Objective To evaluate the value of (1 ,3)‐β‐D‐glucan(G test) in the diagnosis of invasive pulmonary fungal infection (IPFI)in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) .Methods 96 COPD patients with high risk of IPFI were en‐rolled in the study ,and were divided into IPFI group and non‐IPFI group .The G test were performed on those people while the tra‐ditional methods sputum smear and fungal culture were also performed .The (1 ,3)‐β‐D‐glucan concentrations of IPFI group and non‐IPFI group were compared ,and then the areas under receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) were calculated .The sensi‐tivity ,specificity ,positive predictive value ,negative predictive value ,and the area under ROC of the two methods (G test and tradi‐tional methods) were compared .Results The sensitivity ,specificity ,positive predictive value ,negative predictive value of G test were 89 .5% ,89 .6% ,68 .0% ,97 .2% ,respectively ,when 20 pg/mL was the critical value .Areas under curve were 0 .942 for G test ,and 0 .790 for traditional method .Conclusion The detection of (1 ,3)‐β‐D‐glucan might be faster and with higher positive rate than traditional method ,and could be used for the early diagnosis of IPFI ,provide reference for the treatment .

An 11 year old girl presented with dyspnea and a rough cough, after having mistakenly swallowed a steel ball and unable to relieve the symptoms. Chest X-ray showed an image consistent with a 10 mm diameter circular object, embedded in the right mainstem bronchi near the fifth thoracic level and the medicastinal moving to the right. A clinical diagnosis based on these findings: foreign body of the right bronchial.
Bronchi ; pathology ; Bronchoscopes ; Bronchoscopy ; Child ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; surgery ; Humans ; Laryngoscopy

Objective To investigate the effect of compound catechu anti-diarrhea ointment on the expression of aquaporin3 (AQP3) in the colonic tissues of diarrhea rat model, and the mechanism thereof. Methods Forty SD rats were randomly divided into four groups:blank control group, model control group, positive control group and compound catechu anti-diarrhea ointment group. Rats were given 6 g blank matrix cream in model control group, 2 mL suspension of berberine in positive control group and compound catechu anti-diarrhea ointment in compound catechu anti-diarrhea ointment group, two times/d for 7 d. The rat model of diarrhea was established by using senna intragastric administration. The water content of feces was measured. The expression of AQP3 in colonic tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry assay. Results The water contents of feces were significantly higher in model control group (64.09±0.41)%than those of other three groups (F=53.879,P＜0.05). There was no significant difference in the water content of feces between compound catechu anti-diar-rhea ointment group (48.83 ± 1.08)%and positive control group (46.87 ± 2.19)%. The AQP3-positive cells were mainly ex-pressed in the intestinal mucosa. The dyeing index was significantly lower in model control group (0.85±0.18) than that of other three groups (F=14.971,P＜0.05). There was no significant difference in the dyeing index between compound catechu anti-diarrhea ointment group (1.30±0.18) and positive control group (1.37±0.14). Conclusion Compound catechu anti-di-arrhea ointment can significantly reduce the water contents of feces, which may be related to the increased AQP 3 expression in colonic tissues.

Objective To study the interaction of BDNF gene C270T polymorphism and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)gene Xba Ⅰ loci and Pvu Ⅱ loci polymorphism in late-onset Alzheimer's disease(LOAD)pathogenesis in southern Chinese Han population.Methods BNDF gene C270T locus,ERα gene Xba Ⅰ site and Pvu Ⅱ site polymorphisms were examined in 203 LOAD patients and normal controls using PCR-RFLP technique.Results There was an interaction be-tween BDNF gene and ERα gene,and BDNF gene C270T locus CC genotype and the ERa gene Xba Ⅰ locus xx genotype increased the LOAD incidance risk(OR=2.38,95%CI:1.02～5.53).Conclusions BDNF gene and ERα gene are in-teracted each other in the pathogenesis of LOAD.Patients carrying both BDNF gene C270T locus CC genotype and the ERα gene Xba Ⅰ locus xx genotypes might have an increased risk for LOAD.

Diagnosis, Differential ; Endometrial Stromal Tumors ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; pathology ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Neprilysin ; metabolism ; Receptors, Estrogen ; metabolism ; Receptors, Progesterone ; metabolism ; Rectal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Rectum ; surgery ; Solitary Fibrous Tumors ; metabolism ; pathology

Objective We aimed to use 1H-MRS to characterize metabolite concentrations in the bilateral hippo?campus in GPI patient. Methods Metabolite ratios in the bilateral hippocampus were compared between patients with GPI (n=52) and Normal Control (NC) (n=38). Clinical neurological tests were measured in all subjects and were correlat?ed to the metabolite concentrations. Results The GPI patients showed significantly lower concentrations of N-acetylas?partate(NAA)/creatine(Cr) ratios in the bilateral hippocampus region compared to the NC subjects. There was significant?ly difference in the NAA/Cr ratios between the mild GPI dementia and the severe GPI dementia groups on the left hippo?campus region. We found that the NAA/Cr ratios concentrations were positively correlated with Mini Mental state Exami?nation (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale (MoCA) scores in the left hippocampus region and the mI/Cr ra?tios concentrations were positively correlated. Conclusions GPI Patients have neuronal dysfunction in the bilateral hippo?campus. The severity of cognitive impairments is associated with the severity of the damage in the left side.

Background Retinal development continues during the early postnatal period in mammals.Correct arrangement of layers and precise location of various cells in the retina are vital for forming normal visual function during critical period plasticity.Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography(SD-OCT)provides highquality in vivo retinal imaging and the possibility to measure retinal thickness longitudinally. Objective The present study was to investigate the changes of retinal thickness during critical period plasticity in rats. Methods In vivo consecutive scanning of retinal image was performed in 10 SPF Sprague-Dawley rats at postnatal day 14(P14),P18,P21,P24 and P42 with SD-OCT,and retinal histopathological examination was used to detect retinal morphologic changes at the same postnatal ages in 20 matched rats.The whole retinal thickness,the thickness from inner limiting membrane(ILM)to inner plexiform layer(IPL),the thickness of inner nuclear layer(INL)and the thickness from outer nuclear layer(ONL)to retinal pigment epithelium(RPE)were measured using Cirrus HD-OCT system and HMIAS-2000 Imaging System in retinal sections.The measurement parameters by Cirrus HD-OCT and those by hematoxylin-eosin staining were compared.The use of animals followed the Statement of National Institute of Health (USA). Results In vivo high-resolution images of rat retinas with SD-OCT compared well with histology,which enabled quantitative comparison of the SD-OCT and histological data during critical period plasticity in rats.From P14 to P42,the retinal thickness gradually decreased with the increase of rat ages(F=15.425,P=0.000),and so were the thickness from ILM to IPL,the thickness of INL and the thickness from ONL to RPE(F=3.973,P=0.007;F=17.529,P=0.000;F=7.038,P=0.000).The retinal thickness,thickness of INL.thickness from ONL to RPE measured by Cirrus HD-OCT were significantly correlated with those measured by retinal sections among P14,P18,P21,P24 and P42 rats(r=0.794,P=0.000;r=0.784,P=0.000;r=0.681,P=0.000). Conclusion SD-OCT is a demonstratably valuable technology to study the structure of retinas in rats.The retinal thickness is shown to reduce in thickness throughout the development of the retina during critical period plasticity due to the decrease in thickness of INL and the distance from the ONL to RPE,as illustrated by OCT scanning.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation of the deleted azoospermia (DAZ) gene copy related to gr/gr and b2/b3 deletions in the AZFc region with male spermatogenic impairment.

METHODSThis study included 121 infertile men with different de- grees of spermatogenic impairment and 95 healthy donors from the sperm bank. Using PCR, PCR-RFLP, and Y chromosome specific sequence tagged sites (STS) , we analyzed the association of DAZ gene copy deletions related to gr/gr and b2/b3 deletions in the AZFc region with spermatogenic impairment.

RESULTSThere were 15 cases of gr/gr deletion (12. 40% ) and 6 cases of b2/b3 deletion (4.96%) in the infertility group as compared with 13 cases of gr/gr deletion (13.68%) and 1 case of b2/b3 deletion (1.05%) in the control. Analysis of the DAZ-specific single nucleotide variant (SNV) loci revealed 11 gr/gr-DAZI/DAZ2 deletions (9.09%), 4 gr/gr-DAZ3/DAZ4 deletions (3.31%), and 6 b2/b3-DAZ1/DAZ2 deletions (4.96%) in the infertile men in comparison with 3 gr/ gr-DAZ1/DAZ2 deletions (3.16%), 10 gr/gr-DAZ3/DAZ4 deletions (10.53%), and 1 b2/b3- DAZ3/DAZ4 deletion (1.05%) in the control.

CONCLUSIONPartial deletions of gr/gr and b2/b3 exist in both healthy men and male patients with different degrees of spermatogenic impairment and cannot be considered as a risk factor for spermatogenesis impairment. However, deletions of different DAZ duplicons in gr/gr and b2/b3 deletions have different effects on spermatogenesis. DAZ1/DAZ2 instead of DAZ3/DAZ4 deletions might be associated with spermatogenesis impairment.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignant tumors as well as a frequent cause of cancer-related mortality in men worldwide. The test of serum markers has dramatically improved the early diagnosis of PCa, but its underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet completely identified. Long noncoding RNA (IncRNA) is emerging as a new player in the PCa paradigm demonstrating its potential roles in both oncogenic and tumor suppressive pathways. LncRNA is frequently aberrantly expressed in the majority of PCa cases. This review highlights recent findings of the aberrant expression of lncRNA in PCa and discusses its novel roles in the diagnosis, prediction, prognosis, metastasis, and potential clinical treatment of PCa.
Humans ; Male ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; RNA, Long Noncoding ; metabolism

Objective To observe whether the dopaminergic neuroprotective effect of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is associated with its inhibition of microglial cell activation in vivo. Methods The effects of EGCG at different doses on dopaminergic neuronal survival were tested in a methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium (MPP+)-induced dopaminergic neuronal injury model in the primary mesencephalic cell cultures. With unbiased stereological method, tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-ir) cells were counted in the A8, A9 and A10 regions of the substantia nigra (SN) in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated C57BL/6 mice. The effect of EGCG on microglial activation in the SN was also investigated. Results Pretreatment with EGCG (1 to 100 μmol/L) significantly attenuated MPP+-induced TH-ir cell loss by 22.2% to 80.5% in the mesencephalic cell cultures. In MPTP-treated C57BL/6 mice, EGCG at a low concentration (1 mg/kg) provided significant protection against MPTP-induced TH-ir cell loss by 50.9% in the whole nigral area and by 71.7% in the A9 region. EGCG at 5 mg/kg showed more prominent protective effect than at 1 or 10 mg/kg. EGCG pretreatment significantly inhibited microglial activation and CD1 1b expression induced by MPTP. Conclusion EGCG exerts potent dopaminergic neuroprotective activity by means of microglial inhibition, which shed light on the potential use of EGCG in treatment of Parkinson's disease.