Objective To assess the diagnostic value of MRCP before LC.Methods 944 cases with chronic calculous cholecystitis underwent MRCP before LC from June 2004 to June 2007 in our department.incidence rate of cholecvstolithiasis together with common bile duct stones and incidence rate of anatomic abnormity of bile duct were collected.Results The incidence rate of cholecvstolithiasis together with common bile duct stones were 8.1%(77/944),and the oecurence ofACBDS were 1.2%(11/944).The incidence rate of anatomic abnormity of bile duct were 3.7%(35/944).ConclusionMRCP can not only offer a excellent diagnostic value of ACBDS and anatomic abnormity of bile duct,but also reduce the occurrence of CBDS remainder and iatrogenic bile duct iniuries.

OBJECTIVETo study the efficacy of Xiaoyao Powder (XYP) combined with interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) in treating HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and the effect on their quality of life (QOL).

METHODSTotally 193 patients with HBeAg-positive CHB confirmed by liver biopsy were randomly assigned to 2 groups, Group A (94 cases) and Group B (99 cases). IFN-alpha1b was subcutaneously injected to patients in Group A at the dose of 50 microg, thrice per week. Those in Group B additionally took XYP. The therapeutic course for all was 24 weeks. Clinical efficacy was observed by assessing ALT restoration rate, HBeAg negative rate, HBeAg conversion rate, HBV DNA negative rate, complete response rate, partial response rate, and symptoms integral. The evaluation of QOL was performed by using chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ) score. Adverse reaction occurrence rate was observed in the two groups.

RESULTSBetter effects were obtained in Group A on ALT restoration rate, HBeAg negative rate, HBV DNA negative rate, complete response rate, partial response rate, TCM symptoms integral, the total effective rate of TCM sysmptoms, CLDQ score, and adverse reaction rates, showing statistical difference when compared with Group B (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONXYP could elevate the efficacy of TCM symptoms of HBeAg-positive CHB patients and anti-viral effect, improve their QOL, and reduce adverse reaction of IFN-alpha.

Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Serologic Tests

OBJECTIVETo observe the efficacy of Zaozhu Yinchen Recipe (ZZYCR) on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients, and to explore its effect on serum free fatty acid (FFA) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha).

METHODSTotally 120 patients with NASH were randomly assigned to the treatment group (60 cases, treated with ZZYCR, one dose per day) and the control group (60 cases, treated with Silibin Meglumine Tablets, 20 mg each time, thrice per day). The therapeutic course for all was 24 weeks. Serum levels of ALT and AST activities, TC and TG levels were detected before and after treatment. Peritoneal CT was performed in all patients, and CT ratios of liver and spleen calculated. NAFLD activity score (NAS) and degree of hepatic fibrosis were assessed using pathological examinations of liver tissue, and efficacy also evaluated. Serum contents of FFA and TNF-alpha were also detected.

RESULTSCompared with before treatment in the same group, activities of ALT and AST, serum levels of TC, TG, FFA, and TNF-alpha, NAS, scores of symptoms and signs all obviously decreased, degree of hepatic fibrosis was obviously improved in the two groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). These changes were more obviously seen in the treatment group (P < 0.05). After 24-week treatment, the total effective rate and total clinical efficacy were 80.00% (48/60 cases) and 85.00% (51/60 cases) in the treatment group, obviously higher than those in the control group [60.00% (36/60 cases) and 73.33% (44/60 cases) respectively], with significant difference (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONZZYCR could improve the clinical efficacy of NASH patients, and its mechanism might be associated with inhibiting serum levels of FFA and TNF-alpha.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified ; blood ; Humans ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; drug therapy ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

OBJECTIVETo study the mechanism of Tongjiang granule on treating GERD.

METHODThe rats in the model group received steel wire ring-cardiamyopexy. A steel wire ring was fixed firmly on cardia. The rats in the control group underwent the cardia-plasty plus pylori ligation plus stomach-empty intestine Roux-en-Y anastomosis. The rats were divided into six groups after operations at random, which were fed up respectively with Tongjiang granule of different dosage and perpulsid. No treatment groups were taken as control.

RESULTThe experiment showed that Tongjiang granule could lighten or cure RE in the pathology, decrease the hydrochloric acid in gastric juice, in the meantime, increase the motilin in the animal blood. This study indicated that the effect of Tongjiang granule group from experimental research was better than that of the control group (perpulsid).

CONCLUSIONThe effects of Tongjiang granule on treating GERD can be achieved by decreasing the hydrochloric acid in gastric juice, increasing the motilin in blood and promoting the gastric impetus in the animal experiment.

