OBJECTIVETo examine the effect of short-term occupational lead exposure on the inflammatory response system in blood among workers.

METHODSA total of 255 lead-exposed workers (length of service ≤1 year) at an electronics factory in Dongguan, China (exposure group), as well as 205 managers without any occupational exposure at another factory (control group), were included in the study. Occupational physical examination was done to get peripheral blood counts. The blood lead levels of workers were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The relationship between blood lead and peripheral hemogram was analyzed using SPSS software.

RESULTSThe exposure group had blood lead levels of 0.07∼1.70 µmol/L, falling within the normal range. The leukocyte count, percentage of granulocytes, and absolute value of granulocytes were significantly higher in the exposure group than in the control group, and the results remained unchanged after adjustment for age and sex (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in red blood cell count and hemoglobin value between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONShort-term occupational lead exposure may increase the counts of inflammatory cells in blood, but it has little effect on red blood cells and hemoglobin.

Adult ; Blood Cell Count ; China ; Electronics ; Female ; Humans ; Lead ; blood ; Lead Poisoning ; blood ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the influence of anti-depression therapy on cardiac function and short-term prognosis in elderly patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and the safety and effectiveness of fluoxetine in these patients.Methods Ninety six elderly hospitalized patients with CHF accompanied with depressive disorder were randomly divided into two groups:fluoxetine (20mg once daily)and placebo treated groups based on the routine cardiac drug therapy for 3 months. Results The prevalence rate of depressive disorder in elderly patients with CHF was 31.1%.The length of stay of fluoxetine group was shorter than that of placebo group.The post-treatment depressive exponents of self-rating depression scale(SDS)in fluoxetine group (51.39%?8.63)was lower than those in pretreatment and in placebo group.The improvement of cardiac function in fluoxetine group(53.4%?4.5%) was much better than that of placebo group (P

The burned bone DNA test have became more and more important in identifying the individuals and paternity involved in the fire, explosion disasters as well as burn corpse crimes. As an important genetic marker system, STR has been widely used in forensic individual identification, paternity test and other fields. In this article, the influence of burned temperature and time to STR typing was reviewed, the choice of STR locus and DNA extraction methods were discussed about burned bones.
Bone and Bones/pathology* ; Burns/pathology* ; DNA/analysis* ; Disasters ; Fires ; Forensic Genetics ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Microsatellite Repeats/genetics* ; Paternity

Objective To investigate the correlation between the changes of serum S100B protein level in acute phase and the scores of mini-mental state examination (MMSE) in patients with brain concussion, and evaluate the role of serum S100B protein level in the prognosis of cognition disorders after brain concussion. Methods The serum S100B protein level was determined by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 126 cases of brain concussion 6 and 12 h, and 3 d after admission, and these data were compared with those in 96 cases of moderate head trauma without transitory loss of consciousness (admitted to our hospital at the same period, control group). MMSE was performed 1 and 14 d and 3 months after injury, and the correlation between the changes of serum S100B level in acute phase and MMSE scores was observed. Results As compared with that in control group,the serum S100B protein level in patients with brain concussion was significant higher at 6 and 12 h after admission(P＜0.05). The serum S100B protein level at 6 h, but not at 12 h and 3 d after admission, was closely associated with the MMSE scores 1 and 14 d and 3 months after injury. Conclusion Early elevation of S100B within 6 h of admission in patients with brain concussion, obviously correlating with cognitive impairment, may serve as an important prognostic marker in predicting clinical outcome of cognition disorders after brain injury.

Objective To investigate the effective treatments of combined injury with craniocerebral firearm wound in dogs immersed by seawater under maritime environment. Methods Models of combined injury with craniocerebral firearm wound, including craniocerebral gunshot wound,open chest injury, open abdominal injury, open trauma of extremities and burn injury, were established in 60 healthy adult mongrel dogs. Animal models after being wounded were immersed by the seawater for 30 min, and then, they were equally randomized into conventional treatment group and comprehensive treatment group; 30 dogs in the conventional treatment group were given routine treatment and the other 30 dogs in the comprehensive treatment group were given lukewarm glucose liquid, β-aescin, naloxone hydrochloride, levofloxacin and re-warming treatments besides the conventional treatment. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound, blood gas analysis, measurement of plasma osmotic pressure and intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring were performed on the dogs of the 2 groups; and the treatment efficacy of the 2groups were compared. Results Low incidence rate of brain vasospasm was noted and TCD indicated that blood flow speed approached normal in the comprehensive treatment group 3 h after the treatment.The plasma osmotic pressure and the indicators of metabolic acidosis reached normal levels in the comprehensive treatment group 12 h after the treatment. The ICP significantly decreased in the comprehensive treatment group 24 h after the treatment. Survival rate in the comprehensive treatment group (70%) was significantly higher as compared with that in the conventional treatment group (53%)7 d after the treatment (P＜0.05). All the indexes in the comprehensive treatment group were better than those in the conventional treatment group (P＜0.05) Conclusion Early infusion of lukewarm hypotonic solution can significantly reduce the osmotic pressure, correct the electrolyte balance, help the re-warming and prolong the survival rate. Naloxone possesses protective effect on brain. The β-aescine sodium can diminish viscosity, slow down brain edema progress, obviously reduce ICP and improve brain tissue oxygen metabolism. In a word, comprehensive treatment in effective in treating combined injury with craniocerebral firearm wound.

OBJECTIVETo identify genes that differentially expressed in Lin(-)CD(34)(-) and Lin(-)CD(34)(+) cells.

METHODSWith Lin(-)CD(34)(-) cells as tester and Lin(-)CD(34)(+) cells as driver, cDNA subtractive library for Lin(-)CD(34)(-) cells was constructed using suppression subtractive hybridization technique. Part of clones in the library were sequenced and the homologue analysis was conducted against the DNA database in GenBank.

RESULTS593 clones containing an average of 300 - 500 bp insert were identified. Of them, 53 randomly selected ESTs were sequenced. Homologue analysis revealed that 37 ESTs represented 10 known genes, and the other 16 ESTs represented 4 novel sequences.

CONCLUSIONPart of specifically expressed genes in Lin(-)CD(34)(-) cells were identified, which maybe related to Lin(-)CD(34)(-) cells' specific characteristics.

Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Cloning, Molecular ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Library ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization

Adult ; Female ; Hemangioma ; surgery ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spleen ; surgery ; Splenectomy ; methods ; Splenic Neoplasms ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo introduce the WHO 2000 diagnostic criteria of biopsy of colorectal intraepithelial neoplasia and carcinoma and to enhance diagnostic accuracy and avoid overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis.

METHODThe postoperative pathological examination and preoperative biopsy in 56 patients diagnosed as colorectal intraepithelial neoplasia and carcinoma before operation from January 2001 to October 2005 were compared retrospectively.

RESULTSAmong the 56 cases, 16 patients were diagnosed by preoperative biopsy as carcinoma in situ, intramucosal carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, but according to the new standard, of them 14 cases should be revised to be higher grade colorectal intraepithelial neoplasia.

CONCLUSIONSStrictly adhere to the new WHO criteria, colorectal intraepithelial neoplasia and carcinoma can be diagnosed properly, but for the cases that submucosal muscular layer would not presented in biopsy, the diagnosis should be made by combining clinical findings and various examination results so as to avoid underdiagnosis and delay of treatment.

Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Carcinoma in Situ ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Colon ; pathology ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Preoperative Care ; Rectum ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies

AIMTo investigate glutamate-induced [Ca2+]i changes in cultured rat neonatal cortical astrocytes after hypoxia/reoxygenation, H2O2 or high concentration of L-glutamate injury. In the meantime, the effects of Gingko biloba extract (GbE) were examined.

METHODS[Ca2+]i changes in astrocytes were monitored by laser scanning confocal microscopy with the Ca2+ sensitive fluorescent probe fluo-3.

RESULTSAfter astrocytes were impaired by hypoxia/reoxygenation, H2O2 (50 micromol x L(-1)) or L-glutamate (0.25 mmol x L(-)), the exogenous glutamate (27 micromol x L(-1)) could not induce increase of [Ca2+]i, but decrease by (3.3 +/- 1.6)%, (81 +/- 11)% and (81 +/- 7)%, respectively. Pretreatment with GbE (10 mg x L(-1)) could not improve injured astrocytic glutamate response. But after pretreatment with GbE (100 mg x L(-1)), glutamate-induced [Ca2+]i elevation of astrocytes after hypoxia/reoxygenation, H2O2 or high concentration of L-glutamate injury were (135 +/- 98)%, (117 +/- 93)% and (89 +/- 36)%, respectively. Nimodipine (1.6 mg x L(-1)) could also reverse the abnormal response of astrocytes after different injury.

CONCLUSIONHypoxia/reoxygenation, H2O2 and high concentration of L-glutamate impaired astrocytes' response to exogenous L-glutamate, and then bidirectional communication between astrocytes and neurons could not take place. GbE could improve the abnormal responses and maintain the normal function of astroglical network. These effects support that GbE has potential beneficial actions against brain injury.

Animals ; Astrocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cells, Cultured ; Cerebral Cortex ; cytology ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Ginkgo biloba ; chemistry ; Glutamic Acid ; toxicity ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; toxicity ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Reperfusion Injury

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the performance of BNII auto-analyzer system in detecting C3 and C4.

METHODSCLSI protocols (EP15-A, EP6-A, EP9-A2) and other relevant literatures were use to or evaluate the precision, accuracy, linearity of C3 and C4 detection by the auto-analyzer system, and the results were compared with the recognized standards.

RESULTSThe relative bias of C3 and C4 was less than one third of the CLIA'88 standard and the precision met the clinical requirement. The results tested by DADE BNII system were not compatible with those by Roche Modular System. C3 showed good linearity in the tests (R2>0.975, P<0.05) with a linearity range of 0.18-5.1 g/L. The linearity of C4 was not available because of lack of high-level samples.

CONCLUSIONThe performances of DADE BNII System basically meet the recognized standards in clinical detection of C3 and C4, but the method comparison needs further validation.

Autoanalysis ; methods ; Blood Chemical Analysis ; instrumentation ; methods ; Complement C3 ; analysis ; Complement C4 ; analysis ; Humans ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; instrumentation ; methods ; Proteins ; analysis ; Sensitivity and Specificity