OBJECTIVE: To study the role of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells and galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) in the pathogenesis of childhood Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) and the correlation between them. METHODS: A total of 36 children with newly-diagnosed HSP were enrolled. They were divided into two groups: HSP nephritis (HSPN) group with 11 children and non-HSPN group with 25 children according to the presence or absence of HSPN. Another 15 children who underwent physical examination at the outpatient service were enrolled as the healthy control group. Flow cytometry was used to measure the proportion of Tfh cells (CD4CXCR5ICOS) in peripheral blood. ELISA was used to measure the levels of interleukin-21 (IL-21) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in peripheral blood and the serum levels of IgA1 and Gd-IgA1. A Pearson correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation of serum Gd-IgA1 concentration with Tfh cells and related factors expression in the children with HSP. RESULTS: Both the HSPN and non-HSPN groups had significantly higher proportion of Tfh cells and expression levels of IL-21 and IL-6 in peripheral blood than the healthy control group (P<0.05). The HSPN group had significant increases in the above indices compared with the non-HSPN group (P<0.05). Both the HSPN and non-HSPN groups had significantly higher serum levels of IgA1 and Gd-IgA1 than the healthy control group (P<0.05). The HSPN group had significantly higher serum levels of IgA1 and Gd-IgA1 than the non-HSPN group (P<0.05). In the children with HSP, serum Gd-IgA1 level was positively correlated with Tfh cells proportion and IL-21 and IL-6 levels (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Tfh cells and related cytokines and serum Gd-IgA1 are involved in the development of HSP/HSPN. Tfh cells may mediate the increased production of Gd-IgA1.
Child ; Galactose ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch ; Receptors, CXCR5 ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer

Objective To report clinical study of diabetic foot with microsurgical treatment.Methods 32 cases basing on physical treatment underwent operation which included reconstruction of vessel under DSA and flap transfer and relaxation of nerves.Results 8 eases were examined with DSA after operation,it showed that the bypass grafts were unobstructed and the distal blood were improved;All flap were lively. Conclusion The ulcer of the patients with diabetic foot was closed early and the blood supply of the limb have been reconstructed by microsurgical treatment,it can not only avoid amputation or lower the limb amputation level,but also improve the life quality of patients and obtain social benefit.

By studying the relationship between fingertip temperature changes and arterial function during vascular reactivity test, we established a new non-invasive method for detecting vascular function, in order to provide an assistance for early diagnosis and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. We customized three modules respectively for blood occlusion, measurement of finger temperature and blood oxygen acquisition, and then we established the hardware of data acquisition system. And the software was programmed with Labview. Healthy subjects [group A, n = 24, (44.6 ± 9.0) years] and subjects with cardiovascular diseases [group B, n = 33, (57.2 ± 9.9) years)] were chosen for the study. Subject's finger temperature, blood oxygen and occlusion pressure of block side during and after unilateral arm brachial artery occlusion were recorded, as well as some other regular physiological indexes. By time-domain analysis, we extracted 12 parameters from fingertip temperature signal, including the initial temperature (Ti), temperature rebound (TR), the time of the temperature recovering to initial status (RIt) and other parameters from the finger temperature signal. We in the experiment also measured other regular physiological body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastiolic blood pressure (DBP) and so on. Results showed that 8 parameters difference between the two group of data were significant. based on the statistical results. A discriminant function of vascular function status was established afterwards. We found in the study that the changes of finger temperature during unilateral arms brachial artery occlusion and open were closely related to vascular function. We hope that the method presented in this article could lay a foundation of early detection of vascular function.
Adult ; Aged ; Arteries ; physiopathology ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; diagnosis ; Fingers ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Skin Temperature

Objective　To explore the relationship between te lomerase activity and bile duct carcinoma and its significance in clinical diag nosis. Methods　Telomerase activities were examined in 23 cases of bile duct carcinoma, 5 cases of carcinoma adjacent tissues and 5 cases of nor mal bile duct tissues respectively with telomerase PCR-ELISA method. Results　Telomerase activity was detected in 18 of 23 cases (78.3%) of b ile duct carcinoma, and was not found in 5 cases of carcinoma adjacent tissues a nd 5 cases of normal bile duct tissues. The detection rate of telomerase activit y had no correlation with patients' age, sex, tumor site and size but significan tly correlated to metastasis of tumor (P<0.05). Conclusion　The level of telomerase activity was significantly higher in bile duct carcino ma and may be served as one of the clinical marker for malignant neoplasm becaus e of its spsecificity.

A rare case of thoracic myelopathy caused by the ossification of hypertrophied ligamentum flavum is presented. A fourty-year old male complained of decreased pain, temperature, touch sense at right lower limb, weak urinary stream, poor penile erection, and constipation. CT revealed an ovoid, homogeneously high density at the site of left T10-11 ligamentum flavum, which compressed the spinal cord posterolaterally. MR imaging showed significant spinal cord compression on the left posterolateral aspect at T10-11 level by a well-defined purely low-intensity signal lesion. Simple spine X-rays did not show any abnormality. T10 total laminectomy and removal of the ossified ligamentum flavum resolved his neurological dysfunction. Clinical summary of the case is presented and the corresponding literature are reviewed.
Constipation ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Ligamentum Flavum* ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Penile Erection ; Rivers ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Compression ; Spinal Cord Diseases* ; Spine

Solitary chondroma is a benign tumor which rarely involves the intracranial cavity. Most of them are originated from and attached to the skull base. Very rarely they occur intradurally. The authors experienced a female case of a chondrome located at fromtal interhemispheric fissure and connected to the inferior margin of the falx by a thin pedicle. Her clinical , radiologic, operative, and pathologic findings are reported and the pertinent literatures are reviewed.
Chondroma* ; Female ; Humans ; Skull Base

Objective To investigate a new surgical method by using pectoralis minor muscle for its partial transplantation to reconstruct the function of the opposite thumb anastomosed vessels and nerves. Methods The proposed method was evaluated by taking 20 cases of adult cadaveric thoraxes and hands,then compared with the morphology and dimension of both pectoralis minor muscle and palmer muscle to study the feasibility of the new method.Based on the observed data.We selected five suitable cases,in which the opposi- tion function was lost,and then applied the new operation on them with partial transplantation of pectoralis mi- nor muscle anastomosed vessels and nerves according to the results of anatomic study.The follow-up study was conducted to observe the functional recovery of opposition of the thumb.Results The main results can be summarized as follows.First,the anatomical position of pectoralis minor muscle was stable,and every peetoralis minor muscle was provided with self-sustaining artery,vein and nerve.The oppostition process of cadaveric hand succeeded after similar transplantation to clinic operation.Second,follow-up studies conducted 6 - 12 months after the operation showed that all five patients recovered fully.The muscle strength in all five cases re- covered to level four or higher.The shape of palm eminence was satisfactory.Conclusion The surgical method of pectoralis minor muscle transplantation for reconstructing the opposition function of the thumb was based on the clinical and anatomical application.The function of opposition of the thumb reached the satisfacto- ry requirement after the operation.So,the new surgical method can achieve better results than other existing operation methods.

Pericyte, also known as mural cell or Rouget cell, is one of the main cells that make up the wall of capillaries. Pericytes play important roles not only in the maturation, stability, and function maintenance of blood vessels, but also in the growth and development of tissues and organs, wound repair, and other physiological and pathological processes. Researches on the functions of pericytes are mainly concentrated on their multipotency, adjustment of vascular functions, and process of fibrosis, as well as on renal fibrosis, renal blood flow regulation, and glomerular filtration in urology, but are quite insufficient in andrology. This article reviews the location, origin, distribution, morphology, markers, and functions of pericytes, aiming to induce further studies of pericytes in andrology.
Fibrosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Pericytes ; physiology ; Urogenital System ; cytology

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of ibutilide and propafenone in the treatment of patients with atrial fibrilla-tion.Methods A total of 66 patients with atrial fibrillation were included in this study.Of the recruited 66 subjects, 31 cases ( experiment group ) received ibutilide 1 mg by intravenous injection within 10 min and other 35 cases ( control group) received propafenone 70 mg by intravenous injection within 10 min.The treatment procedure were done again if the atrial fibrillation still existed after administration.The successful rate and adverse reactions were recorded in the two groups.Results The successful rate was 74.2% in experiment group and 51.4%in control group with statistical difference ( P<0.05 ).The median time of cardioversion was 20.5 min for experiment group and 25.2 min in control group with significant difference ( P<0.05 ).The rate of adverse reactions were 29.0% and 25.7% in the treatment and control group, respectively without statistical difference ( P >0.05 ).Conclusion The successful rate of ibutilide in the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation is relative higher with short period of time for success.

BACKGROUNDPressure therapy improves hypertrophic scar healing, but the mechanisms for this process are not well understood. We sought to investigate the differential expression of matrix metalloproteinases (Mmps) and collagen in posttraumatic hypertrophic scar tissue with mechanical pressure and delineate the molecular mechanisms of pressure therapy for hypertrophic scars.

METHODSFibroblast lines of normal skin and scar tissue were established and a mechanical pressure system was devised to simulate pressure therapy. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting assays were used to compare differences in the mRNA and protein expression of Mmps and collagen in scar fibroblasts before and after pressure therapy.

RESULTSThe expression differed between the hypertrophic scar cell line and the normal cell line. RT-PCR assays showed that Collagen I, highly expressed in the hypertrophic scar cell line, decreased significantly after pressure therapy. Mmp2, Mmp9, and Mmp12 expression in the hypertrophic scar tissue increased significantly after pressure therapy (P < 0.05). Western blotting assays further revealed that Mmp9 and Mmp12 expression increased significantly in the hypertrophic scar tissue after pressure therapy (P < 0.05) but not Mmp2 expression (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMechanical pressure induces degradation of Collagen I in hypertrophic scar tissue by affecting the expression of Mmp9 and Mmp12.

Cell Line ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Collagen Type I ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 12 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; genetics ; metabolism