Objective To compare SPECT/CT fusion imaging and MRI in the diagnosis of benign hip lesions. Methods Twenty-two patients suspected avascular necrosis of femoral head with hip discomfort, pain or action limited were analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent radionuclide bone scan and MR examination within 5 days, and the diagnosis was proved with clinical follow-up. Results Eighteen necrosis of the femoral head and 4 hip arthritis including 1 patient with ankylosing spondylitis were found in 44 hip joints of 22 patients. MRI detected 17 femoral head necrosis and 4 hip arthritis, while SPECT/CT fusion image found out 18 femoral head necrosis and 4 hip arthritis. There was corresponding relationship in signs of hip lesions between MRI and SPECT/CT fusion imaging. Conclusion SPECT/CT fusion imaging and MRI has no markedly difference in the diagnosis of hip benign lesions, and is complementary to each other. SPECT/CT fusion image can distinguish the hip lesions from the femoral head lesions, and has a higher accuracy of diagnosing hip lesions than whole body bone scanning.

Objective To describe the association between age and the sex-based outcome difference and analyze the potential mechanism responsible for sex-based outcome difference in severe trauma patients.Methods A retrospective analysis derived from the Emergency Intensive Care Unit of the acute trauma center of the Shanghai Municipal Sixth People's Hospital during the 2010-2013 period was performed to identify sex-based outcome differences after severe blunt trauma.The study cohort of patients was then stratified by age:(1) 18 years ≤ age ＜45 years,(2) 45 years ≤ age ≤ 55 years,and (3) age ＞55 years.Crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to evaluate the association between gender and the hospitalized mortality,both overall and subgroups according to age categories.Results A total of 987 severe trauma patients met our inclusion criteria were enrolled in this study.Crude mortality was higher in male severe trauma patients (male 9.1％ vs.female 5.0％,P ＜ 0.05).Multiple logistic regression revealed that females had a 79％ decrease in hospitalized mortality compared with males (OR =0.21,95％ CI:0.07-0.64,P =0.006).This difference was most distinct in patients with age ＜ 45 years,(OR =0.15,95％ CI:0.04-0.67,P =0.012).There is no significant difference between genders in mortality of trauma patients with 45 years ≤ age ≤ 55 years and age ＞ 55 years.Conclusions The present study revealed a statistical significant association between gender and mortality among severe blunt trauma patients,particularly in patients with age ＜ 45 years.These results may highlight the importance of sex hormones in outcomes of severe trauma.

Objective To discuss the surgical strategy of parasagittal and falcial meningiomas in the middle 1/3 cortex area and raise resective rates of tumors and surgical effects.Methods The clinical,imaging and operative data of 74 cases of parasagittal and falcial meningiomas in the middle cortex area which underwent operation were reviewed and followed up.Results Of 74 tunors,67 were resected with Simpson Ⅱ grade,7 with Simpson Ⅲ,none of them with Simpson Ⅰ.Superior sagittal sinus and the vein of central suleus and feeders of cortex were reserved well.Severe brain injury was not occurred in 66 cases with tumors debulking(Simpson Ⅱ 61 cases,Simpson Ⅲ 5 cases),the neuro-functions of patients were normal or transient slight weakness of contralateral lower extremities postoperatively.Tumors of 8 cases were "turned over" and resected by piecemeal (Simpson Ⅱ 6 cases,Simpson Ⅲ 2 cases),weakness and paralysis of contralateral lower extremities occurred in 7 cases and 1 cases respectively after surgery.Followed-up ranged from 6 months to 4 years and 2 months,4 cases were lost to follow-up.Neuro-function of all cases with weakness of contralateral lower extremities recovered after one month.Muscle strength of the cases with paralysis of contralateral extremity recovered to grade Ⅳ 6 months later,no recurrence and death.Conclusion The measures,including piecemeal tumor reseeted mierosugically,good protection of the vein of central sulcus,excellent management of superior sagittal sinus,and avoiding damage to functional cerebral cortex during operations,are best ways for raising the tumor resection rate and nearo-function reserved.

