OBJECTIVETo measure the levels of urinary prostaglandins E2 (PGE2) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients with or without overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms and determine whether urinary PGE2 can serve as a biomarker for BPH-related OAB.

METHODSThis study included 86 BPH patients and 34 male control subjects without lower urinary tract symptoms. Based on the OAB symptom scores (OABSS), the BPH cases were classified as BPH/OAB (n =49) and BPH/non-OAB (n = 37) to be treated orally with tamsulosin alone and tamsulosin + tolterodine-tartrate, respectively, for 12 weeks. We measured the urinary PGE2 levels of all the subjects by ELISA before and after medication, the total PGE2 level normalized to the concentration of the urinary creatinine (PGE2/Cr). We also obtained the residual urine volume, Qmax, prostate volume, PSA level, IPSS and OABSS of the BPH patients, and compared them among different groups.

RESULTSThe baseline PGE2/Cr level was significantly lower in the control than in the BPH/OAB and BPH/non-OAB groups (both P <0.05), and higher in the BPH/OAB than in the BPH/non-OAB patients (P <0.05). After 12 weeks'treatment, the urinary PGE2/Cr level was remarkably decreased with relief of the OAB symptoms in the BPH/OAB patients (P <0.05) , but not in the BPH/non-OAB group (P >0.05). The concentration of PGE2 was not correlated with the IPSS storage score and OABSS of the BPH/OAB patients (P >0.05).

CONCLUSIONPatients with BPH/OAB have significantly higher urinary PGE2/Cr levels than those with BPH/non-OAB and normal controls, which tend to decrease with the alleviation of OAB symptoms. Our findings suggest that urinary PGE2 can be a potential biomarker for BPH/OAB.

Aged ; Biomarkers ; urine ; Case-Control Studies ; Dinoprostone ; urine ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; complications ; urine ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive ; complications ; urine

Bronchi ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Middle Aged

AIM: To observe the effect of intravenous methylprednisolone combined with peri - orbital injection of triamcinolone acetonide for diffuse - type orbital inflammatory pseudotumor.
METHODS: Diffuse - type orbital inflammatory pseudotumor in 15 cases ( 19 eyes ) were treated. Intravenous implosive methylprednisolone therapy (0. 5g/ d) was used in the first 3d, and 0. 5g once a week in the following 3wk, ended by 0. 25g once a week in the last 6wk, which meant the total dose was 4. 5g and the whole course lasted for 10wk. At the same time, peri - orbital injection of triamcinolone acetonide ( 40mg ) was performed once in every 3wk, totally 2-4 times.
RESULTS: Eight eyes from 7 cases were completely cured, 11 eyes from 8 cases were partly cured. No recurrence and severe complications were observed in the treatment duration.
CONCLUSION: Intravenous methylprednisolone combined with peri - orbital injection of triamcinolone acetonide is effective, safe and feasible in treatment of diffuse type orbital pseudotumor with less complications.

Objective To study the clinic effects and safety of budesonide suspension combined with tubertaline solution for nebulization therapy on infantile asthma.Methods Seventy-five cases with asthma were divided into 3 groups randomly,double-blinded and controlled,each group having 25 cases.Group A inhaling tubertaline solution(bricanyl),while group B inhaling pulmicort respules combined with bricanyl,group C inhaling budesonide suspension(pulmicort respules)only.Results In group A,16 cases was cure,3 cases was markedly improved,6 cases was failure,the total efficacy rate was 76 percent.In group B,22 cases was cure,2 cases was markedly improved,1 case failed,the total efficacy rate was 96 percent.While in group C,14 cases was cure,4 cases was markedly improved,7 cases failed,the total efficacy rate was 72 percent.The difference of efficacy rate between group A and group B was significant(P0.05).Conclusion Pulmicort respules combined with bricanyl for nebulising inhalation is effective and safety on infantile asthma and its effect is better than inhaling bude-sonide or tubertaline only.

Objective To study prognosis of patients with fulminant hepatitis after plasma ex- change treatment using model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)scoring system.Methods 160 pa- tients were randomly divided into plasma exchange group and control group,and MELD score was calculated according to the original formula for each patient.The efficacy of plasma exchange was as- sessed by mortality and improvement in biochemical parameters and MELD score.Results The levels of total bilirubin(TBIL),INR and MELD score of patients whose MELD scores were between 30 and 40[TBIL,(379.4?40.4)?mol/L; INR,2.5?0.2; MELD,30.8?3.8]were lower than before PE treatment[TBIL,(509.7?64.6)?mol/L;INR,3.5?0.3;MELD,37.3?3.5].The levels of TBIL and INR and MELD score of patients whose MELD scores were higher than 40 [TBIL,(595.6?61.5)?mol/L;INR,3.8?0.4;MELD,39.8?3.5]were lower than before PE treatmem [TBIL, (650.4?66.3)?mol/L;INR,4.4?0.6;MELD,45.2?4.2].The mortality of patients in PE group with MELD score from 30 and 40 was 50.0%,while it was 86.7% in control group,showing significant differ- ence between PE group and control group(P＜0.01).The mortality of patients with MELD scores higher than 40 was 91.2% in PE group and 100% in control group,showing no significant difference between these two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusions Plasma exchange treatment can decrease the serum TBIL level, INR and MELD score of patients with fulminant hepatitis and improve liver function.Compared with the control group,plasma exchange can significantly decrease the mortality of patients in PE group with MELD score from 30 to 40,but no effect on patients with MELD score higher than 40.

Objective To assess the technique and clinical outcome of subintimal recanolization (SIR)for peripheral artery total occlusion.Methods Eighteen patients with 20 arterial occlusions underwent SIR.The occlusive lesions were located in the lilac-femoral artery(14 lesions),the infrapopliteal arteries(4 lesions)and the left subclavian artery(2 lesions),respectively.Basic procedure of SIR was to create a subintimal path in the wall of the occluded artery and reentry the true lumen by using 0.035 inch diameter TERUMO guidwire and angiographic catheter.Subsequently,balloon angioplasty was performed in all recanalized lesions,and stent was placed in initial parts or whole recanalized path except one lesion in the lilac-femoral artery,and the lesions in the infrapopliteal arteries.Results Seventeen occlusive lesions in 15 patients were successfully recanalized by means of SIR,and the corresponding symptoms were disappeared or improved obviously.Technical failure occurred in 3 patients due to inability to reenter the distal true lumen or balloon angioplasty was not satisfactory.No complications of artery rupture,thrombosis or embolization were found.Conclusion SIR is an effective and safe therapy for peripheral artery total occlusion.This technique provides a feasible alternative to conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty especially in the complicated cases.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is found to express at high levels in a variety of solid tumors including gliomas. This study was to examine the effect of an EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (AG1478) alone or in combination with cisplatin (CDDP) on the growth of glioma cells (U87). U87 glioma cells were treated with AG1478 (10 μmol/L) or CDDP (25 μmol/L) as a single agent or in combination for 24 or 48 h. The expression of EGFR and the components in its downstream signaling pathway [extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), protein kinase B (AKT)] in U87 glioma cells was detected by Western blotting. Cell growth, cell cycle distribution and cell apoptosis were determined by MTT method and flow cytometry, respectively. The results showed that CDDP could induce the activation of EGFR and the components in its downstream signaling pathways in a concentration-dependent manner. The combined treatment of AG1478 with CDDP could inhibit the proliferation of U87 glioma cells, arrest the cell cycle and promote cell apoptosis. In the EGFR signaling pathway, AG1478 decreased the phosphorylation of ERK, AKT and EGFR in U87 glioma cells. It was concluded that the combined treatment of AG1478 and CDDP may exert synergistic inhibitory effects on the growth of glioma cells by suppressing the activities of EGFR, AKT and ERK.

Objective To study the correlation between the coagulation factor Ⅶ (F Ⅶ) and progressive hemorrhage after brain contusion in mice and provide the experimental evidence for the clinical application of recombinant human FⅦa.Methods Twelve male BALB/c mice were given liposomeencapsulated FⅦsiRNA via tail vein at doses of 1,3,5 and 10 mg/kg with 3 mice per dosage.The other 3 mice received equivalent volume of normal saline as controls.Two days after the injection,mice blood sampling was used to detect FⅦ mRNA expression in liver using real-time PCR,level of plasma FⅦ using ELISA method,and activity of plasma FⅦ using chromogenic substrate assay.The optimal dose at which F Ⅶ expression was inhibited was determined.Thirty BALB/c male mice were assigned to two groups (n =15 per group) according to the random number table:FⅦ-suppressing group,mice were injected with FⅦsiRNA at the optimal dose and control group,mice were injected with same volume of negative control vector.The model of brain contusion was established in both groups.Volume of hemorrhage following brain contusion was measured at 3,24 and 72 h postinjury,and hematoma volume at 24 and 48 h postinjury.Results Liposome-encapsulated siRNA delivery down-regulated FⅦ expression in the mouse liver.Level and activity of plasma FⅦ were also reduced significantly.The optimal siRNA dose was 3 mg/kg.At 3,24 and 72 h postinjury,relative volume of brain hemorrhage in FⅦ-suppressing group was 1.46 ± 0.10,1.82 ± 0.23 and 2.28 ± 0.15 respectively,significantly higher than that in control group (1.00 ± 0.25,1.20 ± 0.31 and 1.20 ± 0.22 respectively) (P ＜ 0.05).At 24 and 48 h postinju-ry,volume of hematoma in FⅦ-suppressing group was (6.7 ± 1.5)mm3 and (9.8 ± 1.0) mm3,significantly higher than that in control group [(5.2 ± 1.2) mm3 and (5.5 ± 1.5) mm3] (P ＜0.01).Conclusions Level of FⅦ in vivo relates closely to the progressive hemorrhage of brain contusion in mice.Administration of FⅦ is effective to reduce the incidence of progressive hemorrhage.

Objective To compare the efficacy and complications between an auto negative pressure generation biopsy device and Bard biopsy device in renal biopsy in the elderly.Methods A total of 282 patients in our department received renal biopsies with auto negative pressure generation biopsy device (n=159) versus Bard device (n=123).The quality of tissue biopsy specimen and postoperative complications were analyzed retrospectively.Results There were no significant differences in the success rate,incidences of perirenal hematoma and gross hematuria between the two groups (96.9％ vs.95.1％,29.6％ vs.30.1％,1.9％ vs.1.6％,P＞0.05).While the average number of glomeruli,the average length and width of kidney tissue specimen were much more,longer or wider by the auto negative pressure generation renal biopsy device than by the Bard device [(17.9± 11.5) vs.(12.6±9.9),(11.5±5.0)mm vs.(7.8±3.0) mm,(1.0±0.2) mm vs.(0.8±0.4) mm,respectively,all P＜0.05].Conclusions There are no significant differences in the success rate and postoperative complications between auto-negative pressure generation renal biopsy device and Bard device.The auto negative pressure generation renal biopsy device has the advantage in obtaining more renal tissue,with the same effectiveness and safety as the Bard device.