Animals ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Esophagus ; pathology ; Female ; Gastric Acid ; metabolism ; Gastric Emptying ; drug effects ; Hydrochloric Acid ; metabolism ; Male ; Motilin ; blood ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; diagnosis ; Serologic Tests

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between alterations of p16INK4a and p14ARF genes and gastric carcinogenesis.

METHODSTumors and gastric tissues neighboring carcinoma from 48 patients with gastric cancer were studied. Homozygous deletion, mutation, methylation of the CpG islands, mRNA expression of p16INK4a and p14ARF genes were assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP), PCR based methylation assay, and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR.

RESULTS(1) The overall homozygous deletion rate of p16INK4a and p14ARF was 35.4% (17/48), and no homozygous deletion was examined in all the gastric tissues neighboring tumor. (2) There was no point mutation of p16INK4a and p14ARF in 31 gastric cancers without homozygous deletion and in the matched gastric tissues adjacent to tumor. (3) Methylation of the CpG islands of p16INK4a and p14ARF was detected in 47.9% (23/48) of gastric cancers, while methylation was observed only in 2 of 48 gastric tissues neighboring cancers with a significant difference (P <0.01). (4) The rate of p16INK4a mRNA loss was 47.9% (23/48) in gastric cancer, and the cases of combined methylation of exons 1alpha and 2 had a higher loss rate (100%, 6/6) of p16INK4a mRNA than those of methylation form the other exons (11.8%, 2/17) (P <0.01). The loss rate of p14ARF mRNA was 45.8% (22/48) in gastric cancer, and patients with combined methylation of exons 1beta and 2 had a higher loss rate (100%, 3/3) of p14ARF mRNA than those of the methylation from the other exons (15%, 3/20) (P < 0.05). (5) The combined loss of p16INK4a and p14ARF mRNAs was examined in 1 (5.6%) of 18 cases of well and moderately-differentiated carcinomas, and 11 (36.7%) of 30 cases of poorly and not-differentiated carcinomas with significant difference (P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONp16INK4a and p14ARF genes were frequently inactivated by homozygous deletion and methylation of the 5' CpG islands in gastric cancer, which might have played an important role in the development of gastric cancer.

Adenocarcinoma ; genetics ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 ; genetics ; DNA Methylation ; Female ; Gene Deletion ; Genes, p16 ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Stomach Neoplasms ; genetics ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p14ARF ; genetics

OBJECTIVESTo obtain a single-chain antibody with high affinity against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSA second single-chain antibody mutant library was established using an error-prone PCR and a phage display. Single-chain antibodies with high affinity for hepatocellular carcinoma were selected using ELISA.

RESULTSThe content of the second single-chain antibody mutant library was about 4.5 x 10(7). Two selected mutants, M90 and M116, were obtained after 3 rounds of panning and ELISA. Immunoassay showed that both M90 and M116 could bind to human HCC cells. The relative affinity of M90 was 1.7-fold higher than that of the original antibody, and M116 was 2-fold higher than that of the original antibody.

CONCLUSIONError-prone PCR is an effective and simple method for affinity maturation of antibodies isolated from a phage antibody library.

Antibodies, Neoplasm ; immunology ; Antibody Affinity ; Antibody Specificity ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; immunology ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Fragments ; immunology ; Immunoglobulin Variable Region ; genetics ; immunology ; Liver Neoplasms ; immunology ; pathology ; Mutation ; Peptide Library

This study was aimed to investigate the expression of c-MPL in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the correlation of the c-MPL expression with CD34 and CD38, so as to define the expression of c-MPL in leukemic stem cells. The expression levels of CD34, CD38 and c-MPL were detected by flow cytometry in bone marrow cells from 29 newly diagnosed AML patients. The relationship of c-MPL positive cell ratio with clinical parameters and correlation of c-MPL with CD34 and CD38 expression in AML patients were analyzed. The results showed that expression level of c-MPL in AML patients was significantly higher than that of normal controls (P < 0.05), and the expression level of c-MPL did not correlate with age, sex, white blood cell count, AML1-ETO fusion gene and remission after chemotherapy, but the expression of c-MPL in M2 and M5 patients was higher than that of normal control (P < 0.05). Expression of c-MPL in CD34 positive AML patients was obviously higher than that in CD34 negative AML patients (P < 0.01). c-MPL was significantly higher expressed in CD34(+) cells than that in CD34(-) cells (P < 0.001), while c-MPL expression was not significantly different between CD34(+)CD38(-) and CD34(+)CD38(-) cell groups. Positive correlation between c-MPL and CD34 expression was observed (r = 0.380, P = 0.042). It is concluded that expression of c-MPL is higher in AML patients, and positively correlates with the expression level of CD34. The c-MPL expresses in leukemic stem cells.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; metabolism ; Receptors, Thrombopoietin ; metabolism ; Young Adult