Objective To reinvestigate the value of overnight low-dose dexamethasone suppression test in the diagnosis of Cushing syndrome.Methods Fifty-two patients with Cushing syndrome and 153 patients with simple obesity or essential hypertension in whom Cushing syndrome was excluded were studied retrospectively in order to compare the sensitivity and specificity of different serum cortisol cut-off levels in overnight 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test in the diagnosis of Cushing syndrome.Results The sensitivity of 50% of basal serum cortisol level at 8:00 and of the serum cortisol cut-off levels of 275,200,138,50 nmoL/L at 8:00 after the overnight 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test was 92.3%,92.3%,92.3%,92.3% and 100.0% respectively, and the specificity was 90.8%,98.7%,96.1%,91.5% and 78.4%,respectively.Conclusion The serum cortisol cut-off level of 50 nmol/L in the overnight 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test has very high sensitivity and can be used as a screening test for Cushing syndrome.

AIM: To observe application of underwater bubble method capsulorhexis overmature period to improve the small incision cataract surgery, so as to explore the clinical value of the surgical method.
● METHODS: From Jul. 2012 to Mar. 2016 at the grassroots of blindness 58 people fail in the 66 eyes overmature period of cataract were randomly divided into underwent capsulorhexis by underwater bubble method to improve the small incision cataract surgery group ( 36 eyes of 30 cases ) and conventional viscoelastic agent underwent capsulorhexis small incision cataract surgery group (30 eyes of 28 cases).
● RESULTS: A total of 66 eyes in success rate of continuous circular capsulorhexis: 92% ( 33/36 eyes ) of underwater bubble method, method of viscoelastic agent only 40% ( 12/30 eyes ) . Two groups of cases of postoperative corneal endothelial cell density are compared with preoperative significantly reduced, no significant statistical difference between the two groups(P>0. 05).
● CONCLUSION: Underwater bubble method capsulorhexis difficult to overmature period of cataract surgery capsulorhexis solution is a better way.

OBJECTIVETo construct a modified and enhanced thymidine kinase (TK) vector regulated by human telomerase catalytic subunit promoter (hTERT) promoter and cytomegalovirus (CMV) enhancer and its killing effect on nasopharyngeal carcinoma in vitro and in vivo and its safety in vivo.

METHODSThe pGL3-basic, as basic vector template, was linked and constructed into TK vector regulated by hTERT promoter and CMV enhancer with mono-promoter vector as control. Enhanced TK expression was confirmed by fluorescent microscopy and real time fluorescent quantitative PCR. Telomerase activity was measured by stretch PCR. Tumour killing effects were examined by MTT and Boyden areola. The effects of enhanced TK on the invasiveness of tumor cell NPC 5-8F and the growth of xenograft implanted in nude mice were investigated.

RESULTSCompared with non-enhanced vector, TK expressed by the enhanced vector significantly increased in NPC 5-8F and MCF-7 cells, telomerase activity was positive in human in NPC 5-8F cells and breast cancer MCF-7 cells and negative in control human blood vessel endothelium ECV-304 cells. After ganciclovir(GCV) treatment, NPC 5-8F cell survival rate and invasiveness decreased and tumor progress of NPC xenograft implanted in nude mice was inhibited, without obvious toxicity effects on mouse liver and kidney.

CONCLUSIONSThe enhanced TK vector regulated by hTERT promoter and CMV enhancer can obviously and specifically inhibit and kill nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in culture and nasopharyngeal carcinoma xenograft in nude mice in vivo, without obviously toxic side effects on nude mice. The targeted and enhanced TK gene vector with high performance may be a new tumour targeted gene therapy strategy clinically to aim directly at most malignant tumours including nasopharyngeal carcinoma, with more extensive anti-cancer spectrum.

Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; Cytomegalovirus ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; therapy ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid ; Telomerase ; genetics ; Thymidine Kinase ; genetics ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo observe effects of ginsenoside-Rb (G-Rb) on total cholesterol, lipoprotein cholesterol metabolism and anti-oxidation in experimental hyperlipidemia rats.

