Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Coronary Angiography ; methods ; Coronary Vessels ; pathology ; Dilatation, Pathologic ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; pathology

Fifty-six patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy(GO)were treated with antithyroid drug and oral prednisone for three months,TSH receptor antibody(TRAb)level was reduced,GO activity and severity of some patients were ameliorated but still positively associated with TRAb.It suggests that TRAb not only triggers off GO but also plays a possible role in the maintenance of the autoimmune process in GO.

At present, TCM treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is based on the combination of disease differentiation and syndrome differentiation. Therefore, the establishment of IBS-D of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency syndrome combined with animal model as a combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine innovation theory has become increasingly concerned about, and gradually become a new direction for the development of TCM experimental animal model. This article reviewed the research progress in IBS-D liver and spleen deficiency syndrome in recent years, discussed the establishment of IBS-D liver stagnation and spleen deficiency animal model and research ideas for the treatment of IBS-D, and provided references for mechanism research of TCM treatment for IBS-D and research and development of new medicine.

OBJECTIVETo investigate changes in serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and their significance in children with left-to-right shunt congenital heart disease (CHD) associated with heart failure (HF).

METHODSTwenty healthy children (control group), 20 children with HF, without basic heart disease (HF group), 20 children with left-to-right shunt CHD, without HF (CHD group), and 30 children with left-to-right shunt CHD associated with HF (CHD+HF group) were included in the study. These groups were compared in terms of serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels. According to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification, the CHD+HF group was further divided into NYHA-II, NYHA-III and NYHA-IV subgroups and the subgroups were compared in terms of serum IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels. The correlation of serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels with serum cTnI level in the CHD+HF group was analyzed.

RESULTSThe CHD group showed decreased serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels compared with the control group (P<0.01). The CHD+HF group showed a significantly decreased serum IGF-1 level compared with the control group (P<0.01) and CHD group (P<0.05). The HF group had significantly increased serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels compared with other groups (P<0.01). The NYHA-II subgroup had the highest serum IGF-1 level and the NYHA-IV subgroup had the lowest serum IGF-1 level (P<0.01). In the CHD+HF group, serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels were negatively correlated with serum cTnI level (r=-0.692, P<0.05; r=-0.530, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSerum IGF-1 level can be used as an objective condition evaluation indicator for CHD, and low serum IGF-1 level is a risk factor for HF. This also provides a clinical basis for treatment of HF using exogenous IGF-1.

Child, Preschool ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; blood ; Heart Failure ; blood ; Humans ; Infant ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; blood ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; analysis ; Male ; Troponin I ; blood

Objective To explore the clinical effects of psychological nursing intervention on cases of primary hypertension. Methods A total of 160 patients with primary hypertension were randomly divided into the intervention group and control group with 80 patients in each group. The control group received the routine medical treatment, while the intervention group received the psychological care in addition to the routine medical treatment.The hospitalization days, the adherence behavior before and after the intervention, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) after the intervention were observed in patients. Results There was statistical significance in the hospitalization days between two groups [(14±6.67)d vs (20±7.32)d,P< 0.01].There was statistical significance in the compliance behaviors and decline blood pressure between the intervention group and control group(P<0.01). Conclusions Psychological care plays a very important role. in the treatment of primary hypertension

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical values of basic vital signs in early identification of critical hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD).

METHODSThe clinical data of 358 children with severe HFMD [212 cases in stage 2 (central nervous system involvement) and 146 cases in stage 3 (earlier stage of cardiopulmonary failure, critical type)] were reviewed. The diagnostic values of peak temperature and duration of fever, as well as the heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in different age groups, for critical HFMD (stage 3) were analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

RESULTSHFMD might progress to critical type in case of HR≥148.5 beats/minutes, RR≥36.5 times/minutes, SBP≥95 mm Hg, and DBP≥59 mm Hg among children aged 0-1 year. HR≥142.5 times/minutes, RR≥31.5 times/mintes, SBP≥103 mm Hg, and DBP≥60.5 mm Hg in children aged 1-2 years had a certain diagnostic value for critical HFMD. HFMD might progress to critical type in case of HR≥139.5 times/minutes, RR≥29.5 times/minutes, and SBP≥103 mm Hg among children≥3 years of age. The sensitivity and specificity of every indicator were higher than 0.517 and 0.769, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for peak temperature was 0.507 (P=0.816, compared with AUC=0.5). When the duration of fever was ≥5.5 days, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.589 and 0.571, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSHR, RR, and BP are good indicators to identify critical HFMD (stage 3) early. The optimal cut-off points conform to the age characteristics of children. DBP in children≥3 years of age, peak temperature, and duration of fever have a low value in early identification of critical HFMD.

Blood Pressure ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; ROC Curve ; Respiration

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of scrotum reconstruction with a skin flap on spermatogenesis.

METHODSTwo patients who underwent scrotum reconstruction with the skin flap were followed up for four years. Their sperm quality, sex function, sexual hormone, and testis biopsy were examined. To exclude the influential factors of testis and spermatic cord contusing, an experiment study was designed and performed in rabbits. The scrotal skin of the rabbits was stripped off and the scrotum was reconstructed with a hypogastric skin flap.

