Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Low Back Pain ; etiology ; Male ; Spinal Puncture ; adverse effects

To investigate plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-BNP) levels and to assess their clinical significance in elderly patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction. Methods Plasma NT-BNP level were measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay in 34 symptomatic patients (Group 1), 34 asymptomatic patients (Group 2) with isolated diastolic dysfunction, and in 16elderly healthy subjects (control group, Group 3), serving controls. Colored Doppler echocardiography was performed to evaluate the patients' cardiac structures and functions. Results The plasma NT-BNP level in Group 1 was significantly higher than those in Group 2 and Group 3 and increased with the severity of heart failure. There was no significant difference of plasma NT-BNP levels between Group 2 and Group 3 (p＞0.05). A NT-BNP value of 102.75 pg/mL showed a sensitivity of 88.2%, a specificity of 87.5%, and an accuracy of 88.1% for diagnosing diastolic dysfunction. Patients with restrictive filling pattern on echocardiography had higher NTBNP levels than those of impaired relaxation pattern (1961.2±304.9 versus 460. 1±92.7pg/mL, p＜0.001). Conclusion The elevation of plasma NT-BNP level in elderly patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction correlates with the severity of their diastolic abnormalities.The level of plasma NT-BNP has an important clinical value in the diagnosis of elderly patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction.

Objective To discuss the possibility of constructing a new kind of active skin substi tutes.Methods The culture of dermal fibroblasts were isolated from foreskin of an infant; preparation of human acellular amniotic extracellular matrix was conducted through the disposition of detergent and enzyme.Surface structure porosity and pore size were detected through scanning electron microscopy.bFGF-chitosan gelatin microspheres were prepared.The features such as the size distribution,drug content,drug encapsulating and in vitro release were studied with scanning electron microscopy,laser grainsize analyzer and ELISA method.MTT test was performed to observe cell proliferation and evaluate the biocompatibility in vitro.Results The cellular layer of amniotic membrane was completely removed but did not damage the collogen scaffolds structure by the disposal of enzyme and detergent.Scanning electron microscopy showed that the scaffolds had criss-cross structure and high porosity,the pore size was irregular and varied from 10 nm to 100 nm.Scanning electron microscopy of bFGF- gelatin-chitosan microspheres surface structure showed that the microspheres had spherical structure,uniform size and smooth surface quality.Controlled release curve showed that the sudden release of bFGF was obvious.Conclusions A new type of active skin substitutes is prepared through culturing fibroblasts on HAAM loaded controlled-released basic fibroblast growth factor from chi tosan-gelatin microspheres.

Purpose:To study the expression of CD44v6 protein in breast carcinoma and its prognostic significance. Methods:100 cases of formalin-fixed paraffin-embeded female breast invasive ductal carcinoma tissues were retrospectively analyzed using EnVision~(TM) immunohistochemical method with the monoclonal antibody CD44v6.Statistical analysis was based on the Log-rank test and Cox analysis.Results:Sixty-six of 100 cancer tissues expressed CD44v6.Positive staining was mainly on the cell membranes.There was significant correlation between CD44v6 immunoreactivity and lymph node me- tastasis and TNM stage.The 5-and 10-year survival rates were 82.76% and 78.37% of patients with CD44v6 low-expres- sion tumors,and 64.1% and 49.88% of those with CD44v6 high-expression tumors,respectively;the difference between the two groups of patients was significant(P

Cerebral Palsy ; classification ; complications ; epidemiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Developmental Disabilities ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Language Disorders ; complications ; Male ; Seizures ; complications ; Sex Factors ; Vision Disorders ; complications

BACKGROUND: Good neurological outcome after cardiac arrest (CA) is hard to achieve for clinicians. Experimental and clinical evidence suggests that therapeutic mild hypothermia is beneficial. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of therapeutic mild hypothermia in patients successfully resuscitated from CA using a meta-analysis. METHODS: We searched the MEDLINE (1966 to April 2012), OVID (1980 to April 2012), EMBASE (1980 to April 2012), Chinese bio-medical literature & retrieval system (CBM) (1978 to April 2012), Chinese medical current contents (CMCC) (1995 to April 2012), and Chinese medical academic conference (CMAC) (1994 to April 2012). Studies were included if 1) the study design was a randomized controlled trial (RCT); 2) the study population included patients successfully resuscitated from CA, and received either standard post-resuscitation care with normothermia or mild hypothermia;3) the study provided data on good neurologic outcome and survival to hospital discharge. Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to pool the effect. RESULTS: The study included four RCTs with a total of 417 patients successfully resuscitated from CA. Compared to standard post-resuscitation care with normothermia, patients in the hypothermia group were more likely to have good neurologic outcome (RR=1.43, 95% CI 1.14–1.80, P=0.002) and were more likely to survive to hospital discharge (RR=1.32, 95% CI 1.08–1.63, P=0.008). There was no significant difference in adverse events between the normothermia and hypothermia groups (P>0.05), nor heterogeneity and publication bias. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic mild hypothermia improves neurologic outcome and survival in patients successfully resuscitated from CA.

Objective To investigate the expression and function of retinoic acid-inducible gene Ⅰ(RIG-Ⅰ) in monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDC) at different stages of hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection and to explore the role of RIG-Ⅰ in the disease progression after HBV infection. Methods Peripheral blood samples were collected from 28 hepatitis B virus-infected persons, including 21 cases of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 7 of acute hepatitis B (AHB). Eighteen healthy subjects were recruited as controls. Purified CD14~+ monocytes were isolated by CD14 microbeads. MoDCs were induced from CD14~+ monocytes with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin (IL)-4 for 7 days, and then were infected with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) to stimulate RIG-Ⅰ expression. The mRNA expression levels of RIG-Ⅰ, interferon (IFN )-promoter stimulating factor-1 (IPS-1) and IFN-β at 16 hours and 24 hours after infection with VSV were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Data with normal distribution were tested by analysis of variance. Continuous variables between groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. Comparison among multiple groups was done by Kruskal-Wallis test. Results The expression levels of RIG-Ⅰ in MoDCs from CHB patients were significantly lower than those in AHB patients and healthy controls at 16 hours (2.44±2.03, 19. 54±3. 15, 21. 48±8. 39, respectively; F=7.451,P=0.002) and 24 hours (2. 68±2. 93, 10. 31 ±3. 88, 14. 01 ±5. 04, respectively, F = 7. 908, P = 0. 001)following VSV stimulation. The IPS-1 levels in both CHB patients and AHB patients were higher than those in healthy controls at 16 hours (2. 05±l. 08, 1. 99±1. 56, 0. 60±0. 31, respectively) F=7.246,P =0.003) and 24 hours (2. 27±2. 16, 3.24 ± 1.21, 1. 08±0. 73, respectively; F= 13. 598, P = 0. 001).Furthermore, the IFN-β expression levels were significantly lower in CHB patients compared to AHB patients and healthy controls at 16 hours and 24 hours after VSV stimulation. Conclusions The expressions of RIG-Ⅰ and IPS-1 in MoDC are abnormal in HBV infected persons, which indicates that RIG-Ⅰ signaling pathway might be blocked by HBV. The impaired function of MoDC may play a role in HBV infection and chronicity.

The stability of pharmaceutical preparations prepared Chinese medicine liposomes by liposome novel technology combined with traditional Chinese herbs is the main contents of quality study, not only affects preparations molding, but also relates to the efficiency and safety of traditional Chinese medicine. From the view of main influencing factors of stability about the Chinese medicine liposomes and combining with literatures published in home and abroad in recent years, the article analyzes, arranges and sums up measures of improving the stability of Chinese medicine liposomes, to provide reference for the study on the preparation of Chinese medicine liposomes.
Drug Combinations ; Drug Compounding ; Drug Stability ; Drug Storage ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Liposomes ; chemistry ; Nanoparticles ; Particle Size ; Quality Control ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

Objective To explore the isolation,amplification methods and adipogenic differentiation under specific culture medium of human keloid-derived precursor cell (KPC) in vitro,in order to study their possibility of being new seed cells of tissue engineering fat.Methods KPCs were isolated from human keloid tissue of 4 different patients in our hospital and were cultured in the modified L-DMEM culture medium.Their cloning efficiency and growth curve were tested.The subcultured cells were tested of the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-related gene expression by flow cytometry.In addition,they were cultured in H-DMEM medium (containing 1 μmol/L dexamethasone,0.5 mmol/L 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine 10 mg/L of bovine insulin,100 mmol/L indomethacin,and 10 ％ FBS)and were later observed in oil red O staining under phase contrast microscope to determine whether lipid droplets generation was formed,using skin-derived precursors (SKP) as control.Results More than 95 ％ KPC expressed many antigens of MSC,such as CD29,CD44,CD90 and CD105 while few of them expressed CD34,CD45(1.0 ％-2.5 ％).And the cells increased in size gradually after inducted the same time,changing from spindle into round or polygonal in shape.The lipid droplets were seen in 72 hours and expressed a positive rate of 78.6 ％ in Day 19 in oil red O staining while the same rate was 54.6 ％ in SKP.Conclusions Human keloid-derived precursor cells can express a variety of MSC-related surface markers without expressing hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) related markers.Furthermore,they can be differentiated into fat cells under certain conditions,which may make them as a new source of seed cells for tissue engineering fat.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of twinkling artifact in urinary calcium stones.Methods Calcium oxalate monohydrate,hydroxyapatite and whitlockite stone phantoms were prepared and embedded in porcine kidneys for ultrasound scanning.The length and width of twinkling artifact were measured.The intensity of twinkling artifact and the contrast-to-noise ratio (C/N ratio) of acoustic shadowing were recorded and all the data was analyzed statistically.Results All the stone phantoms generated twinkling artifact and acoustic shadowing.The difference of the intensity,length and width of twinkling artifact and the C/N ratio of acoustic shadowing had statistically significant each composition (P ＜0.01).There was no overlap between 95％ confidence interval of the intensity of twinkling artifact for any two compositions,and any two compositions of stones could be differentiated by the intensity of twinkling artifact (P ＜0.05).The C/N ratio of acoustic shadowing of calcium oxalate monohydrate and whitlockite stone phantoms were higher than those of hydroxyapatite ones (P ＜0.05).The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve displayed that the cutoff value of 1 127 of the intensity of twinkling artifact could be used to diagnose hydroxyapatite stones.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value (PPV),negative predictive value (NPV) and area under the curve (AUC) were 74 ％,68 ％,69.8％,72.3％ and 0.743 respectively.Conclusions Twinkling artifact could be used to differentiate the calcium stones,which will be helpful for clinical treatment.