Researching on a large relevant literature of spinal tuberculosis, this paper discussed characteristics of spinal tuberculosis and its early diagnosis method. If spinal tuberculosis can be found and treated earlier, prognosis will be better. The early diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis has become hot spot at present. There are many different diagnostic methods including clinical manifestation, laboratory examination, imaging examination, etc. The newest standpoint showed that immunization has closely correlation with tuberculosis and it will become the focus and developmental direction of future research in spinal tuberculosis. In addition, we should know the differential diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis to avoid the misdiagnosis.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Tuberculosis, Spinal ; diagnosis

Objective To survey the arsenic content of drinking water in Jingzhou City, to provide basis for prevention and control of endemic arsenic disease. Methods According to historical data, the .arsenic content of water was detected in 357 villages from 6 counties of Jianglin, Songzi, Gongan, Shishou, Jianli, Honghushi in Jinzhou City in 2007 and 2008, The past have been found to have high arsenic water villages, villages known to have high concentration of arsenic were put into census. Villages not found to have high-arsenic wells were sampled 10 percent of the whole water resources at five directions of east, west, south, north and the center. Using sampling investigation, water arsenic was determined by half -quantitative fast reagent kit. All samples of water with arsenic exceeding the standard were re-determined using silver diethyl dithiocarbamate using silver diethyl dithiocarbamate colorimetric mothod. Survey on the disease was carried out in the villages with arsenic exeeeding the standard. Results All 6074 water samples was inspected. Arsenic in 210 samples outnumbered 0.05 mg/L, 51 natural villages were high arsenic areas;The maximum level of arsenic content in drinking water was 0.7 mg/L 3.2% (152/4784) of the wells no deeper that 30 meters and 4.9%(58/1184) between 30 to 100 m had arsenic exceeding the standard The water arsenic content was normal when the wells was deeper that 100 m. The abnormal percentages of water arsenic was related with the depth of wells with a significant difference(χ2 = 12.29,P < 0.01). Medical examination 84 064 residents in 51 villages having high arsenic water 31 neighboring villages was made, No Patients was found suffering from endemic arsenic poisoning. Conclusions High arsenic source has been found in Jingzhou City ,but no endemic arsenic poisoning patient in Jingzhou City. It is suggested that necessary preventive measures should be taken in high arsenic area, low-arsenic water should be spotted or high arsenic water improved. Moreover, wells should be drilled for more than 100 meters or more in depth.

OBJECTIVETo explore the minimally invasive treatment for fresh acromioclavicular dislocation and the distal clavicle fracture.

METHODSThirty skeletons of human shoulder were measured and compared, and the normal data on healthy people were measured with the help of ultrasound-guided. So the invasion point was located at the cross between subclavian axis and the line from coracoid tip to apophysis behind cone ligament node. From January 2001 to January 2010, 127 patients with fresh acromioclavicular dislocation and distal clavicle fracture were treated with minimally invasive internal fixation after locating the invasive point at the body surface. Among the patients, 97 patients were male and 30 patients were female, ranging in age from 19 to 56 years, with an average of 43 years. According to Rockwood classification, among 93 patients with fresh acromioclavicular dislocation, 67 patients were type III, 11 patients were type IV and 15 patients were type V. All the 34 patients with distal clavicle fractures were associated with coracoclavicular ligament broken. The duration from injury to operation ranged from 1 to 8 days. The therapeutic effects were evaluated by using the of shoulder scoring system, University of California (UCLA).

RESULTSAfter the minimally invasive treatment, all the patients had completely reduction at early time. One hundred and thirteen patients were followed up,and the duration ranged from 13 to 15 months,averaged 14 months. Nine patients had screw loose slightly within 30 days, but the reductions and functions were acceptable. Seven patients had complications of frozen shoulder and recovered in 6 months. The average UCLA shoulder score was (32.0 +/- 4.7), and 87 patients got an excellent result, 20 good and 6 fair.

CONCLUSIONThis minimally invasive treatment has advantages such as little trauma and low cost, which is worthy of clinical applications.

