Objective To discuss the value of amnionic fluid lamellar body count(LBC) as a predictor of fetal lung maturity. Methods Amnionic fluid was obtained during the cesarean section of 41 normal term pregnancies. LBC was performed on each specimen, and lecithin-sphingomyelin(L/S) ratio was detected simultaneously. Results (1)Amnionic fluid LBC was (86?43)?10 3 (72.5?10 3~99.4?10 3) in normal term pregnancy. (2) Positive correlation was shown between the amnionic fluid LBC and L/S ratio(r=0.66,P=0.001). Conclusion The LBC is a rapid and accurate method to determine the fetal lung maturity.

Crystallization ; Eosinophils ; enzymology ; Fascioliasis ; pathology ; Granuloma ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Lung ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Lung Diseases, Parasitic ; pathology ; Lysophospholipase ; metabolism ; Paragonimiasis ; pathology

Objective To evaluate the neuroprotective effect and safety of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE)treated with recombinant human erythropoietin(rhEPO).Methods Fifty-three neonates with HIE were randomly divided into rhEPO treated group(n=29) with the dosage of 300 U/(kg?time),three times a week for 2 weeks and control group(n=24)without rhEPO.All supportive measures were same between 2 groups.Neurological scoring was evaluated at d3,d5 and d7 Neonatal behavioral neurological assessment(NBNA) was evaluated at d7,d14 and d28.The neurodevelopment quote was evaluated at age of 3 and 6 months.Blood pressure,liver and renal function,blood electrolytes and blood hemoglobin,platelet and reticular red blood cell count were monitored before and after treatment in all infants.Results The neurological scoring between two groups had no difference at d3.The significant difference was found at d7(P0.05).Conclusions Teraphy with rhEPO on neonatal HIE infants can promote neurological recovery,and there is no serious side effect with rhEPO treatment.

Objective:To explore the effect of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) on long-term follow-up study in patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism (APE).
Methods:A total of 214 consecutive patients with the first episode of APE admitted in our hospital from 2009-01 to 2012-12 were enrolled. The patients were divided into 2 groups:RDW≤15%group, n=202 and RDW>15%group, n=12. Baseline RDW was measured at admission, the follow-up study was conducted at 3, 6, 12 months thereafter, and then at once per year. The major primary end point was chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The independent predictor for CTEPH occurrence was studied by uni-and multivariate logistic regression analysis and the predictive capability of RDWwas evaluated by ROC curve.
Results: All patients ifnished the follow-up study at the mean of (31±17) months. The overall occurrence rate of CTEPH was 7.5% (16/214), which was higher in RDW>15% group than that in RDW≤15% group (33.3% vs 5.9%, P=0.002). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that with adjusted clinical data and other predictors, RDW>15%was still the strong predictor for CTEPH occurrence (OR=7.916, 95%CI 1.474-42.500, P=0.016). Adding RDW to the evaluating model, the predictive capability could be signiifcantly improved by ROC curve (AUC increased from 0.856 to 0.901, P<0.01).
Conclusion: Elevated RDW is the independent predictor for CTEPH occurrence in APE patients, which is helpful to estimate the prognosis and treatment strategy in APE patients.

Objective To develop an easy,rapid and reproducible cefotaxime-agar medium(CTX- AM)for phenotypic detection of extended-spectrum ?-lactamases(ESBLs)and AmpC ?-lactamases (AmpCs)in Enterobacteriaceae.Methods The surface of a cefotaxime(CTX,0.5 ?g/ml)-Mueller- Hinton agar and ceftizoxime(CAZ,1 ?g/ml)-Mueller-Hinton agar plate was inoculated with a lawn of E. coli ATCC 25922 according to the standard disk diffusion method,respectively.Immediately prior to use.blank and clavulanic acid(10 ?g),cloxacillin(300 ?g),clavulanic acid/cloxacillin(10/300 ?g) disk were rehydrated with 10 ?l of saline and several colonies of each test organism were applied to disks. Then the results of CTX-AM method to interpret based on a zone of growth around the periphery of disks.A total 58 of ESBL and AmpC producing and non-producing isolates of Enterobacteriaceae,as identified by the double-disk enhancement test(DDET)and the three-dimensional extract method(TDEM).were used to evaluate the CTX-AM method.Positive control(E.cloacae 029M,K.pneumoniae ATCC 700603)and negative control(E.coli ATCC 25922)strains were included.Results The results of CTX-AM method were similar to the DDET and TDEM method for detecting ESBLs and AmpC production in Enterobacteriaceae,respectively.But inhibitor-resistant ?-lactamase(IR-BLs)and other ?-lactamases were not detected by DDET method.Conclusions The new method described here allows for testing of ESBL and AmpCs on a single plate.It is easy to perform and interpret,and also cost-effective,clinical laboratories may use this technique routinely to detect the oresence of ESBL and AmoCs.

