A one-year-old, 3.25 kg intact male Chinchilla cat presented with acute right hind limb paralysis. Diagnostic imaging studies found cardiomegaly with interstitial lung pattern, abnormal mitral valve leaflets without maximum opening at the end of the ventricular diastole and during atrial systole and severe mitral inflow obstruction. Based on these findings and its young age, the case was diagnosed as congenital mitral valve stenosis. Treatment was directed to stabilize clinical conditions related to heart failure, to prevent further formation of thrombus and to relieve pain associated with thromboembolism. After one month of therapy, hind limb motor function was fully recovered.
Animals ; Cardiomegaly ; Cats* ; Chinchilla* ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Diastole ; Extremities ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Lung ; Male ; Mitral Valve Stenosis* ; Mitral Valve* ; Paralysis ; Systole ; Thromboembolism ; Thrombosis

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Burkholderia pseudomallei ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Ceftazidime ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Comorbidity ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Humans ; Lymphadenitis ; physiopathology ; Male ; Mediastinal Diseases ; physiopathology ; Melioidosis ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUNDTo investigate the prevalence of the parvovirus B19 infection among the blood donors in Jilin province to provide the basic data to evaluate the epidemics of B19 virus in China.

METHODSIndirect ELISA was used to detect IgG antibody against parvovirus B19 in the sera from blood donors.

RESULTSIn a total of 184 serum samples, IgG antibody was detected in 55.43% samples, antibody positive rate in female was significantly higher than that in male (P<0.05) and the positive rate peaked at 35-45 years age group.

CONCLUSIONThese data illustrate that the prevalence of the B19 antibody in blood donors of Jilin province was high, and it is therefore necessary to detect the B19 DNA to ensure the blood safety.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Blood Donors ; China ; epidemiology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parvoviridae Infections ; blood ; epidemiology ; immunology ; Parvovirus B19, Human ; immunology ; Young Adult

Objective: This is a review of our cases and published literature on cheiro-oral syndrome (COS), to better understand its localization, etiology and outcome. Methods: In addition to our database, we reviewed the medical database (including PUBMED, BIOSIS, EMBASE, and SCOPUS) and other sources, searched by the keyword of “cheiro-oral”. The defi nition of COS was a subjective or an objective sensory disturbance confi ned to the perioral area and the fi nger(s)/hand without a detectable abnormality in mental, motor or cerebellar function. Only cases of COS where the clinicoanatomic correlation could be identifi ed by neuroimaging study, autopsy or stereotatic surgery was included. Results: There were a total of 174 patients; 85 patients from our database, 76 patients from medical database, and 13 patients from other sources. They were 111 men and 63 women. Their age ranged from 12 to 85 years; average being 58.2 years. Stroke is the leading etiology and constituted 74% of the patients. The most common location of lesion was thalamus, followed by pons and cortex. Classical unilateral COS was seen in 81% of patients, atypical COS in 19%. Whereas the lesions were from cortex to cervical spinal cord in unilateral COS, atypical COS was associated with lesions in pons or medulla oblongata. An early deterioration was seen in 16.5% of patients, especially in large cortical infarction and subdural hemorrhage. Structural lesions were found in 85% of patients. Conclusion: Classical unilateral COS do not have a high localizing value, the atypical COS is associated with lesion in pons or medulla.

OBJECTIVETo obtain monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) which can be widely used to detect mammalian prions (PrP) and to develop diagnostic tests for screening transmissile spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) as well as for studying pathogenesis of prion-related diseases.

METHODSBALB/c mice were immunized separately with bovine PrP peptide 29-48 (BoP1) and 89-108 (BoP2) coupled to keyhole limpt hemocyan. Two hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies against these peptides were established by cell fusion and 2 to 3 rounds of cell cloning. The reactions of the McAbs to the recombinant bovine (Bo)PrP(25-242), human (Hu)PrP(23-231) and hamster (Ha) PrP (23?231) were tested separately by Western blotting.

RESULTSThrough cell fusion, two hybridoma cell lines secreting McAbs against BoP1 and BoP2, designated D11 and D8 accordingly, were identified by ELISA and cell cloning. The McAbs produced by these cell lines reacted well with the recombinant PrP proteins; (Bo) PrP (25-242), (Hu) PrP (23-231), and (Ha) PrP (23-231), respectively.

CONCLUSIONSTwo McAbs reacting with bovine, human and hamster PrPs were successfully generated, they are potential to be used to detect PrPs in mammals and to study the mechanism of pathogenesis of TSE.

Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; biosynthesis ; Antibodies, Viral ; biosynthesis ; immunology ; Antibody Specificity ; Cattle ; Cricetinae ; Cross Reactions ; Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform ; prevention & control ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Hybridomas ; secretion ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; PrPSc Proteins ; immunology ; Prion Diseases ; prevention & control ; Prions ; immunology ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; immunology

Objective To study the correlation between genotype drug resistance and CD4+ T-lymphocyte of AIDS patients who received antiretroviral treatment in Henan province. Methods Several indicators were studied through questionnaires and whole blood was collected to analyze CD4+ T-lymphocyte as well as the virus load. In-House technique was used to detect the genotype drug resistance. Results 32.21% and 29.17% of the patients were identified as genotype drug resistant to AIDS when used first and second generation medicine schemes but the improvement (P=0.7538) of disease process was not influenced much. However, if the genotype drug resistance of patients with HAART last longer than two years (33.20%) or patients with HAART less than one year (18.97%), a greater impact on the improvement was noticed. Age (OR=0.68) and the interval on distribution of medicines (OR=1.93) had a great impact on the improvement with the genotype drug resistance through logistic regression analysis. Medicine scheme (OR=0.51), genotype drug resistance (OR=3.20) and the rate of regular dose in a month (OR=0.51) all had a great impact on the improvement to CD4+ T-lymphocyte by logistic regression analysis. Conclusion Part of HIV/AIDS patients showed resistant to genotype drugs in Henan province, suggesting that we must reinforce the surveillance on HAART and program on drug administration to the patients, in order to increase the number of CD4+ T-lymphocyte so as to avoid the development of drug resistance.

Background: and Purpose Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) following endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is a severe complication associated with adverse functional outcomes and increased mortality rates. Currently, a reliable predictive model for sICH risk after EVT is lacking. Methods: This study used data from patients aged ≥20 years who underwent EVT for anterior circulation stroke from the nationwide Taiwan Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke (TREAT-AIS). A predictive model including factors associated with an increased risk of sICH after EVT was developed to differentiate between patients with and without sICH. This model was compared existing predictive models using nationwide registry data to evaluate its relative performance. Results: Of the 2,507 identified patients, 158 developed sICH after EVT. Factors such as diastolic blood pressure, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, platelet count, glucose level, collateral score, and successful reperfusion were associated with the risk of sICH after EVT. The TREAT-AIS score demonstrated acceptable predictive accuracy (area under the curve [AUC]=0.694), with higher scores being associated with an increased risk of sICH (odds ratio=2.01 per score increase, 95% confidence interval=1.64–2.45, P<0.001). The discriminatory capacity of the score was similar in patients with symptom onset beyond 6 hours (AUC=0.705). Compared to existing models, the TREAT-AIS score consistently exhibited superior predictive accuracy, although this difference was marginal. Conclusions The TREAT-AIS score outperformed existing models, and demonstrated an acceptable discriminatory capacity for distinguishing patients according to sICH risk levels. However, the differences between models were only marginal. Further research incorporating periprocedural and postprocedural factors is required to improve the predictive accuracy.

Background: and Purpose Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) following endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is a severe complication associated with adverse functional outcomes and increased mortality rates. Currently, a reliable predictive model for sICH risk after EVT is lacking. Methods: This study used data from patients aged ≥20 years who underwent EVT for anterior circulation stroke from the nationwide Taiwan Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke (TREAT-AIS). A predictive model including factors associated with an increased risk of sICH after EVT was developed to differentiate between patients with and without sICH. This model was compared existing predictive models using nationwide registry data to evaluate its relative performance. Results: Of the 2,507 identified patients, 158 developed sICH after EVT. Factors such as diastolic blood pressure, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, platelet count, glucose level, collateral score, and successful reperfusion were associated with the risk of sICH after EVT. The TREAT-AIS score demonstrated acceptable predictive accuracy (area under the curve [AUC]=0.694), with higher scores being associated with an increased risk of sICH (odds ratio=2.01 per score increase, 95% confidence interval=1.64–2.45, P<0.001). The discriminatory capacity of the score was similar in patients with symptom onset beyond 6 hours (AUC=0.705). Compared to existing models, the TREAT-AIS score consistently exhibited superior predictive accuracy, although this difference was marginal. Conclusions The TREAT-AIS score outperformed existing models, and demonstrated an acceptable discriminatory capacity for distinguishing patients according to sICH risk levels. However, the differences between models were only marginal. Further research incorporating periprocedural and postprocedural factors is required to improve the predictive accuracy.

Background: and Purpose Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) following endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is a severe complication associated with adverse functional outcomes and increased mortality rates. Currently, a reliable predictive model for sICH risk after EVT is lacking. Methods: This study used data from patients aged ≥20 years who underwent EVT for anterior circulation stroke from the nationwide Taiwan Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke (TREAT-AIS). A predictive model including factors associated with an increased risk of sICH after EVT was developed to differentiate between patients with and without sICH. This model was compared existing predictive models using nationwide registry data to evaluate its relative performance. Results: Of the 2,507 identified patients, 158 developed sICH after EVT. Factors such as diastolic blood pressure, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, platelet count, glucose level, collateral score, and successful reperfusion were associated with the risk of sICH after EVT. The TREAT-AIS score demonstrated acceptable predictive accuracy (area under the curve [AUC]=0.694), with higher scores being associated with an increased risk of sICH (odds ratio=2.01 per score increase, 95% confidence interval=1.64–2.45, P<0.001). The discriminatory capacity of the score was similar in patients with symptom onset beyond 6 hours (AUC=0.705). Compared to existing models, the TREAT-AIS score consistently exhibited superior predictive accuracy, although this difference was marginal. Conclusions The TREAT-AIS score outperformed existing models, and demonstrated an acceptable discriminatory capacity for distinguishing patients according to sICH risk levels. However, the differences between models were only marginal. Further research incorporating periprocedural and postprocedural factors is required to improve the predictive accuracy.

Thyroid radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation are widely adopted minimally invasive treatments for diverse thyroid conditions worldwide. Fundamental skills such as the trans-isthmic approach and the moving shot technique are crucial for performing thyroid ablation, and advanced techniques, including hydrodissection and vascular ablation, improve safety and efficacy and reduce complications. Given the learning curve associated with ultrasound-guided therapeutic procedures, operators need training and experience. While training models exist, limited attention has been given to ultrasound maneuvers in ablation needle manipulation. This article introduces two essential maneuvers, the zigzag moving technique and the alienate maneuver, while also reviewing the latest ultrasound techniques in thyroid ablation, contributing valuable insights into this evolving field.