Adult ; Calcaneus ; injuries ; surgery ; External Fixators ; Female ; Fractures, Bone ; surgery ; Humans ; Ilizarov Technique ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Background:The preferred treatment for uncomplicated type B dissection (thoracic endovascular aortic repair [TEVAR] or medical) is still under debate.Since 2001,our center has performed TEVAR for uncomplicated type B dissection.Based on our data,5-and 10-year survival rates among patients with uncomplicated type B dissection after TEVAR were 96.5％ and 83.0％,respectively.We,therefore,believe that TEVAR is preferable for uncomplicated type B dissections.This study analyzed the impact of a pre-operative smoking history on long-term survival after TEVAR in patients with uncomplicated type B dissections.Methods:From May 2001 to December 2013,data from 751 patients with type B dissections were collected and analyzed.Patients were divided into two groups (337 smoking patients and 414 non-smoking patients).The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to compare survival curves of the two groups.Multivariable analyses using the Cox proportional hazards model were used to estimate the effects of smoking on survival rates.Results:The 5-and 10-year survival rates of non-smokers were 97.6％ (95％ confidence interval [CI],96.0％-99.2％) and 87.0％ (95％ CI,81.6％-92.7％),respectively,and 94.9％ (95％ CI,92.2％-97.7％) and 73.8％ (95％ CI,62.3％-87.5％) for smokers,respectively (Log-rank test,P =0.006).Multivariable analyses showed that smoking increased the risk of death during follow-up,2.1-fold when compared to non-smokers (P =0.039).Conclusion:A pre-operative smoking history increases long-term mortality rates after TEVAR in patients with uncomplicated type B dissections.

OBJECTIVETo assess the early efficacy of metallic modular radial head prostheses in patients with Mason III and IV unreconstructable radial head fractures.

METHODSThe medical records of 16 patients (9 males, 7 females) with a mean age of 43 years old (31 to 57) with Mason III/IV unreconstructable radial head fractures requiring metallic modular radial head replacement between January 2009 and March 2012, were reviewed retrospectively. The functional results were assessed by range-of-movement, Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS). All patients underwent radiographic evaluation for radial head height and radiolucent lines.

RESULTSFourteen patients were evaluated with follow-up for 12 to 33 months with an average of 23 months. Range of movement parameters was significantly lower in the affected elbow than in the unaffected side (P < 0.01). MEPS results were excellent in 9 cases, good in 2 cases, fair in 2 cases, and poor in 1 case. According to Grewal grading, there were 4 cases of periprosthetic lucencies of the radius and 1 case had significant clinical signs of loosening.

CONCLUSIONRadial head replacement with the metallic modular prostheses yields satisfactory results regarding range of motion and function of the elbow joint in short term. The evolution of this prostheses needs to be evaluated with further studies to assess mid-term and long-term follow-up results.

Adult ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Elbow ; methods ; Female ; Fracture Fixation ; methods ; Fractures, Comminuted ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radius ; surgery ; Radius Fractures ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies

Objective:To assess the early efficacy of metallic modular radial head prostheses in patients with MasonⅢandⅣunreconstructable radial head fractures. Methods:The medical records of 16 patients (9 males,7 females) with a mean age of 43 years old (31 to 57) with MasonⅢ/Ⅳunreconstructable radial head fractures requiring metallic modular radial head replacement between January 2009 and March 2012 ,were reviewed retrospectively. The functional results were assessed by range of movement,Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS). All patients underwent radiographic evaluation for radial head height and radiolucent lines. Results:Fourteen patients were evaluated with follow up for 12 to 33 months with an average of 23 months. Range of movement parameters was significantly lower in the affected elbow than in the unaffected side (P<0.01). MEPS results were excellent in 9 cases,good in 2 cases,fair in 2 cases,and poor in 1 case. According to Grewal grading,there were 4 cases of periprosthetic lucencies of the radius and 1 case had significant clinical signs of loosening. Conclusion:Radial head replacement with the metallic modular prostheses yields satisfactory results regarding range of motion and function of the elbow joint in short term. The evolution of this prostheses needs to be evaluated with further studies to assess mid term and long term follow up results.

This study was aimed to investigate the prophylactic effect of Toll like receptor (TLR)5 agonist flagellin on acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and its possible mechanism. The animal model with allo-HSCT aGVHD was established by using purebred mice (male mouse C57BL/6 as donor, female mouse BALB/c as recipient) with complete-unidentical major histocompatibility antigen. The recipient mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: group 1 in which mice were injected with high purity (95%) flagellin before and after allo-HSCT respectively, group 2 in which mice received allo-HSCT without injection of flagellin, group 3 in which mice were radiated alone. The aGVHD features of mice in group 1 and 2 were observed and compared. The results showed that the typical symptoms of aGVHD appeared in transplanted mice. The death peak of mice in group 2 appeared at day 4-5 after transplantation. The aGVHD symptoms were obviously alleviated and the mean survival time was prolonged significantly in mice group 1 as compared with mice in group 2 (P < 0.05). The comparison of WBC count in peripheral blood of mice in 3 groups before transplantation showed no significant difference (P > 0.05), while WBC count of mice in group 1 and 2 showed the significant difference at days 14 and 21 after transplantation (P < 0.05). The pathological appearances of aGVHD in mice of group 1 were obviously reduced as compared with mice in group 2. The flow cytometric detection of Treg cell/CD4(+) T cell levels at different time before and after transplantation demonstrated that the Treg cell level in mice of group 1 at weeks 2-4 after transplantation significantly increased as compared with mice in group 2 (P < 0.05). It is concluded that flagellin can effectively prevent the aGVHD occurrence after allo-HSCT, reduce the symptoms and pathological changes of aGVHD, obviously prolong mean survival time of mice in group 1. The mechanism of flagellin effect may be associated to increase of Treg cell level in mice after allo-HSCT.
Animals ; Female ; Flagellin ; therapeutic use ; Graft vs Host Disease ; prevention & control ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Toll-Like Receptor 6 ; agonists ; Transplantation, Homologous

OBJECTIVETo identify protein markers for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer by a comparative proteomic method.

METHODSComparative analysis on the pancreatic peripheral blood protein profiling from 20 pancreatic cancer patients, 10 chronic pancreatitis patients and 20 cancer-free controls from May 2007 to September 2008 was carried out by two-dimensional fluorescence electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). Differentially expressed proteins were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The significance difference proteins were confirmed by Western-blot.

RESULTSA differentially expressed proteins: complement 3 (C3) was identified. The gray level of C3 in pancreatic cancer tissue, chronic pancreatitis, and normal control group were 1.63 ± 0.28, 0.65 ± 0.13 (t = 11.81, P = 0.00) and 0.88 ± 0.19 (t = 9.93, P = 0.00), respectively. C3 was high expression in pancreatic cancer group compared with normal control group. The expression of C3 was higher in pancreatic cancer group than in chronic pancreatitis group. The high expression of C3 in pancreatic carcinoma was confirmed by Western blot.

CONCLUSIONS2D-DIGE and MALDI-TOF-MS technology is a quick, easy and practical method to screen for specific biomarkers in serum of patients with pancreatic carcinoma. The identified protein C3 in this study may be as specific serum biomarkers of pancreatic carcinoma.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; Case-Control Studies ; Complement C3 ; analysis ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; blood ; diagnosis ; Pancreatitis, Chronic ; blood ; Proteomics ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ; Two-Dimensional Difference Gel Electrophoresis

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the incidence of precore mutation in HBeAg negative HBV infected patients and the therapeutic effect of the immune therapy (levamisole + HBV vaccine + dipyridamole) on patients chronically infected by HBV with precore mutation.

METHODSThe precore region of HBV from the HBeAg (-) chronic hepatitis patients was sequenced and the patients suffered from HBV with precore mutation were treated with immune therapy.

RESULTSThe precore mutation rate was 10/12. The therapeutic effect of the immune therapy on the precore mutation patients (5/7) was better than that on the HBsAg(+), HBeAg(+) patients (2/11), P less than 0.05.

CONCLUSIONThe precore mutation rate was quite high in the HBsAg(+), HBeAg(-) patients we studied. The immune-therapy has some therapeutic effects on the patients with precore mutation. But the number of cases was too small, further study is needed.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Combined Modality Therapy ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Dipyridamole ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Levamisole ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Mutation

OBJECTIVETo study the different features of hyperplasia in castrated and uncastrated mice after testosterone (T) treatment.

METHODSForty-eight BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 6 groups of 8 in each: castrated (A), uncastrated (B) , castrated + low T (C), uncastrated + low T (D), castrated + high T (E), uncastrated + high T (F). Groups C and D were treated with testosterone solution at the dose of 12.5 mg/(kg d) and Groups E and F at 125 mg/(kg d) for 20 consecutive days, while Groups A and B received saline only. All the mice were sacrificed on the 21st day, their ventral and dorsal prostate glands weighed and their pathological features studied.

RESULTSAtrophic prostates were observed in Group A, but normal in Group B; prostatic hyperplasia was found in both Group C and D, but more obvious in the latter (P <0.05); and a slightly higher degree of hyperplasia was noted in Groups E and F than in C and D. There was an increase in serum T and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration and a decrease in serum estrogen (E2) concentration in the testosterone treated groups.

CONCLUSIONBoth castrated and uncastrated mice develop prostate hyperplasia after short-term testosterone treatment, although in different degrees and with different features, which may help further the studies on the association of castration and androgen with prostate diseases.

Animals ; Hyperplasia ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Orchiectomy ; Prostate ; pathology ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Testosterone ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo detect Bartonella henselae IgG antibody among healthy people in Changping, Beijing.

METHODSUsing indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence antibody assay (IFA) to detect IgG antibody of Bartonella henselae among human beings.

RESULTSThe sensitivity and specificity of ELISA were 70.6% and 91.6% respectively, with the positive predictive value of serological test as 82.2%, and the negative predictive value as 84.9%, based on results of IFA. The positive rate was 34.5% among 357 healthy people on indirect ELISA but was 35.6% among 239 people with IFA.

CONCLUSIONThe results indicated that the indirect ELISA was a very quick, sensitive and available method for detecting Bartonella henselae in human beings, as well as a high positive percent age of Bartonella henselae among the healthy people of Changping Beijing.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antibodies, Bacterial ; immunology ; Bartonella henselae ; immunology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; methods ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; methods ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Objective To construct active phages against Chlamydia trachomatis,and to evaluate its effect on Chlamydia trachomatis.Methods The M13 phage was recombined with the IN5 sequences encoding the capsid protein VP1 of chlamydiophage phiCPG1,and then the recombinant M13-IN5 phage was obtained.PCR amplification,enzyme digestion and sequencing were performed to verify whether the target fragment was inserted into the phage successfully.The viability of the phage was evaluated by plaque formation assay.Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay was conducted to evaluate the effect of M13 phage and recombinant M13-IN5 phage at the titer of 1011 plaque-forming units (PFU)/ml on the proliferation of Hela cells,and Hela cells uninfected with chlamydia served as the blank control group.Western blot analysis was performed to determine the expression of the IN5 loop protein in the recombinant M13-IN5 phage,M13 phage and Escherichia coli ER2738 at exponential growth phase.Cultured standard Chlamydia trachomatis serovar E strain was treated with M13 phage and recombinant M13-IN5 phage at the titer of 1011 PFU/ml separately,and chlamydia control group without the treatment with phages was set up.After 36-hour infection,confocal microscopy was performed to detect the location of the M13 phage and the recombinant M13-IN5 phage.Moreover,iodine staining was conducted to count inclusion bodies at 36,48,60 and 72 hours separately after infection.Statistical analysis was carried out by a two-sample t-test for comparisons between two groups,one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for intergroup comparison,and Bonferroni test for multiple comparisons.Results The bioactive recombinant M13 phage containing the IN5 loop gene was constructed successfully,and Western blot analysis confirmed that the recombinant phage expressed IN5 loop/p Ⅲ fusion protein with a high titer of 3.05 × 1011 PFU/ml.As CCK8 assay showed,there was no significant difference in proliferation of Hela cells among the blank control group,M 13 phage group and recombinant M13-IN5 phage group (A450 values:3.63 ± 0.01,3.55 ± 0.02,3.70 ± 0.01,respectively,F =12.0,P ＞ 0.05).Confocal microscopy showed overlap between the phage fluorescence and chlamydial inclusion body fluorescence.The M13-IN5 phage group and M13 phage group both showed significantly decreased number of inclusion bodies compared with the control group (both P ＜ 0.05) at 36 and 72 hours after chlamydial infection,and the number of inclusion bodies was significantly lower in the M 13-IN5 phage group than in the M13 phage group (P ＞ 0.05).After 48,and 60 hours of chlamydial infection,the number of inclusion bodies did not differ among the M13 phage group,M13-IN5 phage group and control group (both P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions The recombinant M13-IN5 phage was bioactive and could successfully express the IN5 loop protein.In the in vitro experiments,the recombinant phage could enter into chlamydia inclusion bodies,and markedly inhibited the infection of Chlamydia trachomatis.