Objective To investigate the value of PET-CT in TNM staging and three-conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) in esophageal carcinoma. Methods From September 2007 to November 2008, 20 patients with pathologically confirmed esophageal carcinoma were enrolled, including 2 treated with surgery and 18 with 3DCRT. All the patients received PET-CT simulation before the treatment. The length and maximum transverse diameter of Grit based on esophagoscope, esophagography, CT, PET-CT_(SUV2.5) and PET-CT_(40%SUVmax) were compared. The TNM stages were compared based on CT and PET-CT images. Three treatment plans were produced and analyzed based on images of CT, PET-CT_(SUV2.5) and PET-CT_(40%SUVmax),respectively. Results The length of lesion on esophagoscope, esophagography, CT, PET-CT_(SUV2.5) and PET-CT_(40%SUVmax) was 4. 93 cm, 5.06 cm, 6. 67 cm, 5. 89 cm and 4. 84 cm, respectively. The corresponding maximum transverse diameter on the last 3 images was 4. 05 cm, 3.38 cm and 2. 95 cm, respectively. In all, 31, 21 and 14 positive lymph nodes were identified according to CT images, PET-CT images and the both. Five patients with CT diagnosed stage M_0 were found to have distant metastasis by PET-CT images, and 1 patient with CT diagnosed stage M_1 was excluded by PET-CT. The volumes of GTV_(CT) were similar with GTV_(SUV2.5) in 2 patients, smaller in 5 patients, and larger for the remaining 13 patients. For these 13 patients, the radiation dose of normal tissues based on GTV_(SUV2.5) was relatively lower. Conclusions The length of lesion based on PET -CT_(SUV2.5) matches the pathological length best , followed by esophagography. With PET-CT_(40%SUVmax) the actual lesion length may be underestimated. TNM stage might be changed by PET-CT, and then the target volumes and radiation doses of normal tissues might be reduced.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between p53 gene codon 72 polymorphism and genetic predisposition to keloid in Chinese population.

METHODSPCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis was used to detect p53 gene codon 72 genotypes of 60 keloid samples and 102 whole blood samples from healthy controls in China.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference in the distribution of p53 gene codon 72 polymorphism between the keloid patients and the healthy controls (X2 = 2.910, P = 0.233), nor did the frequencies for Pro and Arg alleles (X2 = 0.882, P = 0.348), and there was no significant difference in the distribution of p53 gene codon 72 polymorphism in keloid patients and normal controls from China and Japan respectively (X2 = 3.942, P = 0.139; X2 = 3.260, P = 0.196). But the Arg/Arg genotype was significantly higher than the Pro/Pro genotype among the patients with keloid in shoulder and back (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThere was no significant association between the distribution of p53 gene codon 72 polymorphism and keloid in Chinese population, but Arg/Arg genotype may affect the formation of keloids in shoulder and back compared to others. Further research should be done to investigate the relationship between p53 gene codon 72 polymorphism and keloids in different sites.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Codon ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Keloid ; genetics ; Male ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo provide evidence for illustrating the molecular mechanism of nickel carcinogenesis, and to identify the differential expression of protein in crystalline NiS-induced neoplastic transformation of human bronchial epithelial cell by proteomics technology.

METHODSTwo dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and the ImageMaster 3.10 software were used to analyze the differential expression of protein, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) combined with database search was applied to identify protein peroxiredoxin 2 (PDX2) related to malignant transformation.

RESULTSThe good 2-DE pattern including resolution and reproducibility was obtained. Nearly 700 expressed proteins per 2-D gel were isolated with molecular weights (MW) ranging from 14,400 to 94,000 KD and pI 3 - 10. A protein PDX2 with MW 21,890 KD, pI 5.66, which was highly expressed in malignantly transformed cell, was identified using MALDI-TOF-MS.

CONCLUSIONPDX2 was involved in malignant transformation of human bronchial epithelial cell induced by crystalline nickel sulfide.

Bronchi ; cytology ; Cell Line ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Nickel ; toxicity ; Peroxiredoxins ; metabolism ; Proteome

OBJECTIVETo assess the efficiency of the PDL in the treatment of PWS in Chinese patients with skin type III-IV.

METHODS252 patients with PWS at different anatomical sites were retrospectively studied. A flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser was used. The differences in therapeutic effect of laser were analyzed in the following ways: (1) by dermatomal distribution of face and neck; (2) by anatomical subdivision of face; (3) by the size of the lesion. The therapeutic effect was graded as 0 < or = poor < 25%, 25% < or = fair < 50%, 50% < or = good < 75%, 75% < or = excellent < or = 100%.

RESULTSIt revealed that the lesions at neck had the best response. The dermatome II zone showed the least response to PDL. Among the anatomical subdivision of face, the frontal area had the highest clearance, while the zygoma and cheek had the lowest clearance. Patients with PWS on the extremities respond less favorably with the fair lightening effect. Furthermore, the mean lightening was decreased as the size of PWS was increased.

CONCLUSIONSThe response difference of PWS to PDL was not only related to the anatomical region, but also related to the lesion size. It is imperative to give the patients rational treatment suggestion and normal expectation.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Lasers, Dye ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Port-Wine Stain ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its risk factors in population over 40 years old in northern part of Guangdong province.

METHODSUsing uniform scheme, procedures and questionnaire, a cluster-randomized-sampling survey for the population aged over 40 years in a rural area of Shaoguan in the northern part of Guangdong province was performed. Spirometry was performed for every participant, followed by a bronchodilatation test when bronchial obstruction was present.

RESULTSThere were 1468 cases with complete data from 1498 people aged >or= 40 years including 640 males, 828 females with an average age of 54.3 years old. The total prevalence of COPD was 12.0%. The prevalence of COPD in males was significantly higher than that in females (18.3% vs. 7.1%, P < 0.01). Only 80.7% of the patients with COPD presented one or more symptoms as cough, phlegm, or dyspnoea. Underdiagnosis of COPD would be quite serious. Only 26.1% of the cases was previously diagnosed to have chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or COPD. Smoking was an important risk factor to COPD and 78.4% of the patients with COPD were smokers. However, relation of biomass and COPD called for further investigation.

CONCLUSIONPrevalence of COPD was much higher than expected in the northern part of Guangdong while smoking was an most important risk factor of COPD. Lung function test seemed to be of great importance to COPD diagnosis, especially in the earlier period of COPD.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo study the use of vein grafts in adult-to-adult (AA) living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), we transplanted recipient vena saphena magna grafts for drainage of the paramedian portion of the right lobe liver grafts without a middle hepatic vein in LDLT.

METHODSFrom January 2002 to March 2006, 26 patients underwent A-A LDLT, and recipient saphenous vein grafts were used for revascularization of veins and arteries such as: tributaries of the middle hepatic vein from V5, V8; right inferior hepatic vein; injured portal vein; and hepatic artery.

RESULTSTotal outflow reconstruction ratio of V5, V8 and right inferior hepatic vein was 76.9% (20/26), the ratio of one-vein reconstruction was 57.7%, and the ratio of two-vein reconstruction was 19.2%. Reconstruction patterns and cases were demonstrated as follows: V5 (n=3), V8 (n=2), V5 and V8 (n=3), V5 and right inferior hepatic vein (n=1), V8 and right inferior hepatic vein (n=1), right inferior hepatic vein (n=10), injured portal vein of the donor (n=1). Total ratio of hepatic artery bypass grafting was 11.5% (3/26), anastomosis between hepatic artery and abdominal aorta (n=2), and anastomosis between hepatic artery and hepatic artery (n=1). Doppler ultrasound showed no thrombosis and the blood flowed smoothly and without venous outflow obstruction during the 2 to 48 months follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONReconstruction of V5 or V8 outflow and hepatic artery bypass grafting using vena saphena magna of the recipients can provide sufficient venous outflow and prevent the small-for-size syndrome and solve hepatic artery complications. This approach can be recommended.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Liver Transplantation ; methods ; Living Donors ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Saphenous Vein ; transplantation ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDA novel anti-rheumatic drug, T-614, has been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect and to improve abnormal immunological findings in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To assess the safety and efficacy of T-614 versus placebo in patients with active RA we conducted a 24-week clinical study in 280 Chinese patients.

METHODSIn a multicenter, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study, 280 patients were randomly assigned to receive placebo (n = 95) or T-614 at 50 mg (n = 93) or 25 mg (n = 92) daily. Active disease was defined by 4 of the following 5 criteria: >or= 5 tender joints, >or= 3 swollen joints, morning stiffness lasting for >or= 60 minutes, and Westergren erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) >or= 28 mm/h, the assessment of pain at the rest by patient as moderate or severe. Clinical and laboratory parameters were analyzed at baseline, 2, 4, 6, 12, 18 and 24 weeks. The primary efficacy variable at week 24 was the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) response rate using the intent-to-treat population.

RESULTSThe ACR response rate was significantly higher in the T-614 treatment group compared with the placebo group within 8 weeks after the initiation of treatment. After 24 weeks, the 25 mg/d and 50 mg/d dosage groups and the placebo group showed 39.13%, 61.29% and 24.21% in ACR20 and 23.91%, 31.18% and 7.37% in ACR50, respectively. A time-response in ACR response was observed, with clear superiority for the 25 mg/d and 50 mg/d dosage groups compared to placebo (P < 0.0001), and the 50 mg/d dose compared to the 25 mg/d dose (P < 0.05) when using the ACR response analyses after 24 weeks. ESR and c-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly different in the treatment groups after 24 weeks. The incidence of adverse events (AEs) was not significantly higher with T-614 than with placebo, but upper abdominal discomfort, leucopenia, elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (sALT), skin rash and/or pruritus were more common in the 50 mg and 25 mg dosage groups.

CONCLUSIONT-614, a new slow-acting drug, is effective in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and is well tolerated.

Adult ; Aged ; Antirheumatic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; drug therapy ; Benzopyrans ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sulfonamides ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use

AIMA series of triazole antifungals were synthesized to search for novel triazole antifungals with more potent activity, less toxicity and broader spectrum.

METHODSNineteen 1-(1,2,4-triazolyl-1H-1-yl)-2-(2,4-diflurophenyl)-3-(4-substituted benzyl-1-piperazinyl)-2-propanols were designed and synthesized, on basis of the three dimensional structure of P450 cytochrome 14 alpha-sterol demethylase (CYP51) and their antifungal activities were also evaluated.

RESULTSAll the title compounds were first reported. Results of preliminary biological tests showed that most of the title compounds exhibited high activity against the eight common pathogenic fungi and the activities against deep fungi were higher than that against shallow fungi.

CONCLUSIONMost of the title compounds showed higher antifungal activities than Fluconazole and Terbinafine. Compound VIII-1, 10, 12, 17 showed best antifungal activity with broad antifungal spectrum and were chosen for further development.

Antifungal Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; drug effects ; Candida albicans ; drug effects ; Cryptococcus neoformans ; drug effects ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Molecular Structure ; Triazoles ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology

Health education and health promotion are important measures for comprehensive control of schistosomiasis in China,which can improve the compliance rate of residents involved in schistosomiasis control activities,reduce the water con-tact behavior of the target population,thus avoiding or decreasing the infection of schistosome in endemic areas.In recent years, the comprehensive control of schistosomiasis in China has achieved remarkable results.China has reached the goal of transmis-sion control and is moving toward the transmission interruption or even elimination of schistosomiasis.This article analyzes the role of health education and health promotion in schistosomiasis control programme and the current challenges.Meanwhile,sug-gestions are also put forward on how to conduct health education and health promotionin the stage of schistosomiasis elimination.

BACKGROUNDPeople with metabolic syndrome are at higher risk for developing coronary artery disease (CAD). The effect of the metabolic syndrome on outcomes in patients with preexisting CAD has not been well studied. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence, characteristics, in hospital and long term prognosis of CAD with metabolic syndrome and to determine the factors influencing the prognosis of the disease.

METHODSThe DESIRE registry contains data of 3696 patients with CAD between 2001 and 2004. Mean long term followup was (829 +/- 373) days. Diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was based on modified International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Worldwide Definition of the Metabolic Syndrome, using body mass index (BMI) instead of waist circumference.

RESULTSOf 2596 patients with complete records of height, weight, and so on, 1280 (49.3%) were identified with metabolic syndrome. The patients with metabolic syndrome had higher level of body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose and disordered blood lipid (all P < 0.0001), with higher creatinine [(10.5 +/- 4.3) mg/L vs (9.9 +/- 2.9) mg/L, P < 0.0001] and the number of white blood cells [(7.49 +/- 2.86) x 10(9)/L vs (7.19 +/- 2.62) x 10(9)/L, P = 0.008) compared with those without metabolic syndrome. The patients with metabolic syndrome showed severer coronary angiographic alterations (left main artery and/or > or = 2-vessel) (73.6% vs 69.6%, P = 0.031). There were no significant differences of major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (MACCE) or mortality in hospital between the two groups. During followup, the ratio of MACCE in CAD with metabolic syndrome patients increased significantly (11.8% vs 10.0%, P = 0.044). Fasting blood glucose (> or = 1000 mg/L) and triglyceride (TG, > or = 1500 mg/L) were responsible for most of the increased risk associated with the metabolic syndrome (adjusted OR 1.465, 95% CI 1.037 - 1.874, P = 0.032; OR 1.378, 95% CI 1.014 - 1.768, P = 0.044).

CONCLUSIONSThe prevalence of metabolic syndrome was very high in CAD patients. The metabolic syndrome confers a higher risk of long term MACCE in patients with CAD, and dysglycaemia and hypertriglycaemia appear to be responsible for most of the associated risk.

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Coronary Artery Disease ; complications ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; complications ; epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Revascularization ; Prognosis