Objective To investigate the change of serum level of IL-6 and TNF-? in patients with Graves disease(GD). Methods Serum IL-6 and TNF-? levels of 37 GD patients before and after treatment were measured. And 30 healthy subjects served as controls. Results Serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-? in GD patients before treatment were significantly higher than those in the controls(P

Objective To realize the distribution and change in antimicrobial resistance of common pathogens causing acute lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI)in children,and provide evidence for rational use of antimicrobial agents. Methods Data about pathogens from children with LRTI in a hospital between January 2011 and December 2013 were ana-lyzed statistically.Results Of 934 isoalted pathogenic strains,728 (77.94%)were gram-negative bacteria,the major were Klebsiella pneumoniae (n =278),Escherichia coli (n =216),Enterobacter cloacae (n =85 ),and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=63).The isolation rate of gram-positive bacteria was 20.87%(n=195),the major were Staphylococcus aureus (n=132)and Streptococcus pneumoniae (n=49).Antimicrobial susceptibility testing results revealed that sensitive rate of gram-negative bacteria to imipenem,meropenem,and amikacin were all 100.00%,to ceftazidime/clavulanic acid and piperacillin/tazobactam were relatively low,to cephalosporins increased year by year.Sensitive rates of the main gram-positive bacteria to vancomycin were both 100.00%, to erythromycin and clindamycin were relatively low. Conclusion The major pathogenic bacteria causing LRTI in pediatric department are gram-negative bacteria,antimicrobial resistance rates increased year by year,management of antimicrobial use in children should be strengthened to prevent the occurrence of multidrug-resistant organism infection.

This paper analyzes the ERCP price setting policy and its impact on the patient''s cost and it puts forward possible price setting policy recommendations, according to the current situation of the disease payment system reform and promotion prospects of ERCP.ERCP belongs to the low-price high-value medical supplies, but hospitalization expenses data of 9 types of diseases show that consumables accounted for 35.81~48.25%.The main factor hindering widely the application of ERCP lies in high-ratio self-payment and high medical cost, in other words, as the ERCP supplies are not included in the scope of medical insurance payments, the current rate of patients with high surgical expenses, medical costs are expensive.As per the analysis of this paper, the following are the policy recommendations to put forward 1)Paying attention to historical settlement data and scientific formulation of disease charges;2)Considering different treatment methods and allocate appropriate disease payment standards;3)Standardize operation code to ensure the information quality of accurate disease expenses calculation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the advantage of Gukangling Decoction (GKLD), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, combined with technetium [(99)Tc] methylene diphosphonate injection ((99)Tc-MDP) in treating osteoporosis in rabbits. METHODS: A rabbit model of osteoporosis was established by intramuscular injection of dexamethasone (DX). Fifty-six rabbits were divided into 8 groups: Group A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H. Rabbits in groups A and B were intramuscularly injected normal saline as normal control, groups C and D were untreated groups, rabbits in group E were treated by (99)-MDP, rabbits in group F were treated by aminodiphosphate, rabbits in group G were treated by GKLD, and rabbits in group H were treated by (99)-MDP and GKLD. Rabbits in groups A and C were executed to demonstrate the establishment of the rabbit model of osteoporosis at the 8th week of experiment. Rabbits in the other six groups were executed after 16-week experiment (8-week treatment), and then bone structure and cell shape were observed by electron microscope, X-ray, CT and emission computed tomography (ECT). Bone density, biomechanical parameters, the levels of bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) and bone Gla protein (BGP) were measured too. RESULTS: After 8-week of intramuscular injection of DX, the bone trabecula in group A were regular and showed normal configuration, while the bone trabecula in group C were sparse, ruptured and showed damaged form. The bone density and biomechanical parameters in group A were higher than those in group C, indicating that the rabbit model of osteoporosis was established successfully. At the 9th week of experiment, the results of cell pathology in group D showed that the bone trabeculas were sparse, ruptured, defected or had hollow section, but the bone trabeculas in group B were regular and dense. The bone trabeculas in groups H and E were restored, and were thicker than those in group D. The bone quality in groups H and E was better than group D significantly, the bone quality in group F was better than group G, and the bone quality in group G was better than group D slightly. CONCLUSION: GKLD combined with (99)-MDP had superiority in treating osteoporosis of rabbits as compared with the respective single therapy.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of endothelial cell-targeted soluble Notch ligand hD1R protein on the proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Methods: The expression levels of Notch1, Notch2, Notch3, Notch4, Hes1 in bone marrow CD34⁺ cells from 24 cases of untreated AML (AML group) and 9 healthy controls (control group) were determined by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) . Recombinant hD1R protein was first induced and purified. Bone marrow CD34⁺ cells were co-cultured on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) supplemented with a cocktail containing 5 types of human cytokines (5GF) and soluble hD1R. The cultured cells were tested under different culture conditions including PBS group (PBS replaces HUVEC) , hD1R group, 5GF group, GSI group (hD1R plus GSI) . Proliferation and apoptosis of cultured cells were also analyzed. Real time quantitative PCR was used to test the expression levels of Hes1 and Bcl-2 in cultured cells. Results: The expression levels of Notch1 and Hes1 in primary AML patients were significantly lower, and Notch4 expression was higher compared to the control group (P<0.05) . Cell counting showed a remarkable decrease of AML cells number in the culture with hD1R compared with that in the PBS group[ (0.74±0.13) ×10⁵ vs (2.16±0.21) ×10⁵, P<0.01]. FACS analysis showed that the percentage of AML cells was (18.48±2.51) % in apoptosis, which was higher than that of control cells (3.19±0.58) % after co-culture with hD1R. AML cells in the hD1R group underwent significantly increased apoptosis compared with those in the PBS one (P<0.05) . Moreover, apoptosis of AML cells in the GSI group was lower than that in the hD1R one (P<0.05) . Apoptosis in the PBS group also decreased compared with that in the 5GF one (P<0.05) . Finally, hD1R up-regulated Hes1 expression and inhibited Bcl-2 one in the AML cells. Conclusion hD1R effectively activated Notch signaling and down-regulated Bcl-2 mRNA in AML cells, which lead to cell apoptosis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of mucin 15 (MUC15) in hepatocellular carcinoma and explore its association with the prognosis of patients.

