OBJECTIVETo compare clinical efficacy of Zero-profile implant for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion and conventional titanium plate with cage internal fixation for the treatment of single segmental cervical intervertebral disc herniation.

METHODSFrom August 2011 to March 2014, clinical data of 139 patients with single cervical disc herniation treated with anterior cervical discectomy and interbody fusion with internal fixation were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups according to its operation method. There were 63 patients in group A which performed anterior discectomy and interbody fusion with Zero-profile;76 patients in group B which performed anterior cervical discectomy and cage plate internal fixation. JOA score and Odom functional rating between two groups were compared before and after operation. Videofluorographic swallowing study (VFSS) were used to evaluate thickness of prevertebral soft tissue. Bazaz dysphagia score were used to assess incidence of dysphagia. Postoperative AP X-ray and CT of cervical vertebra at 12 months were applied for evaluating bone graft fusion. Postoperative MRI was applied for evaluating the incidence of adjacent segment degeneration. Blood loss,operative time, preoperative and postoperative JOA score, Odom functional rating and VFSS score, Bazaz score, fusion rate between vertebral bodies and incidence of adjacent segment degeneration were compared between two groups.

RESULTSThere were no statistical meaning between two groups in JOA score, Odom functional rating before and after operation (P > 0.05); and no significant meaning in VFSS score between two groups before operation (P > 0.05); There were no significant difference in operative time and blood loss. There was statistical meaning in VFSS, Bazaz dysphagia score at 2 days, and 6 months after operation (P < 0.05). All patients obtained bone union at 1 year after operation, and no obvious meaning in fusion rate (P > 0.05). Eight patients (12.7%) in group A occurred adjacent segment degeneration and 19 patients (25%) in group B occurred adjacent segment degeneration, and there was significant meaning between two groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONBoth of Zero-profile implant for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion and conventional cage internal fixation for the treatment of single segmental cervical intervertebral disc herniation could obtain satisfied clinical results. While Zero-profile implant for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion has advantages of lower incidence of adjacent segment degeneration, and its mid and long term following-up results still further observation.

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Plates ; Case-Control Studies ; Cervical Vertebrae ; surgery ; Diskectomy ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; surgery ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion ; Treatment Outcome

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Keratin-20 ; metabolism ; Male ; Microfilament Proteins ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; metabolism ; Thymus Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo explore the efficacy and safety of zero-profile implant for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in treating single cervical disc herniation.

METHODSFrom August 2011 to June 2012,30 patients with single cervical disc herniation were treated with ACDF using zero-profile implant in one motion segment. There were 18 males and 12 females with a mean age of 55.3 years old (ranged, 36 to 68). Incidence of dysphagia, height of intervertebral space and condition of bone fusion were observed after operation. Spinal nerves function and clinical results were assessed according to Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, Odom criteria.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 12 to 24 months with an average of 15.9 months. The mean intraoperative blood loss was (85.3 +/- 14.2) ml (70 to 120 ml) and operative time was (90.0 +/- 12.8) min (70 to 120 ml). Preoperative, postoperative at 3 months and 1 year, JOA score was 8.72 +/- 2.36 (5.0 to 13.0), 14.72 +/- 1.66 (11.5 to 17.0) and 15.65 +/- 1.03 (13.5 to 17.0), respectively. One year after operation, according Odom criteria to assess, 22 cases got excellent results, 7 good, 1 fair. All dysphagiaes vanished completely at 3 months after operation. The lost height of intervertebral space was (0.34 +/- 0.13) mm (0.1 to 0.6 mm) and (0.39 +/- 0.15) mm (0.2 to 0.7 mm) at 3, 12 months after operation, respectively. All patients obtained bone fusion at 1 year after operation.

CONCLUSIONThe zero-profile implant is a valid alternative to anterior cervical plate in treating single cervical disc herniation with ACDF, it has advantages of convenient procedure, satisfactory effect, lower incidence of postoperative dysphagia, reliable stability and less implant-related complications.

Adult ; Aged ; Cervical Vertebrae ; surgery ; Diskectomy ; adverse effects ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostheses and Implants ; Safety ; Spinal Fusion ; adverse effects ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the hydrodynamic ultrasonic energy extraction technique for Chinese Medicine.

METHODThe content of baicalin in Radix Scutellariae extracts and total flavones in Folium Ginkgo extracts were as indexes respectively and measured by high performance liquid chromatography. We investigated the hydrodynamic ultrasonic energy extraction process for the extraction of Radix Scutellariae and Folium Ginkgo respectively, and compared with refluxing method, decoction and ultrasonic extraction. With the content of the extracts as indexes, Compound prescriptions of Traditional Chinese Medicine were extracted by the hydrodynamic ultrasonic extraction and decoction extraction.

RESULTThe content of baicalin of hydrodynamic ultrasonic energy extracts was significant higher than other extracts. The content of Ginkgo leaves flavones in hydrodynamic ultrasonic energy extracts and ultrasonic extracts had no significant difference. Compared with decocting extracts, hydrodynamic ultrasonic energy extracts of TCM compound prescriptions content was higher greatly.

CONCLUSIONThe hydrodynamic ultrasonic energy extraction process showed higher extraction rate of baicalin of radix scutellariae than traditional extraction methods. And it was beneficial to the dissolution of water-soluble constituents in compound prescriptions of TCM. The content of Ginkgo leaves flavones in the hydrodynamic ultrasonic energy extracts and ultrasonic extracts had no obvious difference.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; Flavones ; analysis ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Ginkgo biloba ; chemistry ; Reference Standards ; Scutellaria ; chemistry ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Ultrasonics

Blood Cell Count ; Bone Marrow Cells ; metabolism ; Child ; Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; Cytokines ; therapeutic use ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Humans ; Male ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; blood ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

It has been demonstrated that neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is critical for the induction and maintenance of long term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region of rat hippocampus. In the present study, we investigated the changes in NCAM mRNA expression and NCAM protein level after the induction of LTP in vitro using the techniques of in situ hybridization and Western blot. The results showed that the number of NCAM mRNA positive labelled neurons significantly increased (76.6+/-11.5 neurons) 10 min after tetanus when the slope of fEPSP markedly increased. The level of NCAM protein also increased significantly (7.190+/-0.64 arbitrary unit/50 microg protein) 10 min after tetanus. The number of NCAM mRNA positive labelled neurons no longer changed (73.3+/-14.0) 1 h after tetanus, however, the NCAM protein level (9.031+/-0.71) at 1 h after tetanus was higher than that at 10 min after tetanus. Moreover, the NMDA receptor inhibitor AP-5, which blocked LTP, prevented the increase in NCAM mRNA expression and NCAM protein level. The results demonstrate that NCAM mRNA expression maintains a high level, whereas NCAM protein changes from a low level to a high level during induction and maintenance of LTP.
Animals ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; physiology ; Long-Term Potentiation ; physiology ; Male ; Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo study the significance of plasma D-dimer and von Willebrand factor (vWF) and the therapeutic effect of compound glycyrrhizin in children with cytomegalovirus (CMV) hepatitis.

METHODSTwenty healthy children, 16 asymptomatic cases with CMV infection and 52 cases of CMV hepatitis (21 cholestatic and 31 non-cholestatic) were enrolled. The 52 children with CMV hepatitis were randomly administered with conventional treatment alone or conventional treatment plus compound glycyrrhizin treatment. Plasma D-dimer and vWF levels were measured before and after treatment.

RESULTSPlasma D-dimer and vWF levels in the CMV hepatitis group were markedly higher than those in the healthy control and asymptomatic CMV infection groups (P<0.01). The cholestatic hepatitis group had more increased plasma D-dimer and vWF levels compared with the non-cholestatic hepatitis group (P<0.01). Plasma D-dimer and vWF levels in the CMV hepatitis group were markedly reduced after conventional or compound glycyrrhizin treatment (P<0.01). Compound glycyrrhizin treatment decreased more significantly plasma D-dimer and vWF levels compared with the conventional treatment in children with CMV hepatitis (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe detection of plasma D-dimer and vWF is useful in the early assessment of liver damage in children with CMV hepatitis. Compound glycyrrhizin can decrease obviously plasma D-dimer and vWF levels and might thus provide protective effects against liver damage.

Child, Preschool ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; blood ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Female ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ; analysis ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis, Viral, Human ; blood ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Infant ; Liver Circulation ; Male ; von Willebrand Factor ; analysis

BACKGROUNDTp15, Tp17, Tp45, and Tp47 are outer-membrane proteins found in Treponema pallidum, the etiologic agent of syphilis. These proteins are potent antigens and are potential markers for the serological detection of syphilis. The present study analyzed antibodies to these protein antigens (TP-IgM and TP-IgG) in human serum and investigated the expression of these antibodies during different stages of syphilis.

METHODSSerum samples were collected from 69 subjects (male 45, female 24) diagnosed with syphilis and analyzed by Western blotting for the expression of IgM and IgG against the four protein antigens. Expression levels of the target antibodies were compared during the same stage of syphilis as well as between different stages of this disease.

RESULTSIn subjects with primary syphilis, the positive rate of Tp45 IgM was higher than that of other TP-IgM. Tp15 IgM was detected only in subjects with tertiary syphilis. Similarly, the seroprevalence of Tp45 IgG in primary syphilis was higher than for other TP-IgG. No target TP-IgM was detected in subjects with latent syphilis. In subjects with secondary syphilis, the expression level of Tp15 IgG (138.73 ± 20.16) was higher than for other target TP-IgG. In subjects with tertiary syphilis, all target TP-IgG were detected. In subjects with tertiary or latent syphilis, the expression levels of Tp45 IgG (121.33 ± 11.04 and 110.10 ± 40.19, respectively) were higher than those of other target TP-IgG. The expression levels of all Tp-IgM were similar before or after anti-syphilis treatment. In comparison, the expression levels of all TP-IgG decreased compared with the pre-treatment levels, and this decrease was statistically significant (both P < 0.05) for Tp17 IgG and Tp47 IgG.

CONCLUSIONSAfter Treponema pallidum infection, Tp45 IgM appeared first and Tp15 IgM occurred during later stages. The positive rates of all TP-IgG increased with the duration of this disease. Anti-syphilis treatment reduced the expression levels of Tp17 IgG and Tp47 IgG. Larger-scale studies are required to further validate the value of Tp15, Tp17, Tp45, and Tp47 as markers for the early detection of primary and latent syphilis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Bacterial ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Syphilis ; diagnosis ; Treponema pallidum ; immunology

OBJECTIVE: To observe the inductive efficiency of deriving hematopoietic cells from human embryonic stem (hES) cells co-cultured with human yolk sac stromal cells, fetal liver stromal cells or fetal bone marrow stromal cells,in order to discuss the effect of the different hemopoietic microenvironment on hemopoietic cytogenesis. METHODS: We used two-step method to induce the hES cells into the hematopoietic cells. In the first step the hES cells were co-cultured with cytokines by formation of the day 5 embryoid bodies (5d EBs). In the second step the 5d EB cells were induced into the hematopoietic cells by co-culturing with human yolk sac stromal cells, fetal liver stromal cells or fetal bone marrow stromal cells for 10 days. The inductive efficiencies of deriving hematopoietic cells from hES cells co-cultured with the different hemopoietic microenvironment were reflected by the expression levels of flk, CD34 and CD45 antigen. RESULTS: Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that the population of the cells co-cultured with human yolk sac stromal cells contained flk (1.80%+/-0.56%), CD34 (1.30%+/-0.14%) or CD45 (1.05%+/-0.63%) positive cells; the population of the cells co-cultured with human fetal liver stromal cells contained flk (34.00%+/-25.45%), CD34 (38.40%+/-24.80%) or CD45 (72.60%+/-25.70%) positive cells; the population of the cells co-cultured with human fetal bone marrow stromal cells contained flk (2.50%+/-1.48%), CD34 (3.20%+/-0.56%) or CD45 (1.65%+/-0.21%) positive cells. Compared with spontaneous differentiation of EBs, all of the three stromal cells could induce EBs into the hematopoietic cells (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The inductive efficiency of deriving hematopoietic cells from EBs co-cultured with human fetal liver stromal cells was higher than EBs co-cultured with human yolk sac stromal cells and fetal bone marrow stromal cells.
Antigens, CD34 ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Cellular Microenvironment ; Coculture Techniques ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Fetus ; cytology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Leukocyte Common Antigens ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells ; cytology ; Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Yolk Sac ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlation between CT classification and operative method and to discuss its therapeutic effect.

METHODSFrom January of 2001 to June of 2010, 30 patients with thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum were reviewed retrospectively, including 22 males and 8 females with an average age of 52.8 years old (ranged from 37 to 68 years old). The course of duration ranged from 2 months to 6 years. Single segment lesion was in 11 cases and multiple segments were in 19 cases. Two patients were accompanied by cervical ossification of ligamentum flavum and 1 was accompanied by ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament. The ossified lesions were located at T1,2 to T4,5 in 5 cases,T5,6 to T8,9 in 7 cases, T9,10 to T11,12 in 12 cases, at the upper and middle thoracic levels in 2 cases, at the middle and lower thoracic levels in 4 cases. They were divided into 2 types according to the morphologic features of the CT scan:simple type, 18 segments with lateral, slice or unfused type; complex type, 42 segments with thickened, fused or nodular type. The clinical manifestation was paralysis of upper motor neuron in 21 cases, and of upper and lower motor neuron in other 9 cases. Sphincter dysfunction was found in 26 cases. Preoperative JOA sphincter function score was 1.97 +/- 0.56. Preoperative modified JOA motor function score of lower limb was 1.20 +/- 0.76. Different surgical procedure was applied to one of the 2 types. For the simple type, an en bloc laminectomy was performed. However,for the complex type, a laminar shelling decompression was done. Laminectomy combined with internal fixation and lateral fusion was performed in patients whose decompressive areas were wider.

RESULTSThe mean decompression length was 3.1 lamina (2 to 6 lamina). Cerebrospinal fluid leakage was found in 3 cases and hematoma in incision was found in 1 case. The mean follow-up duration was 26 months (12 to 96 months). Twenty-two patients with the feel of constriction of trunk or lower limbs were completely recovered; 18 cases with sensation disturbance, numbness and pain of the lower limb were totally recovered, and relived in 10 cases. Postoperative JOA sphincter function score was 2.73 +/- 0.45, comparing with the preoperative score, and the difference was significant (P < 0.01). Postoperative JOA motor function score was 3.57 +/- 0.77, comparing with the preoperative score, and the difference was significant (P < 0.01 ). The lower limb function relief rate was 86.1%, 24 patients got an excellent results, 3 good, 2 poor and 1 bad.

CONCLUSIONDifferent surgical procedures will be safely and effectively applied to treat thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum according to CT classification.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Ligamentum Flavum ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed