Objective To construct a subtractive cDNA library of genes differentially expressed in human lymphoma cell line Jurkat cells treated with glycyrrhizin (GL), and to clone genes associated with its immunological regulation, and to further elucidate the molecular immune mechanism of GL. Methods The mRNA was isolated from Jurkat cells treated with either GL or 0.9 percent sodium chloride as a control, then cDNA was synthesized. Suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) method was employed to analyze the differentially expressed DNA sequence between the two groups. The cDNA was sequenced and analyzed in GenBank with Blast search after the amplification of the subtractive library by PCR. Results The amplified library contained 28 positive clones. Colony PCR analysis showed that there were 22 clones containing 200-1 000 bp inserts. Sequence analysis was performed, and the full length sequences were obtained with bioinformatics method. Altogether 11 kinds of encoding sequences were achieved, including interleukin-12, interleukin-18, and thymosin ?1, etc. Conclusions A subtractive cDNA library of genes differentially expressed in Jurkat cells treated with GL using SSH technique was constructed successfully, and it might give some new clues for the study of the immune regulation mechanism of GL.

Objective:To define the role of lymph tracers in lymph node dissection and pathological examination of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Methods:Patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma who met inclusion criteria were enrolled and randomly assigned into the three groups, namely, carbon nanoparticle (CN), methylene blue (MB), and conventional surgery (CS) groups. The number of detected lymph nodes in each group was summed, and pathological examination was conducted. Histological examination of the lymph node specimens in the tracer group was performed based on the classification of staining and nonstaining groups. Results:Major complications such as anaphylaxis did not occur after injection of CN and MB. The average of the detected lymph nodes was higher in the tracer group than in the CS group, and the detection rate of the lymph node was higher in the CN group than in the MB group. In addition, the rate of cancer metastasis was higher in the group with stained lymph node than in the group with unstained lymph node. The index of the CN group was higher than that of the MB group. Conclusion:The tracing effect and lymphatic tropism of CNs were stronger than MB. The thyroid lymph tracer technique may promote the normalization and thoroughness of lymph node dissection in thyroid cancer.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy and safety on moderate and severe persistent allergic rhinitis treated with acupuncture.

METHODSSixty-six patients of moderate and severe persistent allergic rhinitis were randomized into an acupuncture group (34 cases) and a western medication group (32 cases). In the acupuncture, group, acupuncture was applied to Dazhui (GV 14), Feishu (BL 13), Pishu (BL 20), Ganshu (BL 18) and Shenshu (BL 23) in the prone, retained for 20 min; then in the supine, at Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (GV 29), yingxiang (LI20) Taichong (LR 3) and Hegu (LI 4), retained for 20 min. Acupuncture was given once every two days, three times a week, continuously for 8 weeks. In the western medication group, cetirizine hydrochloride was taken orally, 10 mg each time, once every day, continuously for 8 weeks. Separately, before treatment, after the treatment of 1 and 2 months and in 1 month after treatment, the total nasal symptom score (TNSS), the scores in the emotion rating scale for Ganzangxiang of TCM (ERSG) and the rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ) were observed in the patients of the two groups. The clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups.

RESULTS(1) For TNSS, the results after 1 and 2 months treatment and in 1 month after treatment were all, reduced as compare with that before treatment separately in the two groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) The result after 2 months treatment was lower than that after 1 month treatment in the acupuncture group (P < 0.05). In 1 month after treatment, the result in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the western medication group (P < 0.05). (2) For ERSG, the score after 2 months treatment was lower than that before treatment in the two groups (both P < 0.05). The score after 2 months treatment in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the western medication group (P < 0.05). (3) For RQLQ, the score after 1 month treatment was lower than that before treatment and the score after 2 months treatment was lower than that after 1 month treatment in the two groups (all P < 0.05). The score after 1 and 2 months treatment and in 1 month after treatment in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the western medication group separately (all P < 0.05). (4) The total effective rate was 91.2% (31/34) in the acupuncture group and was 90.6% (29/32) in the western medication group, without significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture is the safe and effective intervention on moderate and severe persistent allergic rhinitis. Compared with the western medicine group, the efficacy in the acupuncture group presents much more advantageous at its durability.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Young Adult

Objective Investigate the operative techniques and early results of a normal thermic and non-cardiopulmonary bypass fashion to perform total thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair (tTAAAR).Methods Between February 2009 and December 2010,41 patients with extensive Crawford Ⅱ thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) underwent tTAAAR in our hospital.Among them,27 patients underwent tTAAAR in a normal thermic and non-cardiopulmonary bypass fashion.The mean age of this group of patients is (41.85 ± 10.11 ) years ( range 23-61 years),including 18 male and 9 female.The operation was performed via a combined left thoracoabdominal incision.The intercostal incision was through the left fifth (or sixth) intercostal space and an amputated costal arch.The abdominal incision was from the left linea pararectalis to the level of the pubic symphysis via a retroperitoneal approach.The diaphragm was incised circularly to expose the aorta.After the iliac arteries and proximal descending aorta were dissected and exposed sufficiently,two 10 mm side branches were anastomosed to iliac arteries in an end to side fashion.When this was accomplished,the proximal end of the main graft was anastomosed to the proximal descending aorta in an end to end fashion.Then the bypass from descending aorta to bilateral iliac arteries was established under normal thermia.The reestablishment of intercostal arteries and visceral arteries was followed with subsection circulatory arrest.Results The procedure was succeeded in all 27 patients but 1 patient died during operation because of pulmonary hemorrhage.The mean descending aortic circulatory arrest time was ( 13.78 ± 3.77 ) min,the spinal cord ischemia time was ( 19.19 ± 3.93 ) min,and the visceral organs ischemia time was ( 25.19 ± 5.88 ) min,respectively.Mean intubation time is (24.62 ±21.70) hours.Mean ICU stay time is ( 1.84 ± 1.29) days.Two of the 26 survivors suffered permanent spinal cord injury.The morbidity of pulmonary complication,temporal cerebral complications,renal failure,reoperation for hemorrhage,and delayed healing of incision was 11.54％,3.85％,3.85％,3.85％,7.69％,respectively.One Marfan patient suffered Stanford type A aortic dissection after 9 days of tTAAAR.She was rescued by emergency operation.Mean follow-up time was ( 16.04 ± 5.62 ) months,with a follow-up rate of 100％.No late death was found.Conclusion The normal thermic and noncardiopulmonary bypass tTAAAR is a reliable and effective therapeutic strategy for these patients.But the indication of this procedure is limited.If the thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm grows too huge,the normal thermic tTAAAR cant be performed.So the TAAA patients in China should be treated in their early stage.

Objective To explore the safety and feasibility of performing total thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair (tTAAAR) under normal thermia and non-cardiopulmonary bypass fashion by comparing surgical indications and details of different surgical strategies in tTAAAR.Methods From February 2009 to May 2011,46 consecutive patients with extensive Crawford Ⅱ thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA)underwent total thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair( tTAAAR ) in An Zhen Hospital.The patients were divided into 2 groups ( A and B) according to their different surgical strategies.Patients in group A underwent total thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair with deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest.Patients in group B underwent total thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair in a normal thermia and non-circulatory bypass was performed via a combined left thoracoabdominal incision.After established the bypass from descending aorta to bilateral iliac arteries under normal thermia,the reestablishment of intercostal arteries and visceral arteries was followed with subsection circulatory arrest.The clinical results of these 2 groups were analyzed by SPSS 18.0.Results Patients in group A underwent total thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair with deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest have higher mortality rate and transient nervous dysfunction rate (26.67％ vs 3.20％,P =0.033 ; 33.30％ vs 3.30％,P =0.018,respectively) than patients in group B underwent total thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair in a normal thermia and non-circulatory bypass.Statistical significance was also observed between group A and circulatory arrest and group B in operation time,descending aortic clamping time,and transfusiori volume of red blood cells ( P ＜ 0.05 ).Average age,sex,pathological type,the maximal diameters of aneurysm,preoperative complications,visceral ischemia time,spinal cord ischemia time,ICU treatment time,intubation time,respiratory complications,plasma dosage,platelets dosage,RBC dosage,thoracotomy hemostatic,spinal cord injury,renal insufficiency were found no statistical significance(P ＞ 0.05 ) between two groups.In addition to death and paraplegia,the others were cured.Conclusion The normal thermia and non-cardiopulmonary bypass tTAAAR is a safe and feasible therapeutic strategy for TAAA patients.A bypass from descending aorta to iliac arteries can be built under normal thermia in TAAA patients,which is the indication of this new technique.Reestablishment of intercostal arteries is an important protective adjunct to avoid spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy,clinical benefits and toxicities of gemcitabine combined with erlotinib for advanced pancreatic cancer.

METHODClinical data of 20 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on day 1 and day 8 (repeated every 21 days) plus erlotinib 100-150 mg/d at Peking Union Medical College Hospital was reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTSNo patient achieved complete remission or partial remission, 11 patients (55%) had stable disease, and 9 patients (45%) experienced disease progression. The disease control rate was 55%, and clinical benefit rate was 30%. The median progression free survival was 4.0 months, and the median overall survival was 8 months. The total incidence of hematologic toxicity was 70%, including 15% of grade 3-4 leucopenia and 5% of grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia. Eleven patients (55%) had rash, which were all grade 1-2. One patient had grade 2 diarrhea and five had grade 1 transaminase elevation. No chemotherapy-related death occurred.

CONCLUSIONSGemcitabine combined with erlotinib is an effective regimen for pancreatic cancer with good clinical tolerance. The most common adverse events are hematologic toxicities and rash.

Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Deoxycytidine ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; Erlotinib Hydrochloride ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Quinazolines ; administration & dosage ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the expression of CD4+, CD8+ T cells and cell apoptosis in oral lichen planus (OLP) and investigate the role and the relationship of immunological reaction and cell apoptosis in the pathogenesis of OLP2.

METHODSImmunohistochemical technique was used to study the expression of CD4+, CD8+ T cells in 27 OLP cases. TUNEL was used for detecting the cell apoptotic index (AI) in 17 OLP2 cases.

RESULTSThe expression of CD4+, CD8+ T cells were obviously elevated in lamina propria of OLP group compared with control group (P<0.05). There was a strong significance when compared the ration of CD4/CD8 in both group. AI was remarkably increased in epithelia cells and significantly decreased in lymphocytes in lamina propria in OLP cases compared with its expression in the control group respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe increased amount of CD4+, CD8+ T cells in lamina propria of OLP and the change ration of CD4/CD8 suggest that immune response is involved in the pathogenesis of OLP. The abnormal cell apoptosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of OLP.

Apoptosis ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Lichen Planus, Oral

Objective To compare the dosimetric difference among plans designed by 4-field,6-field TomoDirect and TomoHelical techniques in Tomotherapy system for left-breast cancer patients with radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery.Method A total of 16 patients with left-breast cancer following breast-conserving surgery and intensity-modulated radiation therapy were enrolled in this retrospective study.The 4-field TomoDirect (TD4),6-field TomoDirect (TD6),and TomoHelical (TH) techniques were applied to design simulation plans in tomotherapy system for each patient,respectively.The differences of dose distribution and treatment parameters were analyzed in this study.Results Three plans all met the clinical requirement.Thereinto,TD4 was superior to TH in the dose limitation of organs at risk (OARs),especially the max dose of cord and right-breast,thc 5 Gy radiation volume of lung,and the mean dose of heart(F =595.60,129.24,60.44,65.37,P ＜ 0.05),but inferior to TH in dose homogeneity (HI) and conformity (CI) (F =2.78,60.93,P ＜ 0.05).However,TD6 improved TD4's HI and CI when delivered the lower OARs dose compared to TH.Meanwhile,the number of monitor units was less in TD technique and reduced the treatment times (F =24.89,3.75,P ＜ O.05).Conclusions For the radiotherapy of left-breast cancer patients after breast-conserving surgery,TD6 technique appeared to be superior,with the lower radiation dose of OARs compared to TH technique,and the better target's HI and CI in comparison with TD4 technique,especially in patients with early stage breast cancer.

Abstract?AIM: To assess the current situation of trachoma in Shaanxi Province and analyze its epidemiology and clinical features.?METHODS: The World Health Organization ( WHO ) simplified trachoma grading system was used for the recognition and registration of cases of trachoma. Trachoma rapid assessment ( TRA ) was conducted and 30.3687 million people from Shaanxi province were screened. Eyelids, eyelashes, conjunctiva and cornea were examined.The prevalence of trachoma trichiasis ( TT) in Shaanxi Province was estimated.?RESULTS: Totally 987 cases with TT were collected in Shaanxi province, in which 395 cases were male and 592 cases were female. The overall TT prevalence was 0.0325‰.The age of TT cases ranged from 25-86 years old, and concentrated in the 60-80 years old, only 58 cases were <50 years old.There were 12 cases of TT combined corneal opacity (CO) and the ratio was 1.2%. Sixty-four patients were cured by electrolysis trichiasis, the remaining 923 patients corrected by surgery interventions.?CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, trachoma blind is no longer estimated as a public health problem in Shaanxi province, as the detection rate of TT was less than 1‰ which is the goal of “elimination of trachoma” worldwide.

The complete chloroplast genome of medicinal plant Asarum caudigerum Hance and its close relative A. cardiophyllum Franchet were sequenced using Illumina Hiseq technology, and assembled, annotated, and characterized by bioinformatic methods in this study. Then phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genomes of A. caudigerum, A. cardiophyllum, and twelve published species was conducted. The results indicated that the chloroplast genomes ranged from 186 215-186 985 bp in length, with a large single copy (LSC, 89 445-90 169 bp) and two inverted repeats (IRa/IRb, 48 387-48 408 bp). The overall GC content was 37.4%-37.5%. A total of 144 chloroplast genes were annotated, including 98 protein coding genes, 38 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes. In addition, complex genomic rearrangements were detected in the chloroplast genome of Asarum. Meanwhile, visual evaluation of the discrete type of the sequence indicated that the variation level of non-coding region was higher than that of coding region. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that A. caudigerum and A. cardiophyllum were clustered into a single clade and A. cardiophyllum, A. sieboldii var. seoulense, A. misandrum and A. maculatum were clustered into another single branch. These two clade were sister species. This study provides a scientific basis for the identification, phylogenetic relationship, molecular breeding of Asarum species.