Objective To explore the pathogeny, pathology, ultrasonic and clinical expression of upper extremity deep venous flow obstruction and superior vena cava syndrome. Methods Retrospective analysis and summarize the disease changes of 10 cases in recent 5 years. Results 7 patients of 10 cases were superior vena cava syndrome, in which 4 cases caused by upper right lung malignant tumor, 3 cases caused by upper and media mediastinal malignant tumor. 2 patients of 10 cases were found thrombosis in right subclavian vein caused by duct of artificial pacemaker. The left 1 patient was no reason thrombosis in right axillary vein. Conclusion Ultrasonography combine with color and spectral Dopper image can evaluate the clinical development and therapeutic efficiency, which is a useful and effective non-invasive examination.

This paper introduces the designing concept of the ECG treadmill system and discusses the methods of its realization.
Amplifiers, Electronic ; Computer Simulation ; Computer Systems ; Coronary Disease ; diagnosis ; Electrocardiography ; instrumentation ; methods ; Equipment Design ; Exercise Test ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Microcomputers ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Software

Objective To investigate the association of platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase(PAF-AH) activity in children with primary nephrotic syndrome(PNS).Methods The plasma PAF-AH activity was measured in 78 children with PNS who were divided into 3 groups:steroid-responsive nephritic,steroid-dependent nephritic,steroid-resistent nephritic,after they had been given steroid for 6 months.The plasma PAF-AH activity were also measured in 60 healthy children at the same age,with spectrophotometric assay,at the ame time,the blood cholesterol was measured.Results The blood cholesterol has positive correlation with the plasma PAF-AH activity,there was no significant difference of the blood cholesterol among 3 groups in nephrotic syndrome children,there was a significant difference in the plasma PAF-AH activity among 3 groups in PNS children,but there was no significant difference in the plasma PAF-AH activity between the groups of steroid-responsive nephritic and healthy children.Conclusion Plasma PAF-AH activity is related to the sensibility to steroid treatment in children′s PNS,and the plasma PAF-AH activity in steroid-resistent nephritic is higher than steroid-dependent nephritic.It is a question that if gene mutation is related with PAF-AH activity.

Objective We examined the in vivo effect of the antisense or/and decoy oligonucleotide of nuclear factor-?appa B (NF-?B) on balloon-injured smooth muscle cell proliferation and MMP-9 in the carotid artery of rats. Methods Sprague-Dawley rats underwent balloon-dilation injury of the left carotid artery. Rats were divided into 7 groups(n=18) and each group included 6 time points (6 h and 1,3,5,7,14 d)(n=3). Results The mean intima/media ratio increased significantly in sense group、scramble group and model group and reached the maximum at 7 d after rat injured carotid artery, compared with normal group, antisense group, decoy group and decoy plus antisense group(P

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) is one of common complications in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). It is of great value for improvement in the HSCT outcome to describe the clinical characteristics of HC and risk factors. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of HC in children after HSCT, and to analyze its clinical characteristics and risk factors.DESIGN: Case analysis SETTING: Center of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Second Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.PARTICIPANTS: Experiments were performed at the Center of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics of Second Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from October 1998 to June 2004. Eighty-eight patients receiving umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) were enrolled; 49 were males and 39 were females. The age ranged from 2 to 18 years with an average of 8.0 years. Guardians of child patients signed informed consents. The experimental procedures were approved by Medical Ethics Committee.METHODS: ①Conditioning regimens included combination of cyclophosphamide (CY, 120-200 mg/kg) with busulphan (BU, 14-20 mg/kg)-based chemotherapy and combination of CY with total body irradiation (TBI, 2-8 Gy) or total lymphoid irradiation (TLI, 2-8 Gy)-based radiotherapy. ②HC was defined according to the criteria proposed by references 7 and 8. The incidence, clinical characteristics, laboratory examination, treatment and outcome for HC were described. The association of various clinical factors including age, gender, human leucocyte antigen (HLA) typing, diseases for transplant, the type of stem cell, the type of transplantation, the occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection with the development of HC were examined.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ①Incidence of HC, ②HC patient characteristics and laboratory examination, ③HC treatment and outcome, and ④risk factors analysis. RESULTS: All 88 patients were included in the final analysis. ①The incidence of HC: 16 patients (18.2%, 16/88) developed HC post-transplant with the severity graded as mild in 11 cases (68.7%) and severe in 5 cases (31.3%). ②HC patient characteristics and laboratory examination: All had hematuria and 8 cases (50.0%) had typical pollakisuria, urinary urgency, odynuria and gross hematuria; 10 cases (62.5%) had gross hematuria and 11 had proteinuria (+ to +++); Leucocytes were detected in 7 cases. ③Treatment and outcome: All patients recovered at a median of 13.5 days (range 2-53 days). ④Risk factors analysis: The incidence of HC was significantly higher in the group of ≥ 6 years old, presence of aGVHD and development of cytomegalo-virus (CMV) infection (P < 0.05-0.01). CONCLUSION: ①HC has its own clinical characteristics following HSCT in children but with good prognosis. ②The risk factors for HC are ≥ 6 years old, presence of aGVHD and CMV infection.

