Angioplasty ; history ; methods ; Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures ; history ; methods ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; history ; methods ; Coronary Artery Disease ; surgery ; Heart Transplantation ; history ; methods ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; history ; methods

Adult ; Causality ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Efficiency ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupations ; Social Support ; Stress, Psychological ; Surveys and Questionnaires

AIM:To investigate the timing and efficacy of vitrectomy for patients with vitreous hemorrhage(VH) due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR).METHODS:Retrospective analysis.Patients who presented to our hospital between Feburary 2012 and May 2014 with VH secondary to PDR treated with vitrectomy were included.All patients were divided into three groups according to the duration of VH.A group was less than 1mo for 22 eyes, B group was 1-3mo for 23 eyes, C group was more than 3mo for 25 eyes.All patients underwent intravitreal injection of ranibizumab 1-2wk before vitrectomy, and supplemented or finished panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) intraoperatively or postoperatively.Patients with cataract accepted phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation.Eyes filling silicone oil were implanted intraocular lens in the second phase.All patients were followed up 24 to 42mo (mean:28.7mo).We assessed the intraoperative complications such as hemorrhage, iatrogenic retinal hole, and postoperative complications such as vitreous hemorrhage, neovascular glaucoma.Macular edema and best corrected visual acuity were observed at every follow-up.RESULTS:There was no significant difference for other baseline data (P>0.05) but DR stage between three groups (P=0.033).There was significant difference of last follow up visual acuity between three groups (P<0.001).The significant difference can be seen between group A and B (P=0.03).The same outcome showed between Group A and C(P<0.001).There was no significant difference between Group B and C (P>0.05).The percentage of visual acuity was 0.5 and above in the three groups were:41%, 23%, 0 respectively.The patients with visual acuity of less than 0.1 were 5%, 26% and 40% respectively.Silicone oil filling rate of three groups were:9%, 26%, 40% respectively and there was no significantly difference between three groups on postoperative complications (P>0.05).CONCLUSION:Patients with VH due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy undergoing early vitrectomy may get better visual acuity than who accepting delayed vitrectomy.

A new wood-degrading fungus Monodictys asperospera(Cooke & Massee) Ellis with a high level of laccase production was chosen to study.This laccase was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation,DEAE-cellulose and sephacryl S-300.Purification of about 8.1 fold was achieved with an overall yield of 5.7%.Its molecular weight was estimated to be about 77 kD.The optimum temperature and pH of the lac-case activity were 55?C and 6.0,respectively.Kinetic studies of the laccase showed that the Km and the Vmax for using syringaldazine as substrate was 0.163 mmol/L and 0.194 mmol/(L.min),respectively.The carbo-hydrate content was 18.14%.In addition,it was found that laccase activity was significantly inhibited by Cu2+.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of sinew-regulating and bone-setting manipulation combined with functional exercise to treat mild to moderate rotator cuff injury (RCI).Methods:Forty patients with mild to moderate RCI were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group,with 20 cases in each group.The treatment group was given sinew-regulating and bone-setting manipulation combined with functional exercise,and the control group was given the same manipulation as the treatment group.The therapeutic effect on the functional improvement was assessed after treatment according to pain threshold,shoulder range of motion (ROM) including flexion,abduction,internal rotation and external rotation,and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder rating score.Results:Compared with the same group before treatment,the pain threshold,shoulder flexion,abduction,internal and external rotations increased after the treatment in the two groups (all P＜0.05).The UCLA shoulder rating score increased (both P＜0.05).The improvement in the treatment group is significantly better than that in the control group with a statistical significance (P＜0.05).The total effective rate was 95.0％ in the treatment group,was higher than 65.0％ in the control group (P＜0.05).Conclusion:The sinew-regulating and bone-setting manipulation combined with functional exercise relieve the pain of patients with mild to moderate RCI,increase the motion of shoulder joints,and improve the quality of life of patients.The curative effect is better than the treatment of simple sinew-regulating and bone-setting manipulation.

Glaucoma is a group of diseases which can threaten and damage the optic nerve and its visual pathway, leading to visual impairment as a result. Glaucomatous optic neuropathy is a chronic disease accompanied by apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells ( RGCs ) , visual field defect and cupping of optic nerve head. The gold standard in functional glaucoma evaluation is standard automated perimetry ( SAP) , but it is often limited to the subjective feelings of the patients. Still, visual electrophysiological techniques cannot replace the conventional inspection, but with its rapid development, it has provided a new strategy for the early diagnosis of glaucoma as a supplement because it can show changes in amplitude and latency before visual field defect. Here we review three special electroretinograms and multifocal focal visually evoked potentials in the early diagnosis of glaucoma.

BACKGROUNDThis study was designed to investigate changes in mRNA levels of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), collagen I, and collagen III in autogenous vein grafts.

METHODSTwenty-four New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 rabbits each. The external jugular veins of the New Zealand rabbits were harvested and grafted into the ipsilateral carotid artery. All rabbits were fed with a standard diet. After the operation, the rabbits were sacrificed at 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks. TGF-beta, collagen I, and collagen III mRNA levels in the venous grafts were measured by semiquantitative methods at every time point. The contralateral external jugular veins were also harvested and analyzed as controls. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was used as an internal standard to normalize all samples for potential variations in mRNA content. In order to observe the expression of TGF-beta protein, immunohistochemical SABC methods were used.

RESULTSOne week postoperation, the mRNA level of TGF-beta was upregulated to 1.73 +/- 0.19 in the vein graft and 1.21 +/- 0.16 in the control vein (P < 0.01). High mRNA levels were maintained until week 4 postoperation. The mRNA levels of collagen I and collagen III were also significantly increased to 2.18 +/- 0.21 versus 1.12 +/- 0.24 and 1.08 +/- 0.13 versus 0.83 +/- 0.12, respectively (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical staining revealed a higher density of TGF-beta expression in the vein grafts.

CONCLUSIONSAn uninterrupted increase in mRNA levels of TGF-beta, collagen I, and collagen III is observed in autogenous vein grafts. This increase may be the major cause of intimal hyperplasia, sclerosis, and even graft failure.

Animals ; Collagen Type I ; genetics ; Collagen Type III ; genetics ; Female ; Immunohistochemistry ; Jugular Veins ; transplantation ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rabbits ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; analysis ; genetics ; Transplantation, Autologous

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of astragalus (As) on cytokines in patients undergoing heart valve replacement (HVR).

METHODSThirty patients undergoing HVR were randomized into the As group and the control group. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was set up routinely and to the As group, As injection (40 mL, 10 mL containing 2 g of crude drug) was added into the prime solution just before CPB. Blood samples were collected at different time points during and after CPB for cytokines determination, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8 and IL-10 by ELISA.

RESULTSAll the indexes measured were insignificantly different between groups before skin incision, they began to increase by the end of CPB (P < 0.05), reached the peak 3 h after CPB and then decreased gradually, TNF-alpha returned to the baseline level 24 h after operation. Meanwhile, levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 decreased obviously but still above the baseline. Comparisons between groups at different time points showed that levels of IL-6 were not different significantly (P > 0.05), those of IL-10 were higher at all time points, and TNF-alpha and IL-8 at 3 h, 6 h and 12 h after CPB were significantly lower in the As group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAstragalus may decrease the inflammation cytokine promoting factors, and increase the level of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10), so it could attenuate the inflammation reaction in patients after HVR.

Adult ; Astragalus Plant ; chemistry ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Cytokines ; blood ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; Humans ; Male ; Postoperative Period ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo discuss the choice of surgical methods and the safety and efficacy of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) in elderly patients.

METHODSFrom Sept. 1997 to Feb. 2003, 63 cases over the age of seventy (including seventy) undertook OPCAB in our department. We compared the clinical data of those patients with that of 94 cases undertook conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) at the same age group and that of 58 cases younger than seventy received OPCAB.

RESULTSThe clinical outcomes of OPCAB is better than that of CABG in elderly patients concerning inotropic drug, postoperative transfusion, re-operation, intubation time, complications incidence and in-hospital mortality. Furthermore, there is no significant difference of complication incidence and in-hospital mortality between the elderly OPCAB group and the younger OPCAB group.

CONCLUSIONSOPCAB is a safe and efficacious method of myocardial revascularization in the elderly.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Transfusion ; statistics & numerical data ; Cardiotonic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump ; mortality ; standards ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Myocardial Revascularization ; Postoperative Complications ; epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo explore the efficacy and safety of zero-profile implant for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in treating single cervical disc herniation.

METHODSFrom August 2011 to June 2012,30 patients with single cervical disc herniation were treated with ACDF using zero-profile implant in one motion segment. There were 18 males and 12 females with a mean age of 55.3 years old (ranged, 36 to 68). Incidence of dysphagia, height of intervertebral space and condition of bone fusion were observed after operation. Spinal nerves function and clinical results were assessed according to Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, Odom criteria.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 12 to 24 months with an average of 15.9 months. The mean intraoperative blood loss was (85.3 +/- 14.2) ml (70 to 120 ml) and operative time was (90.0 +/- 12.8) min (70 to 120 ml). Preoperative, postoperative at 3 months and 1 year, JOA score was 8.72 +/- 2.36 (5.0 to 13.0), 14.72 +/- 1.66 (11.5 to 17.0) and 15.65 +/- 1.03 (13.5 to 17.0), respectively. One year after operation, according Odom criteria to assess, 22 cases got excellent results, 7 good, 1 fair. All dysphagiaes vanished completely at 3 months after operation. The lost height of intervertebral space was (0.34 +/- 0.13) mm (0.1 to 0.6 mm) and (0.39 +/- 0.15) mm (0.2 to 0.7 mm) at 3, 12 months after operation, respectively. All patients obtained bone fusion at 1 year after operation.

CONCLUSIONThe zero-profile implant is a valid alternative to anterior cervical plate in treating single cervical disc herniation with ACDF, it has advantages of convenient procedure, satisfactory effect, lower incidence of postoperative dysphagia, reliable stability and less implant-related complications.

Adult ; Aged ; Cervical Vertebrae ; surgery ; Diskectomy ; adverse effects ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostheses and Implants ; Safety ; Spinal Fusion ; adverse effects ; Treatment Outcome