Objective To investigate the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and arterial elasticity in elderly hypertensive patients.Methods 253 subjects were divided into two groups:hypertension group (n=141) and non-hypertension group (n =112).Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (C-FPWV),carotid-radial PWV (C-RPWV),height and weight were determined.Fasting plasma levels of blood glucose (BG),blood lipids,insulin,endothelins (ET),nitric oxide (NO) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were assessed.Results C-FPWV and CRPWV were higher in hypertension group than in non-hypertension group [(11.7±1.9) m/s vs.(9.7±1.1)m/s,(11.7±1.7) m/s vs.(9.4±1.1)m/s,t=8.43 and-6.30,both P＜0.01].Body mass index (BMI),systolic blood pressure (SBP),diastolic blood pressure (DBP),levels of triglyceride (TG),BG,ET,NO and hsCRP,HOMA-IR had significant differences between the two groups (t=-5.27,-4.18,-6.00,6.29,-4.18,-4.86,-3.41,respectively,all P＜0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that CFPWV was correlated with SBP,age,DBP,fasting BG,NO,ET,TG,HOMA IR,cholesterol (CHO),hsCRP (r=0.534,0.374,0.340,0.338,-0.306,0.242,0.228,0.225,-0.218,0.178,respectively,all P＜0.05); C-RPWV was correlated with age,DBP,SBP,NO,TG (r=0.312,0.319,0.241,-0.197,0.151,respectively,all P＜0.05).Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that C-FPWV=4.640 + 0.081× HOMA IR+ 0.047× age+0.035×SBP+0.29×TG-0.017×NO+0.014×ET+0.132×hsCRP,r2=0.514; CRPWV=3.161+0.034×age+0.033×DBP+0.313×fastingBG+0.013×ET-0.013×NO,r2=0.390.Conclusions The decreases of arterial elasticity are closely related with endothelial function,insulin resistance,levels of blood lipids and hsCRP in elderly patients with hypertension.

Objective To evaluate the characteristics and clinical suitability of the ArcCHECK diode array for volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) verification.Methods The intrinsic sensitivity,short and long term reproducibility,dose and dose rate dependence,dose per pulsed dependence,field sizes dependence and directional response of the diodes were measured.The results of the diodes were compared with the measurement results of an ionization chamber and calculated results of treatment planning system.Gamma index was used to analyze the dose difference between the calculation and measurement for random selected 211 verified VMAT plans.Results The ArcCHECK performed well for all tests except directional dependence,which varies from a minimum of-3.9％ (seen only when the beam was incident on the diode at 180°) to a maximum of 7.7％ (approximately at 255°).Average gamma analysis passing rates with 3 mm/3％ for 113 nasopharyngeal cancer,48 cervical cancer and 50 rectal cancer patients VMAT plans were 93.5％,95.7％ and 97.5％,respectively,statistical significance has been found between either two of the groups (t=-12.69-4.88,all P＜ 0.01).Conclusions With proposed calibration method,the ArcCHECK diode array is very suitable for VMAT pretreatment verification,the complexity of VMAT plan is the main factor affecting the passing rate.

To investigate the impact of respiratory movement to determine the target volume on cone beam CT (CBCT) for lung tumor, we used CIRS dynamic thorax phantom (Model-CIRS008) to simulate the sinusoidal motion of lung tumor. With a constant amplitude, the ratio of the time of near-end-expiratory and near-end-inspiratory (E/I) changed when it was scanned with CBCT. We analyzed the contrast changes of target by extracting the CT value of each pixel on the center line of the target movement direction. The targets were contoured with region growing method and compared with the motion volume generated by the tumor trajectory method. The result showed that the contrast of near-end-expiratory increased and the contrast of near-end-inspiratory decreased with increasing E/I. The contoured volume generated by region growing method decreased with increasing E/I. When E/I = 4, the amplitude A = 1 cm, diameter of 1 cm and 3 cm target volumes were reduced by 48.2% and 22.7%. The study showed that CBCT was not suitable to be used to accurately determine the range of lung tumor movement. The internal target volume (ITV) may be underestimated in CBCT images.
Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Movement ; Phantoms, Imaging ; Respiration

Objective To evaluate and summarize a new way of forward intensity modulated radia- tion therapy (IMRT) plan for nasopharyngeal carcinoma with 3Dmulti-leaf collimator (MLC) planning sys- tems is practised routinely in our department.Methods From September 2000 to July 2003 and November 2005 to March 2006,78 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who were treated with eonformal radiothera- py used CT simulation for localizing,then doctors supervised the delineation of the planned tumor volume (PTV),gross tumor volume (GTV) and other sensitive organs on ACQsim workstation,and then sent the CT imagines to ELEKTA Precise Plan by DICOM RT Ethernet.Then,the physicists take over the responsibility of all directions of beam projection according to these organs and PTV shape,and completed the IMRT plan by manual correction making and the optimization of fields or segments shaped with forward 3D planning sys- tem.Results To analyse all the patient's dose distributions taking conformal radiotherapy in our hospital, we found the dose distribution and DVH data excellent,even better than the inverse planning of nasopharyn- geal carcinoma.Conclusions Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced radiotherapy technique.A very good IMRT plan of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by forward planning can be obtained with 3D multiple leaf collimator (MLC) planning system.This planning method is more flexible,but the radia- tion physicists should be very much experienced in professional skill.

OBJECTIVETo explore the protective effect of baicalin against rotenone-induced injury on PC12 cells, and the po-tential mechanism of action action was also explored.

METHODPC12 cells were injured by rotenone and were treated with different concentrations (0.1, 1, 10 μmol x L(-1)) of baicalin at the same time. Cell viability was analyzed by MTT, and morphology was observed by phase-contrast microscopy. The cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry by Annexin V-FITC/PI staining. The intracellular ROS level was determined by fluorescence microscope with DCF-DA staining. The expression of Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase-3 was analyzed by Western blot.

RESULTThe viability of PC12 cells exposure to rotenone for 24 hour was gradually decreased with dose escalating and 1.5 μmol x L was adopted to do the following experiment. Baicalin increased cell viability, improved cell morphology and decreased intracellular ROS level. Moreover, FACS indicated baicalin attenuated the apoptosis induced by rotenone significantly. Western blot showed that Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase-3 expression in rotenone-induced PC12 cells was reversed by baicalin.

CONCLUSIONThis study has demonstrated that baicalin protects PC12 cells against rotenone-induced apoptosis, at least in part, by scavenging excessive ROS and inhibiting the mitochondrion-dependent apoptotic pathway.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cytoprotection ; drug effects ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Intracellular Space ; drug effects ; metabolism ; PC12 Cells ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Rotenone ; pharmacology ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

Adult ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Fractures, Bone ; complications ; surgery ; Humans ; Joint Dislocations ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Talus ; injuries ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDThe distinction between intestinal Behηet's disease (BD) and Crohn's disease (CD) is always challenging due to many overlapping clinical features. We conducted a retrospective study to reveal valuable strategies for the differential diagnosis between intestinal BD and CD in Chinese patients based on their clinical and colonoscopic features.

METHODSThirty-five intestinal BD patients and 106 CD patients hospitalized from January 1983 to January 2010, who had ulcerative lesions in the terminal ileum or colon under colonoscopy and no history of gastrointestinal operation except appendectomy before admission, were enrolled. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to find discriminating predictors among demographic data, clinical manifestations, and colonoscopic findings.

RESULTSBased on univariate analysis, massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage, fever, and extraintestinal systemic manifestations were more common in intestinal BD patients (P = 0.022, 0.048 and 0.001, respectively), while diarrhea, intestinal obstruction, and perianal lesions were more common in CD patients (P = 0.002, 0.010, and 0.027 respectively). Based on colonoscopy, focal involvement, ileocecal valve deformity, solitary ulcers, large ulcers (ulcer size > 2 cm), and circumferential ulcers were more common in intestinal BD patients (P = 0.003, 0.003, 0.014, 0,013, and 0.003, respectively), while segmental involvement, longitudinal ulcers, a cobblestone or nodular appearance, and pseudo-polyps were more common in CD patients (P = 0.003, 0.008, 0.023, and 0.002, respectively). Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis, diarrhea, extraintestinal manifestations, ulcer distribution, size, and type, and pseudo-polyps were independent discriminating predictors between the two groups (P = 0.048, 0.008, 0.006, 0.021, 0.002, and 0.041, respectively). The discriminating algorithm composed of the above independent predictors had the highest area under the curve of 0.987 for distinguishing between the two diseases.

CONCLUSIONSExtraintestinal systemic manifestations and the characteristic colonoscopic features, such as ulcer distribution, size and type, helped to distinguish intestinal BD from CD.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Behcet Syndrome ; diagnosis ; Colonoscopy ; Crohn Disease ; diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the operative methods and curative effects of the deltoid ligament injuries.

METHODSFrom 2002 to 2008, all 61 patients with ankle fractures complicated with deltoid ligament injuries were treated with open reduction and firm internal fixation. Among the patients, 39 patients were male and 22 patients were female, ranging in age from 14 to 71 years, with an average of 41 years. During the operation, the deltoid ligament was reconstructed to restore the medial and lateral stability of ankle joint.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up ranged from 5 to 30 months, with an average of 17 months. Fifty-nine patients had incision healed at the first stage; 2 patients had superficial infections at lateral malleolus, and healed at the 3rd week after changing dressings. The incisions at the internal medial malleolus were all healed at the first stage. According to Qi evaluation criteria, 35 patients got an excellent result, 13 good and 13 fair.

CONCLUSIONThe deltoid ligament should be treated properly in the treatment of ankle joint fractures when open reduction and firm internal fixation were emphasized.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Ankle Injuries ; surgery ; Ankle Joint ; surgery ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Fractures, Bone ; complications ; surgery ; Humans ; Ligaments, Articular ; injuries ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the knowledge of and attitude to sexual dysfunction in aged men, and to discuss the status and needs of male healthcare.

METHODSTwo thousand seven hundred and twenty-eight men (40-70 years old) were surveyed on sexual dysfunction using the randomized questionnaire in Xicheng District, Beijing.

RESULTSThe prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) was 41.2%, and only 12.1% ED patients were to see the doctor. 52.4% aged men thought the sexual life was important or very important during the life, and 55.6% thought ED would exert negative impact on the quality of life and the partner relationship. Although 27.4% knew that ED was a kind of disease, 49.0% thought ED was a nature rule. Compare to the 41.2% ED prevalence, only 9.7% male were dissatisfied with their sexual life, and later ratio was 14.1% among the partner.

CONCLUSIONIn China, the status of the knowledge of and attitude to sexual dysfunction in aged men was unsatisfactory to some extent. There is a lot of work to do especially in sexual healthcare education and improvement on diagnostic and treatment of sexual dysfunction.

Adult ; Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Coitus ; Erectile Dysfunction ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVESTo discuss the diagnostic approaches of neurogenic erectile dysfunction(ED), and to improve the diagnostic efficacy.

METHODSTwo hundred and one patients with ED were evaluated by physical examination, IIEF-5, intracavernous injection, colour duplex ultrasonography and bulbocavernosus reflex latency, respectively.

RESULTSAmong those ED patients, 173, 201, 106, 57 and 27 cases had undergone above-mentioned examines, 13 neurogenic ED and 188 miscellaneous(and unknown-causes) ED were diagnosed.

CONCLUSIONSNeurogenic erectile dysfunction is a common disorder, the diagnostic approaches should be based on patient's situation.

Adult ; Aged ; Erectile Dysfunction ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Penis ; innervation ; Severity of Illness Index ; Surveys and Questionnaires