Abstract: Objective To detect the polymorphisms of drug resistance-related genes pvcrt-o and pvmdr1 of Plasmodium vivax in lazan city in the China-Myanmar border, in order to guide the treatment plan of Plasmodium vivax. Methods A total of 48 Plasmodium vivax samples were collected from Lazan in the China-Myanmar border in 2007, and fragments of pvcrt-o and pvmdr1 genes were amplified by PCR and sequenced. The sequences were aligned with the Salvador I (Sal-I) strain reference genome sequences to determine the presence of SNPs. Results The target fragments of pvcrt-o gene were amplified from 39 Plasmodium vivax samples, while pvmdr1 genes were amplified from 40 samples. Amongst them, 25 samples had AAG insertion before the 10th amino acid (K10 insertion) of pvcrt-o gene, accounting for 64.1%. Non-synonymous mutations were detected at three loci of pvmdr1 gene (T958M, Y976F, and F1076L), the mutation rates were 100%, 22.5%, and 55.0%, respectively. There were three haplotypes of pvmdr1 gene, of which the triple mutant 958M/976F/1076L accounted for 22.5% (9/40), the double mutant 958M/Y976/1076L accounted for 32.5% (13/40), and the single mutant 958M/Y976/F1076 accounted for 45.0% (18/40). The proportion of strains with pvcrt-o and pvmdr1 gene mutation is 63.16%, which is significantly different from those only with pvmdr1 mutation. Conclusions The proportion of pvcrt-o and pvmdr1 gene mutation of 48 Plasmodium vivax isolates is high in the China-Myanmar border, and there is a certain degree of correlation between the two gene mutations. To assess changes in Plasmodium vivax drug resistance in this region, it is required to improve the surveillance of these two molecular markers.

OBJECTIVETo study the inhibitory effect of small interference RNA (siRNA) targeting cyclin A2 gene on the growth of osteosarcoma MG-63 and human normal skin fibroblast HSF cells and to explore whether cyclin A2 siRNAs could become a useful tool in the treatment of osteosarcoma.

METHODSThree pairs of siRNAs targeting cyclin A2 mRNA and a pair of nonsense siRNA were designed according to the current criteria. SiRNAs were chemically synthesized and purified. The siRNAs were transfected into MG-63 cells and HSF cells via oligofectamine. The cells transfected with nonsense siRNA served as negative control group and those only treated with PBS as blank control group. Quantitative fluorescence RT-PCR, Western-blot, MTT assay, reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR, flow cytometry and clone forming test were employed to evaluate the efficacy of RNA interference. At the same time, the mRNA expression of PCNA and cyclin B1 in siRNA-treated MG-63 cells were examined.

RESULTSAlthough all three siRNAs could reduce the cyclin A2 expression, siRNA, appeared to be the most effective. After 48 h treatment with siRNA1, cyclin A2 mRNA and protein expression in MG-63 cells was significantly reduced by nearly 80% as compared with that of the blank control group, whereas the negative and blank control groups had similar expression levels. MG-63 cells treated with siRNA1 were arrested at G0/G1 phase by 80.1% and the proliferation of these tumor cells was suppressed 48 h after transfection. Furthermore, MG-63 cells showed a decreased colony forming ability after siRNA1 treatment. In addition, the cyclin A2-depleted MG-63 cells showed decreased levels of PCNA and cyclin B1. In contrast, although cyclin A2 expression in HSF reduced by nearly 60% after treatment by siRNA1 for 48h, these cells exhibited only a slight change in cell cycling, and neither clear inhibition of proliferation nor impaired colony forming ability was observed.

CONCLUSIONCyclin A2 is critical for proliferation of MG-63 cells. Cyclin A2-siRNAs can induce obvious inhibition of cyclin A2 mRNA and protein expression in MG-63 and HSF cells, which consequently down-regulate the proliferation of MG-63 cells. There is little effect on the proliferation of siRNA-treated HSF cells. Those results indicate that siRNAs against cyclin A2 may become a potential antiproliferative tool in future antitumor therapy.

Bone Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclin A2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cyclin B1 ; metabolism ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Gene Knockdown Techniques ; Humans ; Osteosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; metabolism ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Messenger ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Skin ; cytology ; Transfection

Self-sampling is a method by which the subject collects the own specimens for disease detection. It has the advantages of strong privacy, convenient and simple operation, free time and place, etc. It can improve the compliance of people in remote areas, affected by traditional concepts, limited by working hours and underdeveloped transportation and medical treatment to participate in disease detection and screening. With the development of "Internet+health care" and "Internet+nursing service", home-based self-sampling testing will become a developing situation for disease detection and screening. Human immunodeficiency virus and Human papillomavirus infection bring a heavy burden to individuals and society. In the absence of effective and widespread primary prevention, secondary prevention, namely "early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment" is an effective measure to control the adverse consequences. At present, there are many researches on HPV and HIV self-sampling test, whose test results are highly reliable and highly accepted in the population, and is of great significance for improving the coverage rate of cervical cancer screening and the diagnosis rate of HIV carriers.
Female ; Humans ; Papillomaviridae ; Early Detection of Cancer/methods* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/prevention & control* ; Alphapapillomavirus ; Self Care/methods* ; Papillomavirus Infections/prevention & control* ; Specimen Handling/methods* ; Mass Screening/methods* ; HIV Infections/diagnosis* ; HIV ; Vaginal Smears/methods*

OBJECTIVETo establish new techniques on the control of vessel dividing and bleeding in minimally invasive video-assisted thyroid surgeries.

METHODSOne hundred and seventy volunteer patients with nodular goiter, adenoma and Graves' disease consecutively received the endoscopic thyroid operation according to Miccoli's mode from April 2002 to June 2003. The approach was designed to use ultrasonically activated scalpels [Harmonic Scalpel (R), Johnson & Johnson, USA] as a major, suction-dissector or others as supplementary instruments during the whole process. During the operations, two methods, "sequenced dissect-coagulate-cut" and "pre-coagulation + interlaced cut-suck-coagulate-dissect", were employed and separately evaluated for their safety or efficacy.

RESULTSAll of the procedures, except that 2 (their lesions were proven to be "cancer" by frozen section and need different treatment), were successfully completed. None of them were interrupted and converted to open surgery due to uncontrolled bleeding or severe postoperative hematoma. Branches of major thyroid vessels can be directly divided by ultrasonic scalpel without ligation or using hemoclips, supposing the technique of "sequenced dissect-coagulate-cut" method was strictly used. Bleeding during intra-gland dissection can be effectively controlled by the combined techniques of precoagulation of the vessels and the capsule vessel network near and around the incision, and then, by coordinating manipulation with a special multiple functional ultrasonic scalpel and a suction-dissector, supposing the technique of "interlaced cut-suck-coagulate-dissect" was properly employed.

CONCLUSIONSUsing ultrasonic scalpels as major, suction-dissector or others as supplementary instruments, manipulating cooperatively during the whole process, can be an ideal fashion in the site of a narrow gasless working space via a small single incision in anterio-inferior neck. And this may dramatically simplify the manipulation, and hence greatly reduce the operative difficulty. The reforms resolved two key technique problems in Miccoli's endoscopic operation: vessel-dividing and bleeding-control, therefore, laying a sound basis for the clinical application of this special approach.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Hemostasis, Surgical ; methods ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Thyroid Gland ; blood supply ; Thyroidectomy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Video-Assisted Surgery ; methods

OBJECTIVETo compare the performance of full-field digital mammography (FFDM) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) in the assessment of the lesions in dense breast, and to estimate the difference in diagnosis of breast disease by FFDM images alone and FFDM plus DBT images.

METHODSAccording to the breast imaging reporting and data system (BIRADS), 134 patients were selected. The morphology of the lesions shown on FFDM and DBT were evaluated and compared, and the maximum diameter of the lesions was measured. At first, doctors made the diagnosis of a patient by reading FFDM only. Then they made another diagnosis by combining with DBT images of the same patient. The two diagnoses were compared and analyzed according to the pathology results.

RESULTSOne hundred and thirty-four patients were included in this study, and all of them were confirmed by histology (65 benign cases, 69 malignant cases). DBT could show more details about the morphology of the lesions, including the border of the masses, spiculation and vessels. The numbers of those signs detected by DBT were 46, 30 and 3, respectively, while only 33 case with circumscribed masses and 14 cases with spiculation were detected by FFDM. Only the difference of spiculation in heterogeneously dense breast detected by DBT and FFDM was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Of the cases with calcifications, DBT images (reconstructed as a 1-mm-thick slice) showed calcifications superior to FFDM in 2 cases, equal to FFDM in 23 cases, and inferior to FFDM in 11 cases. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). But when thickness was changed into 1 cm, the visibility of calcifications in those cases was equal between FFDM and DBT. The maximum diameter of lesions was 2.46 ± 1.64 cm in DBT image, and 2.58 ± 1.62 cm in FFDM image, with a significant difference (P < 0.05). Comparing with reading FFDM images only, the accuracy of FFDM combining with DBT was increased from 88.8% to 91.8%. For FFDM, the AUC of ROC was 0.887, while for DBT it was increased to 0.912, with a non-significant difference (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSDBT is superior to FFDM in the morphological characterization and small calcification in the lesions in dense breast. Combining FFDM and DBT improves the accuracy of diagnosis, but the difference is not statistically significant.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Breast Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; Breast Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Calcinosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Carcinoma in Situ ; diagnostic imaging ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Fibroadenoma ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Mammography ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