METHODHyperlipidemia rats were respectively given G-Rb 50, 100, 200 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) ig for twelve days. Total cholesterol, lipoprotein cholesterol and lipid peroxidation (LPO) contents, prostacycline (PGI2), thromboxane (TXA2), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and blood viscosity were measured. Fat accumulation in liver was also observed.

RESULTTriglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in serum, TXA2 in plasma, LPO in serum and liver, and blood viscosity were decreased significantly. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) in serum, PGI2 in plasma and SOD in serum and liver were significantly increased by G-Rb (100, 200 mg x kg(-1)) in experimental hyperlipidemia rats. In addition, G-Rb could decrease TC/HDL-c, LDLc/HDL-c ratio, increase PGI2/TXA2 ratio and inhibit fat accumulation in liver.

CONCLUSIONG-Rb could have anti-arteriosclerosis effect by improving cholesterol and lipoprotein-cholesterol metabolism, suppressing lipid peroxidation, increasing anti-oxidase activity and PGI2/TXA2 ratio.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Female ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Hyperlipidemias ; metabolism ; Lipid Peroxides ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the correlation between standardized uptake valus (SUV) of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18 F-FDG) of tumor at PET/CT examination and the expression of glucose transporter-1 (Glutl) and Ki-67 in esophageal cancer.

METHODS56 patients with esophageal cancer were evaluated with 18 F-FDG PET/CT examination before operation. The expression of Glut1 and Ki-67 antigen in the tumor tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry after operation.

RESULTS(1) Positive rate of Glutl and Ki-67 expression in esophageal cancer tissues was 100% , respectively. There was a positive correlation between the expression of Glutl and Ki-67 and the clinical stages and differentiation of the tumor. The more the tumor and the clinical stages were advanced and the lower was the tumor differentiation, the more Glutl and Ki-67 were expressed. (2) There were abnormal radioactive high uptake regions on PET/CT imaging of esophagus in the 56 patients, which were confirmed by pathology as the primary carcinoma. The SUV was higher than 2. 5. There was a gradually increasing tendency in SUV along with the lowering of the tumor differentiation and the advance of clinical stages. (3)There was a correlation between the expression of Glutl, Ki-67 and the SUV, the more Glutl and Ki-67 were expressed, the higher the SUV of tumor 18F-FDG at PET/CT examination was in esophageal tumor tissues.

CONCLUSIONThere is a widespread expression of Glutl in esophageal cancer tissues, and the SUV may be used to indirectly evaluate the proliferative capacity of esophageal cancer.

Adenocarcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; pharmacokinetics ; Glucose Transporter Type 1 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; methods ; Tissue Distribution ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

OBJECTIVETo understand antibody responses to and RNA sequences of Hantavirus in patients with hemorrhagic fever renal syndrome (HFRS) in Yantai areas and to demonstrate the type of the prevalent viruses caused HFRS.

METHODSSerum specimens collected at acute and convalescent stages from 90 patients with HFRS and IgM and IgG antibodies against Hantavirus were detected with ELISA, and cross plaque reduction neutralizing tests were performed to detect neutralizing antibody. Viral RNA was extracted from the patients? sera by using Trizol method and nested PCR was utilized to amplify the specific segments of the viral cDNA and the products of the PCR were TA cloned and then the nucleotide sequences were determined.

RESULTSThe IgM antibody was positive in 82.2% (88/107) of the patients while the IgG antibody was positive in 85.7% (66/77) of the patients. Both the serologic and sequence analyses demonstrated that the epidemic of HFRS in Yantai areas was caused by mixed types of Hantavirus. The prevalent strains of Hantavirus had higher homology with the strains isolated in Korea than with those isolated previously in China.

CONCLUSIONSThe serologic and sequencing analyses indicated that the epidemic of HFRS in Yantai areas was caused by mixed types of Hantavirus dominated by type SEO.

Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Base Sequence ; China ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; Disease Reservoirs ; Hantaan virus ; classification ; genetics ; immunology ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; virology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Serotyping

AIM:To investigate the correlation between carotid artery disease and fundus arteriosclerosis in patients with cerebral infarction.METHODS:Totally 120 patients with acute cerebral infarction were randomly divided into two groups.The patients were diagnosed with bilateral carotid artery and non-mydriatic fundus camera.Fouty-two patients transient ischaemic attack (TIA) underwent cerebral angiography.The data were recorded for analysis.RESULTS:The degree of fundus arteriosclerosis in patients with cerebral infarction was positively correlated with blood pressure (r=0.361,P=0.015).There was a significant correlation between retinal arteriosclerosis grade and carotid atherosclerosis (r=0.392,P =0.011).The degree of fundus arteriosclerosis was correlated with cerebral arteriolar lesion,higher than it with carotid artery disease (r=0.465,0.392,P=0.037).CONCLUSION:Carotid arteriosclerosis,fundus arteriosclerosis and cerebral arteriolar lesions in patients with cerebral infarction have a significant correlation with hypertension,and fundus arterial examination has important clinical value in judging cerebral arteriosclerosis.

China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Plague ; epidemiology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies

OBJECTIVETo explore the prevalence of vision, mental, audibility, language, psychiatry, extremity, and influence factors in the 0 - 7 year olds.

METHODSA total number of 77,727 0 - 7 year old children living in Shenzhen city were tested with tree phase screening under the Chinese standard of evaluation in disabilities.

RESULTSThe prevalence of all disabilities was 5.59 per thousand (adjusted rate was 8.49 per thousand with a false negative of 3.1 per thousand ). The prevalence of mental disease was the highest (1.88 per thousand, with adjusted rate 3.43 per thousand ), the prevalence of language disability was 1.88 per thousand (including retarded language development, with adjusted rate 3.43 per thousand ). The prevalence rates of psychiatry, extremity and audibility disability were 1.59 per thousand, 1.56 per thousand, 1.11 per thousand respectively with of vision the lowest (0.37 per thousand ). The prevalence of all disabilities, audibility, language and mental was on the increase with age. The difference was statistically significant. Among all different age groups regarding psychiatric disease, the highest fell in the 2 - 4 year olds. The prevalence of extremity was not statistically different among age groups. The suspected agents of disease which occurred before or during pregnancy took up 45.7%.

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of six kinds disabilities in Shenzhen was about 10 per thousand lower than that of the samples of the nation in 1989, but two times higher than that of similar studies in Japan. The prevalence rates of language and psychiatric disease were higher than that of the nation in 1989. The causation should be further studied.

Age Factors ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Disabled Children ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Language Disorders ; epidemiology ; Male ; Mental Disorders ; epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Vision Disorders ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo compare the instructive value of the 6th and 7th editions of the UICC-AJCC staging system in prognosis of esophageal cancer (EC) patients.

METHODSThe staging and prognosis of 1397 esophageal carcinoma patients undergoing curative resection from Jan. 2003 to Dec. 2006 in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed according to the 6th AJCC staging system and the 7th UICC-AJCC staging system.

RESULTSThe 5-year overall survival (OS) of EC patients with curative resection was 38.5% (481/1250 cases), with a follow-up rate of 89.5% (1250/1397 case). In overall terms, both the editions were statistically significant discriminators of OS (P < 0.05). The 5-year OS of stages I, II and III patients were 64.9%, 43.5%, 25.2% according to the 6th edition, and 63.5%, 44.5%, 23.5% according to the 7th edition, respectively. Distinct differences in survival were present among patients categorized as stage Ia and Ib according to the 7th edition (P < 0.05), with a 5-year OS of 80.0% and 58.3%, respectively. Similarly, according to the 7th edition, the 5-year overall survivals (OS) of the stages IIIa, IIIb and IIIc patients were 28.2%, 18.4% and 16.7%, respectively, showing that the prognoses were significantly different (P < 0.05). In addition, according to the 7th edition, the prognoses of patients in stages N0, N1, N2 and N3 were also significantly different (P < 0.01), and the 5-year OS were 50.0%, 31.5%, 18.7% and 16.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSBoth the 6th and 7th editions of UICC-AJCC staging system are significant discriminators for survival of esophageal cancer patients. The 7th edition is proved to be more accurate in prognosis. The number of lymph node metastases is an important predictor of prognosis.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; classification ; pathology ; surgery ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; classification ; pathology ; surgery ; Esophagectomy ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate