Objective To evaluate the clinical application value of CT guided percutaneous lung biopsy in patients with negative fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Methods The clinical data of 51 patients with central type lung lesions were retrospectively analyzed and all patients had a negative result of fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Then they underwent the CT guided percutaneous lung biopsy. The number of paracentesis, complication and pathology were recorded. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the tumor size:2.5-4.5 cm group, 4.6-6.5 cm group and>6.5 cm or tumor reaching the segmental bronchus group. Results The tumor diameter of 51 patients was 2.5-10.8 cm, average 4.9 cm. The number of paracentesis was 86 times, and 43 cases (84.3%) obtained definite pathological diagnosis: small cell carcinoma of lung in 14 cases, lung squamous cell carcinoma in 11 cases, adenocarcinoma in 6 cases, neuroendocrine carcinoma in 1 case, adenosquamous carcinoma in 4 cases, sclerosing hemangioma in 2 cases, tuberculosis in 2 cases, inflammatory pseudotumor in 2 cases, and large cell carcinoma in 1 case. The incidence of complication was 47.1%(24/51), among which the total slight pneumothorax occurred in 10 cases, intraoperative and postoperative hemoptysis, sputum with blood in 6 cases, greater amounts pneumothorax in 5 cases (3 cases underwent the closed drainage of pleural cavity), puncture path errhysis in 2 cases, thoracic cavity hemorrhage and thoracic wall haematoma in 1 case. No patient died. The 2.5-4.5 cm group had 22 cases, 4.6-6.5 cm group had 17 cases and >6.5 cm or tumor reaching the segmental bronchus group had 12 cases, and there was no statistical difference in the rate of definite pathological diagnosis among 3 groups:81.8%(18/22), 14/17 and 11/12, P>0.05;and there was statistical difference in the incidence of complication among 3 group:63.6% (14/22), 7/17 and 2/12, P<0.05. Conclusions The preferred examination of central type lung lesions patients is fiberoptic bronchoscopy, but because of diversity of disease, the CT guided percutaneous lung biopsy in the patients with negative fiberoptic bronchoscopy is feasible, safe, with high positive rate of biopsy and lower risk.

Objective:Some antigens of M.tb to culture with peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( PBMC) for assaying their proliferation and activation,so as to signify whether lipid antigens of M.tb have specific immune responses in host against M.tb infection or not.Methods:We treated PBMC with several lipid antigens of M.tb to explore the ability of these antigens to activate immunity in healthy individuals.We measured and analyzed cell proliferation by labeling cells with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl amino ester (CFSE) and subjecting them to flow cytometry (FCM).The production of IFN-γ,TNF-αand IL-4 by T cell subsets (NKT,CD4+, CD8+,andγδT) from healthy donors was analyzed by FCM after stimulation with autologous immature dendritic cells pre-cultured with M.tb lipid antigens.The tested M.tb lipid antigens were the total lipid (TLIP),Acetone-Soluble Lipids (ASLIP),Purified Sulfolipid (PSLIP),Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and Lipomannan (LM) levels.Medium free of lipid antigens(WCL,CFP,LPS,Mtb-HAg and blank) was used as a control.Results:We found the proportion of proliferative NKT and CD8+T cells significantly increased in all lipid groups (P<0.05).ASLIP,LAM and LM promoted non-proliferative CD4+T cells to secrete IL-4 and proliferative ones to secrete IFN-γ( P<0.05).All lipid antigens promoted both proliferativeγδT cells and CD8+T cells to secrete IFN-γand TNF-α,but the proportion of TNF-α-secreting cells in these populations decreased in the LM group ( P<0.05 ).Conclusion: Lipid antigens may affect the CD1-restricted T cells of the host to fight M.tb infection.

Abstract: The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique is a technique for the specific and efficient amplification of target fragments at a constant temperature using two pairs of specially designed primers and a strand displacement activity DNA polymerase. LAMP technique is a simple, rapid, specific, sensitive and cost-effective nucleic acid amplification method, and therefore has a promising future in the field rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and grassroots applications. In this review, the basic principles and characteristics of the LAMP technique, the main molecular markers for the diagnosis of tuberculosis, and the use of different molecular markers and various types of novel techniques in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, extrapulmonary tuberculosis, and drug-resistant tuberculosis were described. The LAMP technique has been widely used in the diagnosis of tuberculosis with high sensitivity and specificity, but the technique still has some shortcomings. This paper reviews the progress of its application in tuberculosis in recent years and provides an outlook on its development, with a view to providing a rational research direction for rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis in a resource-limited environment.

