OBJECTIVETo evaluate the biomechanical and clinical effect of the treatment of thoracolumbar fracture with monosegmental pedicle instrumentation in the fracture vertebrae by endplate method.

METHODSTwenty-four porcine thoracolumbal spinal model, divided into four groups randomly, compared the stability of these four groups through pull-out testing. Retrospective study of 49 patients with thoracolumbar fracture who were treated with this technique, to observe the fusion of bone graft, the height of the anterior and posterior range, the angle of kyphosis and the volume of spinal canal, the loss of rectification, low back pain, and the limitation of activity of lumbar.

RESULTSThe endplate method group is more stability than the parallel method group, and the pedicle screw in the fracture vertebrae can get enough stability. After operation all 49 cases achieved satisfactory reduction, strong bone fusion, no reduction loss, no refractoriness low back pain, limitation of motion of lumbar et al.

CONCLUSIONMonosegmental pedicle instrumentation by endplate method in the fracture vertebrae for thoracolumbar fracture can get enough extraction stability, and get satisfied clinical effect.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone Screws ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; methods ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; injuries ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fractures ; surgery ; Swine ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; injuries ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

This study was aimed to investigate the c-kit mutation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with AML1-ETO and analyze its relation with clinical and laboratorial features and prognosis. PCR and sequencing methods were used to detect the c-kit 17 exon mutations in 31 AML patients with AML1-ETO. The relation of the c-kit mutation with clinical features, results of laboratorial examination and prognosis of disease were analyzed. The results showed that the c-kit mutation was found in 14 out of 31 AML patients and the mutation frequency was 45.16%. Male patients had a higher incidence of c-kit mutation than that of female patients (P = 0.020). The proportion of patients with newly diagnosed white blood cell>10×10(9)/L and with extramedullary infiltration in mutated group were higher than those in unmutated group respectively. No significant difference was observed at the age (P = 0.437) and the rate of bone marrow blasts(P = 0.510) between the above mentioned two groups. The difference in complete remission rate (64.29% vs 80%, P = 0.344)and relapse rate (58.33% vs 21.43%, P = 0.054) between c-kit mutated and c-kit unmutated groups were not significant. While the c-kit mutated group had a significant higher death rate as compared with c-kit unmutated group (57.14% vs 20%, P = 0.039). It is concluded that the c-kit mutation is frequent in AML patients with AML1-ETO and the c-kit mutated patients have a poor prognosis. It is important to detect c-kit mutation in routine clinical practice for patient's risk stratification, evaluation of prognosis and selection of effective treatment.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion ; genetics ; Prognosis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; genetics ; RUNX1 Translocation Partner 1 Protein ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effects on allografts and the possible mechanism of adeno-associated heme-oxygenase-1 (AdHO-1) gene therapy against chronic rejection injury.

METHODSEx vivo AdHO-1 gene therapy was performed in vascular and renal transplantation models. The structure and function, the expression of therapeutic genes and proteins, and the immune modulation were analyzed.

RESULTSAdHO-1 gene therapy protected renal transplant against chronic rejection, but the effect was not as remarkable as that in vascular transplant. The transfected empty vehicle aggravated chronic rejection damage in renal transplantation. AdHO-1 decreased the infiltration of macrophages and CD4(+) T cells.

CONCLUSIONSAdHO-1 gene therapy can lessen damage of chronic rejection in allografts. It plays roles by protecting transplants, down-regulating immune response and inducing immune deviation.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Blood Vessels ; transplantation ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; Chronic Disease ; Genetic Therapy ; methods ; Genetic Vectors ; Graft Rejection ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Graft Survival ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; genetics ; Kidney Transplantation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Macrophages ; pathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred Lew ; Transfection ; Transplantation, Homologous

OBJECTIVEBenzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) is a plasticizer used in food contact materials. Dietary exposure to BBP might lead to reproduction and developmental damages to human. The present paper was aimed to assess the health risk of BBP dietary exposure in Chinese population.

METHODSThe BBP contents were detected in 7409 food samples from 25 food categories by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry operated in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The dietary exposures of BBP in different age and sex groups were estimated by combining the content data with food consumption data derived from 2002 China National Nutrient and Health Survey, and evaluated according to the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of BBP established by European Food safety Agency.

RESULTSIt was found that BBP was undetectable in most samples and the highest level was 1.69 mg/kg detected in a vegetable oil sample. The average dietary exposure of BBP in people aged ⋝2 years was 1.03 μg/kg bw per day and the highest average exposure was found in 2-6 years old children (1.98 μg/kg bw per day). The BBP exposure in 7-12 months old children excessed 10% of tolerable daily intake (TDI) in worst scenario. .

CONCLUSIONThe health risk of BBP dietary exposure in Chinese population is low and, considering BBP alone, there is no safety concern.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Diet ; Environmental Exposure ; Environmental Pollutants ; analysis ; Female ; Food Contamination ; analysis ; Food Packaging ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phthalic Acids ; analysis ; Plasticizers ; analysis ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship of the mutational status of the ND4 gene and the clinical features of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patients with ND4 mutations.

METHODSUsing PCR combined with directly sequencing, we identified somatic mutations of ND4 in 121 primary AML patients to couple with their clinical features.

RESULTSThere were 58 male patients and 63 female patients (median age 49 years, 10-86 years). Eight of 121 patients (6.6%) with de novo AML were found harboring missense mutation of ND4 gene, including 3 patients with A131V (3/8, 37.5%), 2 patients with A404T (2/8, 25%), 1 patient with F149L (1/8, 12.5%), 1 patient with G242D (1/8, 12.5%) and 1 patient with Y409H (1/8, 12.5%), respectively. Patients with ND4 mutations were associated with good karyotype (P=0.049), regardless of gender, age, white blood cell, hemoglobin, platelet, blast cells of bone marrow or immunophenotype (P>0.05). There were no statistical significance in mutations of FLT3-ITD, NPM1, CEBPA, c-KIT and DNMT3A between patients with ND4 mutation and wild-type (wt) ND4 (P>0.05). The median overall survival of patients with ND4 mutations and wt ND4 were all not reached. The median relapse-free survival were not reached and 29(2-53) months, respectively (P>0.05). There was no significance in the ratio of CR and RR patients between wt ND4 and ND4 mutated groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONIt was concluded that novel ND4 mutations could be found in de novo AML patients, especially in patients with good karyotype. Thus, ND4 mutations might play an important role in AML prognosis. However, whether the mitochondria dysfunction contribute to leukemogenesis needs to be further investigated.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; NADH Dehydrogenase ; genetics ; Prognosis ; Young Adult