Objective To investigate the effects of different standard cross sections and angles on the measurement accuracy of induced postnatal fetal long bones. Methods Fetal long bones (femori and humeri) in 30 cases with induced abortion were measured utilizing ultrasound from different angles and /or at different directions. The values measured from different sections and angles with vernier calipers were compared prenatally and postnatally. Results There was no apparent difference between the pre-induced abortion and those of the post-induced abortion. The results in the 30 cases showed that: (1) the values measured from anterior 90 degree, the long bone length would best match with the bare long bone length up to 96.7%, the match rate of other angles and/or directions was up to 80%; (2) no apparent statistical difference was between the length of left and right bone and no difference was found using 4 different directions and 3 different angles; (3)there was no difference between the left and right femuri and humeri.Conclusions Though the measured value from anterior 90 degree direction was the most accurate one, the statistical analtical results showed no difference among 12 values measured from 3 different angles and/or 4 different directions.

AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety of needle revision with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on the dysfunctional filtering blebs after trabeculectomy and to assess the factors that may impact the success.
METHODS:Eighty- three eyes in 76 patients underwent the needle revision and 5-FU subconjunctive injection for the dysfunctional blebs after trabeculectomy and were followed up for 12mo. The intraocular pressure ( IOP), the number of drugs, corneal endothclium, bleb morphology and complications were observed and recorded.
RESULTS: IOP decreased significantly from 35. 3 ±5. 8mmHg(1kPa = 7. 5mmHg) of pre - needling to 17. 0 ±4. 3mmHg of post - needling ( P < 0. 01 ); the average numbers of medications decreased significantly from 1. 7±0. 9 of pre-needing to 0. 4±0. 7 of post-needing (P<0. 01). At 12mo after needling, the success rate of filtering blebs was 89. 2% and the complete success rate was 69. 9%. The Kaplan - Meier survival analysis estimated mean survival period was 11. 0mo (95% CI: 10. 3 - 11. 6). Statistically, there were no significant difference on needling effect with reference to the types of glaucoma, the use of mitomycin C ( MMC ) during the previous filtration surgery, the ages of patients, the intervals of needling operation from previous trabeculectomy, while there were significant difference on needling effect with reference to bleb appearance before needling, and the mean number of needling in patients that had surgery within 3mo were less than those who had surgery for more than 3mo.
CONCLUSION: The needle revision combined with 5-FU is a safe, effective and simple method. Dysfunctional blebs should be treated early after trabeculectomy.

Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; diagnosis ; Pacemaker, Artificial ; Syncope ; diagnosis

Objective To study the value of fast dynamic contrast enhanced MRI in the diagnosis of orbital occupying lesions. Design Retrospective ease series.Participants 21 patients with orbital occupying lesions.Methods All the 21 patients were performed on fast dynamic contrast enhanced MRI and were verified by pathology.The raw datum were processed by the software of GE Functool. Parameters such as time-intensity curve(TIC),time to peak(Tpeak),1 minute enhancement ratio(ERlmin)and maximum enhancement ratio(ERmax)were analyzed to study the characteristics of orbital diseases on fast dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.Main Outcome Measures TIC,ERlmin,and ERmax.Results The characteristics of TIC between benign diseases and malignant tumors were different. Of the 16 cases of benign lesions,12 demonstrated as continuous increasing type,and of 5 cases of malignant lesions,3 cases of lym- phoma were all platform type.The ER1min of the malignant tumors(150.47?42.18)was higher than that of the benign lesions (101.37?43.02)(P=0.021).Cavernous hemangiomas had special progressing enhancing model.Conclusions Fast dynamic contrast enhanced MRI is valuable to distinguish malignant tumors from benign occupying lesions.(Ophthalmol CHN,2007,16:305-308)

Cloning, Molecular ; DNA ; genetics ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Humans ; Proteins ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Two-Hybrid System Techniques ; Yeasts ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the morphology of maxillary permanent central incisors of people in Sichuan so as to provide some guidance for emulational restoration of fixed prosthesis.

METHODSFifty-eight extracted maxillary permanent central incisors were selected from people in Sichuan. All of the teeth involved in this study were selected according to certain criterions. The length and width of the anatomical crowns, the length and the width of the developmental grooves and the angles formed by the two sides of the developmental grooves were measured.

RESULTSThe average length and width of anatomical crowns in Sichuan people were (11.9 +/- 1.3) mm and (8.7 +/- 0.8) mm respectively. And the average length and width of the developmental grooves were (5.7 +/- 0.9) mm and (2.1 +/- 0.5) mm respectively. There were no statistical differences between the length of the mesial and distal developmental grooves and so were the width. The ratio of the length of crowns to that of the developmental grooves was 2.1, while for the width, it was 4.2. The angles of the mesial and distal developmental grooves formed by its two sides were 23 degrees +/- 4.7 degrees and 23 degrees +/- 5.7 degrees respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe average length and width of maxillary permanent incisors were close to Wang's report, which means the length and width of the maxillary permanent incisors of people in Sichuan were quite close to those of Chinese people. The ratio of the length of anatomical dental crowns to that of the developmental grooves was steady, and so was the ratio of the width of them. The angles of the developmental grooves were quite steady too. These may help us in making fixed prosthesis.

Crowns ; Humans ; Incisor ; Maxilla ; Tooth Crown

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia, Prolymphocytic, B-Cell ; diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVEThe congenital muscular dystrophies (CMD) are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of neuromuscular disorders with progressive muscle wasting and weakness that begin during neonatal or early infantile period. To study the clinical diagnosis, immunohistochemical feature and follow-up information of CMD, data of 8 cases with CMD were analyzed.

METHODSImmunohistochemical features of biopsied muscle specimens were summarized and analyzed by using anti-laminin alpha2 (merosin), anti alpha-dystroglycan (alpha-DG) and anti beta-dystroglycan (beta-DG) antibodies.

RESULTSThese patients mostly presented at birth or during the first six months of life with muscle weakness, hypotonia, contractures, and feeding difficulty or respiratory dysfunction. Hematoxylin-eosin staining of skeletal muscle specimens from these patients showed typical characteristics of CMD. Differences in fiber size, with predominantly small and round fibers, and dense connective tissue infiltration were seen. Four of the 8 patients were merosin-stain negative, which might be due to primary merosin deficiency. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the brain shows abnormalities of the white matter. Four cases were merosin-stain positive, and two of them also had hypoglycosylation of alpha-dystroglycan. Two patients had mental retardation. One of them had optic nerve atrophy and abnormal brain structure.

CONCLUSIONSTwo types of CMD were present in our group. Merosin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy (congenital muscular dystrophy 1A, MDC1A) was more common, accompanied by abnormalities of the white matter. "Alpha-dystroglycanopathy" could be seen in merosin-positive cases.

Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Laminin ; deficiency ; Male ; Muscular Dystrophies ; congenital ; diagnosis ; metabolism

OBJECTIVEMethylmalonic aciduria (MMA) is a common one of the congenital disorders of organic acids metabolism. Some of the patients with the disorder are complicated with homocysteinemia. Recently, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) has been used to diagnose MMA in China. However, the diagnosis of the patients with combined MMA and homocysteinemia is often delayed. In this study, the natural history, clinical features and outcome of 57 Chinese patients with combined MMA and homocysteinemia were investigated.

METHODSFrom 1996 to 2006, 96 MMA patients from 16 provinces or cities were diagnosed in our hospital by urine organic acids analysis using GCMS. Homocysteinemia was found by serum and urine total homocysteine determination using a fluorescence polarization immunoassay.

RESULTSFifty-seven of the 96 MMA patients (59.4%, 32 males and 25 females) were found to have combined MMA and homocysteinemia. They had markedly increased urine methylmalonic acid, total serum homocysteine (81.5 to 226.5 micromol/L vs. normal range 4.5 to 12.4 micromol/L) and urine homocysteine (79.1 to 414.5 micromol/L vs. normal range 1.0 to 25.0 micromol/L). Thirteen (22.8%) of them presented with symptoms resembled hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in the neonatal period. Fourteen (24.6%) patients had the onset at the age of one month to 1 year with mental retardation, vomiting and epilepsy. Nine (15.8%) showed developmental delay, seizures, poor appetite or anemia from the age of 1 to 3 years. Eighteen (31.6%) had psycho-motor degeneration at the age of 6 to 15 years. Among them, 7 patients experienced multiple organ dysfunctions with liver dysfunction, hematuria, renal failure and peripheral neuropathy. Three (5.3%) patients developed progressive mental degeneration, motor disorders and anorexia at the ages of 16, 24 and 34 years. Eleven (19.3%) patients ultimately died; 5 (8.8%) of them were diagnosed postmortem. Forty-six (80.7%) patients were treated with vitamin B12, folic acid, L-carnitine and betaine supplementation and 11 (19.3%) of them recovered completely.

CONCLUSIONSCombined MMA with homocysteinemia is a common form of MMA in China. The clinical spectrum of the patients varies from severe neonatal-onset forms with high mortality to milder forms with adult-onset. Serum or urine total homocysteine analysis is important for the deferential diagnosis of the patients with MMA.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors ; complications ; Anemia ; complications ; metabolism ; Carnitine ; metabolism ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Homocysteine ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Metabolic Diseases ; blood ; complications ; metabolism ; Methylmalonic Acid ; urine ; Urologic Diseases ; complications ; metabolism ; Vitamin B 12 ; pharmacology ; Vitamin B Complex ; pharmacology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of different concentrations of PPAR gamma agonist rosiglitazone on hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced oxidative stress, cell viability and apoptosis in rat cardiac myocytes.

METHODSCultured rat cardiac myocytes were divided into 5 groups, namely group I (normal group), group II (20 micromo/L ROS group), group III (I/R group), group IV (I/R+20 micromo/L ROS group), and group V (I/R+80 micromo/L ROS group). Group IV and group V were treated with rosiglitazone 12 h before hypoxia/reoxygenation. The changes in cell morphology were observed under optical and transmission electron microscopy, and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content were determined after the treatment. MTT assay was performed to assess the cell viability and flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell apoptosis.

RESULTSHypoxia/reoxygenation resulted in significantly increased MDA and LDH contents and apoptosis of the cardiac myocytes (P<0.05), but lowered SOD activity and the cell viability (P<0.05). The MDA and LDH contents and apoptotic rate were significantly lower but SOD content and cell vitality significantly higher in groups IV and V than in group III (P<0.05). Group V showed significantly lower MDA and LDH contents and apoptotic rate but higher but SOD content and cell vitality than group IV (P<0.05). Electron microscopy revealed obvious apoptotic changes in group III, and only mild changes were found in group V.

CONCLUSIONRosiglitazone can significantly reduce hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced oxidative stress in cardiac myocytes, improve the cell viability and dose-dependently reduce the apoptotic rate of the cardiac myocytes.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Immunohistochemistry ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; ultrastructure ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Oxygen ; metabolism ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology