Bacterial Infections ; microbiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Middle Aged ; beta-Lactamases ; isolation & purification

Objective To investigate the expression and significance of tumor necorisis factor related apoptosis induled ligand receptor(TRAILR) in human craniopharyngioma.Methods The expression of TRAILR was determined by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization in 24 samples of craniopharyngioma and 16 samples of normal brain tissue.Results With low decoy receptor(DcR) expression in partial craniopharyngioma cells and low death receptor(DR) expression in partial normal brain cells,DR was expressed highly in all craniopharyngioma samples while DcR in most normal brain tissue. High DR expression and low DcR expression in craniopharyngioma tissue differed from low DR expression and high DcR expression in normal brain tissue(P

Objective To evaluate the clinical application of automated urine formed elements analyzer and/or urine dipstick analyzer for examination of urinary formed elements in screening urinary tract infection (UTI). Methods 148 fresh midstream clear-catch urine samples from the UTI patients and 284 fresh midstream clear-catch urine samples from non-UTI subjects were selected. Bacteria culture was performed for bacterial colony counting and identification. Bacteria counts ( BACT), yeast-like fungus and WBC were performed by UF-looOi automated urine formed elements analyzer. Leukocyte esterase test (LEU) and nitrite test (NIT) were performed by URISYS 2400 urine dipstick analyzer. We evaluated data obtained from urine dipstick analyzer, UF-1000i and combination of UF-1000i with urine dipstick analyzer and the results was compared with those obtained from quantitative bacterial culture. Then we evaluated the sensibility, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy. Results Among the 148 patients with UTI, the positive rate of the quantitative bacterial culture was 73.6% (109/148), the positive rate of LEU and NIT detected by dipstick test 26. 4% (39/148).There was significantly statistical difference between bacterial culture and strip test(χ2 = 55.68 ,P < 0. 05 ). The positive rate of urine flow cytometry by UF-1000i with either positive of BACT and WBC was 91.2%(135/148), which was higher than the positive rate of the quantitative bacterial culture. There was significant difference between two methods (χ2 = 14. 70, P < 0. 05 ). The positive rate of anyone positive among BACT, WBC, LEU and NIT was 94. 6% (140/148) when detected with combination of dipstick test and UF-1000i, which was higher than the positive rate of the quantitative bacterial culture. And there was significant difference between two methods (χ2 = 20. 45, P < 0. 05 ). The sensitivity of dipstick test was low (26. 4% ,39/148 ), and specificity was high ( 99. 3%, 282/284 ) . The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of BACT detected by UF-1000i in diagnosing urinary tract infection were 92. 6% ( 137/148 ), 39. 8% ( 113/284 ). 44. 5% ( 137/308 ) and 91.1% ( 113/124 ), respectively. If the dipstick test was combined with UF-1000i, the sensitivity, negative predictive value, specificity, positive predictive value and accuracy were 98.0% ( 145/148 ), 97.1% ( 100/103 ). 35.2% (100/284) ,44. 1% (145/329) and 56. 7% (245/432), respectively. Conclusions The combination of urine dipstick test and automated urine formed elements analyzer UF-1000i plays an important role in early diagnosis of UTI. And it has significant value in diagnosis of UTI, especially for the patients with negative bacterial cultures of urine sample.

In this study, efforts were made to collect 88 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescriptions for treating ADHD from public literatures, establish a medication database and conduct data mining on the efficacy, properties, tastes, meridian entries and compatibility regularity of TCMs by using frequency analysis, association rules analysis and cluster analysis. The results showed 33 herbs with a high frequency (≥ 10%). The top 12 frequently applied ADHD herbs were respectively Acori Tatarinowii Rhizome, Polygalae Radix, Prepared Rehmanniae Radix, Os Draconis, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizome, Poria, Concha Ostreae, Testudinis Carapacis et Plastri, Paeoniae Alba Radix, Schisandrae Fructus Chinensis, Fructus Corni, Dioscoreae Rhizoma. The top seven types of frequently applied ADHD herbs by effect were respectively tonic herb, sedative herbs, livei-wind calming herbs, heat clearing herbs, astringent herbs, awaking herbs and damp clearing and diuresis promoting herbs. The top three properties were warm, cold and neutral, with warm as the dominance. The top three tastes were sweetness, bitterness and acridity, with sweetness as the dominance. The top three meridian entries were liver meridian, heart meridian and kidney meridian. The association rules analysis showed commonly used herbal pairs. Polygalae Radix-Acori Tatarinowii Rhizome, Concha Ostreae-Os Draconis, Prepared Rehmanniae Radix-Fructus Corni-Os Draconis. Eight highly frequent cluster prescriptions were summarized based on the cluster analysis. This study indicates that basic TCM prescriptions for treating ADHD were principally composed of tonics (nourishing liver and kidney, invigorating heart and spleen) and tranquilization, which were supplemented with herbs for calming liver, clearing heat, promoting qi-circulation, promoting blood-circulation, reducing phlegm and calming endogenous wind. The combination of multiple data mining techniques can reflect the clinical medication regularity of herbs for treating ADHD in an overall and objective manner.
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; drug therapy ; Data Mining ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Meridians

OBJECTIVETo demonstrate the changes of resting energy expenditure (REE), substrate metabolism and body composition in cancer patients.

METHODSFrom September 2004 to March 2008, REE, carbohydrate oxidation (CO) and fat oxidation (FO) in 936 cancer patients and 840 control subjects were measured by indirect calorimetry. Bioelectrical impedance appliance was applied to assess intracellular fluid, extracellular fluid, fat mass (FM) and fat free mass (FFM) in the two groups.

RESULTSNo difference in REE was found between the cancer patients and non-cancer patients [(1452.2 +/- 196.4) kcal/d vs. (1429.5 +/- 182.6) kcal/d, P = 0.136]. But REE/FFM and REE/pREE were elevated in cancer patients than in controls (all P < 0.05). Of the cancer patients, 48.6% were hypermetabolic, 42.9% normal and 8.5% hypometabolic, while those were 22.5%, 58.5% and 19.0% in controls. Cancer patients had higher FO [(77.8 +/- 11.3) g/min vs. (67.1 +/- 12.1) g/min, P = 0.000], lower CO and npRQ [(68.7 +/- 10.5) g/min vs. (88.8 +/- 12.1) g/min, P = 0.000; 0.782 +/- 0.012 vs. 0.810 +/- 0.014, P = 0.000]. Cancer patients exhibited lower FM and FFM [(14.9 +/- 4.5) kg vs. (18.4 +/- 5.2) kg, P = 0.000; (44.4 +/- 7.2) kg vs. (46.1 +/- 8.1) kg, P = 0.008].

CONCLUSIONSElevated REE is common in cancer patients. Substrate metabolism of the cancer patients features in increased FO, decreased CO and npRQ, which is correlated with the elevated REE. FM and FFM loses in proportion in cancer patients.

Body Composition ; Carbohydrate Metabolism ; Energy Metabolism ; Fats ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasms ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo understand the influence of different sleep stages on respiratory regulation in normal people.

METHODSWe measured ventilation (VE) and occlusion pressure (P0.1) responses to hyperoxia hypercapnia (deltaVE/deltaPaCO2, deltaP0.1/deltaPaCO2) and isocapnic hypoxia (deltaVE/deltaSaO2 and deltaP0.1/deltaSaO2) in eleven non-snoring healthy people during wakefulness and during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) I + II, NREM III+IV, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stages.

RESULTSDuring NREM I + II and NREM III+IV, the normal subjects showed no significant decrease in P0.1, deltaP0.1/deltaSaO2 and deltaP0.1/deltaPaCO2 (P > 0.05), but deltaVE/ deltaSaO2 and deltaVE/ deltaPaCO2 decreased significantly (P < 0.05). During REM sleep, P0.1 maintained the level during wakefulness, but both hypoxic and hypercapnic responses decreased significantly (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSleep has significant influence on respiratory regulation in normal people. The respiratory drive (P0.1) in both NREM and REM sleep stages could maintain the awake level due to an effective compensation to the increase of upper airway resistance. The P0.1 responses to both hypoxia and hypercapnia decrease only in REM sleep stage, which is in consistent with the clinical phenomenon that sleep disordered breathing occurs in REM in normal people.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercapnia ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia ; physiopathology ; Male ; Respiration ; Respiratory Physiological Phenomena ; Sleep Stages ; physiology ; Sleep, REM ; physiology ; Wakefulness ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the infection rate and genotypes of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) by examining bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from children with community acquired pneumonia (CAP).

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for detecting MP in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from 220 children hospitalized with CAP, and the accuracy was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. Positive samples were digested with HaeⅡ and Hae Ⅲ and compared with standard strain to analyze the genotypes of MP from positive samples. The accuracy of genotyping was confirmed by sequencing the amplified products of some randomly selected positive samples.

RESULTSThe positive rate of MP in 220 samples was 55.0% (121/220). MP infection occurred mostly in preschool and school-age children (63.5%, 101/159), and the lowest positive rate was seen in children aged under 6 months (20%, 1/5). The positive rate showed no significant differences between sexes and between seasons. Sixty randomly selected MP-positive samples showed a genotype of P1 type 1 after restriction digestion, which was further confirmed by sequencing of 4 samples.

CONCLUSIONSMP is one of the main pathogens of pneumonia in children, and the MP infection rate is significantly correlated with age. The dominant genotype of MP in children is P1 type 1.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Genotype ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; classification ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; microbiology ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Seasons

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) combined cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) for refractory heart failure secondary to ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM).

METHODSPCI and CRT were performed in 7 ICM patients confirmed by angiography with NYHA class IV, QRS duration >/= 130 ms in 6 of them, III degrees AVB in 1 patient, fast ventricular heart rate Af in 1 patient, ventricular fibrillation history in 2 patient. All of them had their LVEDD >/= 55 mm, and LVEF

RESULTSThe procedures of PCI and CRT were performed successfully in all patients. Five patients received right atrial and biventricular pacing, one patient with Af received biventricular pacing and atrial-ventricular node radiofrequency ablation at the same procedure, and the another one patient received CRTD. One out of seven patients died of re-AMI 4 months after the combination therapy, and the other 6 patients had been alive 5 - 41 (23.2 +/- 13.8) months during the follow-up period. The heart function of the 7 patients had further improved after PCI and CRT combined therapy compared to that of PCI or CRT only. Their NYHA class decreased from IV to II, 6-minute walking distance increased steadily, and mitral regurgitation reduced and QRS duration shortened significantly. The LVEDD decreased and LVEF increased significantly in 2 patients without ventricular aneurysm, and slight improvement or no change were in the other 5 patients.

CONCLUSIONFor patients with refractory heart failure secondary to ICM, the combination of PCI and CRT could obviously improve their heart function, quality of life and prognosis, which also very safe in perforation.

Adult ; Aged ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Cardiac Pacing, Artificial ; methods ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Heart Failure ; etiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Ischemia ; complications ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo analyse the WT1 expression and its DNA methylation status of its promoter domain.

METHODThe expression of WT1 gene and its DNA methylation status were assayed in leukemia cell lines and normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) by RT-PCR and MS-PCR.

RESULTSWT1 was overexpressed in HL60, K562 and KG1 leukemia cell lines, but not in U937 and PBMNC. Methylation of WT1 promoter was not observed in HL60 cells.

CONCLUSIONDNA methylation of WT1 gene promotor did not inhibit its expression. Other mechanisms may appear to regulate the WT1 expression.

Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA Methylation ; Genes, Wilms Tumor ; Humans ; Leukemia ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Promoter Regions, Genetic

LRP16 is a novel gene which was found in our laboratory by using methylation-sensitive restriction landmark genomic scanning (RLGS) technique. In order to clone the full-length cDNA of this leukemia relapse associated gene, the method of rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) was employed. By optimizing some procedures of RACE method, the 5'- and 3'-untranslated region of LRP16 cDNA was successfully sequenced. Then, the full length of LRP16 cDNA and open reading frame (ORF) was constructed and was registered in GenBank. The above-mentioned procedure demonstrated RACE technique is a rapid and sensitive method for cloning unknown gene. Especially, it is very useful to cloning the 5'- and 3'-untranslated region of a novel gene.