Objective:To search the marker of micrometastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 65 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma,21 non HCC malignant tumors,22 chronic hepatitis B or cirrhosis,and 21 normal healthy volunteers.To identify hepatocellular carcinoma cells in peripheral blood, liver specific alpha fetoprotein(AFP)mRNA was amplified from total RNA extracted from whole blood by nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (Nested RT PCR).Results:AFP mRNA was not detected in the normal healthy volunteers and patients with non HCC malignant tumors.The presence of AFP mRNA in patients with HCC(44/65,67.7%)was higher than those with chronic hepatitis B or cirrhosis(2/22,9.1%, P

Objective To investigate the phototoxicity effects of the nanocompound of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) on rat astrocytes in vitro.Methods The spinal astrocytes cells were cultured successfully in vitro and then incubated with the UCNPs-MC540 of various concentrations and exposured 980 nm infrared laser irradiation of different energy densities.The cell survival rates of each group were detected by MTT assay.The cellular morphology was observed via transmission electron microscope after photodynamic therapy.Results UCNPs-MC540 of different concentrations without laser irradiation or laser of different energy had no significant effects on cell survival rates.when cells incubated with 100 μg/ml UCNPs-MC540 for 12 h underwent laser irradiation of different energy,the cellular survival rates significantly decreased with the increased energy densities.when the cells incubated with UCNPs-MC540 of various concentrations for 12 h underwent laser irradiation of 2 000 J/cm2,the cellular survival rates significantly decreased with the increased concentrations.Compared with controls,the TEM show the apoptosis sign in the cells incubated with 200 μg/ml UCNPs-MC540 after laser irradiation of 2 000 J/cm2.Conclusion The UCNPs-MC540 mediated photodynamic therapy have effective killing effect on astrocytes by the mechanism of induction the apoptosis.

Objective:To analyze the 3D changes of pharyngeal airway in patients with skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion after rapid maxillary expansion(RME)and maxillary protraction.Methods:53 patients underwent orthodontic treatment with Hyrax palatal ex-panders and maxillary protraction.Cone-Beam computed tomography(CBCT)scan was taken before treatment(T0),after 1 6 d RME (T1 )and after about 5 month maxillary protraction(T2).Data were reconstructed into 3D model,sagittal and transversal measure-ments,cross sectional areas,volumes of the pharyngeal airway were computed.Results:After RME,the transversal measurements, cross sectional areas,volumes of nasal passage were increased(P <0.05).After maxillary protraction,the 4 nasopharyngeal measure-ments were increased(P <0.05).Conclusion:RME and maxillary protraction may increase pharyngonasal airway.

Objective To provide a better cell model of closely nature infectious state for further research of hepatitis B virus(HBV). Methods Primary tupaia hepatocytes were isolated by the two-step perfusion method. The hepatocytes were then infected with purified serum from patients with hepatitis B. DNA and RNA isolated from the hepatocytes were detected with Southern blot and Northern blot. HBsAg in supernatant was tested by immunohistochemical method. Results cccDNA, pgRNA and sgRNA could be detected by Southern blot and Northem blot, and strong signals could be seen from day 7 to day 14 post-in-fection. The S/CO value of HBsAg in supernatant decreased from day 1 to day 5 and then increased after 5 day. Conclusion Primary tupaia hepatocytes are competent for infection with HBV. HBV can stably repli-cate and express in HBV-infected tupaia hepatocytes.

Primary mediastinal seminoma is a kind of germ cell malignancy outside the gonads, and it’s rarer with sarcoma component. hTis disease which has no special clinical manifestations and imaging characteristics is diffcult to identify with other mediastinal tumors and mediastinal type lung cancer. hTis paper reported a case of primary mediastinal seminoma with mediastinal sarcoma. hTrough the analysis of the diagnosis and treatment process in this patient, we will make a compre-hensive review of the disease.

Objective： The current study was designed to search into the detection of micrometastasis in peripheral blood in the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and its significance.Method： Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 65 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, 21 non-HCC malignant tumors, 22 chronic hepatitis B or cirrhosis, and 21 cases of normal healthy volunteers. For identifying hepatocellular carcinoma cells in peripheral blood, the authors detected liver-specific alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) mRNA from total RNA extracted from whole blood by nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(Nested-RT-PCR). Results： AFP-mRNA was not detected in the normal healthy volunteers and the patient with non-HCC malignant tumors. The presence of AFP-mRNA in the patients with HCC (67.7％ ,44/65) was higher than those with chronic hepatitis B or cirrhosis ( 9.1％ ,2/22,P< 0.01). The detective rate of AFP-mRNA in the blood seemed to be correlated with the clinical stages of HCC, the presence of extrahepatic metastasis, and portal vein thrombosis. The positive AFP-mRNA in peripheral blood after treatment was correlated with the prognosis of the patients with HCC. AFP-mRNA was detected in 7 of 12 (58.3％) HCC patients with low level of serum AFP (< 25 μg/L). Conclusions： The presence of AFP-mRNA in peripheral blood may be an indicator of malignant or benign hepatocytes, which might predicate hematogenous spreading metastasis of tumor cells in the patients with HCC, it might be a valuable marker for predicting metastasis and recurrence of HCC, and it might play a supplementary role in the diagnosis of HCC with negative or low level of serum AFP.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Receptor, ErbB-3 ; biosynthesis ; genetics

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; Glypicans ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics

BACKGROUNDPulmonary hypertension (PH) frequently complicates the course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients and is associated with significantly worse outcomes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence of PH in IPF patients and evaluate the correlation between clinical parameters and systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP).

METHODSHospitalized patients with IPF, who were evaluated for sPAP by Doppler echocardiography from January 2004 to December 2011, were enrolled in our study. Patients were defined as PH by an estimated sPAP > 50 mmHg and graded as PH likely, PH possible and PH unlikely, based on the 2009 European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society PH Guidelines. The correlations between clinical parameters and sPAP were analyzed by multiple linear regression.

RESULTSTotally, 119 IPF patients were enrolled in our study and 28 (23.5%), 20 (16.8%) and 71 (59.7%) patients were PH likely, PH possible and PH unlikely, respectively. Borg dyspnea score was positively correlated with sPAP, r = 0.467, P < 0.001. Oxygen saturation was negatively correlated with sPAP, r = -0.416, P < 0.001. Diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide percentage predicted was negatively correlated with sPAP, r = -0.424, P = 0.003. N-terminal fragment of pro-brain natriuretic peptide and pulmonary artery width was positively correlated with sPAP, r = 0.452, P = 0.011 and r = 0.513, P < 0.001, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSThe incidence of PH in IPF patients was 23.5% in a single center of China. PH may worsen the dyspnea, right heart dysfunction and decrease the life quality of the patients with IPF.

Aged ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; blood ; epidemiology ; physiopathology ; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ; blood ; epidemiology ; physiopathology ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; blood ; Peptide Fragments ; blood ; Pulmonary Artery ; physiopathology ; Smoking

Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are a subclinical terminal microvascular disease in which the blood exudates or leaks out from the tiny blood vessels and the small lesions were formed by the deposition of hemosiderin in the brain tissue. The pathogenesis of cerebral microbleeds is different depending on the location, with lobar CMBs attributed to cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), while cerebrovascular diseases caused by hypertension are an important cause of deep and subtentorium CMBs. The prevalence of CMBs in stroke patients is high, especially in patients with ischemic stroke treated with oral antiplatelet drugs, and long-term (>5 years) treatment may be related to CMBs and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) events. At the same time, a certain burden of microbleeds may cause risk of ICH in the future, but whether the bleeding risk of antiplatelet treatment overweighs the clinical benefit of antithrombotic therapy remains unclear. How to better instruct antiplatelet therapy in patients with ischemic stroke warrants further clinical investigations.