Objective To study the correlation of multi-slice CT portography (MSCTP) and digestive endoscopy in the diagnosis and evaluation of esophageal and gastric varices (EGV) caused by cirrhosis.Methods A total of 92 patients with cirrhosis were enrolled in the prospective study.All the patients were examined by endoscopy and 64-slice spiral CT scan in 4 weeks.The types,grading of EGV were observed by endoscopy and MSCTP,and Kappa conformance test was applied with the endoscopic findings as gold standard.The sensitivity,specificity,consistency,and Youden index were evaluated for the diagnosis of sophageal and gastric varices by MSCTP.Results Sixty-five patients were diagnosed to have EGV by endoscopy and 27 were negative.The positive patients included 45 patients of GOV1,19 of GOV2 and 1 patient of IGV1.MSCTP diagnosed 67 cases of EGV and 25 patients of negative results.The positive patients included 46 of GOV1,18 of GOV2 and 3 of IGV1.Two patients of IGV1 varicose veins without positive findings on endoscopy were diagnosed by using MDCTP,which revealed isolated varicose veins under the gastric mucosa.There was high consistency between MSCTP and EGV in the diagnosis of EGV (Kappa =0.732,P ＜ 0.01).The sensitivity of MSCTP was 93.8％,specificity was 77.8％,consistency was 89.1％,and Youden index 71.6％.There was high consistency between MSCTP and EGV in the classification of EGV (Kappa values were 0.743 and 0.763,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions There is high consistency between MSCTP and digestive endoscopic in the diagnosis and classification of EGV in cirrhosis.MSCTP is superior to endoscopy in the detection of gastric varices.

The pGenesil-1-Beclin1 eukaryotic expression vectors were constructed to establish an SH-SY5Y cell line stably expressing shRNA-Beclin1. The shRNA was connected to pGenesil-1 to construct the recombinant plasmid pGenesil-1-Beclin1, which was transformed into JM109 E. coli. Positive clones were identified by digestion with restriction endonuclease and DNA sequencing. SH-SY5Y cells were cultured by the conventional method. The pGenesil-1-Beclin1 and pGenesil-1 plasmids were transfected into SH-SY5Ycells, and the cells were screened by G418 until the stable G418-resistant monoclonal cells were acquired. Beclin1 mRNA and Beclin1 protein were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis respectively. The results of restriction endonuclease analysis and DNA sequencing confirmed the correct construction of the eukaryotic expression vector pGenesil-1-Beclin1. Two SH-SY5Y transfected cell lines were successfully selected. Compared with the control group, RT-PCR and Western blot showed that the expression of Beclin1 mRNA and protein were down regulated 71.28% ± 1.45% (P < 0.05)and 75.50% ± 2.63% (P < 0.05), respectively. The results indicated that the eukaryotic expression vector pGenesil-1-Beclin1 was successfully constructed and the SH-SYSY cell lines with inhibited Beclin1 expression were established. It provides a useful cell model for studying the biological function of Beclin1.
Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Beclin-1 ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Down-Regulation ; Escherichia coli ; Gene Silencing ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Neuroblastoma ; Plasmids ; RNA, Messenger ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Transfection

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; therapy ; Humans ; Liver, Artificial ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Renal Dialysis ; Sorption Detoxification

Objective To investigate the expression of caspase-10 in differentiated thyroid carcinoma and association with its development and metastasis. Methods Thyroid samples from 37 patients in a period from January 2006 to December 2007, with differentiated thyroid carcinoma were retrospectively analyzed for caspase-10 by immunohistocbemistry(streptavidin-perosidase, S-P), compared to control group of 46 cases with nodtdar goiter. The relationship between the expression of caspase-10 and the clinical pathologic characteristics of thyroid carcinoma were also explored simultaneously. Results caspase-10 were observed as brown or yellow particles located in the cytoplasm or cell membrane of nodular goiter but there were no significant evidence for its positive expression in thyroid carcinoma, caspase-10 expression was markedly down-regulated in differentiated thyroid carcinoma(29.73%,11/37) compared with benign nodules(71.74%,33/46, χ2=14.528, P<0.01). The positive expression in 18 cases with lymph node metastasis(11.11%,2/18) was significantly lower than those in 19 patients without lymph node metastasis(47.37%,9/19; χ2=4.210, P<0.01). There was no significant correlation(P> 0.05) between the expression of caspase-10 and the clinical pathologic characteristics including male, age, TNM stage and pathologic type. Conclusion Down-regulation of caspase-10 may play a critical role in carcinogenesis and development of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Objective To analyze the drug resistance profile of the clinical isolates of Candida albicans and establish a randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay for Candida albicans. Methods Thirty strains of Candida albicans were collected from the intensive care unit (ICU) of the department ofneurosurgery between May, 2007 and November, 2007. The drug resistance of Candida albicans was analyzed with liquid microdilution method, and the fungal DNA was extracted for genotyping by RAPD assay. Results The sensitivity of Candida albicans strains was 100% to the anti-fungal drug VRC, 100% to AMB (100%), 96.35% to FCZ, 93.0% to 5-FC, and 90.0% to ITR. The 30 Candida albicans strains were genotyped into 27 types with a typing rate of 90.0%. Conclusion AMB and VRC remain the primary options for treatment of Candida albicans infection, and the isolated Candida albicans strains are highly sensitive to FCZ, 5-FC, and ITR. No evidence has been identified to suggest a local outburst ofCandida albicans infection in our hospital between May, 2007 and November, 2007.

This study was purposed to evaluate the diagnostic value of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 (IL-6), serum amyloid A (SAA) for bacteremia in patients with hematologic malignancy combined with febrile neutropenia. The total of 297 patients with hematologic malignancy combined with febrile neutropenia were analyzed retrospectively from 1253 patients admitted to West China hospital of Sichuan University from March 2011 to October 2012. They were divided into sepsis group (n = 95) and non-sepsis group (n = 202) according to blood culture. The results showed that the levels of PCT, CRP, IL-6 and SAA in sepsis group were higher than those in non-sepsis group, and there was statistically significant difference between these two groups (P < 0.05). The PCT had an AUC value of 0.974 (P < 0.05), and obviously higher than that of CRP (AUC = 0.681, P < 0.05), IL-6 (AUC = 0.661, P < 0.05) and SAA (AUC = 0.605, P < 0.05). When PCT had cut-off value of 1.06 ng/ml, sensitivity of 95.8%, specificity of 92.1%, and the Youden indicator of 0.879, the negative and positive predictive values were 97.8% and 85.0% respectively, the negative and positive likelihood ratios were 0.05 and 12.5 respectively, and all significantly higher than that of CRP, IL-6 and SAA. It is concluded that for patients with hematologic malignancy combined with febrile neutropenia and bacterial infection, the diagnostic value of serum PCT is superior to that of immune inflammatory factors (CRP, IL-6 and SAA), the PCT can predict the bacterium infection, provide laboratory evidence for rational antimicrobial drug usage and mortality reduction.
Adult ; Bacteremia ; diagnosis ; etiology ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Calcitonin ; blood ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; Febrile Neutropenia ; complications ; microbiology ; Female ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; complications ; microbiology ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Protein Precursors ; blood ; Retrospective Studies ; Serum Amyloid A Protein ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo find the key factors that influence the content of the essential oil components of Atractylodes lancea and classify the habitat of A. lancea based the essential oil components, as well as explore a new method to conduct division of Chinese natural medicin through geographic information system (GIS) ultimately.

METHODThe key factors were obtained by canonical correlation and stepwise regressive analysis. Then the interpolation of climatic data for 30 years (1971-2000) was done by Sufer 7.0, and the habitat division was done by ARCGIS 9. 0.

RESULTThere were 6 correlation models between climate factors and 6 main essential oil componets were obtained, and a division map about essential oil components content of A. lancea base on clamate adaptability were drawn. It was found that the climate condition in Octobers played a key role on forming the essential oil components and the interaction of tempreture and precipitation was the most important factor on forming the essential oil components of A. lancea.

