Tetrabromobisphenol A(TBBPA)is supposed to have potential thyroid disrupting activities due to its similar structure to thyroid hormones.TBBPA has been proved to show thyroid disrupting effects in vivo and in vitro studies.TBBPA might disrupt thyroid hormone system through transthyretin- and thyroid receptor-mediated pathways.The ability of TBBPA inducing the production of reactive oxygen species might be the extension of its thyroid disrupting activities.The thyroid disrupting effects of TBBPA might be closely related to its oxidative stress,reproduction toxicity and neurotoxicity.More experiments are required for the effects of TBBPA on the aquatic and amphibian animals.

Objective To investigate the relationship between androgen receptor CAG-gene polymorphism and androgen in male with salt sensitive hypertension.Methods Through the oral saline loading test and furosemide volume method male hypertension group were divided into salt-sensitive (SS group) and salt-insensitive (SR group).The samples from 161 males were selected in the study,including salt sensitive hypertension patients (SS group,61/161),salt-insensitive hypertension patients (SR group,40/161) and age-matched healthy samples (control group,60/161).All samples were sequenced with an analysis method (CAG) n repeated polymorphism,and determinated of total testosterone (TT) and free testosterone (FT) level in serum by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay.Results The number of CAG repeats was 14～34,average 22.4± 2.7.The CAG repeats of SS,SR and control group were 23.5±3.75,22.3±3.17 and 21.8±2.95,respectively.There were significant differences among the three groups (t=2.627～ 3.257,all P＜0.05).The level of TT and FT in SS and SR group were decreased compared with that of control group.At the same time,the level of SS group was lower,and there were significant differences among the three groups (t=2.524～ 3.826,all P＜0.05).Conclusion The androgen receptor gene repeat length and androgen levels are associated with male hypertension,especially salt-sensitive hypertension.Long (CAG) n repeat polymorphism maybe a genetic factor in the pathogenesis of hypertension.Plasma androgen levels may be used as a predictor of male salt sensitive hypertension.

Objective To discuss the methods and clinical effects of phased treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) combined with severe hip flexion contracture.Methods The study enrolled 8 cases (12 hips) of AS combined with severe hip flexion contracture hospitalized from September 2011 to November 2012.Phased treatments included lateral hip arthrolysis,articular capsulectomy,stripping of the reflected head of rectus femoris,femoral neck osteotomy,traction and stage Ⅱ biotype total hip arthroplasty (THA).Preoperative and postoperative Harris score,hip range of motion,and complication of femoral nerve injury were detected.Results Period of follow-up was 6-12 months (mean 10 months).One case developed heterotopic ossification,which affected postoperative hip activity and received resection one year later.One case sustained fissure fracture of calcar femorale during implantation of the prosthetic femoral stem,but no special handling was provided.Of all cases,active flexion and extension of the hip were both 0° before operation,but increased to (96.25 ± 4.33) ° and (24.17 ± 4.69)° respectively after operation ; mean Harris score was improved from (26.67 ± 2.39) points preoperatively to (90.92 ± 5.66) points postoperatively (P ＜ 0.01).Besides,no femoral nerve injury was observed.Conclusion Phased treatment of AS combined with severe hip flexion contracture restores hip function and minimizes femoral nerve injury following THA.

Objective To analyze the results of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination(OSCE) of medical interns in Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics,and to assess the role of OSCE in clinical teaching and practice. MethodsAtolal of 104 medical interns of five-year education program in 2002 and seven-year education program in 2003 in School of Medicine had taken part in OSCE of gynecology and obstetrics.The OSCE consisted of six stations: gynecologic examination,obstetric examination,oral test,interrogation of standardized-patients(SP),drawing partogram,and non-stress test(NST) explanation.After gathering the data of each station,the software of SPSS 11.0 was used to make statistical analysis. Results The median scores were as follows: 92.0 for gynecologic examination,91.0 for obstetric examination,83.5 for oral test,80.0 for interrogation of SP,80.0 for drawing partogram,and 70.0 for NST explanation.There was no significant impact of familiarity to OSCE on the results of the test.The results showed that medical interns did good job in basic performance,but lack of clinical practice skills in some complicated practice of gynecology and obstetrics.Conclusion The grading system and stations setup of OSCE in Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital show objectivity and equity.The OSCE can be widely applied in the after-department examination and even graduation examination.

AIM: To study the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) on hematopoietic differentiation from mouse embryonic stem cells(ESC) in vitro.METHODS: ES-D3 was allowed to grow on mouse fetal fibroblast feeder layer,and then was developed into embryoid bodies(EB).EB cells were transferred into medium supplemented with different concentration of VEGF and VEGF+SCF for 1 week.Six groups,including.VEGF 5 ?g/L,VEGF 10 ?g/L,VEGF 20 ?g/L, VEGF 5 ?g/L+SCF,VEGF 10 ?g/L+SCF and VEGF 20 ?g/L+SCF,were designed.The group of spontaneous differentiation without cytokine(s) was used as control.Hematopoietic transcription factor GATA-2 and early hematopoietic differentiation genes(c-kit and ?-H1) were detected by RT-PCR.The content of CD34~+ cells in each group were measured by flow cytometry.The cells derived from ESC were incubated in semisolid methycellulose cultures.The numbers of total colony-forming units in culture(CFU-C) were counted by reverse microscope.RESULTS: ES-D3 grew and formed EB at day 4.VEGF had a stimulatory effect as a single factor on the expression of genes associated with early hematopoietic differentiation(GATA-2,c-kit and ?-H1),the generation of CD34~+ cells and CFU-C in EB.The effects of VEGF+SCF were the most potent in the experimental groups according to the percent of CD34~+ cells and the numbers of hematopoietic colonies.The most highest inducing efficacy was achieved in VEGF 20 ?g/L or VEGF 10 ?g/L combined with SCF.CONCLUSION: VEGF promotes the differentiation of ESC into hematopoietic cells in vitro.The strongest effect was achieved when VEGF was combined with SCF.

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of combining auricular point sticking and a healthy diet to treat simple obesity in children aged 6-9 years old.Methods: A total of 190 eligible obese kids were divided into an observation group and a control group using the random number table method, with 95 cases in each group. The observation group was intervened by auricular point sticking plus guide on a healthy diet, while the control group was only provided with the guide on a healthy diet. The therapeutic efficacy was observed after intervention for three consecutive months, as well as the changes in body mass (BM), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and subcutaneous fat thickness. Results: After the 3-month intervention, the total effective rate was 91.6％ in the observation group, versus 74.7％ in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.01); in both groups, the BM, BMI, WC, HC, and subcutaneous fat thickness all decreased significantly (P<0.05), and were lower in the observation group than in the control group, showing statistical significance (P<0.05). Conclusion: Auricular point sticking plus a healthy diet is safe and effective in treating simple obesity in children, producing more significant efficacy than healthy diet intervention alone.

Background and purpose: The protein tyrosine kinase-7 (PTK7) gene may be related to the occurrence and progression of many tumors. This study was aimed to explore the expression of PTK7 in ovarian serous tumors and its relationship with clinical stage, histological grade, metastasis and prognosis indicators linkages, and analyze the diagnostic and prognostic value of PTK7 in ovarian serous tumors. Methods:Expressions of PTK7 in 3 ovarian cell lines (HO8910, SKOV3, A2780), 14 cases of normal fallopian tube epithelium, 6 cases of benign serous ovarian tumors, 51 cases of borderline serous ovarian tumors and in 97 cases of ovarian serous carcinoma were detected by immunohistochemical EliVision two-step method. Statistical analysis of the relationship between the expression of PTK7 and the pathological indicators was performed byχ2 test, Fisher exact test and Kaplan-Meier method. Results:PTK7 was negatively expressed in HO8910 and A2780, but weakly positively expressed in SKOV3. The positive rates of PTK7 in normal fallopian tube epithelium, benign serous ovarian tumors, borderline serous ovarian tumors and serous ovarian cancer were 92.86%(13/14), 83.33%(5/6), 45.10%(23/51), and 28.87%(28/97), respectively. The expression of PTK7 had no difference between normal fallopian tube epithelium and benign serous tumors, benign serous tumors and serous borderline tumors (P=0.521, P=0.102). The PTK7 expression showed signiifcant differences in serous ovarian carcinoma compared with those in normal epithelium, benign serous tumors and borderline serous tumors (P=0.000, P=0.012, P=0.048). Expression of PTK7 in borderline serous ovarian tumors was signiifcantly with clinical stage, metastasis (lymph node and/or peritoneum metastasis) (P=0.038, P=0.038), rather than its location, age (P=0.088, P=0.896). Expression of PTK7 in ovarian serous carcinoma had a signiifcant relation with its clinical stage, WHO grade, MDACC grade (P=0.011, P=0.004, P=0.000), rather than its location, metastasis, tumor diameter and age (P=0.326, P=0.524, P=0.588, P=0.584). The survival rate of PTK7 positive group in ovarian serous carcinoma was signiifcantly higher than that in the negative control group (P=0.017). Conclusion:The expressions of PTK7 in normal ovarian epithelium, benign serous ovarian tumors, borderline serous ovarian tumors and epithelial serous carcinoma show a gradual downward trend. The expression of PTK7 in ovarian serous tumors has a positive correlation with late clinical stage, high histological grade and poor prognosis. PTK7 can be a new indicator of clinical diagnosis and prognosis in ovarian serous tumors.

OBJECTIVETo study the concentrations of IL-4 and IL-13 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and concurrent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

METHODSSixty-eight neonates with RDS undergoing mechanical ventilation for over 48 hrs were enrolled. IL-4 and IL-13 levels in BALF were measured using ELISA 1, 72 and 96 hrs after mechanical ventilation. The results were compared between the neonates with concurrent VAP (n=37) and without (n=31).

RESULTSThe levels of BALF IL-4 96 hrs after ventilation in the VAP group (35.34+/-1.78 ng/mL) were significantly higher than those in the non-VAP group (13.69+/-2.47 ng/mL, P<0.05). The levels of BALF IL-13 96 hrs after ventilation in the VAP group (33.74+/-2.74 ng/mL) also increased significantly compared with those in the non-VAP group (13.50+/-3.81 ng/mL) (P<0.05). There were significant differences in BALF IL-4 and IL-13 levels between 1 hr and 96 hrs in the VAP group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSBALF IL-4 and IL-13 levels increase in neonates with RDS and concurrent VAP. IL-4 and IL-13 may involve in the regulation of the inflammatory immune response.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; immunology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Interleukin-13 ; analysis ; Interleukin-4 ; analysis ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated ; immunology ; microbiology ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo detect the concentration of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in the serum of patients with incomplete spinal cord injury and evaluate its relation with the pathologic classification of the spinal cord injury.

METHODSMCP-1 concentration in the serum of patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI), single spine compression and healthy subjects were detected by ELISA, respectively in the present study and the magnetic resonance imaging data of these patients were studied at the same time on a blind base.

RESULTSSerum level of MCP-1 in iSCI patients was 428 pg/ml +/- 11 pg/ml by ELISA, which was higher than both that of the patients with single spine compression and of controls, with the concentration of 184 pg/ml +/- 21 pg/ml and 124 pg/ml +/- 15 pg/ml, respectively. There was significant difference between any two groups (P < 0.01). iSCI patients with normal MRI showed a lower serum level of MCP-1 as 312 pg/ml+/- 30 pg/ml. Pathological classification of spinal cord edema and hematoma corresponded to 390 pg/ml +/- 16 pg/ml and 508 pg/ml+/- 24 pg/ml in the concentration of MCP-1.

CONCLUSIONSMCP-1 may induce secondary inflammatory response by recruiting inflammatory cells to the injury site and thus affect the prognosis of spinal cord injury.

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Aged ; Chemokine CCL2 ; blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; blood ; pathology

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) has a low morbidity and high mortality in neonates. We recently diagnosed and treated a case of neonatal streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. This paper reviewed the diagnosis and treatment of the patient and reviewed the relevant literature of the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment.