"Wise men could recognize similarities, but the fool only recognizes differences" in Su-wen, which expounded clinical thinking methods of Chinese medicine (CM). "To recognize similarities and differences simultaneously" is of important clinical significance in understanding the laws of diseases. CM pays much attention to recognize similarities, while modern medicine emphasizes the differences observed. In order to develop integrative medicine (IM), similarities recognition and differences identification must be combined together to innovate new thinking methods of IM.
Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; standards ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

BACKGROUND: The effect of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) during traumatic brain injury (TBI) and whether it can modulate secondary injury has not been reported previously. The present study evaluated the potential protective effects of ventricular infusion of PACAP in a rat model of TBI. METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 treatment groups (n=6, each): sham-operated, vehicle (normal saline)+TBI, and PACAP+TBI. Normal saline or PACAP (1g/5L) was administered intracerebroventricularly 20 minutes before TBI. Right parietal cortical contusion was produced via a weight-dropping method. Brains were extracted 24 hours after trauma. Histological changes in brains were examined by HE staining. The numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in blood and the spleen were detected via flow cytometry. RESULTS: In injured brain regions, edema, hemorrhage, inflammatory cell infiltration, and swollen and degenerated neurons were observed under a light microscope, and the neurons were disorderly arrayed in the hippocampi. Compared to the sham group, average CD4+ CD8– lymphocyte counts in blood and the spleen were significantly decreased in rats that received TBI+vehicle, and CD4– CD8+ were increased. In rats administered PACAP prior to TBI, damage was attenuated as evidenced by significantly increased CD4+, and decreased CD8+, T lymphocytes in blood and the spleen. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with PACAP may protect against TBI by influencing periphery T cellular immune function.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the application of nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

METHODSThe clinical data of 221 RCC patients who received nephron-sparing surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Open surgery was performed for 203 cases and laparoscopic surgery for 18 cases. The renal arteries were blocked and ice fragments were used for 115 patients. Biopsy was performed on renal tissue adjacent the tumor for 136 patients. After operation 156 patients were treated with interferon and interleukin II. Among these 221 patients, 132 patients (59.7%) were followed for 3-56 months (mean: 28 months).

RESULTSThe mean distance from the edge of normal tissue to the tumor was 0.4 cm (0.2-1.0 cm). The mean volume of blood loss was 180 ml (50-1 000 ml). Pathological examination showed clear cell carcinoma (n = 195), chromophobe renal carcinoma (n = 12), papillary renal carcinoma (n = 7), cystic renal carcinoma (n = 6), and sarcomatoid clear cell carcinoma (n = 1). Biopsies in 136 patients showed negative results. Post-operative complications included leakage of urine (n = 1), hemorrhage or hematuria (n = 5), and infarction of blood vessel of lower limbs (n = 2). During the follow-up, no patients died for this reason, although tumor recurrence (n = 4, 1.8%) and metastasis (n = 3, 1.4%) were noted.

CONCLUSIONNSS is a safe and effective method to treat carefully selected RCC patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nephrectomy ; methods ; Nephrons ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

Objective To evaluate the development of the sphincter muscle complex(SMC)and defecation function in pediatric patients with congenital anorectal malformations(ARM).Methods A total of 64 children underwent MRI,among whom 39 were patients with ARM,and the others were patients without ARM undergoing MRI because of other dieases.The dimensions of the SMC in different planes were evaluated with different sequences and coils.The relationship between the SMC development and the defecation function was investigated.Results In control group,the absolute value of SMC width was (3.63?0.22)mm,which had a high correlation with age(r=0.998,P0.05).The SMCs in intermediate ARM patients[muscle index(MI)=0.47?0.05]and low ARM patients(MI=0.49? 0.05)were well developed.The SMCs in a portion of patients with high ARM(MI=0.28?0.06)were poorly developed,when MI≤0.18,anorectal contraction pressurewas significantly lower(t=3.55, P0.18[(0.85?0.20)vs(2.24?1.02)kPa].The length of anal canal with high-pressure[(10.88?3.64)vs(20.26?4.34)mm]was shorter(t=5.18,P0.18,the anorectal angle was less than 90 degrees,and normal continent function was found in 21 of 23 cases(91%).Conclusion MRI can be employed to evaluate the development of SMC in patients with ARM,MI was an objective criteria to evaluate the development of SMC.When MI≤0.18, maldevelopment of SMC will be highly suspected.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of telomerase in various lesions of adrenal cortex.

METHODSBy autoradiography-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol, telomerase expression was detected in 36 samples of adrenocortical lesions, including 29 cases adrenocortical adenoma (8 Cushing's syndrome, 17 aldosteronism and 4 nonfunctional adenomas), 5 cases of hyperplasia of adrenal cortex (presented with Chushing' syndrome), 2 cases adrenocortical carcinoma, and 4 samples of normal adrenal cortex.

RESULTSOf the 40 samples, 2 cases of adrenocortical carcinomas had telomerase expression, and the others had no telomerase expression detected.

CONCLUSIONSNo significant telomerase expression was found among different endocrine functional benign adrenocortical lesions. Telomerase expression may be used as an important marker of malignant adrenocortical tumor.

Adrenal Cortex ; enzymology ; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms ; enzymology ; Adrenocortical Adenoma ; enzymology ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; analysis ; Cushing Syndrome ; enzymology ; Humans ; Telomerase ; analysis ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo establish an improved procedure for isolation and identification of epitopes from a random peptide library displayed on the bacterial surface.

METHODSEpitopes were screened from FliTrx random peptide library by a monoclonal antibody 3B9 against HBV-PreS2 protein. The enrichment was monitored in each round. Higher affinity clones were obtained by increasing the washing strength and randomly selected for sequencing and Western blot analysis.

RESULTSClones specifically binding to antibody were enriched in each round. Ten sequences were obtained from sixteen sequenced clones, seven of them contained the common motif RXRGXY with high homogeneity to 135-140 amio acids in HBV-PreS protein and have positive results in Western blot analysis. The other three sequences have no typical motif RXRGXY and showed different Western blot results.

CONCLUSIONSIt's easy and quick to drive epitopes from a random peptide library displayed on the bacterial surface.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Antigens, Viral ; immunology ; Bacterial Proteins ; immunology ; Flagellin ; immunology ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; genetics ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Immunodominant Epitopes ; immunology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Peptide Library ; Protein Precursors ; genetics ; immunology ; isolation & purification

Humans ; Laparoscopy ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Paraganglioma, Extra-Adrenal ; pathology ; surgery ; Retroperitoneal Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo investigate the types and therapies of malignancies in renal allograft recipients.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the occurrence, types, and therapies of malignancies in 498 renal allograft recipients who had received operations in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from May 1986 to October 2008.

RESULTSAmong 498 renal allograft recipients, 18 patients (3.6% ) were diagnosed with malignancies, which included bladder cancer (n = 5), renal pyloric cancer or ureteric cancer (n = 4), leukemia or lymphoma (n = 3), hepatic cancer (n = 2), skin cancer, rectum carcinoma, pulmonary carcinoma and thymoma (n = 1 each). Surgical operations were performed in 10 cases, 6 of whom survived with normal renal function and had no rejection of transplanted kidneys. Three patients with bladder cancer and one patient with ureteric cancer experienced recurrences 7 to 15 months after operations; among them one bladder cancer patient died. One hepatic carcinoma patient died of pulmonary metastasis 8 months after operation. One non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patient died 11 months after chemotherapy. Five cases with advanced unresectable malignancies died 8 to 17 months after the diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONSThe incidences of malignancies, especially urological epithelial carcinoma, are high in renal allograft recipients. Radical surgery of the solid malignancies is a preferred option.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; therapy ; Postoperative Complications ; epidemiology ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVEThrough questionnaire and screening, epidemiology of syphilis in pregnant women and related risk factors were studied, to develop effective policy and reducing the negative impact of the disease.

METHODSAll pregnant women who appeared at the hospitals the first time, were included, in Shenzhen city. Tolulized Red Unheated Serum Test (TRUST) method was used for primary screening and positive results were confirmed by the Treponema Pallidum Particle Agglutination (TPPA) test at the Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention (SZCDC). Positive patients were informed and treated and the pregnancies were managed accordingly at the SZCDC.

RESULTSFrom 2003-2005, 418,871 (94.7%) pregnant were screened. Epidemiological and treatment data were collected from 2019 positive cases of infectious syphilis (0.48%). Among them, 94.2% were between 20 and 35 years old, with 93.6% of them had only junior high school education and 63.4% of them worked as commercial services or jobless which was significantly higher than other occupations (OR = 8.628). 89.5% of them were from other cities, significantly higher than from local residents (OR = 8.733). Gestational weeks at original diagnosis was longer and the infection rate higher.

CONCLUSIONThe infection rate of syphilis in Shenzhen was still at a high level which was related to occupation, education level, place of residency, gestational weeks at first diagnosis etc. Further screening measures and early intervention were important.

Adolescent ; Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Syphilis ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Young Adult

Objective To study the situation of HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Tianjin during 2008-2009 and to provide reasonable evidence for intervention strategy.Methods Transect investigations in MSM were conducted three times during 2008-2009.Blood samples were collected and detected to identify the recent HIV infection with IgG-capture BED-enzyme immunoassay (BED-CEIA) before HIV incidence was estimated.Results 1799 specimens were tested and the HIV prevalence rates of each study were 6.7％,8.6％ and 6.2％,while the incidence rates were 2.7％,2.5％ and 2.8％,respectively.The estimated incidence rates among these testees were 5.36％ and 5.52％ per year in 2008 and 2009.Conclusion Results of this study showed that the HIV incidence stabilized at high level among MSM in Tianjin,calling for the effective interventions be taken for HIV/AIDS control and prevention.