OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical and imaging characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and to study their relationship.

METHODSForty-six SARS confirmed patients were admitted to our hospital from February to April, 2003. X-ray examination documents were available in all cases and chest CT scanning was acquired in 6 cases, which were analyzed retrospectively, accompanied by their clinical features.

RESULTSFever was found in 97.8% of the patients. Clinical symptoms were mild, but X-ray and CT findings were distinct. CT scanning demonstrated ground glass like lesions and large patchy exudation and consolidation at the early stage in 6 cases. Different findings on radiography and CT were related to the different phases of the disease. After treatment, most lesions were absorbed completely, but slowly in patients with multi-lobe consolidation and/or extensive interstitial infiltration.

CONCLUSIONSpecial clinical and imaging findings could be found in SARS cases. The prognosis of SARS patients is related to the degree of lesions detected by radiography and CT.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Radiography ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; diagnostic imaging

Objective To investigate the effect of probiotics on the immune function and clinical efficacy in children with recurrent respiratory tract infection (RRTI). Methods A total of92 RRTI children were continuously enrolled and were randomly divided into study group and control group, with 46 cases in each group. Both groups were given oral treatment of pidotimod, and the study group added Bifid Triple Viable Bifidobacterium Power, all the children were treated for 3 months, and followed-up time lasted for more than 1 year. The changes of serum C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), immunoglobulin G (IgG), pmmunoglobulin A (IgA) and T cell subgroups were compared between the two groups, and the clinical efficacy between the two groups were compared. Results After treatment, serum CRP and PCT concentrations significantly decreased, serum IgG and IgA level significantly increased, the peripheral blood T cell count of CD4+was significantly increased, CD8+was significantly decreased in both groups when compared with that treatment before (P ＜ 0. 05). At the same time, the study group showed lower serum CRP and PCT concentration, higher serum IgG and IgA levels, higher peripheral blood CD4+T cell count, and lower CD8+T cell count after treatment, when compare to the control group (P ＜ 0. 05). However, there was no statistically difference between two groups in clinical efficiency (P＞ 0. 05). Conclusion Probiotics can effectively improve the immune function and reduce the inflammation level in RRTI children.

Objective To investigate the effect of probiotics on the immune function and clinical efficacy in children with recurrent respiratory tract infection (RRTI). Methods A total of92 RRTI children were continuously enrolled and were randomly divided into study group and control group, with 46 cases in each group. Both groups were given oral treatment of pidotimod, and the study group added Bifid Triple Viable Bifidobacterium Power, all the children were treated for 3 months, and followed-up time lasted for more than 1 year. The changes of serum C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), immunoglobulin G (IgG), pmmunoglobulin A (IgA) and T cell subgroups were compared between the two groups, and the clinical efficacy between the two groups were compared. Results After treatment, serum CRP and PCT concentrations significantly decreased, serum IgG and IgA level significantly increased, the peripheral blood T cell count of CD4+was significantly increased, CD8+was significantly decreased in both groups when compared with that treatment before (P ＜ 0. 05). At the same time, the study group showed lower serum CRP and PCT concentration, higher serum IgG and IgA levels, higher peripheral blood CD4+T cell count, and lower CD8+T cell count after treatment, when compare to the control group (P ＜ 0. 05). However, there was no statistically difference between two groups in clinical efficiency (P＞ 0. 05). Conclusion Probiotics can effectively improve the immune function and reduce the inflammation level in RRTI children.

OBJECTIVETo compare the differences in shapes and properties and the microscopic frameworks of the wild and cultivated Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae from different regions.

METHODThe differences in the shapes and properties, the characters of transverse sections, the powder and disintegrated tissue of roots were compared using microscopic measurement and statistics analysis.

RESULTThe wild Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae had several long cylinder roots with rough flaky squama skin and brown red or wine culour, the cultivated had root of many branch with cling skin and brick-red or chestnut culour. The difference of microscopic histological structure was that the xylem vessel of wild Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae had bunched vessel with the rank form of big diameter alternating with small diameter, and had stone cell on samples from some producing region, the xylem vessel of the cultivated had no bunched vessel and no stone cell with the rank form of tangential radial. Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae cultivated in Sichuan Province is called original-region medicinal materials and named Chuandanshen. Chuandanshen had the differences with the Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix cultivated in other region. The root of Chuandanshen had 1.2 cm diameter, and was bulky and fat with solid fabric and the fracture with brownish yellow color and cutin-alikeness, its xylem vessel of transverse section of root was thin with the rank form of tangential radial, and 19-24 vascular bundle and a few wood fiber.

CONCLUSIONSalviae Miltiorrhizae Radix of the wild and the cultivated, of the original-region (Chuandanshen) and the other-region, have the differences in the shapes and properties, and the microscopic frameworks. The character can be identified by the differences in the shapes of medicinal materials, and the rank form of vascular bundle of transverse section of root.

China ; Microscopy ; Quality Control ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; growth & development