Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Radiation, Ionizing ; Radiology Department, Hospital ; Serum ; metabolism ; radiation effects ; Testosterone ; blood ; Thyroid Hormones ; blood

The PET tracer 5-([11C]methyloxy)-L-tryptophan (5-(11)CMTP) was prepared by nucleophilic fluorination and alkylation reaction via a two-step procedure in order to develop specific tumor probe. The biodistribution and microPET imaging of 5-(11)CMTP were executed. The results unveiled that the overall radiochemical yield with no decay correction was (14.6 ±7.2) %, the radiochemical purity was more than 95% and high uptake and long retention time of 5-(11)CMTP in liver, kidney and blood were observed but low uptake in brain and muscle were found, furthermore, high uptake of 5-(11)CMTP in tumor tissue was observed. It seems that 5-(11)CMTP will be a potential amino acid tracer for tumors imaging with PET.
Amino Acids ; Animals ; Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radioactive Tracers ; Tissue Distribution ; Tryptophan ; analogs & derivatives

OBJECTIVETo study serum levels of melatonin in children with epilepsy or febrile seizures in order to provide a basis for the treatment of epilepsy or febrile seizures with melatonin.

METHODSSerum melatonin levels were measured using ELISA in 15 children with simple febrile seizure (SFS), in 15 children with complex febrile seizure (CFS), in 15 children with epilepsy, and in 15 children with upper respiratory infections (control group).

RESULTSSerum melatonin levels in children with epilepsy (8.66+/-1.38 ng/L) or CFS (14.91+/-2.61 ng/L) were significant lower than those in the control group (23.93+/-2.01 ng/L) (P<0.01). The SFS group showed lower serum melatonin levels (20.72+/-2.54 ng/L) compared with the control group, but there were no statistical differences between the two groups. Serum melatonin levels in the epilepsy group were significantly lower than those in the CFS (P<0.05) and the SFS groups (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSSerum melatonin levels decreased in children with epilepsy or CFS. Supplement of exogenous melatonin might be a promising treatment for epilepsy and febrile seizures in children.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Epilepsy ; blood ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Melatonin ; blood ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Seizures, Febrile ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the dynamic changes of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) expression in the hippocampus of epileptic rats and to study its effect on vitamin E levels in rats following status epilepticus (SE).

METHODSRat model of SE was induced by intraperitoneal injection of pilocarpine. The rats receiving an injection of normal saline were used as a control group. The expression of LPL in the hippocampal tissue was determined using immunofluorescent methods and the level of vitamin E was examined by the colormeric method 12 hrs, 24 hrs, 3 days, 7 days and 14 days after SE.

RESULTSLPL was expressed in the control and SE groups. In the SE group, the LPL expression began to increase 24 hr after SE (P<0.05), reached a peak 3 days after SE (P<0.01), and kept at a high level 7 days after SE (P<0.01). By 14 days, the LPL expression was reduced to the level similar to the control group. The level of vitamin E began to decline 12 hrs after SE (P<0.01), and decreased to a nadir 24 hrs after SE (P<0.01). At 3 and 7 days after SE, the levels of vitamin E were still significantly lower than the controls (P<0.05). By 14 days, the vitamin E level increased to the level similar to the control group.

CONCLUSIONSThe over-expression of LPL in the hippocampus may play an important role in the oxidative stress mechanisms following SE by regulating the uptake of vitamin E.

Animals ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Lipoprotein Lipase ; analysis ; physiology ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Status Epilepticus ; metabolism ; Vitamin E ; analysis ; metabolism

Two new MAR segments (M14 and M17) were cloned from tobacco genome. Both of the sequences contained several typical consensus sequences of MARs, which were different from the original MAR sequence, such as 90%AT-box, A-box, T-box, the base unpairing regions (BUR), autonomously replicating sequences (ARS), the consensus sequence for topoisomerase II, MAR recognition sequence (MRS), origin of replication (ORI), curved DNA motifs and ATATTT et al. To investigate the effects of these two sequences on gene expression in transgenic plants, 3 plant expression vectors were constructed with uidA gene coding beta-glucuronidase (GUS) which were flanked on one side and on both sides by the MARs we obtained. These plant expression vectors with one or two MARs were transformed into tobaccos via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method, with the plant expression vector pCAMBIA2301 without MAR and wild type tobacco as controls. GUS histochemical staining results showed that the uidA gene expressed stably in transgenic tobaccos. Quantitative detection of GUS activity showed that the MARs could increase GUS expression levels in vivo in contrast to the controls, wherever they were flanked on one side or both sides of uidA gene. The vector ligated with MARs in the same direction on both sides of uidA could increase the GUS expression level much better than both vectors which just ligated with single MARs on one side. The former one increased the average GUS activity for 3.14 folds, but 1.56 and 2.43 folds for the latter two vectors with single MARs respectively contrasting to the pCAMBIA2301 control. But the expression differences among individual transformants were still obvious. Therefore, it was concluded that the DNA sequences we obtained in this experiment were two novel MARs and could enhance gene expression in vivo. In the meanwhile, although the numbers of the MARs typical motifs in M14 were more than in M17, especially the 90% AT box which had been considered to be the highest correlative motif with binding strength in vitro, the enhancement of gene expression was lower yet, which implied no correlation between improvement of gene expression and binding strength between MARs and nuclear matrix in vitro.
Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genetic Vectors ; Matrix Attachment Regions ; Nuclear Matrix ; metabolism ; Plants, Genetically Modified ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Tobacco ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) combined with controlled hypotension on reducing heterogeneous transfusion and safety during liver tumorectomy.

METHODSThirty patients undergoing elective liver tumorectomy were randomly divided into 3 groups (10 each), namely ANH group (group A), ANH combined with controlled hypotension group (group B) and control group (group C). All the patients were anesthetized via endotracheal intubation. Before the operation, ANH was performed in groups A and B after anesthesia induction, and controlled hypotension was initiated in group B during tumorectomy. Blood transfusion and fluid infusion were carried out routinely in group C. Hb and Hct were measured before operation, after ANH, and immediately, 1 day and 7 days after the operation. The difference in intraoperative blood loss and heterogeneous blood transfusion volume in the 3 groups was observed.

RESULTSIn group A, heterogeneous blood transfusion was avoided in 6 cases and but given in the other cases for an average of 400 ml. In group C, every patient received heterogeneous blood transfusion (664.8-/+248.1 ml), but none of the patients received heterogeneous blood in group B. The difference in transfusion volume between the 3 groups was significant (P<0.01). Hemodynamics was basically stable during operation in the 3 groups.

CONCLUSIONANH combined with controlled hypotension is safe and effective for decreasing and even avoiding homologous blood transfusion in liver tumorectomy.

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; prevention & control ; Blood Transfusion ; statistics & numerical data ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Hemodilution ; methods ; Hepatectomy ; methods ; Humans ; Hypotension, Controlled ; methods ; Isotonic Solutions ; Liver Neoplasms ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; prevention & control ; Treatment Outcome

The clinical manifestations of five children with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) were retrospectively analyzed and their gene mutations were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing and chromosome microarray. The 5 patients consisted of 4 males and 1 female and the age of onset was 6-9 years. Dyskinesia was induced by sudden turn movement, scare, mental stress, or other factors. These patients were conscious and had abnormal posture of unilateral or bilateral extremities, athetosis, facial muscle twitching, and abnormal body posture. The frequency of onset ranged from 3-5 times a month to 2-7 times a day, with a duration of <30 seconds every time. Electroencephalography showed no abnormality in these patients. Three patients had a family history of similar disease. The high-throughput sequencing results showed that a heterozygous mutation in the PRRT2 gene, c.649_650insC (p.R217PfsX8), was found in two patients; the mutation c.436C>T (p.P146S) was found in one patient; a splice site mutation, IVS2-1G>A, was found in one patient. The two mutations c.436C>T and IVS2-1G>A had not been reported previously. The chromosome microarray analysis was performed in one patient with negative results of gene detection, and the chromosome 16p11.2 deletion (0.55 Mb) was observed. Low-dose carbamazepine was effective for treatment of the 5 patients. PKD is a rare neurological disease. The detection of the PRRT2 gene by multiple genetic analysis can help the early diagnosis of PKD.
Carbamazepine ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Chromosome Deletion ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16 ; Dystonia ; complications ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; Mutation ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the long-term protective effects of hepatitis B vaccine after immunizing to the children for 12 years in Beijing.

METHODSThe multiple stratified cluster sampling was used in this epidemiological survey. The sampling children's blood serum HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc were checked and measured by the solid phase radioimmunoassay (SPRIA). The serological level of these index and the causes of the children with HBsAg positive were analyzed.

RESULTSThere were 2,419 cases 3-12 years-old children immunized with the hepatitis B vaccine in infant period were surveyed and the total HBsAg positive rate was 0.52%. The vaccine protective rate was 88.45% (95% CI: 65.67%-97.89%). The total anti-HBc positive rate was 2.21%, being no statistical significance among the age groups. The average anti-HBs positive rate of 3-6 years-old children immunized with gene recombining vaccine was 38.79% and descending greatly following the age's dropping. The geometric means of anti-HBs serological titer (GMT) was 52.83 mIU/ml, showing no statistical significance among the age groups. The average anti-HBs positive rate of 6-12 years-old children immunized with the blood rooting vaccine was 50.79%. The geometric means of anti-HBs serological titer (GMT) was 61.51 mIU/ml. There were no statistical significances among the age groups. Among the HBsAg positive children, more than 50% of the children's mothers were HBsAg positive also.

CONCLUSIONSThe protective effects given by immunization were significant after the hepatitis B vaccine vaccination for 12 years in Beijing. The booster immunization was not necessary, because the HBsAg positive rate didn't ascend obviously as the immunization time prolonging. As the anti-HBs positive rate of children who were immunized by the gene recombining vaccine might be descending following the age's dropping greatly, we should strengthen the serological surveillance of hepatitis B. The main cause that the children became the HBsAg carrier should be a vertical transmission.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B ; epidemiology ; immunology ; prevention & control ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B virus ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunity, Active

OBJECTIVEto investigate the effect of somatostatin on inflammatory immune disorders and prognosis in patients with severe sepsis caused by abdominal diseases.

METHODSfifty-three patients with severe abdominal sepsis (age > 18 years, APACHE-II score > 15) from June 2005 to June 2009 were randomly divided into Somatostatin group (n = 23) and SSC Group (n = 30). Fifteen healthy volunteers of the same age range were chosen as Control group. The SSC group was treated with classical SSC therapy, and the Somatostatin Group was treated with the same regime plus 14-peptide somatostatin continuous infusion at the dose of 6 mg/24 h for 7 days. The serum levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined by using ELISA. CD(4)(+), CD(8)(+) T cell subsets were determined by fluorescence activated cell sorter(FACS) and CD(4)(+)/CD(8)(+) was calculated. APACHE-II score was observed on admission (d1) and day 3, 7 and 14 after treatment. Morality rates in 28 days in two groups were recorded.

RESULTScompared with Control group, IL-10 and TNF-α levels were significantly elevated in patients with severe abdominal sepsis (P < 0.05), while CD(4)(+), CD(8)(+) T cell and CD(4)(+)/CD(8)(+) decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with the Somatostatin group CD(4)(+), CD(8)(+) T cell and CD(4)(+)/CD(8)(+) on d7 and d14 in SSC Group were significantly increased (P < 0.05), while IL-10 and TNF-α decreased significantly(P < 0.05). APACHE-II scores on d3, d7, d14 of Somatostatin group were significantly lower than those of SSC group, and 28 d mortality rate also declined.

CONCLUSIONSin patients with severe abdominal sepsis, systemic inflammatory response and immune suppression exist simultaneously. Somatostatin has a dual immunomodulatory activity in these patients.

APACHE ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-10 ; blood ; Male ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Sepsis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; immunology ; Somatostatin ; therapeutic use ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

Bone Diseases ; etiology ; surgery ; Chronic Disease ; Epidermal Cyst ; etiology ; surgery ; Femur ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteomyelitis ; complications