Objective To explore the feasibility and value of low dose CT scan for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.Methods 150 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis underwent three doses CT scan (standard dose:150 mA;low-dose:15 mA and 30 mA) using GE dual slices helical CT.Besides the different tube current,other scan parameters including tube voltage,scan cycle,pitch,and collimation were the same in three dose groups.The scanned extent was from apexes to bases of lung.Image quality in standard group was compared with that in other two low dose groups and analyzed statistically by three radiologists.Results CT characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis could be detected efficiently using low dose CT scan(30 mA) program,which was no significant as compared with the CT image using standard CT sose(P＞0.05).Howere,CT scan at 15 mA obviously affected on the diagnosis for both active and inactive pulmonary tuberculosis,the difference was significant (P＜0.05).Conclusion Low dose CT scan can replace totally the standard dose CT scan in diagnosing pulmonary tubercrulosis.

Objective To explore the technique and clinical value of percutaneous lung puncture and injection of drug under CT-guided in the treatment of multi-drug resistant cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis(MDR-TB).Methods 84 patients of positive sputum smear with MDR-TB were undergone injecting drugs into the pulmonary cavities by percutaneous lung puncture under CT-guided.The treatments were carried out by self-made locating mark which could confirm the appropriate puncture point,puncture angle and the puncture line.Results The operations of puncture in all cases were successful,the complications included pneumothorax in 3 cases,pulmonary hemorrhage in 1 case and subcutaneous emphysema in 1 case.After treatment,the mean rate of sputum negative,improvement of pulmonary cavity and cavity closure was 91.7%,89.3% and 66.7% respectively.Conclusion The percutaneous pulmonary puncture and injection of drug under CT-guided was a simple,visualized,right localization and less complications method in the treatment of the MDR-TB.

Objective:A combined therapy of Aidi and Kanglaite injection was employed to enhance the living quality of patients with tumors.Method: 50ml Aidi was added into 5% glucose 500ml,together with100 to 200 ml Kanglaite was injected per day,a medical treatment course lasts for 15 to 20 days,and the duration includes 1 to 3 courses.Result: 25% of all patients treated show a complete cure of tumor pain,43.8% of all patients show relief to some extent,with a total efficiency of 68.8%,and 72.8% of all treatment group show an increase in living quality.Conclusion: The combined therapy together with humanistic nursing care results in a significant effect in treating patients with terminal tumors.

Objective To explore the influence of smoking on olfactory disorder in Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods According to smoking or not, 167 PD patients ( PD group) and 100 normal controls ( normal control group) were divided into smoking subgroups and non-smoking subgroups.The olfactory identification threshold was tested by T&T olfactory assessment.Results Compared with normal control group, the scores of MMSE and montreal cognitive assessment in PD group were significantly decreased ( all P<0.05 ) , age, smoking history, the rate of male had no statistical significance ( all P>0.05 ) .The olfactory identification threshold in PD group was significantly higher than normal control group (t=6.785, P=0.000).Compared with PD smoking subgroup, the olfactory identification threshold in non-smoking subgroup was significantly higher (t=-3.000, P=0.003).The olfactory identification threshold in normal control smoking subgroup was significantly lower (t=0.784, P=0.435). The olfactory identification threshold of PD smokers had no correlation with smoking pack-years or duration ( r=-0.104, P=0.441;r=-0.156, P=0.246) .Conclusion Smoking may protect olfactory disorder in PD patients, and it has no correlation with smoking pack-years or duration.

To study the chemical constituents of Veratrum dahuricum (Turcz.) Loes. f., a new aurone glycoside named as (Z)-7, 4'-dimethoxy-6-hydroxyl-aurone-4-O-β-glucopyranoside was isolated from the 95% ethanol extracts of the rhizomes and roots of Veratrum dahuricum (Turcz.) Loes. f. by repeated column chromatography on silica gel and recrystallization. Its structure was established by extensive spectroscopic analyses, and its cytotoxicities against HepG-2, MCF7 and A549 cell lines were measured in vitro.
Benzofurans ; isolation & purification ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Glycosides ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Veratrum ; chemistry

BACKGROUND:Liushen Pil is a traditional Chinese herbal formula, has the effects of heat-clearing and detoxicating, eliminating stagnation, detumescence and al eviating pain. Modern pharmacology verifies that Liushen Pil has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, cardiac, anti-viral, anti-tumor effects, and has been extensively used in the treatment of various infectious diseases and malignant cancer. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the inhibitory effects of Liushen Pil on esophageal cancer xenografts, and effects on microvessel density and vascular endothelial growth factor expression. METHODS:After reproducing nude mouse models of human esophageal cancer, 48 nude mice were randomly divided into high-dose Liushen Pil group, moderate-dose Liushen Pil group, low-dose Liushen Pil group, cisplatin group, model group and blank group. According to medication regimen, drugs were given. The growth of transplanted tumor of nude mice was dynamical y observed in each group. The nude mice were sacrificed after 20 days of treatment. Neoplasm weight was taken and the tumor-suppressing rate was calculated. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect microvessel density and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The weight of transplanted tumor was significantly lower in the high-dose Liushen Pil group, moderate-dose Liushen Pil group, low-dose Liushen Pil group, and cisplatin group than in the model group (P<0.05). Microvessel density and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor were obviously lower in the each Liushen Pil group than in the model group, but not as apparent as that in the cisplatin group. Results suggested that Liushen Pil can inhibit the growth of the esophageal cancer xenografts. Liushen Pil can down-regulate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and reduce microvessel density, which is one of the tumor-inhibiting mechanism of Liushen Pil .

Objective To evaluate the effects of induction chemotherapy plus radiotherapy (ICRT) and concurrent chemotherapy plus radiotherapy (CCRT) for Stage Ⅱ -Ⅲ non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) . Methods From July 19% to July 1999, 64 patients with Stage Ⅱ -Ⅲ NSCLC were randomized into two groups: ICRT group (32 patients) induction chemotherapy with DDP( 100mg/m2,dl) and VP-16 (100mg/m2,dl-d3) per week, one cycle per 4 weeks was given. Radiation was given after 2-3 cycles. CCRT group (32 patients) received radiotherapy plus concurrent chemotherapy with DDP(20 mg/m2,dl-d5) and VP-16 (50 mg/m2,dl-d5) per week for 8 weeks. In either group, radiation was given with a total dose of 60-70 Gy/6-7 weeks. Results One patient was excluded from ICRT group for development of distant metastasis, and 3 from CCRT group for their acute complications or other diseases. The overall response rates ( CR + PR) of ICRT and CCRT groups were 81.3% and 84.4%, respectively . NR + PD rates of both groups were 18.7% and 15.6% . The median survival periods were 13.4 months in ICRT group and 21.6 months in CCRT group (t = 2.58, P

Anemia, Aplastic ; genetics ; metabolism ; Bone Marrow Cells ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Cell Line ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Humans ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; metabolism

Objective To evaluate cerebrospinal fluid adenosine deaminase(CSF-ADA)activity in the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis(TMB), and to observe its dynamic changes. Methods A total of 160 patients were included and were divided into two groups: 76 cases of TBM and 84 cases of non-TBM.Among the cases of non-TBM, there were 36 cases of bacterial meningitis, 30 cases of viral meningitis and 18 cases of cryptocoocal meningitis. All the patients were measured with their CSF-ADA activity by Enzymecoupled assay(Trinder method)and 47 patients of TBM were measured again after 2 weeks' and 6 weeks'antitubercular therapy. Results were expressed as(-x)± s. Mann-Whitney U test and paired-samples t test were used. Results CSF-ADA activity in TBM group was(12.9 ±6.4)U/L, while that in the non-TBM group was(6.0 ± 4.1)U/L, the difference was of statistical significance(U = 7.860, P ＜ 0.05). With the cutoff value of 9 U/L, the sensitivity and specificity to differentiate TBM from non-TBM was 84.21% and 83. 33%, respectively. CSF-ADA activity decreased in TBM patients after antitubercular treatment.Conclusions CSF-ADA activity can be an effective laboratory marker for early differential diagnosis of TMB with the cut-off value of 9 U/L. Dynamic changes of CSF-ADA activity may be a indicator for the effect of antitubercular treatment.

Animals ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Daunorubicin ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Male ; Myocardium ; cytology ; metabolism ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Neuregulins ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction