Objective To explore the relationship between the microsatellite markers on chromosome 6 and the phenotypes of atopy. Methods Sixteen microsatellite markers on chromosome 6 were evaluated in 20 affected sib pair and trios families. Linkage disequilibrium analysis was conducted according to asthmatic phenotypes (total IgE, skin prick test, bronchial hyper responsiveness and eosinophil) by ETDT software system. Results Significant P value( P

Objective To study the effect of inflammatory cytokines on diabetic nephropathy.Methods Blood glucose(BG),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),serum creatinine(Scr) and 24 hour urinary protein(24hUPro) were detected at the end of 4 weeks and 8 weeks study in male SD rats.The rats were divided into diabetes(DM) group and normal control(NC) group.Kidney weight/body weight ratio(KI) of rats were measured and calculated.Kidney pathological changes were observed by light microscope and electron microscope.Expressions of interleukin-18(IL-18),intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-?) in glomeruli were detected by immunohistochemical staining.Results Compared with homochronous NC group,BG,KI,24hUPro,Scr and expressions of IL-18,ICAM-1,TNF-? were significantly higher in DM group(P

The serum level of 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 was determined in patients with type 2 diabetes,diabetic nephropathy,and healthy objects..The results demonstrated that the serum 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 level in type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy was lower than that in the healthy objects or type 2 diabetes objects.Blood β2-M,total cholesterol,creatinine,24 h urinary albumin,and course of illness in type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy have relationship with serum 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

BACKGROUND: Islet transplantation is an effective method for the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus and parts of type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, its application is hindered by insufficient sources and immunologic rejection. Though transdifferentiation of pancreatic stem cells is at the starting step, it is thought to be the hopeful source for islet cell transplantation.OBJECTIVE: To look for a suitable cells-transplantation source for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. METHODS: The pancreatic ductal epithelial cells were separated from Kunming mice and cultured in DMEM/F12 medium supplemented with keratinocyte growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor and nicotinamide, etc. Samples were taken at different time points for light microscopy and electron microscope. The changes of CK-19 and PDX-1 were detected by immunocytochemistry at 1 and 16 days. The expressions of insulin and glucagon gene were detected by RT-PCR at 1 and 16 days. The physiologic function of these islet-like clusters was determined by dithizone staining and glucose stimulation at 21 days. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A large number of epitheliod cells were CK-19 immunoreactive positive and few of them were PDX-1 positive at 1 day after isolation, then CK-19 positive cells proliferated quickly and formed substantial plaques of epithelial cells in cobblestone pattern. At 16 days later, these cells begin to form islet-like clusters gradually, while most of them were PDX-1 immunoreactive positive. The analysis of mRNA by RT-PCR showed very low levels of insulin and glucagon mRNA in the starting materials but increase was found as the process of transdifferentiation. At 21 day differentiated islet-like clusters were stained red by dithizone. In those samples exposed to a stimulatory 15 mmol/L glucose, there was a 1.6-fold increase in insulin compared with to 5.6 mmol/L glucose (P < 0.05). Pancreatic ductal cells of adult Kunming mice could proliferate quickly and have the potency of transdifferentiation into islet-like clusters when cultured in vitro under appropriate conditions.

Objective To analyze the clinical and pathological characteristics of thyroid nodules.Methods A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 2843 Han patients with thyroid nodules from January 2009 to June 2011 in Henan province was performed.Results The most high-risk of thyroid nodule resided in the group aged 45-54.The main pathological manifestation was simple nodular goiter.The rate of preoperative misdiagnosis was 2.4％.22.1％ of the patients with thyroid nodules showed abnormal thyroid function,which was mainly as subclinical thyroid dysfunction.The positive rate of thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) in patients with thyroid nodule was 19.8％ while that of thyroid globulin antibody (TgAb) was 20.0％.Among all 2843 subjects,the prevalence of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) was 28.8％,and the incidence of DTC was accompanied by raised TSH levels.The prevalence of DTC exceeded 40％ in patients aged between 25 to 34 as well as more than 74 years old.The prevalence of DTC was up to 33.8％ in TgAb positive patients.There was no difference in TPOAb levels between DTC patients and non DTC patients (P =0.406),but the TgAb level in patients with DTC was significantly higher than that of non DTC patients (P =0.033).Conclusion Thyroid nodule patients aged 25-34 or older than 74 formed high-risk groups of DTC.The serum TSH level and TgAb level were positively correlated with the risk of DTC.

Objective To evaluate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25 (OH) D3],parathyroid hormone,and arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes.Methods Serum 25 (OH) D3 and parathyroid hormone(PTH) were determined in a cross-sectional sample of 258 patients aged 30 years and over.Arterial stiffness was assessed by pulse wave velocity(PWV) obtained with a VP-1000 pulse wave unit.Fasting plasma HbA1c,lipid profile,calcium,and high sensitive-C reactive protein were determined.Results (1)The prevalence of vitamin D3 deficiency was high(79.84％) in patients with type 2 diabetes.(2) Those with lowered serum vitamin D3 levels had raised PWV [(1610.76 ± 142.70 vs 1527.95 ± 58.02) cm/s,P＜0.05].(3) Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that 25 (OH) D3 was an impact factor of PWV risk score,which was independent of age,duration of diabetes,and systolic blood pressure(β =-0.256,P＜0.01).(4) Serum PTH was positively correlated with PWV (r =0.210,P ＜ 0.05) and systolic blood pressure (r =0.229,P ＜ 0.05),but negatively correlated with 25 (OH) D3 (r =-0.153,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions 25 (OH) D3 deficiency is common in patients with type 2diabetes,and a low serum 25 (OH) D3 level is significantly associated with increased arterial stiffness in these patients.The association of serum PTH with arterial stiffness may result via changes in vitamin D and blood pressure.

