OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of lead on the thyroid function of occupationally exposed workers.

METHOD157 workers occupationally exposed to lead in a smelting factory were investigated. The concentration of lead in air at workshop was measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS) and the levels of blood lead (PbB) by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) by ZnPP meter, as well as the indexes of thyroid function, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T(3)), thyroxin (T(4)), free T(3) (FT(3)), and free T(4) (FT(4)) in serum by radioimmunoassay.

RESULTSThe workers with higher level of blood lead (> 2.88 micro mol/L) showed lower levels of T(3) [(1.54 +/- 0.39) nmol/L] and FT(3) [(5.50 +/- 1.26) pmol/L] than those with lower blood lead level [PbB: (1.92 approximately 2.88) micro mol/L group, T(3): (1.71 +/- 0.45) nmol/L, FT(3): (6.12 +/- 1.64) pmol/L, P < 0.05]. There was no obvious effect of length of service on thyroid hormone of exposed workers.

CONCLUSIONHigher level of blood lead may cause certain damage to thyroid function by inhibiting deiodination of T(4). No obvious relation between length of service and thyroid function was found.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Lead ; blood ; toxicity ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Thyroid Gland ; drug effects ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo study the alteration of thymus matrix lymphocyte generator (TSLP) and change of the Th factor in the course of disease development, and to analyze the curative effect of inhalation of Vitamin A (VA) with corticosteroid for the treatment of asthmatic pneumonia.

METHODSAsthmatic pneumonia models were prepared by challenging rats with inhalation of ovalbumin for 4 weeks, and rested for 1 week. The treatment with VA and corticosteroid inhalation for 1 week was followed. The rat thymus and lung specimen were examen by histochemical and immunofluorescence staining.

RESULTSAfter 4 - 5 weeks of stimulation, there were more TSLP-positive cells and alveolar macrophages (AM) found in thymus and lung tissue of asthmatic group, the cell proliferation in spleen and thymus was obvious, and blood Th factors elevated. The inflammation within the lung tissue aggravated gradually. In VA group, the expression of TSLP and Th2 factors were all lowered at the 4th week. The TSLP expression slightly increased at the 5th week, and the cell proliferation within T-cell zone of spleen and thymus was strong at first and weakened later. Alveolar microphages (AM) increased significantly and the inflammation in the lung subsided gradually at the 5th week. In the hormone group, TSLP and Th2 factors expression in both thymus and lung were decreased at the 5th week, while the cell proliferation in thymus and lung was gradually increased. The quantity of AM was decreased, whereas the inflammation of the lung was increased gradually at the 5th week.

CONCLUSIONDuring asthmatic period elevated TSLP expression was accompanied by Th2 type responses while VA and corticosteroid both suppressed TSLP and Th2 factors expression. VA alone promoted T lymphocyte proliferation as well as the antigen elimination function by AM, after ceasing the usage, the lung inflammation abated gradually. In contrast, after ceasing the use of corticosteroid, inflammation aggravated.

Administration, Inhalation ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Asthma ; complications ; Beclomethasone ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Pneumonia ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vitamin A ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo isolate and identify Streptococcus mutans (Sm) and Streptococcus sobrinus (Ss) in dental plaque of children with high dmft and no caries by selective medium, biochemical methods and arbitrarily primed-polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR).

METHODSA total of 401 3-4-year-old children from seven kindergartens were recruited using cluster sampling and their dental caries status were examined. From 30% of children with the highest dmft score (dmft >/= 5), 20 children were chosen randomly as test group and 20 age and gender-matched caries-free children were selected as control. Plaque samples were collected from buccal surfaces of the molars and plated onto TYCSB plate. Sm and Ss were primarily identified by colony morphology and biochemical characteristics. Then chromosomal DNA of the strains was isolated and Sm or Ss were confirmed by AP-PCR.

RESULTSThe proportion positive for Sm and Ss in children with high dmft was 100% and 40% respectively while that in caries-free children was 75% and 5% by AP-PCR analysis. The differences were statistically significant between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe proportions positive for Sm and Ss detected by AP-PCR method were significantly higher in children with high dmft than in caries-free children and it is a risk factor for high dmft in deciduous teeth harboring Sm and Ss.

Child, Preschool ; Dental Caries ; microbiology ; Dental Plaque ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Streptococcus mutans ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Streptococcus sobrinus ; genetics ; isolation & purification

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of ambroxol hydrochloride combined with cough syrupintegrated traditional Chinese and Western Medicine on infantile cough.Methods Selected 200 cases of patients with cough who were treated in our hospital from January 2012 to December 2015,divided into two groups randomly,100 cases in observation group,100 cases in control group.The observation group was treated with ambroxol hydrochloride combined with cough syrup,the control group were treated with ambroxol hydrochloride.To observe the clinical symptoms and clinical manifestations of the patients after treatment,recorded the time of cough and the disappearance of cough,and to determine the effect of treatment.The lung function indexes of the two groups were detected:peak expiratory flow,forced vital capacity,forced expiratory volume in one second,maximal expiratory flow rate of 50％ vital capacity and maximal expiratory flow rate of 25％ vital capacity.All the patients were followed up for 6 months by telephone or clinic,the recurrence rate of the two groups was observed,and the number of children with asthma were recorded.Results The time of cough and the disappearance time of cough in observation group were significantly shorter than that of the control group (P ＜ 0.05);the total effective rate of observation group was 93.00％ (93/100),significantly higher than that of the control group 74.00％ (74/100) (P ＜ 0.05).After treatment,expiratory flow peak,forced vital capacity,one second forced expiratory volume,vital capacity 50％ of maximum expiratory flow and 25％ of vital capacity maximal expiratory flow of two groups were significantly increased (P ＜ 0.05) and the observation group increased more significantly than the control group (P ＜0.05).After 6 months of follow-up,the control group had 22 cases of recurrence,the recurrence rate was 22.00％;the observation group had 6 cases of recurrence,the recurrence rate was 6.00％,the recurrence rate of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P ＜ 0.05);the control group had 14 cases of children with asthma,the change rate was 14％;the observation group had 2 cases of children with asthma,the change rate was 2％,the change rate of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Ambroxol hydrochloride combined with cough syrup has better curative effect on infantile cough,can effectively improve children's lung function,reduce the rate of recurrence and change of asthma,which has high clinical application value.

This study was aimed to investigate the relationship of Ki-67 proliferation index (Ki-67 PI) with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL) typing and biological behavior, as well as its significance in clinical characters and prognosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL). A total of 542 cases of NHL in our hospital from 1st January 2001 to 31st December 2010 were retrospectively analyzed, and Ki-67 PI was all assayed immunohistochemically, and a total of 82 cases of newly-diagnosed DLBCL with more clinical records were investigated. The results indicated that according to the World Health Organization (WHO) histopathological classification of lymphoma, Ki-67 PI was different as classification for NHL subgroups was different. The Ki-67 PI increased with aggressive progression of NHL. The mean Ki-67 PI ranged from 25.5% in indolent lymphoma to 98.4% in very aggressive lymphoma. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the 50% was the cut-off value distinguishing indolent from aggressive disease. On ROC curve analysis, Ki-67 PI of 75% was found to significantly discriminate patients with DLBCL who had a good or bad prognosis. There was a significant correlation of Ki-67 PI with Ann Arbor stage and LDH level. When the DLBCL cases were divided by Ann Arbor stage and IPI score, the 3-year overall survival (OS) of patients with a low Ki-67 PI (≤ 75%) in the group of Ann Arbor stage III-IV and high LDH level was higher than those with a high Ki-67 PI (> 75%) among the patients with B symptoms and IPI 3.0-5. 3-year OS in those with a low Ki-67 PI (≤ 75%) in the group of Ann Arbor stage III-IV and normal LDH level was higher than those with a high Ki-67 PI (> 75%) among the patients with B symptoms. 3-year OS of patients with a low Ki-67 PI (≤ 75%) in the group at III-IV stage and a high LDH level was higher than those with a high Ki-67 PI (> 75%). It is concluded that a cut-off value of 50% can be helpful to differentiate indolent from aggressive NHL. In DLBCL, a cut-off value of 75% can distinguish patients with a good or bad prognosis when combined with other prognostic factors, i.e. B symptoms, Ann Arbor stage, IPI score and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level.
Female ; Humans ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVETo study the effect and mechanism of Tianhuang Granule (, THG) on: hydrocephalus in the patients with acute cerebral hemorrhage (ACH) through intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring, serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) level observation, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scoring (for nerve function de ficit).

METHODSSixty patients with ACH were equally randomized: into two groups by lottery, the control group and the THG group; all were treated with conventional therapy, but to the patients in the THG group, THG was given orally in addition for 28 days. Changes of ICP, MMP-9 expression, and NIHSS scores, as well as the degree of cerebral hematoma and hydrocephalus (by cranial CT scanning) in the patients, were estimated and compared.

RESULTS(1) ICP was lowered more significantly in the: THG group, showing a significant difference between groups on day 7 (P<0.05). (2) MMP-9 expression was down-regulated in the THG group more significantly and earlier than that in the control group. (3) The degrees of cerebral hematoma and hydrocephalus in the THG group on day 7 were reduced significantly as compared with those on day 3 (P<0.05), but in the control group, the day of significant reduction was delayed to day 14, and the degrees on day 7 and day 14 in the two groups were significantly different (P<0.05 and P<0.01). (4) NIHSS score was significantly lower in the THG group than that in the control group on day 14 and day 28 (P<0.05 and P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONTHG can effectively lower ICP, down-regulate MMP-9 expression, promote the absorption: of cerebral hematoma and hydrocephalus, and improve the nerve function, showing a clinical effectiveness than conventional therapy.

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Aged ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hematoma ; complications ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; complications ; physiopathology ; Intracranial Pressure ; drug effects ; physiology ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; blood ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of occupational diseases in Gansu Province, China in 2010-2017, and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of occupational diseases. Methods: The cluster sampling method was adopted to make statistical analysis of 1339 cases of occupational disease reported by "occupational disease and occupational health information monitoring system" in Gansu province from 2010 to 2017, to investigate the diseases, regions and industries of occupational diseases in June 2018. Results: A total of 1339 cases of occupational diseases (39 types, 8 classes) were diagnosed and reposed in 2010-2017. The three most frequent diseases were pneumoconiosis (87.53%, 1172/1339), occupational poisonings (5.83%, 78/1339), and occupational ear, nose, and throat (ENT) diseases (3.14%, 42/1339). The cases of silicosis accounted for 54.61% (640/1172) of all cases of pneumoconiosis, the second was coalworker pneumoconiosis, which accounted for 38.57% (452/1172). In the cases of occupational poisonings, 32.05% (25/78) suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. Patients with occupational diseases were reported in 14 districts of Gansu, mostly in Lanzhou (27.52%, 347/1261), Jinchang (16.57%, 209/1261), and Baiyin (14.20%, 179/1261). The reported cases are mainly concentrated in mining (71.56%, 468/654) and manufacturing (21.87%, 143/654), the types of state-owned economy (55.63%, 692/1244) and private economy (33.68%, 419/1244), large (43.41%, 540/1244) and small enterprises (35.21%, 438/1244) in 2010-2017 in Gansu. Conclusion The pneumoconiosis caused by silicious and coal dust and the occupational poisonings caused by carbon monoxide seem to be the main occupational hazards in Gansu province. Occupational diseases occur in all districts of Guangzhou and in various industries. The state-owned economy and private sector, large and small enterprises should be the focuses of occupational health supervision.

OBJECTIVES(1) To evaluate the prevalence, phenotypes and suppressive function of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) among the in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and tumor-infiltration lymphocytes (TILs) from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and patients with chronic hepatitis B. (2) To investigate the correlation between the frequency of CD4+CD25+ Tregs and clinical characteristics of HCC patients.

METHODSPBMCs and TILs in 18 HCC patients, 10 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 15 healthy donors were evaluated for the phenotypes of CD4+CD25+ Tregs and the proportion of CD4+CD25+ Tregs as a percentage of the total CD4+ cells, by flow cytometric analysis with three or four color staining. The relationship between the frequency of CD4+CD25+ Tregs and tumor TNM stages was analyzed. The CD4+CD25+ Tregs and CD4+CD25- T cells were isolated from PBMC of HCC patients and donors. The suppressive function of CD4+CD25+ Tregs was analyzed.

RESULTSThe percentages of CD4+CD25+ Tregs of the HCC patients (6.38% +/- 6.30%) and CHB patients (4.29% +/- 1.82%) were significantly higher than those of the healthy donors (1.58% +/- 0.55%, P less than 0.01). Among the TILs, the percentage of CD4+CD25+ Tregs was higher (t = 4.39, P < 0.01). There were significant differences in the prevalence of CD4+CD25+ Tregs in early and advanced stage HCCs (stage II vs. III, P less than 0.05; stage II vs. IV P < 0.01). The proliferative capacity of CD4+CD25- T cells was inhibited by the presence of CD4+CD25+ T cells in a dose-dependent manner where the level of suppression was correlated to the ratio of the two-cell populations.

CONCLUSIONThese results suggest that the increase in frequency of CD4+CD25+ Tregs might play a role in the suppression of the immune response against HCC, which may contribute to the HCC cells that escaped from immunological surveillance.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; immunology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the significance of three dimensional visualization and virtual surgery system in living related donor liver transplantation surgery.

METHODSTwo patients suffered biliary calculi were scanned by 64 slice helical computer tomography (CT) on livers and the data were imported into medical image proceeding system (MIPS) for sequence. Man-made segmentation and true-up on the image from the data were carried out. Three dimensional (3D) models of the liver and the intrahepatic vessels were reconstructed by VTK software respectively. The models were exported with format STL from it and then were imported into the FreeForm Modeling System for smoothing and modifying. At last, living related donor liver transplantation were simulated with the force-feedback equipment (PHANToM).

RESULTSIt had great verisimilar image for the reconstructed 3D liver models with artery, hepatic vein, portal vein and bile duct. By seeing through liver, it had high fidelity and strong 3D effect for the intrahepatic artery, hepatic vein, portal vein and bile duct, and their spatial disposition and course and co-relationship were shown clearly. In the virtual surgery system, the virtual scalpel could be manipulated on 3D liver model with PHANToM. The simulating effect was the same as the clinic operation for living related donor liver transplantation.

CONCLUSIONSThe visualized liver model reconstructed is 3D and verisimilar, and it is helpful to design reasonable scheme for liver transplantation. It can improve the surgical effect, decrease the surgical risk, reduce the complication, enhance the communication between doctor and patient through designing surgical plan and demonstrating visualized operation before surgery.

Adult ; Computer Simulation ; Female ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Liver ; diagnostic imaging ; Liver Transplantation ; Living Donors ; Models, Anatomic ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; User-Computer Interface

Aim To study the effect of tetrandrine ( Tet ) on proliferation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells and the possible mechanism underlying this biological process. Methods CCK-8, flow cytometric and Western blot were introduced to analyze the effect of Tet on proliferation and apoptosis in MCF-7 cells.Re-al-time PCR and/or Western blot assay were employed to detect the effect of Tet on expression of IGFBP-5 , p53 and MDM2.CCK-8 and recombinant adenovirus were utilized to determine the effect of IGFBP-5 on the proliferation inhibitory effect of Tet .Western blot assay was introduced to evaluate the effect of IGFBP-5 on p53 which was induced by Tet .Results Tet inhibited the proliferation , arrested cell cycle at G 1 phase and decreased the expression of PCNA concentration dependently in MCF-7 cells.Meanwhile, Tet increased the percentage of apoptotic cells , the level of Bad and reduced the level of Bcl-2.Tet increased the expres-sion of IGFBP-5 either mRNA or protein , over-expres-sion of IGFBP-5 enhanced the anti-proliferation activity of Tet in MCF-7 cells, but knockdown of IGFBP-5 at-tenuated this effect of Tet .Tet increased the level of p53 and decreased that of MDM2, and exogenous IG-FBP-5 enhanced the effect of Tet on p53 and MDM2, respectively .Conclusion Tet can inhibit the prolifer-ation of MCF-7 cells, and this activity is partly media-ted by increasing the function of p 53 signal , which may be triggered by the Tet-induced IGFBP-5.