CONCLUSIONThe adaptive habitat for forming the essential oil components of A. lancea was different from growing A. lancea ones. And GIS can be used perspective for division of Chinese natural medicine.

Atractylodes ; chemistry ; growth & development ; radiation effects ; China ; Climate ; Ecosystem ; Geography ; Oils, Volatile ; analysis ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; growth & development ; radiation effects ; Rain ; Sunlight ; Temperature

OBJECTIVETo investigate the biological functions of TTG1A in liver fibrosis.

METHODSYeast two-hybrid system was used to screen proteins associated with TTG1A. Briefly, the coding sequence of TTG1A was cloned into pGBKT7 vector, and the recombinant plasmid was transformed into yeast cells AH109 ( a type), then these cells were mated with yeast cells Y187 (a type) transformed with human leukocyte cDNA library plasmid pACT2. The obtained diploid yeast cells were plated on synthetic dropout nutrient medium containing X-alpha-gal for double selection. The plasmids from positive colonies were transformed into E.coli and sequenced.

RESULTSThe recombinant yeast expression vector pGBKT7-TTG1A was successfully constructed. Nineteen TTG1A binding proteins, including Homo sapiens major histocompatibility complex, class II DP beta 1 (HLA-DPb1), Homo sapiens ribosomal protein L30 (RPL30), Homo sapiens nucleophosmin Homo sapiens nucleobindin 2 (NUCB2), Homo sapiens ash2, variant Gaucher disease and variant metachromatic leukodystrophy, MORF4L1, Homo sapiens ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2L3 (UBE2L3), APOA1, Homo sapiens lectin, and galectin 1, were identified.

CONCLUSIONSThis study may help to elucidate the molecular function of TTG1A.

Carrier Proteins ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Gene Library ; Genes, Regulator ; Genetic Vectors ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; genetics ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Ribosomal Proteins ; genetics ; Transcriptional Activation ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; genetics ; Two-Hybrid System Techniques ; Yeasts ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of the human mammoglobin (hMAM) mRNA in bone marrow and its clinical significance in the breast cancer patient.

METHODSExpression of hMAM mRNA was detected using nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the bone marrow aspiration sample from 75 breast cancer patients, 15 patients with benign breast lesions and 8 healthy volunteers as control. The possible correlation of hMAM mRNA expression with clinico-pathological parameters and related molecular markers such as Ki67, p53 and VEGF were analyzed.

RESULTSThe sensitivity of RT-PCR in this series reached 10(-6). The hMAM mRNA was found to be positively expressed by RT-PCR in 21 of 75 breast cancer patients with a positive rate of 28.0%. However, hMAM mRNA expression was not detected in the bone marrow aspiration samples from patients with benign breast lesions and healthy volunteers. The hMAM mRNA expression was positively correlated with axillary nodal involvement and progesterone receptor (PR) status (P < 0.05) as well as Ki67 expression in breast cancer tissue (chi2 = 4.936, P = 0.026), but not with age, tumor size, clinical stage, or estrogen receptor (ER) status (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONRT-PCR is quite sensitive and has a high specificity in detecting the presence of hMAM mRNA in the bone marrow from breast cancer patients. Thereupon, hMAM mRNA may be useful as a molecular biomarker in detecting disseminated tumor cells (DTC) in the bone marrow of breast cancer patients. Positive hMAM mRNA expression result may have an impact upon therapeutic recommendations and patients' prognostic judgement.

Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; genetics ; Bone Marrow ; metabolism ; pathology ; Breast ; metabolism ; pathology ; Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Breast Neoplasms, Male ; genetics ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; genetics ; pathology ; Female ; Fibroadenoma ; genetics ; pathology ; Humans ; Ki-67 Antigen ; genetics ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Mammaglobin A ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Receptors, Progesterone ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Uteroglobin ; genetics

Adsorption ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; complications ; therapy ; Liver Diseases ; complications ; therapy ; Liver, Artificial ; Male ; Middle Aged