Objective Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a rare neurodegenerative disease barely reported in China. Methods Complete neuropsychological testing on memory, cognitive function and aphasia was carried out. The brain function and structure was also examined with MRI and PET imaging analysis. Results The characteristics of clinical manifestation, neuropsychological testing and brain imaging analysis were reported. Except anomic aphasia, no other abnormal neuropsychological testing as well as sign of the nervous system was found. However, a significant atrophy and decrease in glucose metabolism of the left temporal lobe was observed.Conclusion PPA is clinically characterized by progressive anomic aphasia without impairment of the cognitive function and other abnormal sign of central nervous system. Atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobe in the dominant hemisphere provides strong support for the diagnosis.

Objective To establish a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry ( LC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of creatinine-correctedsarcosine in urine for the prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.Methods It performed the method establishment and evaluation in this study.Random unrine samples were collected from 36 subjects with prostate cancer, 15 subjects with benign prostatic hyperplasia and 76 healthy people receiving medical examination.Urine samples mixed with [ 2 H3 ]-labeled sarcosine were treated by precolumn derivation using dansyl chloride, then analyzed by LC-MS/MSsystem in multiple reaction monitor ( MRM) mode.Sarcosine and creatinine were quantified by the isotope internal standard method and the standard curve was employed with a series of calibration.The limit of detection, precision and recovery were also evaluated in this study.The results of this methodology were compared with those of the enzymatic method.Results Sarcosine could be distinguished against its isomers completely. The linear equation of sarcosine was Y=2.045 6X+0.068 9, R2 =0.994.The limit of detection and limit of quantity were 8 ng/ml and 25 ng/ml respectively.The intraassay and interassay coefficients of variation were both below 6%.The recovery ratio of sarcosine ranged from 96.8%to 105.1%.The results from the ID-LC-MS method correlated with those from enzymatic method (R2 =0.815, P <0.01).Compared to enzymatic method, the average bias of sarcosine was -37.1%.Conclusions It established a LC-MS method for urinary sarcosine quantification with good specificity, sensitivity and repeatability.This method can provide a reliable platform for the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of limb ischemic preconditioning (LIPC) by observing the changes of brain glucose metabolism using positron emission tomography (PET) and statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Methods 40 patients with severe stenotic or occlusion cerebral artery lesions were enrolled and randomized into LIPC group (n=20) and control group (n=20). Brain lesions and cerebral hemorrhagic lesions were excluded after magnetic resonance imaging. The glucose metabolism of patients was analyzed before and after treatment in two groups, respectively, using the methods of radioactivity ratio and SPM. Results There were 5 patients drop-out in the control group. Comparison of the glucose metabolism ratio of the impaired area to the opposite area: LIPC group improved better than the control group (P<0.01) while the control group aggravated heavier than LIPC group (P<0.05). Comparing the glucose metabolism of patients before and after treatment in two groups, respectively, by paired-t test, 1) Setting the glucose metabolism of patients increased after therapy: There were 9 areas activated in LIPC group, including frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital lobes, basal ganglia and thalamus, and the KE=927, while there were only 3 areas activated in the control group, including frontal, parietal and occipital lobes, and the KE=289. 2)Setting the glucose metabolism of patients decreased after therapy: There was no area activated in LIPC group, while there were 2 areas activated in the control group, including parietal and temporal lobes, and the KE=115. Conclusion The improvement of glucose metabolism was observed in cerebral cortex, basal ganglia and thalamus of the patients with severe stenotic or occlusion cerebral artery lesions after LIPC by PET and SPM.

Objective To study the characteristics of cerebral glucose metabolism in adults with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) using positron emission tomography (PET) and statistical parameter mapping (SPM), and evaluate the degree of the cerebral glucose metabolism damaged. Methods 26 HIE patients and 20 healthy controls received 18F-FDG PET imaging. The scope and degree of the brain radioactivity decrease were observed with visual analysis. The three-dimensional projection images and the KE value were obtained by SPM analysis. Results The glucose metabolic decrease in HIE was primarily bilaterally. The bilateral basal ganglia and thalamus metabolism decreased most obviously. The brain cortical lobes varied degrees of metabolic decrease according to the order from high to low was the frontal, occipital, parietal and temporal lobes. The basal ganglia and thalamus were taken as the important target area of the evaluation of damage degree, the degree of damage of HIE was divided into Level Ⅰ(mild), Level Ⅱ(moderate) and Level Ⅲ (severe) combined with cortex damage. Conclusion The basal ganglia and thalamus are the target areas of metabolic damage, the classification combined with brain cortex damage degree and scope can be used to guide the clinical treatment and prognosis evaluation.

Objective To observe the brain glucose metabolism after limb ischemic preconditioning (LIPC) for ischemic moyamoya disease with positron emission tomography (PET) and statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Methods 62 patients with ischemic moyamoya disease were enrolled and randomized into LIPC group (n=31) and control group (n=31). The glucose metabolism of patients was analyzed with PET before and after treatment in both groups, using the methods of radioactivity ratio and SPM. Results The glucose metabolism ratio improved more in the LIPC group than in the control group (P<0.01), and aggravated less than in the control group (P<0.001). As setting the glucose metabolism increased after treatment, there were 7 areas activated in LIPC group, including frontal, temporal and parietal lobes, and the KE=1121; while there were 5 areas activated in the control group, including frontal and parietal lobes, and the KE=292. As setting the glucose metabolism decreased after treatment, there was only frontal area activated in LIPC group, while there were 8 areas activated in the control group, including frontal, parietal, occipital lobes, and the KE=629. Conclusion LIPC may improve the brain glucose metabolism in patients with moyamoya disease, which can be observed with PET and SPM.

OBJECTIVETo study a new method to repair forefoot skin defects.

METHODSBased on anatomical studies, a reverse medialis pedis flap was designed for coverage of forefoot skin defect. The flap was based on the distal end of the medial plantar artery and had distal anastomosis with the lateral plantar artery and dorsal metatarsal artery.

RESULTSThe flap was used clinically in 6 cases. The size of the flap ranged from 4 x 3 cm to 11 x 9 cm. The pedicle of the flap was 6 to 11 cm. All flaps survived completely. The aesthetic and functional results were satisfactory after 6-24 months follow-up.

CONCLUSIONThe flap is one of the best choices for repairing of forefoot skin defects.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Foot ; anatomy & histology ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Surgical Flaps

Background::Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and diameter, stiffness, and wave reflections, are independent and important clinical biomarkers and risk predictors for cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the present study was to establish nationwide reference values of carotid properties for healthy Chinese adults and to explore potential clinical determinants.Methods::A total of 3053 healthy Han Chinese adults (1922 women) aged 18-79 years were enrolled at 28 collaborating tertiary centers throughout China between April 2021 and July 2022. The real-time tracking of common carotid artery walls was achieved by the radio frequency (RF) ultrasound system. The IMT, diameter, compliance coefficient, β stiffness, local pulse wave velocity (PWV), local systolic blood pressure, augmented pressure (AP), and augmentation index (AIx) were then automatically measured and reported. Data were stratified by age groups and sex. The relationships between age and carotid property parameters were analyzed by Jonckheere-Terpstra test and simple linear regressions. The major clinical determinants of carotid properties were identified by Pearson’s correlation, multiple linear regression, and analyses of covariance.Results::All the parameters of carotid properties demonstrated significantly age-related trajectories. Women showed thinner IMT, smaller carotid diameter, larger AP, and AIx than men. The β stiffness and PWV were significantly higher in men than women before forties, but the differences reversed after that. The increase rate of carotid IMT (5.5 μm/year in women and 5.8 μm/year in men) and diameter (0.03 mm/year in both men and women) were similar between men and women. For the stiffness and wave reflections, women showed significantly larger age-related variations than men as demonstrated by steeper regression slopes (all P for age by sex interaction <0.05). The blood pressures, body mass index (BMI), and triglyceride levels were identified as major clinical determinants of carotid properties with adjustment of age and sex. Conclusions::The age- and sex-specific reference values of carotid properties measured by RF ultrasound for healthy Chinese adults were established. The blood pressures, BMI, and triglyceride levels should be considered for clinical application of corresponding reference values.