Objective To detect miR-181d expression levels in colon cancer cell lines,and to study the functions of miR-181d on colon cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis.Methods RT qPCR was employed to study miR-181d cxpression levels in colon cancer cell line HCT116,HT29,LoVo,SW480 and SW620 cells,as well as in colon normal epithelial cell line HIEC.miR-181d mimic and control were transfected into LoVo cells while miR-181d inhibitor and control were transfected into SW620 cells.qRT-PCR was performed to validate the transfection efficiency.MTT assay was performed to measure cell proliferation while flow cytometry was performed to detect cell cycle and apoptosis rate.Results miR-181d was universally downregulated in all colon cancer cell lines compared to the colon normal epithelial cell line HIEC (F=29.34,P＜0.01).Overexpression of miR-181d in LoVo cells significantly decreased in vitro cell proliferation rate (F=5.403,P＜0.01).Flow cytometry indicated that cells at S phase were greatly decreased (t=4.71,P＜0.05) and apoptotic cells were gready increased compared to the control cells (t=3.47,P＜0.05).On the contrary,inhibition of miR-181d in SW620 cells significantly promoted cell proliferation (F=20.82,P＜0.01).Cell cycle was accelerated with significant increase in S phase compared to the control cells (t=2.92,P＜0.05),whereas apoptosis rano was significantly decreased (t=4.14,P＜0.05).Conclusion miR-181d was universally downregulated in colon cancer cell lines compared to the normal epithelial cell line.miR-181d inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis,thus functions as an tumor suppressive miRNA.

Objective To explore humor experience and its relationship with theory of mind in patients with schizophrenia. Methods sixty?one schizophrenic patients without treatment and sixty?three healthy subjects were assessed with the Humor Picture Test ( HPT) ,Humor Video Test ( HVT) and the Theory?of?Mind Picture?Se?quencing Task ( ToM?PST) . Results Compared with healthy subject in HPT,schizophrenic patients showed sig?nificantly higher non?humor picture rating score (24.41 ± 8.82 vs 28.41 ± 11.56, P<0.05),and less humor picture rating score (45.65 ± 11.49 vs 34.41 ± 13.06, P<0.05). Compared with healthy subject in HVT,schizophrenic patients also showed significantly less humor video rating score (3.56 ± 0.57 vs 2.46 ± 0.79, P<0.01) and the number of standard humorous moments (3.68 ± 1.19 vs 2.42 ± 1.40, P<0.01) and the sensitivity of standard hu?morous moments?d’(humor) score (1.11 ± 0.46 vs 0.47 ± 0.42, P<0.01). Schizophrenic patients had significant?ly less total score (39.89 ± 12.33 vs 58.76 ± 0.64, P<0.01) of ToM?PST compared to normal control. Correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between d’ ( humor) score and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale ( PANSS) total score ( r=-0.380, P<0.01) for the patients. There was significantly negative correlation between non?humor picture rating score and ToM?PST total score ( r=-0.316, P<0.05) ,and positive correlation between d’ (humor) score and ToM?PST total score ( r=0.400, P<0.01) in schizophrenic patient. After controlling for the PANSS total score,the correlation between d’(humor) score and ToM?PST total score remained significant. Conclusion Schizophrenic patients have poor humor experience,which is related to the impairments of theory of mind.Humor experience deficit may share a common neuropsychological base with the impairment of theory of mind.

