OBJECTIVETo assess the role of probiotics in the prevention of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and to investigate the risk factors for NEC.

METHODSA total of 2528 hospitalized neonates between January 2002 and May 2005 were assigned into either receiving prophylactic use of probiotics bifoco (Prevention group, n=1182) or without probiotics supplementation (Control group, n = 1346). The incidence of NEC was compared between the two groups. The risk factors for NEC were investigated by conditional logistic regression multifactorial analysis.

RESULTSThere were 19 cases of NEC in the Control group (1.41%), but only 6 cases in the Prevention group (0.51%) (P < 0.05). Gestational age (OR = 5.521), hypoxicdouble ended arrowischemic encephalopathy (OR = 3.887), specticemia (OR = 4.854) and critical illness scores (OR = 5.989) were the risk factors for NEC, while the prophylactic use of probiotics was an independent protective factor for NEC (OR = 0.255).

CONCLUSIONSThe prophylactic use of probiotics may reduce the incidence of NEC in neonates.

Case-Control Studies ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; prevention & control ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Probiotics ; therapeutic use

BACKGROUNDBudd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) is a posthepatic portal hypertension caused by the obstruction of the lumen of the hepatic veins or the proximal inferior vena cava (IVC). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical experience of interventional therapy for Budd-Chiari syndrome.

METHODSIVC venography was carried out first, the obliteration or stenosis in the IVC was opened or dilated with the hard guided wire or Rups100 puncture needle and balloon, then a stent was routinely implanted for the type of obliteration or stenosis.

RESULTSThe procedure was successful in 821 out of 903 cases including IVC intervention in 760 cases, and hepatic vein intervention in 61 cases. An IVC stent was used in 517 cases and hepatic vein stent in 19 cases. There were no pulmonary embolisms, but acute renal failure occurred in eight cases, hepatic coma in two cases and acute heart failure in 43 cases. Two patients died in this group and five cases were complicated with acute IVC thrombosis. Follow up of 7 to 124 months was made in 679 cases with recurrence found in 59 cases.

CONCLUSIONSInterventional therapy is safe and effective with a fast recovery for most types of BCS. It is gradually becoming the first therapeutic choice.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Angioplasty, Balloon ; adverse effects ; Budd-Chiari Syndrome ; surgery ; therapy ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phlebography ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

There is controversy regarding the roles of Ureaplasma urealyticum (U. urealyticum) colonization in the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). This study explored the association between U. urealyticum and bronchopulmonary dysplasia at 36 weeks post-menstrual age (BPD36). Studies published before December 31, 2013 were searched from Medline, Embase, Ovid, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases, with the terms "Ureaplasma urealyticum", "chronic lung disease", or "BPD36" used, and English language as a limit. The association between U. urealyticum colonization and BPD36 was analyzed with RevMan 4.2.10 software, using the odds ratio (OR) and relative risk (RR) for dichotomous variables. Out of the enrolled 81 studies, 11 investigated the BPD36 in total 1193 infants. Pooled studies showed no association between U. urealyticum colonization and subsequent development of BPD36, with the OR and RR being 1.03 (95% CI=0.78-1.37; P=0.84) and 1.01 (95% CI= 0.88-1.16, P=0.84), respectively. These findings indicated no association between U. urealyticum colonization and the development of BPD36.

Three tricyclic [6,5,7] and six tetracyclic [6,5,5,5] novel indole alkaloids were synthesized and evaluated on triglyceride inhibitory activities for the first time. Among them, compound 4c showed the most potent activity with IC₅₀ value of 6.35 μmol·L^-1. Meanwhile, compound 4c also exhibited a good safety profile at the cellular level. Preliminary mechanism study indicated that 4c might increase intracellular lipid metabolism by activating AMPK. These results provide a novel family of lead compounds for the discovery of anti-NAFLD candidates.

Objective:To investigate the immunomodulation of CCK8 on the Coxsackievirus B ( CVB )-attacked human peripheral blood plasmacytoid dendritic cells(pDC). Methods:Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy volunteers were separated by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient density centrifugation. The pDC was separated and divided into five groups,which were the control group, CVB attacked group,the group of CCK8 treated after CVB attack,the group of PGE2 treated after CVB attack and the group of CCK8+PGE2 treated after CVB attack. 100-time TCID50 of CVB was applied for the attack on pDC. Real-time PCR and Immunofluorescence technique were employed to detect the expression of CCK1R/CCK2R mRNA and protein. Then,the expression levels of costimulatory molecules such as CD80,CD86,HLA-DR ligand,and the chemokine receptor CCR7 were evaluated by Flow Cytometry Analysis. The supernatants of pDCs were collected, and the content of IFN-α was determined by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay. Results:CCK1R and CCK2R were co-expressed in human peripheral blood pDC,and both were significantly upregulated after CVB attack in vitro. Expression of CD80,CD86,HLA-DR and IFN-α were decreased in the CVB+CCK8 group compared with the CVB group,which suggested that CCK8 may reduce the CVB activation of pDC. Whereas expression of CD80,CD86,HLA-DR,CCR7 and IFN-α were increased in the CVB+PGE2 group compared with the CVB group,which suggested that PGE2 may increase the CVB activation of pDC in vitro. Conclusion:CCK8 repressed the CVB-attacked pDC,while PGE2 activated the CVB-attacked pDC.

There is controversy regarding the roles of Ureaplasma urealyticum (U. urealyticum) colonization in the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). This study explored the association between U. urealyticum and bronchopulmonary dysplasia at 36 weeks post-menstrual age (BPD36). Studies published before December 31, 2013 were searched from Medline, Embase, Ovid, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases, with the terms "Ureaplasma urealyticum", "chronic lung disease", or "BPD36" used, and English language as a limit. The association between U. urealyticum colonization and BPD36 was analyzed with RevMan 4.2.10 software, using the odds ratio (OR) and relative risk (RR) for dichotomous variables. Out of the enrolled 81 studies, 11 investigated the BPD36 in total 1193 infants. Pooled studies showed no association between U. urealyticum colonization and subsequent development of BPD36, with the OR and RR being 1.03 (95% CI=0.78-1.37; P=0.84) and 1.01 (95% CI= 0.88-1.16, P=0.84), respectively. These findings indicated no association between U. urealyticum colonization and the development of BPD36.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; complications ; microbiology ; pathology ; Humans ; Ureaplasma Infections ; complications ; microbiology ; pathology ; Ureaplasma urealyticum ; growth & development ; pathogenicity

This present study was performed to investigate the influence of cerebral lymphatic blockage (CLB) on apoptosis of cortical neurons after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in rats in vivo. Healthy adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group, SAH group and SAH+CLB group. SAH model was made by double injection of autologous blood into the cisterna magna. On the third day after the second cisternal injection, morphological changes of cortical cells were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) combined with propidium iodide (PI) staining. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method was applied to determine in situ apoptosis in the cerebral cortex. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to detect the expression of Caspase-3 and Bcl-2 in cortical neurons. HE and PI staining showed that cortical neurons of SAH rats were partly shrinkable; the nuclei showed wavy, folded or wrinkled appearance, and some nuclei had the shape of crescent. The cortical neurons in SAH+CLB group distributed sparsely and the nuclear fragmentation, apoptotic bodies were found, surrounded by the formation of vacuoles. The numbers of TUNEL-positive cells in SAH group and SAH+CLB group were higher than that in the normal control group, while the number in SAH+CLB group was significantly higher than that in the SAH group. Caspase-3 expressions in SAH group and SAH+CLB group were higher than that in the normal control group, while the expression in SAH+CLB group was significantly higher than that in the SAH group. Bcl-2 expressions in SAH group and SAH+CLB group were higher than that in the normal control group, while the expression in the SAH+CLB group was significantly lower than that in SAH group. The results obtained suggest that CLB exacerbates the apoptosis of cortical neurons in rats after SAH by up-regulating Caspase-3 expression and down-regulating Bcl-2 expression.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; physiology ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cerebral Cortex ; pathology ; Female ; Lymphatic Vessels ; injuries ; pathology ; Male ; Neurons ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; pathology ; physiopathology

BACKGROUND: Over the last 10-20 years, international guidelines and consensus statements for the management of common allergic diseases (e.g. allergic rhinitis and asthma) have been developed and disseminated worldwide. However, their impact on knowledge and standard of clinical practice among primary care physicians and specialists is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To investigate need for an improvement in the dissemination of international guidelines for the diagnosis and management of allergic rhinitis. METHODS: Seven medical students who attended 3-day 1st International Basic Allergy Course (2010) took down all questions raised during the entire course. A systemic analysis of these questions was performed to identify areas for improvement in diagnosis and management of allergic diseases mainly in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. RESULTS: 268 participants, 143 males and 125 females, comprising Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists (n = 106) and trainees (n = 34), general practitioners (n = 87), and other healthcare professionals (n = 41) attended the course. Of the 103 questions recorded, 59 were regarding treatment modalities in allergy practice such as immunotherapy (n = 38), pharmacologics (n = 15), nasal surgery (n = 2), and others (n = 4). 41 questions (39.8%) have answers based in the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma guidelines (2001 and 2008). Certain questions were selected for further analysis because they appeared to be (a) more commonly asked (e.g. immunotherapy) or (b) were deemed to be challenging or, even controversial (e.g. food allergy and differential diagnosis between vasovagal and anaphylaxis reaction), as the recommendations in current international guidelines were less well-defined. CONCLUSION: Our study identified several problems that, if tackled, could help minimize confusion and provide better care for patients suffering from allergic diseases especially in the ASEAN region.
Anaphylaxis ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Asthma ; Consensus ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Ear ; Female ; Food Hypersensitivity ; General Practitioners ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunotherapy ; Male ; Nasal Surgical Procedures ; Nose ; Pharynx ; Physicians, Primary Care ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Specialization ; Students, Medical

·AIM: To observe the clinical effects of microincision vitrectomy combined with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling for high myopia patient with macular hole retinal detachment (MHRD). ·METHODS: This was a retrospective non-randomized controlled clinical study. A total of 26 eyes of 26 patients with high myopic MHRD from January 2011 to December 2016 were included. All eyes underwent 23G pars plana microincision vitrectomy combined with ILM peeling. The preoperative and postoperative best corrected visual acuity ( BCVA ), intraocular pressure, ocular anterior segment and fundus examination were observed, and the anatomical closure of macular hole was checked by optical coherence tomography ( OCT). The relationships between final BCVA and these parameters ( age, GASS stage, onset time, OCT pattern of MH closure, initial vision) were examined by regression analysis. ·RESULTS: The postoperative MH closure rate of high myopia MHRD was 58% . OCT images of the repaired MH in high myopia were categorized into 3 patterns: U-type (3 eyes) with relative normal foveal contour; V-type (4 eyes) with steep foveal contour; W-type (8 eyes) with foveal defect od neruosensory retina, but without warped hem of retinal hole or cystic formation. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that postoperative BCVA was correlated with the OCT patternts of closed MH and initial vision ( P< 0. 05 ). The postoperative visual acuity of U-type closed MH was 6. 9 times higher than that of W-type. ·CONCLUSION: Microincision vitrectomy combined with ILM peeling is a safe and effective surgical treatment for high myopia patient with macular hole retinal detachment. The postoperative visual acuity was correlated with the OCT patterns of closed MH and initial vision.

Objective To explore whether the expression level of heparanase (HPA) and its coagulation proteins on leukemic blast membrane could determine the hemostatic balance on the surface of leukemia cells.Methods Forty patients of leukemia were studied,and 20 patients with iron dificient anemia as the control group.Expression of tissue factor (TF),heparanase (HPA),tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI),and urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (UPAR) on leukemic blast surfaces were analyzed by flowcytometry.Results The expression of TF,UPAR,and HPA in AML,ALL,CML,CLL and CRAL groups were significantly higher compared with the control group (t =.3.289,3.507,2.701,P ＜0.05; t =2.498,0.802,3.090,P ＜0.05; t =2.642,3.308,2.696,P ＜0.05; t =3.417,3.434,2.382,P ＜0.05; t =2.193,2.272,2.263,P ＜0.05).There were no significantly differences between the leukemic cell expression of TFPI and the control group (P ＞0.05).Expression of TF,UPAR,HPA in AML patients were significantly higher than ALL,CML and CLL groups (t =2.463,2.179,2.276,P ＜0.05; t =2.637,2.402,2.095,P ＜0.05; t =2.548,2.425,2.412,P ＜0.05).The levels of TF,UPAR and HPA in M3,M4 and M5 patients were higher than that of M1,M2 groups (P ＜0.05).There were no significantly differences among M3,M4 and M5 (P ＞0.05).Conclusions These results suggest that TF,UPAR and HPA are predominately expressed on leukemic blast surface,particularly in M3and M4,5 subtypes.The expression of coagulation proteins on blast membrane might determine the hemostatic balance on the surface of leukemia cells.