Acute Disease ; Anemia, Refractory ; etiology ; therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Female ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Humans ; Leukemia ; complications ; pathology ; therapy ; Male ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo analyse the video-oculographic findings of positional tests and evaluate the efficacy of canalith repositioning procedure (CRP) in patients with paroxysmal positional vertigo ( BPPV) of the anterior semicircular canal (ASC).

METHODSA retrospective study of 31 patients with ASC BPPV. Then the CRP was performed.

RESULTSTwenty-two individuals (70.97%) presented a unilateral positional nystagmus during the Dix-Hallpike test, in 17 individuals had torsional nystagmus component, 5 individuals only had pure positional down beat nystagmus. Nine patients presented bilateral positional nystagmus, 7 individuals had torsional component positional nystagmus, in 2 patients the direction of the torsional component were the same during right and left Dix-Hallpike test, in 4 patients the torsional component were concurrent with positional down beat nystagmus but the direction could not be ascertained clinically, in 2 patients had pure positional down beat nystagmus. Nineteen patients (61.29%) had unilateral lesion, 11 patients had the left ASC BPPV, 8 patients had right ASC BPPV. Eleven patients had with both ASC and PSC BPPV in the ipsilateral. Twenty-one patients (67.74%) were cured, 29 patients (93.55%) were improved, 2 (6.45%) patients were inefficacy. CRP effectively resolved the nystagmus and vertigo in 14 patients (45.16%) when applied only once, The average number of CRP was 1.7 times, there were 5 patients recurrence during the follow-up.

CONCLUSIONSASC BPPV was not a common condition. The torsional nystagmus component of ASC BPPV might be weak during the Dix-Hallpike test. The positional nystagmus of ASC BPPV was triggered bilaterally. Based on these findings, CRP could be one of the most effective treatment methods for ASC BPPV.

Adult ; Aged ; Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Semicircular Canals ; Vertigo ; diagnosis ; therapy

Abstract: Objective　To find out the existing problems and provide reference for further improving the quality of report information by analyzing the report cards of COVID-19 and the positive report cards of primary screening reported in Ningxia. Methods　All COVID-19 case cards from 2020 to 2021 and initial screening positive cards were derived from the Chinese Information System for Disease Control and Prevention according to final review date. The timeliness of case reporting, timeliness of case review, completeness and accuracy of the case cards were analyzed. Results　In Ningxia, the first case of COVID-19 was reported on January 20, 2020, and as of December 31, 2021, 122 confirmed cases and 4 symptomatic infected cases were reported. In 2021, the timely reporting rate of COVID-19 was 98.00%, which increased by 8.24% compared with 2020 (90.54%). Compared with 2020, the average time limit for diagnosis to reporting of COVID-19 in 2021 was shortened by 83.12%; in 2021, the timely review rate of COVID-19 was 100.00%, which increased by 13.84% compared with 2020 (87.84%). Compared with 2020, the time from reporting to final review was shortened by 98.91%. In 2021, the timely rate of positive reports in COVID-19 in Ningxia was 90.00%, among which the timely rate of reports by county (district) nucleic acid detection institutions was the highest (92.31%), followed by municipal (91.67%) and autonomous region (81.82%). Conclusions　At the beginning of the epidemic in 2020, the timeliness of COVID-19 in Ningxia was poor, and through the implementation of measures such as technical training, supervision and inspection to continuously optimize the staffing of medical institutions and disease control institutions, the timeliness of reporting COVID-19 in Ningxia in 2021 was substantially improved, but there were still some weak links. In the future work, technical guidance and training should be carried out for weak links, and efforts should be made to improve the quality of reports.

BACKGROUNDAlthough clinical treatment for heart failure and sudden death has been improved over the last few decades, the morbidity and mortality of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) have increased. So a better understanding of the underlying molecular events leading to DCM is urgent. Persistent viral infection (especially coxsackievirus group B3) of the myocardium in viral myocarditis and DCM has never been neglected by experts. Recent data indicate that the up-regulation of coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) in viral cardiomyopathy contributes to viral infection as a key factor in the pathogenesis of this disease. This study aimed to investigate the role and regulatory mechanism of CAR in DCM by the bioinformatic method.

METHODSWe identified the clusters of genes co-expressed with CAR by clustering algorithm based on the public available microarray dataset of DCM (Kittleson, et al. 2005), and mapped these genes into the protein-protein interaction networks to investigate the interaction relationship to each other at the protein level after confirming that the samples are characterized by the cluster of genes in correctly partitioning.

RESULTSThe gene cluster GENESET 11 containing 33 genes including CAR with similar expression pattern was identified by cluster algorithm, of which 19 genes were found to have interaction information of the protein encoded by them in the current human protein interaction database. Especially, 12 genes present as critical nodes (called HUB node) at the protein level are involved in energy metabolism, signal transduction, viral infection, immuno-response, cell apoptosis, cell proliferation, tissue repair, etc.

CONCLUSIONSThe genes in GENESET 11 together with CAR may play a pathogenic role in the development of DCM, mainly involved in the mechanism of energy metabolism, signal transduction, viral infection, immuno-response, cell apoptosis and tissue repair.

Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; etiology ; Computational Biology ; Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor-Like Membrane Protein ; Humans ; Multigene Family ; Receptors, Virus ; genetics ; physiology

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

OBJECTIVETo explore whether cancer cells abide by the mechanism of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the process of invasion and metastasis by comparing histology and protein expression of E-cadherin and vimentin among primary, metastatic carcinomas and their emboli.

METHODSA total of 68 tissue specimens in 59 cases of primary adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma and their lymphatic metastasis were collected, of which there were 13 well differentiated, 11 moderately differentiated, 30 poorly differentiated tumors and 14 lymphatic metastases. The morphology and the expression of E-cadherin and vimentin proteins were assessed by H-E stain and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe overall morphology of the primary cancers and their tumor emboli was similar. Among 54 primary cancers, 50 cases were positive for E-cadherin and 22 cases were positive for vimentin. Fifty-one cases were positive for E-cadherin and 22 cases were positive for vimentin in the tumor emboli, with no statistical difference (P = 0.804, P = 0.842). Among 14 cases of lymphatic metastasis, 12 cases were positive for E-cadherin and 6 cases were positive for vimentin, and the tumor emboli in 12 cases were positive for E-cadherin and 7 cases were positive for vimentin, with statistical difference (P = 0.084, P = 0.878). There were no significant difference of E-cadherin and vimentin protein expression between the cancer tissue and its emboli (P = 0.410, P = 0.824). A subset of tumor cells in cancer emboli expressed E-cadherin at a high level without vimentin expression, whereas other cells in tumor emboli showed an opposite expression pattern.

CONCLUSIONSThere is no significant difference of EMT characteristics among primary cancer, lymphatic metastases and their cancer emboli. Cancer thrombus contains both EMT and non-EMT cells. Further studies are required to elucidate the role of EMT in the processes of tumor invasion and metastasis.

Adenocarcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; metabolism ; pathology ; Vimentin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the feasibility of vector-mediated RNA interference for HER-2-positive breast cancer therapy.

METHODSA plasmid vector capable of mediating HER-2 RNA interference was constructed, and HER-2-positive breast cancer cell line SKBR-3 was transfected with this constructed vector. The expression of HER-2 mRNA and protein was analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blotting, and the growth and apoptosis of SKBR-3 cells was analyzed after transfection.

RESULTSThe expressions of HER-2 mRNA and HER-2 protein was downregulated in response to vector-mediated HER-2 RNA interference, which also resulted in tumor cell growth inhibition and increased number apoptotic cells.

CONCLUSIONHER-2 is a good target for RNA interference and RNA interference targeting HER-2 can lead to HER-2 breast cancer cell apoptosis and growth inhibition.

Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Female ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETumor necrosis factor alpha-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6 gene) differentially expressed in adipose tissue of obese and normal human subjects or rats. To explore the relationship between the differential expression of TSG-6 and adipocyte differentiation, adipogenesis and obesity, the present study aimed to investigate the changes of TSG-6 gene expression during 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation and to analyze the regulative role of TNF-alpha on TSG-6 gene expression in matured 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

METHODS3T3-L1 preadipocytes were cultured in vitro and differentiated into the matured adipocytes. TNF-alpha in different concentrations (0.1 ng/ml, 1.0 ng/ml, 10.0 ng/ml) was added into the culture medium of fully differentiated adipocytes (day 10) for various times (0.5 h, 2 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h). Total RNA from these adipocytes was extracted and the levels of TSG-6 gene mRNA expression were evaluated by RT-PCR.

RESULTS(1) In preadipocytes, the level of TSG-6 gene mRNA expression remained low. In the presence of dexamethasone (Dex), MIX and insulin, with the 3T3-L1 preadipocytes being differentiated into the matured adipocytes, the level of TSG-6 gene mRNA expression was upregulated and reached the higher level in fully differentiated adipocytes. There is a significant difference between any two detected phases in the levels of TSG-6 gene mRNA expression (P < 0.05), except that the levels of TSG-6 gene mRNA expression did not increase obviously on day 0 to day 2, day 3 to day 5, day 4 to day 6 and day 7 to day 10 (P > 0.05). (2) Treatment of day 10 3T3-L1 adipocytes with TNF-alpha of different concentrations (0.1 ng/ml, 1.0 ng/ml, 10.0 ng/ml) resulted in a significant decrease in the level of TSG-6 gene mRNA expression. The inhibition effect of TNF-alpha on TSG-6 gene mRNA expression generally tended to be reinforced with the increasing concentrations of TNF-alpha and the elongation of time course, except for the period of 6 - 24 h after the stimulation of 10.0 ng/ml TNF-alpha. When 0.1 ng/ml TNF-alpha was applied, the level of TSG-6 gene expression decreased by 33.73% at 6 h, 97.39% at 12 h. While 1.0 ng/ml TNF-alpha was used, the level of TSG-6 gene expression decreased by 78.68% at 6 h, which remained until 24 h. At a concentration of TNF-alpha up to 10.0 ng/ml, the level of TSG-6 gene expression decreased by 96.27% at 2 h. TSG-6 gene expression was almost fully inhibited.

CONCLUSION(1) TSG-6 gene may be involved in adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis. (2) TNF-alpha can downregulate the mRNA expression of TSG-6 gene in matured adipocytes. The inhibitory effect of TNF-alpha on TSG-6 gene expression is generally dose-correlated.

3T3-L1 Cells ; Adipocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cell Adhesion Molecules ; genetics ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; genetics ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Mice ; RNA, Messenger ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Time Factors ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of angiogenesis inhibitor YH-16 in combination with 5-FU on liver metastasis of colorectal cancer.

METHODSIn vitro, the inhibitory effects of YH-16 and 5-FU on the growth of vascular endothelial cells and colorectal cancer cells were examined by MTT assay. In vivo, colorectal cancer cells were transplanted into BALB/c mice, and the mice were divided into six groups randomly:control group, low-dose YH-16 group, middle-dose YH-16 group, high-dose YH-16 group, 5-FU group and combination group. The number of liver metastases, the size of primary tumor and the toxicity were examined after 2 weeks postoperatively. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in liver metastases was detected by immunohistochemistry, and tumor microvessel density (MVD) was measured by immunostaining with CD34 and factor VIII (monoclonal antibodies.

RESULTSIn vitro, YH-16 inhibited the growth of colon cancer cells and vascular endothelial cells, with the IC50 at (2.16+/-0.28) microg/ml and (0.64+/-0.10) microg/ml respectively. In vivo high-dose YH-16 and 5-FU had a remarkable inhibitory effect on liver metastasis, and the combination group showed significant enhancement on this effect (P< 0.05). The combination group and 5-FU group could inhibit the growth of primary tumor, but not found in YH-16 group. The toxicity of YH-16 was lower than that of 5-FU (P< 0.05), and the difference was not found in the toxicity between combination group and 5-FU group (P > 0.05). Expression of VEGF in liver metastases was clearly inhibited by YH-16 in combination with 5-FU or 5-FU alone compared to the control group, and MVD in middle-dose and high-dose YH-16 group, 5-FU group and combination group was lower than that in control group (P< 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe angiogenesis inhibitor YH-16 can inhibit liver metastasis of colorectal cancer through inhibiting the growth of vascular endothelial cells. YH-16 in combination with 5-FU has additive effect on inhibitory activity against liver metastasis.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; therapeutic use ; Liver Neoplasms ; prevention & control ; secondary ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the biological effect on the synthesis of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the cultivation of adult degenerative nucleus pulposus cells using the stiring microcarrier system in vitro.

METHODSThirty-four specimens were collected after intervertebral fusion operations of the patients with intervertebral disc herniation diseases from September 2005 to May 2009. The specimens were then randomly allocated into 2 groups for in vitro cultivation: monolayer culture group and microcarrier culture group. On the exponential phase, SP-ABC immunohistochemical staining and Western blot quantitative analysis were conducted in the two groups to detect the collagen type I and II. Proteoglycan contents of two groups in different growth phases were detected with (35)S-sulfate incorporation assay.

RESULTThe expressions of collagen type I and II in microcarrier culture group were significantly higher than those in monolayer culture group: SP-ABC immunohistochemical staining (collagen type I: 32.5 ± 4.4 vs. 15.2 ± 1.2, t = 2.871, P < 0.01; collagen type II: 43.6 ± 4.1 vs. 23.1 ± 2.2, t = 2.375, P < 0.05); Western blot quantitative analysis (collagen type I: 0.62 ± 0.08 vs. 0.50 ± 0.06, t = 3.327, P < 0.01; collagen type II: 1.46 ± 0.08 vs. 0.86 ± 0.04, t = 2.453, P < 0.05). Nucleus pulposus cells cultivated in stiring microcarrier system showed significantly increased proteoglycan synthesis than monolayer culture group does on both exponential phase and stationary phase (exponential phase: 34 821 ± 312 vs. 21 046 ± 673, t = 2.134, P < 0.05; stationary phase: 45 134 ± 175 vs. 32 193 ± 713, t = 2.801, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe expression of collagen type I, II and proteoglycan of adult degenerative nucleus pulposus cells are positive regulated by the stiring microcarrier system, which can be used in the mass amplification of the adult degenerative nucleus pulposus cells.

Adult ; Aged ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Collagen ; metabolism ; Extracellular Matrix ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; cytology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proteoglycans ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Young Adult