The aim of the study is to evaluate the effects of the single and mixed decoction of Thallus laminariae (kelp) and Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) on the metabolism and their difference. The mixed decoction of kelp and licorice and the single decoction were made and intragastrically administered to the SD rats. The effect on system metabolism, the toxicity of liver and kidney were assessed by GC-MS profiling of the endogenous molecules in serum, routine biochemical assays and histographic inspection of tissues from SD rats, separately. The mixed decoction of kelp and licorice induced more obvious pathological abnormalities in SD rats than a single decoction of kelp, while the extracts of licorice did not show any pathological change. Neither the mixed, nor the single decoction showed abnormal histopathology. After intragastric administration of extracts for 5 days, the mixed decoction induced a decrease of ALT (no significant change in the groups of single decoction) and an increase of BUN (so did the single decoction of kelp). Metabolomic profile of the molecules in serum revealed that the metabolic patterns were all obviously affected for the three groups, i.e., the mixed and single decoction of kelp and licorice. The rats given with the single decoction of kelp showed a similar pattern to that of the mixed decoction, indicating that the kelp primarily contributed the perturbation of metabolism for the mixed decoction. All three groups induced a decrease of branched chain amino acids, TCA cycle intermediates and glycolysis intermediates (e.g., pyruvic acid and lactic acid) and an increase of 3-hydroxybutyric acid. Kelp decoction showed stronger potential in reducing TCA cycle intermediates and glycolysis intermediates than the other two groups, while the levels of branched chain amino acids were the lowest after licorice extracts were given. These results suggested that the effect of the mixed decoction on metabolism was closely associated with both kelp and licorice. The continuous administration of single decoction of kelp and the mixed decoction of licorice and kelp resulted in pathological abnormalities in kidney of SD rats. The mixed decoction of kelp and licorice distinctly perturbed sera molecules and hence system metabolism, which showed associated with those of kelp and licorice. Although the metabolic effect was associated with both kelp and licorice, the results suggested kelp contributed to it primarily.
Animals ; Glycyrrhiza ; chemistry ; Kelp ; chemistry ; Kidney ; drug effects ; Liver ; drug effects ; Metabolomics ; Plant Preparations ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo explore the potential causes and the optimal treatments of recurrent venous ulceration of lower limbs after initial operation.

METHODSData of patients admitted between January 2000 and June 2010 for recurrent ulceration in lower limbs after previous operation were retrospectively analyzed. Altogether 81 limbs in 73 patients were recruited. There were 55 male patients (60 limbs) and 18 female patients (21 limbs). The average age was 52.6 years (ranging from 31 to 73 years). All the patients had received at least one surgery procedures before recurrence. The average time between ulceration recurrence and the last operation was 10.6 months (ranging from 5 to 37 months). Average diameter of ulcers was 3.7 cm (ranging from 1.3 to 6.5 cm). Color duplex sonography before re-treatment revealed incompetent calf perforators in 57 limbs (70.4%), primary deep vein insufficiency in 38 limbs (46.9%), post-DVT syndrome in 16 limbs (19.8%), reflux of accessory saphenous veins in 11 limbs (13.6%) and residual/re-opened great saphenous vein in 8 limbs (9.9%). Managements including stripping of great saphenous vein, ligation around the ulcer, percutanous ligation of varicose veins, valvoplasty, and adjuvant compressive therapy were adopted according to different venous abnormality.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed. All the ulcers healed and hemodynamic indexes were greatly improved 6 months after re-operation. Only 3 limbs (3.7%) suffered again from recurrence 1 year after re-operation.

CONCLUSIONSIncompetent perforators in calf, primary or secondary deep vein insufficiency and incorrectly treated saphenous veins are main causes for recurrent venous ulceration in our series. Management of residual vein abnormalities can still achieve satisfying clinical outcome.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Leg ; blood supply ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Varicose Ulcer ; etiology ; surgery ; Varicose Veins ; etiology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo evaluate a technique of endoscope-assisted parotidectomy for benign tumor via a short hidden auricular incision.

METHODSTwenty-six volunteer patients were selected for the new approach, 16 with mixed tumor, 9 Warthin's tumor and 1 lymphoepithelial cyst. The tumor size was 1.6 approximately 3 cm (average 2.2 cm) and the incision ranged 3.5 approximately 5.5 cm(average 4.5cm) divided into two parts: 1) basic segment--started from anterio-superior crease of tragus, went downward along tragal margin and pre-earlobial fold,and stopped at earlobe root; 2) extended segment--went from earlobe root, curved down posterio-inferiorly. The length of the latter was generally not beyond 1 cm. The procedure began with raising the myo-cutaneous flap and dissecting the whole posterior portion of the gland. Thus, two working spaces needed for endoscopic manipulation could be artificially created with suitable retracting instruments. Endoscopic view was then established, and the surgeons operated continuously in the later steps. Modified techniques, such as the antegrade facial nerve dissection, retrograde great auricular nerve dissection and direct coagulate-cut method with ultrasonically activated scalpel, were employed to archive the goals of endoscopical nerve preservation and tissue resection.

RESULTSAll tumors were entirely removed. No postoperative paralysis occurred, excepting 1 case who suffered from an temporary paralysis for two months. The appearance was good due to overlapping the short scar onto the irregular line of auricular contour and hiding its lowest part in the earlobe shadow.

CONCLUSIONSParotidectomy for benign tumors could be safely done via a much-shortened incision, assisted by an endoscope. The postoperative stress of patients can be obviously reduced with the minimally invasive manipulation and the good appearance.

Adenolymphoma ; surgery ; Endoscopy ; methods ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Parotid Gland ; surgery ; Parotid Neoplasms ; surgery ; Patient Satisfaction ; Reproducibility of Results ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the distribution, composition and situation of natural infection pathogen of tick species in the main ports of Inner Mongolia. Methods All ticks were collected manually with white cloth, from the grassland and searching for the hosts followed by detection of pathogens, with PCR. Results 1313 ticks identified, belonged to 1 family,4 geniuses and 7 species in the three surveyed areas, with Dermacentor nuttallia distributed in the Ceke, Mandula and Manzhouli bordering ports. 69.08% of the total species were discovered at Port Ceke, with Rhipicephalus pumilio as the predominant one, which accounted for 74.86%. 5 kinds of tick-borne disease pathogens were detected from ticks in these three bordering ports while only Coxiella burnetii was found at the Port Ceke. In these three ports, the average infection rates of Lyme disease borrelia , Human babesia microti, Spotted fever group Rickettsia, Caxiella burnetii, Ehrlichiosis were 15.08%, 3.35%, 1.98%, 1.07%, 0.99% respectively.The positive rate of tick infected with Borrelia burgdorferi were 13.56%, 22.88%, 5.00% in the 3 bordering ports, respectively with significant differences. The positive rates of Babesia microti and Spotted fever group Rickettsia infections were also significantly different among these areas. Conclusion The natural infection rates of the above mentioned five kinds of tick-borne pathogens were different in the Ports Ceke,Mandula and Manzhouli.

Objective To understand the prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection among newly reported HIV-infected patients from 2016 to 2017 in Dehong Prefecture of Yunnan Province. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted to detect HCV antibodies in 2 196 newly reported HIV-infected persons in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province, from 2016 to 2017. Results A total of 694 cases(31.6%) were detected antibodies against HCV during HIV-infected persents. The prevalence of HCV co-infection among newly reported HIV-infected patients in Chinese and Burmese was 14.4% (112/780) and 41.1% (582/1 416), respectively. Moreover, the prevalence of HCV co-infection was higher in male, ethnic minorities such as Dai and Jingpo minority, primary school and below and farmers in both Chinese and Burmese. Multivariate Logistic regression model showed that HCV infection was associated with male, Dai minority, HIV infection by injecting drug and famers among Chinese and Burmese reported HIV-infected patients. Conclusions The prevalence of HCV co-infection was high among newly reported in Dehong Prefecture of Yunnan Province. Meanwhile, the epidemiological characteristics of HIV/HCV co-infections in Chinese and Burmese are different, thus different prevention and control measures are needed for patients of different nationalities.