ObjectiveTo explore the reliability and validity of WHO ICF-Clinical Checklist for patients with spinal cord injuries.MethodsClinical testing, case records and check had been implemented for 50 patients with spinal cord injuries with ICF-Clinical Checklist, ADL and ASIA.Results and ConclusionThere were high test-retest reliability and validity in WHO ICF-Checklist for patients with spinal cord injuries.

Objective The present study was to differentiate the hyperdensities on CT immediately after intra-arterial thrombolysis in patients with acute isehemic stroke.Methods Twenty two patients with acute ischemic stroke were treated with intra-arterial combining with intravenous thrombolysis within 6 hours after onset.All patients underwent nonenhaneed CT scans before,immediately and 24 hours after thrombolytic therapy.The hyperdensities on CT after intra-arterial thrombolysis were analyzed retrospectively.Results Five hyperdense areas were seen in 22 patients immediately after thrombolytie therapy.According to their locations, CT values and follow-up CT scans,the hyperdensities on CT imaging were classified into two groups:contrast enhancement and hemorrhagic transformation.The former was characterized by rapid clearance of the hyperdensity lesion with maximum Hounsifild Unit＜90,on the contrary,the latter was noted by persistence of hyperdensity lesion after 24 hours CT scan with maximum Hounsifild Unit＞90.Two of the five hyperdense lesion patients were confirmed to be contrast enhancement with location in cerebral cortex,the other were hemorrhagic transformation,mostly located in basal ganglia.Hyperdensity in patients with contrast enhancement showed neurological improvement although no further medical cares were offered.Conclusions Different kind of hyperdensity on CT immediately after intra-arterial thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke can be differentiated according to its location,CT value and follow-up CT scan.When contrast enhancement occurred,no further medical care is needed.

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical features, diagnosis and therapy of hydroa vacciniforme-like cutaneous T cell lymphoma.

METHODSThe clinical presentations and the findings of laboratory examinations and skin biopsy of affected tissue in a child with hydroa vacciniforme-like cutaneous T cell lymphoma were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTSThe child manifested as rash, fever and lymph node intumesce. Rash was pantomorphia, including edematous erythema, vesicles, crusts, necrosis and depressed scar, and it was mild in winter and severe in summer, mainly involving in the face and extremities. Epstein-Barre virus (EBV)-IgM was positive. Histopathological findings revealed focal lymphocyte invasion in subcutaneous panniculus adiposus, mainly surrounding the blood vessels. Immunohistochemistry showed CD3 (+), CD43 (+), CD20 (-), pax-5 (-), TIA (+), CD5 (+), CD8 (+), Granmye (+) and CD4 (-). The clinical symptoms were improved after glucocorticoid treatment in this child.

CONCLUSIONSHydroa vacciniforme-like cutaneous T cell lymphoma has special clinical manifestations. This disorder may be definitely diagnosed by skin biopsy of affected tissue and immunohistochemistry assay. Glucocorticoid treatment is effective. EBV infection may be related to the development of this disorder.

Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Hydroa Vacciniforme ; pathology ; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous ; drug therapy ; immunology ; pathology ; Skin ; pathology ; Skin Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; immunology ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo prepare a time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) kit for clinical detection of IgM antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (HBc).

METHODSImmunocapture method was used to develop the TRFIA kit for detection of the anti-HBc IgM antibodies, and the precision, cross-reactivity and sensitivity of the kit were tested with the clinical serum samples.

RESULTSThe intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation of the TRFIA kit were 4.8%-7.2% and 7.5%-8.6%, respectively, and no cross-reactivity with anti-HBs, anti-HBc-IgG or anti-HBe was found. Comparison of the results of the TRFIA kit and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) demonstrated greater sensitivity of the kit than ELISA in detecting the anti-HBc IgM antibodies in 584 serum samples. According to the detection results in 300 serum samples from healthy donors, the cutoff value of the TRFIA kit was 4.5 times of the fluorescence value of the negative control.

CONCLUSIONThis TRFIA kit for detecting anti-HBc IgM antibodies meets the demand for clinical application and can replace the ELISA kits.

Fluoroimmunoassay ; methods ; Hepatitis B ; immunology ; virology ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis B Core Antigens ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Sensitivity and Specificity

AIM: To investigate whether inactivation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 ( Erk1/2 ) will affect the function of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism .METHODS:Male db/db mice (8 weeks old) were treated with U0126 (an inhibitor of Erk1/2 kinase) for 1 week, and then treated with re-combinant human FGF21 protein and adenovirus-mediated FGF21 (Ad-FGF21).The profile changes of blood glucose and blood lipid were evaluated at 120 min or 4 weeks after FGF21 administration.Meanwhile, the molecular mechanism was ex-plored by in vitro study.RESULTS: Treatment of db/db mice with recombinant human FGF21 protein significantly re-duced blood glucose and triglyceride levels at 120 min after FGF21 administration , but these changes were comparable in U0126-treated mice .Furthermore , abnormal glucose and triglyceride levels , and glucose and insulin tolerance were strong-ly improved in db/db mice as accompanied with decreasing body fat content after 4 weeks of ad-FGF21 administration .In-terestingly, treatment with or without U0126 did not influence these effects of FGF21.Mechanically, treatment with Ad-FGF21 significantly upregulated the protein levels of p-Erk1/2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ( PPARγ) as well as the expression of adiponectin at mRNA and protein levels in adipose tissues .However , treatment with or without U0126 did not change the profiles .On the other hand , in vitro experiments also indicated that treatment of adipocytes with recombinant human FGF 21 protein significantly activated Erk 1/2 phosphorylation , and upregulated the expression levels of PPARγand adiponectin (P<0.05).However, pre-administration of U0126 did not affect the profiles.CONCLUSION:Pharmaceutical inactivation of Erk 1/2 by U0216 does not affect the biological function of FGF 21 to regulate blood glucose balance and improve abnormal blood lipids in vivo.

OBJECTIVETo clone the recombinant human islet neogenesis-associated protein (rhINGAP) gene for its secretory expression in Pichia pastoris.

METHODSINGAP gene was amplified with PCR and inserted between Xho I and EcoR I downstream sites of the alpha factor of the recombinant plasmid alpha/pUC18. The fusion gene of alpha factor and INGAP was subsequently inserted between BamH I and EcoR I sites of the plasmid pPIC9K of P. pastoris. After confirmation with restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing, the positive recombinant plasmid that integrated INGAP gene was linearized with Sal I digestion and transformed into the yeast host strain GS115 through electroporation. The yeast transformants that harbored the INGAP gene with high copies were selected with the auxotroph medium and G418, followed then by PCR verification of the positive transformants, from which the expression of recombinant human INGAP was induced with methanol as the only carbone source. The antigenic activity of the desired protein was then detected using Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONThe recombinant expression plasmid INGAP/pPIC9K was successfully constructed, and 3 positive transformants were obtained. The expressed protein showed good antigenic activity as confirmed by Western blotting and ELISA.

Antigens, Neoplasm ; genetics ; metabolism ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Blotting, Western ; Cloning, Molecular ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Islets of Langerhans ; metabolism ; Lectins, C-Type ; genetics ; metabolism ; Pancreatitis-Associated Proteins ; Pichia ; genetics ; metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins ; metabolism

This study aimed to identify the differentially expressed genes after silencing of β-catenin in multiple myeloma transduced with β-catenin shRNA. The DNA microarray dataset GSE17385 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus, including 3 samples of MM1.S (human multiple myeloma cell lines) cells transduced with control shRNA and 3 samples of MM1.S cells transduced with β-catenin shRNA. Then the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened by using Limma. Their underlying functions were analyzed by employing Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses. Moreover, DEGs annotation was conducted based on the databases of tumor associated genes, tumor suppressed genes and the transcriptional regulation from patterns to profiles. Furthermore, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) relationship was obtained from STRING and the protein-protein interaction network and the functional modules were visualized by Cytoscape. Then, the pathway enrichment for the DEGs in the functional module was performed. A total of 301 DEGs, including 124 up-regulated and 117 down-regulated DEGs, were screened. Functional enrichment showed that CCNB1 and CDK1 were significantly related to the function of cell proliferation. FOS and JUN were related to innate immune response-activating signal transduction. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that CCNB1 and CDK1 were most significantly enriched in the pathway of cell cycle. Besides, FOS and JUN were significantly enriched in the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. FOXM1 was identified as a transcription factor. Moreover, there existed interactions among CCNB1, FOXM1 and CDK1 in PPI network. The expression of FOS, JUN, CCNB1, FOXM1 and CDK1 may be affected by β-catenin in multiple myeloma.
CDC2 Protein Kinase ; Cyclin B1 ; genetics ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinases ; genetics ; Forkhead Box Protein M1 ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; genetics ; Gene Expression Profiling ; methods ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; Gene Silencing ; Humans ; Multiple Myeloma ; genetics ; Oncogene Proteins v-fos ; genetics ; Protein Interaction Maps ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun ; genetics ; beta Catenin ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of dietary fatty acids on the serum lipids in hypercholesterolemic subjects.

METHODSAll 297 residents with hypercholesterolemia were enrolled in Guangzhou. The dietary composition and the changes in serum lipid levels during the 6-month follow-up were analyzed.

RESULTS(1) 297 subjects were enrolled and 281 subjects (88 male, 193 female) completed the 6-month follow-up. The serum TC concentration of the subjects was (6.09+/-0.68) mmol/L at baseline. (2) According to the percentage of energy from total fat, all of the subjects were divided into three groups, including total fat % en<25% (group I, 90 subjects), 25%-30% (group II, 97 subjects), >30% (group III, 94 subjects). The reduction of TC and LDL-C in group I and group II was greater than that in group III. (3) According to the percentage of energy from SFA, all of the subjects were divided into three groups, including SFA % en<7% (group I, 81 subjects), 7%-10% (group II, 129 subjects), >10% (group III, 71 subjects). The reduction of TC and LDL-C in group I and group II was greater than that in group III. (4) All of the subjects were divided into three groups, according to the percentage of energy from MUFA, including MUFA % en<10% (group I, 93 subjects), 10%-13% (group II, 106 subjects), >13% (group III, 82 subjects). The reduction of TC and LDL-C in group II was greater than that in group I and group III. (5) All of the subjects were divided into three groups according to the percentage of energy from PUFA, including PUFA % en<7% (88 subjects), 7%-9% (94 subjects), >9% (99 subjects). No significant difference was found among the reduction of serum lipids in the three groups.

CONCLUSIONDietary total fat % en
Adult ; Aged ; Dietary Fats ; metabolism ; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 ; metabolism ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; blood ; etiology ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo study the relation between histopathologic grading and some of the cytogenetic and molecular biology characteristics of breast cancer.

METHODSOn the basis of estrogen receptor (ER) expression, DNA content, S-phase fraction (SPF), bcl-2 and mutant p53 protein (mtp53) expression were examined by FCM in 121 breast cancer patients. In 66 patients with invasive ductal breast cancer, histopathologic grading was also examined.

RESULTSThe aneuploidy rate and DNA index (DI) were significantly different in grade I, II and III breast cancer. SPF and mtp53 expression significantly increased with increase in histopathologic grading (P < 0.05), but bcl-2 did not show this trend. SPF and mtp53 expression were significantly more in breast cancer with negative ER than in those with positive ER (P < 0.05). Again, no such differences in bcl-2 regardless of ER expression. Correlations existed between DI vs SPF, DI vs mtp53, and SPF vs mtp53 expressions (P < 0.01) but bcl-2 did not correlate with any one of them.

CONCLUSIONCytogenetic and molecular biology studies on the basis of histopathologic grading may provide more information in prognostic prediction of breast cancer.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aneuploidy ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; metabolism ; pathology ; DNA, Neoplasm ; analysis ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Prognosis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Receptors, Estrogen ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; S Phase ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVENeurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) is a new mode of mechanical ventilation that delivers ventilatory assist in proportion to neural effort. This study aimed to compare the hemodynamic safety, oxygenation and gas exchange effects ventilated with NAVA and with pressure support ventilation (PSV) in infants who underwent open-heart surgery.

METHODSTwenty-one infants who underwent open-heart surgery for congenital heart disease (mean age 2.9+/- 2.1 months and mean weight 4.2+/- 1.4 kg) were enrolled. They were ventilated with PSV and NAVA for 60 minutes respectively in a randomized order. The hemodynamic, oxygenation and gas exchange effects produced by the two ventilation modes were compared.

RESULTSThree cases failed to shift to NAVA because of the bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis after operation. In the other 18 cases, there were no significant differences in the heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (BPs) and central venous pressure (CVP) in the two ventilation modes. The PaO2/FiO2 (P/F) ratio in NAVA was slightly higher than in PSV, but there was no statistical difference. PaCO2 did not show significant differences in the two modes. The peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) and electrical activity of the diaphragm (EAdi) in NAVA were significantly lower than in PSV. The EAdi signal after extubation was higher in infants who needed reintubation or intervention of noninvasive mechanical ventilation than in those who were extubated successfully (30.0+/- 8.4 microV vs 11.1+/- 3.6 microV; P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSAs the first study of application of NAVA in infants in China, this study shows that NAVA has the same homodynamic effects as PSV. However the PIP for maintaining the same level of PaCO2 in NAVA is significantly lower than that in the traditional PSV. Monitoring the EAdi signal after extubation may show the risks of reintubation or intervention of noninvasive mechanical ventilation.

Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Respiration, Artificial ; methods