[Objective]To discus clinic value of fixation by vertebral pedicle screw system and vertebroplasty using injectable graft for thoracolumbar vertebrae fractures.[Method]Fifteen cases of thoracolumbar vertebrae fractures(7 cases with compress fractures,8 cases with burst fractures) were treated with fixation by vertebral pedicle screw system and vertebroplasty using injectable graft.[Result]The group was followed up for average 9.6 months,no case showed internal fixation device loosening or breaking,nor were chronic lumbar pain seen in this group.No case had lost the anterior height of body of spine.All injected grafts were Abs orbed within 3 months postoperatively.According to Frankels grading,there were 4 cases in Grades B,6 cases in Grade C and 2 cases of Grade D preoperatively,but 3 cases of Grade C,5 cases of Grade D and 4 cases of Grade E postoperatively in 12 cases with incomplete paraplegia,with a statistically significant difference(x~2 =21.000,P=0.000

Air Pollution ; Environmental Monitoring ; Mercury ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic ; Workplace

AIM:To study the expression level of S100 calcium-binding protein A4 (S100A4) in synovial tissue of the knee joint in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and normal persons, and the effect of S100A4 on the angiogenesis induced by rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RAFLSs).METHODS:The synovial tissue was taken from the knee joint of the RA patients (RA group) and the normal persons (control group).The protein expression of S100A4 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the synovial tissue of the 2 groups was observed by immunohistochemistry.RAFLSs were isolated from synovial tissue of patients with active RA.ELISA was used to detect the effect of S100A4 on the secretion of VEGF by RAFLSs.The effect of S100A4 on the angiogenesis of HUVECs cultured with conditioned medium from RAFLSs was also detected.RESULTS:The protein of S100A4 and VEGF was highly expressed in the synovial tissues of RA group (P<0.05).rhS100A4 significantly stimulated the secretion of VEGF in RAFLSs in a time-and dose-dependent manner (P<0.05).Cultured with conditioned medium from RAFLSs, rhS100A4 significantly promoted HUVECs to form tube-like structures in vitro.CONCLUSION:S100A4 protein is highly expressed in synovial tissue of the knee joint in RA patients, and S100A4 stimulates synovial angiogenesis by promoting RAFLSs to generate VEGF, indicating that S100A4 may be used as a potential target for the treatment of RA.

Lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood and function of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells(Tregs) were assayed in patients during different periods of Graves' disease ( GD ).Breakdown of Tregs' function lead to the wild proliferation of CD4+T lymphocyte,and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of GD.It is difficult to fully restore the Tregs' function to normal after successful medication in Graves' disease,this phenomenon may lead to easy relapse of GD.

ObjectiveTo investigate the distribution of Kashin-Beck disease(KBD) in Tibet, and assess the disease status. Methods Between 2007 and 2008, a survey was done on KBDepidemiology which was carried out in four prefectures of 26 counties according to the east, south, west, north and center in Nakchu,Lhoca, Nyingtri and Shigatse districts of Tibet, with towns and villages as baseline survey points. According to the KBD e survey scheme, KBD clinical examination for adults was also carried out and at the same time clinical and right hand anteroposterior X-ray examinations were given to children aged 4 - 13. The partition of endemic area was based on the criteria of national standards for Kashin-Beck disease diagnoses《GB 16395-1996》. Slight KBD area:clinical prevalence of Kashin-Beck disease grade Ⅰ and above was less than 10％ or X-ray detection rate ＜ 10％ of children; the moderate prevalent KBD area: clinical prevalence of Kashin-Beck disease grade Ⅰ and above was between 10％ and 20％ or X-ray detection rate was between 10％ and 30％ of children; severe KBD area: clinical prevalence of KBD grade Ⅰ and above was more than 20％ or X-ray detection rate was higher than 30％ of children.ResultsA total of 108 townships of 26 counties were surveyed, 14 686 adults were clinically examined, cases detection of grade Ⅰ and above were 637 people, the prevalence was 4.34％, and no case of grade Ⅲ was detected.Of 5769 children's right anteroposterior X-ray film, 102 were detected positive; the prevalence rate was 1.77％.Metaphysis was affected in most of the child cases, which accounting for 89.2％ (91/102). Amongst all the counties, there were 10 counties, clinical detection rate of adult KBD was 0, and children's X-ray detection rate of KBD was also 0. In 1 county the clinical prevalence rate for adults KBD was 0 and X-ray detection rate for children was 3.66(7/191 ). In 12 counties the clinical prevalence rate for adults KBD was between 1.03％ and 7.54％, X-ray detection rate for children was between 0 and 7.76％, amongst all these counties surveyed there were 5 counties,the detection rate for children was 0. In 3 counties the clinical prevalence rate for adult KBD was between 10.69％and 13.88％, the X-ray detection rate for children was between 5.31％ and 7.76％. Conclusions According to the criteria for diagnoses of KBD, within the 26 counties surveyed, 10 counties are non-endemic areas, 13 counties are slight endemic areas, 3 counties are medium endemic areas. So far, KBD is prevalent in 52 counties of 7 prefectures (cities) in Tibet, the disease is widely distributed, the situation is still severe, and there is a need to continue to strengthen KBD surveillance.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy of Safflower Injection (Al) in treating and preventing the vascular crisis after free flap transplantation.

