Gut microbiota means a highly diverse and dense microbiota which inhabits in the gastrointestinal tract of humans.It plays a vital role in many important physiological processes including exerting nutritional and metabolic activities,regulating the immune system,and protecting against pathogens.Recent studies suggested that the gut microbiota was associated with the development of many lung diseases,such as pneumonia,asthma and tuberculosis.There is a gut-lung axis in human body.Now,the relationship between the gut microbiota and the gut-lung axis is reviewed.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE) combined with radiofrequency ablation(RFA) in treating primary hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods From March 2004 to March 2006,137 patients with primary HCC underwent TACE alone(n=87) and TACE+RFA(n=50),respectively,after the interventional treatment,all patients periodically received CT reexaminations and alpha fetoprotein(AFP) measurement.The therapeutic efficacy,AFP level and survival rate between two groups were compared with each other.Results In TACE group the effective rate(CR+PR) was 34.5%,AFP decreasing amplitude was 54.2%,and 2 years survival rate was 43.7%.While in TACE+RFA group,the effective rate(CR+PR) was 70.0%,AFP decreasing amplitude was 78.0%,and 2 years survival rate was 62.0%,there were significant differences between two groups(P

Objective To study the effect of the cord blood stem cell transplantation therapy in patients with severe hepatitis. Methods Forty patients with severe hepatitis were randomly divided into control groups (n=20) and observed group (n=20). The patients in two groups were treated with the conventional liver protective therapy respectively, such as compound glycyrrhizin and glutathione. The patients in observed groups were performed with the cord blood stem cell trans-plantation therapy. After isolation and purification, the cells were transplanted into the liver via hepatic artery and then were transplanted via peripheral veins. The biochemical indices of albumin (ALB), prothrombin activity (PTA),alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)and clinical symptoms were detected at different times after therapy. Results After 4-week therapy, the levels of PTA (%)and AFP(μg/L)were significantly increased in observed group compared with those of control group (53.56 ± 5.15 vs 48.26±5.53,92.16±9.09 vs 43.57±11.33,P＜0.01). After 8-week therapy, the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin (TBIL) and AFP were significantly decreased in observed group than those of control group. The level of PTA was sig-nificantly higher in observed group than that of control group (62.61±4.35 vs 54.95±3.01,P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). There were no significant differences in levels of ALB and blood ammonia between two groups (P>0.05). There were no serious complications and adverse reactions in two groups of patients. There was no significant difference in mortality between two groups ( 20%vs 35%,χ2=0.818,P>0.05). Conclusion Cord blood stem cell therapy has a good effect on treating severe hepatitis, which is safe and no significant adverse reactions, and can be used as a new method for treating the severe hepatitis.

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of changes of serum insulin-like growth factor-Ⅱ(IGF-Ⅱ),carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA19-9)and alpha fetoprotein(AFP)levels after intervention and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy in patients with primary hepatic cancer.Methods Serum levels of IGF-Ⅱ,CA19-9 and AFP(with RIA)were repeatedly determined in 57 patients with primary hepatic cancer before intervention therapy,1 month after intervention and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy and 6 months after intervention and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy as well as in 42 controls.Results Before intervention therapy,serum leveh of IGF-Ⅱ,CA19-9 and AFP in the patients were significantly higher than those in the controls(P＜0.01).One month after intervention and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy,all the serum levels were near to normal.Six months later,the levels in the patients without recurrence remained normal.However,the levels in the 10 patients with recurrence returned to those before intervention therapy again.Conclusion Changes of serum IGF-Ⅱ,CA19-9 and AFP levels are closely related to the tumor burden and may reflect the presence of recurrence.

Objective To investigate the risk factors, clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of aortic dissection. Methods Forty-four patients with aortic dissection were analyzed from 2005 to 2008 in our hospital retrospectively. Results Hypertension was a common cause of aortic dissection. Aortic dissection showed diverse clinical manifestations. Chest pain was a common initial symptom, whereas some patients' initial symptoms were atypical(e. g. complications). CT and MRI examination could diagnose aortic dissection at a high accurate rate compared with echocardiography. However,ultrasound examination was cheap and convenient,thus could be used as routine examination when someone has suspected diagnosis. As to the treatment of aortic dissection, there were medical conservative, surgical and endovascular stent treatment Conclusions Hypertension is a major risk factor of aorticdissection. Aortic dissection showed diverse clinical manifestations, thus misdiagnosis may occur frequently. Medical treatment should combine a variety of antihypertensive drugs. Surgery or interventional therapy according to the clinical type and condition can reduce the fatality and improve the prognosis of patients.

Eighty-eight patients with obstructive sleep apnea hyperpnoea syndrome (OSHAS) were assigned to the mild (n =21 ), moderate (n =30), or severe group (n =37) according to apnea-hypopnea index( AHI ). Twenty-five healthy individuals were selected as normal controls. Color Doppler ultrasonography was used to measure the intimae-media thickness of the carotid coteries and the occurrence of sclerosis plagues. Our data found that increased severity of OSHAS led to the elevated intimae-media thickness of the carotid coteries and more sclerosis plagues, which suggests OSHAS may influence the development of the carotid artery arthrosclerosis.

