Objective To analyze the peripartum complications,frequency of neonatal abnormalities and the associated factors in patients with primary Sj?grenˊs syndrome (SS). Methods The chart of 39 patients with primary SS who were admitted to the hospital for delivery were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical data, obstetrical outcome and the frequency of neonatal abnormalities as well as the possible associated factors were analyzed. Results There were 76 pregnancies and 41 deliveries among these 39 patients. Two patients (5%) had pregnancy-related hypertension, 1 (3%) had gestational diabetes and 1 (3%) had eclampsia. Twenty-eight(72%) patients had at least one episode of complication. In which, 27(68%) were induced abortion, 2 (5%) were premature birth, 6 (21%) were amniotic fluid volume abnormalities, 2 (5%) were post-partum bleeding, 5 (13%) were premature rupture of membrane, 6 (21%) were intra-uterine distress and 3 (8%) had intra-uterine growth retardation. Fetal abnormality was detected in 7(18%) patients, in which 3 fetus (8%) died before delivery, 2 fetus (5%) were small than gestational age and 2 (5%) had fetal deformity. Compared to the reports in the literature, the rate of abortion and fetal death was higher, but the rate of growth retardation , induced abortion was lower. Conclusion The frequency of peri-partum complication and fetal abnormality is increased in patients with primary SS. Pregnancies in patients with primary SS should beclosely monitored by rheumatologists.

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that Angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang Ⅱ) is related to occurrence and development of dermatofibrosis; however, less is explored about the expression and effect of AT1 and AT2 receptors in the fibroblasts of human hypertrophic scar.OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of Ang Ⅱ type 1 (AT1) and type 2 (AT2) receptors in human hypertrophic scars, and explore their effects on collagen synthesis of fibroblasts.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: Randomized control experiment was performed at the Experimental Center, Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Area Command of Chinese PLA between August 2006 and November 2007. PARTICIPANTS: Samples of hypertrophic scare were taken from 18 patients (10 males and 8 females, 19-47 years Old). Seven specimens of normal skin served as control. All of the specimens collected were divided into two parts, one part for immunohistochemical staining after fixated by 4% paraformaldehyde, the other part for culturing fibroblasts.METHODS: The expression of both AT1 and AT2 receptors in fibroblasts of hypertrophic scare was detected with immunohistochemical staining and radioligand receptor binding assay. Collagen synthesis was examined in cultured fibroblasts of hypertrophic scars by measuring [3H]-proline incorporation into collagenous proteins.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The expression of both AT1 and AT2 receptors in human hypertrophic scars; the [3H]-proline incorporation value in cultured fibroblasts.RESULTS: Positive staining signals of both AT1 and AT2 receptors were found in fibroblasts of hypertrophic scars. Similar results were also observed in cultured fibroblasts of hypertrophic scars, expression level of AT1 and AT2 receptors were (10.69±2.15) fmol/106 cells and (4.9±1.05) fmol/106cells, respectively. In cultured fibreblasts, Ang Ⅱ stimulation significantly increased collagen synthesis, which was inhibited by valsartan, an AT1 receptor blocker, but augmented by PD123319, an AT2 receptor antagonist.CONCLUSION: Both AT1 and AT2 receptors were expressee in the fibreblasts of hypertrophic scars, and Ang Ⅱ regulates collagen synthesis in hypertrophic scar fibroblasts through a negative cross-talk between AT1 and AT2 receptors, which might contribute, at least partly to formation and maturation of human hypertrophic scars.

Objective To observe the influence of dexamethasone on the gene expression profiling of PBMCs from patients with internal heat due to Yin deficiency-type SLE. Methods The PBMCs from 3 patients with internal heat due to Yin deficiency-type SLE were incubated with dexamethasone of 10-6 g/L for 48 hours followed by the detection of gene expression profiling of PBMCs by a GeneChip. Results The incubation with dexamethasone upregulated the expressions of 85 genes and downregulated those of 126 genes in PBMCs from the SLE patients. Conclusions Dexamethasone can regulate the expressions of numerous clusters of genes in PBMCs from patients with internal heat due to Yin deficiency-type SLE, and functional proteins encoded by these genes are located at various organelles and regions of cells. Not all the results of gene regulation by dexamethasone favor the relief of SLE. To study the regulation of genes may be beneficial to the elucidation of mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effect of dexamethasone on SLE.

Objective To retrospectively evaluate the utility of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in predicting aggressiveness of prostate cancer.Comparison was made with transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy Gleason scores (GS) and prostatectomy GS.Methods Diffusion weighted images of 51 patients with biopsy-proven prostate cancer were obtained using 1.5 T MR with a pelvic phased-array coil.Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn on areas of the suspicious lesion and the ADC values were calculated.The correlations between the ADC values and prostatectomy GS were assessed with Pearson correlation.The relationship between biopsy GS and prostatectomy GS were also evaluated.Meanwhile,receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the ability of ADC values and biopsy GS in differentiating low-grade prostate cancer from intermediate/high grade prostate cancer.Results The accuracy of transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy in predicting prostatectomy GS was 41.2％(21/51).Compared with prostatectomy GS,up to 11.8％ of the patients (n =6) was overestimated by biopsy,while 47.0％ (n =24) were underestimated.These 51 patients had a mean ADC value of (0.974 ±0.194) × 10-3 mm2/s.The mean ADC value of intermediate/high-grade tumors (n =35) was (0.907 ±0.160) ×10-3 mm2/s while that of low-grade tumors was (1.121 ±0.185) × 10-3 mm2/s (n =16).A significant negative correlation was found between mean ADC values of suspicious lesions and their prostatectomy GS (r =-0.761,P ＜ 0.01).No significant correlation was found between biopsy GS and prostatectomy GS (r =0.187,P =0.189).The area under the ROC curves of ADC and biopsy GS was 0.827 and 0.689,respectively.Conclusion The ADC values of cancerous areas in prostate perform better than biopsy GS in predicting aggressiveness of prostate cancer.

Chinese traditional medicine has provided, since ancient times, a basis for health care and medicine to the Chinese nation and for China's national stability. Identification of the constituents responsible for therapeutic and undesired effects of Chinese herbal medicines is a type of key research facilitating the modernization of these medicines. For a complex Chinese herbal medicine, multi-compound pharmacokinetic research is a useful approach to identifying its constituents that are bioavailable (in their unchanged and/or metabolized forms) at loci responsible for the medicine's therapeutic action and to characterizing the compounds' disposition and pharmacokinetics related to the action. In addition, such pharmacokinetic research is also useful for identifying herbal compounds associated with the medicine's adverse effects and drug-drug interaction potential. Over the past decade, great advances have been achieved in the theory, methodology, associated techniques, and their application of such multi-compound pharmacokinetic research, which has become an emerging field in pharmacokinetics. In this perspective, we elaborate on the methodology, technical requirements, and key analytical techniques of multi-compound pharmacokinetic research on Chinese herbal medicines, describe research examples regarding investigation of pharmacokinetics and disposition of a class of bioactive herbal constituents (ginsenosides of Panax notoginseng root) and pharmacokinetics-based identification of potential therapeutic compounds from a dosed Chinese herbal medicine (LianhuaQingwen capsule), and discuss follow-up development for the multi-compound pharmacokinetic research.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the distribation of the AmpC enzyme in Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from burned patients. METHODS Susceptibility tests were used to detect antibiotic resistance to 20 kinds of antimicrobial drugs in 20 strains of A. baumannii isolated from burned patients, AmpC enzyme genes were detected by PCR and partial positive products were chosen to sequence. RESULTS Drug resistances to ?-lactam antibiotics in 20 strains of A. baumannii isolated from burned patients had exceeded 85% except levofloxacin or cefoperazone/sulbactam. Of ADC genes 95% were positive, but all DHA genes were negative. Through sequence and Blast analysis, partial ADC positive products were identical with that of EF546445. CONCLUSIONS The multidrug resistance of A. baumannii isolated from burned patients to ?-lactam antibiotics is serious. AmpC enzyme mediated by chromosome, ADC, prevails in A. baumannii isolated from burned patients.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the disseminateion of the carbapenemase in Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from burned patients.METHODS Susceptibility tests of 20 strains of A.baumannii isolated from burned patients to 20 kinds of antimicrobial drugs were detected.Subsequently,seven genes encoding carbapenemase,including OXA-23,OXA-24,OXA-51,OXA-58,IMP,VIM and SIM,were detected by PCR and genes of partial positive products were sequenced.RESULTS Drug resistances to ?-lactam antibiotics of 20 strains of A.baumannii isolated from burned patients all exceeded 85% except to levofloxacin or cefoperazone/sulbactam.Nineteen strains(95%) were OXA-23 genes positive and all other genes were negative.Through sequence and Blast analysis,OXA-23 gene products were identical with that of CAB69042.1.CONCLUSIONS The multidrug resistance of A.baumannii isolated from burned patients to ?-lactam antibiotics is critical.Carbapenemase of OXA-23 prevails in A.baumannii isolated from burned patients.

Obj ectiev The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of bone metastasis on survival in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC),Which were treated with gefitinib for more than 6 months,and to identify the prognostic factors of patients with NSCLC presenting bone metastasis .Methods We compared the overall survival(OS), progression-free survival(PFS),1-year2,-year and 3-year survival rates between two cohorts based on bone metastasis ,as well as the prognostic factors in the patients with bone metastasis .Results In total, 76 patients were included in the study ,in which there are44 patients with no bone metastasis and32 patients with bone metastasis.The cohorts were similar in OS (19.000 ±3.317 months vs.26.000 ±2.121 months,P =0.625)as well as PFS (14.000 ±1.843 months vs.16.000 ±1.411 months,P=0.328).The 1-year survival rate was 63.6%in no bone metastasis cohort,but was increased to 96.9%in the other cohort.The survival rates at 2 years(34.1%vs.56.3%,P=0.054)and 3 years(18.2%vs.18.4%,P=0.950)were similar.The univa-riate analysis showed that a worse prognosis was more likely existed in elderly patients ( aged >60 years) and with pulmonary progression ,whereby factors including gender ,pathology s,moking index ,brain metastases ,bone related events and the application of radiotherapy ,bisphosphonates might not be independently associated with the surviv -al late.Analysis of multiple variables indicated a favorable prognosis for patients with no pulmonary progression . Conclusion This retrospective study shows that bone metastasis may not shorten the survival in patients whose pulmonary lesion was controlled by gefitinib .On the contrary ,pulmonary progression may be more likely the cause of death in patients with bone metastasis .Non suggestion is given to discontinue gefitinib when the bone metastasis appears.

Background Previous experimental and clinical studies have proved that elevated serum uric acid increased risk for developing hypertension.Whereas,there are a paucity of information on the relationship between serum uric acid and prehypertension.Objective The purpose of this research is to evaluate the association between the serum uric acid and prehypertension.Method A cohort of seven thousand eight hundred thirty-nine subjects without hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases were recruited from a cross sectional study in urban and rural place in 9 provinces during 2005-2006.Based on serum uric acid(324 ?mol/L for overall population,366 ?mol/L for male,285 ?mol/L for female),people were categorized into quartiles.The odds ratio for prehypertension was calculat ed with the lowest quartile as the reference.Results The prevalence of prehypertension increased with increasing uric acid in total population(P324 ?mol/L)to lowest quartile 1(