Objective To discuss the clinical significance of the diffuse calcified distribution in diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions .Methods 379 patients with different benign and malignant breast lesions confirmed by surgery underwent digital X‐ray mammography .The morphology ,distribution ,number ,diameter ,concentration and density of calcification in lesions ,the maximum range of the calcified area and other accompanied manifestations in benign and malignant breast lesions were analyzed .Results As for the morphology of calcification ,tiny polymorphic calcification was found in 58 .5% of malignant lesions ,meanwhile ,dot‐like one was found in 49 .3% of benign lesions .Fine linear calcification or branched linear one occurred in malignant lesions ,however ,round one occurred in benign lesions .As for the calcification distribution ,regional distribution was found in 43 .9% of malignant lesions , meanwhile the clustered distribution was found in 58 .4% of benign lesions .And all lobar or segmental distribution was seen in malig‐nant lesions .As for the calcification diameter ,the calcification with the diameter less than 0 .5 mm occurred in 71 .6% of malignant lesions ,however ,that with diameter more than 1 .0 cm occurred in 69 .3% of benign lesions .As for the concentration of calcification , lesions with calcification more than 25 were 71 .8% of malignant ones ,whereas those with calcification of 15-25 were 58 .4% of be‐nign ones .As for calcified density ,uneven calcification occurred in 94 .2% of malignant lesions ;however the even one occurred in 63 .4% of benign lesions .The maximum diameter of calcification ranged from 40 mm to 80 mm was found in 59 .0% of malignant lesions , whereas that ranged from 0 mm to 40 mm was in 77 .2% of benign lesions .Conclusion Statistical differences have been found in the morphology ,distribution ,diameter ,concentration ,density and maximum diameter of calcification between the breast benign and ma‐lignant lesions .

Objective To explore the factors for the development of gallstones after gastrectomy. Methods 52 cases of patients with postgastrectumy,were retrospectively analyzed according to their diseases for gastrectomy and operation form. Results Incidence of gallstone in patients of postgastrectomy was higher than in general population. Among which, Billroth Ⅱ type of gastrectomy for carcinoma was the highest (35.5%), then the total gastrectomy (31.5%) and proximate gastrectomy(13.5%). Billroth Ⅰ type operation was 10.3%. Incidence of gallstone in pa-tients of selective vagotomy was lowest (2.5%). Condusion Billroth Ⅱ type of gastrectomy and total gastrectomy were the risk factors of postgastrectomy cholelithiasis. The causes for gallstone formation after Billroth Ⅱ type of gas-trectomy were the restitution of digestive canal and metabolic disorder of bile acid.

ObjectiveTo assess the relationship of filaggrin expression with atopic diathesis and disease severity in patients with alopecia areata (AA).MethodsThirty-seven patients with AA aged (26.3 ± 10.6) years were enrolled in this study.Atopic diseases were noted in 8 of these patients.Clinical data and laboratory test resuhs were reviewed.Immunohistochemical staining was performed to quantify the expression of filaggrin protein in scalp biopsy specimens from all of the 37 patients with AA and from 10 human controls,and fluorescence-based semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR to detect the expression of filaggrin mRNA in scalp biopsy specimens from 22 patients with AA and 13 healthy controls.Data were statistically analyzed by Mann Whitney U test,chi-square test,and Spearman's rank correlation test.ResultsThe expressions of filaggrin protein and mRNA were significantly lower in patients with AA than in the controls(P ＜ 0.05 or 0.01 ),and the decrease seemed more obvious in patients with large areas of lesions,long duration of disease,and nail abnormalities,but the degree of decrease was unrelated to the complication with atopic diseases.No significant differences were observed in sex ratio,age at onset,disease duration,area of hair loss,the prevalence of family history or incidence of nail abnormalities and increase in serum IgE and eosinophils,between patients with atopic diseases and those without.ConclusionsThe expressions of filaggrin protein and mRNA are decreased in patients with AA,suggesting that filaggrin may participate in the development of AA and is correlated with the severity of AA.

