Objective: To determine the expression of complement regulatory proteins (CRPs) C1-INH, MCP (CD46) in the nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis rats and to study the role of CRPs in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis. Methods: Nine healthy SD rats were sensitized and intranasally challenged with ovalbumin and Al(OH)3 (as supplement) to establish allergic rhinitis models and another 9 SD rats treated with saline were taken as control. The nasal mucosa in respiratory area of both groups was obtained. Then Western blotting was performed to investigate the expression levels of C1-INH and CD46. Results: Western blotting showed that both C1-INH and CD46 had been detected in rat nasal mucosa. Expression level of CD46 in the nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis was significantly higher than that in control rats(P<0.01); whereas the level of C1-INH was lower than that in control rats(P<0.05). Conclusion: It is suggested that both C1-INH and CD46 maybe involved in the pathogenesis of rat allergic rhinitis. The regulatory role of CRPs may be related to the classical pathway of complement activation.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of laparoscopic surgery for hydronephrosis caused by retroper-itoneal fibrosis.Methods Reported the diagnosis and treatment procedure and result of 1 case of hydronephrosis caused by retroperitoneal fibrosis on left side,who underwent laparoscopie surgery.Investigated the feasibility of hydronephrosis caused by retroperitoneal fibrosis with literature review.A 55-year-old female patient had interrupt-able left lower extremity swollen with nausea and vomiting for five months.The blood test showed progressive eleva-ting of creatinine and urea nitrogen.The highest creatinine value was 503 μmol/L.The computerized tomography showed renal atrophy on right side and there was a stenosis on crossing place between inferior segment on left ureter and iliac blood vessels,also there is a soft tissue image in front of aorta and around iliac blood vessels,the superior ureter was dilated.We set double J tube into left ureter before surgery with semi-reclining position toward right side,set trocar cannula through 1 era,4 em below the umbilicus as well as the same two points on lateral external oblique muscle of abdomen,set laparoscope from 1 cm below the umbilicus.We found the abdominal membrane pale and touch as tabular.There was serious eonglutination between middle segment ureter and around iliac blood vessels after we cut open retroperitoneal membrane.We carefully dissected the ureter for 9 cm and soluted the eonglutination a-round the ureter,then set the ureter into abdominal cavity and closed retroperitoneal membrane.Results The pa-tient recover well after surgery and sutured out after 5 days,pulled out the double J tube after I month.The patient had low back pain ,fever and oliguria after the double J tube was pulled out and recovered with spasmolysis,analge-sia and antibiosis treatment after 2 days.The voiding volume and renal function became normal.The B-type ultra-sound test showed hydronephrosis on left side was lessened.The ultrasound test after 3 months result showed hydro-nephrosis was significantly lessened than before surgery and renal function was normal.Conclusions The laparo-scopic ureterolysis surgery for retroperitoneal fibrosis is minimally invasive,less suffering and quick recovery.Be-cause of few case report and short follow-up time is more eases and long-term follow-up are needed to elucidate the therapeutic efficacy of this treatment.

Head ; surgery ; Humans ; Neck ; surgery ; United States

Objective To analyze the dynamic changes of dendritic ceils (DCs) and their subsets plasmacytoid DC (pDC) and myeliod DC (mDC) in peripheral blood of renal transplantation patients,and to confer the relationship between DCs subsets and graft rejection.Methods White blood cells (WBC) and mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) in peripheral blood of 28 renal transplantation recipients (test group) were measured before operation and at 1st,7th,28th day after operation.The number of DCs and subsets,and pDC/mDC were detected by using flow cytometry,and IL-10 and IL-12 levels were determined by using ELISA before and after operation.Ten volunteers (control group) served as controls.Results The levels of DCs,pDC and mDC before operation in test group were lower than in control group (P＜0.05),but there was no statistically significant difference in pDC/mDC ratio between two groups (P＞0.05).The number of DCs in test group was significantly decreased on the first day after operation up to the lowest level,then slowly increased,and recovered 73.7 ％ at 28th day after operation.The number of mDC and pDC was also decreased after operation,but mDC recovered faster than pDC (P＜0.05).On the day 7th after operation,the number of mDC in the recipients with graft rejection was higher than in those without graft rejection in test group (P＜0.01 ).There was no significant difference before and after operation in the levels of IL-10 and IL-12 in test group.Conclusion The number of DCs and subsets are related to the recipients' immune state,and their abnormality displays unstable immune state of recipients.The number of DCs and subsets can be used as an assistance index to diagnose graft rejection.

BACKGROUNDSome studies found that cholinesterase (ChE) can be an independent risk factor for patients with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. To assess aged patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) early and predict their prognosis, the predictive value of ChE for the prognosis of aged patients with SIRS was analyzed.

METHODSFrom September 2009 to September 2010, all aged patients with SIRS in the ICU of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine were retrospectively analyzed if they met inclusion criteria: patients aged ≥ 65 years and met American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine Consensus Conference criteria for SIRS. Serum ChE, albumin, D-dimer, lactic acid and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured, and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores were evaluated within the first 24 hours in the ICU. Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of the primary disease between the deceased group and surviving group. For comparison of study variables between the two groups, the Student's t test or Mann-Whitney U test was used. Multivariate significance was tested with binary Logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSThe clinical data of 124 aged patients with SIRS were collected and analyzed. Sixty-six patients (46 male, 20 female, mean age (78.70 ± 8.08) years) who died were included in the deceased group and 58 patients (34 male, 24 female, mean age (76.02 ± 6.57) years) who survived were included in the surviving group. There were no significant differences in age, gender, APACHE II score and GCS score between the deceased group and surviving group (all P > 0.05), but there were significant differences in lactic acid (P = 0.011), D-dimer (P = 0.011), albumin (P = 0.007), CRP (P = 0.008), and ChE (P < 0.0001). The correlation analysis showed that the APACHE II score and CRP were not correlated with ChE (both P < 0.05). D-dimer and albumin were correlated with ChE (Spearman's rho correlation coefficients were -0.206 and 0.324, the corresponding P values were 0.022 and < 0.0001). Multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that age, gender, lactic acid, D-dimer, albumin, CRP, APACHE II score, and GCS score were not independent risk factors for prognosis of aged patients with SIRS, but that ChE was (P < 0.0001). The receiver operating characteristic curve of ChE had an area under the curve of 0.797 (standard error = 0.04; P < 0.0001), and a ChE of 103.00 U/L was the cut-off value with sensitivity = 0.793, specificity = 0.742.

CONCLUSIONSerum ChE might be a predictive marker for the prognosis of aged patients with SIRS, with low serum ChE levels indicating poor prognosis.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cholinesterases ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Prognosis ; Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome ; blood ; enzymology ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the level of mRNA expression of complement C3 and C4 in rat nasal mucosa and to reveal the relationship with the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis (AR) .

METHODSTwenty healthy SD rats were randomly divided into AR group and control group, 10 rats for each group. Ten rats was sensitized and intranasally challenged by ovalbumin and Al (OH)3 (as supplement) as allergic rhinitis models, and the control group was treated by saline. RT-PCR was performed to investigate the level of mRNA expression of complement C3 and C4 in nasal mucosa of both groups.

RESULTSC3 and C4 mRNA were detected in both groups. The relative intensity of gene expression was measured. The relative intensity of C3 mRNA expression was 6183+/-1376 in AR group, 4444+/-989 in control group, C4 mRNA was 4398 +/-948 in AR group, and 2771+/-407 in control group. Expression of C3 and C4 in AR group was higher than that of the controls ( P < 0. 05) .

CONCLUSIONThe high level of C3 and C4 mRNA expression in nasal mucosa of rats with allergic rhinitis suggests that C3 and C4 are involved in the immunopathology of allergic rhinitis. The result implies that complement system involved in the rat's allergic rhinitis is possibly activated through the classical pathway.

Animals ; Complement C3 ; metabolism ; Complement C4 ; metabolism ; Female ; Male ; Nasal Mucosa ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical significance of genetic detection and changes of red cell enzyme activities of pyrimidine 5' nucleotidase (P5'N), pyruvate kinase (PK) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) in patients with α-thalassaemia (α-thal).

METHODSThree α-thal patients were further processed to gene detection by PCR-trans-dot blot and gap-PCR, and red cell enzymes activities by absorbance at 260 and 280 nm (A) for P5'N and fluorescence spot test for PK and G-6-PD.

RESULTSRed cells in 3 α-thal cases were microcytic hypochromic with obvious augmented target cells and basophilic stippling erythrocytes. Two patients had anemia, splenomegaly, hyperbilirubinemia and augmented LDH. HbH was positively identified by hemoglobin electrophoresis and hemoglobin cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis; the other patient had no such abnormalities. Genotypes of 3 patients were of (-α(3.7)/--(SEA)), (αα(QS)/--(SEA))and (--(SEA)), respectively. The activity of P5'N (but not for PK and G-6-PD) in red cell reduced.

CONCLUSIONSThis is the first documented α-thal with P5'N deficiency. Genetic detection might be clinical significant for the diagnosis and pedigree screening of α-thal.

5'-Nucleotidase ; deficiency ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Erythrocytes ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; alpha-Thalassemia ; enzymology ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of axial rotation of lumbar vertebrae on the accuracy of pedicle screw placement using the traditional method, as well as to assess the value of intraoperative three-dimensional (3D) navigation in improving the accuracy.

METHODSSixteen lumbar simulation models at different degrees of axial rotation (0°, 5°, 10° and 20°), with every four assigned with the same degree, were equally divided into two groups (traditional method group and intraoperative 3D navigation group). Random placement of pedicle screws was carried out, followed by CT scan postoperatively. Then the outer pedicle cortex contours were depicted from reconstructed sectional pedicle images using Photoshop. The accuracy of pedicle screw placement was evaluated by determining the interrelationship between screw trajectory and pedicle cortex (qualitative) and measuring the shortest distance from pedicle screw axis to outer cortex of the pedicle (quantitative).

RESULTSEighty pedicle screws were implanted respectively in each group. In traditional method group, statistical difference existed in the accuracy of pedicle screw placement at different axial rotational degrees (P < 0.05). With degrees increasing, the accuracy declined. The accuracy of intraoperative 3D navigation group was higher than traditional method group in vertebrae with axial rotation (P < 0.01). In qualitative evaluation, the accuracy of the two methods had statistical difference when the degree was 20°, and in quantitative evaluation, statistical difference existed in 5°, 10° and 20° of vertebral axial rotation.

CONCLUSIONSScrew malposition can be caused by vertebral axial rotation in lumbar spine using traditional method. Accuracy of pedicle screw placement declines with the increase of axial rotational degrees. However, the accuracy can be improved by using intraoperative 3D navigation.

Bone Screws ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Models, Anatomic ; Rotation ; Spinal Fusion ; methods ; Surgery, Computer-Assisted ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUNDPlasma galectin-3, a mediator of fibrogenesis and inflammation, its potential to associate with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is poorly investigated. Here, we explored its interaction with the serum galectin-3 and vascular complications.

METHODSWe conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey in Zhejiang, China involving 165 men and 119 women (age range, 43 - 84 years), investigating the relationship between serum galectin-3 and vascular disease in patients with T2DM.

RESULTSSerum galectin-3 was higher in subjects with T2DM than that in control participants (27.4 vs. 17.6 ng/ml, P < 0.001). Compared with subjects with galectin-3 values in the lowest quartile, those with values in the highest quartile had an increased likelihood of vascular complications (4th quartile odds ratio (OR) 2.52, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25 - 4.07). Increased risk of micro- or macrovascular complications correlated with serum galectin-3 concentration (ORs 11.4 and 8.5, respectively). An increased number of vascular complications was associated with high serum galectin-3 levels (P < 0.05). Patients with serum galectin-3 levels > 25 ng/ml had an elevated risk of diabetes relative to patients with levels < 10 ng/ml (OR for any vascular complication 2.64, for heart failure 3.97, for nephropathy 4.09, for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) 4.18; all P < 0.05). Complication risk was higher in patients with neurogenic, stroke, or retinopathy complications, but this difference was not significant after risk factor adjustment. Serum galectin-3 levels correlated with diabetes duration, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and albuminuria.

CONCLUSIONHigh galectin-3 values were associated with increased odds of developing heart failure, nephropathy, and peripheral arterial disease in patients with T2DM.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; Diabetic Angiopathies ; blood ; etiology ; Female ; Galectin 3 ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical characteristics of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) complicated by chronic prostatitis (CP).

METHODSA total of 120 cases of BPH pathologically confirmed after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) were assigned to a BPH group (n=75) and a BPH + CP group (n=45) according to whether they were complicated by CP. The total prostatic volume (TPV) and PSA density (PSAD) were calculated and statistically analyzed based on the results of transrectal ultrasonography and f-PSA, t-PSA and f-PSA/t-PSA tests before surgery.

RESULTSThe BPH group showed a significantly upward tendency in f-PSA and t-PSA (P < 0.05) with the increase of age or prostate volume, but not significantly in PSAD and f-PSA/t-PSA (P > 0.05). In comparison, the BPH + CP group exhibited remarkable increases in f-PSA, t-PSA and PSAD (P < 0.05) but not in fPSA/t-PSA (P > 0.05). ROC curve analyses of various indexes showed the area under the curve to be 0.644, 0.628 and 0.624 for f-PSA, t-PSA and PSAD, respectively, all between 0.5 and 0.7.

CONCLUSIONBPH is frequently associated with CP. Clinically, high f-PSA, t-PSA and PSAD are important but not sure indicators of BPH complicated by CP.

Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; complications ; diagnosis ; Prostatitis ; complications ; diagnosis