OBJECTIVETo observe the difference in the therapeutic effects on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) among auricular electroacupuncture therapy plus isolated moxibustion with Lingxian herbal paste (combined therapy), electroacupuncture (EA) and TDP irradiation.

METHODSEighty-nine cases were randomized into three groups. In the combined therapy group (30 cases), the auricular electroacupuncture therapy was adopted together with the isolated moxibustion with Lingxian herbal paste. The auricular points were xi (AH4), pizhixia (AT4), shenmen (TF4), etc. The Lingxian herbal paste was applied at Yanglingquan (GB 34), Dubi (ST 35), Zusanli (ST 36), Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Heding (EX-LE 2) and Ashi points. In EA group (29 cases), EA was applied at the acupoints that were same as those in the isolated moxibustion with Lingxian herbal paste. In TDP group (30 cases), TDP irradiation was given at the affected knee. The treatment was given once every day, 10 treatments made one session and there was 1 week at the interval among sessions. Totally, 3 sessions of treatment were required. KOA clinical symptom and physical sign score and the single item pain symptom score of Lequesne index were observed before treatment and 1 week after treatment in the patients of each group separately. The efficacies were compared among the three groups.

RESULTSOne week after treatment, the total score of symptoms and physical signs of the patients in each group was reduced significantly as compared with that before treatment (all P < 0.05). The improvements in the symptoms and physical signs in the combined therapy group were better than those in the other two groups (1.50 +/- 1.57 vs 2.52 +/- 1.82, 2.63 +/- 1.97, both P < 0.05). The improvement in pain in the combined therapy group was also better than that in the other two groups (2.37 +/- 0.81 vs 2.83 +/- 0.92, P < 0.05; 2.37 +/- 0.81 vs 3.03 +/- 0.77, P < 0.01). The curative rate in the combined therapy group was 40.0% (12/30), which was higher than 17.2% (5/29) in EA group and 20.0% (6/30) in TDP group separately (both P < 0.01). The overall efficacy in the combined therapy group was superior to the other two groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe auricular electroacupuncture therapy plus isolated moxibustion with Lingxian herbal paste is advantageous at the total score of the symptoms and physical signs and the overall efficacy in the patients of KOA as compared with EA at the local acupoints and local TDP irradiation.

Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; drug effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Actins ; metabolism ; Angiomyolipoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; Desmin ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Mediastinum ; pathology ; surgery ; Melanoma-Specific Antigens ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Proteins ; metabolism

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of cell free fetal DNA(cffDNA)-based noninvasive prenatal diagnosis,we developed a precise technique for fetal sex determining region of Y chromosome(SRY)gene detection using size-fractionated cell-free DNA in maternal plasma.Methods Peripheral blood samples were collected form 117 pregnant women.cffDNA was extracted based on a column absorbent method and isolated by agarose gel electrophoresis.A dulex-polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was used to detected SRY gene and glycerol-dehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase(GAPDH)gene.Results Both SRY and GAPDH gene were detected in 86 cffDNA samples from women bearing male fetuses.And only GAPDH gene was detected in 71 cffDNA samples from women bearing female fetuses.These results had a coincidence whit those of villus or amniotic fluid samples.The specificity and sensitivity reached 100%(117/117)and 100%(66/66),respectively.Conclusion By agarose gel electrophoresis,re-extratedand and dulex PCR,size-fractionated cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma can be selective enriched and used to noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of sex-linked disorders and single gene disorders.

Carcinoma, Medullary ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Keratins ; metabolism ; Kidney Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Squamous Cell ; pathology ; Nephrectomy ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant

Objective To establish a zebrafish IGFBP-2 gene knock-down model by morphilino modified antisense oligonucleotide injection, so as to investigate the abnormal phenotypes of heart and vessels in early stage of zebrafish development and the expression of zebrafish cardiogenesis related genes. Methods The spatiotemporal expression of IGFBP-2 gene in early stage of zebrafish development was testified by whole mount in situ hybridization with antisense RNA IGFBP-2 probe. The IGFBP-2 morpholino (IGFBP-2 MO) that especially inhibited the gene promoter and standard control morpholino (Con-MO) were designed and synthesized by Gene-tools Corporation. Four different concentration gradients (0.05, 0.10, 0.25 and 1.0 mmol/L) were set as IGFBP-MO injection groups with 0.25 mmol/L Con-MO injection group and wild type group as controls. Contribution to the incidence of heart abnormal phenotypes and mortality rate induced by 4 different IGFBP-2 concentrations injection group was recorded and compared with 2 control groups. Heart abnormal phenotypes at different developmental stages in 0.25 mmol/L IGFBP-2 injection group were observed in detail. To validate the effectiveness of IGFBP-2 MO, the expression of enhanced green fluorescence presented by wild type zebrafish embryos at 12hpf which received single injection of IGFBP-2 EGFP recombinant plasmid and those co-injected with Con-MO or IGFBP-2 MO were detected. To investigate the regulation relationship between IGFBP-2 gene and other cardiogenesis related genes, expression of atrium specific marker gene Amhc was detected in IGFBP-2 MO and wild type group by in situ hybridization. Ventricle specific green fluorescence of Vmhc-EGFP transgenic zebrafish embryos whose IGFBP-2 gene was knocked-down were compared with those untreated. Zebrafish peripheral vascular development in the IGFBP-2 MO group was also checked out by micro-angiography. Results Whole mount in situ hybridization revealed that IGFBP-2 gene expressed in turn at eyes, midbrain and then focused on liver in early stage of zebrafish development. The micro-injection of 0.25 mmol/L IGFBP-2 MO resulted in heart malformation in nearly 60% of all injected zebrafish embryos. Heart malformation phenotypes included slow heart beat, pericardial edema, weak ventricle systole contraction and heart tube looping disorder. Some of them represented atria dilation, blood regurgitation and ciculation obstruction. Wild type zebrafish embryos that received single injection of IGFBP-2 EGFP plasmid DNA or co-injected with Con-MO presented strong enhanced green fluorescence at 12hpf, meanwhile, the fluorescence was barely seen in the embryos co-injected with IGFBP-2 MO. This strongly validated the gene specific knock-down effect of IGFBP-2 MO. Amhc was down-regulated at 48hpf in IGFBP-2 MO group. Vmhc-EGFP transgenic zebrafish down-regulated by IGFBP-2 gene also resulted in attenuated expression of ventriclar-specific green fluorescence protein at 48hpf. Intersegmental blood vessels of IGFBP-2 MO group by micro-angiography at 60hpf demonstrated an sparsate and chaos image, which suggested that IGFBP-2 gene expression was involved in the regulation of normal vascular development. Conclusions Micro-injection of IGFBP-2 MO is an efficient way to knock-down IGFBP-2 gene in zebrafish embryos. IGFBP-2 gene expression down-regulation leads to heart and vessels maldevelopment and have an impact on the expression of cardiogenesis related genes of zebrafish embryos as well. In short, IGFBP-2 plays a critical role in the normal cardiovascular development of zebrafish embryos.

Breast Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Skin Neoplasms ; pathology ; secondary

OBJECTIVEObserve and analyze the informations of western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), in order to provide reference for clinical treatment.

METHODSelect patients with CHD in diagnosis of the first place in 17 hospitals, drug informations of these patients were analyzed using frequency method and association rules.

RESULTIn 84 697 patients,there were 47 564 males and 32 882 females. The median age was 71 years old, 76 172 patients have medicine records, including 278 kinds of western medicine and 331 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine. Aspirin was the most common used western medicine (51 132 patients, 67.08%), followed by isosorbide dinitrate, clopidogrel etc. The most common used traditional Chinese medicine was danhong injection, followed by shuxuetong injection. After classified the drugs, at the forefront of western medicine were antiplatelet drugs, nitrates drugs, statins, beta blockers, calcium antagonists, ACEI; the most used in traditional Chinese medicine was injection of blood-activating and stasis-resolving, followed by oral preparations of blood-activating and stasis-resolving medicine, Fuzheng class oral medicine, purgation medicine etc. After association rules, combination therapy among western medicine was the most common, combination of western medicine with blood-activating and stasis-resolving was very commonly, especially antiplatelet drugs and nitrates drugs.

CONCLUSIONWestern medicine in the treatment of patients with CHD was in accordance with the guidelines recommend, but with the lower utilization rate. Traditional Chinese medicine has become an important method for the treatment of CHD, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine treatment in patients with CHD.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists ; therapeutic use ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Aspirin ; therapeutic use ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Coronary Disease ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Nitrates ; therapeutic use ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; therapeutic use

Chondrosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Thoracic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Thoracic Wall ; Vimentin ; metabolism

Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kidney ; chemistry ; pathology ; surgery ; Kidney Diseases, Cystic ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Kidney Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mucin-1 ; metabolism ; Nephrectomy

OBJECTIVETo study the specific immune response induced by a recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid encoding bcr-abl fusion gene fragment so as to explore new immunotherapy in mouse.

METHODSA recombinant eukaryotic vector pVbcr-abl expression cDNA fragment of bcr-abl fusion gene was constructed and used to immunize BALB/c mice. Serum level of bcr-abl specific antibody was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Twenty days later the immunized mice were subcutaneously inoculated SP2/0/bcr-abl cells. The survival time, tumor growth time and lymphocytic infiltration were observed. T cells infiltration into tumor tissue was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Changes of T cell subset in the spleen of mice was analyzed by fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS) and the cytotoxicity T lymphocyte (CTL) activity in spleen by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)-release assay.

RESULTSThe eukaryotic expression vector pVbcr-abl was constructed successfully, and highly expressed the cDNA fragment of bcr-abl fusion gene. The BALB/c mice immunized with the vector could generate the specific antibody and CTL, resulting in a specific immunoprotection. There were dramatic differences in the tumor-forming time, tumor ulcer appearing time and tumor-growing speed between the immunized and the control groups. The mice had longer survival time in the immunized group than in the control group. There were a large amount of CD3(+) T cells infiltration in tumor tissue of the immunized mice. The spleen cells from the immunized mice had higher CTL activity with a alteration of T cell subset, the CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio being 1.54 +/- 0.29, higher than that of control group (1.18 +/- 0.30).

CONCLUSIONThe recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid pVbcr-abl can induce in vivo not only the generation of specific antibody, but also high level of specific CTL activity, resulting in killing the SP2/0/bcr-abl tumor cells directly and inhibiting the tumor growth.

Animals ; Female ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Vectors ; Immunotherapy ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Transfection