Objective To investigate the value of spectral CT for the discrimination of benign and malignant lung lesions through multi-parameter quantitative measurement.Methods Eighty-one patients who had lung nodule or mass on X-ray or plain CT were scanned using spectral CT,generating iodine concentration,water concentration and 101 sets of monochromatic images.Iodine concentration,water concentration,spectrum energy curve and CT value at 40 keV were measured with spectral post-processing software.70 eligible patients were divided into pneumonia group and tumor group.ANOVA analysis was used for the statistic analysis in two groups.Results The iodine concentration in pneumonia group and tumor group were (1.47 ± 0.17) and (0.77 ± 0.19) g/L (F =203.97,P ＜ 0.05).The slope rates of spectrum energy curve in pneumonia group and tumor group were 1.65 ± 0.27 and 0.88 ± 0.22 (F =161.59,P ＜0.05).The CT values at 40 keV in pneumonia group and tumor group were (139.00 ± 16.25) and (83.29 ± 17.44) HU (F =160.45,P ＜ 0.05),there were significant differences in iodine concentration,slope rates and CT values at 40 keV between two groups.The water concentration in pneumonia group and tumor group were (1021.56 ± 11.68) and (1022.62 ±8.56) g/L (F=0.19,P＞0.05),there was no significant difference.Conclusion Spectral CT technique has very important value for the discrimination of benign and malignant lung lesions.

Objective To investigate the pharmacological mechanism of LXHX capsule. Methods The skin specimens from psoriasis patients were examined with TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl trans-ferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling) technique to detect the apoptosis of keratinocytes. PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) detecting kits was used, too. Then, the flow cytometry, with AnnexinV/PI and PI dyeing method, was used to analysis the effect of LXHX capsule on apoptosis in cultured keratinocytes. Results There was an increasing of both cell apoptosis and proliferation in psoriatic epidermis and LXHX capsule could induce apoptosis. Conclusions The keratinocyte apoptosis and proliferation both increased in psoriasis, which reach a new balance in a higher level. LXHX capsule could induce apoptosis in vitro, which may be one of the pharmacological mechanisms of LXHX in treating psoriasis.

AIM: To investigate the effect of glomerular intercellular interaction under high glucose concentration on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and transforming growth factor ?_1 (TGF-?_1) in co-cultured human ECV304 cells, and to study the intervention with tea polyphenols (TPs). METHODS: The endothelial cells were cultured alone or co-cultured with mesangial cells in high glucose media with or without TPs for 0 h, 12 h and 36 h, respectively. The activity of SOD and the content of MDA in the media of the system were detected by spectrophotometry. The expression of TGF-?_1 mRNA in the endothelial cells was measured by using semi-quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). RESULTS: High glucose decreased the activity of SOD, increased the content of MDA and up-regulated the expression of TGF-?_1 mRNA in co-cultured ECV304 cells and the effect became more prominent than the single-cultured cells. TPs interrupted it more effectively. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that there is interaction between mesangial cells and ECV304 cells under high glucose concentration. The interaction may markedly up-regulate the production of ROS and the expression of TGF-?_1 in co-cultured ECV304 cells. TPs may protect ECV304 cells by intervening intercellular interaction.

Objective Our purpose is to investigate the expression of natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPR-A) in the retina and to understand the NPR-A’ s functions during the mouse development .Methods Mice eyes were harvested from E16 ( embryonic day 16 ) to P90 ( postnatal day 90 ) . Total of 127 eyes were used in the study . Immunohistochemistries of NPR-A were carried out .Results During development , NPR-A was widely expressed in the retinal neurons .In the outer nuclear layer , NPR-A began to appear in the inner and outer projections of cone and rod cells at P7, but decreased at P14.From P30 afterward, it continued to express weakly .In the inner nuclear layer , NPR-A expressed in the dendrites of bipolar cells weakly from P 7 to adulthood , whereas no expression in horizontal cells .In the ganglion cell layer, NPR-A started highly to express in the ganglion cell bodies at E 16, and in the meantime, in the nerve fiber layer , ganglion cell axons , NPR-A was expressed highly from embryonic to adult .In the inner and outer plexiform layers, NPR-A was highly expressed at P14, but decreased gradually after P30.In addition, NPR-A also widely expressed in the inner protrusions of Müller cells.Conclusion NPR-A participates in the development of the retina , and may be the key molecule in the developing retinal neurons .Moreover, it plays an important regulatory role in the functional activity of Müller cells .

