BACKGROUND: As magnetic resonance (MR) contrast, a large number of clinical and experimental researches have been done on superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO), while the report on the labeled cell passaged cells is rare.OBJECTIVE: MR imaging was performed to the labeled bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and its passaged cells in vitro, in order to establish the base of monitoring magnetic labeled BMSCs with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in vivo.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: The cytological in vitro experiment was performed at the Imaging Research Institute and Institute of Rheumatology and Immunology of North Sichuan Medical College Hospital from June 2006 to January 2007. MATERIALS: Two clean female albino rats (Animal Center, North Sichuan Medical College), SPIO (Schering AG,Germany) were used in this study.METHODES: Bilateral femur and tibia bone marrow was extracted from rats. BMSCs were harvested and purified using the adherent method, and then labeled with 600 μL ferric oxide-polylysine compound (42 mg/L iron concentration) in vitro. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cell maker-positive rate and the MR signal intensity were respectively measured to the labeled cells and its passaged cells under the inverted microscope and magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: Following Prussian blue staining, labeling rate of SPIO labeled cells at the first passage was 100%. With increased passage, the labeling rate was reduced from the first to fifth passages. Compared with non-labeled PBS control, there was no significant difference in signal intensity in the first and second passages cells, but the signal intensity percentage was gradually decreased with signal intensity of increased cell passage from the third passage. Cell labeling rate was negatively correlated with T2~*WI signal intensity (r=-0.986 6, P <0.005). CONCLUSION: The iron particles in the magnetic labeled cells can be passaged to the offspring cells, and can be monitored in a certain period of time with MRI in vitro. These results firstly introduced that SPIO-labeled cell iron particles can decrease with cell passage.

To enhance the immunogenicity of DNA and adenoviral vector vaccines expressing HIV-1 subtype B gp160, human interleukin 15 (hIL15) DNA adjuvant (pVR-hIL15) was constructed. BALB/c mice received DNA prime/protein boost immunization with pVR-HIVgp160/Ad5-HIVgp160 alone or combined with pVR-hIL15. Cellular and humoral immune responses were evaluated by IFN-gamma enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Compared with those immunized with vaccines alone, the mice immunized with vaccines combined with pVR-hIL15 had significantly increased specific cellular response and antibody titer (P < 0.05). It suggests that the IL15 DNA adjuvant can enhance the immune responses induced by prime-boost regimen using DNA and adenoviral vector encoding HIV-1 subtype B gp160.
Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Adjuvants, Immunologic ; Animals ; Antibodies, Viral ; immunology ; Antibody Specificity ; Female ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; HIV Envelope Protein gp120 ; immunology ; HIV Envelope Protein gp160 ; genetics ; immunology ; HIV Envelope Protein gp41 ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunity, Humoral ; Interleukin-15 ; genetics ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Vaccines, DNA ; genetics ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo explore clinical significance of rotational axis of distal femur on Chinese adults in total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

METHODSThere were 86 Chinese adults (106 normal knees) including 47 males (53 knees) and 39 females (53 knees), 54 knees were on left and 52 on right. The CT scan was employed in the distal femur. The scan direction was aligned to be on the plane perpendicular to the mechanical axis of the femoral. The CT images of cross sections across lateral and medial femoral epicondyle were moved to personal computer,lateral angle between anterior posterior line (APL) and surgical transepicondylar axis (STEA) (ATA),lateral angle between posterior condylar line (PCL) and APL (APA), angle between perpendicularity of APL and PCL (A-PA), posterior condylar angle (PCA), condylar twist angle (CTA), angle between clinical transepicondylar axis (CTEA) and STEA (CSA) were measured. These values were divided into different groups according to gender and side, the values of CTA, PCA, A-PA, angle PT (varus of tibia plateau), constant 3, ATA, APA and constant 90° were compared by statistically. A-PA and PCA, and CTA were analysed statistically with the liner regression, the relationship among CTEA, STEA ,PCL, APL and PLP were performed to assess by liner regression.

