Cardiac involvement related to iron overload caused by long-term blood transfusion is a major cause of death for patients with thalassemia major. Patients' survival will be improved greatly if cardiomyopathy resulted from transfusional iron overload could be detected timely and effective iron chelation be initiated promptly. In the present article, various evaluation Methods currently used in clinical practice are reviewed, with particular focus on cardiac MRI for the monitoring of myocardial involvement related to iron overload.

Forehead ; surgery ; Humans ; Nose ; surgery ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Surgical Flaps

Objective To develop a physical in vitro model of the human carotid artery(CA) and analyze the factors that influence the embolus-capturing efficiency of the retrievable artery filters. Methods The flow model closely simulated the physiological parameters of the human carotid artery. The influence of the following experimental parameters on the capturing rate was analyzed with a multiple logistic regression model: embolus diameter and length, CA diameter, flow quantity, type of filter, and type of testing. Results At the 5% level,except for flow quantity,a significant influence on the capturing rate could be demonstrated for the 6 factors mentioned above, the embolus diameter was the strongest influencing factor. In CA with diameters of 4,5,6,7 mm, the 8-wire filter captured (90?7)%, (91?8)%, (81?8)%,and (68?9)% of 0.5 mm emboli and (93?4)%, (95?6)%, (95?6)%,and (82?11)% of 1 mm emboli. In all, the smaller, the interlacing opening of the filter, the higher the capturing rate, and the presence of an embolus in a filter would decrease the capturing rate for the second embolus. Conclusion Retrievable artery filter is a promising cerebral protection device. The physical in vitro model is an effective alternative in studying the influence factors of the capturing rate of the filters.

Objective: To study the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 6 markers of microsatellite polymorphism on the chromosome 6 in T-cell lymphoma (TCL) to determine whether there existed tumor suppressor genes in the area related with the initiation and development of TCL. Methods: Six microsatellite polymorphism markers (D6S251, D6S275, D6S287, D6S267, D6S262, and D6S264) on the chromosome 6 were selected. We performed the amplification of microsatellite DNA with PCR, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining to detect LOH in 42 cases of T-cell lymphoma and the corresponding normal tissues. Results: LOH were detected at more than one locus in 13 out of 42 TCL patients (30.95%). Among the 6 loci, LOH occurred more frequently at D6S262 (10.3%), D6S287 (10.0%), and D6S267 (7.3%). No significant difference was found in LOH incidence between different clinicopathologic classifications (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The LOHs occur more frequently at markers D6S262, D6S287, and D6S267 on the chromosome 6q21 to 6q23. Cyclin C gene localized to chromosome 6q21 may be the candidate of tumor suppressor gene related with initiation and progression of TCL. Chromosome 6q21-6q23 may harbor a tumor suppressor locus which was related with TCL.

Child ; Humans ; Liver Failure ; therapy ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Plasma Exchange

Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; genetics ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; complications ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; etiology

Objective To compare the effects of nasogastric tube and spiral nasointestinal tube on patients with severe brain injury. Methods Pa?tients receiving enteral nutrition with spiral nasointestinal tube or nasogastric tube were collected and investigated to evaluate the two schemes of en?teral nutrition from aspects of coma score,nutrition improvement,and catheter complications and so on. Results Detection of levels of total protein and prealbumin were conducted for all patients at 7 and 15 days after intubation. Each index was higher in the spiral nasointestinal tube group than in the nasogastric tube group. The reflux and aspiration rate was lower in the spiral nasointestinal tube group than in the nasogastric tube group. The dif?ferences were significant(P<0.05). Conclusion Using spiral nasointestinal tube to give enteral nutrition in patients with severe brain injury can improve the nutritional status,reduce complications,which is more contributory to the recovery.

Objective To investigate whether the monitoring of cerebral blood flow can be used to evaluate the successful preparation of rat models with focal cerebral ischemia.Methods With the line plug inserted into the left internal cerebral artery of 30 SPF Wistar Han rats at (16.0±0.5) mm,(18.0±0.5) mm and (20.0±0.5) mm respectively,three kinds of focal cerebral ischemia models (10 each) were prepared.All the rats were divided into incomplete occlusion group,complete occlusion group and deep occlusion group according to whether the blood clots were found in skull base and the infarction was appeared in the middle cerebral artery territory after the whole brain was stained with 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride.The cerebral blood flow in the middle cerebral artery territory of each animal was monitored by laser Doppler at the time of before and after blocking with the line plug inserted and reperfusion with the line plug pulled out and recorded for statistical analysis.The cerebral blood flow was expressed as the relative flow unit (perfusion unit,PU);The changes of the cerebral blood flow after occlusion and reperfusion were expressed as a percentage of that blood flow and those before occlusion.Results During the process of modeling,1 rats died,and the other in the incomplete occlusion group (n=9),in the complete occlusion group (n=15),and in the deep occlusion group (n=5).The depths of inserting of 8 rats in the incomplete occlusion group were about (16±0.5) mm,and the blood flow from the anterior cerebral artery to middle cerebral artery could not be prevented completely,the Longa score was evaluated 6 h after ischemia and ranged from 0 to 1,there were no blood clots in skull base and no infarction after TTC staining.The depths of inserting of 9 rats in the complete occlusion group were about (18±0.5) mm,and the anterior cerebral artery blood flow was completely blocked,the neurological dysfunction was significant after 6 h ischemia and the Longa score was ranged from 2 to 3,the blood clots in skull base were absent and the infarctions in middle cerebral artery territory were obvious after TTC staining.The depth of inserting of 5 rats in the deep occlusion group were about (20±0.5) mm,and the anterior cerebral artery blood flow was also completely blocked,the neurological dysfunction was serious after 6 h ischemia and the Longa score was ranged from 3 to 4,there existed blood clots in skull base and obvious infarctions in middle cerebral artery territory after TTC staining.The cerebral blood flows after the line plug inserted compared with those before occlusion in the incomplete occlusion group,complete occlusion group and deep occlusion group were all decreased (94±17 vs.256±36,43±9 vs.286±44,44±6 vs.294±46,respectively,all P<0.05) ,and the difference between groups was statistically significant (F=56.57,P<0.01),Those in complete occlusion group and deep occlusion group were lower than that in incomplete occlusion group(all P<0,05),but the difference between deep occlusion group with complete occlusion group was not statistically significant(P>0.05);The percentages of cerebral blood flow after occlusion and before were (36.93±0.06)%,(15.09±0.02)%,(15.52±0.04)% respectively,and the difference between groups was statistically significant (F=39.14,P<0.01).The cerebral blood flow after reperfusion were 213±31,147±17,96±14,respectively,and the difference was also statistically significant (F=50.05,P<0.01),and the cerebral blood flow in deep occlusion group was less than that in complete occlusion group(P<0.05);The percentages of cerebral blood flow after reperfusion and before occlusion were (83.10±0.02)%,(51.83±0.05)%,(33.49±0.09)% respectively,and the difference was also statistically significant (F=93.23,P<0.01).Conclusion The cerebral blood flow monitored by laser Doppler can be used as a real-time,convenient,micro invasive,objective and reliable standard to evaluate the successful preparation of rat MCAO models with line plug method.

Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Male ; Mumps ; therapy ; Sulfur ; chemistry ; Young Adult

Adult ; Cadmium ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; etiology ; Humans ; Occupational Exposure