Objective To evaluate a modified operation for the treatment of urethral hymenal fusion. Methods 45 case underwent the modified meatoplasty.The key points of the operative procedure were excision of the pathological changes at the external meatus and widened the distance between the external meatus and ostium vaginae to 1.2～1.5 cm. Results 43 case (96%) have been followed up for 3～48 months with 37(86%) cured of the disease and 2(5%) patients were improved.The operation failed in 4(9%). Conclusions The modified operation was claimed to be simple and effective for the treatment of urethtal hymenal fusion.

Objective To detect serum levels of 25 ? hydroxyvitamin D (25 [OH] D) and matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP?9)in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria(CSU), and to explore their significance. Methods Totally, 56 patients with CSU and 25 healthy controls were enrolled into this study. High?performance liquid chromatography tandem?mass spectrometry(LC?MS/MS)and enzyme?linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) were performed to measure serum levels of 25(OH)D and MMP?9 respectively in these subjects. Statistical analysis was carried out by two independent samples t?test or Wilcoxon rank sum test for comparisons of the above indexes between the two groups, and by Spearman rank correlation analysis for assessment of relationships between the serum levels of 25(OH)D and MMP?9 as well as between the two indexes and disease severity. Results Of the 56 patients, 19 were diagnosed with mild CSU, 26 with moderate CSU and 11 with severe CSU. Compared with the control group, the patient group showed significantly lower serum levels of 25(OH)D(21.74 ± 6.04 vs. 30.17 ± 2.21μg/L, P<0.05), but significantly higher serum levels of MMP?9(Median[P25-P75]:291.55[166.18-594.46]vs. 138.46[94.27-233.12]μg/L, P<0.05). In the patient group, the serum level of 25(OH)D was negatively correlated with that of MMP?9 (rs=-0.26, P<0.05), but uncorrelated with the severity of CSU(rs=-0.20, P>0.05);the serum level of MMP?9 was positively correlated with the severity of CSU(rs=0.27, P<0.05). Conclusion Vitamin D and MMP?9 may play a role in the occurrence of CSU.

Objective To investigate the relationship between negative acute phase proteins and chronic urticaria (CU).Methods Fifty patients with CU were enrolled into this study,and divided into three grades,i.e.,mild (grade 1),moderate (grade 2) and severe (grade 3) according to symptoms.Twenty-eight health checkup examinees served as the control group.Immunoturbidimetry was performed to determine serum levels of prealbumin (PA) and transferrin (TRF).Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was conducted to measure serum levels of insulinlike growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α).Statistical analysis was carried out to assess differences in these indices between these two groups,the relationship among these indices and between these indices and disease severity.Results Compared with the control group,the patients with CU showed reduced serum levels of PA ((229.99 ± 54.16) vs.(272.06 ± 36.42) mg/L,t =3.667,P ＜ 0.05) and IGF-1 ((177.23 ± 46.48) vs.(239.88 ± 45.16) μg/L,t =5.748,P＜ 0.05),but higher serum levels of TNF-α ((25.39 ± 11.01) vs.(14.13 ± 6.12) ng/L,t =4.989,P＜ 0.05),and similar serum levels of TRF ((2.48 ± 0.49) vs.(2.48 ± 0.25) g/L,P＞ 0.05).The serum level of PA showed a significant negative correlation with that of TNF-α (r =-0.312,P ＜ 0.05),as well as with disease severity (r =-0.635,P ＜ 0.01),whereas the serum level of TNF-α showed a significant positive correlation with disease severity (r =0.409,P ＜ 0.01),and no statistical correlation was found between the remaining indices (all P ＞ 0.05) in the patients with CU.Conclusions Serum levels of some negative acute phase proteins decrease and negatively correlate with disease severity in patients with CU.Acute phase response may be involved in the occurrence of CU.

Objective To evaluate the relationship of acute-phase response and coagulation/fibrinolysis with chronic urticaria (CU).Methods Fifty-three patients with CU and twenty-five healthy human controls were enrolled in this study.Venous blood samples were collected from all of these subjects.Then,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was carried out to measure the serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and amyloid protein A (AA),and immunoturbidimetry to determine the levels of serum high sensitive C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) and plasma D-dimer.The patients with CU were classified into three groups according to the severity of clinical symptoms.The levels of serum IL-6 and plasma D-dimer were given in mean ± standard deviation,and those of serum AA and Hs-CRP in mean (25th percentile,75th percentile).Rank sum test and t test were performed to compare these parameters between the patients and controls,and Spearman rank correlation analysis was conducted to study the relationship among these parameters as well as between these parameters and symptom severity in these patients.Results The levels of serum IL-6,serum AA and plasma D-dimer were (10.70 ± 4.94) ng/L,4.92 (8.22,12.51) μg/L,and (222.32 ± 163.69) μg/L respectively in the patients with CU,significantly higher than those in the healthy controls ((7.49 ± 3.41) ng/L,2.11 (1.21,2.83) μg/L,(104.72 ± 43.12) μg/L,respectively,all P＜ 0.05),while no significant differences were observed between the patients and controls in the level of serum HsCRP (0.30 (0.10,1.40) mg/L vs.0.30 (0.10,0.55) mg/L,P ＞ 0.05).In patients with CU,the levels of serum IL-6 were unrelated to those of serum Hs-CRP,serum AA,or plasma D-dimer (all P ＞ 0.05),whereas a positive correlation was observed between the levels of serum Hs-CRP and AA (r =0.67,P ＜ 0.01),serum Hs-CRP and plasma D-dimer (r =0.49,P ＜ 0.01),serum AA and plasma D-dimer (r =0.38,P ＜ 0.01).Further more,the levels of serum Hs-CRP,AA and plasma D-dimer were significantly correlated with symptom severity in patients with CU (r =0.63,0.62,0.47,respectively,all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Acute-phase response coexists with the activation of coagulation system in patients with CU,suggesting a potential association between acute-phase response and coagulation system activation.

OBJECTIVE： To observe the therapeutic effects of 0.3％ levofloxacin eyedrops on the acute bacterial conjunctivitis and keratitis.METHODS： The patients were randomly divided into treated group and control group.They were given 0.3％ levofloxacin and 0.3％ ofloxacin eyedrops respectively.The effects were compared between two groups.RESULTS： From April 1998 to December 1998， 132 cases were enrolled in the study： treated group 67 cases， control group 65 cases.The positive rates of bacterial culture were over 80％ in both groups.It showed that there was no significant difference between two eyedrops in the curative and effective rates， but the mean cure day of keratitis in levofloxacin group was significantly shorter than that in ofloxacin group.CONCLUSION： Levofloxacin eyedrops is effective and safe in treating bacterial conjunctivitis and keratitis， and the therapeutic course is short and no obvious ARDs occur.

Objective To examine the expression of MMP -2 and HSP70 in salivary tumor and to explore the relationship among the expression of MMP -2 and HSP70 and the biological of the salivary tumor. Methods The expression of MMP -2 and HSP70 on 38 salivary tumor patients and controls was detected by immunohistochemistry. The data was disposed by SPSS software. Results The expression of MMP -2 and HSP70 in salivary tumor was higher than that in normal controls(P

Objective: To study the pharmacokinetics and brain/plasma concentration ratio of nortriptyline at multiple doses in mice which were pre-treated with physiological saline, piperine and verapamil. Methods: A total of 216 male Kun Ming mice[(25±3) g] were equally divided into 4 groups randomly. Each group was intragastrically administered physiological saline (B), piperine (170 μg/kg), piperine (5 mg/kg) and verapamil (5 mg/kg) for 8 days. On the 8th day, 1 h atfer giving the above drugs, each mice was intraperitoneally injected nortriptyline (13 mg/kg). The mice were sacriifced by picking off eyeballs at the time intervals of 5, 15, 30 min, and 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 h, andthe cerebra were collected and weighted. Nortriptyline in mouse plasma and brain was determined by HPLC-MS/MS. The pharmacokinetic properties of the plasma, brain and brain/plasma were calculated. Results: hTe AUC0-12 h of brain/plasma concentration ratio in the 170 μg/kg piperine group was significantly lower than that in the other groups (P<0.05), while the AUC0-12 h of brain/plasma concentration ratios in the 5 mg/kg piperine group and the verapamil group were not signiifcantly different from those of untreated mice. Conclusion: Piperine (170 μg/kg) may induce P-glycoprotein expression in the blood-brain barrier, while piperines at 5 mg/kg has no influence on P-glycoprotein expression in the blood-brain barrier.

Objective To investigate the present situation of retinopathy of the prematurity(ROP)in Guang-dong Province.Methods A total of 1 52 hospitals engaged in neonatal medical service were selected from 1 3 cities in Guangdong Province by stratified random sampling method.The questionnaires of present situation and influential factors for ROP in Guangdong Province were distributed to the hospital officers to survey the special equipment in the Neonato-logy Department,ROP specialists and their training collected,the collected related equipment and the present situation of the disease,et al.Eventually,1 22 questionnaires was collected,and the return rate was 80.26%.One hundred and twenty -two hospitals entered into the study,including 50 tertiary hospitals,72 secondary and primary hospitals.Statisti-cal analysis was done with SPSS 1 9.0.Results Tertiary hospitals were better than secondary and primary hospitals in terms of conducting the oxygen monitoring (χ2 =1 8.639,P <0.01 ),ROP screening (χ2 =40.054,P <0.01 )and ROP treatment(χ2 =8.262,P <0.05).The restriction factors in the present situation of ROP were lack of specialists,tech-nology and equipment,especially the first two factors.The difference in lack of specialists and technology between tertia-ry hospitals and the lower -level hospitals was significant(χ2 =4.520,P <0.05).There were 63 hospitals able to con-duct ROP screening,and 1 6 hospitals without equipment could carry out ROP screening through referral or inviting the experts from other hospitals.Fifty -nine hospitals which couldn′t carry out ROP screening had to refer patients to other hsopitals or invite the experts from other hospitals for consultation of high risk patients.Conclusions The present situation of ROP in the tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province is generally satisfactory,while that in the secondary and primary hospitals stays behind.The constraints for present situation of ROP examination and treatment were lack of spe-cialists,technology and equipment.The hospitals that can′t implement ROP screening should establish regional co -operation by referral and resource sharing to improve the present situation of ROP in Guangdong Province.

Objective Toexplore the expression and significance of microRNA-155 (miR-155) in psoriasis vulgaris. Methods Areal-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) method with TaqMan probe technology was performed to detect miR-155 expression in skin lesion area and nonskinlesionalarea of 35 patients with psoriasis vulgaris , compared with that of 30 normal controls. The correlations among miR-155 expression, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score and Interleukin-17A(IL-17A)expression were studied. Results The expressions of miR-155 and IL-17A in lesional and non-lesionalgroups were higher than that of control group (all P < 0.01). Also expressions in lesional skin were higher than non-lesional skin (both P < 0.01). In skin lesion group, significant positive correlations existed betweenmiR-155 or IL-17A expression and PASI score as well as miR-155 and IL-17A expression (all P < 0.05). Conclusions Up-expression of miR-155 was relevant to psoriasis development , which is related withthe hyperfunctionof Th17 cells in psoriasis.

Background and purpose:Due to the lack of cost-effective pre-treatment predictors for advanced cervical squamous cell carcinomas treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), both baseline circulating CD4+CD25+CD127Low/- regulatory T cell (Treg) count and serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) level were measured for this feasibility study. Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 44 patients with stageⅡB-ⅣA cervical squamous carcinomas before CCRT. Flow cytometry immunophenotyping and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used for circulating CD4+CD25+CD127Low/-Treg count and serum SCC-Ag level testing,respectively. Clinical and pathological characteristics were retrospectively reviewed to analyze the predictive value of the 2 indexes. Results:The baseline circulating CD4+CD25+CD127Low/-Treg count was lower in the patient group with positive treatment response than in the group with negative response [(8.78±2.80)%vs (10.95±2.56)%, P<0.05], and the serum SCC-Ag level showed no signiifcant difference between the 2 groups. No correlation was detected between these 2 markers (Spearman’rho=-0.093, P=0.540). Determined by plotting receiver operating characteristic curves, the best cut-off points were 9.76%for circulating CD4+CD25+CD127Low/-Treg count and 9.50 ng/mL for serum SCC-Ag level, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that pretherapeutic circulating CD4+CD25+CD127Low/-Treg count (OR=1.901, 95%CI:1.112-3.219, P=0.017), but not serum SCC-Ag level (OR=0.998, 95%CI:0.001-4.253, P=0.897), was predictive of clinical response to CCRT. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that pre-treatment CD4+CD25+CD127Low/-Treg count was an independent predictor for clinical response to CCRT (OR=3.115, 95%CI:1.253-7.742, P=0.014). Conclusion:Pretherapeutic circulating CD4+CD25+CD127Low/-Treg count is a feasible method to predict clinical response to CCRT in patients with advanced cervical squamous cell carcinomas.