Adolescent ; Apolipoproteins E ; blood ; Humans ; Hyperlipoproteinemias ; complications ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Kidney Diseases ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Kidney Glomerulus ; blood supply ; pathology ; Male ; Thrombosis ; pathology

BACKGROUND: Our previous findings indicate that inflammation-activated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell conditioned medium (MSC-CM) contribute to repairing the structure and function of the small intestine after radiation-induced acute intestinal injury. However, it is unclear whether the repair effect can be achieved by regulating small intestinal stem cells. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of inflammation-activated bone marrow MSC-CM on the small intestinal epithelial stem cells after acute radiation-induced intestinal injury and to further discuss the repairing mechanism. METHODS: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of Sprague-Dawley rats were separated, cultured and identified. Then, the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were co-cultured with normal or radiation-induced IEC-6 cell lines in the Transwell system for 24 hours. Inflammation-activated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were cultured alone for 48 hours. Non-activated MSC-CM (MSC-CMNOR) and MSC-CM under radiation-induced inflammatory condition (MSC-CMIR) were collected. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats (provided by the Experimental Center of Sun Yat-Sen University North Campus) were randomly divided into four groups with 20 rats in each group: control group, radiation group, radiation+MSC-CMNOR group and radiation+MSC-CMIR group. The rats in the latter three groups were exposed to one-off 14 Gy whole abdominal radiation to make a rat model of acute radiation-induced small intestinal injury. Three-day continuous administration beginning within 4 hours after successful modeling was given via the tail vein and intraperitoneal implantation of Alzet micro-osmotic pumps: EMEM-F12 (200 μL/d) for the radiation group, MSC-CMNOR for radiation+MSC-CMNOR group and MSC-CMIR for radiation+MSC-CMIR group. There was 2 mL of concentrated conditioned medium in the pump which was released at a constant rate of 10 μL/h into the abdominal cavity after implantation. Intestinal samples were collected at 1, 3, 5, 7 days after radiation for immunochemistry staining, western blot and qRT-PCR detection. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) On the 3rd day after radiation, Lgr5 positive cells, which were actively proliferating on the base of crypts, became significantly reduced compared with the normal control group, and there was nearly no existing Lgr5 positive cells. However, after infusion of MSC-CMIR, Lgr5 positive intestinal stem cells were significantly increased compared with the radiation group, while in the radiation+MSCNOR group, there was no significant increase in Lgr5 positive intestinal stem cells. (2) On the 3rd day after radiation injury, Bmi1 positive intestinal stem cells were almost invisible. After infusion of MSC-CMIR, Bmi1 positive intestinal stem cells increased significantly, and it was observed not only in the +4 cell position but also in the common position used to be Lgr5 stem cells, indicating that Bmi1 stem cells could differentiate into Lgr5 positive cells to act its repairing effect. (3) Western blot and qRT-PCR further confirmed that the radiation+MSC-CMIR group was significantly higher on the Lgr5 expression level than the radiation group and the radiation+MSC-CMNOR group, and it returned to the normal level on the 7th day after the continuous high expression level. The repair effect of radiation+MSC-CMNOR group was weaker, and only on the 7th day, the expression level of Lgr5 was statistically different from the radiation group. To conclude, inflammation-activated bone marrow MSC-CM exert a protective effect on the small intestinal epithelial stem cells after acute radiation-induced intestinal injury

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents from Schisandra glaucescens.

METHODThe chemical constituents were separated and purifed with silica gel, gel column chromatography preparative HPLC, and their structures were identified by such spectral methods as MS and NMR.

RESULTTwelve compounds were separated from petroleum ether fractions, and identified as t-cadinol (1), alpha-cadinol (2), torreyol (3), (+)-ent-epicubenol (4), ent-T-muurolol (5), (-)-15-hydroxycalamenene (6), (-)-cubebol (7), 4-epi-cubebol (8), caryophyllenol-I (9), caryophyllenol-II (10), oxyphyllenodiols A (11), caryolane-1,9/3-diol (12).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 4, 6-12 were separated from the genus for the first time, while compounds 1-12 were separated from this plant for the first time.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Schisandra ; chemistry ; Sesquiterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVEto explore whether 6 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within SMAD4 gene were involved in the genetic susceptibility of coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP) by case-control study.

METHODSthis study consisted of 438 CWP patients and 448 controls. All study subjects were Han Chinese, underground coal miners and recruited from coal mines of Xuzhou Mining Business Group Co Ltd. The 5 ml venous blood sample was obtained from all studied subjects and extracted genome DNA from the isolated leucocytes. Six SNPs were selected from the HapMap and detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

RESULTSthe single SNP analyses showed that the genotype frequencies of SMAD4 (rs10502913) was significantly different from those in controls (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that SMAD4 (rs10502913) AA genotype was associated with increased risk of CWP (adjusted OR = 1.63, 95%CI = 1.00 - 2.69, P = 0.05) and this was evident among subgroups of those smoker (adjusted OR = 2.28, 95%CI = 1.09 ∼ 4.80, P < 0.05) and cases with stage I (adjusted OR = 2.42, 95%CI = 1.41 ∼ 4.14, P < 0.01). The SMAD4 (rs9304407) GG genotype was associated with an decreased risk of CWP (adjusted OR = 0.65, 95%CI = 0.43 ∼ 0.98, P < 0.05) and the further stratification analysis showed that the risk of CWP was decreased in nonsmoking groups.

CONCLUSIONSour results suggest that individuals with the SMAD4 (rs10502913) AA genotype was associated with an increased risk of CWP. However, carriers of SMAD4 (rs9304407) GG genotype have a protective effect on the developing CWP.

Aged ; Anthracosis ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Coal Mining ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Smad4 Protein ; genetics

Hedyotis hedyotidea has been traditionally used for the treatment of arthritis, cold, cough, gastro-enteritis, headstroke, etc. But few studies have screened the active compounds from extracts of H. hedyotidea. In this study, the structure of the chemical constituents from stems of H. hedyotidea were determined and the immunosuppressive activity of the compounds was evaluated. The compounds were separated and purified with silica gel, gel column chromatographies and preparative HPLC, and their structures were identified by spectral methods such as MS and NMR. Eleven compounds were obtained and identified as(6S,9S) -vomifoliol (1), betulonic acid (2), betulinic acid (3), betulin(4), 3-epi-betulinic acid (5), ursolic acid (6), β-sitosterol (7), stigmast-4-en-3-one (8), 7β-hydroxysitosterol (9), (3β,7β) -7-methoxystigmast-5-en-3-ol (10) and morindacin (11). This is the first report of compounds 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 10 and 11 from H. hedyotidea. Compounds 1, 2 and 8-11 were firstly isolated from the genus Hedyotis, and compounds 9 and 10 were isolated from the family Rubiaceae for the first time. The immunosuppressive activity of these compounds was tested using the lymphocyte transsormationtest. Compounds 4, 6 and 9 showed significant immunosuppressive activity.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Hedyotis ; chemistry ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; immunology ; Male ; Mass Spectrometry ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Stems ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo determine the consistence of the parameters related to type I thyroplasty measured by laryngeal specimens and CT scan.

METHODSThe related parameters of 50 laryngeal specimens (unilateral) obtained following total laryngectomy were measured postoperative immediately, and compared with those measured by spiral CT scan with multiple plain reconstructive (MPR) technique preoperatively. Comparative results were analyzed to evaluate the statistical significance between these two methods.

RESULTSThere were no significant statistical differences among the 6 parameters between two methods (P > 0.05), and the results (x +/- s) measured by CT scan and laryngeal specimens showed that the length of the thyroid notch to the inferior thyroid border were (20.7 +/- 1.7) mm and (20.6 +/- 1.7) mm; the length of the vocal cord were (17.3 +/- 1.8) mm and (17.3 +/- 1.8) mm; the length of the oblique line were (28.6 +/- 3.2) mm and (29.1 +/- 2.7) mm; the length of the presumptive horizontal line were (26.2 +/- 2.0) mm and (26.2 +/- 2.0) mm; the endolaryngeal vertical length of the anterior of the vocal cord to the presumptive horizontal line were (4.5 +/- 0.6) mm and (4.5 +/- 0.7) mm; the endolaryngeal vertical length of the vocal process to the presumptive horizontal line were (10.8 +/- 1.1) mm and (10.9 +/- 1.1) mm, respectively. As a result, the endolaryngeal anterior and posterior width of the wedge inserted in the thyroid cartilage were 4 - 5 mm and 8 - 9 mm respectively.

CONCLUSIONSMPR technique of spiral CT scan is able to design the size of the window and the prosthesis of type I thyroplasty preoperatively, which was testified to be a precise and reliable method to measure the larynx.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Laryngectomy ; Larynx ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period ; Thyroid Cartilage ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vocal Cord Paralysis

OBJECTIVEIn order to prove a basis for rational exploitation and utilization of the herb, the charaeteristic feature for Acanthus iliciflius was studied.

METHODThe botanical and pharmacognostic features of the collected original plant were stadied.

RESULTA. ilicifolius showed obvious pharmacognostic characters. The aerate cells of the root were upgrowth. and four vascular bundles were found in leaf venation.

CONCLUSIONThe distinct characteristic features revealed in this studies can serve as evidence for the identification of A. ilicifolius.

Acanthaceae ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Pharmacognosy ; Plant Leaves ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry