Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have improved as well as the costs have gradually decreased in the detections of genetic diseases. This article describes the principle, platform, and data analysis of NGS and the application of NGS technologies to the molecular diagnosis of hereditary hearing loss (HL). The use of NGS technologies makes the discovery of HL genes more feasible than ever. And the data obtained by NGS used in genetic counseling for clinical practice may assist in defining genetic profiles of HL individuals and expedite the pace of personalized medical care.
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; diagnosis ; genetics ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans

Objective To treat arteriosclerosis patients with a simple self-made oxygenation respirator in a re-respiration model. Methods 43 AS patients was enrolled in treatment group(Oxygenation Respirator only) and control group (drug therapy only). Results the efficacy was 92%, better than control group, the efficacy of which was 72%, and P

Regional saturation technique has been applied in MR scaning widely. It is possible to obtain MRA or MRV by putting the REST slab on one side of slice or another. REST eliminates artifacts caused by motion or blood flow and minimizers wrap artifacts along the phase encoding and high quality of images can be provided.

Objective To improve the ventilation mode for respiratory failure based on the self-made respirator. Methods For the conscious COPD patients with type II respiratory failure, nasal mask and NEEP ventilation mode were used. Patients breathe in air through the mouth and breathe out through the noses. There is no need of manual control tube to control the negative pressure in the nasal mask. For the non-typical type I respiratory failure, exhaled gas comes out from the one-way channel in the front of the mask, while oxygen for the next breathes is brought into the ball through the tube under it. Results The COPD patients breathe more freely and smoothly without disturb of the manual control tube. On the non-typical type I respiratory failure, FiO2 is much higher and without breath in CO2. Conclusion The new ventilation mode can provide a great range of FiO2 and get ride of redundant CO2. It's beneficial to the recovery of patients.

Objective To investigate the changes of pulsatile tinnitus on HRCT and MRI CE 3D-SPGR image.Methods CT and MRI images of 1 5 pulsatile tinnitus patients were retrospective analysis.All 1 5 patients underwent temporal bone HRCT and MRI CE 3D-SPGR scan.Abnormal changes on CT and MRI image,which caused the pulsatile tinnitus,were compared.Results In 1 5 patients,9 sides (8 cases)showed abnormal sigmoid sinuses including 4 sides of sigmoid sinuses diverticulum,5 sides sigmoid sinu-ses uncovering,8 sides dominant sigmoid sinuses.The high jugular bulb was showed in 10 sides (8 cases),the thick emissaria mas-toidea in 5 sides (4 cases),bilateral semicircular canal dehiscence in one case,glomus tympanicum tumor in one case and the cochle-ar nerve was constricted by small vessel in one case.Conclusion Cranial base vessel abnormity can be visualized more precisely on MRI CE 3D-SPGR image than that on HRCT.On the contrary,the detection of temporal bone abnormalities is superior on HRCT.

Objective To explore the relationship between adrenarche and gonadarche.Methods Total 49 idiopathic central precocious puberty(ICPP)girls,whose serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate(DHEAS)Z scores for chronological age were higher than+2 s at diagnosis.were enrolled.Physical examinations during pubertal stage were repeated at 3-6 months intervals,and serum DHEAS levels were monitored yearly within an average period of 4.08 years.Of them,16 girls were followed up until more than one year after discontinuation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue(GnRHa)treatment.Results Before GnRHa treatment,these49 girls presented a younger average age at attainment of pubic hair stage2(PH2)and pubic hair stage3(PH3)than normal(8.07 years vs 11.16 years,8.82 years vs 12.40 years respectively).During GnRHa treatment,the intervals between PH2 and PH3,PH3 and pubic hair stage4(PH4),breast stage 2(B2),and PH2 were longer than normal(1.69 years vs 0.83 years,1.64 years vs 0.60 years,and3.62 years vs 0.76 years respectively).The intervals between PH2 and PH3,as well as B2 and PH2 during GnRHa treatment were also longer than that before GnRHa treatment(1.69 years/35 0.88 years,3.62 years vs 1.13 years respectively).The serum DHEAS Z scores decreased during GnRHa treatment,and increased significantly after GnRHa cessation.Conclusion Gonadarche after age of 6-year-old may lead to earlier adrenarehe.GnRHa treatment might slow down the progression of adrenarche and suppress the hypothalamuspituitary-gonadal axis.

Forty girls with Turner's syndrome (TS),aged (12.6 ± 1.9) years,were treated with daily subcutaneous injection of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH,1.0 ～ 1.1 IU · kg-1 · w-1) and oral stanozolol (0.02 ～ 0.04 mg · kg-1 · d-1) for 1 ～ 5 years.Growth velocity (GV),height standard deviation score (SDS) by reference of healthy Chinese girls (HtSDSNor) and height SDS by reference of untreated Chinese TS girls (HtSDSTs)were evaluated regularly.Of the forty girls studied,thirteen had discontinued the treatment after a mean duration of (2.9 ± 1.2)years when GV was less than 2 cm/year or when patients were satisfied with the achieved height.Final adult height (FAH) or near-final height,which was defined as the most recent available height after discontinuation of treatment,and the height gained in the thirteen girls were evaluated.Estrogen therapy was started at the age of(16.0 ± 1.1) years.HtSDSNor increased from-4.2 ± 1.0 to-3.4 ± 1.0 in the first year,and-2.8 ± 1.0,-2.4 ± 0.8,-2.5 ± 0.5,-2.3 ±0.3 respectively in the 2nd,3rd,4th,and 5th year.The change in HtSDSTs was similar to HtSDSNor.It was increased from 0.1 ± 0.9 to 1.0 ± 0.9 in the first year,and to 1.5 ± 0.8,1.9 ± 0.6,1.7 ± 0.4,1.7 ± 0.2 in the subsequent 4 years.The predicted adult height (PAH) in 13 girls was (142.8 ± 4.2) cm before treatment.FAH was (151.7 ± 4.1) cm,which was significantly higher than PAH (P＜0.01),and the mean height gain was (8.9 ± 2.8) cm (5.1 ～ 12 cm).FAHSDSNor was increased to-1.6 ± 0.8 from-3.8 ± 0.8.For girls with TS around 9 years of age,combined therapy with rhGH and low dosage of stanazolol may significantly increase growth velocity and improve final adult height.

Objective To understand how serum DHEAS levels change with sex,age and stage of sexual maturation in children and adolescents and explore the relationship between adrenarche and pubertal maturatiotL Methods Serum samples from 120 healthy boys,198 healthy girls and 152 girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) were examined for DHEAS.Referenee ranges for healthy children and adolescents and statistical difierences between heahhy girls and ICPP girls were analyzed with respect to sex,age and stage of sexual maturation.Results Both healthy children and ICPP girls showed extremely low levels of serum DHEAS and they were not related to sex.age or tanner stages in the individuals below age of 6 years.Serum DHEAS levels were positively related to both age (above age of 6 years)and tanner stage in healthy groups(r=0.69 and 0.71 respectively,P＜0.01).After the onset of puberty,serum DHEAS levels appeared to be higher in boys than that in girls within the same tanner stage(P＜0.05).Within the individusis in the same age group with same sex.serum DHEAS levels increased along with pubertal development.While within the individuals in same tanner stage group with salne sex after puberty onset.serum DHEAS levels showed no significant difference among different age groups.For example.there was no difference in serum DHEAS levels of healthy girls in tanner stage Ⅲ among different age subgroups(age of8-9;age of 10-11,age of 12-13)and the mean vallie of serum DHEAS was 532.0-557.8μg/L(F=0.21,P=0.98).In different age subgroups above age of 6 years,Z scores for serum DHEAS in ICPP girls were highher than them healthy ones with advanced tanner stages(0.97us-0.1 and 1.39us-0.08,JP≤0.01)In different tanner stage subgroups.Z scores for serum DHEAS showed no difierence between healthy and ICPP girls despite apparent different age ranges(0.00 us-0.31-0.18,P＞0.05).Conclusions Serum DHEAS level increased along with both age (above 6 years) and tanner stage in healthy children and adolescents.There was no gender difference until the onset of puberty.It was demonstrated that adrenache and gonadarche were related to each other.Reference ranges for adolescents should be interpreted according to sex.age and tanner stage simultaneously.

Objective To analyze the pattern of early catch-up growth In children with prepubertal short stature and various secretory forms of growth hormone(GH)following recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH)treatment and to explore the mechanism. Methods Sixty-two children with prepubertal short stature and various GH secretory forms were analyzed retrospectively, 27 with complete growth hormone deficiency (cGHD), 23 with partial growth hormone deficiency (pGHD)and 12 with idiopathic short stature(ISS). According to the GH peak value in GH provocative test, the group of pGHD was divided into pGHD-1(5.0-6.9μg/L)and pGHD-2(7.0-9.9μg/L). Height velocity, increase in height standard differentiation score (SDS), was calculated; serum levels of somatotrophic axis hormone were detected and bone age was determined. Results The quick early catch-up growth in different groups were similar in the initial 6 months. While that in the ISS group persisted for shorter period and was correlated with lower level in serum GH-binding protein(r=0.526,P=0.025)and Δinsulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) SDS (r=0.532,P=0.034) after rhGH treatment. The same doses of rhGH were applied to children with cGHD and pGHD. Children with pGHD-1 showed similar response to rhGH,regarding height velocity and ΔIGFBP-3 SDS, as compared with those of cGHD. However, children with pGHD-2 presented similar response with ISS, being worse than cGHD. Conclusion Downregulation of GH receptor and decrease in post-receptor effect seem to be the mechanism leading to early retardation in ISS. The incomplete catch-up growth in pGHD-2 may be caused by relatively inadequate rhGH dose. The cut-off value of GH provocative test in diagnosing GHD is more reasonable to be 7μg/L.

Objective To analyze the clinical characters of childhood adrenocortical tumors, and to enhance the knowledge of diagnosis of this disease. Methods A retrospective analysis of clinical characters,laboratory tests,and imaging findings in 31 cases of childhood adrenocortical tumors was carried out. Results 16 cases of adenoma and 15 cases of carcinoma were included. The average age was (4.49±3.51) years old, and 67.7% of the patients were younger than 5 years old. The ratio of male to female was 1.0: 1.4. 12 patients presented only precocious sexual development, 4 patients presented only Cushing syndrome, 10 patients showed sexual precocity combined with Cushing syndrome, and 5 patients did not have any endocrine abnormalities. Raised testosterone level in 92.3% of these patients was the most common finding in laboratory tests. Only 12.5% of ultrasound images and 20.8% of CT images were consistent with pathologic diagnosis. Conclusions The clinical manifestations of adrenocortical tumors in childhood are precocious sexual development, Cushing's syndrome, or nonfunctional. The common laboratory findings are elevation of sex hormone and disorder of cortisol circadian rhythm. Precocious sexual development and elevation of androgens are more common in childhood adrenocortical tumor than those in adults. Imaging usually cannot give proper diagnosis. Final diagnosis should be established by clinical features, laboratory tests, imaging, and pathologic results.