Objective To evaluate the value of spectral CT imaging for the differential diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma (SQCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC) of the esophagogastric junction. Methods Forty-five patients with a mass in the esophagogastric junction proved by pathology underwent enhanced scan with spectral CT, including 20 cases of SQCC and 25 cases of ADC. Iodine concentration (IC) , water concentration (WC) , effective atomic number (Eff-Z) and spectral curve slope (λHU) of arterial phase (AP) and venous phase (VP) in the ROI of the mass were measured with gemstone spectral imaging post-processing software. The independent samples t test was used to compare the quantitative parameters above between two groups on the premise of satisfying normal distribution. ROC curves were drawn for the parameters which showed statistical differences and area under the curve (AUC) was used to measure and compare their respective differential diagnostic performance as well as the best threshold value. Results In AP,the average IC, Eff-Z, andλHU of ADC were (1.75±0.40) mg/ml, 8.65±0.22, and 3.33±0.74, respectively. The corresponding parameters of SQCC were (1.40 ± 0.35) mg/ml, 8.50 ± 0.20, and 2.71 ± 0.66, respectively. These parameters of ADC were significantly higher than that of SQCC (t=-2.833,-2.879,-2.678;P<0.05) . In VP, the average IC, Eff-Z, and λHU of ADC were (2.17 ± 0.23) mg/ml, 8.87 ± 0.11, and 4.10 ± 0.44, respectively. The corresponding parameters of SQCC were (1.67 ± 0.20) mg/ml, 8.60 ± 0.11, and 3.19 ± 0.41, respectively. The difference between ADC and SQCC was statistically significant (t=-6.963,-7.218,-6.521;P<0.05). For the average WC, No difference between the two groups in AP and VP was found. ROC curve analysis showed that IC, Eff-Z, andλHU in VP had better differential diagnostic performances than IC, Eff-Z, and λHU in AP, especially Eff-Z in VP. The AUC for it was 0.97. Using 8.72 as a threshold value, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis were 88.9% and 94.7% , respectively. Conclusion Multi-parameters quantitative analysis with spectral CT could be useful in the differential diagnosis of SQCC and ADC of the esophagogastric junction.

Objective To evaluate the image quality of hand tendons by using spectral CT,compared with conventional CT ima-ges.Methods Forty patients scanned with spectral CT were enrolled.The 65keV of optimal contrast-to-noise ratio (Optimal CNR) for viewing hand tendons was selected.The image quality of monochromatic GSI images (65 keV)and conventional CT images were compared with two different methods including subjective method and objective method by two radiologists respectively.Results In subjective method,the image quality in GSI images was superior to conventional CT images (P <0.05).And in objective method, the beam-hardening artifacts in the phalanges of fingers space were reduced markedly with hand tendons displaying more clearly in GSI images (P <0.05 ).There was no significant difference between the two radiologists in both methods with good correlation (Kappa=0.75,Kappa=0.85).Conclusion Spectral CT with the optimal 65keV monochromatic images could reduce the artifacts and increase image quality significantly in hand tendons imaging.It might be a very useful supplementary imaging method in detec-ting tendon diseases in routine work.

Objective To establish a molecular inversion probe ( MIP) method for detection of single base drug-resistance mutation in Hepatitis B virus ( HBV) gene.Methods The HBV wild type and YVDD mutant strain were isolated by Daping Hospital of the Third Military Medical University.The MIP was designed and applied to detect the HBV drug-resistance YVDD mutation in one case of wild type and one case of YVDD mutant HBV strain isolated previously.The results of MIP method were compared with that of sequencing to evaluate the detection accuracy.Results Thermal cycling single-base extension and connection reaction performed by Taq DNA Ligase and Ampligase DNA Ligase could ensure the specificity of the detection.The optimum probe concentration of MIP was 1 nmol/L.Through detection of the target gene with different DNA concentrations , the detection sensitivity of MIP was determined as 1 nmol/L.The results of MIP were consistent with that of sequencing method in detection of the clinical samples.Conclusion MIP is successfully used to detect single-base drug-resistance mutation in HBV gene.

Myasthenic crisis (MC) is a severe comorbidity or complication which may be critical to the patients during the treatment or onset of myasthenia gravis.We conduct the review and comment regarding prevention and treatment of MC.

Objective To identify the clinical and demographical features that may impact the duration of mechanical ventilation(DMV) in the patients with post-thymectomy myasthenic crisis(PTMC).Methods Reviewed the patients who had PTMC from June 2008 to November 2015.Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to identify potential prognostic factors that may impact DMV and long-term survival,respectively.One-way ANOVA analysis was used to compare the four groups with continuous variates.Statistical powers were calculated by using XLSTAT.Results In total,seventy patients with PTMC were enrolled.Alcoholic abuse,high MGFA classification and Clavien-Dindo classification were the critical factors that remarkably delayed early extubation.Postoperative lung infection(PLI) as sole complication did not prolong DMV as compared to those without any complication,however,PLI with other more severe complications requiring at least pharmacological treatment seemed to remarkably prolong DMV,as compared to those without any complication.Conclusion Preoperative abstinence,proper treatment of MG and postoperative complications can decrease the incidence of PTMC,shorten the use of ventilator time and improve the prognosis of patients.

Objective To observe changes of serum concentrations of interleukin-18(IL-18) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE) and to explore the correlation of the 2 indices and its effect on patients′condition.Methods Thirty newborn infants met the criteria for HIE.There were 16 cases in mild HIE group,14 cases in moderate and severe HIE group.Twenty normal newborn infants were used as control group.The serum concentrations of IL-18 and ICAM-1 of HIE group and control group were detected using ELISA on the third day and 7th day.Results 1.The IL-18 levels of the mild,moderate and severe HIE and control groups measured within 3 days of life were (120.1?12.7),(175.1?15.4),(100.3?12.5) ng/L,respectively.The concentrations of IL-18 in HIE groups were higher than that of control group(Pa