A creatininase produced from a Arthrobacter sp. was purified 145-fold by a series of steps including heat treatment, ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Cellulose ion-exchange and hydrophobic chromatography. The specific activity of the pure enzyme was 209u/mg. The subunit molecular mass of creatininase was estimated to be 33 700D by SDS-PAGE. The creatininase was stable in the pH range between 6.0 - 9.0 and below 60 degrees C . Its Km value for creatinine was estimated to be 21.14 mmol/L. The enzyme was markedly inactivated by incubation with 1 mmol/L of Hg2+, Ag2+, Li+, Cu2+ and 20 mmol/L of 1, 11-Phananthroline respectively. Activation was observed when the enzyme was incubated with 1 mmol/L of Co2+ and Mn2+.
Amidohydrolases ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Arthrobacter ; enzymology ; Bacterial Proteins ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of intensive insulin therapy on inflammatory response and prognosis of patients with severe trauma.

METHODSEighty severely injured patients were divided into intensive insulin therapy group (n = 40, IT) and routine therapy group (n = 40, RT) in random pair. At the time of admission, a continuous infusion of insulin (2-4 U/h) was pumped into the patients of IT group to maintain blood glucose level at 6-8 mmol/L. Patients in RT group were given routine treatment without administration of insulin. Fever, organ injury, and mortality of patients in 2 groups were recorded. Venous blood was drawn from patients of 2 groups on the morning of post treatment day (PTD) 1, 3, 5, and 7. Values of TNF-alpha, C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-2, and IL-10 in plasma were assayed.

RESULTSHigh fever appeared in 9 patients in IT group, and WBC exceeded 10.0 x 10(9) for more than 3 days in 17 patients in this group, versus 20 and 29 patients respectively in RT group. Dysfunction of 1 organ appeared in 31 patients in IT group and 30 patients in RT group. Dysfunction of 3 organs appeared in 10 patients in IT group and 19 patients in RT group. Dysfunction of 4 organs appeared in 7 patients in IT group and 12 patients in RT group. In IT group, 4 patients died within 3 post-injury day (PID), and 1 patient died after PID 3 (total case fatality: 12.5%). In RT group, 5 patients died within 3 PID, and 4 patient died after PID 3 (total case fatality: 22.5%). Plasma levels of TNF-alpha and CRP of patients in IT group were significantly lower than those of patients in RT group on PID 3-7 ( P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), while levels of IL-2 and IL-10 of patients in IT group were significantly higher than those of patients in RT group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Plasma levels of TNF-alpha (1.3 +/- 0.6 microg/L) and CRP (55 +/- 16 mg/L) of patients in IT group on PTD 7 were lowered to the trough level, and they were significantly lower than those of patients in RT group (3.0 +/- 0.8 microg/L, 89 +/- 20 mg/L, respectively, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSIntensive insulin therapy can mitigate systemic inflammatory response and improve prognosis of patients with severe trauma.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Insulin ; administration & dosage ; Interleukin-2 ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Wounds and Injuries ; therapy ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of long-term administration of fluvastatin on improvement of ventricular remodeling of rats after myocardial infarction and its mechanism.

METHODSSprague-Dawley rats were subjected to ligation in anterior descending branch of coronary artery and treated with fluvastatin (20 mg.kg(-1) d(-1)) or distilled water for 8 weeks. Doppler echocardiography, hemodynamic study and cardiac histomorphometry were used to estimate the ventricular remodeling and cardiac function. Laser scanning confocal microscope was used to definite the distribution of superoxide anion (O(2)(*-)) and nitrogen monoxide. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of NOS2 and p22phox in mRNA and protein level. The level of lipid peroxidation, glutathione peroxidase, nitrogen monoxide and total cholesterol were detected too.

