Objective To assess the analytical performance of hs-cTnT and biological variations in healthy population as well as establish hs-cTnT reference intervals. Methods The serum samples from 100 acute myocardial infraction patients and 474 apparently healthy subjects were collected. The functional sensitivity,within- and between-run imprecision were determined. The hs-cTnT assay and con-cTnT assay were evaluated. The serum hs-cTnT levels were detected in apparently healthy subjects to establish reference intervals. Moreover,the long-term and short-term biological variations for hs-cTnT in healthy volunteers were assessed. Results The functional sensitivity of hs-cTnT was 0. 005 μg/L. The within- and between-run precision for lower level control(0. 014 μg/L) and higher level control(2. 500 μg/L) was 2. 97% vs 3. 64%and 0. 66% vs 1.01% ,respectively. The correlation between hs-cTnT assay and con-cTnT assay was good ( R2 =0. 972 ,P ＜0. 01 ). The 99th percentile in apparently healthy subjects was 0. 003 μg/L for women less than60 years, 0.008 μg/L for men less than 60 years, 0.015 μg/L for women above 60 years and 0. 021 μg/L for men above 60 years. The CVa, CVi, CVg and CVt of short-term biological variations in detecting hs-cTnT from 22 apparently healthy subjects were 3.8%, 4. 8%, 49.9% and 58.5%,respectively. The CVa,CVi ,CVg and CVt of long-term biological variations were 5. 3% ,6. 4% ,56. 6% and 68. 3% respectively. Conclusions The analytical performance of the hs-cTnT is better than con-cTnT assay,achieving acceptable level according to guideline. Our experimental result could provide the basis for the new high sensitivity cTnT assay in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.

Compared with living spray method, it focused on the investigation of different inoculation methods, various inoculation concentration and the influence of different seeding age on soft rot-resistance in Jinxianlian. The results showed that (1) Inoculated with dropping connection, the difference of disease index between A. roxburghii and A. formosanus was grate, so that the disease-resistance could be obviously distinguished. (2) When the inoculation concentration was 1.0 x 10(7) cfu x mL(-1), the difference of disease index was relatively obvious and the disease-resistance could be differentiated well. (3) At the moment of 4-month seeding inoculation, a certain difference of the disease index between A. roxburghii and A. formosanus was existed, so, relatively, it could accurately reflect the resistance difference between various species. With the inoculation of dropping connection, A. roxburghii and A. formosanus of 4-month seeding age was put in the bacteria suspension of inoculation concentration of 1.0 x 10(7) cfu x mL(-1). The identification was taken up after 5 days in the incubator under the condition of 14 h daylight and 28 degrees C. The identification result was conformed with that of the living spray method. To investigate the identification method of in vitro evaluation of soft rot-resistance of Jinxianlian so as to provide the foundation for germplasm utilization and excellent cultivars breeding.
Plant Diseases ; microbiology

The aerolysin genes (aerA) of BZ and NK isolates were cloned and sequenced. The sequence analysis showed that the partial aerA of BZ and NK isolates consisted of 1393 bp, encoding a protein of 464 amino acids. The similarity of nucleotide and amino acid sequences of aerA between BZ and NK isolates was 97.6% and 98.3% respectively. The nucleotide sequence of aerA of BZ strain exhibited 71.6% to 97.5% homology with other Aeromonas isolates, and the amino acid sequence exhibited 68.0% to 98.9% homology. The phylogenetic tree based on aerA nucleotide sequences from Aeromonas isolates was constructed with neighbor-joining method. It showed that there were three branches of aerolysin genes, and a close relation- ship among Aeromonas hydrophila isolates which were clustered into the same branch.

Objective To explore the attitudes and reasons of smoking among male mental illness patients to pointed restrain smoking.Methods A total of 217 male mental illness patients were surveyed with self-restraint scale.Results 34.1％ of male mental illness patients smokes.The first three reasons of smoking are 1.to stabilize mood and ease anxious(68.2％),2.to feel bored(58.0％ ),and 3.to eliminate fatigue (56.5％ ). The first three attitudes of quitting smoking are 1. The illness was not caused by smoking (58.0％),2.Smoking help refresh oneself ( 58.0％ ) and 3.One has no other bad hobby except smoking (47.8％).Conclusions To achieve the aim of quit smoking or restrain smoking,we should develop a variety of means and forms of heath education to strengthen the awareness of the harm of smoking.Rich and colorful activities in the hospital should also be carried out for the patients to reduce the habitual action of the mouth and fingers of the patients.

Adult ; Brain ; pathology ; Brain Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Ganglioglioma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial ; pathology ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Synaptophysin ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the effects of mannan-binding lectin(MBL) on TNF-α production induced by peptidoglycan (PGN) and its mechanism in human THP-1/CD14 monocytes.Methods The THP-1/CD14 cells were stimulated for 24 h with PGN at the indicated ratios after pretreated with human natural MBL at concentrations ranging from 1 to 20 mg/L for 2 h.The content of TNF-α and IL-6 in culture supernatants were detected by ELISA,and the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA expressions in these cells were determined by RT-PCR.FACS was used to investigate the interaction of MBL with THP-1/CD14 cells and the impact of MBL on PGN binding to THP-1/CD14 cells.Western blot was used to detect PGN-induced NF-κB translocation in THP-1/CD14 cells.Results ELISA showed that secretion of TNF-α and IL-6 from THP-1/CD14 cells could be induced by PGN ;The productions of TNF-α and IL-6 by THP-1/CD14 cells induced with PGN were profoundly inhibited by MBL at higher concentrations (10-20 mg/L) but not MBL at lower concentrations (1 mg/L).RT-PCR analysis also indicated that the mRNA expressions of TNF-α and IL-6 in THP-1/CD14 cells were decreased by MBL at higher concentration,compared to the corresponding THP-1/CD14 cells stimulated with PGN only.FACS showed that the binding of MBL to THP-1/CD14 cells was evident in a Ca2+-dependent manner.PGN could competitively inhibit the binding of MBL to THP-1/CD14 cells.MBL could competitively inhibit the binding of PGN to THP-1/CD14 cells by binding to THP-1/CD14 cells directly.Similarly,MBL at higher concentration (20 mg/L) decreased the NF-κB translocation in THP-1/CD14 cells.Conclusion MBL may inhibit TNF-α and IL-6 production induced by PGN in THP-1/CD14 cells through NF-κB signaling pathways,suggesting that MBL can play some roles in the regulation of PGN-induced inflammatory response.

Objective To observe the expressions ofinterleukin-17A (IL-17A) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) in the peripheral brain tissue of nidus after microsurgical resection of brain arterivenous malformations (AVM),and their significance.Methods We prospectively chose 25 patients with AVM; 12 of them were performed endovascular embolization and then microsurgical removal (Group A),and the other 13 were performed microsurgical removal only (Group B).Another 6 patients with traumatic brain injury and hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage that needed internal decompression were used as controls.The expressions of IL-17A and TGF-β in these brain tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR.Results The protein and mRNA expressions of IL-17A in Group A and B were significantly increased as compared with those in the controls (P＜0.05);the protein and mRNA expressions of IL-17A in Group A were significantly decreased as compared with those in Group B (P＜0.05).The protein and mRNA expressions of TGF-β in Group A and B were significantly decreased as compared with those in the controls (P＜0.05); the protein expression of IL-17A in Group A was not significantly increased as compared with that in Group B (P＞0.05); the mRNA expression of IL-17A in Group A was significantly increased as compared with that in Group B (P＜ 0.05).Conclusion The increased expression of IL-17A might be associated with the growth and pathologic process of AVM; the increased expression of TGF-β might inhibit the inflammatory reaction after embolization.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect and mechanism of tagalsin on hepatoma cells.

METHODSThe animal models were established by transplanting H(22) mouse hepatoma cells to mouse liver, and ten days later the mice were randomly divided into five groups: blank group, carmofur positive group and tagalsin groups, including low-dose, middle-dose and high-dose groups. Then medicine or oil was given to the mice by gastric gavage in consecutive 5 days with a 2-days interval as a course of treatment, two courses in all. All mice were killed at 24 hours after medication, and the survival period, ascites conditions, aggressive conditions intra- or extra-liver, weight changes, tumor volume and spleen index of the tumor-bearing mice were observed. Pathological changes of the tumors were examined. Apoptotic factors p53 and Bcl-2 protien and mRNA were detected by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTStagalsin inhibited the hepatoma growth effectively without influencing spleen index to some extent. The tumor inhibition rate of tagalsin low, middle and high dose groups were 17.9%, 63.1% and 71.8%, respectively. Immunohistochemical results showed that the p53 and Bcl-2 protein positive cell counts of the positive control and experimental groups were significantly lower than those of the blank group (P < 0.01). RT-PCR results showed that the p53 mRNA expression was significantly enhanced and Bcl-2 mRNA expression was decreased in the positive control groups and tagalsin treatment groups, especially in the high dose group, compared with those of the blank group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONStagalsin can inhibit the growth of mouse hepatoma cells significantly. The mechanism of its anti-tumor effect may work via up-regulating the wild type p53 gene expression and down-regulating Bcl-2 gene expression and thus regulating tumor cell apoptosis.

Animals ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Diterpenes ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mice ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rhizophoraceae ; chemistry ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the degree of sexual dysfunction in an unselected population of men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) accompanied by lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), and to assess the correlation between sexual dysfunction and urinary symptoms and age.

METHODSA total of 88 men with symptomatic BPH were investigated using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), Brief Sexual Function Inventory (BSFI), and the measurement of urinary flow rate, the total prostatic volume and serum testosterone. Regression analysis was used to determine the correlation among the variables.

RESULTSThe mean age of the patients was (67.90 +/- 7.59) years, the mean IPSS score was (18.4 +/- 7. 79), and the mean IIEF-5 was (8.50 +/- 8.98). There were 76 cases of erectile dysfunction (86.36%). Among the BSFI scores, the mean sexual drive score was (1.92 +/- 2.21), the mean erectile function score was (4.18 +/- 4.96), the mean ejaculation score was (2.55 +/- 3.57), the mean problem assessment score was (10.44 +/- 3.57), and the mean overall satisfaction score was (1.90 +/- 1.37). Among the 88 cases, 65 (72.86%) had poor sexual drive, 70 (79.55%) erectile dysfunction, and 60 (68.18%) poor ejaculation. There was statistically significant correlation between age and sexual symptom scores for erection (gamma = -0.552, P = 0.000), IIEF-5 scores (gamma = - 0.567, P = 0.000), and IPSS (gamma = 0.213, P = 0.047) as well as between IPSS and sexual symptom scores for erection and overall satisfaction (gamma = -0.332, P = 0.002 and gamma = -0.302, P = 0.005). IIEF-5 scores were significantly correlated with sexual symptom scores for each of the three categories (sexual drive, erection and ejaculation) (P < 0.05). Serum testosterone did not correlate to age, IIEF-5 scores and sexual function (P > 0.05), nor did peak urinary flow rate and total prostatic volume to IPSS, IIEF-5 scores and sexual function (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONResults of this study suggest that age and LUTS are risk factors of sexual function, and sexual dysfunction is closely related to the severity of LUTS.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Coitus ; Erectile Dysfunction ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; complications ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Testosterone ; blood ; Urination Disorders ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Urodynamics

Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Keratin-5 ; metabolism ; Keratins ; metabolism ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Prostate ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery