Humans ; Recurrence ; Respiratory Tract Infections

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum interleukin 6( IL-6 ),tumor necrosis factor α( TNF-α)and C reaction protein( CRP)levels and smoking and body mass index( BMI)in the elderly patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease( COPD ). Methods Elderly participants including 50 cases smokers with stable COPD,45 cases ex-smokers with stable COPD and 40 cases healthy ex-smokers were recruited in this study,who were hospitalized in the People's Hospital of Gansu Province from Dec. 2012 to Feb. 2014. Serum IL-6,TNF-α and CRP levels were detected. Correlation analysis was performed between serum IL-6,TNF-α,CRP levels and smoking index( SI),BMI in COPD smokers. Results The levels of serum IL-6,TNF-α and CRP in smoking group were(45. 9 ± 12. 1)mg/L,(58. 2 ± 15. 8)ng/L,(12. 2 ± 4. 1) mg/L,significantly higher than those in stop-smoking group((38. 1 ± 9. 6)mg/L,(45. 9 ± 11. 2)ng/L,(8. 6 ±3. 2)mg/L respectively),and healthy controls group((17. 0 ± 9. 9)mg/L,(27. 3 ± 13. 2)ng/L,(6. 3 ±5. 2)mg/L),and the differences were significant(F=84. 934,57. 224,23. 023;P﹤0. 01). In patients with smoking index≥400,the levels of serum IL-6,TNF-α and CRP were(50. 1 ± 12. 1)mg/L,(64. 2 ± 12. 6) ng/L,(13. 4 ± 3. 7)mg/L,significantly higher than those in patients with SI ﹤400 group((41. 0 ± 10. 2) mg/L,(47. 8 ± 14. 0)ng/L,(10. 8 ± 4. 2)mg/L respectively),and the differences were significant( t=2. 845, 4. 343,2. 347;P ﹤0. 01 or P ﹤0. 05 ). The levels of serum IL-6,TNF-α and CRP in smoking group were positively correlated with SI(r=0. 458,0. 438,0. 313;P﹤0. 01 or P﹤0. 05). The levels of serum IL-6,TNF-αwere negatively correlated with BMI,and the correlation coefficient were - 0. 358,- 0. 319( P ﹤0. 05). Conclusion The increase of serum IL-6,TNF-αand CRP caused by smoking may play an important role in the pathogenesis of COPD. And chronic smoking is the reason of the decline of BMI in COPD patients,and the decline of BMI is related to the high levels of serum IL-6 and TNF-α.

Adolescent ; Atherosclerosis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Child ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; complications ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Life Style ; Obesity ; complications ; prevention & control ; Primary Prevention ; Risk Factors

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture plus drug anesthesia on pain and stress response in patients after radical surgery for stomach cancer.Methods: A total of 60 patients were randomized into a control group and an observation group by the random number table, with 30 cases in each group. The control group was given conventional drug anesthesia. The observation group was given additional electroacupuncture intervention. Before anesthesia and 2 h, 12 h and 24 h after surgery, the visual analog scale (VAS) was scored, the heart rate, the mean arterial pressure, and the levels of serum β-endorphin (β-EP) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) were measured. Results: Two hours, 12 h and 24 h after surgery, the VAS scores of both groups were higher than those before anesthesia (all P<0.05), and the VAS scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group at the same time points (all P<0.05). Two hours, 12 h and 24 h after surgery, the heart rates and mean arterial pressures in the control group were significantly higher than those before anesthesia (all P<0.05), while there were no significant intra-group differences in the observation group (all P>0.05), and the indicators were lower than those in the control group at the same time points (all P<0.05). Two hours, 12 h and 24 h after surgery, the serum β-EP levels in the observation group were significantly higher than those before anesthesia (all P<0.05), and significantly higher than those in the control group at the same time points (all P<0.05). Two hours, 12 h and 24 h after surgery, the serum ACTH levels in the control group were significantly higher than those before anesthesia (all P<0.05), and were significantly higher than those in the observation group at the same time points (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Electroacupuncture plus drug anesthesia can significantly relieve pain and stress response in patients after radical surgery for stomach cancer.

Animals ; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; physiology ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; metabolism ; pathology ; Epithelial Cells ; pathology ; Homeodomain Proteins ; metabolism ; physiology ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Snail Family Transcription Factors ; Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; physiology ; Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1

Objective To apply six sigma management method to optimizing flow,enhancing treatment quality,prolonging service life and decreasing purchase cost of the non-coated surgical instrument.Methods The treatment flow of the noncoated surgical instrument was optimized through five steps of six sigma method including defining,measuring,analyzing,improving and controlling.The treatment results before and after flow optimization were compared,analyzed and evaluated.Results The rates for corrosion and rejection were both decreased significantly after flow optimization,while the quality was increased obviously (P＜0.05).Conclusion Six sigma management method involved in the treatment of the non-coated surgical instrument saves purchase cost,enhances the efficiency of disinfection supply room and facilitates effective supervision and monitoring.

Objective To explore the differential expression of low molecular weight proteins in serum of ischemic stroke patients.Methods Serum samples obtained from ischemic stroke patients (n=33) and normal controls (n=39) were analyzed by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The severity of stroke was assessed with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and functional outcome was assessed with modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Results 55 peaks were significantly different between ischemic stroke patients and the controls (P<0.05). There were 7 peaks between 1000~2000 Da, 4 increased peaks and 3 induced peaks in serum of ischemic stroke patients. One induced peak at 1864(m/z) had highest peak intensity in controls and induced significantly in ischemic stroke patients. While induce degree of this peak didn't correlate with the NIHSS, mRS, stroke risk factors and laboratory data. Conclusion The application of this potential biomarker is not restricted to certain subgroups of ischemic stroke patients,so it may serve as one reverse direction biomarker and provide support for early diagnosis and treatment of ischemic stroke.

Background: Nummular headache is a new category of primary headache disorder characterized by consistent location, size, and shape of painful areas. The pathogenesis is uncertain. Bifocal painful areas are rare manifestations but may expand the clinical diversity of nummular headache. Methods: The clinical characteristics of 5 bifocal nummular headache patients were reported and those of 11 patients in previous studies were reviewed. Bifocal nummular headache was classifi ed into two types. Type I was defi ned as a simultaneous activation of two painful areas while type II was defi ned as two painful areas occurring in different times. Results: All 16 patients were female, with mean age of onset and initial presentation of 54.7 years and 58.2 years, respectively. There were seven type I and nine type II patients. The parietal area, especially the tuber parietale, was the leading site of involvement in both types of patients. The shape and size of painful areas were also similar between these two groups. There was an equal frequency of ipsilateral and contralateral painful areas. The pain intensity was similar in both types of patients but was milder in new painful areas than in previous painful areas in type II patients. Conclusions: Bifocal nummular headache suggests a central role of nummular headache but does not debunk the peripheral theory of nummular headache. The accumulated fi ndings in bifocal NH patients do not support a generalization of pain occurrence or a reproduction of local process of epicranial neuralgia at multiple sites in nummular headache.

This paper aims to investigate the value of diffusiion weighted imaging (DWI) and different apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) methods to predict the curative effects of neoadjuvant chempotherapy (NAC) for breast cancer. From March 2010 to December 2012, seventy-one patients were pathologically confirmed invasive breast cancer by needle puncture biopsy received before surgery, and underwent magnetic resonance before and after NAC, the ADC were measured by mean ADC method and lower ADC method. The pathologic response after NAC was divided to major histological response (MHR) group and non-major histological response (NMHR) group according to Miller & Payne system. Results displayed that ADC values obtained before NAC, at the end of the second cycle of NAC, and after whole course of treatment, had good correlations between mean and lower ADC methods (the Pearson's correlation=0.699, 0.749 and 0.895, respectively). Significant difference in ADC obtained both with mean and lower ADC methods could be found between MHR and NMHR groups after the second cycle of NAC (P< 0.05). After the second cycle of NAC, significant difference in the change rate of ADC could be found between MHR and NMHR groups by using lower ADC method (P<0.05), but not be found by using mean ADC method (P >0.05). In conclusion, DWI could monitor the pathologic changes of breast cancer after NAC, and the lower ADC method might be used to evaluate the curative effect of NAC with the change rate of ADC.
Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Neoadjuvant Therapy

Objective To analyze the factors associated with the outcome of pyeloplasty in term of renal function and morphology improvement in children with unilateral ureteropelvic junction obstruction,in order to provide clinical evidence for the treatment of hydronephrosis in children.Methods Clinical data of 174 children who underwent unilateral dismembered pyeloplasty from January 2009 to June 2014 were retrospectively studied.Differential changes in renal function and renal morphology after pyeloplasty were assessed by serial renal scan and ultrasound.On the basis of preoperative split DRF,these patients were divided into three groups:group Ⅰ with DRF ≥40％ (n =99),group Ⅱ with DRF 30％-40％ (n =29) and group Ⅲwith DRF ＜ 30％ (n =46).According to their age at surgery,the children were divided into four groups,including group A aged 1-3 months (n =52),group B aged 3 months-3 years (n =44),groupCaged3-6years (n =37),and group D aged more than 6 years (n =41).Results Inall 174 children,postoperative complication occurred in 7 cases,including urinary tract infection in 6 cases and renal atrophy in 1 case.A significant improvement of both function and morphology was confirmed in most patients (P ＜ 0.01).Patients in group Ⅰ showed stable renal function after operation(DRF 48.46％ ±4.80％ vs.50.78％ ± 5.45％,P ＜ 0.01),of them who underwent pyeloplasty at 1-3 months of age showed the best obvious recovery of renal morphology.Renal function of patients in group Ⅱ recovered obviously and most of them reached to the initial values (DRF 35.18％ ± 2.95％ vs.43.91％ ± 6.89％,P ＜ 0.01).While renal function of patients in group Ⅲ recovered significantly after surgery,most of them failed to restore the initial values(DRF 20.70％ ± 6.90％ vs.33.78％ ± 12.49％,P ＜ 0.01),and among them,the aged 1-3 months group possessed the best recovery.Moreover,the morphological improvement was similar to the functional improvement.The time for hydronephrosis recovered to less than Grade 2 of Society for Fetal Urology(SFU)was 6,24 and over 24 months respectively in group Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲll,and the renal morphology gradually improved with the increasing duration of follow-up.Conclusions The renal function and morphology of most patients improved significantly after pyeloplasty.Recovery of renal function and morphology after surgery was significantly correlated with the preoperative DRF.Early surgical intervention may improve the function and morphology recovery of the involved renal unit.