OBJECTIVETo clarify whether ghrelin could promote in vitro rat cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) angiogenesis and related mechanisms.

METHODSCMECs were isolated from myocardial tissue of adult male SD rats and characterized by the immunocytochemistry staining with Factor VIII and the capacity of in vitro capillary tube-like formation. The mRNAs and protein expressions of ghrelin and its receptor (growth hormone secretagogue receptor, GHS-R) of CMECs were determined by RT-PCR, Immunofluorescence, ELISA and Western blot. Proliferation, migration and in vitro angiogenesis as well as ERK2 phosphorylation of CMECs were tested in the presence of ghrelin (10(-9) - 10(-7) mol/L) with or without pretreatment with specific MAPK/ERK2 inhibitor PD98059.

RESULTSPurity of CMECs characterized by immunocytochemistry staining with Factor VIII was about 95%, and the cells showed a high ability to form the capillary tube-like structures on Matrigel. Ghrelin and GHS-R were constitutively expressed in CMECs. Proliferation, migration and in vitro angiogenesis capacities of CMECs (72.20 ± 5.72 vs. 28.60 ± 5.13, P < 0.001; 71.00 ± 7.78 vs. 28.60 ± 5.13, P < 0.001) as well as ERK2 phosphorylation (0.92 ± 0.13 vs. 0.29 ± 0.04, P < 0.001; 1.15 ± 0.16 vs. 0.29 ± 0.04, P < 0.001) were significantly enhanced by exogenous ghrelin (10(-8) - 10(-7) mol/L). PD98059 abolished ghrelin-induced ERK2 phosphorylation and in vitro angiogenesis.

CONCLUSIONSGhrelin and its receptor are expressed in CMECs and ghrelin could stimulate CMECs in vitro angiogenesis through activation of MAPK/ERK2 signaling pathway.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Endothelial Cells ; metabolism ; Endothelium, Vascular ; cytology ; metabolism ; Ghrelin ; metabolism ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Male ; Microvessels ; cytology ; Myocardium ; cytology ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Ghrelin ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDPatient trust in physicians, which can be considered a collective good, is necessary for an effective health care system. However, there is a widespread concern that patient trust in physicians is declining under various threats to the physician-patient relationship worldwide. This article aimed to assess patient trust in physicians through a quantitative study in Shanghai, China, and to provide appropriate suggestions for improving the trust in China.

METHODSThe data from a survey conducted in Zhongshan Hospital and Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, which are two tertiary public hospitals in Shanghai, were used in this study. Patient trust in physicians was the dependent variable. Furthermore, a 10-item scale was used to precisely describe the dependent variable. The demographic characteristics were independent variables of trust in physicians. Binomial logistic regression was employed to analyze the factors associated with the dependent variable, which was divided into two categories on the basis of the responses (1: Strongly agree or agree and 0: Strongly disagree, disagree, or neutral).

RESULTSThis study found that 67% of patients trusted or strongly trusted physicians. The mean score of patient trust in physicians was 35.4 from a total score of 50. Furthermore, patient trust in physicians was significantly correlated with the age, education level, annual income, and health insurance coverage of the patients.

CONCLUSIONSPatient trust in physicians in Shanghai, China is higher than previously reported. Furthermore, the most crucial reason for patient distrust in physicians is the information asymmetry between patients and physicians, which is a natural property of the physician-patient relationship, rather than the so-called for-profit characteristic of physicians or patients' excessive expectations.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Physician-Patient Relations ; Trust

BACKGROUNDNational Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) has provided free or low-cost mammograms to low-income or no health insurance women in all of the states of the United States (US) since 1997. The objective of this study was to understand whether health insurance and annual household income impacted the mammography utilization since the implementation of NBCCEDP, in order to evaluate how the implementation of NBCCEDP impacted mammography utilization among American women.

METHODSData were from the database of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) of the CDC in US. Mammography utilization was measured by whether the American woman aged 40 to 64 years had the mammography within the last two years. The chi square test and multivariate Logistic regression were used to evaluate the associations between mammography utilization and health insurance, annual household income, and other factors for any given year.

RESULTSFrom 2000 to 2008, the rate of mammography utilization among participants had a steady decrease on the whole from 86.7% to 83.8%. The results showed that the mammography utilization correlated significantly with health insurance and annual household income for any given year. The results also showed that compared with participants who were uninsured, those who were insured had a greater times higher rate of mammography in 2008 than any other year from 2000 to 2008, and compared with participants whose annual household income was below $15 000, those whose annual household income was above $50 000 had a greater times higher rate of mammography in 2008 than in 2004 and 2006.

CONCLUSIONSHealth insurance and annual household income impacted the mammography utilization for any given year from 2000 to 2008, and the implementation of NBCCEDP has not achieved its original goal on breast cancer screening.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Income ; Insurance, Health ; Mammography ; utilization ; Middle Aged ; United States

BACKGROUNDAccording to the regulations of the Chinese and Shanghai governments, migrant workers employed in Shanghai should all be entitled to Shanghai Migrant Worker Hospitalization Insurance (SMWHI) without premium and the vast majority should also have the New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS). This study aimed to examine the status of the coverage and utilization of health insurance among migrant workers employed in Shanghai.

METHODSQuantitative and qualitative research methods were employed in the study. A survey of 1020 migrant workers employed in Shanghai was conducted in 2010 with a structured questionnaire. Focus group discussions were held with respondents who were unable to maintain health insurance coverage through NRCMS or SMWHI. In-depth interviews were held with village heads and employers of the migrant workers, migrant workers who were hospitalized within the last year, and various individuals employed by the insurance agencies.

RESULTSThe study found that 72.9% and 36.5% of migrant workers were covered by NRCMS or SMWHI, respectively, while 16.7% of them had no health insurance. The coverage by NRCMS among migrant workers correlated significantly with education level and workplace, while the coverage by SMWHI correlated significantly with the length of employment in Shanghai and workplace. The qualitative results confirmed that migrant workers were the main group who were not covered by NRCMS, and the coverage by SMWHI was completely dependent upon the employers of the migrant worker. The results also showed that health insurance utilization among migrant workers was strongly limited by hospital location.

CONCLUSIONSWe observed that the status of health insurance among migrant workers was not accordant with theory, and that Chinese health insurance policy should be further reformed in order to realize full coverage and equal utilization of health insurance among migrant workers in China.

Adolescent ; Adult ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Insurance Coverage ; statistics & numerical data ; Insurance, Health ; statistics & numerical data ; utilization ; Male ; Transients and Migrants ; statistics & numerical data ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the available surgical treatment modalities so as to explore the optimal strategy of managing early breast cancer.

METHODSThe clinical data of 2173 consecutive early-stage breast cancer patients treated by surgery treatments were retrospectively reviewed in order to clarify the indications and contraindications of different modalities. Therapeutic outcome of different surgical treatment modes were compared in terms of recurrence-free survival ( RFS) , disease-free survival ( DFS) , overall survival (OS). The cosmetic results of breast conservation and reconstruction were also evaluated .

RESULTSThe median age of these patients was 51 years ranging from 18 to 91. Of 2173 patients, 547 had stage 0- I lesions and 1626 stage II , and 1155 (53. 2% ) premenopausal. The proportion of patients who received radical surgery, breast conservation and reconstruction after mastectomy was 83. 6% (1817/2173), 10. 5% (229/2173) and 2. 5% (55/2173) , respectively. Younger and premenopausal patients prefer conservative and reconstructive surgeries, which are reasonable for stage 0-I and non-invasive breast cancer patients. Conservative surgery was not suitable for Paget's disease of breast (P = 0. 004) , mastectomy followed by reconstruction in this type of cancer was up to 38. 5%. The recurrence and metastasis rate of conservation or mastectomy were similar with a comparable 3-year RFS of 97. 4% and 95. 4% , respectively; there were also no significant differences in RFS(P =0. 2435) , DFS( P =0. 1395) and OS(P =0. 9406) after having been followed for 3 to 64 months. Similarly, immediate reconstruction did not show any negative effects with only 1 recurrence and 1 metastasis. Aesthetic outcomes were assessed as excellent or good in 90. 0% of breast conservation surgery, and the acceptability of reconstruction was 94. 5%.

CONCLUSIONBreast conserving surgery not only has comparable survival as mastectomy, but also has better cosmetic outcomes. Immediate breast reconstruction can be a suitable option without compromising survival. It is very important in the management for early breast cancer by selecting the most suitable surgery mode for every individual patient not only to cure her disease but also to satisfy the patient psychologically. Conservation should be preferred prior to reconstruction whenever possible.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Breast Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; pathology ; surgery ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Mastectomy ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Paget's Disease, Mammary ; pathology ; surgery ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo establish a cell line for stable expression of human beta-defensin 3 (hBD3).

METHODSFull length cDNA of hBD3 was isolated from previously constructed pGEM-hBD3 and then inserted into pcDNA3. The recombinant vector identified carrying hBD3 with right direction was introduced into COS-7 cells by Lipofectamine. Cell clones survived in G418-rich medium and with stable expression of hBD3 in both mRNA and protein levels were identified by RT-PCR and Western blot respectively. Genomic integration of the hBD3 gene with the COS-7 cells was confirmed by Southern dot blot and primary analysis. The antimicrobial activity of the secreted hBD3 was also evaluated.

RESULTSCOS-7 cells transfected with pcDNA3-hBD3 expressed hBD3 stably in mRNA and protein level. Southern dot blot analysis showed successful integration of the hBD3 gene into the genome of COS-7 cell and the hBD-3 protein secreted into the culture medium showed antimicrobial activity.

CONCLUSIONWe successfully established a hBD3-expressing cell line.

Animals ; COS Cells ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Escherichia coli ; drug effects ; Genetic Vectors ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects ; Transfection ; beta-Defensins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the predictive value of elevated fibrinogen and high-sensitivity C-reaction protein (hs-CRP) level on cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).

METHODSFrom January 2002 to November 2002, 185 patients (aged 47 - 85 years) with stable CAD referred for coronary angiography were enrolled and divided into control-F (fibrinogen level < or = 4.0 g/L, n = 104) and elevated-F (fibrinogen level > 4.0 g/L, n = 81), or control-hs (hs-CRP < or = 3.0 mg/L, n = 99) and elevated-hs (hs-CRP> 3.0 mg/L, n = 86). Exclusion criteria included cardiomyopathy, New York Heart Association class IV congestive heart failure, recent myocardial infarction or coronary artery revascularization and cancer. During three years follow-up, cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, stroke and other vascular events were assessed.

RESULTSA total of 21 cardiovascular nonfatal events and 10 cardiovascular deaths were observed. Cardiovascular events was significantly higher in patients in elevated-F group than that in control-F group [23.46% vs. 11.54%, cholesterol-, body mass index-, smoking-, and hypertension-adjusted relative risk 1.97, 95% CI (1.68 to 2.40), P < 0.05] and in elevated-hs group than in control-hs group [24.42% vs. 10.10%, adjusted relative risk 2.32, 95% CI (1.76 to 2.89), P < 0.05]. The relative risk of cardiovascular events for patients with fibrinogen > 4.0 g/L and hs-CRP > 3.0 mg/L was 3.84 (P < 0.05), 95% CI (2.80 to 4.99) compared with patients with fibrinogen < or = 4.0 g/L and hs-CRP < or = 3.0 mg/L.

CONCLUSIONBoth fibrinogen and hs-CRP are independent important predictors of cardiovascular nonfatal and fatal events in patients with stable CAD. Combination of elevated fibrinogen and hs-CRP increased their predictive value for cardiac events.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; blood ; pathology ; Female ; Fibrinogen ; metabolism ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the validity, reliability, and clinical applicability of Chinese medicine syndrome diagnostic standards for coronary heart disease (CHD) patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which was established by expert consultation.

METHODSA total of 1 050 CHD patients after PCI were recruited from 23 hospitals. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive likelihood ratio, and area under ROC curve were used to evaluate the validity of diagnostic standards for Chinese medical syndrome types. The observable agreement rate and Kappa value were used to evaluate the reliability. Positive predictive value and negative predictive value were used to evaluate the clinical applicability.

RESULTSThe sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive likelihood ratio, area under ROC curve, observable agreement rate, Kappa value, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of each Chinese medicine syndrome in CHD patients after PCI were as follows: 95.26%, 93.70%, 94.86%, 15.13, 0.924, 98.76%, 0.969, 97.76%, and 87.24% for blood stasis syndrome; 96.42%, 95.34%, 96.00%, 20.70, 0.957, 99.52%, 0.990, 97.02%, and 94.42% for qi deficiency syndrome; 88.19%, 96.46%, 94.19%, 24.89, 0.923, 96.67%, 0.915, 90.39%, and 95.58% for phlegm turbidity syndrome; 91.06%, 98.77%, 97.05%, 74.22, 0.950, 98.67%, 0.960, 95.54%, and 97.46% for cardiac blood stasis syndrome; 98.41%, 96.73%, 97.33%, 30.10, 0.976, 98.86%, 0.976, 94.40%, and 99.09% for qi deficiency blood stasis syndrome; 94.81%, 94.75%, 94.76%, 18.07, 0.948, 97.71%, 0.918, 72.73%, and 99.20% for phlegm-stasis stagnation syndrome.

CONCLUSIONThe validity, reliability, and clinical applicability of Chinese medicine syndrome diagnostic standards for CHD patients after PCI were rational and considerable in clinical practice.

Coronary Disease ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; adverse effects ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVESTo analyze the reliability and clinical value of intraoperative ultrasound combined with neuronavigation for resection of intracranial cavernous malformations.

METHODSFrom January 2007 to December 2009, 40 cases of intracranial cavernous malformations were operated under the application of intraoperative ultrasound combined with neuronavigation. There were 18 male and 22 female, aged 18 to 58 years, with a mean age of 34.5 years. Neuronavigation was used for all patients before operation to display the three-dimensional model of nervous system and lesions, so to design the operative approach and determine the scope of the incision. Lesions were allocated by real-time neuronavigation in order to continuously verify the accuracy of operative approach during the operation, supplemented by real-time monitoring of intraoperative ultrasound to guide the process of surgery and determine the extent of resection of lesions.

RESULTSThe registration error of neuronavigation was 1.3 - 3.2 mm, with an average of 2.0 mm. All the patients' three-dimensional model of nervous system and lesions were satisfactorily displayed, and the area of lesions were all accurately located. Structural brain-shifts occurred in 4 cases in the remove process of the lesion, with shift degree 5.0 - 10.0 mm, and were corrected by intraoperative ultrasound. All lesions were well displayed by intraoperative ultrasound. Gross total resection was achieved in all patients, with no patient infected or dead. Neurological deterioration was seen in 2 patients, the morbidity was 5.0%.

CONCLUSIONSThe combination of neuronavigation and intraoperative ultrasound for resection of intracranial cavernous malformations can provide valuable intraoperative informations of the location and resection level of the lesion, thereby maximize the accuracy of lesion localization and the extent of resection, with less complications and enhanced efficacy of the surgery.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neuronavigation ; Neurosurgery ; methods ; Ultrasonography ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the method of constructing tissue-engineered skin using melanocytes and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in vivo.

METHODSMelanocytes were isolated from human foreskin. BMSCs were isolated from human bone marrow. Both of them were co-cultured at a ratio of 1:10, and then were implanted into the collagen membrane to construct the tissue-engineered skin, which was applied for wound repair in nude mice. The effectiveness of wound repair and the distribution of melanocytes were evaluated by morphological observation, in vivo 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, dihydrochloride (DAPI) fluorescent staining tracing, HE staining, S-100 immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscopy.

RESULTSThe wounds were satisfactorily repaired among the nude mice. The melanocytes were distributed in the skin with normal structure, as confirmed by DAPI fluorescent staining tracing, HE staining, S-100 immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscopy.

CONCLUSIONMelanocytes and BMSCs, after proper in vitro culture at an appropriate ratio, can construct the tissue-engineered skin with I type collagen membrane.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cells, Cultured ; Coculture Techniques ; Collagen Type I ; Humans ; Melanocytes ; cytology ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Skin ; injuries ; Skin, Artificial ; Tissue Engineering