OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between serum testosterone levels and the plaque formation of the carotid artery in a population-based cohort of independently living healthy women above 60 years of age.

METHODSAnalysis of the healthy elders from a population-based cohort study in 9 communities of Beijing. Carotid intima-media thickness and atherosclerotic plaques were determined ultrasonographically. Serum testosterone levels were measured by immunoassay. The data were analyzed with ANOVA and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSThere was an inverse correlation between testosterone and plaque formation in old females (P < 0.01), while no association was found in males. Female with testosterone levels in the lowest quartile (< 0.49 nmol/L) had more risk of plaque formation (OR = 3.805, P < 0.01) after adjusted with age and other traditional factors of atherosclerosis.

CONCLUSIONTestosterone concentrations are negatively associated with carotid artery atherosclerosis in old women in Beijing, experimental and prospective studies are needed to determine the possible therapeutic role of testosterone in atherosclerosis.

Aged ; Atherosclerosis ; blood ; Carotid Arteries ; pathology ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Carotid Stenosis ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Testosterone ; blood

Objective To study the relationship of urine RBC morphology between UF-100 urine sediment analytic instrument andphase contrast microscope.Methods The UF-100 urine sediment analytic instrument to analyze 500 urine specimens and study the relation-ship of urine RBC morphology between urine sediment analytic instrument and phase contrast microscope.Results The according perceptionof Normocytic,Microcytic and Non-classified RBC between phase contrast microscope and UF-100 urine sediment analytic instrument RBC-info are 91.4%,94.4%,83.3% respectively,the according perception between phase contrast microscope and RBC-P70Fsc are 94.9%,95.7%,94.7% respectively,and the according perception between phase contrast microscope and RBC Fsc-DW are 84.4%,86.8%,90.5% respectively,the specificity of UF-100 and phase contrast microscope in glomerular hematuria and non-glomerular hematuria are84.3%,88.1% and 83.3%,87.9% respectively.Conclusion The results show that the UF-100 urine sediment analytic instrument issimply operating,fast and high accurate,and which can instruct clinical dignose,therapy and prognosis judgement.

OBJECTIVETo explore the functional brain localization with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after acupuncturing the Yuan-Source and He-Sea acupoints of Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming (ST).

METHODSThe study was performed in 30 healthy volunteers who underwent acupuncture at Yuan-Source acupoint (Chongyang, ST42) and He-Sea acupoint (Zusanli, ST36) (ST group). Ten of these were also underwent acupuncture at the non-acupoints as the control group. Blood oxygenation level dependent functional MRI was performed.

RESULTSIn the ST group, signal increasing areas were demonstrated in bilateral superior temporal gyri (Broadmann 22), bilateral supramarginal gyri (Broadmann 40), bilateral cerebellar hemispheres, bilateral cingulate gyri and isthmus of cingulate gyri (Broadmann 32, 30), bilateral superior parietal lobules (Broadmann 7); signal decreasing areas were shown in bilateral orbital gyri (Broadmann 11), bilateral temporal pole (Broadmann 38), right inferior frontal gyrus (Broadmann 47) and right medial occipitotemporal gyrus (Broadmann 36). In the control group, signal increases areas were demonstrated in superior temporal gyri, precentral gyri, cingulate gyri, thalamus, insula and cerebellum. The size, signal intensity and number of increasing areas in control group are less than in ST group.

