Objective To preliminarily evaluate the value of color power doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of sacroiliitis in ankylosing spondylitis(AS). Methods Fifty-seven sacroiliac joints in 31 patients with active AS and 40 sacroiliac joints in 20 volunteers were detected by color power doppler ultrasonography.The color flow signs inside the sacroiliac joints were observed,and the resistance index(RI) was measured. Results In active AS,color flow signs were seen in 55 joints,and the mean RI value was 0.53?0.08 in 45 joints,while the other 10 color flow signs represented reversed phase in diastolic phase on pulse doppler ultrasonography.In the volunteers,color flow signs were seen in 16 joints,and the mean RI value was 0.97?0.01 in 6 joints,while the other 10 color flow signs represented reversed phase in diastolic phase on pulse doppler ultrasonography. Conclusion The abnormal flow signs at the sacroiliac joints can be detected by color power doppler ultrasonography.Low RI values provide diagnosis evidence for active AS.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the value of valplast dentures in the temporary restoration of single missing anterior tooth.

METHODSTotally 76 patients who needed temporary restoration of single missing anterior tooth were involved and equally divided into two groups according to their own choices of procedures: group A, with valplast dentures as their temporary dentures and group B, with conventional removable partial dentures as their temporary dentures. Meanwhile,38 patients who had their single anterior teeth pulled out and did not need temporary dentures were enrolled as control group without any temporary restoration, and impressions were taken immediately before the temporary dentures were used (2 weeks after tooth extraction) and before the initiation of permanent restorations (97-100 days after tooth extraction).The heights of clinical crowns of the adjacent teeth were also recorded twice from plaster models made from the impressions.The height of labial gingiva recession was calculated as the difference between the two heights recorded.

RESULTSThe height differences of clinical crowns of the adjacent teeth was 0.5mm (range: 0.0-1.2mm) in group A, which was significantly larger than those in group B [0.0mm;(range: 0.0-0.6mm)](P<0.05) and in group C[0.0mm;(range: 0.0-0.4mm)](P<0.05).However, the difference was not significant between group B and group C (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONApplication of valplast denture as temporary denture may cause labial gingival recession of the adjacent teeth, and therefore is not suitable for the restoration of single missing anterior tooth.

Adult ; Dental Restoration, Temporary ; instrumentation ; Dentures ; adverse effects ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gingival Recession ; etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tooth Loss ; therapy ; Young Adult

To investigate the profile of gene expression in American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium L.) and discover its functional genes, for the first time, expressed sequence tags (EST) library of four-year-old American ginseng roots has been established. According to BLAST and Gene Ontology analysis, eleven genes, encoding cytochrome P450, glucosyltransferase, farnesyltransferase and cyclase family protein, are found to be associated with ginsenosides biosynthesis. Six other genes are obtained encoding auxin-regulated protein, auxin response factor 4 and auxin-repressed protein in the roots of American ginseng. In addition, thirteen expressed transcripts are stress-connected proteins and twelve expressed other transcripts are closely related to plant defense in four-year-old American ginseng roots. Furthermore, 62 genes no hit in BLAST and in Interproscan may be new genes. These results indicate EST is an useful tool for research on functional genomics of P. quinquefolium and it can be applied to the molecular modification of the ginsenosides biosynthetic pathway ultimately for improving the quality of American ginseng germplasm.
DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Expressed Sequence Tags ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Library ; Genes, Plant ; Ginsenosides ; biosynthesis ; Panax ; genetics ; Plant Roots ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the gene polymorphism of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A, B, DRB1 loci in the population of Beijing region, and research on the application feasibility of polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) method.

METHODSPCR-SBT method was applied to determine HLA- A, B, DRB1 genotypes of 618 unrelated healthy individuals of Beijing region.

RESULTSA total of 84 different alleles and 199 genotypes of HLA-A, 143 alleles and 366 genotypes of HLA-B, 122 alleles and 286 genotypes of HLA-DRB1 were detected.

CONCLUSIONThe results showed the characteristics of HLA-A, B, DRB1 distributions, and provided more comprehensive and accurate gene data that may serve as normal reference values for all of Beijing people.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; ethnology ; Female ; Genetics, Population ; HLA-A Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-B Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-DR Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-DRB1 Chains ; Humans ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Population

OBJECTIVETo investigate the frequencies distribution of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 subtypes in unrelated healthy Chinese.

METHODPolymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCRSBT) was used to determine HLA high-resolution genotypes of 825 unrelated healthy Chinese.

RESULTSA total of 25 HLA-B27-positive individuals and 8 HLA-B27 subtypes were detected. These subtypes and their corresponding frequencies were B * 2704 (30.77%) , B * 2705 (23.08%), B * 2707 (19.23%), B * 2711 (7.69%), B * 2712 (7.69%), B * 2701 (3.85%), B * 2713 (3.85%) and B * 2721 (3.85%).

CONCLUSIONThe data obtained through PCR-SBT method may serve as important reference for the research of relationship between HLA-B27 subtypes and some diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis.

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; HLA-B27 Antigen ; classification ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; genetics

To validate the use of the Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON) in assessing orthodontic treatment need among 12-13 year-olds in southern China, we determined the threshold value of ICON based on Chinese orthodontists' judgments. The samples consisted of 335 students in grade 7 from 16 randomly selected middle schools in Chengdu, China. Three associate professors provided ICON scores for each participant and the results were compared with the gold standard judgments from 25 experts on treatment needs. Based on the gold standard, 195 casts belonged to the treatment category, while the rest 140 belonged to the no-treatment category. With the international cutoff point of 43, the sensitivity and specificity of the ICON score were 0.29 and 0.98.The best compromise between sensitivity and specificity in Chengdu, compared with the gold standard, was found at a cutoff point of 29, and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.88 and 0.83. When used to evaluate the treatment need of 12-13 year-olds in southern China, the international ICON cutoff value did not correspond well with Chinese orthodontists' judgments; a lower cutoff value of 29 offered a greater sensitivity and specificity with respect to expert orthodontists' perception of treatment need.
Adolescent ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Cultural Comparison ; Data Collection ; Dental Health Surveys ; methods ; standards ; Female ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Malocclusion ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Needs Assessment ; statistics & numerical data ; Observer Variation ; Orthodontics, Corrective ; standards ; statistics & numerical data ; Reference Values ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo detect gene mutations associated with autosomal dominant congenital stationary night blindness(ADCSNB) in a large Chinese family.

METHODSGenomic DNAs were extracted from peripheral blood samples of 16 affected and 14 unaffected family members. According to 5 missense mutations in 3 genes reported previously, 4 pairs of primers were designed and corresponding exons containing the five mutation sites were amplified by polymerase chain reaction. Amplified products were purified and sequenced by MegaBACE1000 capillary array electrophoresis DNA sequencer. Full field electroretinogram (ERG, ISCEV) of patients was recorded and analyzed by Roland Consult System.

RESULTSDark-adapted ERG showed a-wave was normal, but b-wave of the patients was markedly decreased. None of the five missense mutations were detected in 16 affected and 14 unaffected family members.

CONCLUSIONThe molecular pathogenesis of ADCSNB in this family does not involve point mutations or deletions of these five sites, which indicates the heterogeneity of ADCSNB.

Adult ; Base Sequence ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Night Blindness ; congenital ; genetics ; Pedigree ; Point Mutation

Epigenomic imbalance drives abnormal transcriptional processes,promoting the onset and progression of cancer.Although defective gene regulation generally affects carcinogenesis and tumor suppression networks,tumor immunogenicity and immune cells involved in antitumor responses may also be affected by epigenomic changes,which may have significant implications for the development and application of epigenetic therapy,cancer immunotherapy,and their combinations.Herein,we focus on the impact of epigenetic regulation on tumor immune cell function and the role of key abnormal epigenetic processes,DNA methylation,histone post-translational modification,and chromatin structure in tumor immunogenicity,and introduce these epigenetic research methods.We emphasize the value of small-molecule inhibitors of epigenetic modulators in enhancing antitumor immune responses and discuss the challenges of developing treatment plans that combine epigenetic therapy and immuno-therapy through the complex interaction between cancer epigenetics and cancer immunology.

To validate the use of the Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON) in assessing orthodontic treatment need among 12–13 year-olds in southern China, we determined the threshold value of ICON based on Chinese orthodontists' judgments. The samples consisted of 335 students in grade 7 from 16 randomly selected middle schools in Chengdu, China. Three associate professors provided ICON scores for each participant and the results were compared with the gold standard judgments from 25 experts on treatment needs. Based on the gold standard, 195 casts belonged to the treatment category, while the rest 140 belonged to the no-treatment category. With the international cutoff point of 43, the sensitivity and specificity of the ICON score were 0.29 and 0.98. The best compromise between sensitivity and specificity in Chengdu, compared with the gold standard, was found at a cutoff point of 29, and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.88 and 0.83. When used to evaluate the treatment need of 12–13 year-olds in southern China, the international ICON cutoff value did not correspond well with Chinese orthodontists' judgments; a lower cutoff value of 29 offered a greater sensitivity and specificity with respect to expert orthodontists' perception of treatment need. International Journal of Oral Science (2012) 4,

Background:Chronic kidney disease (CKD) with moderate-to-severe renal dysfunction usually exhibits an irreversible course,and available treatments for delaying the progression to end-stage renal disease are limited.This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of the traditional Chinese medicine,Niaoduqing particles,for delaying renal dysfunction in patients with stage 3b-4 CKD.Methods:The present study was a prospective,randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled,multicenter clinical trial.From May 2013 to December 2013,300 CKD patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between 20 and 45 ml,min-1· 1.73 m-2,aged 18-70 years were recruited from 22 hospitals in 11 Chinese provinces.Patients were randomized in a 1∶1 ratio to either a test group,which was administered Niaoduqing particles 5 g thrice daily and 10 g before bedtime for 24 weeks,or a control group,which was administered a placebo using the same methods.The primary endpoints were changes in baseline serum creatinine (Scr) and eGFR after completion of treatment.The primary endpoints were analyzed using Student's t-test or Wilcoxon's rank-sum test.The present study reported results based on an intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis.Results:A total of 292 participants underwent the ITT analysis.At 24 weeks,the median (interquartile range) change in Scr was 1.1 (-13.0-24.1) and 11.7 (-2.6-42.9) μmol/L for the test and control groups,respectively (Z =2.642,P =0.008),and the median change in eGFR was-0.2 (-4.3-2.7) and-2.2 (-5.7-0.8) ml·min-1.1.73 m-2,respectively (Z =-2.408,P =0.016).There were no significant differences in adverse events between the groups.Conclusions:Niaoduqing particles safely and effectively delayed CKD progression in patients with stage 3b-4 CKD.This traditional Chinese medicine may be a promising alternative medication for patients with moderate-to-severe renal dysfunction.