Objective To explore the characteristics of hematological changes in patients with primary Sj(o)gren'syndrome (pSS).Methods The clinical data of 49 cases with pSS were retrospectively analyzed.Resuits The data showed that 25 patients (51%) among 49 cases had hematological changes.of which 15 cases were anaemia (31%).8(16%) were leukopenia,and 10 cases (20%) were thrombocytopenia.And 6 cases had two cell lines involved.2 cases had three cell lines involved.Twenty-three bone marrow aspirations revealed active proliferation or normal cell proliferation and the morphology of all 3 cells lines were normal.Bone marrow examination had strong positive iton stain and 15 cases with anaemia showed positive iron stain.Seven out of 10 patients with thrombocytopenia had megakaryocyte maturation defect.Conclusion Hemotologieal changes are common.and anemia is the most common findings.Cytopenia is related to autoantibodies mediated stem cell damages.but anemia iS caused by iron metabolic disturbance.while thrombocytopenia is generally due to functional impairment of megakaryocytes.

Gene knockout by ZFNs (zinc-finger nucleases) is efficient and specific, and successfully applied in more than 10 organisms. Currently, it is unclear whether this technology can be used for knocking-out enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene in transgenic goats. Here we constructed and used ZFN-coding plasmids to produce genetic knockouts in the cells of cloned fetus produced from donor cells by microinjection of EGFP gene. Following introduced plasmids into caprine primary cultured fetus fibroblasts by electroporation, targeting of a transgene resulted in sequence mutation. Using the flow cytometric analysis, we confirmed the disappearance of EGFP expression in treated cells. Sequence from PCR products corresponding to targeted site showed that insertion of a G into the exon of EGFP resulted in frame shift mutation. These results suggest that ZFN-mediated gene targeting can apply to caprine fetus fibroblasts, which may open a unique avenue toward the creation of gene knockout goats combining with somatic cell nuclear transfer.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Organism ; Electrophoresis ; Endonucleases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Fetus ; Fibroblasts ; metabolism ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; Gene Targeting ; methods ; Goats ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation ; Zinc Fingers

Objective Increasing evidence supports the involvement of autophagy in the etiopathology of autoimmune diseases.Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a potentially fatal autoimmune disease characterized by production of multiple autoantibodies through poorly understood mechanism.In order to explore the role of autophagy in the development of SLE,the expression of autophagy related gene microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (MAPLC3) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was measured in patients with SLE.Methods The mRNA levels of LC3 in PBMCs from 56 SLE patients and 45 healthy individuals were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technique.Autophagy in PBMCs was also determined by flow cytometry (FACs) in 20 SLE patients and 15 healthy controls.The correlation between LC3 mRNA expression and disease activity of SLE (SLEDAI) was then analyzed.Results The mRNA level of LC3 (RQ) in SLE patients was obviously downregulated compared with that in healthy population (1.30 ± 0.10 vs 1.35 ± 0.09; P =0.029),paralleled with the decreased autophagy rate detected by flow cytometry in PBMCs of SLE patients [(2.21 ± 1.07) ％ vs (9.91 ±4.01) ％ ;P =0.047].Moreover,LC3 mRNA expression level was negatively correlated with SLEDAI (r =-0.337,P =0.023).However,when the clinical features of 27 SLE patients with decreased LC3 mRNA expression (RQ ＜ 1.351) were compared with those of other 29 SLE patients with normal or high LC3 mRNA expression (RQ ＞ 1.351),increasing rates of arthritis,serositis,hematological abnormalities were noted in patients with decreased LC3 mRNA expression yet without statistically significance.However,there was a significant difference between two groups in the incidence of renal involvement (P =0.028).Conclusion The impaired autophagy due to dowrnregulated LC3 mRNA level in SLE patients indicates that autophagy plays a role in mediating the occurrence and development of SLE.

Objective To develop whole breast irradiation with volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT)-based hybrid intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) after breast conserving surgery for breast cancer,and to evaluate its value in clinical application.Methods Ten patients with breast cancer undergoing breast conserving surgery were enrolled.Two radiotherapy plans were designed based on hybrid fixed-beam IMRT/IMRT technique and hybrid VMAT/IMRT technique,respectively.One group received whole breast irradiation with a prescribed dose of 50 Gy in 25 fractions.The other group received whole breast irradiation with a prescribed dose of 50 Gy in 25 fractions,as well as simultaneous integrated boost to the tumor bed with 60 Gy in 25 fractions.The dosimetric parameters and delivery efficiency were compared between the two plans using paired t test.Results For patients treated with whole breast irradiation alone,there were no significant differences in conformity index and homogeneity index of target volume between the two plans (P=0.866,0.056);however,compared with the hybrid fixed-beam IMRT/IMRT technique,the hybrid VMAT/IMRT technique significantly increased the doses to organs at risk (OARs) and the number of monitor units (MUs) in the intensity-modulated field (P=0.000-0.050,P=0.002).For patients treated with whole breast irradiation with a simultaneous integrated boost to the tumor bed;however,the hybrid VMAT/IMRT technique significantly reduced the doses to the lung and spinal cord,number of MUs in intensity-modulated field,and delivery time compared with the hybrid fixed-beam IMRT/IMRT technique (P=0.004,0.001,0.000,0.000).Conclusions For patients treated with whole breast irradiation with a simultaneous integrated boost to the tumor bed,the hybrid VMAT/IMRT technique is highly promising for clinical application due to better OAR sparing and higher delivery efficiency.

Purpose To study the malignant transformation after treating rat oval cell line ( WB-F344 ) with chemical carcinogen N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine ( MNNG) . Methods WB-F344 cells were cultured with MNNG for severe times. The biological characteristics of induced cells were detected through the following methods:to check proliferation activity by flow cytometry analysis, to examine malignant transformation degree of induced cells by soft agar assay and tumor formation in NOD/SCID mice, and to investi-gate the transcriptional and protein levels of hepatocellular carcinoma marker GGT, GST-P by real time-PCR. Results Oval cells in-duced by MNNG showed changes in biological characteristics and malignant molecular markers. Conclusion Hepatic oval cells model is successfully established, which can be confirmed by tumor formation in NOD/SCID mice.

Objective To explore the value of color Doppler ultrasound detection renal interlobar arterial hemodynamic parameters for early diagnosis in patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD).MethodsSeventy-eight patients with CKD were undergone interlobar arterial hemodynamic parameters detection and 65 normal persons served as the control.The peak systolic velocity (PSV),end-diastolic velocity (EDV),pulsatility index(PI),resistive index (RI) of interlobar arterial and serum cystatin C (SCysC) were measured.The variation of RI and the correlation of renal interlobar arterial RI and pathological findings in early CKD was analyzed.Results In 40 CKD cases with normal SCysC(group A),the PSV,EDV,PI,RI of renal interlobar arterial were not statistically significant (P＞0.05).In 38 CKD cases with increased SCysC(group B),the RI of renal interlobar arterial were higher than those of group A and control group (P＜0.05),and the PSV and EDV were lower than those of group A and control group (P＜0.05).In cases of CKD with normal RI,the disease limited to the glomeruli;while the RI increased,the disease locate in the tubulointerstitial compartment.Conclusions Interlobar arterial RI united SCysC is a sensitive indicator in assessing early injury of chronic kidney disease.

Objective To study clinical characteristics in patients of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)with cardiac involvement and to assess relevant risk factors contributed to it.Methods Totally,239 patients of SLE were evaluated by cardiogram,echocardiogram and serologic examinations,and those with cardiac involvement were compared to those without it by clinical and laboratory data.Results There were 114 of 239(47.7%)SEE patients with cardiac abnormalities,of whom only 31(27.2%)had cardiac symptoms,including 44 cases(38.6%)with hydropericardium,32(28.1%)with myocardial damage,14 (12.3%)with cardiac valvular lesions,19(16.7%)with cardiac block,and 13 with other cardiac damages.No significant difference in age,gender,course of disease,SLE activity index(SEEDAI)scores,serum levels of auto-antibodies and complement(C3),and so on,were found between 114 SLE patients with cardiac abnormalities and 64 without it,who were:randomly selected from 125 patients of SEE without cardiac damage.But,patients of SLE complicated with pericarditis or myocardial lesions had higher SLEDAI scores and lower serum level of C3 than those without cardiac lesions(both P＜0.05),and relatively longer course of disease was found in those with valvular heart disease.Conclusions Cardiac damage was common in patients with SLE,but most of whom were asymptomatic,and only those with severe and active illness tended to develop pericarditis and myocardial damage and those with longer course were liable to have valvular heart disease.

Objective To determine the level of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to assess its relationship with disease activity and organ damage. Methods The plasma levels of MCP-I were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 95 patients with SLE and 21 healthy controls. Disease activity in SLE patients was assessed using the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). Results Plasma level of MCP-1 was significantly elevated in SLE patients than in healthy controls [(849±289) pg/ml vs (426±266) pg/ml, P<0.01]. Moreover, level of MCP-1 was significantly higher in SLE patients with lupus nephritis (LN) than in patients without LN (P<0.01), andin SLE patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms than in patients without neuropsychiatric involvement (P< 0.01). In addition, significant correlation between plasma MCP-I levels and the SLEDAI was observed (r= 0.3699, P<0.01), and this relationship was not influenced by the treatment with glucocorticoid and cyclophosphamide. Conclusion MCP-I may play an important role in the pathogenesis of SLE, including renal and neuropsychiatric involvement. MCP-I is also a serologic marker of disease activity in patients with SLE, and its measurement in SLE patients may be useful for the evaluation of disease activity.

General practice (GP) training program in Shanghai has been carried out in Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University,which consists of theoretical study,clinical rotation and community practice.The contents of assessment include clinical competences,theoretical knowledge,and research capability; the methods of assessment include objective structured clinical examination,multiple choice tests,and assay writing.During the program implementation Zhongshan Hospital exert great efforts to set up the teaching management framework,quality control system,and to improve teaching methods in order to upgrade the clinical capability training for the residents.

Comparison of the institutional setup, policies and adverse event report mechanism for medical risk control in the countries of UK, USA, Canada, and Australia by means of browsing information on their official websites. It is found that these countries maintain a national patient safety authority, coupled with a tiered management at national, local, medical institutions and NGOs level; the USA pattern features laws and regulations, that of UK and Australia features guidelines as policy guarantee for medical safety; these countries regulate adverse event reporting by either government leadership or cooperation with trade associations. Inspirations from this study suggest China to enhance institutional construction, complete regulations, and advocate the culture for medical safety, and to build the national-level reporting and study system for medical safety events, and improve medical risk management.