RESULTSThe clinical follow-up indicated that in the early postoperative period, the reconstruction did not impede spermatogenesis, but the arrest of spermatogenesis happened with time. The experimental results showed that the sperm count of the rabbits decreased obviously and the rabbits became sterile two months after scrotum reconstruction.

CONCLUSIONThe thick skin flap is not recommended for scrotum reconstruction.

Adult ; Animals ; Female ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Rabbits ; Scrotum ; surgery ; Skin Transplantation ; methods ; Sperm Count ; Spermatogenesis ; physiology ; Spermatozoa ; metabolism ; Surgical Flaps ; Testis ; physiology ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of losartan on cardiac mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) mRNA in rats after acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

METHODAMI was induced in male SD rats by ligation of the left coronary artery. The survived rats were randomly divided into AMI group, losartan group, and sham-operated group. The cardiac functions of the rats were assessed by echocardiogram and hemodynamics, and the contents of angiotensin II (Ang II) and aldosterone (Ald) in the myocardial tissues were determined by radioimmunoassay. The collagen density in the myocardial tissues were calculated by Masson's trichrome staining and the expression of MR mRNA were determined by real-time quantitative fluorescent PCR.

RESULTSBoth the contents of AngII and Ald in the myocardial tissues increased significantly in AMI group compared with those in the sham-operated group (P<0.01). The expression of MR mRNA and collagen density in the myocardial tissues also increased significantly than that in sham-operated group (P<0.01). After four weeks of losartan treatment, the contents of AngII and Ald in the myocardial tissues decreased significantly (P<0.05) and the expression of MR mRNA was also considerably lowered (P<0.01) in comparison with those in the AMI group. Treatment with losartan also resulted in significant decrease of the collagen density in the myocardial tissues.

CONCLUSIONSLosartan may reduce reactive fibrosis not only by attenuating the Ald signaling pathway but also by decreasing the expression of MR.

Aldosterone ; metabolism ; Angiotensin II ; metabolism ; Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Fibrosis ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Losartan ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Myocardium ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Mineralocorticoid ; genetics ; metabolism

This study was purposed to investigate the expression of B7-H1 gene in leukemia cells and its clinical significance. The expression of B7-H1 mRNA was detected by SYBR Green I real-time quantitative PCR in a panel of 9 leukemia cell lines, 4 leukemia cell lines induced with IFN-γ, the bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) from 59 initial leukemia patients and 10 dendritic cells (DC) derived from BMMNC of initial leukemia patients, 2 solid tumour cell lines and BMMNC from 10 normal persons. The correlation between the clinical features of 59 acute leukemia patients and the expression level of B7-H1 mRNA in leukemia cells was analyzed. The results showed that the lower level of B7-H1 mRNA expression was found in leukemia cell lines and primary acute leukemia cells, but the expression level of B7-H1 mRNA was up-regulated significantly in the leukemia cell lines induced by IFN-γ and DC derived from BMMNC of leukemia patients. The expression level of B7-H1 mRNA in non complete remission (CR) patients after therapy was significantly higher than that in CR patients. It is concluded that the expression level of B7-H1 mRNA in leukemia cells is lower, but is up-regulated when affected by some factors. A correlation exists between the expression level of B7-H1 gene in leukemia cells and response of patients to therapy.
B7-H1 Antigen ; genetics ; metabolism ; Dendritic Cells ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Leukemia ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUNDHyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy)-mediated dysfunction of endothelial NO system is an important mechanism for atherosclerotic pathogenesis. Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) is the key enzyme for degrading asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), which is an endogenous inhibitor of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS). This study was designed to investigate whether the dysfunction of endothelial NO system originates from HHcy-mediated aberrant methylation modification in promotor region of DDAH2 gene.

METHODSHuman umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured to the third generation and treated with homocysteine (Hcy) at different concentrations (0, 10, 30, 100, and 300 micromol/L) for 72 hours. The methylation pattern in promoter region CpG island of DDAH2 gene was analyzed by nested methylation-specific PCR (nMSP). The mRNA expression of eNOS gene and DDAH2 gene was detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The activity of DDAH2 and eNOS in cells, and the concentrations of ADMA and NO in culture medium were assayed respectively.

RESULTSMild increased concentration of Hcy (10 and 30 micromol/L) induced hypomethylation, while high concentration of Hcy (100 and 300 micromol/L) induced hypermethylation in the promoter CpG island of DDAH2 gene. The mRNA expression of DDAH2 increased in mild enhanced concentration of Hcy, and decreased in high concentration of Hcy correspondingly. The inhibition of DDAH2 activity, the increase of ADMA concentration, the reduction of eNOS activity and the decrease of NO production were all consistently relevant to the alteration of Hcy concentration.

CONCLUSIONThe increased concentration of Hcy induced aberrant methylation pattern in promotor region of DDAH2 gene and the successive alterations in DDAH/ADMA/NOS/NO pathway, which showed highly relevant and dose-effect relationship. The results suggested that the dysfunction of endothelial NO system induced by HHcy could be partially originated from Hcy-mediated aberrant methylation in DDAH2 gene.

Amidohydrolases ; genetics ; Arginine ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; Cells, Cultured ; DNA Methylation ; drug effects ; Homocysteine ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Nitric Oxide ; analysis ; physiology ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; genetics ; physiology ; Promoter Regions, Genetic