Objective To explore whether the degree of 99Tcm-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) uptake in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) could be correlated with the treatment response to three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy.Methods A total of 102 patients with NSCLC were studied with 99Tcm-MIBI SPECT before radiotherapy.The patients were classified by a follow-up CT as responders (complete or partial remission) and non-responders (stable or progressive disease).After intravenous administration of 740 MBq 99Tcm-MIBI, SPECT imaging at 10-30 min (early) and 2-3 h (delayed) were performed.Region of interest (ROI) was placed over the tumors and contralateral normal lung tissue.The uptake ratio of tumor to contralateral normal lung (T/N) was obtained from both early (ER) and delayed (DR) SPECT images.The retention index (RI) was measured as:RI = (DR - ER)/ER×100%.Statistical analysis was performed by two independent-sample t-test and Mann-Whitney U test using software SPSS 13.0.Results 99Tcm-MIBI uptake was significantly higher in responders than in non-responders:2.36 ±0.17 vs 1.82 ±0.14 (ER) and 2.48 ± 0.20 vs 1.94 ± 0.16 (DR), respectively (t = - 13.1,- 12.7, both P＜ 0.05).The median RI in the responders group was also significantly higher than that in the non-responders group (6.60% vs 5.13%, z = - 6.83, P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion ER, DR and RI of 99Tcm-MIBI SPECT might be useful to estimate the treatment response to three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy in patients with NSCLC.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expressions of matrix metalloprotein-2 (MMP-2) and tissue inhibitor of metallopeptidase inhibitor-1 (TIMP-1) in the renal allografts of patients with chronic active antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR), and explore their role in the pathogenesis of ABMR.

METHODSImmunohistochemistry and computer-assisted image analysis were used to detect the expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 in the renal allografts of 46 patients with interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IF/TA), with 15 normal renal tissue specimens as the control. The association of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 with the pathological grade of IF/TA in ABMR was analyzed.

RESULTSThe expressions of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 significantly increased in the renal tissues of the patients as compared with the normal renal tissues (P<0.05). MMP-2 expression tended to decrease, while TIMP-1 and serum creatinine increased with the pathological grades of IF/TA (P<0.05). In IF/TA group, the expression of TIMP-1 was positively correlated to serum creatinine level (r=0.718, P=0.00<0.05).

CONCLUSIONAbnormal expressions of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 can promote the development of renal fibrosis in chronic ABMR.

Adult ; Antibody Formation ; Complement C4b ; metabolism ; Female ; Fibrosis ; etiology ; Graft Rejection ; immunology ; Humans ; Kidney ; metabolism ; Kidney Diseases ; pathology ; Kidney Transplantation ; adverse effects ; immunology ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Peptide Fragments ; metabolism ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between physical and biological effects of alternating magnetic field and study the influence of the magnetic field on the reproductive function of murine testes.

METHODSThirty ICR mice were randomized into 5 groups: normal control, X-ray radiation, weak magnetic field (1000 Hz), 1 h strong magnetic field and 2 h strong magnetic field (2000 Hz). The mice were sacrificed at 7 days after the exposure for the analysis of testicular sperm motility, observation of histopathological changes in the testis by HE staining and evaluation of the changes by modified Johnsen grade criteria.

RESULTSThe rates of sperm motility were (42.37 +/- 10.24)% in the normal control group, (39.00 +/- 12.35)% in the X-ray radiation group, (36.00 +/- 17.28)% in the weak magnetic field group, (10.72 +/- 5.67)% in the 1 h strong magnetic field group and (4.44 +/- 2.87)% in the 2 h strong magnetic field group, respectively. Johnsen's scores decreased and the testis damage increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONMagnetic field, either strong or weak, may damage the testis function by inducing injury to seminiferous tubules and Leydig cells, thickening of the basal membrane, derangement, exfoliation, massive apoptosis and necrosis of spermatogenic cells in the lumen, situation of the epididymis, and consequently the absence of sperm.

Animals ; Electromagnetic Fields ; adverse effects ; Leydig Cells ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Sperm Motility ; Testis ; cytology ; pathology ; radiation effects

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

BACKGROUNDTo establish a method for H5N1 RNA detection and laboratory diagnosis of suspected human avian influenza (H5N1) virus infected cases.

METHODSThe typing and sub-typing primers were designed according to M and H5 and N1 gene respectively, and the RT-PCR and real-time PCR were developed using these primers.

RESULTSThe RT-PCR and real-time PCR could be used for H5N1 detection specifically, and there was no cross reaction with other influenza subtypes such as H1 and H3. The sensitivity for RT-PCR and real-time PCR was 1 TCID50 and 0.01 TCID50 respectively. Thirteen laboratory confirmed human H5N1 cases were detected from 42 suspected cases by using these methods.

CONCLUSIONThe established RT-PCR and real-time PCR methods can be used for laboratory detection of suspected human H5N1 cases.

Animals ; Chick Embryo ; DNA Primers ; genetics ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Influenza, Human ; diagnosis ; virology ; Reproducibility of Results ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Viral Proteins ; genetics

Objective To investigate the genetic variation of Eurytrema pancreaticum isolated from goats in Huaihua City, Hunan Province. Methods The partial sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome I (pcox1) and ribosomal 18S rRNA genes were amplified using a PCR assay in E. pancreaticum isolates from goats in Huaihua City, Hunan Province, and the PCR amplification products were sequenced. Then, the gene sequences were subjected to genetic variation and phylogenetic analyses. Results The sequences of the pcox1 and 18S rRNA genes were 430 bp and 1 857 bp in length in 18 E. pancreaticum isolates from goats in Huaihua City, Hunan Province, and there were 14 and 35 variation sites in pcox1 and 18S rRNA gene sequences, with intra-species genetic variations of 0 to 1.4% and 0 to 0.8%, respectively. The sequences of pcox1 and 18S rRNA genes had 99.0% to 99.8% and 99.5% to 99.8% homologies with those from E. pancreaticum Chinese strain recorded in the GenBank database. Consistent phylogenetic analysis results were found based on pcox1 and 18S rRNA genes. The 18 E. pancreaticum isolates from goats in Huaihua City were clustered into a clade with the known E. pancreaticum isolates registered in GenBank, and the clade with these 18 E. pancreaticum isolates was close to the clades with Eurytrema species and far from the clades with other trematodes. Conclusions The E. pancreaticum isolates from goats have a low genetic variation in Huaihua City, Hunan Province. Mitochondrial pcox1 and ribosomal 18S rRNA genes may serve as molecular markers for the studies on the genetic variation in goat-derived E. pancreaticum.

Objective: To explore the topological properties of the degree and strength of nodes in the binary and weighted brain white matter networks of the patients with psychogenic erectile dysfunction (pED) and analyze the changes of myelin integrity, number and length of the white matter fibers in the topological space. METHODS: Diffusion tensor imaging data were obtained from 21 patients with pED and 24 healthy controls matched in sex, age, and years of education and subjected to preprocessing. The whole cerebral cortex was divided into 90 regions, followed by fiber tracking, construction of the binary and weighted white matter networks, and calculation of the node degrees and connectivity strengths in different brain regions. The property values were compared between the two groups using the two-sample t-test, the results were corrected by multiple testing correction, and the correlation of the property values with the erectile function of the patients was subjected to Pearson's correlation analysis. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy controls, the pED patients showed significantly decreased node degree of the left triangular part of inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) (7.54±1.44 vs 5.95±1.28, t = －3.88, corrected P = 0.02), medial orbital part of superior frontal gyrus (SFG) (10.08±3.60 vs 6.29±3.30, t = －3.67, corrected P = 0.02), and amygdala (6.50±2.11 vs 4.29±1.31, t = －4.16, corrected P = 0.01) in the binary networks, as well as the connectivity strength of the left triangular part of IFG (2.50±0.68 vs 1.72±0.50, t = －4.35, corrected P = 0.01), medial orbital part of SFG (3.17±0.97 vs 2.08±1.10, t = －3.53, corrected P = 0.03), and amygdala (1.80±0.69 vs 1.11±0.39, t = －4.03, corrected P = 0.01) in the fractional anisotropy (FA) weighted networks. The node degree of the left amygdala was negatively correlated with the total score (r = －0.47,P = 0.04), second item score (r = －0.46, P = 0.03), and third item score of IIEF-5 (r = －0.45, P = 0.04) in the pED patients. CONCLUSIONS The myelin integrity of the white matter fibers in the left frontal lobe and amygdale is impaired in pED patients, which leads to the aberrant generation, processing and regulation of their emotions. The decreased pivotal role and importance of the white matter fibers connecting the left amygdale may be associated with pED.
Amygdala ; diagnostic imaging ; Anisotropy ; Case-Control Studies ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Erectile Dysfunction ; etiology ; psychology ; Frontal Lobe ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Myelin Sheath ; pathology ; White Matter ; diagnostic imaging

Background:The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that the use of morcellation may cause fibroids or pelvic dissemination and metastasis of uterine sarcoma;therefore,the use of morcellation is limited in the USA.A large sample study is necessary to assess the proportion of uterine malignant tumors found in patients with laparoscopic myomectomy.Methods:A national multicenter study was performed in China.From 2002 to 2014,33,723 cases were retrospectively selected.We calculated the prevalence and recorded the clinical characteristics of the patients with malignancy after morcellation application.A total of 62 cases were finally pathologically confirmed as malignant postoperatively.Additionally,the medical records of the 62 patients were analyzed in details.Results:The proportion of postoperative malignancy after morcellation application was 0.18％ (62/33,723) for patients who underwent laparoscopic myomectomy.Nearly 62.9％ (39/62) of patients had demonstrated blood flow signals in the uterine fibroids before surgery.And,23 (37.1％) patients showed rapid growth at the final preoperative ultrasound.With respect to the pathological types,38 (61.3％) patients had detectable endometrial stromal sarcoma,13 (21.0％) had detectable uterine leiomyosarcoma,only 3 (3.2％) had detectable carcinosarcoma,and 5 (8.1％) patients with leiomyoma had an undetermined malignant potential.Conclusions:The proportion of malignancy is low after using morcellation in patients who undergo laparoscopic myomectomy.Patients with fast-growing uterine fibroids and abnormal ultrasonic tumor blood flow should be considered for malignant potential,and morcellation should be avoided.

In this study, we investigated the genetics, clinical features, and therapeutic approach of 14 patients with 5α-reductase deficiency in China. Genotyping analysis was performed by direct sequencing of PCR products of the steroid 5α-reductase type 2 gene (SRD5A2). The 5α-reductase activities of three novel mutations were investigated by mutagenesis and an in vitro transfection assay. Most patients presented with a microphallus, variable degrees of hypospadias, and cryptorchidism. Eight of 14 patients (57.1%) were initially reared as females and changed their social gender from female to male after puberty. Nine mutations were identified in the 14 patients. p.G203S, p.Q6X, and p.R227Q were the most prevalent mutations. Three mutations (p.K35N, p.H162P, and p.Y136X) have not been reported previously. The nonsense mutation p.Y136X abolished enzymatic activity, whereas p.K35N and p.H162P retained partial enzymatic activity. Topical administration of dihydrotestosterone during infancy or early childhood combined with hypospadia repair surgery had good therapeutic results. In conclusion, we expand the mutation profile of SRD5A2 in the Chinese population. A rational clinical approach to this disorder requires early and accurate diagnosis, especially genetic diagnosis.
3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase/genetics* ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Asian People/genetics* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Disorder of Sex Development, 46,XY/genetics* ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone/blood* ; Genitalia, Male/abnormalities* ; Humans ; Hypospadias/genetics* ; Luteinizing Hormone/blood* ; Male ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Mutation/genetics* ; Sequence Alignment ; Steroid Metabolism, Inborn Errors/genetics* ; Testosterone/blood* ; Young Adult