BACKGROUND: Sinomenine is an alkaloid monomer extracted from a Chinese medicinal herb sinomenium acutum stem. It is used in the therapy of the rheumatoid arthritis and has clear and definite therapeutic effects, but the therapeutic mechanism is unclear.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of sinomenine at different doses in vitro on the activity of nuclear factor-κB(NF-κβ) and mRNA expressions of the tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-1β(IL-1β) andinterleukin-10 (IL-10) in the synovial cells of the rats with adjuvant arthritis(AA) to explore the probable mechanism of sinomenine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA).DESIGN: A controlled repeated measuring study based on the cells.SETTING: Department of traditional chinese medicine and the institute of burn research of a military medical university.MATERIALS: This study was finished at the Laboratory of the Institute of Burn Research of Chinese PLA. The experimental animals were 25 healthy male Wistar rats of clean grade. The AA model rats were made and the synovial cells were collected and grouped as follows: normal control group, AA group,AA + sinomenine 30 mg/L group, AA + sinomenine 60 mg/L group, AA + sinomenine 120 mg/L group. The activity of the NF-κB was measured by the electrophoresis mobility shift assay(EMSA) . The mRNA expressions of the TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-10 were measured by reverse transcription-PCR assay.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The results of the changes of the activity of the NF-κB and the mRNA expressions of the TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-10 in the synovial cells of the rats with adjuvant arthritis after the treatment with sinomenine at different doses.RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the activity of the NF-κB and the mRNA expressions of the TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-10 in the synovial cells in the AA group all increased significantly and the outcomes were 17±6, 0.570±0.047, 0.730±0.093, 0. 683 ±0.081 (t= 2.71 -4.07, P < 0.05). After the administration of sinomenine, the activity of NF-κB showed a good correlation with mRNA expressions of the TNF-αandIL-13(r=0.810, P <0.001; r=0.562, P <0.05), but no statistical relevance with mRNA expression of IL-10 was established. Sinomenine showed a dose-dependent inhibition on the activity of the NF-κB and the mRNA expressions of the TNF-α and IL-1β in a certain range of concentrations(30-120 mg/L), but no dose-dependent inhibition on mRNA expression of the IL-10 was observed.CONCLUSION: Through the inhibition of the activity of the NF-κB,sinomenine decreased the mRNA expressions of the TNF-α and the IL-1β in the synovial membrane cells.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Bushen Tongdu Capsule (BTC) on RANK/RANKL/ OPG pathway of collagen induced arthritis (CIA) rats, thereby laying theoretic evidence for treating rheumatic arthritis (RA) by Chinese medicine.

METHODSRA model was induced by CIA. Totally 42 rats were randomly divided into six groups, i.e., the normal control group, the model group, the low dose BTC (BSL) group, the medium dose BTC (BSM) group, the high dose BTC (BSH) group, and the Tripterygium Glycosides (TG) group, 7 in each group. BTC at the daily dose of 120, 240, and 480 mg/kg was given by gastrogavage to rats in the BSL, BSM, and BSH group respectively from the 13th day of modeling. TG at the daily dose of 24 mg/kg was given by gastrogavage to rats in the TG group. All medication was given once daily, 2 mL each time. Two mL normal saline was administered to rats in the normal control group and the model group. All medication lasted for 18 days. Samples were taken at day 31. The TRAP section of the ankle joint was fixed in 10% formalin for TRAP stain. Serum levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG), receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL), and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) were detected using ELISA.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, positive reactions of pathological ankle joint section, inflammation, and osteoclasia degree were significantly improved in the model group, serum levels of RANKL and M-CSF were up-regulated, levels of OPG and OPG/RANKL were significantly lowered (all P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, positive reactions of pathological ankle joint section, inflammation, and osteoclasia degree also significantly decreased in the BSH group and the TG group (all P < 0.01). RANKL and M-CSF were significantly down-regulated in each medicated group, while levels of OPG and OPG/RANKL were significantly up-regulated (all P < 0.01). Compared with the TG group, M-CSF was lower, but levels of OPG and OPG/RANKL were significantly up-regulated in the normal control group (all P < 0.01). RANKL and M-CSF were significantly up-regulated, while levels of OPG and OPG/RANKL were significantly down-regulated in the model group and each BS group (all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONBTC could relieve bone damage of CIA rats possibly through regulating and controlling osteoclasts.

Animals ; Arthritis, Experimental ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Inflammation ; Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; metabolism ; Osteoclasts ; Osteoprotegerin ; metabolism ; RANK Ligand ; metabolism ; Rats ; Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B ; metabolism ; Tripterygium

Objective To release the correlation of point mutation of platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase(PAF-AH)gene and primary nephritic syndrome (PNS).Method According to the effect of hormonal therapy,94 children with PNS were divided into three groups:steroid-sensitive nephritic syndrome(SSNS),steroid-resistent nephritic syndrome(SRNS),steroid-dependent nephritic syndrome(SDNS).The point mutation of PAF-AH gene (G994T) were identified by molecular biology technique in children with PNS and 239 healthy children were set as control group.Results No statistics differences were found relating to the genotype and allele frequencies between patients with PNS,SSNS,SRNS and normal controls.But it is confirmed that the genotype and allele frequencies among patients with nephritic type nephritic syndrome (NTNS)was higher than patients with simple type nephritic syndrome(STNS) and normal controls.SDNS was higher than both SSNS and normal controls.The number of relapses during the first year after onset was significantly higher in the patients who were heterozygous for the mutant allele (GT) or homozygotes (TT) than in those of the GG homozygotes.Conclusion Most PNS children with PAF-AH gene mutation occurred at position 994 were NTNS.The risk of relapse during the treatment period was higher in patients with PAF-AH gene mutation occurred at position 994.

OBJECTIVETo study the genetic association of apolipoprotein (apo) E and apoCI gene polymorphisms with coronary heart disease (CHD) in China.

METHODSapoE genotypes were identified by multiplex amplification refractory mutation system (multi-ARMS) and the apoCI promoter polymorphisms were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 186 cases with CHD (age: 65.0 +/- 10.5 years) and 350 controls (age: 63.6 +/- 8.3 years). The haplotype frequencies were estimated.

RESULTSThe frequencies of apoE E4/3 genotype (26.9%) and epsilon4 (14.5%) in CHD group were significantly higher than that in the control group (12.6%, 7.0%), P <0.05. The significant difference was also found for the apoCI locus and the CHD group showed higher rate of both for the H2 allele and genotypes, carrying this allele. Estimation of the haplotype frequencies indicated that the association between the apoE-CI haplotype and CHD was significantly strong. The apoE-epsilon4/apoCI-H2 was estimated to be responsible for 9.86% of CHD.

CONCLUSIONWhen the subjects carrying both epsilon4 and H2 alleles, they would have higher risk of suffering from CHD than controls.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alleles ; Apolipoproteins C ; genetics ; Apolipoproteins E ; genetics ; China ; epidemiology ; Coronary Disease ; blood ; epidemiology ; genetics ; Female ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Risk Factors

Objective To investigate the relationship between sleep duration and metabolic syndrome in obese children.Methods Sleep time was recorded and metabolic syndrome (MS) diagnostic criteria as blood pressure,body mass index (BMI) were measured among 311 obese children.The children were divided into 4 groups by sleep time while normal-weight children served as the control group.A disorderly multi-classification logistic regression method was used.Results Statistically,significant differences were found in the levels of BMI,blood pressure,fasting blood glucose and postprandial 2 h glucose and the incidence rates of abnormality on MS,blood pressure,fasting insulin,and BMI≥30 kg/m2 between the group with daily sleep time less than 8 h and the group with daily sleep time no less than 10 h (P＜0.05).Date from logistic regression analysis revealed that the reduction of sleep time was the risk factor of MS in obese children.Conclusion Insufficient sleep could greatly contribute to the occurrence of MS in obese children.