Objective To apply joint fixation with breast bracket and body phantom to breast cancer radiotherapy after breast-conserving operation.Methods Totally 36 patients after breast-conserving operation underwent joint fixation with breast bracket and body phantom, whose cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images were obtained with on board imager (OBI) before radiotherapy. The errors between the CBCT images and planning CT images were acquired by matching.Results The setup errors in the directions of left-right (X), head-foot (Y) and belly-back (Z) were (2.6±0.783), (3.0± 1.027) and (1.6 ±0.872)mm respectively, and the percentages that the setup errors were more than 5 mm were 16.5%, 20.7% and 9.1% respectively.Conclusion Joint fixation with breast bracket and body phantom may decrease the setup error in radiotherapy after breast-conserving operation, especially in the belly-back direction, and thus has high clinical values.

AIM: To investigate the effect of homocysteine (HCY) on the induction of macrophage inflammatory protein-1? (MIP-1?) expression in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). METHODS: After exposure of the cultured HUVECs to HCY at increasing concentrations (0.1, 0.5 and 1 mmol/L) for 8 h, the MIP-1? mRNA expression was determined by in situ hybridization using a MIP-1? cDNA probe, and the MIP-1? protein expression was measured by cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a goat anti-human MIP-1? monoclonal antibody. RESULTS: The in situ hybridization showed that cultured HUVECs were able to express MIP-1? mRNA at a low level that was purplish blue granules in cytoplasm. After exposure to HCY at the concentrations mentioned above, the expression of MIP-1? mRNA was significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner. Analysis of variance showed that there was significant difference between groups ( F= 606.38, P

Objective To discuss the feasibility of using serum complement C5a and C5b-9 as predictive indicators of liver injury severity in traumatic rats with hemorrhagic shock.Method Fifry healthy male Wistar rats were randomly(random number)divided into normal group,model 1 hour group,model 3 hours group,model 6 hours group,and model 24 hours group.Plasma CH50,C5a and C5b-9 were detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and rate method was used for determination of plasma aspartate aminotransferase.Paraffin sections of hepatic tissues were used to observe the damage of liver.Results In the model l h group,the CH50 increased significantly and reached the highest value,it began to decline in 3 hours group,and it reached the lowest point in 24 hours group.Compared with the model 3 hours group,6 hours group,and 24 hours group,the level of CH50 in model 1 hour group increased more significantly(respectively P<0.05).A small amount of C5b-9 in the normal group was detected.In the model 1 h group,C5b-9 increased significantly and reach the peak compared with 3hours group,6hours group and 24 hours group,respectively(P<0.05),but in the model 3hours,it began to decline,and in 24 hours group,it reduced to minimum.C5a increased insignificantly in the model 3 hours group,6 hours group and 24 hours group,and peaked in 24 hours group compared with normal group(P<0.05).Aspartate aminotransferase in the model 1 hour group increased significantly and peaked in 24 hours group compared with other groups(P<0.05).Conclusions A large number of complements are activated in the seRing of hemorrhagie shock.C5b-9 and CH50 increase significantly in the early stage,and C5a.increases significantly in the later stage.C5b-9 can be considered as,an initiative factor of liver injury.The low levels of C5a in the early stage may be a mechanism of self-protection of the body.The high levels of CSa in the later stage may be a kind of decompensation,and C5a can be used as a late predictor of disease severity.

Objective To investigate the effect of rhodiola on severe acute pancreatitis associated renal injury and explore the potential mechanisms.Methods A total of 90 rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group (S group,n =18),severe acute pancreatitis with renal injury group (M group,n =18),low rhodiola dose group (3 g/kg,T1 group,n =18),moderate dose rhodiola group (6 g/kg,T2 group,n=18),high rhodiola dose group (9 g/kg,T3 group,n =18).The S and M groups were given 6 g/kg saline through intraperitoneal injection before operation while the T1 group,T2 group and T3 group were given with 3 g/kg,6 g/kg,9 g/kg dose of rhodiola through intraperitoneal injection,respectively.The pancreas was dissected and the head of pancreas was occluded by blood vessel forceps for 3 hours to make rat model.All the rats were sacrificed at 12 h,24 h,36 h after modeling.The level of ascites amylase,serum amylase,creatinine,blood urea nitrogen,interleukin 1β(IL-1β) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) were detected and the pathological change of pancreas and the left kidney was observed under light microscope.The serum levels of IL-1β and IL-10 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbert assay (ELISA).Take the right kidney for superoxide dismutase (SOD) determination and the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)mRNA in the right kidney was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results Compared with the S group,the level of serum amylase,creatinine,blood urea nitrogen and IL-1β in M group increased significantly,but the activity of SOD has a significant decline (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with M group,the level of serum amylase,creatinine,blood urea nitrogen and IL-1 β in T2 group has a significant decline,but the activity of SOD,the express of HIF-1α mRNA and IL-10 has a significant increase (P ＜ 0.05).With the dose of rhodiola increased,the renal and pancreatic function in T2 group had a better performance than T1 group,and the difference was statistical significant (P ＜ 0.05).But compared with T2 group,the renal and pancreatic function in T3 group did not increased significantly (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Moderate dose of rhodiola (6 g/kg) has a good protective effect on severe acute pancreatitis associated renal injury.It may be associated with the inhibitory expression of IL-1β,up-regulated expression of IL-10,HIF-1α mRNA,and the increased activity of SOD.So it can then reduce cell apoptosis and renal necrosis,and improve the ability of the kidney to tolerate hypoxia.