RESULTSAdministration of fluvastatin ameliorated left ventricular remodeling without affecting the infarct size [(40 +/- 6 vs 42 +/-5)%, P>0.05]. The level of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure [(18.24 +/-6.58 vs 10.74 +/-4.71) mmHg, P<0.05], right ventricular ameliorated relative weight [(0.92 +/-0.19 vs 0.71 +/-0.13) g/kg, P<0.05], the thickness of left ventricular posterior wall [(3.04 +/-0.28 vs 2.60 +/-0.36) mm, P<0.05] decreased after fluvastatin treatment. The left ventricular ejection fraction was not influenced, the relative lung weight and the left atrium diameter reduced [(5.79 +/-2.92 vs 3.69 +/-0.68) g/kg, (0.55 +/-0.12 vs 0.45 +/-0.04) mm, P<0.05]; the expressions of LPO in the plasma and myocardium [(8.64 +/-0.59 vs 7.71 +/-0.66) U/dl, P<0.05; (3.12 +/-0.38 vs 1.93 +/-0.40) ng/microg.pro, P<0.01] were reduced, and the overexpressed NO was inhibited [(436.87 +/-47.22 vs 313.78 +/-34.35) mg/dl, P<0.01], but the expression of GPx increased [(66.13 +/-8.31 vs 79.78 +/-2.38) mg/dl, P<0.01]. The expression of O(2)(*-) and the activity of NADPH oxidase subunit p22phox increased; NOS2 and its products NO were over-expressed too.

CONCLUSIONVentricular remodeling and hemodynamics are improved profoundly in MI rats treated with fluvastatin. The effect of antioxidative stress of fluvastatin might be involved in the mechanism.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Fatty Acids ; pharmacology ; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated ; pharmacology ; Indoles ; pharmacology ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Rats ; Ventricular Remodeling ; drug effects

BACKGROUNDTo investigate the significance of blood HCV RNA screening in the prevention of post-transfusion hepatitis C.

METHODSTotally 56,400 anti-HCV negative blood samples collected from Jan. 2000 to Dec. 2003 were tested for HCV RNA by RT-PCR, and the patients who received the HCV RNA negative blood were followed up.

RESULTSThe HCV RNA positive rate was 2.5 per thousand (146/56,000) and none of the patients followed up suffered from HCV infection.

CONCLUSIONHCV RNA screening for the anti-HCV negative blood samples is very effective and feasible for prevention of post-transfusion hepatitis C.

Feasibility Studies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepacivirus ; genetics ; Hepatitis C ; blood ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; methods ; RNA, Viral ; blood ; genetics ; Reproducibility of Results ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transfusion Reaction

There are four different types of N-terminal amino acid sequences (F-I-0, F-I, F-II, F-III) in the multicomponents of earthworm fibrinolytic enzymes (EFE). In GenBank 21 nucleic acid sequences of EFE have been reported. Among them, most of the N-terminal amino acid sequences belong to the F-III type,few belong to the F-II type. Only one is similar to the F-I type, but none to F-I-0. In this research we hoped to obtain the gene encoding component F-I-0 of EFE by the bioinformatics tools. Based on the N-terminal amino acid sequence VVGGSDTTIGQYPHQL of the F-I-0 type from Lumbricus rubellus, a nucleic acid sequence was obtained by in silico cloning from dbEST of Lumbricidae using the software DNAMAN. A new gene of EFE from Eisenia foetida was successfully obtained by RT-PCR using specific primers designed according to this sequence. The new gene named EfP-0 was cloned in pMAL-c2x and expressed as the fusion protein MBP-EfP-0 in the supernatant of lysate. The fusion protein MBP-EfP-0 purified by affinity chromatography had hydrolytic activity on casein plate. Sequencing result shows, EfP-0 has 678bp and encodes a protein of 225 amino acids. The protein is a serine protease belonging to trypsin family. It has similar amino acid composition to F-I-0. BLAST in GenBank shows that the similarity is lower than 40% between EJP-0 gene and other EFE genes. By this we conclude that EfP-0 gene of EFE is a novel gene and it is the first time to be reported, its accession number for Genbank is DQ836917.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Cloning, Molecular ; Computational Biology ; Databases, Genetic ; Endopeptidases ; biosynthesis ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Expressed Sequence Tags ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Oligochaeta ; enzymology ; genetics ; Open Reading Frames ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction