Congenital clubfoot(CCF), which is also known as equines deformity, is a common congenital malformation that affect children′s life quality. However, its cause is still to be elucidated. Currently, polygenetic and environmental fac?tors are both believed to play important roles in CCF pathogenesis. Several genes including HOX, PITX1, NAT2, P63, DTDS and COL9A were shown to contribute to congenital clubfoot, but which is the most critical gene remains unclear. Several re?ports have revealed that Hox genes are closely related to the cause of CCF. Hox genes are regulators of body morphogenesis, and its mutation result in limbs and trunk deformity in human. Here, we systematically reviewed the latest literature that stud?ied the role of Hox genes in pathogenesis of Congenital clubfoot, with the prospect of laying a foundation for its future clinic treatment.

Objective To explore the possible correlations under the interaction of multi-genes action at different stages and analyze the primary histophotomacrographic changes of hind buds tissue in congenital clubfoot and the pathodynamic developmental procedure.MethodsSeventy-seven female Wistar rats were administered with retinoic acid on the 10th day after pregnancy. And the hindlimb, buds and spinal cord were detected through transmission electron microscopic and molecular biological experiments.ResultsThere was clubfoot-like deformity in 61.8% of the experimental animals. Persistence of the embryonic position of the talus and tibia in fetuses was observed. Poor overlapping between talus and calcaneus was seen. Cell apoptosis at the anterior corner of spinal cord and hind buds were seen.ConclusionCongenital clubfoot deformities appear at early stage and exaggerate along with developmental procedure.

BACKGROUND:Tripterygium hypoglaucum(Levl.)Hutch (THH) has been accurately confirmed a good clinical therapeutic effect for rheumatoid arthritis(RA).However.functionaI mechanism of THH remains unclearly.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of THH on proliferation and apoptosis of macrophage-like synoviocytes and fibroblast-like synoviocytes from patients with RA and to explore its dose-effect relation.DESIGN.TIME AND SETTING:In vitro cytology grouping controlled observation was performed in the Center Laboratory of the First Clinical College of Shantou University and the Laboratory for Cellular Biology of Southern MedicaI University from August 2003 to June 2007.MATERIALS:Synovium was obtained from 6 patients with RA and 3 normaI synovial samples.All samples sourced from patients admitted in Department of Orthopaedics.the First Clinical College of Shantou University and in Spinal and Joint Surgery of Nanfang Hospital.The water extracts of THH contained 0.667 g/mL crude drug.METHODS:Synovial cells were isolated by digesting synovial tissue with collagenase.CD68+and CD68-synoviocytes were sorted from synovial cells by Dynabeads(magnetic celI sorting)from the 2~(nd)-4~(th) passages of synoviocyes.After 72 hours incubation,all groups of isolated synoviocytes were cultured in culture medium containing the flnaI concentrations of 0 mL/L,5 mL/L,1 0 mL/L and 20 mL/L of THH for 24 and 48 hours,respectively,and the common culture medium was sewed as the control. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:The morphology of synoviocytes were observed by inverted phase contrast microscope and studied by scanning electron microscopy(SEM).In vitro cell growth was assessed by the MTT assay,and synoviocytes apoptosis was evaluated using temlinaI deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL)assay and a flow cytometry.RESULTS:CD68~+ synoviocytes were appeared macrophage-like and CD68~- synoviocytes were exhibited fibroblast-like.After incubated with THH,some synoviocytes presented the volume of cells deflated,progressively destruction of cell membrane,microvillus or pseudopodium tended to be decreased even disappeared,and apoptosis bodies appeared.When incubated with 2% THH,proliferation inhibiUon and inducing apoptosis could be observed;it showed that THH had the cytotoxic effect on synoviocytes.The effect of proliferation inhibition and inducing apoptosis on CD68-and CD68+synoviocytes from RA patients was more significantly than that from normal arthritis (P<0.01).When incubated with 1%THH.proliferation inhibition and inducing apoptosis on synoviocytes from RA patients also could be found(P<0.01),but not found on normal synoviocytes(P>0.05).Compared with the negative controI group.proliferation inhibition was no significant difference On all groups with the low dose (≤5 mL/L) of THH(P>0.05).Furthermore,the effect of proliferation inhibition and inducing apoptosis on synoviocytes decreased in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner.The inhibition rate of synoviocytes also could be found positively correlated with apoptosis rate aftat treatment of THH(r=0.497,P<0.01).CONCLUSlON:THH have cytotoxic effect on rheumatoid synoviocytes and normal synoviocytes.it can inhibit macrophage-like synoviocytes and fibroblast-like synoviocytes from RA on proliferation and induce them to apoptosis.In the some contraction of THH.proliferation Inhibition and inducing apoptosis can be occur on synoviocytes from RA but not on normal synoviocytes.

Objective To introduce the applied value of Soap-Bubble reformatting and quantitative analysis of coronary MRA.Methods Reformatting and quantitative coronary of 3D coronary MRA were performed in twenty cases by using Soap-Bubble visualization following computer-assisted image segmentation respectively.The average vessel length,diameter and sharpness of coronary vessel can be measured.The imaging of coronary vessel was quantitative analyzed.Results 3D coronary MRA was successfully completed in 20 cases.The average vessel length of RCA /LM+LAD/LCX was(111?31) mm/(84?14) mm/(48?12) mm.The average vessel diameter of RCA /LM+LAD/LCX was(3.0?0.4 mm)/(2.9?0.3) mm/(2.4?0.2) mm.The sharpness of RCA /LM+LAD/LCX was(44?13)%/(43?15)%/(31?18)%.Conclusion Soap-Bubble enables the simultaneous display of multiple coronary segments in one 2D representation.The coronary vessel can be quantitative analyzed.

Objective To assess the efficiency of total laminectomy and transpedicular screw placement techniques and a thoroughly decompression with a three column fixation device on the early cervical spine cord injury.Methods 27 patients were operated successfully with total cervical laminectomy through transpedicular screw techniques.Precise measurements of all cervical spines were made by postoperative CT scan of pedicle dimensions,angulation,and offset relative to the lateral mass boundaries.And meanwhile,cortical integrity and neurovascular injury were then assessed by obtaining postoperative computed tomography scans of each patient.Results Using manual techniques,220 pedicles were instrumented and all the cases were followed up between three to twenty-four months.The postoperative gradations were obviously better than the preoperative evaluation.Regardless of the technique used,the vertebral artery was the structure most likely to be injured.Conclusion Insufficient correlation between different surgeons' assessments of surface landmarks attests to the inadequacy of screw insertion techniques in the cervical spine based on such specific topographic.At the early stage of cervical spinal cord injury,using total laminonectomy decompression through cervical screws techniques to reconstruct spinal alignment could improve the prognosis of patients.

To investigate the effect of the Ginkgo Biloba Extract (GBE) on the asthma and examine its possible mechanisms, 75 asthma patients were divided into 4 groups and the patients were respectively treated with fluticasone propionate for 2 weeks or 4 weeks, or treated with fluticasone propionate plus GBE for 2 weeks or 4 weeks. Fifteen healthy volunteers served as healthy controls. Sputum inhalation with inhaling hypertonic saline (4%-5%) was performed. Lung ventilatory function and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were measured. The numbers of different cells in induced sputum were calculated. The expression of PKCα in the cells was immunocytochemically detected and the percentages of positive cells in different cells were counted. Interleukin-5 (IL-5) in sputum supernatants was detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The percentage of eosinophils, lymphocytes, PKCα positive inflammatory cells and the concentration of IL-5 in asthmatic patients were higher than those in the controls (P＜0.05), and the eosinophils, lymphocytes,positive expression of PKCα and the level of IL-5 were significantly decreased in asthmatic patients after they were treated with fluticasone propionate or fluticasone propionate plus GBE. However,they were still significantly higher than those of the controls. Compared to the group treated with glucocorticosteroid for 2 weeks, no significant decrease was found in the percentage of eosinophils,lymphocytes, PKCα positive inflammatory cells and the IL-5 in the supernatant of induced sputum.Compared with the group treated with glucocorticosteroid for 2 or 4 weeks, significant decrease in the same parameters was observed in the group treated with fluticasone propionate and GBE for 4 weeks. The IL-5 level in the supernatant of induced sputum was positively correlated with the percentage of PKCα-positive inflammatory cells and the percentage of eosinophils in the induced sputum in asthma patient groups respectively (n=150, r= 0.83, P＜0.01; n=150, r=0.76, P＜0.01). The FEV1 was negatively correlated with the percentage of PKCα-positive inflammatory cells and the IL-5 levels in supernatant of induced sputum in asthma patients respectively (n=150, r=-0.77,P＜0.01; n=150, r= -0.64, P＜0.01). It is concluded that GBE could significantly decrease the infiltration of inflammatory cells such as eosinophils and lymphocytes in the asthmatic airway and relieve the airway inflammation. GBE may decrease the activation of the PKCα in the inflammatory cells and thereby decrease the IL-5 level in induced sputum. GBE may be used as a complement to the glucocorticosteroid therapy for asthma.

Whether inhibiting the activity of nuclear factor (NF)-κB potentiates cisplatin-induced apoptosis in non-small cell lung cell line A549 cells was investigated. The recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1(+)/IκBα expressing IκBα was constructed. The in vitro cultured A549 cells were trans-fected with pcDNA3.1(+)/IκBα alone, or pcDNA3.1(+)/IκBα combined with cisplatin. The mitochondrial membrane potential (△ψm) was determined by rhodamine 123, the activity of caspase-3 was tested by colorimetric assay, and cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry with the annexin V/propidium iodide assay. The results showed that the activity of NF-κB in A549 cells was inhibited by transfecting pcDNA3.1(+)/IκBα. Transfection of pcDNA3.1(+)/IκBα alone did not promote apoptosis. Treatment of cisplatin alone had a little effect on cell apoptosis. Transfection of pcDNA3.1(+)/IκBα combined with cisplatin treatment significantly induced apoptosis of A549 cells. It was concluded that inhibiting the activity of NF-κB potentiated cisplatin-induced apoptosis of A549 cells.

OBJECTIVETo assess the prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Beijing and the reliability of the sequential fecal occult blood test (SFOBT) for CRC screening.

METHODSOf the natural population (48 100 persons) in several Beijing communities, we screened 26 827 persons with age over 30 using the SFOBT screening program, Guaiacum Fecal Occult Blood Test (GFOBT), Immuno Fecal Occult Blood Test (IFOBT), and colonoscopies.

RESULTSThe screening rate of the population was 74%. The positive rate of SFOBT was 5.6%. The prevalence of CRC in the entire population of Beijing was therefore calculated to be 36.57/10(5). Of 12 CRC detected patients, 4 cases were in stage Dukes A (33.33%), 7 cases in stage Dukes B (58.33%), only 1 case (8.34%) in stage Dukes C.

CONCLUSIONSThe prevalence of CRC in Beijing is one of the highest in China. Individuals at high risk for CRC or those over 50 years of age should be considered as primary candidates for screening. SFOBT screening is a cost-effective and reliable method for early detection of CRC.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occult Blood