OBJECTIVETo evaluate the functional outcomes of modified limited "L" incision beside the Achilles tendon with distraction bone block arthrodesis in treatment of subtalar osteoarthritis.

METHODSFrom March 2009 to September 2012, a total of 22 cases of old calcaneus fractures with subtalar osteoarthritis were treated with modified limited "L" incision and distraction bone block arthrodesis including 13 males and 9 females with a mean age of 35.3 years old (ranged 22 to 49). The mean time from calcaneal fracture was 21 months (ranged 11 to 32). According to the Stephens-Sanders classification, 16 cases were type II and 6 were type III. The modified-AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score was used for functional outcomes evaluation.

RESULTSThere was one incision necrosis and no infection, implant failure, bone-graft absorbed or talus necrosis was note at the follow-up time. A total of 21 cases were followed up for a mean time of 29 months (ranged from 18 to 46 months). All of the cases reached a bony union within 4 months postoperation. The mean modified-AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score was 82.6 points (ranged from 66 to 92 points),reached a significantly improvement in comparing with the mean preoperative score (50.8 points,ranged from 32 to 65 points, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe modified limited"L" incision beside the Achilles tendon with distraction bone block arthrodesis is an acceptable and alternative treatment method for subtalar osteoarthritis. This method is easy to use and with less complication. It can correct the main pathological changes and reach good functional outcomes.

Adult ; Arthrodesis ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis ; surgery ; Subtalar Joint ; surgery

Polymerase chain reaction was employed to amplify the whole HBV CP region from the serum of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection, and then the PCR products were subcloned into pGEM Teasy vectors. Clones were randomly selected to be sequenced and the selected clones were compared to look for the difference.The sequencing results suggested that each sequence of selected clones was different and there were HBV quasispecies groups in patients. There were hot deletion region and point mutation near the TATA like box of CP gene. To address whether the mutations were responsible for the transcriptional activity, the wild type(wt) and the mutants of HBV CP genes were subcloned into pcDNA3 1( ) vectors, respectively. The reverse oriented clones were digested with KpnI and XhoI, and cloned into the KpnI and XhoI sites of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) expressing vector (pCAT3 basic).The recombinant CAT plasmids were transfected into HepG2 cells using lipofectamine PLUS reagent, and the CAT expression which indirectly represented the transcriptional activity of HBV CP lying upstream of CAT gene was detected with a CAT ELISA kit. The restriction enzyme digesting results indicated that the recombinant CAT plasmids were successfully constructed, and the transfection tests indicated that the transcriptional activity of the mutants with deletion or substitute point mutation of TATA like box were reduced in comparison with that of CPwt. The HBV CP gene heterogeneity downregulated the transcriptional activity to some extent.

OBJECTIVEThis paper aims to develop a monoclonal antibodies (MAbs)- based ELISA for detecting Chlamydophila pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) antigens in humans with the variable domains (VD) 2 and 3 of the major outer membrane protein (MOMPVD2-VD3) and to assess its sensitivity and specificity by comparing with a widely used MAb that is able to recognize the elementary bodies of C. pneumoniae.

METHODSMOMPVD2-VD3 were overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified by affinity chromatography. Mice were immunized with the recombinant antigen, and hybridomas secreting MAbs were screened. Three stable hybridomas clones were selected and named 5D6, 7G3, and 8C9. The MAbs-based ELISA was scrutinized for species-specific recognition with a number of human throat swab samples from Group I (156 patients with typical respiratory illness clinically confirmed before) and Group II (57 healthy donors).

RESULTSIn Group I, 55 positive cases were detected by anti-EB MAb-based ELISA, 51 cases were positive by MAbs 5D6-based ELISA, and 33 and 38 cases were positive by MAb 8C9 and 7G3-based ELISA respectively. Of the 57 samples from Group II "healthy donors", 5 were positive and 52 were negative with both anti-EB and 5D6-based tests, while 2 and 3 positive cases were identified by the other two MAb-based ELISAs respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe novel MOMPVD2-VD3 MAb-based assay may have higher specificity than the anti-EB MAb, which may possibly be used as an alternative tool for the diagnosis of C. pneumoniae infection.

Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins ; immunology ; Chlamydophila Infections ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; Chlamydophila pneumoniae ; isolation & purification ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; methods ; Humans ; Mice ; Protein Structure, Tertiary

Recently, herbal medicine including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has gained huge attention in the world. In 2015, the global trades of herbal medicine reached 93.15 billion US dollars. And, the latest statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of People's Republic of China showed that total sales of Chinese patent medicine and raw herbs reached 120 billion US dollars in 2014. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the situation of international marketing on herbal medicine and how much TCM shared in it. The PubMed database, search engines and government websites and research reports were searched for analyses. The results showed that total trades of TCM products in both domestic and foreign markets, were about 135 billion US dollars, including Chinese patent medicine, raw herbs, herbal extracts, herbal health care products, whose proportion of the global marketing was 80%.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of T2 mapping in evaluating the composition of shoulder cartilage,and to quantitatively analyze T2 values of articular cartilage in healthy young volunteers.Methods Oblique coronal T2 mapping imaging with 8 echo was performed in bilateral shoulder of 16 young healthy volunteers.The pseudo-color map was obtained with post-processing.The shoulder joint cartilage was equally divided into the external,central and internal zones,and T2 values were measured quantitatively.T2 values in the external,central and internal zones were analyzed and compared.T2 values of cartilage between male and female volunteers as well as between left and right sides were analyzed.Resuits T2 values in the external,central and internal zones of cartilage were (38.67 ± 2.82)ms,(38.41 ± 2.52)ms and (36.49± 1.80)ms,respectively.The overall difference was statistically significant (F=7.789,P=0.001).T2 values in the external and central zones of cartilage were larger than those in the internal zone (both P＜0.05).T2 values of cartilagehad no significant differences between the left and right sides in the external,central and internal zones (all P＞0.05).There was significant difference of T2 value in the central zone (P＜0.05),while no significant difference of T2 value in the external and internal zones between different genders was found (both P＞0.05).Conclusion T2 mapping imaging can be used to evaluate the composition of shoulder cartilage changes.

OBJECTIVE: We wanted to evaluate the image quality and diagnostic value of 64-slice dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) coronary angiography in patients with atrial fibrillation (Afib). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The coronary arteries of 22 Afib patients seen on DSCT were classified into 15 segments and the imaging quality (excellent, good, moderate and poor) and significant stenoses (> or = 50%) were evaluated by two radiologists who were blinded to the conventional coronary angiography (CAG) results. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for detecting important coronary artery stenosis were calculated. McNemar test was used to determine any significant difference between DSCT and CAG, and Cohen's Kappa statistics were calculated for the intermodality and interobserver agreement. RESULTS: The mean heart rate was 89 +/- 8.3 bpm (range: 80-118 bpm). A range from 250 msec to 300 msec within the RR interval was the optimal reconstruction interval for the patients with Afib. The respective overall sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV values were 74%, 97%, 81% and 96% for reader 1 and 72%, 98%, 85% and 96% for reader 2. No significant difference between DSCT and CAG was found for detecting a significant stenosis (reader 1, p = 1.0; reader 2, p = 0.727). Cohen's Kappa statistics demonstrated good intermodality and interobserver agreement. CONCLUSION: 64-slice DSCT coronary angiography provides good image quality in patients with atrial fibrillation without the need for controlling the heart rate. DSCT can be used for ruling out significant stenosis in patients with atrial fibrillation with its high NPV for detecting in important stenosis.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Algorithms ; Atrial Fibrillation/*radiography ; Contrast Media/diagnostic use ; Coronary Angiography/*methods ; Coronary Disease/*radiography ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Iohexol/analogs & derivatives/diagnostic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Radiation Dosage ; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods

OBJECTIVESTo explore the clinical features of traumatic atlantoaxial instability combined with subaxial cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI), and to analyze the feasibility, indication and therapeutic effects of anterior-posterior approach in such cases.

METHODSFrom March 2004 to September 2009, 16 cases with this trauma were admitted and surgically treated in our department. Before surgery, skull traction was performed. Posterior atlantoaxial pedicle screw internal fixation and bone graft fusion were conducted to manage traumatic atlantoaxial instability. As for subaxial CSCI, anterior cervical corpectomy or discectomy decompression, bone grafting and internal fixation with steel plates were applied.

RESULTSAll operations were successful. The average operation time was 3 hours and operative blood loss 400 ml. Satisfactory reduction of both the upper and lower cervical spine and complete decompression were achieved. All patients were followed up for 12 to 36 months. Their clinical symptoms were improved by various levels. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores ranged from 10 to 16 one year postoperatively, 13.95+/-2.06 on average(improvement rate equal to 70.10%). X-rays, spiral CT and MRI confirmed normal cervical alignments, complete decompression and fine implants'position. There was no breakage or loosening of screws, nor exodus of titanium mesh or implanted bone blocks. The grafted bone achieved fusion 3-6 months postoperatively and no atlantoaxial instability was observed.

CONCLUSIONSTraumatic atlantoaxial instability may combine with subaxial CSCI, misdiagnosis of which should be especially alerted and avoided. For severe cases, one stage anterior-posterior approach to decompress the upper and lower cervical spine, together with reposition, bone grafting and fusion, as well as internal fixation can immediately restore the normal alignments and stability of the cervical spine and effectively improve the spinal nervous function, thus being an ideal approach.

Aged ; Atlanto-Axial Joint ; injuries ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Joint Instability ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; diagnosis ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of five-repetition sit-to-stand test (5STS) in clinical evaluation of elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODSFifty-one patients with COPD and 20 healthy individuals were enrolled in this study. All the participants underwent 5STS, pulmonary function examination, and 6 min walking test (6MWT) and were evaluated for severity of dyspnea (by mMRC) and BODE index during the tests.

RESULTSAll the participants completed 5STS test with a good reproducibility of the time used for 3 sessions of the test (P<0.001). The mean time used by COPD patients for 5STS was significantly longer than that by healthy individuals (12.93±3.11s vs 0.72±0.71 s, P=0.002). The results of 5STS showed a significant negative correlation with those of 6MWT in the case group and control group with correlation coefficients of -0.611 and -0.682, respectively. The results of 5STS were negatively correlated with FEV1%Pre and body mass index (P<0.05) but positively with mMRC and BODE index in COPD patients (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION5STS is a simple and reproducible test to evaluate the patients' exercise capacity and the severity of COPD, and is well correlated with the current methods for clinical evaluation of COPD.

Body Mass Index ; Case-Control Studies ; Dyspnea ; Exercise Test ; Humans ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; diagnosis ; Reproducibility of Results ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Walking

OBJECTIVETo construct a subtractive cDNA library of genes transactivated by hepatitis B virus X protein (HBX) using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) technique and to clone genes associated with HBX transactivating function.

METHODSThe mRNA was isolated from HepG2 cells transfected with pcDNA3.1(-)-X and pcDNA3.1(-) empty vector respectively, then cDNA was synthesized. After restriction enzyme RsaI digestion, a number of small size cDNA was obtained. Then tester cDNA was subdivided into two portions and each was ligated with different cDNA adaptor. After tester cDNA was hybridized with driver cDNA twice and underwent nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) twice the production was subcloned into T/A plasmid vectors to set up the subtractive cDNA library. Amplification of the library was carried out with E. coli strain JM109, some cDNA was sequenced and analyzed in GenBank with Blast.

RESULTSThe subtractive cDNA library of genes transactivated by HBX was constructed. The amplified library contained 85 positive clones, and colony PCR showed that these clones contained 200-1000 bp inserts. 65 clones were analyzed by sequencing and bioinformatics, which suggested nineteen known genes and fifteen genes with unknown function.

CONCLUSIONA subtractive cDNA library of genes transactivated by HBX using SSH technique has been constructed successfully, which may bring some new clues for studying the biological functions of HBX and the pathogenesis of hepatoma.

Cloning, Molecular ; Gene Library ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Trans-Activators ; physiology ; Transcriptional Activation

OBJECTIVETo investigate whether the -1438G/A polymorphism in the promoter region of 5-HTR2A gene associates with the weight gain following antipsychotic agents (APS) acute treatment in schizophrenic patients.

METHODSEighty-four Chinese Han patients with schizophrenia at the first onset were recruited from among 70 nuclear families. The polymorphism of 5-HTR2A gene was determined with PCR-RFLP technique. Body weight was measured in the patients on admission after 10 weeks of treatment with risperidone or chlorpromazine.

RESULTSThere were no statistically significant differences in the distribution frequencies of genotype (chi2: 0.172, v1, P > 0.05) and allele (chi2: 0.121, v1, P > 0.05) of -1438G/A polymorphism of 5-HTR2A gene between subgroups (weight gain >or= 7% or < 7%). Likewise, there was no significant difference in weight gain between genotype groups. By means of transmission disequilibrium test and quantitative transmission disequilibrium test, no significant association between the -1438G/A polymorphism of 5-HTR2A gene and weight gain was observed.

CONCLUSION5-HTR2A gene -1438G/A polymorphism was probably not associated with APS-induced weight gain in Chinese Han patients with schizophrenia in this study.

Adult ; Antipsychotic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Chlorpromazine ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A ; genetics ; Risperidone ; therapeutic use ; Schizophrenia ; drug therapy ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Weight Gain ; drug effects ; genetics