METHODSThe expression of MUC15 was detected by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting in liver cell line L02, liver cancer cell lines HepG2, MHCC-97H, and SMMC-7721, and in 122 HCC and corresponding adjacent non-tumor liver tissues. The association of MUC15 expression in HCC tissues with the clinical parameters and the patients' survival was analyzed.

RESULTSThe 1iver cell line L02 showed significantly higher MUC15 expression level than the liver cancer cell lines HepG2, MHCC-97H, and SMMC-7721 (P<0.05). The expression level of MUC15 was markedly lower in the HCC tissues than in the adjacent non-tumor liver tissues (P<0.05). MUC15 expression in the HCC tissues was significantly correlated with the tumor TNM stage, intrahepatic or lymphatic metastasis, portal vein thrombosis and tumor differentiation (P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis suggested that a low MUC15 expression was associated with a poor clinical prognosis of the patients.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of MUC15 is correlated with the clinicopathological features and prognosis of HCC patients, and may potentially serve as a novel prognostic marker for HCC.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Mucins ; metabolism ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of endothelial cell- targeted soluble Notch ligand hD1R protein on expansion and engraftment of cord blood hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (CB HSPCs).

METHODSRecombinant hD1R protein was first induced and purified. Human cord blood CD34⁺ cells were co-cultured on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) supplemented with a cocktail containing 5 types of human cytokines including TPO, SCF, FL, IL-6, IL-3 (5GF) and soluble hD1R. The expansion of CD34⁺ cells was tested under different culture conditions including PBS group (PBS replaces HUVEC), hD1R group, sup group (HUVEC supernatant replaces HUVEC), fix group (fixed HUVEC replaces HUVEC), Day 0 group (Control). Cell cycle and apoptosis of cultured cells were also analyzed. Their progeny expanded in PBS or hD1R group were transplanted into sublethally irradiated NOD/SCID mice. The percentages of human CD45⁺ (hCD45⁺) cells in the marrow of recipient mice were determined by FACS 12 weeks later.

RESULTShD1R induced more expansion in the total number of CD34⁺ cells cocultured with HUVECs plus 5GF, which was 87.50-fold increase compared to the Day 0 group, and 7.98-fold increase than that of PBS group. FACS analysis also showed that the percentage of CD34⁺ cells was 77.0% in G0/G1 phase in the hD1R group, which indicated that hD1R enhanced HSPCs expansion and inhibited apoptosis. Moreover, hD1R significantly promoted human HSPC engraftment after BM transplantation in irradiated mice.

CONCLUSIONThe Notch-mediated ex vivo expansion system has been established and hD1R promoted expansion and engraftment of human CB HSPCs, which provided the evidence for further clinical application.

Animals ; Antigens, CD34 ; Cells, Cultured ; Coculture Techniques ; Endothelial Cells ; immunology ; Fetal Blood ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; immunology ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; immunology ; Mice

OBJECTIVE: To improve the classical 4-vessel occlusion (4VO) model established by Pulsinelli and Brierley. METHODS: Thirty-two male SD rats were randomized into sham operation group, I4VO-Con10 group, I4VO-Int10 group and I4VO-Int15 group. The sham surgery group underwent exposure of the bilateral vertebral arteries and carotid arteries without occlusion to block blood flow. The I4VO-Con10 group experienced continuous ischemia by occluding the bilateral vertebral arteries and carotid arteries for 10 minutes followed by reperfusion for 24 hours. The I4VO-Int10 and I4VO-Int15 groups were subjected to intermittent ischemia. The I4VO- Int10 group underwent 5 minutes of ischemia, followed by 5 minutes of reperfusion and another 5 minutes of ischemia, and then reperfusion for 24 hours. The I4VO-Int15 group experienced 5 minutes of ischemia followed by two cycles of 5 minutes of reperfusion and 5 minutes of ischemia, and then reperfusion for 24 hours. The regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was monitored with laser Doppler scanning, and survival of the rats was observed. HE staining was used to observe hippocampal pathologies to determine the optimal method for modeling. Another 48 rats were randomized into 6 groups, including a sham operation group and 5 model groups established using the optimal method. The 5 I4VO model groups were further divided based on the reperfusion time points (1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days) into I4VO-D1, I4VO-D3, I4VO-D7, I4VO- D14, and I4VO- D28 groups. Body weight changes and survival of the rats were recorded. HE staining was used to observe morphological changes in the hippocampal, retinal and optic tract tissues. The Y-maze test and light/dark box test were used to evaluate cognitive and visual functions of the rats in I4VO-D28 group. RESULTS: Occlusion for 5 min for 3 times at the interval of 5 min was the optimal method for 4VO modeling. In the latter 48 rats, the body weight was significantly lower than that of the sham-operated rats at 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after modeling without significant difference in survival rate among the groups. The rats with intermittent vessel occlusion exhibited progressive deterioration of hippocampal neuronal injury and neuronal loss. Cognitive impairment was observed in the rats in I4VO-D28 group, but no obvious ischemic injury of the retina or the optic tract was detected. CONCLUSION The improved 4VO model can successfully mimic the main pathological processes of global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury without causing visual impairment in rats.
Rats ; Male ; Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Brain Ischemia ; Cerebral Infarction ; Reperfusion Injury ; Body Weight