Acromioclavicular Joint ; diagnostic imaging ; injuries ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Adult ; Clavicle ; diagnostic imaging ; injuries ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Female ; Fractures, Bone ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Joint Dislocations ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the set of symptoms that result from the presence of an extra X chromosome in males. Postnatal population-based KS screening will enable timely diagnosis of this common chromosomal disease, providing the opportunity for early intervention and therapy at the time point when they are most effective and may prevent later symptoms or complications. Therefore, through this study, we introduced a simple high-resolution melting (HRM) assay for KS screening and evaluated its clinical sensitivity and specificity in three medical centers using 1373 clinical blood samples. The HRM assay utilized a single primer pair to simultaneously amplify specific regions in zinc finger protein, X-linked (ZFX) and zinc finger protein, Y-linked (ZFY). In cases of KS, the ratios of ZFX/ZFY are altered compared to those in normal males. As a result, the specific melting profiles differ and can be differentiated during data analysis. This HRM assay displayed high analytical specificity over a wide range of template DNA amounts (5 ng-50 ng) and reproducibility, high resolution for detecting KS mosaicism, and high clinical sensitivity (100%) and specificity (98.1%). Moreover, the HRM assay was rapid (2 h per run), inexpensive (0.2 USD per sample), easy to perform and automatic, and compatible with both whole blood samples and dried blood spots. Therefore, this HRM assay is an ideal postnatal population-based KS screening tool that can be used for different age groups.

OBJECTIVETo explore the association between the genetic polymorphisms of mannose-binding protein (MBP) alleles and susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis.

METHODS125 pulmonary tuberculosis cases and 198 healthy controls were collected. A case-control study was conducted. Three structural gene mutations in exon 1 of MBP gene (codon 52, codon 54 and codon 57) were studied. Polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) was carried out in the polymorphism in MBP alleles. Information on related risk factors of tuberculosis was collected, using a pre-tested questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate logistic analyses were conducted with SPSS software package.

RESULTSThe frequencies of mutant heterozygote or homozygote of MBP-52, 54, 57 were 8.0%, 7.2% and 0.4% for cases and 5.3%, 4.3%, 0.5% for controls, respectively. The distribution of mutant genotypes of MBP did not show significant difference between tuberculosis patients and control by Mantel-Haenszel chi2 on sex. The univariate analysis demonstrated that body mass index, marital status, vaccinal vestige, bacillus of Calmette-Guerin vaccine immunization, contacted with pulmonary tuberculosis patients, familial traits were the risk factors of pulmonary tuberculosis. After adjusting those related environmental factors in the multivariate logistic analyses, the total MBP (MBP-52, MBP-54 and MBP-57) and MBP-52 heterozygote genotypes were significantly overrepresented in cases, with adjusted OR (95% CI) being 2.182 (1.058-4.499) and 2.574 (1.028-6.446).

CONCLUSIONTotal MBP and MBP-52 mutant genotypes might be associated with the susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis.

Case-Control Studies ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Mannose-Binding Lectin ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the expression of dental matrix protein-l (DMP1) in porcine oral mucosa fibroblasts (POMF) transfected by DMP1 and the influences of the transfection.

METHODSThe full length of porcine DMP1 cDNA was linked into an eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-C1. POMF and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) were transfected with the pEGFP-DMP1. The expression of DMP1, dental sialoprotein (DSP), amelin and ameloblastin (Ambn) gene of transfected POMF and MSC were detected by RT-PCR. The expression of DMP1 and DSP protein was examined by immunocytochemical staining. The formation ratio of mineralized nodules of transfected cells was compared with un-transfected ones after mineralized induction. The formation of mineralized nodules of three-dimensional pellet transfected cells was compared with un-transfected ones after hematoxylin and eosin staining.

RESULTSThe constructed pEGFP-DMP1 could produce 4.7 kb and 1.5 kb fragments. DMP1 gene, DSP gene and Ambn gene were expressed by POMF after transfection. Immunohistochemical staining and the quantitative analysis of protein showed that DMP1 and DSP protein was positive in transfected POMF and MSC. The formation ratio of mineralized nodules of transfected POMF and MSC was higher than that of un-transfected ones (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe expression of porcine DMP1 in POME after gene transfection can induce the expression of tooth-development-associated gene Ambn and DSP and enhance the formation of mineralized nodules.

Animals ; Calcification, Physiologic ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Genetic Vectors ; Mouth Mucosa ; cytology ; Phosphoproteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Swine ; Transfection

In the present study, rat model of gastric ischemia-reperfusion (GI-R) injury was established by clamping the celiac artery for 30 min followed by 1 h of reperfusion. Subsequently, the regulatory effect of electrical stimulation of cerebellar fastigial nucleus (FN) on GI-R injury and its neural mechanisms were investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats. The results are as follows. Electrical stimulation of the cerebellar FN not only obviously attenuated the GI-R injury in an intensity-dependent manner, but also decreased the apoptosis rate of gastric mucosal cells. Chemical lesion of FN eliminated the protective effect of electrical stimulation of FN on GI-R injury. Electrical stimulation of cerebellar FN decreased both the frequency and amplitude of the discharges of greater splanchnic nerve, but it could not change the discharge of greater splanchnic nerve following the lesion of the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). After bilateral section of the greater splanchnic nerves, electrical stimulation of the FN also attenuated the GI-R injury. Chemical lesion of the LHA reversed the protective effect of electrical stimulation of FN on GI-R injury. Electrical stimulation of FN increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), but decreased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in gastric mucosa under GI-R. These results indicate that the cerebellar FN may regulate GI-R injury. Therefore, the cerebellar FN is an important brain site protecting the stomach against GI-R. The LHA and greater splanchnic nerves participate in the regulatory effects of cerebellar FN stimulation on GI-R injury. In addition, antioxidation may also be involved in the protection mechanism of cerebellar FN stimulation.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cerebellar Nuclei ; physiology ; Electric Stimulation ; Gastric Mucosa ; cytology ; metabolism ; Hypothalamic Area, Lateral ; physiopathology ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; physiopathology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

AIMTo evaluate the in vitro/in vivo correlation for three kinds of self-designed sustained-release nitrendipine formulations using deconvolution method.

METHODSThe characteristics of in vivo release were calculated by deconvolution method using the data of plasma concentration of three kinds of self-designed sustained-release nitrendipine formulations in healthy dogs, in which the in vivo results of nitrendipine solution after oral administrated to dogs were used as weight function. It was the compared with characteristics of in vitro release to assess the in vitro/in vivo correlations.

RESULTSThe good correlations of in vitro/in vivo were shown in three kinds of self-designed sustained-release nitrendipine formulations using deconvolution method.

CONCLUSIONThe deconvolution method exhibited advantage in evaluation of in vitro/in vivo correlation for self-designed sustained-release nitrendipine formulations.

Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Dogs ; Methylcellulose ; analogs & derivatives ; Microspheres ; Nitrendipine ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Powders ; Silicone Gels ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

OBJECTIVETo establish a rat model of polycystic ovarian syndrome accompanied with insulin resistance (PCOS-IR), and to observe the effects of Bushen Tongmai Recipe (BSTMR) on insulin resistance and ovulation dysfunction in the model.

METHODSSodium prasterone sulfate at the daily dose of 9 mg/100 g was subcutaneously injected to female SD rats, 23-day old, for 20 days, and fed with high-fat forage for 80 days to establish the rat model of PCOS-IR. The model rats were randomized into the model group and the treated group administered with BSTMR. Besides, a group consisted of 15 healthy rats was set up as a normal control. Ovarian histological changes and ovulation condition in rats were examined with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining; fasting blood glucose (FBG) was determined by glucose oxidase method; serum levels of fasting insulin (FINS), serum testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteotrophic hormone (LH) were detected by radioimmunoassay (RIA).

RESULTSCompared with the normal group, in the model group, the mean number of corpus luteum, ovulation rate, FSH level and insulin sensitive index (ISI) were lower significantly (P <0.01), and levels of FBG, FINS, T, E2 and LH were higher (P<0.05, P <0.01). Compared with the model group, in the treated group, the mean number of corpus luteum, ovulation rate, levels of FSH and ISI were higher, and levels of FINS, T and E, were lower (all P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONRat model of PCOS-IR could be established by sodium prasterone sulfate and high-fat forage, and the insulin resistance and ovulation dysfunction in the model rats could be improved by BSTMR.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Insulin ; blood ; Insulin Resistance ; Ovulation ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of the degree of muscle relaxation on motor-evoked potential elicited by transcranial electrical stimulation in patients undergoing spine surgery.

METHODSSixty ASA I or II patients undergoing spine surgery were randomly divided into 5 groups (n=12). After an initial intubation, continuous cisatracurium infusion was administered with continuous monitoring of T1. The infusion dose was adjusted according muscle relaxation monitoring, and different muscle relaxation degrees were maintained in the 5 groups. The band and latency of D1 in motor-evoked potential was observed with also subjective assessment of the muscle relaxation.

RESULTSSignificant differences in the band and latency were noted in groups I and II compared with the reference values, but not in groups III, IV and V. Subjective assessment revealed significant differences between groups IV and V and groups I and III in terms of the number of cases with poor muscle relaxation.

CONCLUSIONT1 value between 10% and 15% is sufficient for MEP monitoring and allows the maintenance of good muscle relaxation during spine surgery.

Atracurium ; therapeutic use ; Electric Stimulation ; Evoked Potentials, Motor ; Humans ; Monitoring, Intraoperative ; Muscle Relaxation ; Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents ; therapeutic use ; Orthopedic Procedures ; methods ; Spine ; surgery