Objective To explore the relationship between levels of plasma homocysteine (Hcy) and adrenomedullin (ADM) and sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) in elderly patients. Methods The 80 patients with SSHL but without any treatment were selected as SSHL group, while 80 age-and sex-matched subjects without SSHL were collected as the control group. The levels of plasma Hcy and ADM were measured by fluorescence method and radioimmunoassay, respectively. And the levels of plasma Hey, ADM, total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) were compared between the two groups. Results The levels of plasma Hcy, ADM, TC and TG were significantly higher in SSHL group than in control group [(13. 81±2.88) μmol/L vs. (11. 58±2. 80)/xmol/L, (26. 40±3. 20)ng/L vs. (22. 45±2. 80)ng/L, (5.22±0. 87)mmol/L vs. (4. 52±0. 81)mmol/L, (1.80 ±0. 12)mmol/L vs. (1.52±0. 13)mmol/L;t=5. 03, 8. 22, 7.48, 3. 85, all P<0. 01). When the two groups with hypertension were compared, the levels of plasma Hey, ADM, TC and TG were (15.30±2. 77)μmol/L, (29.40±2. 80) ng/L, (5. 48±0. 98) mmol/L and (1.92±0. 18) mmol/L in SSHL group, which were higher than those in control group[(12. 80±2. 62) μmol/L, (25.20± 2. 60) ng/L, (5.01±1.03) retool/L, (1.62±0. 15) mmol/L3 (t=4.03, 7.01, 3.25, 7. 80, all P< 0. 01). There were no differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the two groups(t= 0. 87, 0. 64;P=0. 38, 0. 55).Conclusions The changes of plasma levels of Hey and ADM in the elderly suggest that they could involve in the pathogenic process of SSHL, which may provide referential value for understanding the state of the disease and judging the prognosis

BACKGROUND: Biliary complications are the common complication of liver transplantation. However, it is difficult to find the complications, since no obvious characteristic signs on the patients. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), especially,magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) may provide a comprehensive evaluation of the functions and complications of the transplanted liver as a safe, noninvasive and exact technique.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the manifestation of biliary system after liver transplantation by MRCP and its value of diagnosis of biliary complications.DESIGN: Comparative observation.SETTING: Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University.PARTICIPANTS: A total of 13 male liver transplantation patients aged from 40-58 years, who received imaging examination at Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University from January 2003 to January 2005, were enrolled. Original causes of liver failure included cirrhosis (n =11) and primal hepatic carcinoma (n =2). Ten received orthotopic liver transplantation, while 3 received piggyback orthotopic liver transplantation. Anastomotic mode of bile duct was common bile duct end-to-end anastomosis. The interval between transplantation and MRI examination ranged from 15 days to 1 year. All patients knew the items of examination and agreed to participate in the experiment.METHODS: Thirteen patients with orthotopic liver transplantation underwent turbo spin-echo (TSE) and fast low angle shot (FLASH), MRCP, Gd-DTPA enhanced MRI to analyze the characteristics of each imaging after liver transplantation.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The imaging findings of the reestablished bile duct and complications of bile duct at MRCP.RESULTS: The diameters of bile duct and caliber were normal, no stricture on anastomotic stoma in 3 patients.Thick-section planes of MRCP did not develop biliary duct of one case. Biliary dilation occurred in 8 patients. There were 5 cases of biliary strictures and 2 cases of choledochus stone. Mucocele of bile duct remnant was identified in 2 cases.Bile leakage occurred in 1 case after T-tube was removed. Rejection reaction occurred in 2 cases.CONCLUSION: MRCP not only can display the image of reestablished biliary tract after liver transplantation, but also can exactly diagnose complications rapidly.

Objective To study the ways,mechanism,indication,curative effect of " Basket" skill applied in the interventional therapy for intracranial aneurysm. Methods Intracranial aneurysm with 1 : 1 ≥ neck/body ≥ 1 : 2 ," 3 D coil" was used to form a basket in it;in that with 1:2 > neck/body,common "2D coil" was applied. And the following coils were applied with hydrocoil or fibered coil combined with common platinum coil to increase the embol-ism density. Results In 156 cases with 158 aneurysms,143 aneurysms were 100% embolized (90. 5% ) ;131 ca-ses discharged with GOS 5 score(84.0% ),and 2 cases died ( 1.3% ). Conclusion " Basket" skill can increase the embolization density in aneurysm,reducing the residual of the neck,getting embolizated fully and improving the prognosis.

Based on repeated experiments as well as continuous researching and improving, an efficient scheme to measure velocity and displacement of the coxa and knee movements based on video image processing technique is presented in this paper. The scheme performed precise and real-time quantitative measurements of 2D velocity or displacement of the coxa and knee using a video camera mounted on one side of the healing and training beds. The beds were based on simplified pinhole projection model. In addition, we used a special-designed auxiliary calibration target, composed by 24 circle points uniformly located on two concentric circles and two straight rods which can rotate freely along the concentric center within the vertical plane, to do the measurements. Experiments carried out in our laboratory showed that the proposed scheme could basically satisfy the requirements about precision and processing speed of such kind of system, and would be very suitable to be applied to smart evaluation/training and healing system for muscles/balance function disability as an advanced and intuitional helping method.
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Calibration ; Hip ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Knee Joint ; Movement

Adult ; Aged ; Axilla ; innervation ; surgery ; Brachial Plexus ; surgery ; Breast Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; methods ; Mastectomy, Radical ; adverse effects ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Pain, Postoperative ; etiology ; Somatosensory Disorders ; etiology

Coronary Disease ; complications ; Erdheim-Chester Disease ; complications ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Behavior Therapy ; Chronic Disease ; Cognitive Therapy ; Humans ; Pain ; psychology ; Pain Management

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus demonstrated to be associated with human disease. Infection by the HTLV-1 can cause T-cell leukemia (ATL) in adults. HTLV-1 bZIP factor (HBZ) is a viral protein encoded by the minus strand of the HTLV-1 provirus. Among the regulatory and accessory genes of HTLV-1, HBZ is the only gene that remains intact and which is expressed consistently in all patients with ATL. Moreover, HBZ has a critical role in the leukemogenesis of ATL. Here, we review the function of HBZ in the oncogenesis of HTLV-1 and its molecular mechanism of action.
Animals ; Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Carcinogenesis ; HTLV-I Infections ; pathology ; virology ; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Leukemia, T-Cell ; pathology ; virology ; Retroviridae Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Male ; Nevus, Blue ; pathology ; Skin Neoplasms ; pathology

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms ; Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Pheochromocytoma ; Rupture, Spontaneous