Objective To distinguish choriocarcinoma from gestational or non-gestational choriocarcinoma and also identify the causative pregnancy of gestational choriocarcinoma by the genetic origin through molecular genetic analysis. Methods Twelve patients with choriocarcinoma, who had experienced surgery prior to chemotherapy were enrolled in this study. All 12 cases were diagnosed pathologically as choriocarcinoma. Peripheral venous blood samples and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks of choriocarcinoma tissue microdissected from haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of tissue by microdissection method were available from the patient and (or) her husband. DNA was then prepared from the couples' blood samples and choriocarcinoma tissue by using standard techniques. PCR amplification and fluorescent microsatellite genotyping were performed by using DNA from the couples and captured choriocarcinoma tissues. The genetic contributions to the choriocarcinoma tissue were determined by comparing the fragments of genes from the choriocarcinoma tissue to those from blood samples of the couples. Results The primary lesion was ovary in 7 cases, but only 4 of them had the maternal contribution, indicating a non-gestational origin; the other three were gestational choriocarcinoma. The primary lesion was uterus in 5 cases, which were all gestational choriocarcinoma confirmed by genetic analyses. The causative pregnancies of the 8 cases with gestational choriocarcinoma were identified as androgenetic complete hydatidiform mole (AnCHM) in six cases and normal pregnancies in two cases, respectively. Conclusion Microsatellite polymorphism analysis is a molecular approach for distinguishing the non-gestational choriocarcinoma from the gestational one, and also be used to identify the causative pregnancy of gestational choriocarcinoma.

Objective To investigate the effects of partial body weight supported treadmill training (BW- STT) on post-stroke depression (PSD) and on patients' quality of life.Methods Sixty patients with PSD were re- cruited and divided into a training group (n=30,male 17,female 13) and a control group (n=30,male 16,fe- male 14).All patients were treated with routine internal medication and rehabilitation.The patients of the training group also received BWSTT in addition to their routine treatment.All patients' neurological impairment was evaluated using the Modified Edinburgh-Scandinavian Stroke Scale (MESSS).The Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) was used for evaluating the degree of depression.The Fugl-Meyer scale and the Barthel index were used to assess ambula- tion and balance,and facility in the activities of daily living.All patients were assessed before and after the treat- ment.Results After four weeks of treatment,depression in the training group had improved significantly more than in the control group.Conclusion BWSTT intervention is very important for patients with PSD:it can reduce the degree of depression and improve the quality of life.

Objective To follow-up the imaging findings in the SARS.Methods The serial thoracic images in 15 cases of SARS were taken in 7 months from the onset of this disease,and the imaging findings were analysed.Results The detecting rate of the pathological changes in lung by spiral CT was higher than that of X-ray film(t = 5.5228,P

Objective To explore the epidemics of influenza viruses in Guangzhou area from 1998 to 2003. Methods The specimens for viral isolation were taken with swabs from children's throats and the material was inoculated into the MDCK cells and were incubated at 33 ℃ The supernatant of MDCK cells culture was tested with hemagglutination test. Results Influenza viruses were isolated from 264 of 3444 children; total positive rate of influenza virus isolation was 7.6%. The positive rate of influenza viruses was 16.8% in 1998; the prevailing strain of influenza viruses was H3N2. The influenza viruses isolation rate was 7.4% in 1999;the positive rate was 8.4% ; HIN1 occurred in 2000, the positive rate was 3.8%. H3N2 did not occur in 2001; the positive rate was 7.3% ; influenza B viruses was the prevailing strain in 2002; the positive rate was 1.7% in 2003. Influenza B viruses was Yamagata like strain from 1998 to 2001, Victoria like strain from 2002 to 2003. H9N2 avian influenza virus was isolated from a child. Conclusions Influenza was prevalent in Guangzhou in 1998, but not prevalent from 1999 to 2003. Most of influenza B viruses were Yamagata strain. There were cases avian influenza caused by H9N2 in 1999.

To report a case of cutaneous and subcutaneous coinfection caused by Lichtheimia corymbifera and Candida parapsilosis.A 67-year-old female peasant consulted about proliferative granuloma developing on her left forearm after topical application of a Chinese herbal drug and splint fixation for the treatment of suspected fracture of the wrist.Direct microscopic examination showed gram positive budding yeast cells in lesion secretions.Pathological study with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and gormori methenamine silver (GMS) staining revealed broad non-separate hyphae in the corneum and dermis.Fungal culture of lesional tissue at 35℃ grew both mould and yeast.The mould was identified as Lichtheimia corymbifera based on morphological findings and sequences of the internal transcribed space (ITS) 1-4 regions.Thermal tolerance study revealed that the isolate grew fast at 37℃ but slowly at 40℃.Under a scanning electron microscope,the acrogenous sporangia were pear-shaped with conical sporangiophores originating from the top of stolon,which were among but not opposite to the rhizoids.The yeast was identified as Candida parapsilosis by Chromagar test and D1/D2 region sequencing.As antimicrobial susceptibility test indicated,the Lichtheimia corymbifera isolate was most sensitive to terbinafine and itraconazole.The proteolytic activity of Lichtheimia corymbifera was higher than that of Candida parapsilosis.The granuloma completely subsided after surgical resection and 6-week treatment with oral itraconazole 200 mg twice a day.No recurrence was observed during a 4-year follow-up.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the biochemical characteristic of the neurons associated Zusanli (ST 36) in the rat by using Alexa Fluor 594 conjugated cholera toxin subunit B (AF594-CTB) neural tracing and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) fluorescent immunohistochemical techniques.

METHODSFour male Sprague Dawley rats were injected with AF594-CTB into the corresponding area of the Zusanli in the human body. After 3 surviving days, the rat's spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) at lumbar segments were dissected following perfusion with 4% paraformaldehyde, cut into sections, and then stained with CGRPfluorescent immunohistochemical method.

RESULTSAF594-CTB labeled sensory neurons were detected in the L3-L6 DRGs with high concentration in L4 DRG, and the labeled motor neurons located in the dorsolateral and intermediate regions of lamina IX from L3-L5 segments with high concentration at L4. Meanwhile, CGRPpositive neural labeling distributed symmetrically on both sides of DRGs, anterior and dorsal horns of spinal cord. In the AF594-CTB labeled neurons, 37% sensory neurons and 100% motor neurons expressed CGRPpositive.

CONCLUSIONThese findings present the morphological evidence to demonstrate that the sensory and motor neurons associated Zusanli in the rat distributed with segmental and regional patterns, and contained CGRP-expression.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; metabolism ; Male ; Neurons ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo determine the parental origin of the genome in the molar pregnancies of two familes with familial recurrent hydatidiform mole (FRHM) and to investigate whether the gene responsible for FRHM is likely to be located within the 19q13.4 region in these familes.

METHODSThe features of complete hydatidiform mole (CHM) were confirmed by pathological examination. DNA of CHM was prepared from sections of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks of molar tissue following laser capture microdissection. The polymerace chain reaction was used to amplify microsatellite polymorphisms in DNA from the patients, their husbands and the captured molar tissue. Parental contributions to the molar tissue were determined using ABI 310 GeneScan software. Genotyping and haplotype analysis of the candidate region on 19q13.4 was performed for members of both families using 25 microsatellite markers.

RESULTSOne CHM from each family was identified as a biparental complete hydatidiform mole. All patients were heterozygous for most of the markers in the chromosome region of interest. In addition the two affected sisters in one of the families had different genotypes for the 19q13.4 region, suggesting that mutations in a different locus might be responsible for the disorder in this family.

CONCLUSIONThe location of the gene responsible for FRHM is unlikely to be located in the 19q13.4 chromosomal region in these two families suggesting that FRHM shows genetic heterogeneity.

Family Health ; Female ; Genetic Heterogeneity ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Hydatidiform Mole ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Pedigree ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVETo investigate a novel immunotherapy through immobilization of streptavidin-tagged hTNF-alpha on the biotinylated mucosal surface of the bladder wall for bladder cancer treatment in mice.

METHODSA total of 120 female C57BL/6j mice were randomized into 5 equal groups, namely blank control, PBS, soluble hTNF-alpha, SA-GFP, and SA-hTNF-alpha treatment groups. Twenty-four hours after establishment of a mouse model of orthotopic superficial bladder cancer, SA-hTNF-alpha fusion protein was immobilized on the biotinylated mucosal surface of the bladder wall, which was repeated every 4 days for a total of 6 sessions. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the retention time of SA-hTNF-alpha fusion protein in the biotinylated mouse bladder mucosa and the distribution of CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes in the mucosa and tumor tissues, with the tumor growth and mouse survival also observed. The cytotoxiciy of the tumor-specific lymphocytes was evaluated. The mice responding well to the treatment were re-challenged by MB49 and monitored for survival.

RESULTSSA-hTNF-alpha could be efficiently and stably immobilized on the bladder mucosal surface for as long as 7 days. On day 60 after MB49 implantation, 18 out of 22 SA- hTNF-alpha-treated mice survived, with 9 appearing tumor-free, but all the mice in PBS control group died. Five out of 9 tumor-free mice in SA-hTNF-alpha group showed resistance to a re-challenge with intravesical MB49. The numbers of CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes were significantly greater in SA-hTNF-alpha group than in the other groups (P<0.05). The cytotoxicity of the tumor-specific lymphocytes was significantly stronger in SA-hTNF-alpha group than in the other groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSA-hTNF-alpha immobilized on the biotinylated mucosal surface of the bladder wall can significantly inhibit the tumor growth and promote the survival of the mice bearing orthotopic superficial bladder cancer.

Administration, Intravesical ; Animals ; Biotinylation ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; immunology ; therapy ; Female ; Immobilized Proteins ; therapeutic use ; Immunotherapy ; methods ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; metabolism ; therapeutic use ; Streptavidin ; metabolism ; therapeutic use ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism ; therapeutic use ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; immunology ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo understand the characteristics of human calicivirus (HuCV) infection in infants with diarrhea in Guangzhou city and to study genotype of the virus.

METHODSThe authors collected fecal specimens from 22 children with acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis from November to December, 2001. HuCV was detected from the specimens by RT-PCR. The PCR products were cloned into the PMD18-T cloning vector and sequenced.

RESULTSHCV was detected from the specimens of 2 cases (9%, 2/22). The nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the virus strains belonged to genotype 2 of Norwalk-like viruses.

CONCLUSIONHuCV is one of the pathogens causing diarrhea in infants and young children in Guangzhou area. HuCV infection occurred sporadically in autumn and winter.

Base Sequence ; Caliciviridae ; genetics ; Caliciviridae Infections ; complications ; virology ; China ; DNA, Viral ; chemistry ; genetics ; Diarrhea, Infantile ; etiology ; Dysentery ; etiology ; Feces ; virology ; Genotype ; Humans ; Infant ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid

Aim To investigate the inhibitory effect of polyphenol from Cortex Mori( CMP) on melanogenesis in mouse melanoma B16 cells and its possible mecha- nism. Methods Melanoma B16 cells with high ex-pression melanin were induced by α-melanocyte-stimu-lating hormone ( α-MSH) to establish cell model. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay. The melanin syn-thesis and tyrosinase activity were measured by NaOH and L-Dopa assays, respectively. The tyrosinase (TYR), tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), tyrosi-nase-related protein-2 ( TRP-2 ) and microphthalmia associated transcription factor ( MITF ) protein and mRNA levels were measured by Western blot and qRT-PCR, respectively. Results CMP could inhibit the melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity in α-MSH stimulated B16 cells in a dose-dependent manner ( P<0.05) . The melanin content and tyrosinase activity significantly decreased by 52.95% , 32.85% at 20 mg ·L-1of CMP, respectively. Treatment of 100 mg· L-1of arbutin reduced the melanin content and tyrosi- nase activity by 17.29% , 16.75% , respectively. Based on the results of this study, CMP showed a stronger anti-melanogenesis activity than that of positive control arbutin. After treated by CMP, the protein and mRNA levels of TYR, TRP-1, TRP-2 and MITF were significantly inhibited compared to the α-MSH group ( P<0.05) . Conclusions CMP could suppress the melanogenesis in α-MSH stimulated B16 cells, and its mechanism may be related to its regulation of the pro-tein and mRNA expressions of TYR, TRP-1, TRP-2 and MITF, and the inhibition of tyrosinase activity.