The congenital stricture (idiopathic urethral stricture) mostly lies in the anterior urethra and mainly occurs in boys. Hemangioma is the most common symptom of the idiopathic urethral stricture. Acquired strictures are due to four main causes. latrogenic urethral stricture is mainly caused by performing the transurethral resection, prostate, cystoscopy, prolonged catheterization, hypospadias repair and prostatectomy and so on. Bacteriuria is especially nosocomial with post operative infection in urethral strictures. Virus such as condylomata is another cause. Lichen sclerosis is a chronic progressive inflammatory condition of unknown cause and has the development of urethral strictures. Blunt anterior urethral injury is commonly associated with perineal straddle injury, while posterior urethral injury is accompanied pelvic fracture, penetrating injuries predominantly comes from gunshots involve both anterior and posterior urethra. Urethral injuries in children and females are rare. Here, we mainly investigated the causes of idiopathic and acquired urethral stricture.

Objective To investigate the changes in acetylation of histone in the spinal dorsal horn in a rat model of persistent postoperative pain.Methods Ninety-six malc Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 200-250 g,aged 6-8 weeks,were randomly divided into 2 groups (n=48 each) using a random number table:sham operation group (group S) and persistent postoperative pain group (group PPP).The rat model of persistent postoperative pain evoked by skin/muscle incision and retraction was established according to the method described by Flatters.After the rats were anesthetized with intraperitoneal chloral hydrate,the skin and superficial muscle of the medial thigh were incised and retractors inserted.This tissue was retracted for 1 h.The mechanical paw withdrawal threshold (MWT) was measured at 1 day before operation and 1,3,7,14,and 21 days after operation.Four animals were sacrificed in each group after measurement of MWT at each time point for detection of acetylated histone H3 (Ac-H3) and acetylated histone H4 (Ac-H4) expression (by Western blot analysis) and the number of Ac-H3 and Ac-H4 positive cells in the spinal cord horn (by immunofluorescence histochemistry).Results Compared with group S,the MWT was significantly decreased at 3,7,14 and 21 days after operation,the expression of Ac-H3 and Ac-H4b was significantly down-regulated at 3,7 and 14 days after operation,and the number of Ac-H3 and Ac-H4 positive cells was significantly decreased at 7,14 and 21 days after operation in group PPP (P＜0.05 or 0.01).The MWT,expression of Ac-H3 and Ac-H4b,and the number of Ac-H3 and Ac-H4 positive cells were significantly higher at 21 days after operation than at 14 days after operation in group PPP (P＜0.05).Conclusion Acetylation of histone in the spinal dorsal horn is decreased after operation,which may be involved in the development and maintenance of persistent postoperative pain in rats.

OBJECTIVETo observe preliminary efficacy of decompressive unilateral improved transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases.

METHODSFrom August 2009 to December 2011, 28 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases were treated by decompressive unilateral improved TLIF,including 16 males and 12 females with an average of 61 (aged 46 to 71) years old,the courses of disease ranged from 6 months to 6 years. Among them, 20 cases suffered from lumbar spinal stenosis, 8 cases were lumbar disc herniation. Decompressive range included single segment in 24 cases,and double segments in 4 cases; 15 cases were performed operation on the left side, 13 cases on the right side. JOA lower back pain scoring system (29 points) were applied for evaluate preoperative and postoperative symptoms, physical signs and sphincteral functions;Visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to evaluate preoperative and postoperative low back pain.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up 6 to 28 (mean 14) months. Postoperative JOA score and VAS score were 17.9 +/- 2.2, 2.8 +/- 0.7 respectively,and preoperative JOA score and VAS score were 8.5 +/- 1.7, 8.6 +/- 1.2, respectively. There were significant meaning in JOA and VAS scores before and after operation (P < 0.05). Twenty-eight patients were all obtained intervertebral synostosis.

CONCLUSIONDecompressive unilateral improved TLIF for treatment of unilateral radicular lumbar spinal stenosis and lumbar disc herniation,which has advantages of minimally invasive,curative effects,decrease medical costs,is worthy spreading in clinical.

Adult ; Aged ; Decompression, Surgical ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Diseases ; surgery ; Spinal Fusion ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: The effect of Chinese traditional medicine 3'-meisoindigo as well as indimbin derivatives on normal immunocytes is less reported while it is used for antitumor.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of 3'-meisoindigo on the proliferation of the splenocytes and thymocytes of C56BL/6 mouse.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: The randomized cytopathology observation was performed between August 2007 and January 2008 at Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.MATERIALS: C57BL/6 mice, clean, male, 6-8 weeks old, weighing (20±2) g.METHODS: The thymus gland and the spleen of C57BL/6 mice were ground to get the single-cell suspension and cells were treated by 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 μ mol/L 3'-meisoindigo,respectively. Cells without any drug treatment were used as blank control and cells treated by concanavalin A were used as positive control.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proliferation of splenocytes and thymocytes detected using MTT method; IL-12 activity in culture supematant detected using ELISA method; the cell cycle, apoptosis rate, cell death rate and intracellular reactive oxygen species level detected using flow cytometry; the mRNA level of bcl-2 and cdk2 detected using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction; the expression rate of Bcl-2, CDK2 and Bax detected using fluorescence microscope.RESULTS: After treating for 24 hours, 15, 20 and 25 μ mol/L 3'-meisoindigo can significantly inhibit the proliferation of thymocytes and splenocytes (P < 0.05) and the inhibition was dose-dependent and time-dependent. Cells resumed proliferation after removing the 3'-meisoindigo, although they had been treated by 25 μ mol/L 3'-meisoindigo for 72 hours. The secretion of IL-12 was markedly reduced in all 3'-meisoindigo groups versus control groups at each time point (P < 0.05). 15 μ mol/L 3'-meisoindigo could decrease the mRNA expression level of apoptosis-related protein bcl-2 and cyclin cdk2 gene, decrease the expression level of BCL-2 protein and CDK protein, increase Bax expression level, decrease Bcl-2/Bax ratio markedly and started apoptosis.15 μ mol/L 3'-meisoindigo arrested cells in the G2/M stage of the thymocytes and splenocytes, and intracellular reactive oxygen species level elevated dose-dependently and time-dependently.CONCLUSION: In certain concentration range, 3'-meisoindigo can reversibly inhibit the proliferation of thymocytes and splenocytes of C57BL/6 mouse and can inhibit IL-12 secretion in parallel, and start apoptosis.

Objective To verify the dose delivery accuracy of volumetric-modulated arc therapy plan by log-file analysis of linear accelerator that can be created when a dynamic delivery occurs.Methods Accelerator log file in binary format recorded the accelerator execution plan for each control point corresponding to the gantry angle,multi-leaf collimator leave position,cumulative machine monitor units ( MU).These information were read from the accelerator log file with Matlab7.1,then the original control points in the plan file replaced the corresponding information for the log,which generated a new plan.New plan was exported into the planning system to reculculate the dose.The volume dose histogram (DVH) and dose distribution was contrasted to determine the accuracy of the accelerator plan of implementation between two plans.Results Compared with the original plan,antry angle difference over ± 1° accounted for about 35％ of the entire arc of control points in 4 of 12 arcs and the percentage of the leave error of ±0.5 mm was about 95％.MU error of a single control point was larger,but the cumulative MU for each are was small which was located between-0.09％ to 0.11％ in the selected 12 arcs.Between the targets,the maximum dose,minimum dose,the mean dose differences were from-0.07％ to 0.42％,-0.38％ to 0.40％,0.03％ to 0.08％,respectively.The maximum dose and mean dose differences of organs at risks were located from-1.16％ to 2.51％,-1.21％ to 3.12％,respectively.Conclusions Accelerator log-file analysis to verify the VMAT plan nan be supplyed to the experimental method supplement.

Objective To explore the value of echocardiography in percutaneous left atrial appendage (LAA)closure for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation during procedure and for short-term follow-up.Methods Twenty patients were enrolled to undergo percutaneous LAA closure with the LAmbre device.Rheumatic valvular diseases were excluded by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography(TEE)before the closure procedure.TEE was performed during the procedure for the trans-septal puncture and the release of the closure device.Combined TEE with angiographic measurements,guidance for the optimal device size was provided.The closure effect and procedure-related complications were observed immediately by TEE and also evaluated by TTE at 1-day and 1-month follow-up.Results All patients underwent LAA occlusion successfully.TEE color Doppler evaluation have shown nine patients with complete closure immediately,one with a ≤ 1 mm residual LAA leak,and ten with a 1 -3 mm jet.There were no other complications during the procedure.One day after the closure,small pericardial effusions were observed for three patients while two of the three were free of the pericardial effusion at the 1-month follow-up.During the short-term follow-up,no damage was found at any anatomical structures near LAA due to the closure process,and there was no significant difference of cardiac function before and after the procedure.Conclusions With the guidance of TEE,the successful rate of percutaneous LAA closure procedure was preferable and the occurrence rate of compliance was acceptable. And TTE played an important role in patients'short-term follow-up.

Objective To analyze the restricted usage of TCRβ V/J subfamily and CDR3 repertoire in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma unspecified (U-PTL).Methods The total RNA was respectively extracted from lymph node of U-PTL and reverse transcriptase,then multi-PCR was used to amplify the complete DNA sequence(CDS) of TCR β-chain.The recombinant plasmids were sequenced and sequence was analyzed by using online TCR resources.Results There were 9 TCR β chain CDS obtained from four patients.TCRβ-chain presented specific repertoire skewing in patients with U-PTL.There were restricted usage of BV2,BV4S2,BV14,BV29S1 of BV subfamily and BJ1S4,BJ2S3,BJ2S5,BJ2S7 of BJ subfanily.The clonal proliferation T cells had different CDR3 amino acid sequences.Conclusions There are restricted usage of TCR β V/J subfamily in patients with U-PTL.The sequences of CDR3 in different TCR clone proliferation are mostly different.