Objective To review the clinical features,etiology and differential diagnosis of hypopituitarism.Methods The clinical data of 260 patients with hypopituitarism admitted to our hospital during 2007 to 2011 were retrospectively analyzed.Results In 260 patients 96 were males and 164 were females,the average age of female patients was significantly higher than that of males[ (44 ± 16) vs.(32 ± 20) years; t =3.821,P =0.001 ].Patients under 20 years accounted for the highest proportion in male cases (38/96,39.6％) ; while patients aged 40 - 60 years were the highest proportion for female cases (86/164,52.4％).Pituitary tumor and postoperative damage was the most common cause for hypopituitarism accounting for 36.2％ (94/260),followed by Sheehan syndrome (86/260,33.1％).The most common manifestation of hypopituitarism was anemia (102 eases) ; 26 cases presented all pituitary function failure.The causes leading to hypopituitarism usually showed specific manifestations in imaging examinations.The overall misdiagnosis rate was 40.4％ (105/260)in this series,while that of etiological diagnosis was 25.4％ (66/260).Conclusions This study suggests that hypopituitarism caused by different causes can be diagnosed by disease history,clinical manifestations and pituitary imaging examination.

Total 306 patients with early stage diabetes were enrolled in the study, after follow-up for 67 ± 8 months, the data of 288 cases were analyzed with survival analysis method. At the end of study 64 out 288 patients had high serum uric acid and the remaining 224 had normal uric acid levels. The prevalence of dominant proteinuria and reduced GFR were significantly higher in patients with high serum uric acid than those with normal serum uric acid (47. 36% vs 30. 29% and 66. 14% vs 37.72%, respectively, both P <0. 05). The results suggest that high level of serum uric acid is a risk factor for the progress of diabetic nephropathy.

Objective To study the effects and mechanisms of resveratrol (Resv) on the expression of adiponectin receptors ( AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 ) in rat mesangial cells (MCs) cultured in intermittent high glucose medium.Methods The MCs cultured in normal glucose ( 5.6 mmol/L) medium were transfected by the plasmid vector of the FoxO1 short hairpin RNAs ( FoxO1 shRNA ),and then cultured in intermittent high glucose medium (5.6mmol/L or 30 mmol/L,alternately every 8 hours ) and resveratrol ( Resv 20 μmol/L).The MCs cultured in normal glucose (5.6 mmol/L) medium served as normal glucose control group (NG),and the MCs exposed to iutermittent high glucose medium were divided into five groups:intermittent high glucose group (IHG),IHG+Resv group,IHG+FoxO1 shRNA group,IHG+ Resv + FoxO1 shRNA group,IHG + Negative control group ( shNC ),each group was cultured for 72 h.The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was assessed by Fluorescence microplate reader.The mRNA levels of Sirt1,Foxo1,AdipoR1,and AdipoR2 were assessed by RT-RCR.The protein levels of FoxO1,phosphorylation FoxO1 ( p-FoxO1 ),AdipoR1,and AdipoR2 were assessed by Western blotting.Results ( 1 )Compared with NG,intermittent high glucose significantly decreased the mRNA expression of Sirt1,but markedly increased the level of p-FoxO1.Furthermore,the mRNA and protein expression levels of AdipoR1 were obviously decreased while the level of ROS was enhanced in IHG ( all P＜0.05 ).(2) Compared with IHG,the mRNA and protein expression levels of FoxO1 and AdipoR1 were inhibited,but the level of ROS was enhanced in group IHG+FoxO1 shRNA ( all P＜0.05 ).( 3 ) Compared with IHG,after treating with Resv,the mRNA expression level of Sirtl was increased,whereas the level of p-FoxO1 was decreased.Moreover,the mRNA and protein levels of AdipoR1 was increased while the level of ROS was lowered in group IHG+Resv (all P＜0.05 ).(4) Compared with group IHG+Resv,the mRNA and protein levels of FoxO1 and AdipoR1 were inhibited,but the level of ROS was increased in group IHG+Resv+FoxO1 shRNA (all P＜O.05).(5) In addition,the mRNA and protein expression level of AdipoR2 showed no significant difference among these groups ( P＞0.05 ).Conclusion ( 1 ) Resveratrol significantly increases the expression of AdipoR1 in MCs induced by intermittent high glucose.( 2 ) FoxO1 plays an important role in regulating the expression of AdipoR1 by resveratrol.

Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were treated with resveratrol for 12 weeks.Compared with group of diabetic rats without treatment,the levels of urine albumin,serum creatinine,and blood urea nitrogen were significantly decreased and pathological changes in kidney were improved in treatment group ( P＜0.05 ).The mRNA expressions of FoxO1 and catalase were higher and FoxO1 phosphorylation level in diabetic rats treated with resveratrol was lower than that in diabetic rats without treatment (P＜0.05),suggesting that resveratrol may protect the kidneys of diabetic rats via regulating expression of FoxO1.