Humans ; Laryngopharyngeal Reflux ; diagnosis ; therapy

Adult ; Child ; DDT ; analysis ; blood ; Environmental Pollution ; prevention & control ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Milk, Human ; chemistry ; Young Adult

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Granuloma ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Laryngeal Diseases ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged

Objective To evaluate the reliability and clinical application of measuring blood glucose and urea with electrodes and end reaction methods. Method Using the electrodes and end reaction methods, blood glucose and urea were measured respectively. The results and the relativity between the two methods were compared. Result Comparing the two methods for GLU and UREA, the correlative factors were 0.990 1 and 0.989 1 respectively. They had fairly good comparability. The linear ranges of their regression equations met the clinical needs. With favorable accuracy, the correlative factors were above 0.997 9. Conclusion The electrodes method was rapid and accurate, which was suitable for emergency tests. The ending reaction methods was fairly stable and has less interfering factors, which was fit for the routine use.

Objective To compare the Dectin-1 signal transduction pathway and its function on dendritic cells between a female patient with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) and a healthy woman,and to explore the possible mechanism for VVC recurrence in this patient.Methods Venous blood samples were collected from a female patient with RVVC and a healthy woman.Then,monocytes were isolated from the blood samples,and were induced to differentiate into dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro.The obtained DCs were divided into three groups to be cultured alone,cocultured with Candida albicans or the combination of Candida albicans and anti-Dectin-1 antibodies for different durations.Flow cytometry was performed to determine the expression levels of CD83,CD86 and CD80 on DCs to evaluate the maturity of DCs,Western blot analysis to measure the protein expressions of Dectin-1,Syk and CARD9 in DCs,and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the levels of interleukin (IL)-23,tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and IL-12 in the culture supernatant of DCs.Results After co-culture with Candida albicans for 24 hours,the expressions of CD83,CD86 and CD80 were significantly inhibited on the patient-derived DCs compared with the controlderived DCs.Western blot analysis showed no significant differences in the expression of Dectin-1 between the controland patient-derived DCs,but a decrease in the expressions of phosphorylated-Syk and CARD9 in the patient-derived DCs compared with the control-derived DCs after 2-hour coculture with Candida albicans.After co-culture with Candida albicans for 6 hours,the levels of IL-23,TNF-α and IL-12 were lower in the culture supernatant of patient-derived DCs than in that of control-derived DCs.Furthermore,the anti-Dectin antibody showed no inhibitory effects on the activation of the Syk-dependent signal transduction pathway in or the secretion of the above cytokines by the patient-derived DCs.Conclusion The Dectin-1 signal transduction pathway was abnormal in DCs from the patient with RVVC,which may decelerate the maturation of DCs,inhibit the secretion of IL-23,TNF-o and IL-12 by them,and finally result in a defect in natural mucosal immunity against Candida infection in the host.

BACKGROUND: Microcirculation disturbance of pharynx may be one of the pathogenesis base caused recurrent attacks of chronic pharyngitis. The negative pressure can improve the microcirculation of inflammary target organs by biomechanical changes.OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic effect of oral negative pressure on patients with chronic pharyngitis and nail fold microcirculation.DESIGN: A randomized single blind controlled observation.SETTING: Department of Pathophysiology of Hebei North University.PARTICIPANTS: A total of 65 patients with chronic pharyngitis and course of disease about 1-3 years admitted to Department of Neurology,First affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from January to September 2002 were selected. They were randomly divided into treatment group (n=35) and control group (n=30), including 36 cases with chronic pharyngitis (18 cases from the treatment group, 18 cases from the control group), 29with chronic hypertrophied pharyngitis (17 cases from the treatment group,12 cases from the control group).METHODS: The Hices oral negative pressure instrument was used and the negative pressure exert equipment was put into the optimal position of the patients' mouth to keep the negative pressure of (0.05±0.01) Mpa, 10minutes once (the first therapy time was 5 minutes), once daily and the time was fixed, 5 days as a period of therapy for three periods. Patients in the control group were also given the negative pressure exerts equipment,but no negative pressure was exerted.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Observation and evaluation of nail fold microcirculation: The nail fold microcirculation was observed by the XTL- Ⅱ microcirculation micro-television system, and the first row nail fold of the left ring figure was checked conventionally to record the state of microvessel, state of micro-bloodstream and peri-loop. The degree of microcirculatory disturbance was quantitatively analyzed according to Tian Niu's weighing integral method, the lower the scores, the better the microcirculation. ②The improvement of chronic pharyngitis after treatment of 3courses.RESULTS: Totally 65 patients with chronic pharyngitis entered the stage of result analysis. ①After 1 course of treatment, the symptoms of 1/3 of the patients in the treatment group were significantly improved; after 3 courses of treatment, except there was no obvious changes of hypertrophied morphology such as lymphatic follicle proliferation on posterior wall of throat and hypertrophy on side cable of throat, the pathological signs and prevalence of mucosa congestion were obviously lower than those before treatment and the control group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01) effective rate was 88.6%.②) Improvement of microcirculation disturbance with chronic pharyngitis was evident, restoring to basically normal from medium degree abnormality before treatment, the total score values reduced to 1.941 ±0.165 from 4.836±0.242 (P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: Oral negative pressure can significantly release or eliminate the symptoms and signs of chronic pharyngitis, which may relate to improvement of microcirculation disturbance.

Objective · To explore the correlation between variants located in 3' untranslated regions (3'UTR) of NOTCH1 and JAG1 genes and conotruncal heart defects (CTD). Methods · Six hundred CTD children without 22q11 deletion and three hundred healthy children were enrolled in this hospital-based case-control study. Variants located in the 3'UTR regions of NOTCH1 and JAG1 genes were detected by high-throughput sequencing. The accuracy of the variants were verified by PCR and Sanger sequencing. Online software PicTar, TargetScan and microRNA.org were used to make functional predictions. Results · One mutation and three SNPs were found in the 3'UTR of NOTCH1. Three mutations and six SNPs were found in the 3'UTR of JAG1. The genotypic distributions of two SNPs (rs3840074 and rs8708) located in JAG13'UTR between CTD group and the controls were statistically significant (both P<0.05). Results of prediction showed that all the four mutations and two meaningful SNPs could bind to microRNA. Conclusion · The variants located in 3'UTR regions of NOTCH1 and JAG1 genes may be related to the occurrence of CTD.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between paraoxonase (PON) polymorphisms and serum homocysteine thiolactone (HTL) and coronary heart diseases.

METHODIn this prospective study, serum complex of HTL levels using ELISA, and the lever of serum Hcy using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), determined the PON1/T(-107)C and PON2/C311S genotypes using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphisms 203 were measured in patients with angiographic documented coronary heart disease (CAD) and 117 controls.

RESULTSSerum levels of Hcy and the complex of HTL in CAD patients were significantly higher than that in controls (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in frequencies of PON1/T(-107)C genotypes and alleles (P > 0.05) between CAD patient and controls. The PON2/C311S (SS) genotype was lower in CAD patients than that in controls (P < 0.05), while the frequency of allele was similar between the two groups (P > 0.05). The T allele of PON1/T(-107)C and S alleles of PON2/C311S polymorphism were associated with lower plasma Hcy and HTL complex [Hcy (11.83 +/- 4.76) micromol/L vs (15.32 +/- 10.32) micromol/L, P < 0.05; HTL complex (24.36 +/- 9.30) U/ml vs (32.05 +/- 10.44) U/ml, P < 0.05]. The genetype PON2 and allele C were higher in CAD patients with type 2 diabetes than that in CAD patients without type 2 diabetes and controls (P < 0.005).

CONCLUSIONSThe elevation of serum Hcy and the complex of HTL were associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease. The allele PON1/(-107)T and PON2/311S might be protective for the development of atherosclerosis.

Adult ; Aged ; Aryldialkylphosphatase ; genetics ; Coronary Disease ; blood ; complications ; genetics ; Cysteine ; blood ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; Female ; Homocysteine ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic

OBJECTIVETo investigate serum level and gene polymorphisms of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), and platelet glycoprotein VI (GPVI) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

METHODSIn a prospective study of 179 patients with documented ACS and 164 controls, we measured baseline serum MMP-9 levels using ELISA and determined the MMP-9/C-1562T and MMP-9/G5564A genotypes using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Fib serum level was measured by Clauss assay. We also analyzed the Fib/Bbeta-148C/T and GPVI/T13254C polymorphisms.

RESULTSSerum levels of MMP-9 and Fib in ACS patients were significantly higher than in controls (P < 0.001), and serum level of Fib in the acute myocardial infarction group was higher than in patients with unstable angina (P < 0.05). No significant difference between ACS patients and controls was found in frequencies of MMP-9/C-1562T, MMP-9/G5564A, Fib/Bbeta-148C/T, and GPVI/T13254C genotypes and alleles (P > 0.05). The T allele of the Fib/Bbeta-148T polymorphism was associated with increased plasma Fib level (P < 0.05). There was a strong positive correlation between serum level of MMP-9 and Fib (r = 0.289, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSerum levels of MMP-9 and Fib were independent risk factors of ACS. There was an obvious relationship between the Bbeta-148C/T mutation and high Fib level. No significant difference between controls and ACS patients was found in the frequencies of MMP-9 C-1562T and G5564A, Fib Bbeta-148C/T and GPVI T13254C genotypes and alleles (P > 0.05).

Acute Coronary Syndrome ; genetics ; Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; blood ; genetics ; Middle Aged ; Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

Objective To explore the increasing risk of herpes zoster and its possible mechanisms for hematologic disorders treated with arsenic trioxide (ATO). Methods The cases were divided into study group (with ATO) and control group (without ATO). The incidence rate of herpes zoster was compared between the two groups, and then the average cycles of chemotherapy were compared between the patients complicated with herpes zoster or not in study group. Results The rate of herpes zoster was significantly higher in study group than that in control group (χ2 =4.492, P =0.034). The rates of herpes zoster were 23.95 % (23/96) in study group and 7.89 % (3/38) in control groups. Patients in study group with herpes zoster had received 7.60 cycles and those without herpes zoster 7.72 cycles of chemotherapy on average (Z=0.976, P=0.296).Conclusion The risk of herpes zoster complication in hematologic disorders was increased after ATO treatment which probably activated varicella-zoster virus.