OBJECTIVESTo analyze the relationship between oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL), angiogenesis and stabilization of atherosclerotic plaques in human coronary arteries; and to investigate the role of oxLDL in creating vulnerable sites in atherosclerotic plaques.

METHODSSamples of coronary arteries were obtained at autopsies of 42 patients with acute coronary syndrome. Eighty randomly selected blocks were studied by immunohistochemistry using antibodies against oxLDL and endothelial cells (factor VIII). Computer-aided planimeter was used for quantitative analysis.

RESULTSIn unstable plaques, percentage of immunoreactive areas for oxLDL was significantly higher than that in stable plaques. Most of the oxLDL were located in shoulder region of these plaques, as compared to the fibrous cap and basal regions. The details of distribution of oxLDL were as follows: shoulder region (20.43 +/- 3.12 for unstable plaques and 17.65 +/- 4.22 for stable plaques), fibrous cap (4.77 +/- 2.03 for unstable plaque and 2.80 +/- 0.22 for stable plaques) and basal region (5.65 +/- 1.65 for unstable plaques and 3.22 +/- 1.02 for unstable plaques). OxLDL was also a main component in the lipid core. In the shoulder region, there was a significant positive correlation between neovascularization and oxLDL (r = 0.8247, P = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONSThe amount of oxLDL is significantly higher in unstable atherosclerotic plaques, especially over the shoulder region. OxLDL in coronary atherosclerotic plaques is thus an important factor in determining stabilization of the plaques. OxLDL may induce influx of inflammatory cells which subsequently leads to decreased plaque stabilization.

Angina, Unstable ; metabolism ; pathology ; Coronary Artery Disease ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; metabolism ; Myocardial Infarction ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; metabolism ; pathology

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of fire-needle therapy in treating deglutition disorders due to pseudobulbar palsy in the remission stage of stroke.Methods:Sixty-two eligible subjects were divided into a fire-needle group and a rehabilitation group by a simple randomization method at a ratio of 1:1.The two groups received same basic intervention;in addition,the fire-needle group received fire-needle treatment,while the rehabilitation group received rehabilitation training.The two groups of subjects all received a 3-week treatment and were evaluated by the dysphagia severity rating scale (DSRS),modified Mann assessment of swallow ability (MMASA) and Kubota Toshio swallow test (KTST) before and after the intervention.The complications and adverse events occurred during the trial were recorded.The data were statistically analyzed.Results:At the third week,the DSRS,MMASA and KTST scores changed significantly compared with the baseline in both groups (P＜0.05),and the changes in the fire-needle group were more significant than those in the rehabilitation group (P＜0.05).The between-group comparison at the third week showed that the therapeutic efficacy in the fire-needle group was superior to that in the rehabilitation group (P＜0.05).Conclusion:Fire-needle therapy can obviously change the DSRS,MMASA and KTST scores in pseudobulbar palsy in the remission stage of stroke,and significantly enhance the therapeutic efficacy of the treatment of deglutition disorders in this stage.

Objective To observe the effect of lentiviral vector-mediated basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) gene transfection on the biological characteristics of rabbit bone marrow stromal cells(BMSCs)under in vitro culture conditions. Methods BMSCs were obtained by density gradient centrifugation and adherence screening. The bFGF gene was transfected into BMSCs by lentiviral vector and divided into bFGF transfection group,empty virus group and untransfected group according to the transfection conditions.After transfection,the morphology,expressions of bFGF mRNA and protein, cell proliferation,cell cycle and alkaline phosphatase(ALP)activity were observed in three groups of cells. Results High density BMSCs were successfully obtained by density gradient centrifugation and adherence screening.After transfection of BMSCs with bFGF gene, the cell morphology showed no significant changes, while the expressions of bFGF mRNA and protein were significantly increased, the cell proliferation curve shifted upward, the proportion of proliferating cells increased,and the activity of ALP was significantly enhanced.There were significant differences between three groups(P<0.05).Conclusion The rabbit bFGF gene is successfully introduced into the BMSCs cultured in vitro by lentiviral vector, and the target gene is stably expressed.The expression of bFGF can promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam (LEV) versus phenytoin (PHT) as second-line drugs for the treatment of convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) in children. METHODS: English and Chinese electronic databases were searched for the randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy and safety of LEV and PHT as second-line drugs for the treatment of childhood CSE. RevMan 5.3 software was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Seven studies with 1 434 children were included. The Meta analysis showed that compared with the PHT group, the LEV group achieved a significantly higher control rate of CSE ( CONCLUSIONS LEV has a better clinical effect than PHT in the treatment of children with CSE and does not increase the incidence rate of adverse events.
Anticonvulsants/adverse effects* ; Child ; Humans ; Levetiracetam/therapeutic use* ; Pharmaceutical Preparations ; Phenytoin/adverse effects* ; Status Epilepticus/drug therapy*

Objective To explore the etiology and clinical countermeasures for cerebral infarction following surgeries for hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage (HCH). Methods The clinical data of 17 patients with cerebral infarction following surgeries for HCH treated in our department between January, 2000 and January, 2007 were analyzed retrospectively. Results All the patients received appropriate treatment and were subsequently rated for Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS), which was grade Ⅰ in 5 patients (capable of independent daily activities without assistance or instructions), grade Ⅱ in 6 patients (capable of activities with instructions), grade Ⅲ in 4 patients (activities requiring assistance and capable of assisted walking), grade Ⅳ in 1 patient (bed-redden but conscious), and gradeⅤ in 1 patient (vegetative state). Conclusion As one of the severe complications of surgeries for HCH, cerebral infarction involves complex etiologies, and early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment are crucial for decreasing the mortality and disability rates to improve the quality of life of the patients.

OBJECTIVETo study the changes of intracellular interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) expressions in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at different stages, and to examine the correlation between IL-6 and IFN-gamma in ALL children.

METHODSThe levels of intracellular IL-6 and IFN-gamma in venous blood lymphocytes were detected by flow cytometry in 42 children with ALL at diagnosis and at remission stage. Twenty healthy children were used as the controls.

RESULTSThe intracellular IL-6 level in ALL children at diagnosis was 81.74+/-9.31, which was much higher than that in the Control group (5.67 +/- 0.96 ) (P < 0.01). The intracellular IFN-gamma level in ALL children (1.31 +/- 0.32) was significantly lower than that in the Control group (1.46 +/- 0.49) (P < 0.01). However, the intracellular IL-6 level (27.52 +/- 3.40) decreased remarkably in ALL patients at remission stage (P < 0.01), but was still higher than that in the Control group (P < 0.01). In contrast, the intracellular IFN-gamma level (1.97 +/- 0.72) increased noticeably in ALL patients at remission stage, which was higher than that at diagnosis and the Control group (P < 0.01). A negative correlation was found between the intracellular IL-6 and the IFN-gamma levels in ALL patients (r=-0.476, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIntracellular IL-6 and IFN-gamma levels may be used as the markers for monitoring the response to treatment in ALL patients. There is a negative correlation between intracellular IL-6 and IFN-gamma levels in ALL children.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; chemistry ; Male ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; immunology

OBJECTIVETerminal stage renal failure is the final common fate of chronic nephropathies independent of the type of initial insult. Abnormally filtered proteins have an intrinsic renal toxicity linked to their over-reabsorption by proximal tubular cells and activation of tubular-dependent pathways of interstitial inflammation and fibrosis. The functional importance of tubulointerstitial events in progressive renal disease is supported by evidence that the severity of tubular interstitial damage strongly correlates with the risk of renal failure. The present study aimed to investigate the expressive tendency of some pro-fibrosis genetic factors mRNA, including thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and the major component of extracellular matrix-fibronectin (FN) in renal tissues at different time points during early stage of renal lesions caused by proteinuria in bovine serum albumin (BSA) injection-induced proteinuria overload nephrotic young rats and the significance of these factors on tubulointerstitial fibrosis development.

METHODSFemale young Wistar rats aged 3-4 weeks with proteinuria overload nephrosis induced by BSA (1.0 g/d) injected intraperitoneally were used as experimental models. The 80 young rats were divided into control group (n = 40) and BSA injected group (n = 40). At different time points (weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4), the urinary protein was measured by Coomassie brilliant blue colorimetric assay; the renal tissues morphologic changes were evaluated after HE staining; the P(65)/Rel-A, TSP-1, TGF-beta1 and CTGF mRNA expression in renal tissues was determined by in situ hybridization method and the FN mRNA expression was detected by Northern blot. The experimental data were evaluated by statistics software SPSS10.0.

RESULTS(1) Three to four weeks after BSA injection, heavy proteinuria was observed in the rats of BSA group (week 3: 104.3 +/- 21.8 mg/24 h; week 4: 131.1 +/- 18.3 mg/24 h). The proteinuria deteriorated progressively afterwards. Histopathological examination revealed that inflammatory cells infiltrated into tubulointerstitial areas extensively, protein casts were seen in tubules and edema occurred in tubulointerstitial areas. (2) In situ hybridization showed that NF-kappaB (P(65)/Rel-A) mRNA expression was up-regulated progressively in nuclei of tubular epithelial cells, the semi-quantitative scores (at 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks) were 2.33 +/- 0.20, 2.76 +/- 0.12, 2.96 +/- 0.19, and 3.76 +/- 0.18, respectively (F = 37.34, P < 0.01). (3) At 1 week after BSA injection, the TSP-1 mRNA expression appeared in glomeruli and increased, but was light in tubulointerstitial areas, its expressive peak was observed at week 2, and declined to mild after weeks 3 and 4. The semi-quantitative scores at different time points suggested that TSP-1 mRNA was expressed mainly in early stage of lesion in this model, then, this tendency turned to a flat roof smoothly. (4) TGF-beta1 and CTGF mRNA was up-regulated simultaneously in tubular epithelial cells (F = 8.80, P < 0.01 F = 19.41, P < 0.01). (5) Northern blotting showed that FN mRNA was considerably up-regulated at second week in the kidneys of rats in BSA group, 2.7-fold higher at week 4 than that at week 1 in BSA group rats, and was 3.6-fold higher than that of control group.

CONCLUSIONThe present study suggested that NF-kappaB (P(65)/Rel-A) mRNA expression and its activity was enhanced significantly by proteinuria-loading and synchronized with high expression of TSP-1, TGF-beta1, and CTGF mRNA in the kidney, at the same time, FN mRNA was up-regulated in renal tissues and an aggravating tendency in tubulointerstitial lesions was observed in nephrotic young rats with heavy proteinuria.

Animals ; Connective Tissue Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Female ; Fibronectins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Kidney ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; metabolism ; Nephrosis ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Proteinuria ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Thrombospondin 1 ; metabolism ; Transcription Factor RelA ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; metabolism

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in the reproductive system of older males. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is an important treatment for prostate cancer patients. However, almost all prostate cancer patients unavoidably progress to the castration-resistant stage after ADT treatment. Recent studies have shown that tumor-associated immune cells play major roles in the initiation, progression, and metastasis of prostate cancer. Various phenotypes of tumor-associated immune cells have tumor-promoting or antitumor functions mediated by interacting with tumor cells. Here, we review the current knowledge of tumor-associated immune cells in prostate cancer.
Disease Progression ; Humans ; Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/pathology* ; Macrophages/pathology* ; Male ; Neutrophils/pathology* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/therapy* ; Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/therapy*

OBJECTIVEIn order to explore the existence of SARS coronavirus (Co-V) and/or its RNA in sewage of hospitals administered SARS patients.

METHODSA novel electropositive filter was used to concentrate the SARS-CoV from the sewage of two hospitals administered SARS patients in Beijing, including twelve 2,500 ml sewage samples from the hospitals before disinfection, and ten 25,000 ml samples after disinfection; as well as cell culture, RT-PCR and sequencing of gene to detect and identify the viruses from sewage.

RESULTSThere was no live SARS-CoV detected in the sewage in this study. The nucleic acid of SARS-CoV had been found in the 12 sewage samples before disinfection from both hospitals by semi-nested PCR. After disinfection, SARS-CoV RNA could only be detected from the samples from the 309th Hospital, and the others were negative.

CONCLUSIONIt provides evidence that there is no live SARS-Cov in the sewage from hospitals with SARS patients though SARS-CoV RNA can be detected.

Hospitals ; Humans ; Nucleocapsid ; analysis ; RNA, Viral ; analysis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; virology ; Sewage ; virology

Child ; Humans ; Mpox (monkeypox)/prevention & control* ; Disease Outbreaks