Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that severely threatens human health and affects the socioeconomic development. The causative agent that parasitizes in humans mainly involves Schistosoma japonicum,S. mansoni,S. haematobi-um,S. intercalatum and S. mekongi. As the firstly identified schistosome,S. haematobium infection is found to strongly correlate with bladder cancer. This paper mainly reviews the discovery,morphology and life cycle of S. haematobium.

Autoantibodies ; blood ; immunology ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Radiography ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Thyroid Diseases ; blood ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Thyroid Function Tests ; methods ; Thyroid Gland ; diagnostic imaging ; immunology ; Thyroid Hormones ; blood

Objective: Medical therapy to prevent persistent ectopic pregnancy (PEP) after conservative laparoscopic operation was investigated. Methods:236 patients with ectopic pregnancy were divided into three groups according to the time of hospitalization. 83 cases were in group A, hyperosmolar glucose was injected into the fallopian tube lumen after laparoscopic salpingostomy. 81 cases were in group B, MTX was injected in the same way, 72 cases were in group C as control group. Serum β-HCG was tested for four times, before the operation, the first, third and a week after the operation respectively. Results:There were 6 patients of PEP in this study. One patient in group A, one patient in group B, the rest four patients in group C. The incidence of PEP was not statistically significant between group A and B( P>0. 05), while the difference was significant between group A and C ( P<0. 05). Serum β-HCG in three groups descended significantly in the first 24 hours after operation, but there were no differences among these groups. As for the descending of β-HCG in day 3 and 7, there was no difference between group A and B, but the difference was magnificent between group A and C( P < 0.05). Conclusions: Compared with the MTX, hyperosmolar glucose is an effective and safer method to prevent PEP.

Body Height ; Child ; Female ; Ghrelin ; pharmacology ; Growth Disorders ; physiopathology ; Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone ; pharmacology ; Human Growth Hormone ; blood ; physiology ; urine ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; blood ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; physiology ; Male

OsRacD belonging to rice Rho family of the small GTP binding proteins,is a pivotal gene involved in rice photoperiod fertility conversion of photoperiod sensitive genic male sterile rice,which influences rice fertility via controlling the pollen tube growth.T20N site-directed mutation was introduced into its highly conserved G1 motif by PCR-mediated method to mimic its GDP-binding state based on the sequences alignment and conserved domains analysis.The prokaryotic expression vector of OsRacD and T20N-OsRacD were constructed,and the His6 tag fused proteins were expressed and purified from E.coli.After identified by Western blot,the GTP hydrolysis activities were detected.The results showed that the GTPase activities of T20N-OsRacD were significantly reduced comparing with that of OsRacD,suggested that OsRacD and T20N-OsRacD have different biochemical characteristics.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of serum (1-3)-β-D-glucan detection for invasive fungal infection (IFI) in neonates. Methods Eighty-seven neonates who were suspected to be IFI cases in neonatal intensive care unit from May 2008 to January 2010 were enrolled into this study. All subjects had infection symptoms, while did no react to the antibiotics treatment. The diagnosis of IFI was made according to Invasive pulmonary fungal infection diagnostic criteria of children set by Subspecialty Group of Respiratory Diseases, the Society of Pediatrics, Chinese Medical Association and Invasive fungal infection diagnostic criteria for critical patients set by the Society of Critical Care Medicine, Chinese Medical Association. Circulating (1-3)-β-D-glucan levels were determined with GKT-5M set kinetic fungus detection kit. Levels of (1-3)-Β-D-glucan in IFI group and that in the control group were compared; optimal cut-off value was established with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve; and the sensitivity and specificity at the cut-off value of 20.0 pg/ml and optimal cut-off value were calculated and compared. Results Among the 87 suspected cases, 59 cases were not diagnosed as IFI and 28 cases were diagnosed as IFI finally. Five patients were confirmed to be IFI; seven cases were clinically diagnosed and 16 cases were still suspected IFI. Among the five confirmed cases, four cases were blood culture positive for Candida parapsilosis, one case Candida albicans positive and two cases both cerebrospinal fluid culture and blood culture positive for Candida albicans. The median levels of (1-3)-β-D-glucan of patients diagnosed as IFI (n=28) was 131.6 pg/ml(18.6-9999.0 pg/ml), which was higher than that of the patients without IFI (8.5 pg/ml, 5.0-34.6 pg/ml)(Z=-5.064, P<0.05). Area under ROC curve was 0.806 (95% CI: 0.725-0.886, P<0.05). The sensitivity (96.43% vs 69.49%) and specificity (72.22% vs 84.21%) for (1-3)-β-D-glucan were different as 20.0 pg/ml and 53.7 pg/ml were used as the cut-off values for diagnosing IFI. Conclusions (1-3)-β-D-glucan level could be used to diagnose IFI of neonates, but further studies are needed to evaluate false-positive rates and its cut-off value in IFI diagnosis.

Objective To compare the quadriceps strength and short-term outcome in patients who had undergone primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with minimally invasive (MIS) or conventional surgical technique.Methods Sixty-eight knees undergoing TKA were evaluated and they were randomly divided into two groups.One group included 34 knees which were undergone conventional approach,and the other group included 34 knees undergone MIS approach.The age,BMI,quadriceps strength,extension lag,American Knee Society Score (KSS),Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index and visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain of all patients were evaluated at the day before surgery and the 1st,2nd,3rd,6th,and 12th months after surgery.Results At the 1st,2nd,3rd,6th,and 12th months after surgery,the quadriceps strength in MIS group was 0.59±0.12,0.74±0.18,0.86±0.16,1.02±0.17,1.05±0.04 N·m/kg respectively,while in conventional group was 0.46± 0.56,0.56±0.12,0.70±0.16,0.94±0.19,1.04±0.03 N· m/kg respectively.The extension lag in MIS group was 13.11°±6.56°,8.53°± 5.12°,4.79°±3.62°,1.53°±2.64°,1.62°±1.76° respectively,while in conventional group was 22.47°±8.41°,16.23°±6.26°,10.58°± 4.4°,2.58°±2.85°,1.62°±1.76° respectively.There were significantly differences in the two groups.Meanwhile,compared with conventional patients,MIS patients demonstrated significantly higher KSS scores at the 1st and 2nd months postoperatively.WOMAC scores were significantly lower in MIS group than in conventional group at the 1st month after surgery.During the first postoperative week,MIS technique significantly decreased VAS scores,showing significance.On the other hand,no significant difference was observed with respect to deep infection incidence and radiological outcome between two groups.Conclusion MIS TKA offers a significant improvement in extensor muscle strength over conventional surgery.These results suggest that the MIS approach results in better outcomes with regard to maintaining extensor strength than the conventional surgical approach.

Objective To analyze the clinical and radiographic features of short stature combined with skeletal deformity in children,and to diagnose exactly and cure promptly in children.Methods One hundred and twenty children were collected,included 69 males and 51 females.All of the children were collected detail medical history including history of birth,feeding,growth and development and family history and taken both physical and X ray examination that bone age could be evaluate by Gruelich-Pyle method.The children were taken a laboratory examination including calcium,phosphours,alkaline phosphatase,chromosome karyotype,and so on.Results Among 120 children,there were 36 cases(30.0%) of achondroplasia,20 cases(17.0%)of Turner syndrome,10 cases(8.0%)of multiple epiphyseal dysplasia,1 case(0.8%)of spondyloepiphseal dysplasia congenital,7 cases(5.8%) of spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda,2 cases(1.6%) of osteogenesis imperfecta,1 case(0.8%) of cleidocranial dysplasia,5 cases(4.2%)of mucopolysaccharide Ⅳ,5 cases(4.2%) of pseudoachondroplasia,9 cases(7.5%)of hypophosphatemic ricket,24 cases(20%)of short limb dwarf.Among 120 cases,27 were regularity dwarfism(22.5%),93 cases were irregularity dwarfism(77.5%);Among 93 cases of irregularity dwarfism,80 cases were short limb dwarfism including 36 cases of short upper limb(short upper arm 35 cases,shortforearm 1 case),20 cases of short lower limb,24 cases of proportional short stature,13 cases of short trunk.X ray bone age lag 46 cases,ahead of schedule 15 cases(12.5%),normal 59 cases.Conclusions The main causes of short stature combined with skeletal deformity are genetic bone disease.To analyze the feature of clinical and radiographic is a valuble instrument for the children diagnosis of short stature combined with skeletal deformity.Part of them skeletal age were lagged.

Antigens, Neoplasm ; metabolism ; Antigens, Surface ; metabolism ; Autoantibodies ; metabolism ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Carrier Proteins ; metabolism ; Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II ; metabolism ; Humans ; Kallikreins ; metabolism ; Male ; MicroRNAs ; metabolism ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion ; metabolism ; PTEN Phosphohydrolase ; metabolism ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Trypsin Inhibitor, Kazal Pancreatic ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator ; metabolism

Objective:This study was designed to explore the effects and mechanisms of raltitrexed on the growth of the human gastric cancer cell line (MGC-803) transplanted in nude mice. Methods: Models of MGC-803 xenograft transplanted in nude mice were established. Body weight, mental state, food, and stool of the nude mice were closely monitored, and the inhibitory action in the tu-mors was evaluated after drug intervention. Distribution and apoptosis of the tumor cells were examined through flow cytometric assay. P53 mRNA and protein expression levels were determined through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Changes among the three groups were compared. Results:Body weights and tumor volumes of the nude mice were lower in the raltitrexed and 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) groups than those in the control group. Tumor inhibition ratios were 49.02%and 45.75%in the raltitrexed and 5-Fu groups, respectively. In the G0/G1 stage, the number of cells decreased in the raltitrexed and 5-Fu groups. Signifi-cant differences were found between the experimental and control groups (P<0.01). In the S stage, the number of cells increased in the raltitrexed and 5-Fu groups, with significant differences from the control group (P<0.01). P53 mRNA and protein expression levels in the raltitrexed and 5-Fu groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.01), but no significant differences were found between the raltitrexed and 5-Fu groups (P>0.05). Conclusion:Raltitrexed can inhibit the growth of MGC-803 xenograft trans-planted in nude mice and shows inhibitory effect similar to that of 5-Fu. Raltitrexed can induce the S-phase block of the cell cycle and cell apoptosis in the MGC-803 xenografts in the nude mice. This drug may exhibit an antitumor effect by upregulating the p53 mRNA and protein expression levels.