Objective To detect the expressions of apoptosis-related factors and inflammatory cytokines in superficial and deep layers of as well as anagen hair follicles in lesions of early alopecia areata (AA).Methods Scalp biopsy samples were collected from 25 patients with early AA and 15 healthy human controls.Fluorescence-based quantitative PCR was performed to detect mRNA expressions of apoptosis-related genes p53,caspase 3,Fas,survivin and bcl-2,as well as those of inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-4,IL-10,IL-12 and interferon (IFN)-γ.An immunohistochemical assay was conducted to measure the expression of p53 protein in anagen hair follicles.Results Compared with control skin samples,anagen hair follicles in AA lesions showed significantly increased mRNA expression levels (expressed as 2-△△Ct) of pro-apoptotic factors caspase 3,p53 and Fas (6.78,8.01,9.74,respectively,all P ＜ 0.05),but decreased mRNA expression levels of antiapoptotic factors bcl-2 and survivin (0.08 and 0.03 respectively,both P ＜ 0.01),and similar mRNA expression levels of inflammatory cytokines.There was a significant increase in mRNA expression levels of Th1 cytokines IFN-γ and IL-12 (2.75 vs.1.00,P ＜ 0.05; 85.67 vs.1.00,P ＜ 0.01),but a significant decrease in the expression level of the Th2 cytokine IL-10 (0.002 vs.1.000,P ＜ 0.01) in superficial layers of AA lesions compared with those of normal control skin.The degree of changes in mRNA expression levels of IL-10 and IL-12 was significantly higher in superficial layers than in deep layers of AA lesions (P＜0.01 and 0.05 respectively).The immunohistochemical assay showed that the number of p53-positive cells per 100 cells in anagen hair follicles of AA lesions was higher than that in those of control skin (t =23.79,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Anagen hair follicles in AA lesions exhibit high expressions of pro-apoptosis factors,but low expressions of antiapoptotic factors,suggesting that apoptotic factors play a role in the occurrence of AA.

Objective To observe the pathological changes of heart failure caused by transverse aortic constriction in rats.Methods Partial thoracotomy was performed to the second rib and the transverse aortic constriction was performed between the innominate and left carotid arteries to establish a model of heart failure in 24 rats.The same operation was performed on another 8 rats, except for the ligation of the transverse aorta.Echocardiographic assessment, hemodynamic measurement, myocardial histopathological examination and NT-proBNP measurement were performed to the sham group at 12 weeks and model group at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks after the operation.Result At 4 weeks after the operation, NT-proBNP, EF, FS and -dp/dtmax of the model group was significantly increased and LVESV, +dp/dtmax of the model group were significantly decreased (P<0.05).At 8 weeks after the operation, EF and-dp/dtmax of the model group were increased and +dp/dtmax of the model group was significantly decreased (P<0.05).At 12 weeks after the operation, NT-proBNP, EF and +dp/dtmax of the model group were decreased, and LVESV, LVEDV and -dp/dtmax of the model group were increased (P<0.05).The cardiomyocytes became hypertrophic and lined up in disorder at 4 weeks after the operation.Pathologic examination of the myocardial tissue showed connective tissue proliferation and inflammatory cell infiltration at 8 weeks after the operation, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis and collagen fiber deposition at 12 weeks after the operation.Conclusions Transverse aortic constriction induces heart failure in rats.The pathological processes are compensatory hypertrophy at 4 weeks after the operation, initial reaction of decompensation at 8 weeks after the operation, and heart failure at 12 weeks after the operation.

Objective To explore the method of demonstrating main operative section of facial recess approach with multi-slice CT by using double oblique muttiplanar reconstruction.MethodsSimilarly as surgical procedure of facial recess approach,30 (60 eras) normal temporal bones in cadavers were reconstructed to observe main operative sections and anatomical marks.Main images of operative section of facial recess approach were reconstructed using double oblique multiplanar reconstruction on multislice CT.With the reference of operative anatomical marks,the ratios of visibility of anatomical marks on the transverse plane,coronal plane,sagittal plane and double oblique were calculated and compared.The degree,of which major anatomical landmarks were displayed on the same plane ( axial,coronal,sagittal,or doubleoblique sagittal plane),was classified using the following criteria: level 4: 100％ of anatomical landmarks were presented in the same plane; level 3: 90％ to 99％ of anatomical landmarks were presented in the same plane; level 2: 80％ to 89％ of anatomical landmarks were presented in the same plane; level 1: 70％ to 79％ of anatomical landmarks were presented in the same plane ; level 0: ＜ 70％ of anatomical landmarks were presented in the same plane.Classification data were tested by chi-square test.Results Four key operative section were involved in facial recess approach,which were of oblique sagittal orientation.The central mark of the first key operative section was semicircular canal by using double oblique multi-planar reformation.On reconstructed images of the first key operative section,horizontal reference line was short process of incus,and the angle adjusting the reference line on the transverse plane was 22.15° ±5.22°.On the reconstructed images of the first key operative section,coronal reference line was tympanic segment of facial canal,and the angle adjusting the reference line on the coronal plane was 14.35° ± 4.02°.On the reconstructed images of the second key operative section,the central mark was fossa incudis,the horizontal reference line was short process of incus and the angle was 20.15° ± 5.52°,while the coronal reference line was tympanic segment of facial cana,and the angle was 13.15° ± 3.33°.On the reconstructed operative images of the third key section,the central mark was pyramidal eminence,the horizontal reference line was the horizontal portion of the facial nerve and the angle was 32.53° ±5.22°,while the coronal reference line was the tympanic segment of facial nerve,and the angle was 15.05° ± 4.43°.On the fourth reconstructed images of the key operative section,the central mark was the posterior border of round window,the horizontal reference line was the superior border of oval window,and the angle was 50.15° ± 8.02°,while the coronal reference line was the tympanic segment of facial nerve,and the angle was 15.25° ± 4.12°.For the four planes (double-oblique sagittal,axial,coronal,or sagittal plane),the results of the degree to which they could include the major anatomical landmarks in the same layer of the first section were: level 4 in 60 sides,level 2 in 12 sides and level 3 in 48 sides,level 2 in 15 sides and level 3 in 45 sides,level 3 in 10 sides and level 4 in 50 sides,respectively.The results of the second section were: level 4 in 60 sides,level 2 in 11 sides and level 3 in 49 sides,level 2 in 13 sides and level 3 in 47 sides,level 3 in 11 sides and level 4 in 49 sides,respectively.The results of the third section were: level 4 in 60 sides,level 2 in 10 sides and level 3 in 50 sides,level 2 in 11 sides and level 3 in 49 sides,level 3 in 9 sides and level 4 in 51 sides,respectively.The results of the fourth section were: level 4 in 60 sides,level 2 in 9 sides and level 3 in 51 sides,level 2 in 8 sides and level 3 in 52 sides,level 3 in 5 sides and level 4 in 55 sides,respectively.The four planes differed significantly in the degree to which they could include the major anatomical landmarks in the same layer ( x2 =123.3200,121.4231,122.4011,125.4213,all,P ＜ 0.05 ).The visibility ratio of every section is 100％ (60/60).Conclusion Double oblique multi-planar reformation is a new method to demonstrate landmarks of operative section of facial recess approach in one slice.The reconstructive images of operative section with double oblique multi-planer reconstruction may provide valuable information for operation.

Objective To observe the microstructural changes in lesions of alopecia areata (AA) with dermoscopy and to evaluate their correlation with clinicopathological manifestations. Methods The area of alopecia of 62 patients with AA and 44 patients with other types of hair loss were observed by using a noncontact polarized dermoscope (Dermlite, USA). Clinical data on and laboratory findings from these patients were collected. Pathological examination was carried out with scalp biopsy specimens from the alopecia area of 15 AA patients. Results Characteristic dermoscopic signs of AA included yellow dots, black dots, broken hairs, exclamation mark hairs, short vellus hair and newly-grown short hairs. Among these signs, yellow dots showed the highest prevalence (83.9%). Exclamation mark hairs, black dots and broken hairs were rather specific signs for AA, and the prevalence of the three signs was positively correlated with disease activity and positivity rate of hair-pull test. A positive correlation was also noted between the prevalence of elevated thyroid peroxidase antibody levels and positivity rate of hair-pull test (r = 0.269, P ＜ 0.05 ) as well as prevalence of broken hairs (r = 0.445, P ＜ 0.05), and between the prevalence of yellow dots and that of keratinous plug in follicular orifice. There was a negative correlation between the prevalence of newly-grown short hairs and perifollicular mast cell infiltration and between the prevalence of black dots and the anagen/catagen ratio. Conclusions Yellow dots can serve as a preliminary screening marker for AA. Exclamation mark hairs, black dots and broken hairs are highly sensitive for the confirmation of diagnosis of AA, and often predict progressive AA.Dermoscopic signs are well correlated to the histopathology features of AA, and may be useful for the evaluation of disease severity and guidance on the treatment of AA.

Aim To investigate the antioxidant capacity of crocetin and crocin in an in vivo system.Methods Column chromatography was applied to the seperation of crocetin and crocin-1 from gardenia.Crocetin(6.25,12.5 and 25.0 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) and crocin (18.7,37.5 and 75.0 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) were orally administered to kunming mice.Then,superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),total antioxidant capacity(TAOC)and malondialdehyde(MDA)in mice were determined for the comparison of antioxidant activity of crocetin and crocin-1.Results Oral administration of crocetin and crocin for six weeks could enhance SOD of liver and kidney,GSH-Px of liver and TAOC of heart and kidney.In addition,it could decrease MDA of serum in mice.Conclusions The comparison of results suggests the evidence supporting the comparable antioxidant activity of crocetin and crocin.The results of the research also indicate that liver and kidney are two organs targeted for protection concerning endogenous antioxidant among various tissues.

Objective To define individualized internal target volume (ITV) for hepatocellular car-cinoma using four-dimensional (4D) CT, and to compare the differences in target volume definition and dose distribution among 3D, 4D and respiratory-gated plans. Methods 4DCT scanning was obtained for 12 pa-tients with hepatoceUular. Gross tumor volume (GTV), clnical target volume (CTV) and normal tissues were contoured on all 10 respiratory phases of 4DCT images. The 3D, 4D and gated treatment plans were prepared for each patient using three different planning target volumes (PTVs): 1) PTV3D was derived from a single CTV plus conventional margins;2) PTV4D was derived from ITV4D, which encompassed all 10 CTVs plus setup margins (SMs);3) PTV_(Gating) was derived from ITV_(Gating), which encompassed 3 CTVs within ga-ting-window at end-expiration plus SMs. The PTV volume and dose distribution were compared among differ-ent plans. Results The PTV3D was the largest in all 12 patients, but still missed partial target volume in 5 patients when comparing with PTV4D. Both the 4D plans and the gated plans spared more normal tissues than the 3D plans, especially the hver. Without increasing normal tissue dose, the 4D plans allowed for increas-ing the calculated dose from (50.8±2.0) Gy (3D plans) to (54.7±3.3) Gy, and the gated plans could further increase the dose to (58.0±3.9) Gy. Conclusions The 4DCT-based plans can ensure optimal tar-get coverage with less irradiation of normal tissues and allow dose escalation when compared with 3D plans.Respiratory gated radiotherapy can further reduce the target volumes to spare more surrounding tissues, espe-cially for patients with large extent of respiratory mobility.

Objective To investigate the correlation between ~(18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake and hypoxia inducible factor1α (HIF-1α) level,microvessel density (MVD) in human gliomas.Methods ~(18)F-FDG PET scan was performed preoperatively in 41 patients with gliomas (including 23 highgrade and 18 low-grade tumors).The ratios of maximum standardized uptake value(SUV_(max))between tumor (T)and contralateral white matter (WM) were calculated (T/WM).Immunohistochemical stain methods were used to evaluate the level of HIF-1α and measure the MVD in tumors.Correlation analysis between SUV_(max) of T/WM and HIF-1α level,MVD wag performed.The t-test,one-way ANOVA test,Spearman rank correlation and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were calculated using SPSS 11.5 software.Results (1)The SUV_(max) of T/WM,HIF-1α level and MVD in high-grade and low-grade tumors groups were 3.39±1.43,95.7% and 44.13±16.1 vs 1.46±0.55.55.6% and 18.83±7.07,respectively.The difierences of SUV_(max) of T/WM,HIF-1α level and MVD between two groups were statistically significant (t=-5.921,z=-3.938,t=-6.745,all P＜0.05).(2)Among 41 gliomas,the strong positive expression of HIF-1α was observed in 8,mederate in 9,weak in 15 and negative expression was found in 9,SUV_(max) of T/WM and MVD increased with increasing HIF-1α level.The differences of SUV_(max) of T/WM and MVD among 4 different groups were statistically significant (F=7.41,P＜0.05).(3) The MVD of all gliomas was ranged from 9.76 to 94.52,which correlated with SUV_(max) of T/WM(r=0.759,P＜0.05).Conclusions The SUV_(max) of T/WM correlates with HIF-1α level and MVD in gliomas.Therefore,~(18)F-FDG PET provides preoperatively a noninvasive assessment of hypoxia or angiogenesis in human glionma.