METHODSSixty patients undergoing free flap transplantation were randomly assigned to the treatment group and control group according to the visiting sequence, thirty in each. Free flap transplantation was performed on all patients, and medication was given 0. 5 h before flap vascular anastomosis, 1-7 days after surgery. Twenty mL Al was intravenously dripped to patients in the treatment group after adding in 250 mL 5% glucose injection, while Dextran-40 was intravenously dripped to patients in the control group. The medication was conducted once per day. The hemorheology and four indices of blood coagulation [prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (FIB)] were compared between the two groups before operation (TO), during operation (T1), 24 h after operation (T2), three days after operation (T3), and seven days after operation (T4). Meanwhile, flaps were observed and adverse reaction recorded. The clinical efficacy and safety were compared.

RESULTSBetter result was obtained in the treatment group when compared their clinical efficacy (86. 67% vs 60. 00%, P<0.05). The whole blood high and low viscosity, plasma viscosity, red blood cell (RBC) volume, RBC aggregation index all decreased, and RBC deformed index increased in the two groups at T4, showing statistical difference when compared with those at T3 (P<0.05, P<0.01). There was no statistical significance in the four indices of blood coagulation when compared with any time point in the same group (P>0.05). There was no statistical significance in hemorheology and the four indices of blood coagulation between the two groups at the same time point (P>0.05). The adverse reaction rate in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group, showing statistical difference (13.33% vs 30.00%, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAI could effectively prevent and treat the vascular crisis after free flap transplantation. It had less adverse reaction and good safety. It was better than Dextran-40. It was a safe and effective drug to prevent the vascular crisis.

Adult ; Carthamus tinctorius ; Female ; Free Tissue Flaps ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Injections ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Skin Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Vascular Diseases ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum ferritin and p-cell function,insulin resistance in elderly patients(age>60 years)with type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance.Methods Total 1143 patients with type 2 diabetes,448 patients with impaired glucose tolerance(IGT),and 2 950 subjects with normal glucose tolerance(NGT)were recruited for the measurments of height,weight,serum triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol,fasting plasma glucose(FPG),fasting insulin(FINS),postprandial 2 h plasma glucose(2hPG),and serum ferritin.Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)and QUICK index were used to estimate insulin resistance,and homeostasis model assessment of β cell function(HOMA-p)and disposition index(DI)to evaluate p-cell function.Results The results showed that the level of serum ferritin was significantly higher in type2 diabetes mellitus group than NGT group(P<0.01).HOMA-IR was gradually increased,and HOMA-β,QUICK,and DI decreased from NGT to IGT,type 2 diabetes mellitus groups(all P < 0.05).Spearman and partial correlation analysis showed that partial adjustment for age and sex,serum ferritin was positively associated with FPG,2hPG,TG,FINS,and HOMA-IR,and negatively associated with HOMA-β,QUICK,and DI.Stepwise regression showed that serum ferritin was associated with QUICK,BMI,and TG.Conclusion The results suggest that iron overload exists in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.With increasing serum ferritin level,insulin resistance increases and p-cell function decreases in the elderly patients with abnormal glucose metabolism.

