This paper is aimed to evaluate the CT manifestation of congenital pectus excavatum and its effect on the cardiac morphology. CT features of 34 children with pectus excavatum were retrospectively reviewed. The Haller index (HI), CT depression index (CTDI), cardiac rotation angle (CRA), pulmonary vein angle (PVA), cardiac compression index (CCI) and cardiac asymmetry index (CAI) were measured from the images on the PACS system. The relationships among these indexes were evaluated. The HI was 4.12 +/- 1.48, the CTDI was 2.39+/- 0.70, CRA was (53.52 +/- 7.68) degrees, PVA was (66.51 +/- 11.02) degrees, CCI was 2.43 +/- 0.95, and CAI was 1.55 +/- 0.56. There was statistical significance of CCI and CAI between children with severe or slight pectus excavatum. The HI and CTDI were positively related with CCI and CAI respectively, whereas there was no statistical significance of CRA and PVA between children with severe or slight pectus excavatum. There was no statistical significance of HI, CTDI, CRA, PVA, CCI and CAI among different age groups. The morphological change of the heart compressed in children with pectus excavatum can be accurately evaluated by multislice helical CT.
Child ; Funnel Chest ; pathology ; Humans ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

Objective To study the CT features of cerebral infarction and the relation to blood glucose level in diabetes mellitus.Methods The CT features and relation to the level of blood glucose were retrosepectively analyzed in 41 cases of cerebral infarction diabetes mellitus.The diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was based on the WHO criteria in all cases.Results The focus of infarction located at the area of base ganglion,brain stem and thalamencephalon in 38 cases(92.7%).Multiple focus was found in 30 cases(73.2%)and there was positive correlation between focus number and the level of blood glucose.Lacuna cerebral infarction was observed in 38 cases(92.7%) and large patchy cerebral infarction in 3 cases.Brain white matter demyelination was complicated in 24 caese(58.5%).Conclusion Cerebral infarction of diabetes mellitus mainly manifestes as multiple lacuna cerebral infarction and has close relation to the level of blood glucose.

Objective To study the spiral CT features of gastrointestinal invasion by carcinoma of gallbladder. Methods Eight patients with surgical-pathologically documented gastrointestinal invasion by carcinoma of gallbladder were analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent plain and contrast-enhanced dual-phase scanning of the abdomen. Oral contrast medium (1.2% Angiografin) was used to fill the gastrointestinal tract before CT scanning. Results There were 2 cases of gastric antrum invasion, 6 duodenal invasion and 3 colonic invasion according to the surgical and pathological findings. Spiral CT correctly diagnosed 2 gastric invasion and 4 duodenal invasion based on several imaging features, like blurring of fat plane, focal wall thickening and luminal narrowing of involved gastrointestinal segments, and mass formation. However CT was unable to diagnose the 3 cases of hepatic flexure of colon invasion. Conclusion CT is valuable for diagnosing upper gastrointestinal tract invasion by carcinoma of gallbladder, yet the diagnosis of hepatic flexure of colon invasion is still difficult.

Objective To investigate the CT features of the invasion of sublingual space by malignant oropharyngeal tumors in order to provide more accurate information for clinical treatment. Methods Fifty-eight cases of pathologically proven malignant oropharyngeal tumors were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Results Among all the cases, invasion of sublingual space by malignant oropharyngeal tumors could be seen in 14 cases, of which, 7 cases got access to sublingual space through tongue base, 3 cases through parapharyngeal space, 2 cases through pterygomandibular raphe, 2 cases through uncertain routes. Invasion of sublingual space manifested on CT scan as obliteration of fat plane in sublingual space and involvement of the sublingual vessels in the space. Conclusion Malignant oropharyngeal tumors can invade the adjacent sublingual space via tongue base, pterygomandibular raphe, and parapharyngeal space. The invasion of sublingual space by malignant oropharyngeal tumors manifests in CT as effacement of sublingual fat plane and envelopment of hyoid artery.

Objective To describe CT features and misdiagnosis of lung cancer in young patients.Methods The clinical data and CT findings of primary bronchogenic carcinoma in 33 young patients proved pathologically were reviewed.Results Masses,nodules andpulmonary consolidation were found in 13,8 and 7 cases on chest CT respectively.The soft nodule in bronchus with obstructive pulmonary atelectasis was found in 3 cases,the thickening of bronchial wall and bronchiarctia with obstructive pulmonary infection,plumonary cavity and multicenter lesion were found in 1 respectively.There were thoracic effusion or with nodulous pleurae in 8 cases,nodules in lungs in 7 cases,enlarged lymph nodes in 6 cases,destruction of thoracic skeleton in 2 cases and mass involving mediastinum or large vessels in 4 cases.The chest metastatic rate was 81.8%.Pulmonary inflammation and tuberculosis were firstly diagnosed in 6 and 15 cases,the misdiagnostic rate was 63.6%.Conclusion Masses,nodules and pulmonary consolidation are the common CT features of lung carcinoma in young patients.Most cases are advanced stage of lung carcinoma and misdiagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis in initial examination.

OBJECTIVETo study the mechanism of the cellular proteins involved in the process of replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) negative-strand RNA.

METHODSUltraviolet (UV) cross-linking was used to identify the cellular proteins that would bind to the 3'-end of HCV negative-strand RNA. Competition experiment was used to confirm the specificity of this binding, in which excess nonhomologous protein and RNA transcripts were used as competitors. The required binding sequence was determined by mapping, then the binding site was predicted through secondary structure analysis.

RESULTSA cellular protein of 45 kD (p45) was found to bind specifically to the 3'-end of HCV negative-strand RNA by UV cross-linking. Nonhomologous proteins and RNA transcripts could not compete out this binding, whereas the unlabeled 3'-end of HCV negative-strand RNA could. Mapping of the protein-binding site suggested that the 3'-end 131-278nt of HCV negative-strand RNA was the possible protein-binding region. Analysis of RNA secondary structure presumed that the potential binding site was located at 194-GAAAGAAC-201.

CONCLUSIONThe cellular protein p45 could specifically bind to the secondary structure of the 3'-end of HCV intermediate negative-strand RNA, and may play an important role in HCV RNA replication.

Binding Sites ; Hepacivirus ; genetics ; Nucleic Acid Conformation ; RNA, Viral ; chemistry ; metabolism ; RNA-Binding Proteins ; analysis ; metabolism ; Virus Replication

Objective : To investigate the impact of naringenin(Nar) on insulin resistance(IR) in HepG2 cells and evaluate the role of mircoRNA-29b (miR-29b) expression in mediating this effect，thereby providing a foundation for further exploration into the mechanisms underlying naringenin potential as a preventative and therapeutic agent for diabetes． Methods : Insulin resistant HepG2 (IR-HepG2) was established by stimulating HepG2 cells with 100 nmol / L insulin．Nar was treated with different concentrations (0，25，50，100 μg / ml) in IR-HepG2 cells．The effect of Nar on glucose consumption in IR-HepG2 cells was determined with glucose kit．miR-29b mimic and inhib- itor were transfected into IR-HepG2 cells of the 50 μg / ml Nar intervention group，and the expressions of insulin re- ceptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) ，protein kinase B(Akt) / phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) ，glucose transporter-4 ( GLUT4) genes and proteins in the insulin signaling pathway were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot，respectively. Results : Compared with IR- HepG2 model group，glucose consumption was increased in Nar intervention group with different concentrations (P ＜0. 01) ，among which 50 μg / ml Nar intervention group was the most significant (P ＜0. 001) ，and mRNA ex- pressions of IRS-1 and Akt were increased in Nar intervention group with different concentrations (P＜0. 05) ，the mRNA expression of IRS-1 and Akt in 50 μg / ml Nar intervention group was the most significantly increased (P < 0. 001) ，and GLUT4 mRNA expression in 50 μg / ml Nar intervention group was increased (P＜0. 05) ．The pro- tein expressions of IRS-1 and p-Akt were increased in different Nar concentration groups (P ＜0. 001) ．Compared with IR-HepG2 model group，mRNA expression of IRS-1，Akt and GLUT4 and protein expression of IRS-1 and p- Akt were decreased in miR-29b mimic transfected cells (P＜0. 001) ，mRNA expression of IRS-1，Akt and GLUT4 and protein expression of IRS-1 and p-Akt were not different in miR-29b inhibitor transfection group，Nar interven- tion model group and Nar intervention transfected miR-29b mimic group increased the mRNA expression of IRS-1， Akt and GLUT4 (P ＜0. 001) ，and the protein expression of IRS-1 and p-Akt increased (P ＜0. 05 ) ． Compared with Nar intervention model group，Nar transfected miR-29b mimic with Nar intervention did not change the mRNA expressions of IRS-1，Akt and GLUT4 ，while the protein expressions of IRS-1 and p-Akt were increased ( P < 0. 05 ) ，Nar interfered with mRNA expression of IRS-1，Akt and GLUT4 and protein expression of IRS-1 and p-Akt in miR-29b inhibitor group (P＜0. 001) ． Conclusion Nar can increase glucose consumption in IR-HepG2 cells， increase the expression of IRS-1，Akt and GLUT4 genes，and increase the expression of IRS-1 and p-Akt proteins in IR-HepG2 cells．Nar increases the expression of IRS-1 and p-Akt in IR-HepG2 cells by inhibiting the overexpres- sion of miR-29b，and improves insulin resistance in HepG2 cells．Nar，as a plant compound，is expected to be a potential drug for the prevention and treatment of diabetes.