Objective To evaluate the expression of serum vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF ) on recurrence and/or metastasis following surgery in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma,and to ana1yze the relationship between serum VEGF and serum thyroglobulin levels.Methods The serum samples were obtained from 25 patients with pulmonary metastasis, 43 cases with locoregional recurrence, 30 cases without recurrence and/or metastasis and 30 normal subjects were selected as control.The levels of serum VEGF were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay( ELISA) ,the levels of serum thyroglobulin were analyzed by chemiluminescence method. Results The level of serum VEGF[(864.3 ±200.3)ng/L] in patients with pulmonary metastasis were significantly higher than that in patients with locoregional recurrence[(393.3 ±96.3)ng/L],without recurrence and /or metasta-sis[(276.6 ±47.7)ng/L] and normal subjects[(268.6 ±36.9)ng/L](t=11.04,14.34,14.66,all P<0.05), while there was no significant difference of serum VEGF level between without recurrence and /or metastasis and normal subjects (t=0.73,P>0.05).It showed linear correlation between serum VEGF and thyroglobulin levels on recurrence and/or metastasis following surgery in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma ( r=0.902 2, P<0.001) .Conclusion The serum VEGF level was significantly elevated in patients with locoregional recurrence and pulmonary metastases, the serum VEGF can be used as a auxiliary index to predict recurrence and /or metastasis following surgery in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Sulfur fumigation was a traditional maintenance method for traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). However , as people have paid more and more attentions on the sulfur dioxide residue in the sulfur fumigated TCMs , China has gradually decreased and banned the sulfur fumigation for TCMs . This study adopted organic elemental analysis for the determination of sulfur contents in multiple TCMs . Elemental analysis can give accu-rate results with little sample amount in a short time . Data analysis indicated that the sulfur content of 0.5% can be set as a criterion for the identification of sulfur fumigated TCMs. Sulfur content of ten unknown TCMs were determined by elemental analysis and identified whether the TCMs have been fumigated by sulfur. The devel-oped elemental analysis method can be used as a screening method for rapid identification of TCMs' quality.

(0.05)).It was noted that the number of CD4~(+) T cells was less significantly throughout the 18 months after BMT in two groups.The time to reach 200 CD4~(+)cells/ ?l was 6 months,and that to reach normal number of CD4~(+)was 18 months.Median time to reach normal CD3~(+) CD8~(+) and CD19~(+) was 9-12 months,and there was no significant difference between two groups.Conclusions The incidence of severe lethal aGVHD and GVHD-related deaths tended to be less in patients with Basiliximab group than un-treated group in haploidentical BMT.It is useful to use Basiliximab to treat sever GVHD.CD4~(+) reconstitution appeared significantly delayed in two groups.CD4~(+) reconstitution is crucial to control post-transplant opportunistic infections and leukemia relapse.Nevertheless,there was no significant difference in immune reconstitution and the incidence of infection and relapse between the two groups.

Objective To analyze retrospectively long term follow up of inferior vena cava filters in conjunction with thrombolysis and anti coagulant therapy in prevention and treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE) in 24 patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) Methods This study included 13 males and 11 females with an average age of 52 4 years (14-86 years) Percutaneous implantation of inferior vena cava filters was performed via a femoral vein in 24 patients with acute or subacute DVT, of whom two were given conjunctive catheter based urokinase thrombolysis After the procedure, 20 patients underwent intravenous urokinase thrombolysis with subcutaneous low weight molecular heparin for 10 days and subsequent oral warfarin for six months Results All patients underwent a successful interventional procedure with an average 15 month (10-48 months) follow up One week after the procedure, relief of symptoms related to DVT was achieved in all the 24 patients Neither filter migration and thrombolic occlusion of filter nor PE and major hemorrhage were observed in this series Conclusion The use of inferior vena cava filters in conjunction with thrombolysis and anti coagulant therapy is a safe and effective treatment modality in patients with DVT, which can be used to prevent subsequent PE

Objective To investigate the effect of dysadherin gene silencing on metastasis and invasion in pancreatic cancer cell line PANC1,BxPC3 in vitro.Methods PANC1 and BxPC3 cells were divided into dysa group,negative siRNA control group(HK),liposomes control group(control),dysa group and HK group were tranfected by dysadherin siRNA and Negative siRNA,respectively.The expression of dysadherin mRNA and protein were detected by RT-PCR and immunohistochemical method.Transwell test was used to evaluate the invasion ability of pancreatic cancer cells.Results After transfected by dysadherin siRNA,the dysadherin mRNA levels in PANC1 and Bxpc3 cells were decreased by 95.4% and 52.1%.The expression of dysadherin protein was also down-regulated by 91.2% and 83.6%,respectively,when compared with HK groups (P＜0.05 ).The numbers of invasive cells migrated in Transwell in PANC1 cells control group,HK group and dysa group were 163.2±15.5,154.4±17.3 and 53.6±7.9;the numbers of invasive cells in BxPC cells control group,HK group and dysa group were 30.7±3.2,27.5±2.8 and 4.7±2.4,respectively.The numbers in dysa group were significantly lower than those of HK group and control group (P＜0.01 ).Conclusions Silencing the dysadherin gene of PANC1,BxPC3 by RNA interference could significantly inhibit the invasive and migratory ability of canceroas cells.