Objective To investigate a new surgical method by using pectoralis minor muscle for its partial transplantation to reconstruct the function of the opposite thumb anastomosed vessels and nerves. Methods The proposed method was evaluated by taking 20 cases of adult cadaveric thoraxes and hands,then compared with the morphology and dimension of both pectoralis minor muscle and palmer muscle to study the feasibility of the new method.Based on the observed data.We selected five suitable cases,in which the opposi- tion function was lost,and then applied the new operation on them with partial transplantation of pectoralis mi- nor muscle anastomosed vessels and nerves according to the results of anatomic study.The follow-up study was conducted to observe the functional recovery of opposition of the thumb.Results The main results can be summarized as follows.First,the anatomical position of pectoralis minor muscle was stable,and every peetoralis minor muscle was provided with self-sustaining artery,vein and nerve.The oppostition process of cadaveric hand succeeded after similar transplantation to clinic operation.Second,follow-up studies conducted 6 - 12 months after the operation showed that all five patients recovered fully.The muscle strength in all five cases re- covered to level four or higher.The shape of palm eminence was satisfactory.Conclusion The surgical method of pectoralis minor muscle transplantation for reconstructing the opposition function of the thumb was based on the clinical and anatomical application.The function of opposition of the thumb reached the satisfacto- ry requirement after the operation.So,the new surgical method can achieve better results than other existing operation methods.

OBJECTIVETo probe in the possible acting mechanism of Bizhongxiao Decoction (BZXD) for treatment of early active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by way of observing the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis map of proteins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy persons and RA patients (intervened or un-intervened with BZXD), analyzing the differential proteins and seeking out the RA associated proteins.

METHODSEighteen patients with early active RA were randomized into the BZXD group and the methotrexate (MTX) group, nine in each group, they were treated with BZXD (contained 15 Chinese herbs, as Herba Hedyotis diffusae, Herba Sarcandrae glabrae, Radix Salviae miltiorrhizae, Caulis Trachelosperi, Rhizoma Drynariae, Semen Coicis, etc.) and MTX combined with nimesulide Tablets respectively, three months as a treatment course, and their blood samples were collected for observation. Besides, blood samples from 9 healthy persons were taken as normal controls. PBMCs were isolated from blood using lymphozytes separation medium, and total protein in the cells was extracted through immobilized pH gradient two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. After Coomassie brilliant blue G250 staining, gel-image analysis was performed using PDQuest software. The differentially expressed proteins were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Then partial proteins were validated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSThe 2-DE protein profile of PBMCs from healthy persons and RA patients before and 3 months after treatment were obtained, and 23 differential protein spots were found, 14 from 18 differential protein spots were successfully identified, of which 8 proteins were up-regulated and 6 proteins were down-regulated in RA patients as compared with control. After 3-month treatment, 5 differentially expressed proteins showed more obvious in the BZXD group than in the MTX group. RT-PCR verified that the expression of ApoA-I in all the three groups was consistent with the outcomes of 2-DE.

CONCLUSIONSSome differentially expressed proteins exist in the PBMCs of RA patients, which may play a potential role in the pathogenesis of RA; BZXD may treat RA by way of regulating the expression of some differential proteins in patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; blood ; drug therapy ; Blood Proteins ; analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Female ; Humans ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; metabolism ; Male ; Methotrexate ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Proteome ; analysis ; Proteomics ; methods

OBJECTIVETo summarize clinical results of the microdecompression for the treatment of intraforaminal lumbar disc herniations.

METHODSFrom September 2005 to May 2013,16 patients( 12 males, 4 females)with intraforaminal lumbar disc herniations underwent microdecompression, ranging in age from 32 to 56 years old with a mean of 38.6 years old. The lumbar disc herniations were located at L(3,4). in one patient, L(4,5) in 10 cases and L5S1 in 5 cases.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 20 to 48 months, with a mean period of 36 months. According to Macnab evaluation, 12 cases got an excellent result, 4 good. No apparent complications related to the technique occurred. Satisfactory clinical results were obtained in this series.

CONCLUSIONMicrodecompression may be particularly useful in the treatment of intraforaminal lumbar disc herniations. The microdecompression procedures are more likely to be well tolerated by older patients.

Adult ; Decompression ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; surgery ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of valsartan or benazepril combined with atorvastatin in the treatment of chronic cardiac failure in elderly patients.Methods Eighty-six cases with chronic cardiac failure were recruited in this study and randomly divided into treatment group ( n =42 ) and control group ( n =44 ).Patients in treatment group were received valsartan 80 mg · d-1 orally plus atorvastatin 10 mg · d-1 orally, patients in control group received benazepril 10 mg · d-1 orally plus atorvastatin 10 mg · d-1 orally.The course was 3 months.After treatment , the clinical efficacy , serum level of brain natriuretic peptide and adverse event were compared between the two groups.Results The total clinical efficacy of treatment group and control group were 90.48% and 86.36% respectively with no statistical difference ( P>0.05 ).The serum level of brain natriuretic peptide sig-nificant decreased in the both groups ( P<0.05 ) after treatment.And the serum level of brain natriuretic peptide in treatment group was significant lower compared with that in control group after treatment ( P<0.05 ).There were no statistical difference on adverse drug reactions between two groups ( P>0.05 ).Conclusion The clinical efficacy and safety were not significantly different for valsartan or benazepril combined with atorvastatin in the treatment of chronic cardiac failure in elderly patients .

Adiponectin ; blood ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; blood ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; pharmacology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyethylene Glycols ; pharmacology ; Recombinant Proteins ; pharmacology ; Ribavirin ; pharmacology ; Young Adult