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

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.

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

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 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 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 observe the effects of asthmatic children treated by inhaled salmeterol xinafoate and fluticasone propi-onate powder. Methods One hundred and fourty cases of moderate and severe asthmatic children were treated in non- acute period aged from 4 to 14 years by inhaling salmeterol xinafoate and fluticasone propionate powder, compared with control group treated by flu-ticasone propionate in 106 cases, and the pulmonary function was monitored simultaneously. Results The total effective rate of the treatment group and control group were 99. 3 % , 99. 1 % , respectively.The pulmonary function indexes such as the first one second expiration volume(FEV1), flow velocity of 50 % expiration vital capacity(FEF50%), peak expiration velocity(PEF1) after being treated 4 months was improved significantly compared with those before treatment.The difference between them was statistically significant (P

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral liquid of bambuterol hydrochloride in treatment children with asthma. Methods One hundred and fifty cases as study group treated with oral liquid of bambuterol hydrochloride,50.cases as control group treated with etinoline. Results Two groups had good efficacy, however, gasp and lung wheezing were better improved in study group compared with control group after 1 week treatment(P