The epidural venous plexus is considered as a cause of low back and leg pain but has been neglected for a long time. As an auxiliary drainage system of the vena cava, the epidural venous plexus plays an important role in the circulation of body fluids, and its tortuous expansion may lead to clinical symptoms similar to a herniated disc or spinal stenosis, by compressing nerve roots or dura. Due to the lack of specificity of imaging findings, it is difficult to distinguish accurately from disc herniation or spinal stenosis. The epidural venous plexus is tortuous and thin-walled, which is easy to be broken during the operation that resulted in obscuring the surgical field and leading to other complications such as postoperative hematoma. Despite researches of epidural venous plexus have been carried out for years, details are still left unknow. We hereby reviewed the latest research progress of the epidural venous plexus including anatomical structure, morphological characteristics, clinical significance and imaging examination.

The present study has been performed to evaluate Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.gingivalis) heat shock protein(HSP)60 as a candidate vaccine to inhibit multiple bacteria-induced alveolar bone loss. Rats were immunized with P.gingivalis HSP60 and experimental alveolar bone loss was induced by infection with multiple periodonto -pathogenic bacteria. Post-immune rat anti-P.gingivalis HSP IgG levels were significantly elevated and have demonstrated highly significant inverse relationship with the amount of alveolar bone loss induced by multiple bacteria. Results from PCR detection of subgingival bacterial plaque indicated that the vaccine successfully eradicated the multiple pathogenic species. We concluded that P.gingivalis HSP60 could potentially be developed as a vaccine to inhibit periodontal disease induced by multiple pathogenic bacteria.
Alveolar Bone Loss* ; Animals ; Bacteria ; Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hot Temperature* ; Immunoglobulin G ; Periodontal Diseases ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Porphyromonas gingivalis* ; Porphyromonas* ; Rats* ; Shock

Objective To explore the feasibility of iodized Nang(bread) prepared with iodized salt and non-iodized rock salt as vehicle of iodine. Methods Two kinds of Nang, each of 10 respectively, were grilled with 30 g iodized salt water and non-iodized rock salt water mixed with 2 kg flour by the local cooker, then put inside of Nang oven using traditional methods of grilled Nang in Xinjiang. The samples were collected from different parts of Nang, including the layers facing oven wall and the fire, as well as inside of Nang. The method for determination of iodine in foodstuff by dry ashing As ~Ⅲ-Ce~(4+) catalytic spectrephotometry was used to determine iodine concentration in Nang. Results Iodine content in iodized and non-iodized Nang was (0.654 ± 0.076)mg/kg and (0.075 ± 0.022)mg/kg, respectively. In addition, Iodine content in two kinds of Nang was significantly different and iodine content of Nang with iodized salt was much higher than that with non-iodized rock salt(t = 13.520, P <0.01 ). Iodine content in two kinds of Nang from the layers facing oven wall and the fire, as well as inside of Nang were (0.700 ± 0.100), (0.064 ± 0.029)mg/kg; (0.647 ± 0.076), (0.070 ± 0.019)mg/kg; (0.659 ± 0.073), (0.073 ±0.030)mg/kg, respectively. Iodine content in two kinds of Nang of the same parts was significantly different(t =3.826,4.201,4.103, all P < 0.01 ). There was no significant difference of iodine content in different parts of the same kind of Nang(F = 0.220,0.190, all P > 0.05). Conclusions Grilled Nang with iodized salt contains sufficient iodine, and the iodine content of the same kind of Nang in different parts has no significant difference. Our studydemonstrated that Nang is a vehicle available for iodine fortification since Nang is very popular food for local population in Xinjiang.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical features and prognosis in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and autoimmune liver diseases (ALD). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of clinical manifestation and prognosis was performed in patients with ALD or without ALD during the three years (February 2014 to December 2017). RESULTS: Totally, 203 patients with pSS were included in this study, 68 patients had ALD (31 patients with autoimmune hepatitis, 37 patients with primary biliary cholangitis), while 135 patients did not have ALD. There were no differences between the two groups regarding age, gender, clinical manifestations, such as dry mouth, dry eyes, pain, fatigue, lymphadenopathy, glandular swelling, cutaneous involvement, lung involvement, and renal involvement, and the incidence rate of other autoimmune diseases, such as autoimmune thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and vasculitis. There were also no differences in the titer of antinuclear antibody (ANA), the positive rates of anti-Sjögren's syndrome A antibody (SSA), SSA52, and anti-Sjögren's syndrome B antibody (SSB), and at the levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein between the two groups. Most importantly, the pSS patients with ALD had a shorter disease course, a higher positive rate of anti-mitochondrial M2 antibody (AMA-M2) and anti-centromere antibody, a higher level of IgG and IgM, a lower level of complement 3, and a decreased number of blood cells. They also had a higher level of liver related serum index, such as alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, a higher incidence rate of liver cirrhosis, an increased death incident (the mortality was 13.24% in the pSS patients with ALD, while 2.96% in the controls, P=0.013), and a worse prognosis. Binary Logistic regression analysis revealed that liver cirrhosis, the EULAR Sjögren's syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI) scores and the level of total bilirubin were the prognostic factors of mortality in the pSS patients with ALD. The survival curve was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. It demonstrated that the pSS patients with ALD had a lower survival rate when compared with the controls. CONCLUSION The patients with both pSS and ALD will suffer from a more severe disease and a higher death incident. We should pay more attention to these patients and provide a better symptomatic treatment for them during clinical practice.
Hepatitis, Autoimmune/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Sjogren's Syndrome/epidemiology*

Heat shock protein (HSP) is one of cellular protein commonly present in major periodontopathogenic bacteria as well as mammalian cells. The protein may play a role in the immunopathogenesis by modulating autoimmune reaction due to its high level of sequence homology between bacteria and human counterpart. Hence, identifying immunodomiant epitope of bacteria HSP that is cross-reactive to periodontopathogenic bacteria with a specificity to human HSP may comprise a critical strategy for development of a periodontal vaccine. The present study was performed to establish clones producing monoclonal antibody reactive to Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) HSP with a specificity to human HSP. 4 different hybridomas were cloned producing monoclonal IgG antibodies to P. gingivalis HSP and evaluated for their reactivity and specificity to other periodontopathogenic bacteria as well as to human HSP. These four monoclonal antibodies reacted with P. gingivalis HSP only with specificities to other bacteria tested and human HSP as well. The antigenic epitopes producing the 4 monoclonal antibody may be potentially developed as vaccine candidates. Further investigations are under way to identify more clones producing monoclonal antibodies reactive to P. gingivalis HSP and to other periodontopathogenic bacteria as well, while maintaining specificities to human counterpart.
Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Bacteria ; Clone Cells ; Epitopes ; Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hot Temperature* ; Humans ; Hybridomas ; Immunoglobulin G ; Porphyromonas gingivalis* ; Porphyromonas* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sequence Homology

BACKGROUNDNitroglycerin (NTG) is one of the few immediate treatments for acute angina. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is a key enzyme in the human body that facilitates the biological metabolism of NTG. The biological mechanism of NTG serves an important function in NTG efficacy. Some reports still contradict the results that the correlation between ALDH2 gene polymorphisms and NTG and its clinical efficacy is different. However, data on NTG measurement by pain relief are subjective. This study aimed to investigate the influence of ALDH2 gene polymorphism on intervention with sublingual NTG using noninvasive hemodynamic parameters of cardiac output (CO) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) in Northern Chinese Han population.

METHODSThis study selected 559 patients from the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University. A total of 203 patients presented with coronary heart disease (CHD) and 356 had non-CHD (NCHD) cases. All patient ALDH2 genotypes (G504A) were detected and divided into two types: Wild (GG) and mutant (GA/AA). Among the CHD group, 103 were wild-type cases, and 100 were mutant-type cases. Moreover, 196 cases were wild-type, and 160 cases were mutant type among the NCHD volunteers. A noninvasive hemodynamic detector was used to monitor the CO and the SVR at the 0, 5, and 15 minute time points after medication with 0.5 mg sublingual NTG. Two CO and SVR indicators were used for a comparative analysis of all case genotypes.

RESULTSBoth CO and SVR indicators significantly differed between the wild and mutant genotypes at various time points after intervention with sublingual NTG at 5 and 15 minutes in the NCHD (F = 16.460, 15.003, P = 0.000, 0.000) and CHD groups (F = 194.482, 60.582, P = 0.000, 0.000). All CO values in the wild-type case of both NCHD and CHD groups increased, whereas those in the mutant type decreased. The CO and ΔCO differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05; P < 0.05). The SVR and ΔSVR changed between the wild- and mutant-type cases at all-time points in both NCHD and CHD groups had statistically significant differences (P < 0.05; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONALDH2 (G504A) gene polymorphism is associated with changes in noninvasive hemodynamic parameters (i.e. CO and SVR) after intervention with sublingual NTG. This gene polymorphism may influence the effect of NTG intervention on Northern Chinese Han population.

Aged ; Aldehyde Dehydrogenase ; genetics ; Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; drug effects ; genetics ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nitroglycerin ; pharmacology ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo compare agitated saline solution (AS) and the mixture of AS with blood (ASb) as the contrast agents in contrast transcranial Doppler (c-TCD) in the diagnosis of patent foramen ovale (PFO).

METHODSWe recruited 248 consecutive patients for c-TCD examination between November 2015 and January 2016, and the sequence of the use of AS (9 mL saline solution mixed with 1 mL air) and ASb (9 mL saline solution and a drop of the patient's blood mixed with 1 mL air) was determined by coin-tossing method. Before the examination, the contrast agent was injected with or without Valsalva maneuvers (VM), and the number of microbubbles within 25 s after the contrast agent injection and the time of first appearance of microbubbles were recorded by observing the TCD spectrum. Each injection was repeated twice and the interval between tests was at least 5 min. We classified PFO according to the number of microbubbles into negative (no microbubble), grade I (1-10 microbubbles), grade II (>10 microbubbles but no curtain), and grade III (with curtain).

RESULTSs The positivity rates in diagnosis with AS without VM, AS with VM, ASb without VM, and ASb with VM tests were 10.9%, 23.8%, 12.1% and 25.8%, respectively. AS with VM test had a higher positive rate than AS without VM test (23.8% vs 10.9%, P=0.001), and ASb with VM test had a higher positive rate than ASb without VM test (25.8% vs 12.1%, P=0.001). The positive rates were similar between ASb without VM and AS without VM test (12.1% vs 10.9%, P=0.250) and between ASb with VM test and AS with VM test (25.8% vs 23.8%, P=0.125).

CONCLUSIONVM can improve the positive rate of PFO diagnosis in c-TCD examination, and the positive rates are comparable between examinations using the contrast agents AS and ASb.

Contrast Media ; chemistry ; Foramen Ovale, Patent ; diagnostic imaging ; Microbubbles ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sodium Chloride ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial ; Valsalva Maneuver

Objective To learn the prevalence of overweight and obesity among city residents in Wenzhou city.Methods Byusing multistage stratified cluster sampling method,a total of 10 449 residents aged 18 years and above were selected forquestionnaires interview,physical examination and laboratory testing ,analyzed the prevalence and risk factors of overweightand obesity among city residents.Results The crude prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 32.60% and7.70%,and the age -adjusted rate were 27.50% and 6.51%.The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age(OR =1.01,95%CI:1.01 -1.02)and drinking (OR =1.14,95%CI:1.02 -1.27)were risk factors of overweight andobesity,while high degree of education(OR =0.87,95%CI:0.84 -0.91)and active physical exercise (OR =0.75,95%CI:0.57 -0.98)were protective factors of overweight and obesity.The prevalence rates of hypertension,diabetes,dyslipidemia and hyperuricemia were much higher among adults with overweight and obesity,compared with that of normalweight adults (P <0.01).Conclusion Prevalence of overweight and obesity is high in Wenzhou City.Intervention shouldbe actively carried out for the prevention and control of overweight and obesity.

Objective To investigate the expression of Toll-like receptor(TLR) 9 of circulating plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) and analyze the frequency and interferon (IFN)-?production of circulating pDC during hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection.Methods Peripheral blood was collected from 69 HBV-infected patients,including 14 cases of asymptomatie HBV infection,30 cases of chro- nic hepatitis B(CHB),25 cases of HBV-related liver cirrhosis,and 21 healthy blood donors as con- trols.Flow cytometry was used to analyze the frequency of circulating pDC and the mean fluorescence intensity(MFI) of TLR9.Fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) were stimulated by CpG ODN 2216 for 24 h in vitro.IFN-?in the supernatant was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) to analyze the frequency and IFN-?production of pDC during HBV in- fection.Data were analyzed with SPSS 13.0 for windows.Results Compared with healthy controls (62.6?10.7),the MFI of TLR9 of patients with asymptomatic HBV infection,those of CHB and HBV-related cirrhosis were significantly reduced (P

Objective To investigate the clinical therapeutic effect of biological information infrared liver therapeutic appa-ratus(BILT)combined with praziquantel in the treatment of patients with chronic schistosomiasis. Methods A case-control study was conducted. A total of 142 chronic schistosomiasis patients were divided into an experimental group(BILT combined with praziquantel)with 64 cases and a control group(routine treatment with praziquantel alone)with 78 cases on the basis of the age,gender,disease duration and liver function as paired condition. Fatigue,diarrhea,abdominal distension,liver func-tion,hyaluronic acid(HA)and laminin(LN)were as observation indexes and the observation results were compared between two groups. Results Before the treatment,there were no significant differences between the two groups in the indexes above-mentioned(P>0.05). After the treatment,the incidence rates of fatigue,diarrhea,abdominal distension,abnormal liver func-tion,and the levels of HA and LN in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.01). Conclusion BILT combined with praziquantel can significantly alleviate the short-term clinical symptoms,restore liver func-tion and also alleviate hepatic fibrosis of the patients with chronic schistosomiasis.