Objective To analyze the differences between calculated and actual volumes of regions of interest ( ROIs) in three treatment planning systems ( TPSs):PrecisePlan, Xio, and Oncentra, to transfer different ROIs and compare their calculated volume between the three TPSs, and to provide a basis for clinical application. Methods Different sizes of ROIs were delineated on 5 sets of computed tomography ( CT) images with different slice thickness. Square and round regions with different slice numbers were contoured in a homogeneous phantom. Three groups of patients ( n=5) with head and neck tumor, chest and abdomen tumor, and pelvic tumor, respectively, were enrolled as subjects. All the ROIs were independently transferred back and forth between three TPSs and different workstations with the same system in DICOM RT format. The changes in actual and calculated ROI volumes were evaluated after back and forth transfer. Results There was a significant positive linear correlation between the calculated volume, slice thickness, slice number, and actual volume of ROI in each TPS ( PrecisePlan:R2=0. 994, P<0. 01;Xio:R2=0. 997, P<0. 01;Oncentra:R2=0. 995, P<0. 01) . There were significant differences in all calculated ROI volumes of the head, chest and abdomen between the three TPS ( P<0. 05) except for the calculated ROI volumes of the chest and abdomen between Oncentra and Xio ( P=0. 114 ) . Conclusions The variations in volume calculation algorithm and slice thickness are the main causes of differences in calculated ROI volume. Particularly, small?volume ROIs have the greatest variation in calculated volume. To avoid a secondary reconstruction of ROI volume, it is recommended to transfer ROI back and forth between dose calculation workstations with the same TPS.

HER2, a member of epidermal growth factor receptor family proteins, is overexpressed in about 30% of human breast cancer. Increased levels of HER2 are associated with poor patient prognosis and enhanced metastasis. RNA interference (RNAi) is developed recently as a new technique which can inhibit gene expression specifically in mammalian cells. On the basis of previous study,in which two target sequences with favorable RNAi effect on HER2 were identified, a series of dual promoter siRNA-expressing vectors containing two opposing U6 and H1 promoters were constructed. After transfection of HER2-overexpressing SKBR3 breast cancer cells with the siRNA-expressing vectors, downregulation of HER2 was identified quantitatively. Subsequently, the siRNA-expressing cassettes were subcloned into lentiviral vectors by LR recombination reaction and lentivirus was prepared successfully. The results from infection of SKBR3 cells with siRNA-expressing lentivirus demonstrated that lentiviral-mediated RNAi could downregulate HER2 expression efficiently through fluorescent quantitative PCR (FQ-PCR), western blot, and FACS analysis. Furthermore, cell growth was inhibited in cell proliferation assay after treatment with siRNA lentivirus.A new tool for clarifying the function of HER2 in cancer metastasis and developing the gene therapy drug was offered.

This article reported a case of a male patient with primary hyperparathyroidism(PHPT) caused by an ectopic parathyroid adenoma in the anterior superior mediastinal. Hospital routine examinations indicated hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, type 2 diabetes with nephropathy, chronic kidney disease in stage Ⅳ, elevated PTH, hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, clinically highly suspected hyperparathyroidism. There was no obvious abnormality of parathyroid ultrasound, while 18F-FDG systemic metabolic imaging and 99mTc-MIBI dual-phase parathyroid imaging suggested that an ectopic parathyroid gland in the anterior superior mediastinal which was hyperactive. Evaluations of anterior pituitary function, pancreas, and endocrine-related hormones showed no obvious abnormalities, and thus we ruled out the possibility of multiple endocrine adenomas, combined with the patient′s symptoms and previous medical history, and ruled out the possibility of tertiary hyperparathyroidism, the patient was diagnosed as PHPT caused by the anterior superior mediastinal ectopic parathyroid adenoma. To restore the blood calcium to normal, the patient was treated with intravenous rehydration, diuresis, calcitonin to promote urinary calcium excretion, and zoledronic acid to inhibit bone resorption. Further thoracoscopic mediastinal tumor resection was performed, and the diagnosis of parathyroid adenoma was confirmed by pathology. All the indicators were normal and no recurrence of hyperparathyroidism was found during the follow-up. Integration of the patient′s clinical manifestations, biochemical indicators, and imaging examinations are necessary to diagnose PHPT qualitatively and location-specifically. In particular, it is necessary to pay attention to whether there is the possibilities of ectopic adenoma and multiple endocrine adenomas, to reduce the rates of missed diagnosis and recurrence.