Objective To explore the diagnostic value of neuron-specific enolase(NSE) in cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) in children with meningitis.Methods NSE levels in CSF of 18 children with purulent meningitis,13 children with tuberculous meningitis and 25 children with viral meningitis were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results CSF-NSE levels increased significantly in children with purulent meningitis and tuberculous meningitis compared with that of control group(P0.05);CSF-NSE levels increased significantly in children with purulent meningitis and tuberculous meningitis,compared with that of viral meningitis group(P0.05).Conclusions The determination of the neuron-specific enolase in cerebrospinal fluid can be used as an important parameter for identifying bacterial meningitis from viral meningitis.It also can be used to estimate the severity and prognosis of meningitis in children.

Objective To explore the relationship between first trimester pregnancy infection and congenital malformation in the cardiovascular system.Methods A hospital-based study was conducted from June 2014 to June 2016.Totally 1618 mothers of infants with cardiovascular system malformation and normal infants were interviewed through a face-to-face questionnaire survey.A propensity score-matched study was conducted to investigate the association between first trimester pregnancy infection and congenital malformation in the cardiovascular system.Results All important covariates were balanced after matching.First trimester pregnancy infection increased the risk of congenital malformation in the cardiovascular system,single congenital malformation in the cardiovascular system and multi-congenital malformation in the cardiovascular system.After matched,the OR values were 1.65 (95％ CI:1.21-2.24;P=0.001),1.50 (95％ CI:1.02 2.20;P=0.037),and 1.90 (95％ CI:1.18-3.06;P=0.008),respectively.Conclusion First trimester pregnancy infection increases the risk of congenital malformation in the cardiovascular system.Avoiding infectious diseases during the first trimester in pregnancy is important in decreasing the incidence of congenital malformation in the cardiovascular system.

Objective To explore the relationship of four kinds of lifestyle factors,namely,prenatal passive smoking,hair dyeing or perming,exposure to noise,living in a house renovated in the past one year,with congenital heart disease.Methods A hospital-based case-control study was conducted.Totally 270 mothers in the case group and 1633 mothers in the control group were interviewed through a face-to-face questionnaire survey.A generalized linear model was employed to investigate the association between congenital heart disease and prenatal lifestyle factors.Results Both in Model 1 and Model 2,prenatal hair dyeing or perming had no association with congenital heart disease.On the other hand,prenatal passive smoking,exposure to noise and living in a house renovated in the past one year all increased the risk of congenital heart disease.After adjustment for all confounders,the OR values were 1.771 (95％ CI:1.079-2.909),2.079 (95％ CI:1.310-3.298),and 2.494 (95％ CI:1.511-4.116),respectively.Conclusion Prenatal passive smoking,exposure to noise and living in a house renovated in the past one year are the risk factors for congenital heart disease.It is very important to avoid such factors during pre-pregnancy and pregnancy.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility and clinical application value of selecting viable spermatozoa by noncontact diode laser.

METHODSWe obtained immotile spermatozoa from 2 infertile men with obstructive azoospermia or severe asthenospermia and selected viable spermatozoa using a single laser shot at the sperm tail. Those that responded to the laser shot by a curling reaction of the tail were regarded as presumably viable and used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

RESULTSThe mean fertilization rate was 88.89% after ICSI with the laser-selected viable spermatozoa. Both of the embryo transfers resulted in a single pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONNoncontact diode laser is a useful alternative for the assessment of sperm viability, which may help to achieve successful pregnancy.

Embryo Transfer ; Female ; Fertilization ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; therapy ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Sperm Motility ; Sperm Tail ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between Fc gamma receptor IIA gene polymorphism and susceptibility to chronic periodontitis in Chinese Han nationality.

METHODSDNA samples were collected with buccal swabs from 63 patients with severe chronic periodontitis(CP), 103 patients with mild to moderate CP and 80 healthy individuals as control. Polymorphism in Fc gamma receptor IIA gene cluster was analyzed with PCR-SSP. The genotype distribution and allele frequency among different groups were compared.

RESULTSIt was found that the frequency of Fc gamma RIIA-R/R131 genotype was significantly higher in patients with severe CP (19.05%) compared to that of the healthy controls (P < 0.0125).

CONCLUSIONThe Fc gamma RIIA-R/R131 genotype may be one of the contributors for the increased susceptibility to severe CP in Chinese Han nationality.

Adult ; Antigens, CD ; genetics ; China ; ethnology ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Periodontitis ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptors, IgG ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between liver pathological changes and serum HBeAg and HBV DNA in 1057 patients with chronic hepatitis B.

METHODSLiver puncture biopsy for histopathological examinations were performed in 1057 patients with chronic hepatitis B. The quantitative analysis of serum HBV DNA by fluorogenic quantitative PCR and HBeAg by chemoluminescence were also conducted.

RESULTSThe inflammatory grade and fibrosis stage were higher in HBeAg-negative patients (G4 and S4 were 7.83% and 12.17% respectively) than in HBeAg-positive patients (G4 and S4 were 3.39% and 5.44% respectively). The inflammatory grade and fibrosis stage were higher in HBeAg-positive patients with low-level HBV DNA (G3G4 was 45.64% and S3S4 was 30.20% for HBV DNA104-105), whereas they were higher in HBeAg-negative patients with high-level HBV DNA (G3G4 was 54.55% for HBV DNA106-107 and S3S4 was 42.85% for HBV DNA108-109).

CONCLUSIONThere were some correlation between the liver pathological changes and serum HBeAg and HBV DNA levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B. It is important to perform the liver pathological examination and antiviral therapy as early as possible in patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B.

DNA, Viral ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; pathology ; virology ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; virology

OBJECTIVETo culture dendritic cells (DC) from peripheral blood of patients with laryngeal carcinoma for therapeutic aid.

METHODSAdherent peripheral blood mononuclear cells from peripheral blood were cultured with 15 ng/ml rhGM-CSF and 7 ng/ml rhIL-4 for one or two weeks. The purity of DC was detected by immunocytochemistry method. The mixed leukocyte reactions stimulated by DC loaded with laryngeal carcinoma antigen were tested by measuring 3H-TdR uptake.

RESULTSA considerable number of suspended cells with spicular or dendritic appearance were observed after 1 week of culture, and their mitochondria were rich in cytoplasm. The positivity of DC was about 30%-60%. DC loaded with laryngeal antigen could induce proliferation of syngeneic T lymphocytes.

CONCLUSIONA large number of DC with high purity can be cultured from peripheral blood of patients with laryngeal carcinoma in vitro. It may be used in further experimental studies for clinical applications.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; blood ; Cell Separation ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media ; Dendritic Cells ; pathology ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Interleukin-4 ; pharmacology ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; blood ; Recombinant Proteins ; pharmacology

BACKGROUNDVolumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) can only be implemented on the new generation linacs such as the Varian Trilogy® and Elekta Synergy®. This prevents most existing linacs from delivering VMAT. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using a conventional linear accelerator delivering constant dose rate and constant angular spacing intensity-modulated arc therapy (CDR-CAS-IMAT) for treating cervical cancer.

METHODSTwenty patients with cervical cancer previously treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) using Varian Clinical 23EX were retreated using CDR-CAS-IMAT. The planning target volume (PTV) was set as 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions. Plans were evaluated based on the ability to meet the dose volume histogram. The homogeneity index (HI), target volume conformity index (CI), the dose to organs at risk, radiation delivery time, and monitor units (MUs) were also compared. The paired t-test was used to analyze the two data sets. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 19.0 software.

RESULTSCompared to the IMRT group, the CDR-CAS-IMAT group showed better PTV CI (0.85 ± 0.03 vs. 0.81 ± 0.03, P = 0.001), clinical target volume CI (0.46 ± 0.05 vs. 0.43 ± 0.05, P = 0.001), HI (0.09 ± 0.02 vs. 0.11 ± 0.02, P = 0.005) and D95 (5196.33 ± 28.24 cGy vs. 5162.63 ± 31.12 cGy, P = 0.000), and cord D2 (3743.8 ± 118.7 cGy vs. 3806.2 ± 98.7 cGy, P = 0.017) and rectum V40 (41.9 ± 6.1% vs. 44.2 ± 4.8%, P = 0.026). Treatment time (422.7 ± 46.7 s vs. 84.6 ± 7.8 s, P = 0.000) and the total plan Mus (927.4 ± 79.1 vs. 787.5 ± 78.5, P = 0.000) decreased by a factor of 0.8 and 0.15, respectively. The IMRT group plans were superior to the CDR-CAS-IMAT group plans considering decreasing bladder V50 (17.4 ± 4.5% vs. 16.6 ± 4.2%, P = 0.049), bowel V30 (39.6 ± 6.5% vs. 36.6 ± 7.5%, P = 0.008), and low-dose irradiation volume; there were no significant differences in other statistical indexes.

CONCLUSIONSPatients with cervical cancer treated with CDR-CAS-IMAT using Varian Clinical 23EX can get equivalent or superior dose distribution compared to those treated with IMRT. CDR-CAS-IMAT has a less treatment time and MU, which can reduce the uncertainty factor and patient discomfort in treatment.

Female ; Humans ; Particle Accelerators ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; methods ; Software ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of different fertilization methods on the outcomes of elective blastocyst culture.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of elective blastocyst culture for 1 153 cycles of IVF and 205 cycles of ICSI performed between january 2009 and December 2012.

RESULTSA total number of 14 748 embryos in the IVF group and 2 655 embryos in the ICSI group underwent sequential blastocyst culture, with 7 871 blastocysts formed in the former and 1 210 in the latter. No cycles were canceled for no blastocyst formation in either of the two groups. The rates of quality embryos, blastocyst formation and embryo utilization were significantly higher in the IVF than in the ICSI group (64.77 vs 58.72%, 53.37 vs 45.57%, and 60.06 vs 52.17%, all P < 0.05), but the rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy and abortion showed no significant differences between the two groups (48.94 vs 51.43%, 49.03 vs 52.02%, and 11.69% vs 15.56, all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONWith the same inclusion criteria of selective blastocyst culture, IVF has a lower risk of cycle cancellation due to no blastocyst formation and therefore may effect higher rates of blastocyst formation and embryo utilization than ICSI. Our study suggested that appropriate inclusion criteria of selective blastocyst culture should be laid down according to different fertilization methods.

Adult ; Blastocyst ; Embryo Transfer ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; methods ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic

Objective The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CLN are a group of severe lysosomal storage diseases.The patients present with clinically and genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorders.This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics and the gene mutations of a rare Chinese family with 3 siblings affected by CLN7.Methods The proband,a 5-year-old girl,visited us because of intermittently seizures and mental retardation for 2 years and a half in December,2015.Clinical investigation,brain magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),biochemical and the gene analysis were performed for the etiological study.Results The proband had seizures at the age of 2 and a half years,with the progressive motor deterioration,speech disturbance,mental regression and vision loss.Her brain MRI showed diffusive cerebral atrophy.The blood aminoacids,acylcarnitine and urine organic acid profiles were normal.Lysosomal palmitoyl protein thioesterase and tripeptidyl peptidase activities of peripheral leukocytes were normal.A compound heterozygous mutation of c.1351-1G ＞ A and c.300T ＞ G was detected on her MFSD8 gene,supporting the diagnosis of CLN7.Both of the 2 mutations were novel.Each of her parents carried one of the mutations.Two brothers of the proband had similar clinical process.Her elder brother died at the age of 7 due to severe encephalopathy of unknown etiology.The younger brother showed dyskinesia from the age of 2 years and seizures from the age of 4 years.A compound heterozygous mutation on MFSD8 gene,c.1351-1G ＞ A and c.300T ＞ G,was found from the younger brother,as same as the proband.Conclusions CLN7 is a rare disorder of CLN.In this study,the diagnosis of the 3 siblings with similar clinical process were much delayed.Gene analysis was key for the diagnosis.Two novel mutations were found on MFSD8 of the family.There is still no effective treatment for neurol ceroid lipofuscinosis.The prognosis is poor.Based on the mutation diagnosis,prenatal diagnosis for the next sibling is possible to the prevention of the disease.