BACKGROUND:Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) scaffold is a kind of widely used biomaterial in tissue engineering. However, low hydrophilicity and lack of surface cell recognition site of PLLA hinder its further application. OBJECTIVE:To study the biocompatibility of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/PLLA (MWCNTs/PLLA) nanofiber scaffolds with mouse neural stem cells in vitro. METHODS:Mouse neural stem cells were isolated. Then we used electrospinning to fabricate PLLA nanofibers and modified them with multi-walled carbon nanotubes. We assessed their biocompatibility with passage 3 mouse neural stem cells in vitro. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Scanning electron microscope showed that the neural stem cells could survive on both scaffolds. No cytotoxic effects were detected on both scaffolds by Cell Counting Kit-8 detection. The adhesion and proliferation abilities of neural stem cells on the MWCNTs/PLLA scaffold were significantly greater than those on the PLLA scaffold. Neural stem cells were found grow well and have normal morphology on both scaffolds under scanning electron microscope and by Hoechst 33342 staining. Besides, immunofluorescence staining showed MWCNTs/PLLA could promote neural stem cells to differentiate into mature neurons and neurites grew along with the nanofiber scaffold. In conclusion, the MWCNTs/PLLA nanofiber scaffold has better properties than the PLLA for transplanted cells and provides a good growth carrier for neural stem cells to be induced to differentiate into neurons, which is expected to have a great potential of applications in nerve tissue engineering.

Objective To explore the risk factors for asthma in children.Methods A 1:1 matched and hospital-based case-control study was conducted to analyses risk factors for asthma in 300 pairs of children by logistic regression analysis. Results The result of univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that there were 17 related factors for children asthma, including disease history of parents in respiratory system,family income,atopie character,history of acute respiratory infections, eating habit,the amount of sea foods intakes,foam plastics,family decoration,the way of exhaust fume in kitchen,the exhaust effectiveness,raising pet in house,family history of asthma,family history of allergic rhinitis,family history of food allergy,dust allergy of parents,systemic therapy after the first attack.With multivariate Logistic regression analysis,7 factors were entered the model,6 risk factors including father's history of respiratory diseases(OR 3.771,95%CI 1.533～9.278),low family income(OR 1.503, 95%CI 1.258～1.795),atopy(OR 3.788,95%CI 2.368～6.058),meat-eating habit(OR 2.042,95%CI 1.481～2.815),asthma history of family members(OR 1.710,95%CI 0.988～2.958),the family history of allergic rhinitis(OR 1.991,95%CI 1.234～3.211), and 1 protective factor of raising pet in house(OR 0.443,95%CI 0.265～0.739).The coefficients of these factors in multivariate logistic regression model were 1.327、0.407、1.322、0.714、0.536、0.689、and-0.814 respectively.Conclusion Children asthma was a multi-factorial complex disease,and the interaction of environmental and genetic risk factors played an important role in the onset of this disease.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; etiology ; Kidney Glomerulus ; pathology ; Male

Objectives To reveal etiologies of persistent isolated hematuria (PIH) through ultrastructural pathological examination, to disclose clinicopathological correlation in cases with PIH, and to summarize appropriate management of patients with PIH.
Methods we retrospectively studied 155 PIH patients receiving renal biopsy between January, 2003 and December, 2008 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. All the clinical data and follow-up result were analyzed.
Results All subjects included 38 children and 117 adults, with mean age of 11.38±3.25 years for children and 35.17±8.44 years for adults. Thin basement membrane nephropathy (TBMN) was the most common pathology (55.3% of children and 49.6% of adults), followed by IgA nephropathy (18.4% of children and 32.5% of adults, mainly grade 2-3) and mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN) without IgA deposition (13.2%of children and 12.8%of adults). Besides, Alport syndrome (2.6%of children) and membrane nephropathy (2.6%of children and 0.9%of adults) were demonstrated as other causes of PIH. Elevated mean arteral pressure or protein excretion rate, as well as episodic macrohematuria, indicated higher risk for MsPGN rather than TBMN. On the other hand, severity of microhematuria was irrelevant to pathological types of PIH. Totally, 86 patients were followed up and 37 cases therein stayed on track for long term (mean duration 41.11±28.92 months, range 8-113 months). Most cases had benign clinical course except 3 cases with TBMN, 5 cases with IgA nephropathy, 1 case with MsPGN (without IgA deposition), and 1 case with Alport syndrome, who developed hypertension or proteinuria. All of them were administered timely intervention.
Conclusions Close follow-up should be required as the primary management for PIH. Equally important is careful monitoring for early identification of undesirable predictors;while renal biopsy and other timely intervention are warranted if there is hypertension, significant proteinuria or renal impairment.

OBJECTIVETo explore the expression of Ghrelin and high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) in the serum and the intestinal tissue of sepsis model rats, and to evaluate the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) at Zusanli (ST36) on the expression of HMGB1 and Ghrelin.

METHODSForty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups, i.e., the sham-operation (sham), the cecal ligation and puncture group (CLP), the CLP + EA at Zusanli (ST36) group (EA), and the CLP + Ghrelin receptor blocking agent + EA group (GHSRA), 12 in each group. A sepsis rat model was prepared by CLP. The incision of the abdominal wall was immediately sutured along the ventral midline for rats in the Sham group. In the EA group EA at Zusanli (ST36) was performed 20 min after CLP surgery with the constant voltage (2 - 100 Hz, 2 mA) for 30 min. In the GHSRA group, Ghrelin receptor blocking agent, [D-Arg1, D-Phe5, D-Trp79, Leu11]-substance P (700 nmol/kg), was administered through intravenous injection immediately after CLP, and 20 min later, EA at Zusanli (ST36) was performed in the same way as for rats in the EA group. Blood samples were withdrawn 12 h after CLP. The serum levels of Ghrelin and HMGB1 were detected using ELISA. Ghrelin expressions and the number of Ghrelin immunopositive cell in the jejunum were determined by immunohistochemistry. HMGB1 contents of the jejunum tissue were detected by Western blotting.

RESULTSCompared with the Sham group, the number of serum immunopositive cells and the expression of HMGB1 in the jejunum tissue significantly increased and levels of Ghrelin and the expression rate of immunopositive cells significantly decreased in the CLP group (P < 0.05). Compared with the CLP group, the number of serum immunopositive cells and the expression of HMGB1 in the jejunum tissue significantly decreased, but levels of Ghrelin and the expression rate of immunopositive cells significantly increased in the EA group (P < 0.05). Compared with the EA group, the number of serum immunopositive cells and the expression of HMGB1 in the jejunum tissue significantly increased in the GHSRA group (P < 0.05), but there was no statistical difference in levels of Ghrelin between the two groups (P > 0.05). The serum level of HMGB1 was negatively correlated with Ghrelin in the Sham group, the CLP group, and the EA group (r = -0. 528, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSEA at Zusanli (ST36) could inhibit the expression of HMGB1 in the jejunum of septic rats, and promote the expression of Ghrelin. The expression of HMGB1 was inhibited by Ghrelin receptor blocking agent, which suggested that the anti-inflammation of EA at Zusanli (ST36) might be associated with Ghrelin.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electroacupuncture ; Ghrelin ; metabolism ; HMGB1 Protein ; metabolism ; Jejunum ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sepsis ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the potential association between 163A/G and 950T/C polymorphisms of osteoprotegerin(OPG)gene and severe pre-eclampsia.Methods Eighty-five severe preeclamptic patients and 81 normal term pregnant women(as control group)were recruited from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,West China Second University Hospital,Sichuan University during the period from July 2007 to March 2009,and they were all Han population living in Chengdu,China.Genotype and allele frequencies of 163A/G and 950T/C were determined by the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP)assay.Clinical and biochemical parameters for different alleles between the patients and controls were compared for statistical significance respectively,such as blood pressure,serum creatinine and 24-hour urine protein.Results The observed and expected genotype counts were consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.No significant differences were found in the genotype and allele frequencies of 163A/G and 950T/C polymorphisms between the two groups(P ＞ 0.05).However,in the preeclamptic group,serum creatinine was significantly higher in women with the AG + GG genotypes [(76 ±24)μmol/L]compared with AA genotype[(56 ± 18)μmol/L].Reversely,birth weight was lower in the AG + GG genotypes[(2040 ± 721)g]than those in the AA genotype[(2520 ± 810)g],and the P ＜0.05,respectively.In the severe pre-eclampsia,950T/C TT genotype carriers exhibited significantly higher systolic blood pressure[(153 ± 16)mm Hg(1 mm Hg =0.133 kPa)]and 24-hour urine protein [(4.0±2.5)g]compared with TT + TC carriers[(145 ±17)mm Hg,(2.9±1.8)g],respectively,furthermore the P ＜ 0.05.Conclusions In severe pre-eclampsia,carriers with G allele at position 163A/G has more genetic predisposition than A allele carriers,as well as 950T/C T allele carriers compared with C carriers.Taken together,this study suggested that OPG gene polymorphisms might be associated with some clinical parameters of severe pre-eclampsia.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with vulvar cancer. Methods Twenty-one patients with vulvar squamous cancer undergoing radical surgery admitted in Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from Oct.2004 to Apr.2008, were enrolled in the study. SLNB procedure was performed with blue dye alone in the first eleven patients, while the later ten patients, a combination procedure with radioactive tracer and blue dye was used to detect sentinel lymph node (SLN). All resected nodes were submitted to the pathological examination, which was considered as the gold standard to determine the efficacy of SLNB. The complications related to SLNB were also observed during the study. Results The sentinel node was identified in 20 patients (95%), included 8 cases with unilateral SLNs and 12 cases with bilateral SLN. A total of 83 SLN were identified with a mean number of 4.2 per patient (range, 1-9) or 2.6 per groin (range, 1-6). Difference between the mean number of SLN (4.4 per patient, 2.5 per groin) identified by blue dye or by combined procedure (3.9 per patient, 2.7 per groin) was not statistically significant (t=0.459,P=0.652;t=-0.421,P=0.717). Twenty patients were detected to positively superficial inguinal SLN and one of them also positively bilateral deep femoral SLN, 8 (10 groins) of them were detected positively nodal metastases. Among of eight patients, 7 (9 groins)of them were detected more than one SLN involved, while 1 of them were detected false-negative node involved. The false negative rate of was 10%(1/10), negative predictive value was 96%(22/23). No complications were attributed to the study. Conclusions SLNB procedure in vulvar cancer is feasible and safe. SLN identification appears to be highly accurate for detecting metastases in the ipsilateral inguinal lymphatic basins.

?AIM:To investigate and analyze diabetic retinopathy ( DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes in local community and risk factors of type 2 diabetic retinopathy, and to provide reference for the prevention and treatment of diabetic.?METHODS:Randomly 268 cases with type 2 diabetes from community health management files from January to March 2015 were selected. Fundus photography was read through the remote reading system, demographic data and laboratory indexes of DR were analyzed.?RESULTS:In the 268 cases with type 2 diabetes, 85 cases were diagnosed as DR ( 31. 7%); there were statistical difference on gender, duration, systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c, urine creatinine between patients with DR and without ( P<0. 05 ). Multivariable Logistic regression analysis showed, duration, systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c were independent risk factors of DR(P<0. 05).?CONCLUSION:Long duration, high blood pressure, high blood glucose are main risk factors of DR, we should strengthen the monitoring of blood pressure, blood glucose and prevent the happening of the DR.

Objective To investigate the situation of urine albumin measurement of clinical laboratory in Tianjin.Methods Control materials from patient mixed urine samples were made to validate precision in the clinical laboratories in Tianjin.Reference Material ERM-DA470K was prepared as the first external quality assessment ( EQA) sample, and the bias between laboratories was calculated.Then we give some advice about the methods of routine maintenance, calibration, standardized operation, internal quality assessment and so on to the laboratories which were not qualified in the first EQA.Then the second EQA was carried out and CV and bias were culculated.Results 52 clinical laboratories has 12 series of instruments and 17 series of reagents.The precision research showed that most laboratories ( 93.55%) had good precision for urine albumin measurement, while CV of inter-laboratory was great:the range of low level of control sample was 8.91 -43.95 mg/L, 34.46% for CV; and the high level was 36.32 -281 mg/L, 28.51% for CV.Only 36.5% laboratories were qualified in the first EQA. The qualified rate for nephelometry and turbidimetry was higher (55.6%, 42.9%).The qualified rate of trueness verification was 58.6%in the second EQA, and the CV between laboratories was significantly decreased, Inter-laboratory CV of the five samples were:19.83%, 13.57%, 13.41%, 13.08%, 11.37%. The qudified rate for nephelomety and turbidimetry was 71.4% and 56.3%.Conclusions There are a mide variety of measurement systems of urine albumin in Tianjin, and the CV between these systems is great.Clinical laboratory should strengthen the laboratory standardization operation and upgrade calibration testing to improve the testing consistency.

The postpartum depression outcome and the effect of psychological intervention were studied in order to reduce the occurrence and development of the postpartum depression. A survey of 4000 women within 4-6 weeks postpartum in 80 communities in Shenzhen, China was performed using random cluster sampling method. By employing Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) as a screening tool, the positive women (defined as EPDS ≥10) were randomly divided into intervention group and control group at a ratio of 1:2. The women in the intervention group were treated by means of mailing postpartum depression prevention and treatment knowledge manual, face-to-face counseling, and telephone psychological counseling interventions aiming at individual risk factors, while those in the control group were treated with conventional methods. EPDS scores were assessed in these two groups again at 6th month postpartum. Totally, 3907 valid questionnaires were obtained. All the 771 positive women were divided into two groups: 257 in the intervention group, and 514 in the control group. At 6th month postpartum, the EPDS scores in the intervention group were decreased significantly, from baseline stage (12.84±3.02) to end stage (3.05±2.93), while EPDS scores in the control group were reduced from 12.44±2.78 to 6.94±4.02. There were significant differences in the EPDS scores at end stage between the two groups (t=13.059, P<0.001). Psychological intervention can reduce postpartum depression, with better maternal compliance. It is feasible and necessary to establish postpartum depression screening and psychological intervention model in community-hospital and include the postpartum depression screening, intervention, and follow-up into the conventional healthcare.