Humans ; Moxibustion ; Depression ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Esophagitis, Peptic

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEElastofibroma dorsi has an extremely low incidence. At present, comparative study on imaging manifestations and pathologic findings of elastofibroma dorsi has not been reported in China. This study was to investigate clinical manifestations, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearances, and pathologic features of elastofibroma dorsi and to improve preoperative imaging diagnosis of this disease.

METHODSThe clinical manifestations, imaging findings, and pathologic appearances of 6 cases of elastofibroma dorsi were retrospectively analyzed and related literatures were reviewed. All patients were examined with MRI, and 4 of them were examined with CT scan.

RESULTSAll patients were above 30 years old without obvious symptoms. The tumors presented as a lenticular soft-tissue mass in the deep subscapular region. The tumor's density on plain CT scan or signal intensity on MR T1-weighted image was approximately equal to that of muscle with some interlaced fat-like areas within mass suppressed by fat-suppression MR sequences, which corresponded to dense collagen tissue and interspersed mature adipose tissue observed microscopically.

CONCLUSIONSCT and MRI can reflect the histological features of elastofibroma dorsi. On the basis of their imaging characteristics, a correct preoperative diagnosis of elastofibroma dorsi can easily be made.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Fibroma ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Scapula ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Acute-Phase Proteins ; metabolism ; Animals ; Female ; Hepatitis, Autoimmune ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Interleukin-17 ; metabolism ; Lipocalin-2 ; Lipocalins ; metabolism ; Liver ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Oncogene Proteins ; metabolism

Objeetive To investigate the efficacy and safety of long -term intravenous itraconazole for the treatment of invasive fungal infection ( IFI) in patients with hematological malignancies.Methods Sixty -nine patients with above mentioned conditions and diagnosed as IFI was administered at a dose of 200 mg every 12 hours for 2 days and followed by 200 mg every 24 hours at least 14 days.Responses were determined on the basis of clinical and microbiological criteria.Results The total response rates related to itraconazole among the IFI patients were 87.0%(60/69).Adverse effects rates were 18.8%, and 70% adverse effects happened winthin the first 14 days after intravenous itraconazole adminis-tered.Conclusion Long -term intravenous intraconazole antifungal treatment is effective and safe for hematologic malignancies with IFIs.

BACKGROUNDAlthough endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) plays a crucial role in the final diagnosis in patients with heart failure of unknown etiology, the invasive nature of this technique limits its clinical application in China. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical application of EMB in diagnosing cardiomyopathy with unexplained etiologies in China.

METHODSFifty-three consecutive patients (38 males, age 14 - 67 years, median 43 years) were included in the study who were initially diagnosed as unexplained cardiomyopathy and under EMB biopsy in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2006 to 2009. The patients were clinically divided into four groups: dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive and unclassified cardiomyopathy. Biopsies were performed via right internal jugular vein with the use of the bioptome under fluoroscopic guidance. Three to five endomyocardial samples were taken from each patient for light microscopy examination and one sample for electron microscopy was taken if necessary. For each patient, an initial clinical diagnosis, an EMB diagnosis and a final diagnosis prior to discharge were established. All the data were compared and analyzed for the evaluation of clinical utility of EMB in China.

RESULTSIn 26 patients initially diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), the etiology of the condition was finally diagnosed using EMB in 15; including 13 amyloidosis and two eosinophilic myocarditis. We employed EMB in 19 patients clinically diagnosed as dilated cardiomyopathy and detected viral myocarditis in one patient, cardiac involvement due to polymyositis in four and doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy in one. In five patients with severe left ventricle hypertrophy undergoing EMB, one patient was diagnosed as autophagic vacuolar cardiomyopathy and one as mitochondrial disease. In the remaining three patients with unclassified cardiomyopathy, EMB revealed infiltration of eosinophils as the cause of atrial ventricular block in one patient. Final diagnoses were made in 24 of the total 53 patients (45%) based on the combination of EMB and clinical data. Transient atrial ventricular block in a patient with prior complete left bundle branch block was the only complication occurred during the procedures.

CONCLUSIONThe clinical application of EMB is safe. The combination of EMB and clinical data produced a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the clinically diagnosed cardiomyopathy in China.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy ; methods ; Cardiomyopathies ; classification ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Cardiomyopathy, Restrictive ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Young Adult

objective To explore the impact ot ideal health behaviors and health tactors on the detection rate of the carotid plaques.Methods Subjects with previous stroke,TIA,myocardial infarction were excluded from the study.A total of 5852 employees (active and retired employers from Tangshan Kailuan company) aged 40 years and over were included through stratified random sampling.Information was obtained from the unified questionnaire,measurements of blood biochemistry and carotid artery ultrasonography.Results (1) The carotid artery plaque detection rates were 67.0％,52.3％,50.5％,44.3％,37.2％,31.9％,26.1％ and 4.2％ in the groups with0,1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7 components of ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and health factors,respectively.(2) The carotid artery plaques total burden score [TBS:M (Q1,Q3)] were7(7,7),7(5,7),7(5,7),5(3,5),5(3,5),5(3,5),3(3,3),3(3,3) in the groups with 0,1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7 components of ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and health factors,respectively.(3) Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that 3,4,5 and greater than 5 components of ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and health factors were protective factors against carotid plaques compared to less than 2 components of ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and factors (all P ＜ 0.05),the OR (95％ CI) values were 0.78 (0.62-0.98),0.53 (0.62-0.98),0.52 (0.39-0.71) and 0.40 (0.25-0.64),respectively.Conclusion Increasing ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and factors are negatively linked with the detection rate and TBS of the carotid plaques.

This study was aimed to investigate the expression and activity of membrane surface tissue factor (TF) of monocytes and platelets in peripheral blood cells from patients with cerebral infarction and their clinical significance. The TF expressions in monocytes and platelets from 25 patients with cerebral infarction were detected by flow cytometry, the TF activity was detected by chromogenic reaction method, and compared with 24 normal people used as control. The results showed that the TF expressions of monocytes and platelets in peripheral blood cells from patients with cerebral infarction were significantly higher than that in normal controls (p<0.01), and TF activity was also higher in patients than that in controls (p<0.01). In conclusion, the expression and activity of membrane surface in patients with cerebral infarction were enhanced, the hematocyte-derived tissue factor as a trigger in coagulation pathway is involved in pathological thrombosis in patients with cerebral infarction.
Aged ; Blood Cells ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Cerebral Infarction ; blood ; metabolism ; Erythrocyte Membrane ; metabolism ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Monocytes ; metabolism ; Thromboplastin ; metabolism

This study was aimed to construct a lentiviral vector of RNA interfered (RNAi)-kir2ds4 gene. In accordance with study-confirmed effective sequence of siRNA targeting kir2ds4 gene, the complementary DNA containing both sense and antisense oligonuctide of the targeting sequence was designed, synthesized and inserted into pSicoR-GFP vector containing U6 promoter and GFP sequence. The resulting lentiviral vector containing kir2ds4 shRNA was named as LV-sh kir2ds4, and confirmed by PCR and sequencing. 293T cells were co-transfected with lentiviral vector LV-sh kir2ds4 and packaging system. All virus stocks were produced by Lipofectamine 2000-mediated transfection. The titer of virus was tested according to the expression level of GFP. As a result, PCR and DNA sequencing demonstrated that the lentivirus RNAi vector of kir2ds4 was constructed successfully. The titer of virus tested by expression level of GFP was 6 x 10(8) TU/ml. It is concluded that the lentivirus RNAi vector of kir2ds4 has been successfully constructed.
Base Sequence ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lentivirus ; genetics ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptors, KIR ; biosynthesis ; genetics

The aim of study was to clarify the repertoire of killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) at the level of DNA and RNA in healthy persons and to compare KIR on genotypes and expression patterns. KIR genotypes including KIR2DL1, 2DL2, 2DL3, 2DL4, 2DL5, 2DS1, 2DS2, 2DS3, 2DS4, 2DS5, 3DL1, 3DL2, 3DL3, 3DS1, 2DP1 and 3DP1 were analyzed by PCR. The phenotypes including KIR2DL1, KIR2DL2, KIR2DL3, KIR3DL1, KIR2DS1, KIR2DS3, KIR2DS2/4 gene were determined by RT-PCR. The results showed that the genes of KIR2DL1, KIR2DL3, KIR2DL4, KIR3DL2, KIR3DL3 and KIR3DP1 could be detected in all healthy persons, NK-92MI cells and Molt4 cells, but all corresponding receptors were not expressed by Molt4 T cells. Only partial transcripts of KIR2DL1, KIR2DL3 and KIR2DS2/4 were detectable in NK-92MI cells. If genotypes of KIR2DL1, 2DL2, 2DL3, 2DS1, 2DS2, 2DS3 and 2DS4 were detected in healthy persons, almost all transcripts of corresponding receptors were expressed in peripheral blood NK cells. The expression levels of KIR were different. In conclusion, the repertoires of KIR are individually specific. The expression pattern of KIR is also specific, the expression levels of different KIRs are different in one individual, and the expression levels of the same KIR are also different in different individuals.
Cell Line ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Phenotype ; Receptors, Immunologic ; genetics ; Receptors, KIR ; classification ; genetics ; Receptors, KIR2DL4 ; genetics ; Receptors, KIR3DL1 ; genetics ; Receptors, KIR3DL2 ; genetics ; Receptors, KIR3DS1 ; genetics

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application value of serum total IgE, tryptase and chymase in the identification of death caused by drug anaphylactic shock. METHODS: The general information from 235 cases of non-drug anaphylactic shock and 32 cases of drug anaphylactic shock were analyzed. The serum IgE level had been detected in the cases. Ten cases caused by coronary disease and 10 cases caused by sudden manhood death syndrome were selected from non-drug anaphylactic shock cases for the control group. Expressions of tryptase and chymase in the lung and heart were detected using immunohistochemistry method. The number and IOD of positive mast cells were counted. RESULTS: In the drug anaphylactic shock group, the IgE value of 18 samples (56.25%) was significantly higher than the normal upper limit of 120 IU/mL. In the non-drug anaphylactic shock group, the IgE value of 67 samples (28.51%) was higher than 120 IU/mL. The expressions of tryptase and chymase were significantly increased in lung and myocardial tissue in drug anaphylactic shock group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Tryptase and chymase are more superior than that of the serum total IgE in the diagnosis of death caused by drug anaphylactic shock, and are more suitable in forensic practice.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Anaphylaxis/pathology* ; Autopsy ; Case-Control Studies ; Cause of Death ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chymases/metabolism* ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac/pathology* ; Drug Hypersensitivity ; Female ; Forensic Pathology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E/blood* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Infant ; Lung/pathology* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Tryptases/metabolism* ; Young Adult