Objective To analyze the clinical presentations and radiological characteristics of acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).Methods Clinical and radiological data of 2 patients with acute exacerbation of IPF from April 2006 to July 2008 were retrospectively analyzed and literatures were reviewed.Results Both patients were senior male patients over 60 years old.Dyspnea, cough and inspiratory crackles were the major symptoms and signs.Two patients were experiencing an exacerbation of dyspnea for one week and half of month,respectively.PaO2/FiO2 of both patients was less than 225 mm Hg.In both patients, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans at the exacerbation showed typical signs of IPF including peripheral predominant, basal predominant reticular abnormality, with honeycombing and traction bronchiectasis and bronchiolectasis,and newly developing alveolar opacity.HRCT scan showed peripheral area of ground-glass attenuation adjacent to subpleural honeycombing in one patient,and diffusely distributed ground-glass opacity in another patient.Two patients had received cortieosteroid treatment.For one patient, the symptoms improved, and ground-glass attenuation adjacent to subpleural honeycombing had almostly resolved.The other patient died of respiratory failure.Conclusions Some acute exacerbation in idiopatic pulmonary fibrosis can be idiopathic.The chnical presentations mainly include the worsening of dyspnea within short time.HRCT generally demonstrates new bilateral ground-glass abnormality with or without areas of consolidation, superimposed on typical changes of IPF.

5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) has been the basic drug in the first-line chemotherapy for colorectal cancer so far. A large number of studies have focused on the discovery of gene polymorphism sites for predicting the efficacy or adverse reactions of 5-Fu. Multiple polymorphic sites of genes such as TYMS, DPYD, and MTHFR may play a role in it. However, no consistent conclusion has been reached over the effect of same polymorphic site on the therapeutic outcome. The application of whole genome sequencing and multi-gene joint analysis may carry out more comprehensive and in-depth researches in the future. This paper reviews the progress of related gene polymorphism of 5-Fu-based chemotherapy efficacy and adverse reactions in colorectal cancer.

Resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from four different appearances were analyzed by headspace sampling-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(HS-GC-MS) metabolomics technique and hierarchical clustering analysis(HCA) chemometrics method. This study was to analyze differential volatile components in resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from different appearance and metabolic pathways. The results of partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) and HCA analysis indicated that there was little difference in volatile components between fiber-rich sample and hollow cork cambium sample, however, the volatile components in the two samples compared with whole body resin-containing sample and resin-secreting aggregated sample had a large metabolic difference. Twenty differential metabolites were screened by VIP and P values of PLS-DA. The content of these differential metabolites was significantly higher in whole body resin-containing sample and resin-secreting aggregated sample than in fiber-rich sample and hollow cork cambium sample. Sixteen significant metabolic pathways were obtained through enrichment analysis(P<0.05), mainly involved in terpenoids biosynthesis and phenylpropanoid metabolism. This result provided a reference for further study of resin formation mechanism of resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from different appearances. At the same time, it also provided a reference for establishing a multi-index quality evaluation system.
Cluster Analysis ; Discriminant Analysis ; Dracaena ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Resins, Plant

OBJECTIVE: Exploring a method of rhinoplasty and septoplasty to get better nasal function and aesthetic effect. METHOD: 1) Using endoscopic rhinoplasty and septoplasty, separating the joint of quadrangular cartilage and the bones around it, resecting vertical and horizontal strip of the deviated septal cartilage and fracturing the deviated septal bones and reconstructing them with three layers (mucosa-cartilage or bone-mucosa), positing the reconstructed septum in the middle between two lateral walls of nasal cavity, proper space between septum and turbinates was maintained. 2) The caudal part of quadrangular cartilage was resected and placed in the columella pocket between the two medial parts of the alar cartilage and the supporting function of the septal cartilage was maintained. RESULT: Compared with traditional nasal septal reconstruction surgery, our method got better functional and aesthetic outcome. CONCLUSION The anatomic three layers were preserved in our method, thus it is better than the traditional methods. The caudal septal cartilage should be used as the perfect material in rhinoplasty.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasal Septum ; surgery ; Rhinoplasty ; methods ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between allergic rhinitis and obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea (OSAHS) syndrome in children. METHOD: (1) According to medical history, physical signs, skin-prick test, serum sIgE, endoscopic examination and polysomnography, the incidence of allergic rhinitis was confirmed in 574 cases of childhood obstructive sleeping apnea-hypopnea syndrome in our hospital between July in 2008 to June in 2010. (2) Effects of anti-allergic drugs were observed on 78 children with OSAHS and allergic rhinitis meanwhile. RESULT: (1) 258 cases of allergic rhinitis were confirmed in 574 cases of OSAHS, accounting for 44.9% of the OSAHS cases and 50.4% of all cases of allergic rhinitis during the same period. Most of them were perennial allergic rhinitis (223 cases, 86.4%), and 72.5% of them were aroused by fungal allergen. Compared with other allergen, statistically significant difference was found (P < 0.05). (2) After receiving anti-allergic drugs regularly for 3 weeks, 40 cases suffering from mild and moderate OSAHS and allergic rhinitis, 3 cases out of 38 cases suffering from serious OSAHS and allergic rhinitis showed satisfactory results, while other cases had little improvement. CONCLUSION Allergic rhinitis is closely related to childhood OSAHS, and perennial allergic rhinitis dominates. The most common allergen is fungal allergen, the second is house and flour dust mites. So for patients of mild and moderate OSAHS with allergic rhinitis, regular anti-allergic drugs can lighten OSAHS effectively and may make patients avoid surgery. Severe OSAHS cases can receive surgical intervention if prior anti allergic therapy fails. Anti allergic therapy should be adopted routinely after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in case of hypopnea due to hypertrophy of inferior turbinate or tubal torus in allergic rhinitis.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoid Tissue ; pathology ; Male ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; complications ; pathology ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; complications ; Turbinates ; pathology

To ensure the safety of medications, it is vital to accurately authenticate species of the Apocynaceae family, which is rich in poisonous medicinal plants. We identified Apocynaceae species by using nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and psbA-trnH based on experimental data. The identification ability of ITS2 and psbA-trnH was assessed using specific genetic divergence, BLAST1, and neighbor-joining trees. For DNA barcoding, ITS2 and psbA-trnH regions of 122 plant samples of 31 species from 19 genera in the Apocynaceae family were amplified. The PCR amplification for ITS2 and psbA-trnH sequences was 100%. The sequencing success rates for ITS2 and psbA-trnH sequences were 81% and 61%, respectively. Additional data involved 53 sequences of the ITS2 region and 38 sequences of the psbA-trnH region were downloaded from GenBank. Moreover, the analysis showed that the inter-specific divergence of Apocynaceae species was greater than its intra-specific variations. The results indicated that, using the BLAST1 method, ITS2 showed a high identification efficiency of 97% and 100% of the samples at the species and genus levels, respectively, via BLAST1, and psbA-trnH successfully identified 95% and 100% of the samples at the species and genus levels, respectively. The barcode combination of ITS2/psbA-trnH successfully identified 98% and 100% of samples at the species and genus levels, respectively. Subsequently, the neighbor joining tree method also showed that barcode ITS2 and psbA-trnH could distinguish among the species within the Apocynaceae family. ITS2 is a core barcode and psbA-trnH is a supplementary barcode for identifying species in the Apocynaceae family. These results will help to improve DNA barcoding reference databases for herbal drugs and other herbal raw materials.

A new species of Alternaria causing leaf spots on the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) in Yunnan, China, was isolated, examined, and illustrated. Morphologically, it belongs to the section Porri of Alternaria, which produces relatively large conidia and a simple or branched, filamentous long beak. It is, however, characterized by conidiophores gradually enlarging near the apex into a clavate conidiogenous cell and long ellipsoid to obclavate, smooth-walled conidia with a long filamentous beak. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on ITS rDNA, GAPDH, and TEF1-alpha sequences demonstrate that the phytopathogen falls in the clade of the section Porri, being most closely related to A. sidae, A. sennae, A. deseriticola, A. cyamopsidis, A. rostellata, A. nitrimali, A. crassa, and A. thunbergiae.
Acanthaceae ; Accidental Falls ; Alternaria ; Animals ; Ascomycota ; Beak ; China ; Classification ; DNA, Ribosomal ; Hevea ; Rubber ; Spores, Fungal

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the multiple-frequency probe tones tympanograms and the normal ranges of admittance, susceptance and conductance in normal newborns. METHOD: Tympanometries with 226 Hz, 678 Hz and 1000 Hz probe tones were obtained from newborn infants with normal TEOAE and DPOAE(55 infants, 110 ears), analysed multiple-frequency prone tones tympanograms and values of admittance, susceptance and conductance by using GSI-33 middle ear analyzer. RESULT: 226 Hz tympanograms for admittance, susceptance and conductance main were W-shaped, the percentages were 90.0%, 99.1% and 85.5%. 678 Hz tympanograms for admittance, susceptance and conductance main were single-peaked, the percentages of single-peaked type were 62.7%, 77.3% and 62.7%, and the percentages of W-shaped type were 34.6%, 20.9% and 31.8%, had a little three-peaked type. 1000 Hz tympanograms for admittance, susceptance and conductance main were single-peaked, and percentages were 96.4%, 99.1% and 97.3%, and had a little W-shape type but no three-peaked type. There were significant differences between admittance and susceptance, susceptance and conductance in 226 Hz and 678 Hz probe tones tympanogram. There were significant differences between admittance and susceptance, susceptance and conductance, admittance and conductance in 1000 Hz probe tones tympanogram. CONCLUSION Multiple-frequency probe tones tympanograms and the normal ranges of admittance, susceptance and conductance of normal newborn infants is obtained, and 1000 Hz probe tone tympanometry is a sensitive test for function of middle ear in newborn infants.
Acoustic Impedance Tests ; methods ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Reference Values

Autoantibodies ; China ; Cohort Studies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Objective To study the cellular changes of colonic smooth muscle cells in rats with spleen-deficiency functional diarrhea treated with Pixu Sihao Fang (PXSHF, No.4 Formula for Spleen Deficiency) dosed serum.Methods Colonic smooth muscle cells from functional diarrhea spleen-deficiency rats were extracted for primary culture and then divided into the following six groups: normal control group, model group, PXSHF low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose groups, and montmorillonite powder (Mnt) group.All the dosed serum groups were treated with 5% drug serum for 48 h.CCK-8 test for detecting the cell proliferation activity and QRT-PCR test for checking the expression of brain-gut petide mRNA were performed.Results OD value of the model group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.01) in CCK-8 test while the OD value of the drug serum groups were significantly higher than that of the model group (P<0.01).QRT-PCR test showed that the CCK/VIP/SS mRNA expression of the model group was significant lower than that of the control group (P<0.05).Compared with the model group, the CCK/VIP/SS mRNA expression in each drug serum group presented with an increase tendency.CCK mRNA expression of the group treated with low-dose PXSHF dosed serum was higher than of the model group (P<0.05).VIP mRNA expression of the groups treated with PXSHF dosed serum were significantly higher than that of the model group (P<0.01).Conclusion PXSHF dosed serum can effectively promote the proliferation activity of the colonic smooth muscle cells.Changes in the expression of CCK, VIP and SS mRNA might be indicative of the role of brain-gut peptide in the development of functional diarrhea with spleen deficiency pattern.