OBJECTIVETo explore effectiveness and safety of segmental anterior cervical decompression in treating multi-level cervical myelopathy.

METHODSTwenty-four patients with four levels of cervical myelopathy were treated with segmental anterior cervical decompression (reservation of middle vertebrae, bone graft and plate-screws fixation). Among patients, there were 15 males and 9 females aged from 47 to 75 (averaged 57.9) years old. Preoperative, postoperative at 1 week and the latest following-up AP and lateral X-rays were used to observe bone union, displacement of implant, adjacent segment degeneration, changes of Cobb angle of fusion segment. JOA scoring were applied for evaluate recovery of nerve function.

RESULTSAll operations were completed successfully, 2 cases ocurred hoarseness, and improved after treated symptomatically. Nineteen patients were followed up from 3.1 to 5.3 years with an average of 3.9 years. Bone union time ranged from 3 to 7 (averaged 4.5) months. No screw loosening and displacement occurred. Nine patients occurred titanium mesh subsidence in different degrees, and 4 of them subside >3 mm; four patients ocurred adjacent segment degeneration. Postoperative Cobb angle of fusion segment at 1 week (10.40±2.94)° was improved from preoperative (5.76±4.16)°, but decreased at the latest follow-up (8.57±2.82)°, and had significant meaning compared with preoperative (P<0.01). JOA score at the latest follow-up (14.6±1.1) was higher than that of before operation (8.2±1.9), and had siginificant differences (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSegmental anterior cervical decompression for the treatment of multilevel cervical myelopathy has a high clinical operability, and plays an important role in recovering cervical curvature and nerve function based on completely decompression.

Aged ; Cervical Vertebrae ; surgery ; Decompression, Surgical ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Fusion ; methods ; Spondylosis ; surgery

The clinical therapeutic effect of acupoint catgut-embedding for simple obesity was systemically analyzed to provide reference and assistance for its clinical treatment and research. By searching in the CBM, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, Pubmed, Springer and Medline databases, clinical randomized controlled trials (RCT) of acupoint catgut-embedding for simple obesity published from Jan, 2009 to July, 2013 were collected while Revman 5. 2 software was applied to perform the Meta-analysis. Totally 19 articles were acquired with 1 658 cases involved. The effective rate was selected as primary outcome measure in 19 articles. The Meta-analysis was performed among homogeneous researches. The results indicated that compared with other therapies, pooled OR of acupoint catgut-embedding was 2.45 with 95% CI [1.81, 3.32]; in the test for overall effect, Z = 5.81, implying the efficacy difference of two therapies was significant in the treatment of simple obesity (P < 0.01). In subgroups analysis, in the event of treatment session with more than 3 months, compared with other therapies, pooled OR of acupoint catgut-embedding was 2.61 with 95% CI [1.53, 4.46]; in test for overall effect, Z = 3.51, implying the efficacy difference of two therapies was significant in the treatment of simple obesity (P < 0.01); in the event of treatment session with less than 3 months, compared with other therapies, pooled OR of acupoint catgut-embedding was 2.38 with 95% CI [1.65, 3.44]; in test for overall effect, Z = 4.46, implying in the treatment of simple obesity the efficacy difference of two therapies was significant (P < 0.01). Compared with electroacupuncture, OR of acupoint catgut-embedding was 1.79, 95% CI [1.08, 2.95] (P = 0.02). Compared with acupuncture, OR of acupoint catgut-embedding was 1.89, 95% CI [1.16, 3.09] (P = 0.01), which explained that compared with electroacupuncture and acupuncture, the efficacy of acupoint catgut-embedding was significantly different. In a word, the clinical efficacy of acupoint catgut-embedding is superior to other therapies in the treatment of simple obesity.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Catgut ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Obesity ; therapy ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

OBJECTIVETo evaluate a surgical technique and outcome and illustrate its important of open reduction and internal fixation for fractures of posterior malleolus.

METHODSFrom Jan. 2004 to Jan. 2008, 25 cases were treated with open reduction and internal fixation involving 17 males and 8 females with an average age of 34 years (ranged from 21 to 67 years old). According to Lauge-Hansen classification: 13 cases of type pronation-external rotation (IV), 7 and 5 cases of type supination-external rotation (III and IV). Twenty cases were treated with screw, 5 cases were treated with gypsum. To evaluate the outcome of operation with X-ray.

RESULTSAfter seven months to three years followed-up, clinic therapeutic effect of each patient was evaluated according to the Leeds scoring system, the results were excellent in 21 cases and good in 2. As compared with the uninjured side on the evaluation of the activity range of ankle joint, there were no significant difference in back-extend and plantar flexion.

CONCLUSIONIn order to obtain ankle joint satisfactory result, open reduction and rigid internal fixation must be adopted in the fracture of posterior malleolus.

Adult ; Aged ; Ankle Injuries ; surgery ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Fracture Healing ; physiology ; Fractures, Bone ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Rotation ; Treatment Outcome

Action mechanism and material base of compound Danshen dripping pills in treatment of carotid atherosclerosis were discussed based on gene expression profile and molecular fingerprint in this paper. First, gene expression profiles of atherosclerotic carotid artery tissues and histologically normal tissues in human body were collected, and were screened using significance analysis of microarray (SAM) to screen out differential gene expressions; then differential genes were analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and KEGG pathway analysis; to avoid some genes with non-outstanding differential expression but biologically importance, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were performed, and 7 chemical ingredients with higher negative enrichment score were obtained by Cmap method, implying that they could reversely regulate the gene expression profiles of pathological tissues; and last, based on the hypotheses that similar structures have similar activities, 336 ingredients of compound Danshen dripping pills were compared with 7 drug molecules in 2D molecular fingerprints method. The results showed that 147 differential genes including 60 up-regulated genes and 87 down regulated genes were screened out by SAM. And in GO analysis, Biological Process ( BP) is mainly concerned with biological adhesion, response to wounding and inflammatory response; Cellular Component (CC) is mainly concerned with extracellular region, extracellular space and plasma membrane; while Molecular Function (MF) is mainly concerned with antigen binding, metalloendopeptidase activity and peptide binding. KEGG pathway analysis is mainly concerned with JAK-STAT, RIG-I like receptor and PPAR signaling pathway. There were 10 compounds, such as hexadecane, with Tanimoto coefficients greater than 0.85, which implied that they may be the active ingredients (AIs) of compound Danshen dripping pills in treatment of carotid atherosclerosis (CAs). The present method can be applied to the research on material base and molecular action mechanism of TCM.
Carotid Artery Diseases ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects

To explore the effective ingredients and mechanism of Ligusticum wallichii in treating brain ischemia. Four brain ischemia-related target proteins were selected in the joint screening for the 45 component in L. wallichii reported in literatures based on molecular docking by reference to the corresponding drugs in the market. According to the docking results, multiple components in L. wallichii, such as phthalides, were superior to the corresponding drugs in the market, suggesting that they may be the major effective components in L. wallichii for treating brain ischemia. The method can be used to study the material base and molecular mechanism of traditional Chinese medicines.
Brain Ischemia ; drug therapy ; Ligusticum ; chemistry ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Peroxidase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Phytotherapy ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; antagonists & inhibitors

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of airway hyperresponsiveness, eosinophil (Eos) percentage,levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and interleukin-5 (IL-5) in induced sputum in elderly patients with late onset asthma (LOA) during the remission period. Methods Fifty-eight elderly patients with LOA during the remission period were selected.Bronchial challenge test was performed and the percentage of Eos and levels of ECP and IL-5 in induced sputum were measured by Wrights' stain,immuno-CAP system and ELISA,respectively.Twenty-five elderly patients with LOA during their exacerbation period and 15 healthy elderly subjects were selected as control.Results In fifty-eight LOA patients during their remission period,49 cases (84.5%) showed positive bronchial challenge test and 9cases(15.5%) negative.The percentage of Eos,levels of ECP and IL-5[(9.3?3.1)%],[(144.2?68.1)?g/L]and [(20.3?6.3)?g/L],in induced sputum in patients with LOA during their remission period were lower than those[(21.1?9.8)%, (399.3?172.5)?g/L and[(50.6?10.7)?g/L,respectively]in LOA group during the exacerbation period,and higher than those[(1.3?0.7)%,(48.7?21.9)?g/L and (10.3?3.2)?g/L]in healthy group(all P

A new teaching method was developed in the curriculum of Harmful Microorganisms Control Technology.It is characterized by students’ self-learning followed by student’s instruction.Both students and teacher have succeeded in this model after four stages of practice,in which a pleasant learning atmosphere was created in the classroom.An effective interaction between teacher and students was achieved.Students are viewed as main objects in the classroom and they are encouraged to ask questions,to formulate their own ideas,or to find things out for themselves.Thus,students’ abilities including presentation,communication,competition,and cooperation were enhanced.By adapting their role to the new teaching method,teachers have also improved their teaching skill and strategies.

ObjectiveTo approach the status of leprosy disabilities in newly detected cases in recent 11 years in China.MethodsBased upon the records from the National Leprosy Recording and Reporting System in National Center for STD and Leprosy Control, 24128 leprosy cases detected during 1989-1999 in China were analyzed in terms of leprosy disbility.ResultsThe proportion of disabilies in newly detected leprosy cases in 1989 in whole country was 46.49% and decreased to 32.7% in 1999, and the proportions of cases with grade Ⅱ disabilities were 25.55% (1989) and 22.06% (1999). There were 19 provinces where disability rate was more than 40%. Out of patients with disabilities, those with grades Ⅰ and Ⅱ disabilities and with deformities (loss of eyebrow, facial paralysis or saddle nose) accounted for 37.54%, 61.04% and 1.42%, respectively. There were 20 provinces where grade Ⅱ disabilities accounted for more than 50% of all patients with disabilities. The disability rates in patients aged under 15 years, 15-65 years and over 65 years were 24.74%, 39.3% and 53.33%. The patients with a delay in detection of 2 years had a disability rate of 28.95%, and those with a delay of more than 2 years and 5 years had the rates of 48.06% and 60.95%, respectively. The disability rate was 53.76% in patients with leprosy reactions. The grade Ⅱ disability rate in paucibacillary patients (28.53%) was significantly higher than that in multibacillary ones (22.03%). Conclusions Disability rate of leprosy in newly detected cases is still high although it has decreased in the recent 11 years. The rate is associated with delay in detection, leprosy reaction and leprosy type. It suggests that early detection of leprosy patients, regular treatment with multidrug therapy, and management of leprosy reactions will be the effective measures to prevent disabilities of leprosy.

OBJECTIVETo explore method of recombinant gene lentivirus containing LIM mineralization protein-1 (LMP-1) in transfecting bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC), and to observe the effect of gene LMP-1 on proliferation effect and expression of BMSC.

METHODSSix clean SD rats aged 4 weeks were selected, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were extracted under sterile conditions and cultured to the third generation, then divided into three groups:control group (the third generation of BMSC), lentiviral vector transfection group (PGC-FU-GFP and Polybrene were injected into the third generation of BMSC) and recombinant gene transfection group (PGC-FU-LMP-1-GFP and Polybrene transfection were injected into the third generation of BMSC). After 48 hours' transfection, fluorescent expression were detected under immuno-fluorescence microscopy; lentiviral transfection efficiency were detected by flow cytometry; effect of lentiviral transfection on BMSC were evaluated by MTT; gene expression of transfected cells were determined by Western Blot.

RESULTS1) The third generation of BMSC was cultured successfully,and transfected with MOI:100. After 48 hours, green fluorescent expression were detected and transfection efficiency was 67% under immuno-fluorescence microscopy; 2) Compared to control group, there were no statistical differences between control group and other two groups; 3) Western blot teast showed that 72KDa specific band was observed in recombinant gene transfection group and its size was similar to LMP-1 fusion protein (50 kDa+28 kDa=78 kDa).

CONCLUSIONThere is no effect of recombinant gene lentivirus containing LIM on BMSC, and can effectively influence the expression of LMP-1.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; LIM Domain Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Lentivirus ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; virology ; Osteoporosis ; genetics ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

BACKGROUNDDendritic cells (DCs) are one of the most important antigen presenting cells in the human body, and DCs at various stages of maturation possess different or even opposite functions. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of growth hormones on the functional status of cord blood-derived DCs encompassing immunophenotype, ability to excrete interleukin (IL)-12 and provoke autologous leukomonocyte.

METHODSMononuclear cells were isolated from fresh cord blood, with IL-4 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) used to induce and stimulate the mononuclear cells. Growth hormone at different concentrations was used to modify DCs, and then DCs morphology, number and growth status were observed. The immunophenotype of DCs was detected with a flow cytometer. The concentration of IL-12 in the DCs supernatant was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and DCs functional status was evaluated by autologous mixed lymphocyte reactions.

RESULTSMononuclear cells from cord blood can be differentiated into DCs by cytokine induction and growth hormone modification. With the increase in growth hormone concentrations (5 - 100 microg/L), the expression of DCs HLA-DR, CD1alpha, CD80 and CD83 were significantly increased (P < 0.05). The ability of DCs to secrete IL-12 was significantly improved (P < 0.05), and the ability of DCs to activate autologous lymphocytes was significantly enhanced (P < 0.05). Pegvisomant was able to ablate the effects of growth hormone on DCs.

CONCLUSIONSGrowth hormone may facilitate DCs induction and maturation, and improve the reproductive activity of autologous lymphocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Growth hormone may serve as a factor of modifying DCs to achieving maturity.

Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; B7-1 Antigen ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Dendritic Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Flow Cytometry ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; metabolism ; Growth Hormone ; pharmacology ; HLA-DR Antigens ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; metabolism ; Interleukin-12 ; metabolism ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; metabolism