RESULTSATA was (89.79 ± 1.22)°, APA was (84.84 ± 1.83)°, A-PA was (5.16 ± 1.83)°, PCA was (4.80 ± 1.23)°, CTA was (8.23 ± 1.40), CSA was (3.45 ± 0.68)°. All the parameters had no differences on sex and side,but CSA had difference on male and female. There was no difference among angle PT, PCA, A-PA. There was significant difference in CAT, constant 30 and angle PT, PCA,A-PA. There was no difference between ATA and constant 90°, but there was difference between APA and constant 90°. There was relativity between PCA and CTA, and also PCA and A-PA, CTA and A-PA. There was significant relativity between STEA and CTEA, between STEA and APL, between STEA and PCL, and also between APLP, APL and PCL, but there was no significant relativity between PCL and CTEA.

CONCLUSIONTKA for Chinese, the section of femoral posterior condyle should be external 5° to obtain the optimum rotational orientation. The property is different entirely between STEA and CTEA, the rotational alignment is not performed according to parallel to the CTEA in distal femur. Among STEA, APL, PCL, the STEA is the most reliable mark ofrotational alignment of the distal femur, and the PCL is the less reliable mark.

Adult ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Female ; Femur ; anatomy & histology ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rotation ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between gene p53 codon 72 polymorphism and pathological scar formation occurrence after caesarean section.

METHODSThe method of molecular beacon with real-time PCR was applied to detect gene polymorphism of p53 codon 72 in blood samples taken from 303 pregnant women (within a week after caesarea section). The clinical visits were taken 3 times for 12th to 18th months to ascertain clinical formation of pathological scar and its relationship to genotype of p53. The chi-square method was used to analyze the relationship of p53 gene polymorphism and abnormal scar formation occurrence by statistical software SPSS 13.0.

RESULTSTotal of 303 pregnant women were assayed. 30 patients were found with pathological scar by clinical visit in the total 303 pregnant women. The genotype frequencies of total three types (C/C, C/G and G/G) of p53 gene codon 72 in patients with pathological scar are significantly different from that of normal pregnant woman. The frequency of C/C genotype in patients are higher than that of normal pregnant women (P < 0.01). The frequency of C/C genotype in these patients with pathological scar is higher (46.7%, 14/30) than C/G (33.0%, 10/30, P < 0.01) or G/G (20%, 6/30) genotype (P < 0.01). The C allele frequency in the patients is 63.7%. It is also higher than G allele (36.7%, P < 0.01). The OR value is 2.30. Therefore the C allele of p53 gene codon 72 is a risk factor for pathological scar.

CONCLUSIONSThere was a certain relationship between p53 gene codon 72 C allele and pathological scar formation after caesarean section.

Alleles ; Cesarean Section ; Cicatrix ; genetics ; Codon ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genes, p53 ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of serum cytokines concentrations and A- PACHE scores in evaluating the illness state for critical trauma patients.Methods A clinical prospective self-control trial was performed,in which 36 patients admitted to ICU by SIRS were enrolled.Objects were divided into mild and severe trauma group according to APACHE score.The TNF-?and IL-6 concentrations were determined on the 1st, 3rd and 5th day of admission,the APACHE score were assessed at the same time.Statistic analysis was performed according to this group.Results The TNF-?concentrations decreased continuously in the following days while IL-6 decreased from the 7th day in the mild trauma group.In the severe trauma group the TNF-?and IL-6,APACHE score concentrations kept increasing.There was a significant difference of TNF-?and IL-6 concentrations between severe trauma and mild trauma group.Conclusion Dynamic measurement of TNF-?and IL-6 concentrations with APACHE score provide great help to evaluate the illness state and predict the prognosis.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; complications ; pathology ; Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Gastrectomy ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sarcoma, Kaposi ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; virology ; Stomach ; pathology ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; virology ; Vimentin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the early rehabilitation effect of acupuncture on brain arousal in severe craniocerebral injury.

