Objective To explore the clinical characteristics ,diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of phaeohyphomycosis. Methods Clinical data were collected, including history, physical examination, cranial and spinal imaging. Brain biopsy was performed. Data of the pathology and incubation of brain tissue were analyzed. Responsiveness to treatment was followed up. Results A previously healthy three and half years old boy was presented to our unit, with a three- month history of recurrent headache, vomiting, progressive paraplegia accompanied by urinary continence and constipation. A computed tomogram scan and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed multiple lesions located in the region of the parietal - occipital lobes, periventricular area and frontal lobe, with prominent surrounding edema and irregular peripheral enhancement of the mass after the administration of contrast materials. A cerebral biopsy was performed and the pathological report was cerebral phaeohyphomycosis. The culture of the tissue and cerebrospinal fluid grew a same fungus identified as exo-phiala dermatitidis. The patient's response to therapy was poor, the parents of the boy gave up therapy, and the boy died 1 month later. Conclusions Cerebral Phaeohyphomycosis caused by Exophiala dermatitidis is rare, but the most serious form of fungus infection. Pathology and incubation of the tissue are essential for diagnosis. There is no curative therapy and the prognosis is poor.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the knowledge and the attitude toward prostate cancer (PCa) among Chinese city men and raise some suggestions for the improvement of the present state.

METHODSIn October 2007, a questionnaire investigation was conducted among males in 17 Chinese cities on the knowledge of PCa in the following 6 aspects: general state of PCa susceptible city men, basic knowledge, risk factors, symptoms, management and outcome, and attitude toward the treatment of PCa. The influences of education on their scores were analyzed and compared.

RESULTSWe distributed 1,700 copies of the questionnaire and collected 376 (22.1%) valid ones. The subjects averaged 67.1 +/- 10.1 years of age, 80.1% with junior high school education and above. As for the basic knowledge of PCa, 92.6% of them admitted hearing of it, but only 45.5% knew what it was, with statistically significant differences among men of different educations. The most common accesses to PCa knowledge were media (43.3%), hospital consultation (25.2%) and health booklets (10.1%). Of the total number of subjects, 32.7% regarded "Father has prostate cancer" as a risk factor, 82.2% knew that PCa could be treated by surgery, but only 8.9% knew that " hormonotherapy has an important role in PCa treatment". More positive attitudes toward PCa treatment and its consequence were found among those with higher education.

CONCLUSIONPCa susceptible men in Chinese cities have insufficient knowledge on the disease. Strengthened education in this aspect can improve the present state and promote early diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.

Aged ; China ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Men ; psychology ; Middle Aged ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; prevention & control ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urban Population

To explore the prevention effect of the joint combination of Yindanxinnaotong soft capsule (YDXNT) and exercise (swimming) on atherosclerotic rats. The method of 3 x 3 factorial design, including two factors (YDXNT and swimming) and three levels (0, 1, 2 g x kg(-1) YDXNT; 0, 0.5, 1 h swimming), was mainly adopted. The atherosclerotic rat model was established by ligating their left common carotid arteries and feeding high-fat diet. After 8 weeks, blood samples were collected from their thoracic aorta to determine blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, fibrinogen (FIB), nitric oxide (NO), 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) endothelin (ET) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2). The tissues of left common carotid arteries of the rats were collected to detect the positive expression of SM22alpha and determine the semi-quantitation through the immunohistochemical staining. The result showed that the combination of YDXNT and swimming can significantly decrease the plasma viscosity (F = 3.241, P = 0.017), the high and low shear blood viscosity (F = 6.444, P = 0.001; F = 3.002, P = 0.024) and FIB (F = 4.046, P = 0.005). The increased NO and 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) and the decreased ET and TXB2 indicated a significant interaction (P < 0.05). The swimming showed an obvious main effect in the expression of up-regulated protein SM22alpha (F = 8.088, P = 0.001). The study suggested that the combined administration of YDXNT and swimming could improve the hemorheological parameters of atherosclerotic rats, protect the vascular endothelium, inhibit the vascular remodeling in atherosclerosis and positively prevent the atherosclerosis.
Animals ; Atherosclerosis ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Blood Viscosity ; drug effects ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Exercise Therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Microfilament Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Muscle Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Swimming

OBJECTIVETo investigate the application of the multiple locus variable numbers of tandem repeats (MLVA) in genotype Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from Tibet, and to understand the characteristics of genotype and distribution.

METHODS217 M. tuberculosis strains were collected from six regions of Tibet. Twenty tandem repeats loci in the total genome of M. tuberculosis (MTB) were analyzed by PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis method. The characteristics on polymorphism of DNA fingerprinting of 217 MTB strains were analyzed with BioNumerics 3.0 software.

RESULTS217 M. tuberculosis strains detected with 20 MLVA loci were classified to 19 genotypes with 87.6% of the stains belonging to Beijing genotype and the other 18 genotypes were scattered,accounted for 1.38% and 0.92% strains, respectively. Beijing genotype was not significantly associated with the resistance to all of the four drugs and BCG vaccination.

CONCLUSIONIt is concluded that the strains of MTB isolated in Tibet present definite polymorphism and most of the epidemic strains belonged to Beijing family genotype and MTB genotyping. The Beijing genotype was not recognized as the one transferred from some of the drug resistance strains or from BCG vaccination. Being a fast and simple technique, MLVA method, seemed a better molecular typing method and could be used for genotyping in M. tuberculosis and monitoring pathogen.

BCG Vaccine ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Genotype ; Minisatellite Repeats ; genetics ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; classification ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tibet

OBJECTIVETo study whether alisol B could inhibit complement 3a (C3a) induced renal tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

METHODSThe in vitro cultured human renal tubular epithelial HK-2 cells were intervened with 5 ng/mL transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), 0.1 micromol C3a, and 0.1 micromol C3a + 10 micromol alisol B, respectively. The mRNA and protein expressions of alpha-SMA, E-cadherin, and C3 were detected using RT-PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence, respectively.

RESULTSThe mRNA and protein expressions of C3 in HK-2 cells were up-regulated after intervention of C3a (P < 0.01), the mRNA and protein expressions of alpha-SMA in HK-2 cells were obviously enhanced (P < 0.01), the mRNA and protein expressions of E-cadherin obviously decreased (P < 0.01). When compared with the group intervened by exogenous C3a, after intervention of alisol B, the mRNA and protein expressions of alpha-SMA in HK-2 cells were obviously reduced (P < 0.01), the mRNA and protein expressions of E-cadherin obviously increased (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSExogenous C3a could induce renal tubular EMT. Alisol B was capable of suppressing C3a induced EMT.

Actins ; metabolism ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Cholestenones ; pharmacology ; Complement C3a ; metabolism ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; drug effects ; Humans ; Kidney Tubules ; cytology ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 7(MMP-7) mRNA in LOVO cells of colon cancer induced by TF/F Ⅶ a and its signal pathway.Methods We transfected LOVO cells stably with RNAi plasmid targeting to tissue factor to get TFRNAi LOVO cells and detected efficiency of interference in TFRNAi LOVO cells based on Western blot analysis;Expression of MMP-7 was evaluated in LOVO cells treated with 100 nmol/L FⅦa in 0 h、4 h、8 h、12 h、24 h based on RT-PCR and Northern blot.Expression of MMP-7mRNA was determined in quiescent LOVO cells treated with different doses of FⅦa(0 nmol/L、10nmol/L、50 nmol/L、100 nmol/L、200 nmol/L)for 8 h based on Northern blot.Quiescent LOVO cells were treated for 0 h、4 h、8 h、12 h、16 h、24 h with 100 nmol/L FⅦa to evaluate the expression of p-P38;The expression level of MMP-7mRNA induced by 100 nmol/L FⅦa for 8 h in LOVO cells blocked by 10retool SB203580 0.5 h previously and in TFRNAi LOVO cells were measured by Northern blot.Results Northern blot analysis revealed that FⅦa markedly increased the expression of MMP-7mRNA in a time-and dose-dependent manner.Western blot analysis confirmed that FⅦa stimulates p-P38 in a time-dependent manner.SB203580 block 59.2% expression of MMP-7mRNA in LOVO cells induced by TF/FⅦa.In TFRNAi LOVO cells,the expression of MMP-7mRNA induced by TF/FⅦa was 48% less than that in normal LOVO cells.Conclusions TF/FⅦa Complex induces the expression of MMP-7mRNA in LOVO cells in vitro,possibly through P38 pathway.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the correlation of long-term survival with the treatment strategies in patients with testicular seminoma.

METHODSClinical data of 294 patients with testicular seminoma treated in our hospital between 1959 and 2004 were collected and analyzed. The median age of the patients was 37 years (range 13 - 70 years). Among them, 260 were in stage I disease, 16 in stage II, and 18 in stage III. The patients were treated by surgical resection plus chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. The survival rate was calculated using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test using SPSS 13.0 software.

RESULTSThe overall 5-, 10-, 20- and 30-year survival rates in this series were 92.1%, 91.8%, 85.5% and 71.4%, respectively. The major prognostic factor was found to be clinical stage. The patients with adjuvant chemotherapy after orchiectomy had better 10-year survival than the patients without (97.5% vs. 79.2%, P = 0.001). For stage II/III patients, the patients with chemotherapy and the patients with chemotherapy plus radiotherapy had a similar progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTesticular seminoma is sensitive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and a good cure rate can still be achieved in the relapsed patients with a salvage treatment. Therefore, wide excision and long-term chemotherapy should be avoided in order to maintain the quality of life in those patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Lung Neoplasms ; secondary ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; therapy ; Neoplasm Staging ; Orchiectomy ; methods ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Retrospective Studies ; Salvage Therapy ; Seminoma ; pathology ; therapy ; Survival Rate ; Testicular Neoplasms ; pathology ; therapy ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVEThe present study aimed to characterize the clinical presentations and magnetic resonance imaging including conventional MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in newborns with cerebral infarction.

METHODSClinical records of 16 newborn infants with cerebral infarction were reviewed. All cases underwent DWI examination in addition to conventional MRI examination [T1-weighted (T1W) and T2-weighted (T2W)]within 5 days after birth. Five patients received the second MRI examination at the age of 11 to 18 days.

RESULTSEight patients had antenatal risk factors, 9 had intranatal risk factors, and no postnatal risk factors were found. Seizures as the first symptom were noted in 11 neonates, with a short duration and a low frequency. The first imaging examination (within 5 days) showed a slight hypointensity on T1W, a slight hyperintensity on T2W and significantly increased signal intensity with a clear boundary on DWI in the lesions. In the MRI re-examination, more obvious hypointensity on T1W and hyperintensity on T2W were noted, while hypointensity was shown on DWI in the lesions compared with the first imaging results.

CONCLUSIONSSeizures characterized by short duration and low frequency usually may be the first symptom in newborns with cerebral infarction. A hyperintensity on DWI was shown in the lesions at the early stage of neonatal cerebral infarction. A hypointensity on T1W and a hyperintensity on T2W were demonstrated in the lesions with increasing disease duration.

Brain ; pathology ; Cerebral Infarction ; diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Podoplanin on cell proliferation and cell cycle in oral leukoplakia cells.

METHODSOral leukoplakia cell line (Leuk-1) transfected with pCMV-Podoplanin (A4-1) or pCMV (B4-1) was used in this study. The levels of mRNA and protein of Podoplanin were detected by real-time PCR and Western boltting in A4-1, B4-1 and Leuk-1 cells. The localization of Podoplanin was detected by confocal microscope. Cell growth and proliferation was examined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry (FCM).

RESULTSThe value of Podoplanin mRNA level in A4-1 cells was 0.022, which was significantly higher than the values in B4-1 (0.001) and Leuk-1 cells (0.002), P < 0.05. The gray scale of Podoplanin protein in A4-1 cells was significantly higher than in the control groups (P < 0.05). The expression of Podoplanin was observed in cell plasm and membrane of A4-1, B4-1 and Leuk-1 cells. But the expression level of Podoplanin in A4-1 cells was higher than in control groups. A4-1 cells grew faster than Leuk-1 cells. The proliferation rate after 3 days of culture in A4-1 cells was 40.4% higher than that in B4-1 cells (P < 0.05). The G₂-M phase (24.89 +/- 4.55)% and PI (0.57 +/- 0.06) of A4-1 cells were significantly higher than that in B4-1 cells [(4.13 +/- 5.24)%, (0.41 +/- 0.04)] and Leuk-1 cells [(4.69 +/- 7.42)%, (0.40 +/- 0.02)], P < 0.05.

CONCLUSIONSOver expression of Podoplanin accelerated the growth and proliferation of oral leukoplakia cells. Podoplanin may be one of key genes in the malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia.

Blotting, Western ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Leukoplakia, Oral ; metabolism ; pathology ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of AP-1 Decoy on matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1) imbalance induced by bleomycin-A5 (BLM-A5) in pulmonary fibroblasts.

METHODSPulmonary fibroblasts were primary cultured, and transferred with AP-1 Decoy before treated with BLM-A5. MMPs activity in medium was determined by gelatin zymography. Protein content of TIMP-1 in medium was detected by ELISA. Expression of MMP-2 mRNA and TIMP-1 mRNA were determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSBLM-A5 induced the increase in activity of MMP-2 at 12 h [A: (0.77 +/- 0.08) vs (0.65 +/- 0.07) P < 0.05], but it was suppressed by AP-1 Decoy [A: (0.68 +/- 0.05)]. BLM-A5 up-regulated the expression of protein and mRNA of TIMP-1 after 12 h, and 24 h [(39.3 +/- 4.3), (46.3 +/- 4.8) ng/ml vs (28.9 +/- 2.7), (31.6 +/- 2.4) ng/ml] and [Absorbance ratio to beta-actin: (0.94 +/- 0.13, 1.08 +/- 0.06) vs (0.76 +/- 0.07, 0.75 +/- 0.08)] (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) but AP-1 Decoy modulated the up-regulation. All these indexes in AP-1 Decoy group had no significant difference in contrast to the normal group. Mutant AP-1 Decoy had not the same function as AP-1 Decoy on the expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 in pulmonary fibroblasts.

CONCLUSIONAP-1 Decoy inhibits the increase in MMP-2 activity and the up-regulation of TIMP-1 induced by BLM-A5 in pulmonary fibroblasts.

Bleomycin ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lung ; cytology ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; metabolism ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; metabolism ; Transcription Factor AP-1 ; metabolism