPTG induction, there was a new protein band about Mr 24 000 on SDS-PAGE. As estimated by densitometry, the percentage of the expressed product over total bacterial proteins was 18.2%, 18.8%, 23.0% and 23.4%, respectively, 1, 2, 3, and 4 hours after induction.

CONCLUSIONHuman canstatin gene was successfully cloned and its recombinant proteins were expressed in this study.

Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; methods ; Collagen Type IV ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Peptide Fragments ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo analyse the proportion of hepatitis associated aplastic anemia (HAAA) in severe aplastic anemia (SAA) and its clinical features of HAAA.

METHODSAll newly diagnosed SAA cases in our department in the recent 5 years were analyzed. A case-control study was undertaken to investigate the differences of clinical and laboratory features between HAAA and non-hepatitis associated SAA (non-HASAA) patients.

RESULTSThe proportion of HAAA in SAA was 3.3%. There was no significant difference in PB cell counts, bone marrow hematopoiesis status and the amount of blood transfusion between HAAA and non-HASAA patients. Sera from 13 patients with HAAA were tested for antibodies to hepatitis viruses A, B, and C and hepatitis B surface antigen. Twelve (92.3%) of them had negative serologic results for the tests and only one (7.7%) had a positive result for HBsAg and HBeAg. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were decreased prior to the diagnosis in twelve (92.3%) of the 13 HAAA patients. The percentage of CD4(+) cells in HAAA patients was significantly lower than that in non-HASAA patients (P < 0.05). HAAA patients had higher percentages of CD8(+) cells (P < 0.05) and lower ratios of CD4(+)/CD8(+) (P < 0.05). The early infection rate of the HAAA patients was significantly higher than that of non-HASAA patients (84.6% vs 42.3%, P < 0.05), with different mortalities (61.5% vs 15.4%, P < 0.05). The 2-year survival rate of HAAA patients was significantly lower than that of non-HASAA patients (16.6% vs 83.2%, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe proportion of HAAA in SAA was 3.3%. Most of HAAA were associated with non-A, non-B and non-C hepatitis virus. Compared with that of non-HASAA, the abnormality of T cell immunity of HAAA was more severe, with a higher frequency of early infection and a higher mortality rate.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anemia, Aplastic ; blood ; complications ; pathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepacivirus ; immunology ; Hepatitis A Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis A virus ; immunology ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; immunology ; Hepatitis C Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis, Viral, Human ; blood ; complications ; virology ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVEThe outcome of atrial fibrillation patients with genetic mutations post ablation was not well evaluated.

METHODS AND RESULTSThree atrial fibrillation patients with evidence of mutations in KCNA5 and NPPA post successful circumferential pulmonary vein ablation were included. Mutation in KCNA5 was found in one male patient with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. He was free of atrial fibrillation post ablation after 46 months follow-up. Mutations in NPPA were found in two male patients with persistent atrial fibrillation and they were free from atrial fibrillation after 64 months and 38 months follow-up post circumferential pulmonary vein ablation, roof line and mitral isthmus line ablation.

CONCLUSIONSatisfactory long term results are observed in atrial fibrillation patients with KCNA5 and NPPA mutations post circumferential pulmonary vein ablation.

Aged ; Atrial Fibrillation ; genetics ; surgery ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; genetics ; Catheter Ablation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kv1.5 Potassium Channel ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Treatment Outcome

The study was aimed to detect the levels of CYR61, CTGF, VEGF-C, VEGFR-2 mRNA in bone marrow (BM) of leukemia patients and investigate the interaction of CYR61, CTGF, VEGF-C, VEGFR-2 proteins in occurrence, development, infiltration and metastasis of leukemia and its clinical significance, to find a new tumor marker for diagnosis and treatment of leukemia with some new directions. 74 patients with leukemia were enrolled in this study, 38 out of them were males and 36 were females, aged from 6 to 77 years old with the median age of 45 years old. In the control group, 7 males and 5 females, aged from 16 to 78 years old with the median age of 46. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the levels of CYR61, CTGF, VEGF-C, VEGFR-2 mRNA. The results showed that the levels of CYR61, CTGF, VEGF-C, VEGFR-2 mRNA in BM of newly diagnosed patients with acute and chronic leukemia of each group were significantly higher as compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The levels of CYR61, CTGF mRNA in acute leukemia remission group were significantly higher than those in control group (p = 0.039, 0.025). The level of CTGF mRNA was highest in B-ALL group, and was higher than that in AML, CML, CLL, T-ALL groups (p = 0.002, 0.034, 0.002, 0.010). In AML group, mRNA expressions of CYR61 and CTGF, CYR61 and VEGF-C, CTGF and VEGFR-2 were positively correlated (r = 0.452, 0.466, 0.464; p = 0.045, 0.038, 0.039), and in CML group mRNA expression of CYR61 and VEGF-C was positively correlated (r = 0.882, p = 0.000). The expression levels of VEGF-C, VEGFR-2 mRNA in acute leukemia patients with extramedullary infiltration were higher than those in acute leukemia patients without extramedullary infiltration (p = 0.028, 0.047). VEGF-C mRNA expression and the original cell counts in AML group were positively correlated (r = 0.418, p = 0.034). It is concluded that CYR61, CTGF, VEGF-C and VEGFR-2 interact each other in the pathogenesis of leukemia, promote the development, metastasis and infiltration of leukemia; and these factors in different types of leukemia and extramedullary infiltration are different, which may become tumor markers of leukemia; and blocking VEGF-C and VEGFR-2 may block tumor growth and metastasis.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bone Marrow ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Connective Tissue Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Cysteine-Rich Protein 61 ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 ; metabolism ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in detecting residual disease and predicting relapse following first-line treatment in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

METHODSThe clinical data of 39 patients with DLBCL, who underwent PET/CT scan after first-line treatment, were analyzed retrospectively. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival of patients.

RESULTSPET/CT findings were interpreted as negative, mild metabolism and positive. Seventeen patients' PET/CT findings were judged as negative, none of them relapsed with a median follow-up of 24.1 months, 13 were judged as mild metabolism, 2 of them relapsed with a median follow-up of 17.1 months. Of the rest 9 findings were judged as positive with a median follow-up of 16.3 months, 4 patients were considered as disease progression according to clinical manifestations and other radiographic results, 2 patients relapsed at the time points of 13.5 and 6.8 months after PET/CT scan respectively, the other 3 patients were diagnosed as negative by biopsy, none of them relapsed at the time points of 5.9, 9.6 and 20.0 months after PET/CT scan respectively. One-year progression-free-survival (PFS) for negative, mild metabolism and positive groups was 100%, 83% and 56%, respectively. Two-year PFS was 100%, 83% and 42%, respectively. Overall survival (OS) at 1 year for negative, mild metabolism and positive groups was 100%, 100% and 89%, respectively. Two-year OS was 100%, 100% and 63%, respectively (P = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONDLBCL patients with negative and mild metabolism PET/CT following first-line treatment had good prognosis, who needed no additional therapy. While patients with positive PET/CT had poor prognosis, those patients should receive biopsy before adjusting treatment regimen because of the high false-positive rate.

Aged ; Female ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; methods ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDTumor necrosis factor-α is a key mediator in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Infliximab is a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to tumor necrosis factor-α. The purpose of this study was to validate the efficacy and safety of 5 mg/kg infliximab therapy in Chinese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

METHODSIn this multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 129 patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis were randomized to the induction therapy (weeks 0, 2 and 6) with infliximab 5 mg/kg (n = 84) or placebo (n = 45), followed with infliximab 5 mg/kg scheduled at week 14 and week 22 in the infliximab group, and infliximab 5 mg/kg scheduled at weeks 10, 12 and 16 in the placebo group. The primary end point was the proportion of patients who achieved at least 75% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75 response rate) from baseline at week 10.

RESULTSAt week 10, 81.0% of patients treated with infliximab (5 mg/kg) achieved a 75% or greater improvement compared with 2.2% of patients treated with placebo (P < 0.001). A significant improvement in PASI, Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), was seen from week 6 through week 14 in the infliximab group compared with the placebo group. Through week 22, PASI, PGA, DLQI were well maintained. The incidence of adverse events for the infliximab treatment group was slightly higher in comparison to the placebo treatment group during the first 10 weeks without statistical significance. However, there were 3 cases of tuberculosis that developed during the 26 weeks treatment with infliximal.

CONCLUSIONSInfliximab treatment was effective as induction and maintenance treatments for Chinese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Most drug-induced adverse events were mild to moderate, and well tolerated. Screening for tuberculosis is essential and prophylactic treatment should be given if necessary.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; administration & dosage ; ultrastructure ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Humans ; Infliximab ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Psoriasis ; drug therapy ; Young Adult

Objective:To assess impact of radiation from nuclear power on the surrounding environment, a dose assessment model was constructed and relevant dose coefficients were determined through refined animal models.Methods:Zebrafish is one of the most important aquatic model animals in the radiation hazard assessment of nuclear power liquid effluent. A geometric model of zebrafish containing internal bones and visceral organ was established for dose estimation. The internal and external dose coefficients (DC) of the zebrafish model were calculated by Monte Carlo method with seven nuclides as the source term, 3H, 40K, 58Co, 60Co, 110Ag, 134Cs, 137Cs, which are common in nuclear liquid effluents and environmental monitoring. Results:The level of nuclide gamma energy determines dose coefficients for external radiation. The dose coefficients of most nuclides in internal organs was higher than that in whole body, and the internal organ dose of 58Co was 165% higher than that in whole body. The internal radiation dose coefficients of the model established in this study was relatively high, and the internal radiation dose coefficients caused by 60Co was 2.6 times of existing ellipsoid model, which suggested that the different internal materials and the choice of different particle types would affect the energy deposition. Conclusions:Refining of model animals is important. Accurate assessment of the organs dose coefficients of model animals is helpful to assess the radiation effects on non-human species.