CONCLUSIONCombined acupuncture of Yuan-Source and He-Sea acupoints of ST can activate and decrease the multiple brain regions of "splanchnic brain" and thus reach a new functional balance to relieve pain.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Brain ; physiology ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Meridians ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the value of multi-b value DWI combined with PSA evaluation on the effect of endocrinotherapy for prostate cancer (PCa), and to study the correlation between the signal intensity(SI), apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC) with PSA.Methods Forty patients with PCa diagnosed by pathology or biopsy were tested for serum PSA levels before and after endocrine therapy.All patients underwent DWI at b-value of 300,800 and 1 000 s/mm2 by using a GE Signa HDx 3.0T MRI scanner.The serum PSA,the value of SI and ADC at different b values before and after endocrine therapy,and their correlation with PSA were observed and measured, respectively.Results (1)The serum PSA before and after endocrine therapy were (35.63±20.91) ng/mL and (5.98±3.84) ng/mL, respectively.The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).(2)On the condition of different b values, ADC values were (1.06±0.06)×10-3 mm2/s, (0.83±0.04)×10-3 mm2/s, (0.73±0.03)×10-3 mm2/s, respectively before endocrine therapy, and (1.33±0.09)×10-3 mm2/s, (1.16±0.09)×10-3 mm2/s, (1.10±0.08)×10-3 mm2/s, respectively after endocrine therapy.There were significant difference between the ADC values before endocrine therapy and those after endocrine therapy (P<0.05).SI were 809.09±79.06, 417.42±26.65 and 327.42±25.26 in 40 patients with Pca before the endocrine therapy, and 780.10±78.52,409.33±33.93 and 320.00±31.10 after endocrine therapy.The difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05).(3)Pearsoncorrelation analysis showed that ADC value was negatively correlated with serum PSA (r300=-0.58,P<0.01;r800=-0.60,P<0.01;r1 000=-0.66,P<0.01) before endocrine therapy.ADC value was also negatively correlated with serum PSA (r300=-0.55,P<0.01;r800=-0.52,P<0.01;r1 000=-0.61,P<0.01) after endocrine therapy.In addition,SI was negatively correlated with serum PSA (r300=-0.09,P<0.01;r800=-0.18,P<0.01;r1 000=-0.28,P<0.01) before the treatment, as well.Conclusion ADC value at different b values increased after endocrine therapy in Pca, and is negatively correlated with serum PSA.The correlation is the most significant at b value of 1 000 s/mm2.The combination of DWI and serum PSA could be used to monitor and evaluate the effect of endocrinotherapy for Pca, and better guide the clinical treatment of Pca.

Objective To explore the changes of S - 100? protein in cerebrospinal fluid and serum of children with viral encephalitis and its clinical significance. Methods The levels of S - 100? protein of cerebrospinal fluid and serum of 36 children with viral encephalitis and 20 lumbar anesthesia children without central nervous system diseases were measured by enzyme - linked immunosor bent assay. Differences in the levels of cerebrospinal fluid and serum S-100? protein between children with and without coma, with and without convulsion, with and without sequelae in the case group were compared. Results S-100? protein levels of cerebrospinal fluid in the case group and control group were (0.641?0.390) and (0.037 ? 0.014) ?g/L( P

AIM: To investigate the ocular complication after radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC).METHODS: The authors performed a previous study on keratopathy in 213 NPC patients who received first stage radiation and had at least 10 months of follow-up. These patients were categorized into three groups depending on NPC clinic stages. Rates and proportions of keratopathy occurring in these groups were compared and analyzed with Chi-square Test and Spearman rank correlation coefficient.RESULTS: Radiation keratopathy developed in 19 patients, about 8.9% (19/213). The latency value was 3 to 30days. The effect of NPC clinic stages and radiation did on the development of keratopathy was not statistically significant (P＞0.05).CONCLUSION: The NPC clinic stages and radiation doses plays few effects on the development of keratopathy. It may play a key role that corneal nerves damage induced ocular surface diseases. It can not be excluded that individuals have different sensitivities to radiation.

Twin pregnancy with mosaic partial hydatidiform mole (PHM) and survival of two healthy fetuses following in vitro fertilization and embryos transfer (IVF-ET) is a rare situation and is considered a challenge for management. A 32-year-old Chinese woman conceived twin pregnancy following IVF-ET. At 22 weeks' gestation, an additional intrauterine echogenic mass with features of PHM were shown by successive ultrasound examinations. At 35 weeks' gestation, two live male infants and two placentas were delivered by caesarean section (CS). Histologic examination of the abnormal placenta confirmed mosaic PHM. Genetic study showed the abnormal placental mosaicism (expressed in molar-69XXY and normal vili-46XY), co-existing with a hypospadia new-born (46XY) in one amniotic sac. However, the other one was normal. Serial serum β-hCG levels showed a declining trend and serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) were undetectable at 6 months after delivery. The case demonstrated that it is possible to prolonged gestation by PHM under close surveillance during the entire pregnancy.
Adult ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Hydatidiform Mole ; genetics ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Mosaicism ; Placenta ; metabolism ; pathology ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Twin ; genetics

The only difference of primary structure between single-chain prourokinase (pro-UK or scu-PA) and two-chain urokinase (UK or tcu-PA) is the cleavage of a single peptide bond (Lys158-Ile159) and transform scu-PA into its active two-chain form. A 13-peptide (Thr-Leu-Arg-Pro-Arg-Phe-Lys-Ile-Ile-Gly-Gly-Glu-Cys), which spans the cleavage peptide bond, was synthesized and linked to KLH (Keyhole limpet hemocyanin). The Balb/c mice were immunized by the conjugated protein with proper adjuvant. According to the Kohler and Milstein's methods, a hybridoma cell line G7 secreting monoclonal antibody specific for scu-PA was obtained. The anti-scu-PA McAb, purified from the supernatant of porous microcarrier hybridoma cell culture, was conjugated to CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B to prepare an immuno-affinity chromatography column. The u-PA was purified only by this affinity column from the supernatant of cultivating the u-PA-producing recombinant CHO cell, the u-PA recovery ratio is 90.4%, the purification factor was about 50, with the specific activity of 1.2 x 10(5) IU/mg, the scu-PA ratio in the u-PA product was 96.3%. Compared to immuno-affinity chromatography, the 3-step process for purifying u-PA (cation-exchange column, gel filtration column and benzamidine affinity column) has a u-PA recovery ratio of about 65%, with a specific activity of 1.0 x 10(5) IU/mg, and an scu-PA ratio of about 90%. These results showed that immuno-affinity chromatography is simple to recover u-PA and effective to separate scu-PA from tcu-PA.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Chromatography, Affinity ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Recombinant Proteins ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator ; immunology ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo provide some new evidences for the classification and identification of medicinal materials of Curcuma.

METHODThe optical microscope and electronic microsccopic scaning were used to characterize the leaves of Curcuma.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONThere were no obvious histological and morphological differences among the leaves of Curcuma. But the differences in the hair distribution, stoma density and size , shape and size of epidermic cells could be considered to be the main features for the microscopic identification of leaves of Curcuma.

China ; Curcuma ; classification ; ultrastructure ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Pharmacognosy ; Plant Epidermis ; cytology ; ultrastructure ; Plant Leaves ; cytology ; ultrastructure ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; ultrastructure ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo study the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence of residents living in a village located in rural region of central China where the paid blood donors used to be popular.

METHODSAll residents of one village "ZY" were asked to participate in HIV serologic screening test. Those over the age of 16 and participated in HIV serologic test was followed to undergo an indoor interview a week later, to finish a questionnaire, which including information on demography, marital status, smoking and drinking habits, history of blood donation, sexual behavior and history of drug use. Names on those either died from AIDS or having HIV serologic testing before were collected from local hospitals and the Center of Disease Control and Prevention.

RESULTSThere were in total 2364 residents in 527 households in "ZY" village including 1551 residents participated in the HIV serologic screening test, and 926 completed questionnaires. A total of 115 HIV seropositive residents were found in the HIV screening. 5 had been undergone HIV screening tests before, and 24 died of AIDS. The HIV prevalence of the whole population was 9.1% (CI: 7.7% - 10.6%). There were 19.6% households had at least one member living with HIV, out of which 25% had over two HIV seropositive members. No significant difference was found between genders with respect to HIV prevalence. 40 - 50 years old group had the highest HIV prevalence, significantly differed from other age groups. The HIV prevalence among former paid blood donors was 22.4%. The proportions of getting HIV infection through routes of blood transfusion, sex and mother-to-child, were 0.9%, 9.6% and 5.2% respectively among 115 HIV seropositive residents.

CONCLUSIONSome villages in the rural regions of central China showed high HIV prevalence. Former paid blood donation was responsible for the main transmission route in these villages. However, sexual transmission and mother-to-child transmission were becoming dominant routes in general population which called for effective action be taken to contain the spread of HIV.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Blood Donors ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; HIV Seropositivity ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; HIV Seroprevalence ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged ; Rural Population