Objective To investigate the effects of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) preconditioning on oxidative damage in alveolar epithelial type Ⅱ (AE- Ⅱ) cells in rats. Methods The primarily cultured AE- Ⅱ cells isolated from male SD rats were randomly assigned to one of 6 groups (n = 8 each): control group (group C),H2O2 group and 4 different concentrations of HO-1 preconditioning group (group H1-4). The cells were continuously incubated for 5 h in group C. H2O2 0.5 mmol/L was added and the cells were incubated for3 h in group H2O2.In group H1-4, HO-1 0.01, 0.10, 1.00 and 10.00 μmol/L were added and the cells were incubated for2 h, then H2O2 0.5 mmol/L was added and the cells were incubated for 3 h. After the end of incubation, the cell morphology was observed under inverted phase contrast microscope, the AE- Ⅱ cells were counted, and the cell viability was determincd. Results The most AE- Ⅱ cells were adherent and round, had homogeneous cytoplasm, and the cytoplasm contains granular materials in group C and H2-4, while the vacuoles appeared in AE- Ⅱ cells and the cell debris appearecd in the supernatant in group H2 O2 and H1 . Compared with group C, the cell count and cell viability were significantly decreased in group H2 O2 and H1 (P ＜ 0.05). Compared with group H2 O2 and H1, the cell count and cell viability were significantly increased in group H2-4 (P ＜ 0.05). There was no significant difference in the cell count and cell viability between group H2O2 and H1, and among group H2～4(P ＞ 0.05) .Conclusion Preconditioning with 0.10-10.00 μmol/L HO-1 can reduce oxidative damage in rat AE- Ⅱ cells.

Abstract: Cell death is a fundamental biological phenomenon that is essential for the survival and development of organisms. Cell death can be either a spontaneous programmed process by the host or an accidentally triggered process. According to the different signaling pathway activated by various stimulates, programmed cell death exhibits the lytic or non-lytic morphology. For example, apoptosis, a typical non-lytic form of cell death, exhibits cell shrinkage and induces the formation of apoptotic bodies. Pyroptosis mediated by cysteine-containing aspartate-specific protease-1/11 (caspase-1/11) and necroptosis can induce inflammatory reactions and promote cell lysis to release inflammatory cytokines via triggering the pore-forming mechanism of the cell membrane, representing a typical modes of lytic cell death. In addition, the release of reactive oxygen species caused by the damaged mitochondria may further trigger ferroptosis during the pathogen infection. Programmed cell death can play an immune defensive role by eliminating infected cells and intracellular pathogens and stimulating the innate immune response through the resulting cell corpses. Here, we discuss the molecular mechanisms of five programmed cell death pathways: apoptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, necroptosis and PANoptosis. We describe their roles in the innate immune defense against bacterial infections and give a brief statement of the interactions between the different programmed cell death, hoping to provide new insights for in-depth study of the pathogenic mechanisms of infectious diseases.

Objective To assess the value of procalcitonin(PCT)measurement to differentiate infection from non-infection in critically ill patients requiring long-term immunosuppressive therapy.Methods A prospective study was conducted in patients with underlying diseases requiring corticosteroids or chemotherapy in ICU from January 2008 to December 2009.Patients were divided into the infection group and the non-infection group and their PCT levels were compared.Results A total of 103 patients (65 women)were enrolled in this prospective study[aged(47.9 ± 21.9)years old]with 84 in the infection group and 19 in the non-infection group.The baseline level of PCT was significantly higher in infection than in non-infection patients[2.58(0.08-44.65)pg/L vs 0.62(0.15-6.00)pg/L,P =0.002].Different levels of PCT were manifested in different pathogen groups with 3.41(0.45-44.65)pg/L in bacteria infection,0.99(0.28-6.67)pg/L in fungus infection,0.11(0.08-0.20)pg/L in virus infection group(P =0.018).The AUCROC of PCT was 0.867 for diagnostic bacterial infection.By multivariate analysis,the factors associated with the level of PCT were bacteria infection(OR 5.1,P =0.031)and septic shock(OR 7.5,P =0.027),while the factors not associated with the level of PCT were age,renal function,infection site and prognosis(P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions The level of PCT is increased in the critically ill patients requiring immunosuppressive therapy with infection and it can be used for diagnosis for bacterial infection.

Objective To explore the function of infliximab in inducing remission in Crohn's disease and the effect of the inducing remission were followed up. Methods Ten patients with Crohn's disease received a infliximab, 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) and Azathioprine (AZA) therapy for inducing and maintenance remission. Crohn' s disease activity index (CDAI), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), apartate aminotransferase, (AST), total bilirubin (TBil), conjugated bilirubin, (CB), creatinine (Scr) were evaluated at week 0, 10, 22 and 50. Simple endoscopic score for Crohn's disease (SES-CD) were evaluated at week 0, 10 and 50. Adverse reactions were also evaluated. Results At week 10, all patients achieved remission. The indicators of CDAI, CRP, ESR and SES-CD were significantly declined than those at week 0 (P＜0.01). The follow-up was terminated in one patient due to the relapse at week 30. At week 50, the indicators of CDAI, CRP, ESR and SES-CD in six patients a little bit increased compared with those at week 10, but no statistic significant (P=0. 2001、0. 0600、0. 1328、0. 4230 respectively), but significantly declined compared with those at week 0 (P =0.0005、0.0087、0.0054、0. 0163 respectively). No severe adverse reaction was observed in all patients.Conclusions Infliximab showed an exact efficacy in inducing remission in Crohn's disease. And 5-ASA and AZA were effective for maintenance remission in part of the patients after infliximab induced remission.