METHODSOne hundred and two cases of severe craniocerebral injury were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 51 cases in each one. Based on the conventional nursing care in neurological external medicine, in observation group, acupuncture was applied at Shuigou (GV 26), Neiguan (PC 6) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) mainly. In control group, functional electric stimulation was applied at stimulate the affected muscles of the upper limbs. Thirty days later, the lucid rate from coma, lucid interval and clinical efficacy were compared between two groups. RESULTS; The lucid rate from coma was 82.4% (42/51) in observation group, which was higher than 56.9% (29/51) in control group (P < 0.01). The lucid interval in observation group was shortened remarkably as compared with control group (P < 0.01), and the clinical efficacy was superior apparently to that in control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONOn the basis of conventional treatment, acupuncture intervention at early stage can accelerate the recovery of brain arousal function in patients with severe craniocerebral injury.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Arousal ; Brain ; physiopathology ; Child ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; physiopathology ; rehabilitation ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

The purpose of this study was to investigate the repair of the osteoarthritis(OA)-induced cartilage injury by transfecting the new TGF-β3 fusion protein (LAP-MMP-mTGF-β3) with targeted therapy function into the bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in rats. The recombinant of pIRES-EGFP-MMP was constructed by combination of DNA encoding MMP enzyme cutting site and eukaryotic expression vector pIRES-EGFP. LAP and mTGF-β3 fragments were obtained from rat embryos by RT-PCR and inserted into the upstream and downstream of MMP from pIRES-EGFP-MMP respectively, so as to construct the recombinant plasmid of pIRES-EGFP-LAP-MMP-mTGF-β3. pIRES-EGFP-LAP-MMP-mTGF-β3 was transfected into rat MSCs. The genetically modified MSCs were cultured in medium with MMP-1 or not. The transfected MSCs were transplanted in the rat OA models. The OA animal models were surgically induced by anterior cruciate ligament transaction (ACLT). The pathological changes were observed under a microscope by HE staining, Alcian blue, Safranin-fast Green and graded by Mankin's scale. pIRES-EGFP-LAP-MMP-mTGF-β3 was successfully constructed by means of enzyme cutting and sequencing, and the mTGF-β3 fusion protein (39 kD) was certified by Western blotting. Those genetically modified MSCs could differentiate into chondrocytes induced by MMP and secrete the relevant-matrix. The transfected MSCs could promote chondrogenesis and matrix production in rat OA models in vivo. It was concluded that a new fusion protein LAP-MMP-mTGF-β3 was constructed successfully by gene engineering, and could be used to repair the OA-induced cartilage injury.

OBJECTIVESTo study the contribution of the genes and environment to variation of serum levels of lipids and lipoprotein.

METHODSOne hundred and forty-three healthy monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs and 93 dizygotic (DZ) ones aged 5 to 19 [with a mean of (11.2 +/- 3.4) years]. Microsatellite polymorphism (STR) was used to diagnose zygosity of twins, and intraclass correlation coefficient method and Falconer formula were performed to investigate heritability of serum lipids and lipoproteins unadjusted or adjusted for age and sex. Logarithmic transformation was used for data with skewed distribution. Influence of relevant physical and biochemical indicators on serum lipids and other components was analyzed with partial coefficients of correlation adjusted for age and sex.

RESULTSIn the twin samples, difference in serum level of triglycerides (TG) between MZ and DZ was not statistically significant with intraclass variation and intraclass correlation. There was significant difference in serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and lipoprotein [Lp(a)] between MZ and DZ, with their heritability estimates of 0.56, 0.55, 0.49 and 0.58 unadjusted, respectively, and 0.63, 0.63, 0.55 and 0.64 adjusted for age and sex, respectively. Serum levels of TC, HDL-C, LDL-C and Lp(a) correlated reversely with age. Serum levels of TC, HDL-C and LDL-C in girls were slightly higher than those in boys. Most indicators for serum levels of lipids and lipoprotein, except for serum level of Lp(a) correlated with body mass index (BMI), body fat ratio, Pelidisi index, and other indexes such as blood pressure, blood sugar, serum level of calcium, adjusted for age and sex.

CONCLUSIONSSerum levels of TC, HDL-C and Lp(a) were influenced more greatly by genetic factors, and serum level of TG was mainly influenced by environmental ones. Levels of blood lipids in children were influenced by age and sex, and correlated with indicators that reflect their body fat and nutritional status.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Child ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; genetics ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Lipids ; blood ; genetics ; Lipoproteins ; blood ; genetics ; Male ; Sex Factors ; Triglycerides ; blood ; genetics ; Twin Studies as Topic ; Twins, Dizygotic ; Twins, Monozygotic