Objective To discuss clinical features and surgical treatment of the coexistence of cervical,thoracic and lumber degenerative disease.Methods From January 2004 to December 2008,79 cases with the coexistence of cervical,thoracic and lumber degenerative disease were surgically treated,including 51 males and 28 females,aged from 30 to 80 years(average,58.1 years).All 79 cases presented coexistence of cervical,thoracic and lumbar compression symptoms,such as limb numbness,weakness,zonesthesia and positive Hoffmann and Babinski sign.Forty-one cases mainly presented cervical symptoms,5 presented thoracic symptoms and 12 presented lumbar symptoms.According to affected segments,41 cases received cervical operations,5 cases received thoracic operations,12 cases received lumber operations,and 21 cases received two parts operations.Surgical outcomes were evaluated by Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score.Results JOA score of all cases improved in varying degrees.The improvement rate of received cervical operation was 66.06%±14.33%,and that of received mere thoracic operation was 56.19%±9.85%,and that of lumbar operation was 63.49%±9.78%.Twenty-one cases received tow parts operations.Forteen cases received one-stage two parts operations with improvement rate of 76.78%±3.94% and 7 cases received twostage two part operations with improvement rate of 71.79%±8.74%.Conclusion The coexistence of cervical,thoracic and lumber degenerative disease is a kind of complex disease,which involves multi-segments and presents various clinical manifestations.The condition was caused by disk herniation,spinal stenosis and ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament and hypertrophy or ossification of ligamentum flavum.The optimal surgical procedures should be selected by integrated judgment of symptoms and imaging manifestations.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy,operative essentials and indications of hybrid spinal fusion surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy.Methods From August 2008 to December 2011,thirty-eight patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy underwent hybrid spinal fusion surgery in our hospital.There were 27 males and 11 females,aged from 33 to 70 years (average,51 years).A total of 86 segments were treated (fusion 48 vs.non-fusion 38).Twenty-eight patients underwent a two-level surgery,and ten patients received a three-level surgery.The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and Visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to evaluate pre-and post-operative neurological function and pain,respectively.The pre-and post-operative range of motion of the cervical spine was measured according to Xrays.Moreover,the surgical complications were recorded and analyzed.Results Thirty-seven patients were followed up for 15 to 55 months (average,29.1 months).The improvement of neurological function was obtained in 36 patients.The JOA score was improved from preoperative 10.5±1.57 to 14.3±1.97 at final follow-up,with an improvement rate of 58.46％,and the results were excellent in 16 cases,fair in 20 cases and poor in 1 case.The VAS was improved from preoperative 7.3±1.04 to 3.2±1.41 at final follow-up.The Cobb angle changed from preoperative 25°±3.21°to 20°±2.56°at final follow-up.After operation,the neurological function was not restored in 1 case; hoarseness and bucking occurred in 2 cases; sore throat occurred in 22 cases; anterior displacement of prosthesis (PCM) occurred in 3 cases.Other patients had no complications,such as displacement,loosening and heterotopic ossification.Conclusion In hybrid spinal fusion surgery,the lesions segments are decompressed fully,the severely degenerative segments are fused,and the motion of the non-fusion segments is reserved.As a result,not only the stability of the cervical spine is achieved,but also an obvious improvement of symptoms and a satisfactory short-term efficacy can be obtained.Therefore,this method is an alternative procedure for cervical spondylosis myelopathy.

Objective To determine the diagnostic value of double-phase enhancement and virtual endoscopy with multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) on clinical staging of preoperative bladder cancer.Methods Seventy-five patients with bladder cancer diagnosed by fibercystoscope or operation. All of them were examined by double-phase enhancement and virtual endoscopy with MSCT. The images were analyzed and clinical staging were obtained. The findings of MSCT (71 cases)were compared with the post-operative histopathological results. Results There were 94 lesions to be found. The staging of MSCT: T1 26 cases,T2, 27 cases, T2b 13 cases, T3 12 cases, T4 16 cases. Histopathological results: pT1 28 cases, pT2a 24 cases, pT2b 14 cases, pT3 12 cases, pT4 16 cases. The sensitivity of preoperative staging on bladder cancer was 89.4 % (84/94) by double-phase enhancement of MSCT;the sensitivity of virtual endoscopy was 96.6% (84/87)for polyploidy tumors and 90. 9 % (10/11) for sessile lesions. When double-phase enhancement and virtual images were evaluated together, the sensitivity rate increased to 94.5%. When the tumors were confined within the bladder wall (≤T2b), the diagnostic accuracy of double-phase enhancement and virtual images was 91.2% (51/56). When the tumors had invaded the tissues and organs beyond the bladder wall (≥T3), the accuracy was 100% (28/28). Conclusion Double-phase enhancement and virtual endoscopy of MSCT is of great value in clinical staging of bladder cancer.

Objective To discuss the application of color-coded digital subtraction angiography (ccDSA) in quantitatively analyzing the instant perfusion changes of hepatic tumors during transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE).Methods The clinical data of 35 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent TACE were reviewed.Before and after TACE,two-dimensional DSA (2D-DSA) was performed by using the same parameters in all patients.The image sequences were post-processed with 2D-ccDSA.On ccDSA images the regions of interest (ROIs) were measured to obtain the time-contrast-intensity (CI[t]) curves as well as the perfusion parameters,including tumor blood supply time (TBST),area under the curve (AUC),contrast-intensity peak (C I-Peak) and maximum upslope (MS),which were used to evaluate the degree of the reduction in direct blood flow and in tumor staining.The relationship between the above parameters and subjective angiographic chemoembolization endpoint (SACE) was analyzed.Results After TACE,the perfusion parameters were significantly different from pre-TACE ones.AUC and CI-Peak values were dramatically decreased.After TACE,TBST slowed a significant delay.The reduction of perfusion about 30％-40％ was equal to SACE grade Ⅲ;the reduction of perfusion about 60％-70％ was equal to SACE grade Ⅳ.Conclusion 2D-ccDSA can be used to objectively and quantitatively evaluate the effect of TACE on the perfusion of hepatic tumors,providing useful indexes for making quantitative assessment of the degree of blood flow stagnation and the reduction of tumor staining.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of formula of removing both phlegm and blood stasis (TYTZ) in inhibiting the inflammatory reaction in Chinese mini-swine with coronary atherosclerosis.

METHODTotally 36 Chinese mini-swine were randomly divided to six groups: the normal control group, the model group, the Shujiangzhi group and TYTZ groups with does of 2.0, 1.0 and 0.5 g x kg(-1), and six each in every group. Except for the normal control group, all of other groups were fed with high-fat diet for 2 weeks. Interventional balloons are adopted to injure their left anterior descending artery endothelium. After the operation, they were fed with high-fat diet for 8 weeks to prepare the coronary atherosclerosis model. In the 8th week after the operation and administration, the intravascular ultrasound was adopted to observe the coronary artery plaque burden of each group and the pathological morphology of coronary artery. Such inflammatory factors as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-6 were detected by ELISA. The expression of NF-kappaB p65 nuclear translocation was observed by the immunohistochemical method.

RESULTCompared with the normal control group, the model group showed significant increase in the coronary artery plaque burden at the end of the experiment (P < 0.01), notably abnormal structural changes in atherosclerotic vascular tissues, luminal stenosis, a large number of foam cells and inflammatory cell infiltration, remarkable growth of hs-CRP, TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels (P < 0.01). The immunohistochemical staining also showed the significant increase in the NF-kappaB p65 nuclear translocation of coronary artery of Chinese mini-swine in the model group. Compared with the model group, TYTZ could significantly attenuate atherosclerotic plaque burden (P < 0.01), inhibit the coronary luminal stenosis, reduce inflammatory cell infiltration, decrease such inflammatory cell factors as hs-CRP, TNF-alpha and IL-6 in serum, and inhibit the NF-kappaB p65 nuclear translocation of coronary artery (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONTYTZ can reduce the downstream inflammatory reaction by controlling NF-kappaB p65 nuclear translocation, so as to inhibit the occurrence and development of coronary atherosclerotic plaque in Chinese mini-swine.

Animals ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Coronary Artery Disease ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Female ; Inflammation ; complications ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Mucous Membrane ; drug effects ; secretion ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cultured human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) and explore the mechanism.

METHODSHK-2 cells treated with 50, 100, 200, and 400 µg/ml AOPP or 50 µg/m bovine serum albumin (BSA) for 24 h, or with 200 µg/ml AOPP for 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h were examined for the protein expression of α-SMA and E-cadherin. In cells pretreated with diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) or cytoplasmic superoxide dismutase (C-SOD), the effects of 50 µg/ml BSA and 200 µg/ml AOPP were assessed on the expressions of α-SMA and E-cadherin, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, catalase (CAT) activity, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) activity.

RESULTSAOPP treatment up-regulated α-SMA expression and down-regulated E-cadherin expression in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. AOPP exposure of the cells resulted in increased MDA level and lowered activities of SOD, CAT and GSH-PX. DPI and C-SOD partially attenuated the effects of AOPP on α-SMA, E-cadherin, MDA, SOD, CAT and GSH-px.

CONCLUSIONAOPP can induce EMT in cultured HK-2 cells via oxidative stress, and this effect can be attenuated by inhibiting the activation of NADPH oxidase and using antioxidants to delay the progression of renal interstitial fibrosis.

Actins ; metabolism ; Advanced Oxidation Protein Products ; Antioxidants ; metabolism ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Catalase ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cells, Cultured ; Down-Regulation ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Humans ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; NADPH Oxidases ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the transmembrane protein 39A (TMEM39A) at the loci 1880G/A, 2442T/G, and 2456A/T and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Chinese Han patients.

METHODSTMEM39A gene polymorphisms at 3 loci (1880G/A, 2442T/G, 2456 A/T) were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 110 Chinese Han patients with SLE and 80 normal control subjects, and the allele and genotype frequencies were compared by Chi-square test between the two groups.

RESULTSBoth the genotype frequencies (AA, GA and GG) and allele frequencies (A and G) at 1880G/A differed significantly between SLE cases and the normal controls (P=0.002 and P=0.044, respectively). The two groups also showed significant differences in the genotype frequencies (GG, TG and TT) (P=0.001) and allele frequencies (G and T) (P=0.041) at 2442T/G. No significant differences were found in the genotype frequencies (TT, AT and AA) or allele frequencies (T and A) at 2456A/T between the two groups (P>0.05). The allele and genotype frequencies of the 3 SNPs showed no significant differences between lupus nephritis (LN) patients and non-LN patients.

CONCLUSIONThe TMEM39A polymorphisms at 1880G/A and 2442T/G, but not at 2456 A/T gene, may be associated with the susceptibility to SLE in Chinese Han population. The genotype or allele frequencies of the 3 SNPs have no effect on the incidence of lupus nephritis.

Adult ; Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; genetics ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Young Adult

AIMTo study the endogenous mechanism for the inhibition of aquaporin-1 expression in rat renal proximal tubule epithelial cells in response to acetazolamide.

METHODSPrimary cultured rat renal proximal tubule epithelia cells were divided into two groups: one was subjected to 1 x 10(-5) mol.L-1 acetazolamide, the other served as normal control. When grown to sub-confluency, the cells were disintegrated to perform isoelectrofocusing electrophoresis in order to find the differential proteins induced by the acetazolamide treatment. The differential proteins were defined by peptide mass fingerprinting technology.

RESULTSTwo differential proteins were found in the cell disintegrant. The pI 3.8 protein was reduced after treatment, which showed 21.4% similarity with the brush border membrane myosin from rat brain and testis, and 27% with glycogen phosphorylase; The pI 5.5 protein was increased on the contrary, with 20% similarity to phosphatidylinositol transfer protein alpha isoform.

CONCLUSIONAcetazolamide inhibited AQP1 expression probably by affecting the expression of pI 3.8 and pI 5.5 proteins.

Acetazolamide ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Aquaporin 1 ; Aquaporins ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Diuretics ; pharmacology ; Epithelial Cells ; metabolism ; Isoelectric Focusing ; Kidney Tubules, Proximal ; cytology ; metabolism ; Male ; Peptide Mapping ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo explore action mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) on treatment and prevention of Parkinson's disease (PD).

METHODSFifty clean-grade SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a control group, a model group, a pretreatment group and a treatment group, ten rats in each one. The PD model was established by subcutaneous injection of rotenone in neck-back skin (2 mg/kg, dissolved in sun-flower oil, 2 mg/mL in density). The equal-volume sun-flower oil that didn't include rotenone was applied in the control group at the same area as the model group. EA was applied in the treatment group at "Fengfu" (GV 16) and "Taichong" (LR 3) with interrupted wave, 2 Hz in frequency, 1 mA in density, for 20 min. The treatment was given once day for conti-nuous 28 days. Rats in the pretreatment group received the same EA as the treatment group for 7 days, and then put into model establishment. After the model establishment, the rats received no treatment and were sacrificed after 28 days. No EA was given in the normal group, model group and control group. The ethology changes were observed and scored. The expression of Parkin, ubiquitin C terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1) and ubiquitin activating enzyme-1 (UBE1) in substantia nigra was tested by Western-blot method. The positive cell numbers of alpha-synuclein, ubiquitin (UB) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in substantia nigra was tested by immunohistochemical method.

RESULTSThere were abnormal ethology manifestation such as yellow and coarse hair, arched back, weaken behavior of resisting arrest and slow movement, which was more relieved in the treatment group and pretreatment group. Compared with normal group and control group, the expression of Parkin, UCH-L1, UBE1, UB, TH in the model group was obviously decreased while alpha-synuclein was obviously increased (all P<0.01). After EA or pretreatment, the expression of Parkin, UCH-L1, UBE1, UB, TH in the treatment group and pretreatment group was higher than that in the model group while expression of alpha-synuclein in the treatment group and pretreatment group was lower than that in the model group (all P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONEA or pretreatment could not only have protective effect for rats with PD, but also increase function of ubiquitin-proteasome system, indicating action mechanism of EA on treatment and prevention of PD may be related with ubiquitin-proteasome system.

Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Male ; Parkinson Disease ; metabolism ; therapy ; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ubiquitin ; metabolism ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases ; metabolism ; alpha-Synuclein ; metabolism

Objective To observe the clinical outcomes of the superior gluteal neurocutaneous flap for sacrococcygeal pressure sores. Methods Twelve cases with sacrococcygeal pressure sores were covered by the superior gluteal neurocutaneous flap from May 2005 to Nov. 2009. The sore size ranged from 15 cm ×30 cm to 5 cm × 8 cm, while the flap size ranged from 17 cm × 32 cm to 10 cm× 12 cm. Results All 12 flaps survived totally with the pressure sores healed. The longest follow-up time was four years, the short follow-up time was half a year, the average time was 2.5 years. The superior gluteal neurocutaneous flap was good blood circulation, pressure sores not recur. Conclusion The superior gluteal neurocutaneous flap is a good treatment for sacrococcygeal pressure sores for its reliable blood supply and simple harvesting.