Objective:To analyze the secular trends of height among Chinese students aged 17 in dif-ferent ethnic minorities from 1985 to 2010. Methods:A total of 18 Chinese ethnic minorities’ students, including Mongolian, Hui, Uygur, Zhuang, Korean, Tibetan, Miao, Buyi, Dong, Bai, Tujia, Hani, Dai, Lisu, Wa, Nakhi, Tu and Qiang as subjects were sampled from the 1985, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010 Chinese National Surveys on Students’ Constitution and Health. The heights of 17 years old people by gender in various ethnic minorities were analyzed and compared. Results:From 1985 to 2010, the in-crements of adult heights increased significantly in many ethnic minorities’ boys. In 2010, the average height of boys aged 17 years in each minority group was higher than 162 cm and was higher than 170 cm among boys from Hui, Mongolian and Korean groups. The ethnics with height growth rates of more than 2 cm per decade in boys were Hui (2. 64 cm/decade) and Dong (2. 05 cm/decade) and the ethnics with height growth rates of more than 1 cm per decade were Korean (1. 99 cm/decade), Tibetan (1. 90 cm/decade), Hani (1. 80 cm/decade) and the other 9 minority groups. The average height of girls aged 17 years in each minority group was higher than 150 cm in 2010 . The heights showed an upward trend in 15 minority groups, but with different degrees. The ethnics with height growth rates of more than 1 cm per decade were Hui (1. 56 cm/decade) and Korean (1. 29 cm/decade). The increments that were signifi-cant between 1985 and 2010 were Hui (3. 89 cm), Korean (3. 23 cm), Dong (2. 35cm) and the other 6 minority groups ( P<0 . 05 ) . Conclusion: Our data suggest that the increments of adult heights may reflect the secular growth change in the major minority groups during the past 25 years, but there was an obvious disequilibrium among various ethnic minorities. We should pay more attention to the minority groups with poor growth and give them more help. Meanwhile, we should also pay attention to the nega-tive effects of the secular growth trend on those minority groups with fast increasing adult height.

Objective:To analyze the current situation of age at menarche ( AAM) in Chinese ethnic minority girls aged 9 -18 years, and compare the AAM with that of Chinese Han girls from the same province or autonomous region .Methods:Probit analyses were used to calculate the AAM in various eth-nic minority groups of Chinese girls who participated in 2010 National Physical Fitness and Health Sur-veillance .The sample size of ethnic minority girls was 31 711, and the ethnic minorities were Mongolian , Hui, Tibetan, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Zhuang, Buyi, Korean, Dong, Yao, Bai, Tujia, Hani, Kazak, Dai, Li, Lisu, Wa, Shui, Dongxiang, Naxi, Kirgiz, Tu, Qiang and Sala.The local Han girls to compare with the AAM were also surveyed in 2010 National Physical Fitness and Health Surveillance .Results:In the 13-year-old group, the percentage of menarche in Sala was the lowest (32.17%), while that in Korean was the highest (93.23%).At the age of 18, 99.60%ethnic minority girls appeared menstruating .The AAM of the top 3 ethnic minority groups were Korean ( 11 .79 years ) , Mongolian ( 12 .44 years ) and Zhuang (12.52 years); and the last 3 ethnic minority groups were Dongxiang (14.36 years), Sala (14.32 years) and Shui (14.02 years).The AAM in Korean was 0.93 years earlier than that of the Han girls from Jilin province;the AAM in Mongolian was 0 .14 years earlier than that of the Han girls from Neimenggu autonomous region;the AAM in Naxi and Qiang was close to that of the Han girls in the same province (region) (P>0.05);and the AAM in Hui, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Zhuang, Buyi, Dong, Yao, Bai, Tujia, Hani, Kazak, Dai, Li, Lisu, Wa, Shui, Dongxiang, Kirgiz, Tu, and Sala was later than that of the Han girls in the same province ( region) .The cluster analysis indicated that the 26 ethnic mi-nority groups could be classified as three groups: Korean were classified into the earlier age group of AAM;Dongxiang, Sala, Uighur, Yi and Shui belonged to the later age group of AAM;and the other 20 ethnic minority groups were into the middle age group of AAM .Conclusion:There was a large variation among different ethnic minority groups in China .The AAM was earlier in Korean , and Mongolian , com-pared with the local Han girls , and the AAM in other ethnic minority groups was the same or later com-pared with the local Han girls .

As a zinc finger protein with ubiquitin-modifying activity, A20 is highly expressed in most mammalian cell in response to stimuli of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), lnterleukin-1 (IL-1), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and other factors. A20 has been found to play a crucial effect in control of the cell maturation, cytokine production and immunostimulatory potency of dendritic cells (DCs) via modulating down-regulation of NF-κB signaling transduction pathway. In this brief review, we descript the biological characteristics of A20 and the involvement of the A20 in the pathway of the immune responses toward to the DC cell maturation and immunostimulatory potency.