Objective To compare 2 kinds of commonly used viral vectors, adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector and lentiviral (LV) vector in the gene transfection for bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Methods MSCs were isolated with density gradient (lymphocytes seperation) and identified with HE staining and immunocytochemistory staining for Nestin. The proliferation of BMSCs was detected with BrdU labeling. AAV mediated gene transfection was carried out through recombinant AAV-LacZ viral particles. For LV mediated gene transfection, the LV particles were used directly. The transfection efficiency was estimated with β-gal staining and green fluorescent protein under the fluorescent microscope respectively. Results MSCs was successfully isolated from the bone marrow. HE staining showed that MSCs was with big nucleus, 1-3 nucleoli, and high nucleocytoplasmic ratio. BrdU labeling suggested that MSCs were proliferating. Some MSCs expressed Nestin. The gene transfection efficiency mediated with AAV vector was 49.1%, and it was 91.4% with LV vector (P<0.01). Conclusion The LV vector is more efficient on gene transfection than AAV vector.

Objective To investigate the possible mechanism that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) inhibits renal tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT),and to determine whether Smurf2 expression induced by TGF-β1 can be reversed by HGF in normal rat kidney epithelial cells (NRK-52E).Methods Using rat NRK-52E cell line as an in vitro system,NRK-52E cells were incubated with 5 μg/L TGF-β1 for 0-24 h.Part of cells were pretreated with 20 μg/L HGF for 30 min or not,then incubated with or without 5 μg/L TGF-β1 for 1 h or 48 h.The other cells were transfected with pFlag-Smurf2 or Smurf2 siRNA for 24 h,then treated with or without 20 μg/L HGF for 24 h.The expressions of Smurf2,SnoN,E-cadherin,alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibronectin (FN) were detected by Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence staining assays.Results Compared to normal control,TGF-β1 could rapidly induce Smurf2 protein expression in a short time (P＜0.01).Meanwhile,the expressions of FN and α-SMA were significantly induced,and the expression of E-cadherin was reduced in NRK-52E cells by TGF-β1.In contrast,in the NRK-52E cells pretreated with HGF,HGF could obviously inhibit Smurf2 expression induced by TGF-β1,and reversed the down-regulation of SnoN (P＜0.01) and E-cadherin (P＜0.05),the up-regulation of α-SMA (P＜0.01) and FN (P＜0.01) induced by TGF-β1.Moreover,overexpression of Smurf2 in NRK-52E cells could partly inhibit the up-regulation of SnoN protein by HGF,while down-regulation of Smurf2 could up-regulate the expression of SnoN induced by HGF.Conclusions HGF can abolish EMT induced by TGF-β1 in renal tubular epithelial cells through down-regulating Smurf2 expression and suppressing ubiquitin-proteasome dependent degradation of SnoN.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic values of the breast imaging reporting and data system-MRI (BI-RADS-MRI)description about non-masslike enhancement by data mining. Methods Fifty-five patients with non-masslike enhancement lesions showed on breast contrast-enhanced MRI were evaluated using two data mining algorithms (Logistic regression and decision tree) and 10-fold cross-validation methods. Results There were 28 malignant and 27 benign lesions. The most frequent findings of the malignant lesions were clustered ring enhancement and clumped enhancement [ 12 and 4 lesions, respectively; 84. 2% (16/19) in decision trees, partial regression coefficients in Logistic model were 2. 128 and 1.723, respectively], whereas homogenous, stippled, reticular internal and linear ductal enhancement were the most frequent findings in benign lesions [ 4、9、1 and 7 lesions, respectively; 72. 4% (21/29) in decision tree, partial regression coefficients in Logistic model were 0.357 (homogenous), 1. 861 (stippled) and 18. 870( reticular), respectively]. 10-fold cross-validation indicated that decision tree (C5.0) achieved an accuracy of 69.3% with a sensitivity of 66.7% and a specificity of 71.7% in comparison to the Logistic regression model with an accuracy of 57. 0%, a sensitivity of 43.3% and a specificity of 71.7%. Conclusions The diagnosis efficacy of non-masslike enhancement interpretation according to BI-RADS-MRI is not high. It is very important to find more potential features of non-masslike enhancement to improve the diagnosis accuracy.

PURPOSE: Although obesity has been associated with imbalances in cardiac autonomic nervous system, it is unclear whether there are differential relationships between adiposity measures and heart rate variability (HRV) measures. We aimed to examine differences in the relationship between adiposity measures and HRV indices in a healthy Korean population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In all, 1409 non-smokers (811 males, 598 females) without known histories of cardiovascular (CV), endocrine, or neurological diseases underwent adiposity measurements [(body mass index (BMI), percentage of body fat mass (PBF), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)], the HRV assessment (SDNN, RMSSD, LF, HF, LF/HF, and pNN50), and examination for CV risk factors (fasting glucose, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, hs-CRP, and blood pressure). RESULTS: Compared with BMI and PBF, WHR was more strongly correlated with each HRV index and more likely to predict decreased HRV (<15 percentile vs. > or =15 percentile of each HRV index) in ROC curves analysis. In linear regression analysis, all adiposity measures were inversely associated with each HRV measure before adjusting for age, gender, and CV risk factors (p<0.05). After adjusting for the covariates, WHR was inversely related to RMSSD, LF, and pNN50; PBF with RMSSD, HF, and pNN50; BMI with RMSSD (p<0.05). The inversed association between HRV indices and the gender-specific WHR tertile was significant for subjects with BMI > or =25 kg/m2, but not for those with BMI <25 kg/m2. CONCLUSION: WHR and PBF appear to be better indicators for low HRV than BMI, and the association between abdominal adiposity and HRV may be stronger in overweight subjects.
*Adiposity ; Adult ; Female ; Heart/physiopathology ; Heart Diseases/complications/diagnosis/ethnology ; Heart Rate/*physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Models, Statistical ; Obesity/*complications/*diagnosis/ethnology ; Overweight/complications/diagnosis/ethnology ; ROC Curve ; Regression Analysis ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze factors influencing the adherence to guidelines for intensive care unit (ICU) nurses to control infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO).METHOD: Participants were 194 ICU nurses at 3 university hospitals. Questions for the survey inquired about attitude, subjective norms, perception of patient safety culture to carry out MDRO management guidelines, perceived behavior control (PBC), and intention, based on the theory of planned behavior. Path analysis were utilized.RESULTS: The path analysis presented that PBC, perception of patient safety culture, and intent had a direct effect on MDRO management guidelines. Attitude towards following the manual did not have any correlation. The hypothetical model based on the theory of planned behavior was revealed as applicable; the degree of the variance in explaining adherence to the manual was 23 %, and the variance in explaining intention to fulfill the manual was 33 %.CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that we should develop a program to improve PBC to increase adherence to MDRO management guidelines. ICU nurses' perceptions of patient safety culture should also be surveyed.
Behavior Control ; Critical Care ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Intensive Care Units ; Intention ; Methods ; Patient Safety

BACKGROUNDResistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) is a dominant inherited syndrome of reduced tissue responsiveness to thyroid hormone. It is usually due to mutations located at the ligand-binding domain and adjacent hinge region of the thyroid hormone receptor β (TRβ). We report the clinical and laboratory characteristics and the genetic analysis of a patient with this rare disorder and his family members.

METHODSThe clinical presentations and changes of thyroid function tests (TFTs) including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of pituitary and other laboratory tests were analysed. TFTs of his family's members were detected as well. Direct DNA sequencing of the TRβ gene was done for those with abnormal TFTs.

RESULTSThe RTH child had goiter, irritability, aggressiveness, and sudoresis. His TFTs showed high levels of circulating free thyroid hormones (FT(4) and FT(3)) and normal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations. He felt worse when treated as hyperthyroidism (Grave disease) with thiamazole and his clinical presentations got improved obviously when treated as RTH with bromocriptine without obvious advert effect. We identified a novel missense mutation, A317D, located in exon 9 of the gene of this boy and his mother. His mother had not any clinical presentation, but having abnormal TFTs results.

CONCLUSIONSThis patient reported here was concordant with the criteria of RTH. The feature is dysfunction of hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis. A novel mutation was found in the TRβ, A317D, of this family. This research verified the phenomena that there is a clinical heterogeneity within the same mutation of different RTH patients.

Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation, Missense ; Thyroid Hormone Receptors beta ; genetics ; Thyroid Hormone Resistance Syndrome ; diagnosis ; genetics ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the significance of mutation and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of class III receptor tyrosine kinases such as PDGFRbeta and SHIP in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients.

METHODSScreening of the mutation and SNP of PDGFRbeta and SHIP by genomic PCR, RT-PCR, directly sequencing and Mass-ARRAY system was carried out in 273 AML patients.

RESULTSThe mutations of PDGFRbeta R685C and SHIP Q1153L were detected for the first time in AML patients. The positivity ratio was 0.73% and 0.36% respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe mutations of PDGFRbeta R685C and SHIP Q1153L may contribute to leukemogenesis of AML.

Humans ; Inositol Phosphates ; genetics ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; genetics ; Mass Spectrometry ; Mutation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and surgical effects of thyroid-stimulating hormone pituitary adenomas (TSH-omas).

METHODSThe clinical data of 19 patients (14 female and 5 male) with TSH-omas were analyzed retrospectively in this study from January 2001 to December 2008. The patients ranged from 20 to 70 years old (average 40.5 years old) and had disease histories from 1 to 228 months (average 55 months). Among these patients, 15 of them complained of thyrotoxicosis symptoms, while the other 4 patients' symptoms were associated with headache and/or visual disturbance caused by the tumor mass effect. Initially, 12 of the 15 patients with thyrotoxicosis symptoms were misdiagnosed with Grave's disease. As a result 2 of them received (131) Iodine, and one received subtotal thyroidectomy. All of these patients underwent transsphenoidal microsurgery.

RESULTSAverage follow-up period was 3.6 years (6 months-7 years). Pathological analysis of the surgical specimen showed pituitary adenoma in all patients, immunohistochemistry were positive for TSH in 17 cases, negative for TSH in 2, positive for growth hormone in 2, positive for prolactin in 1, and positive for adrenocorticotrophic hormone in 1. Postoperative MRI revealed that the tumors in 15 patients were removed totally, though 4 patients still had residual tumors. The thyroid hormone level tests suggested that 13 patients could be considered normal 3 months after their tumors were removed, though 2 of patients with normal postoperative MRI and thyroid hormones showed increased levels of TSH. For these 2 patients, tumors did not recur and their thyroid hormone levels returned to normal after pituitary radiotherapy. The cure rate was 11/19 after surgery and 13/19 after surgery plus pituitary radiotherapy.

CONCLUSIONSThe screening test for hyperthyroidism patients with high TSH levels is a key point to improve the accuracy rate in early diagnoses of TSH-omas. The transsphenoidal microsurgery is first choice to treat TSH-omas, while pituitary radiotherapy and somatostatin analogs are beneficially adjunctive therapies.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyrotropin ; metabolism ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the use of a 32P application device (AD) in the treatment of condyloma acuminatum (CA) in the rectum, and to compare its clinical effect with that of the microwave therapy.

METHODSThis study included 107 cases of CA in the rectum, 99 males and 8 females, aged 21-58 (33.6 +/- 9.4) years. Forty-six of the patients (the AD group) were treated with a self-made 32P application device, which, as a tube-shaped carrier of radionuclide 32P colloid, was fixed in the rectum at the diseased part for medication at 4.9-8.2 Gy for 3-5 hours once and 1-2 times a week. The other 61 (the microwave group) were treated by microwave burning under local anesthesia. Both groups of patients were followed up for over 3 months for comparison of the therapeutic results and observation of the stability and reliability of the 32P application device.

RESULTSThe rates of cure, reoccurrence and adverse reaction were 84, 8%, 13.0% and 8.7% in the AD group, compared with 40.3%, 55.7% and 75.4% in the microwave group, with statistically significant differences between the two groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe 32P application device, with its advantages of low cost, easy operation, good effect, high safety and reliability, low recurrence, fewer adverse events and good acceptability, is highly valuable for the treatment of CA in the rectum.

Adult ; Condylomata Acuminata ; therapy ; Drug Delivery Systems ; instrumentation ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microwaves ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Phosphorus Radioisotopes ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Rectal Diseases ; therapy ; virology ; Young Adult

In 2007, an outbreak of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) occurred in Jungar Banner, Erdos city, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China Fever, vesicular exanthema on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks were presented in most of the patients. Most of the patients were infants less than 5 years old, and an obvious peak period appeared in the disease outbreak. From 28 hospitalized patients, 23 stool specimens and 6 throat swab specimens were collected for enterovirus isolation, and 15 enteroviruses were isolated, 9 were identified as Human Enterovirus 71 (HEV71, the isolation rate is 31.03%) and 1 was identified as Coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16). According to the comprehensive analysis of clinical manifestation, epidemiology data and laboratory results, this outbreak was probably mainly caused by HEV71. The variability at nucleotide acid level and amino acid level among 9 HEV71 was relatively low, and the homology was more than 99.4% and 99.0% respectively, showing that this outbreak was caused by only one viral transmission chain. Phylogenetic analysis of 9 HEV71 strains isolated during this outbreak revealed that they all belonged to subgenotype C4, which has been continuously circulating in mainland China since its first reported occurrence in Shenzhen City in 1998. It was also suggested that subgenotype C4 HEV71 had a widely distribution and transmission in mainland China.
China ; epidemiology ; Enterovirus ; physiology ; Enterovirus A, Human ; classification ; genetics ; physiology ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease ; epidemiology ; virology ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA