Objective To identify interleukin (IL)-17-producing T cells and Foxp3 positive CD4 positive T ceils from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and investigate their cytokine levels as well as their correlations. Methods Flow cytometry was used to analyze the subsets of T cells in peripheral blood from 39 RA patients and 40 healthy donors. IL-17, IL-6, IL-23 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta levels in sera of these subjects were tested by ELISA. Results IL-17+CD4+ T cells increased significantly and IL-17, IL-6 and IL-23 elevated markedly in peripheral blood of RA patients compared to healthy donors (P< 0.01 ). However,Foxp3+CD4+T cells decreased evidently (P<0.01) and TGF-beta did not increase in RA pati-ents when compared to healthy donors (P>0.05). Conclusion This study suggests that Th17 cells predomin-ance coupled with relatively insufficient CD4+ regulatory T cells in RA is mainly caused by alterations of rela-ted cytokines.

Objective To investigate the effects of dosimetric differences in gross tumor volume ( GTV ) on local control and survival rates in patients with esophageal carcinoma undergoing three?dimensional ( 3D) radiotherapy,and to provide a basis for clinical treatment. Methods From January 2004 to December 2010, 548 patients with esophageal carcinoma received conventional fractionated 3D radiotherapy with a prescribed dose of 60 Gy. All patients were divided into low?dose group and high?dose group according to the dosimetric differences in GTV. The survival and local control rates were compared between the two groups. The survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan?Meier method and analyzed using the logrank test. The Cox regression model was used for the multivariate prognostic analysis. Results The number of sample were 456 and 216 patients at 5 and 7 years followed time. The 1?,3?,5?,and 7?year local control rates were significantly higher in the high?dose group than in the low?dose group ( 83?5% vs. 71?3%, 62?6% vs. 44?8%,57?5% vs. 41?7%,52?9% vs. 38?8%,P=0?000).The 1?,3?,5?,and 7?year survival rates were also significantly higher in the high?dose group than in the low?dose group ( 79?6% vs. 66?3%, 44?3% vs. 29?7%, 34?0% vs. 21?8%, 26?1% vs. 17?0%, P=0?000 ) . The univariate prognostic analysis using the Cox regression model showed that Dmin , Dmean , and D100 for GTV were prognostic factors ( P=0?000,0?001,0?000).In all the 548 patients,201 were assigned to the high?dose group and the others to the low?dose group. Compared with the high?dose group, the low?dose group showed significantly larger GTV (38?2 vs. 48?1 cm3,P=0?002) and more advanced T stages (P=0?035).The stratified analysis showed that the 1?,3?,5?,and 7?year local control and survival rates were significantly higher in the high?dose group than in the low?dose group,regardless of tumor location,GTV,TNM stage,or chemotherapy. The multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model indicated that tumor location and grouping based on the radiation dose to GTV were independent prognostic factors. Conclusions In 3D radiotherapy for treating esophageal carcinoma,a high?quality treatment plan and GTV dose assurance improve the survival rates in patients. The patients with lower Dmin ,Dmean ,and D100 for GTV than the prescribed dose have a poor prognosis.

Background T helper cell 17 (Th17),a newly discovered subset of CD4+ T cells,have been found to play an important role in dry eye disease in animal model.Further investigation should be done on the immunopathogenesis of Th17 cells in dry eye patients.Objective This study was to analyze the expression status of interleukin-17 (IL-17) and IL-22 in tear and supernatant of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of dry eye patients and their correlation with clinical symptom and sign.Methods Twenty Sj(o)gren syndrome (SS)patients,twenty non-Sj(o)gren syndrome (NSS) patients were included in Wuxi Second Hospital from 2010 to 2011,and twenty healthy volunteers were recruited at the same period.All of subjects understood the purpose and procedure of research and written informed consent was obtained form each subject initial of this study.Dry eye symptom questionnairs were self-answered and multiple dry eye disease-related clinical tests,including the breakup time of tear film (BUT),Schirmer Ⅰ test (S Ⅰ t) and corneal fluorescein staining were performed.The periphery blood of 3 ml and tear were collected in all the subjects,and IL-17 and IL-22 levels in supernatant of PBMCs and tear were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The correlations between levels of IL-17 and IL-22 with BUT,S Ⅰ t,corneal fluorescein staining and dry eye scores were analyzed.Results The dry eye scores reduced,BUT prolonged,S Ⅰ t increased and corneal fluorescein dye decreased from SS group,NSS group to normal control group,with significant differences among the three groups (dry eye scores:H =40.81,P＜0.01 ; BUT:H =40.15,P＜0.01 ;S Ⅰ t..H=50.07,P＜0.01 ;corneal dye scores:H=40.52,P＜0.01).The concentration of IL-17 in the supernatant of PBMCs in the SS patients,NSS patients and normal controls were (964.92±124.83)ng/L,(718.85± 115.89)ng/L and (341.95±85.08) ng/L,showing a statistically significant difference among them (F=162.95,P＜0.01).The levels of IL-17 in the tear were (440.69±126.09) ng/L,(364.33±126.85) ng/L and (61.16±11.60) ng/L in the SS group,NSS group and normal control group respectively,exhibiting an elevated level in the SS group and NSS group compared with the control group (F=75.27,P＜0.01).In addition,the levels of IL-22 in the supernatant of PBMCs in the SS patients,NSS patients and normal controls were (98.77± 11.27) ng/L,(79.65 ± 11.01) ng/L and (32.78±9.34) ng/L,and those in the tear were (22.22 ± 8.96) ng/L,(14.92 ±4.35) ng/L and (10.47 ± 2.67) ng/L,with significant differences among the three groups (F =206.27,P＜0.01 ;F =19.87,P＜0.01).The significant correlations were found between the IL-17 and IL-22 concentration in the supernatant of PBMCs and tear with corneal fluorescein staining scores and S Ⅰ t.Conclusions The contents of IL-17 and IL-22 in PBMCs and tear upregulate in the SS and NSS patients,indicating that Th17 plays a key role in the immunity mechanism of dry eye.

Objective To observe the long?term survival and adverse reactions in patients with stage T4 N (+) Ⅲ middle and lower thoracic esophageal carcinoma undergoing intensity?modulated radiotherapy ( IMRT) . Methods From 2004 to 2010, 300 patients with stage T4 N (+) Ⅲ middle and lower thoracic esophageal carcinoma, consisting of 202 treated with three?dimensional conformal radiotherapy ( 3DCRT ) and 98 treated with IMRT, were enrolled as subjects. All patients received conventionally fractionated radiotherapy with a prescribed dose of 60 Gy. The long?term survival and adverse reactions were compared between patients treated with the two different radiotherapy regimens. The survival rates were calculated by the Kaplan?Meier method and analyzed by the log?rank test. Results The 5?and 7?year sample sizes were 239 and 120, respectively. The 3DCRT group had significantly lower 1?, 3?, 5?, and 7?year local control (LC) and overall survival (OS) rates than the IMRT group (64. 4% vs. 68. 3%, 40. 6% vs. 55. 3%, 38. 3% vs. 51. 9%, 34. 2% vs. 51. 9%, P=0. 048;54. 5% vs. 63. 3%, 19. 8% vs. 34. 7%, 14. 7% vs. 24. 4%, 10. 9% vs. 20. 3%, P=0. 013) . The stratified analysis showed that for patients older than 65 years, with the length of esophageal lesion>8. 0 cm before radiotherapy, the largest diameter of esophageal lesion in computed tomography image>4. 6 cm, gross tumor volume ( GTV)>60 cm3 , metastases to adjacent tissues or organs, stage N2 , and without chemotherapy, the IMRT group had a significantly higher OS rate than the 3DCRT group (P=0. 022,0. 003,0. 022,0. 034,0. 016,0. 044,0. 047). The GTV Dmin and GTVD100 were significantly higher in the IMRT group than in the 3DCRT group ( P=0. 000,0. 000) , while the Dmax of the spinal cord was significantly lower in the IMRT group than in the 3DCRT group ( P=0. 000) . Compared with the 3DCRT group, the IMRT group had a significantly higher incidence of acute radiation?induced esophagitis, particularly grade 1?2 esophagitis (P=0. 000). The mortality rate caused by local tumor was significantly higher in the 3DCRT group than in the IMRT group ( P= 0. 039 ) . Conclusions In the treatment of locally advanced middle and lower thoracic esophageal carcinoma, IMRT is safe and effective;it significantly improves the LC rate and long?term survival without severe toxicity to normal tissues. The results of this retrospective study need to be confirmed by prospective randomized controlled studies.

Background Mechanism of dry eye disease has not been established clearly.Some increasing evidences showed that inflammation plays an important role in pathogenesis and development of dry eye disease.However,the association of interleukin-6 (IL-6) with dry eye has not been clarified.Objective This study was to assess the correlation of IL-6 levels in tear and serum of patient with dry eye disease and clinical symptom.Methods Twenty patients with Sj（o）gren syndrome (SS) and 20 cases with non-Sj（o）gren syndrome (NSS) were enrolled from Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University,and 20 healthy volunteers were recruited as the normal controls.Symptom questionnaires were self-answered and multiple dry eye-related clinical tests were performed,including tear film breakup time (BUT),Schirmer Ⅰ test (S Ⅰ t) and corneal fluorescence staining.IL-6 concentrations in serum and tear were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELASA).The correlation between IL-6 level and tear film and ocular surface parameters was analyzed by Spearman rank correlation.Written informed consent was obtained from each subject initial of this trial.Results The scores of symptom questionnaires were 18.50 (11.75,23.00),23.00 (19.00,32.00) and 2.00 (0.25,4.00) in the SS group,NSS group and the normal control group,and significantly increasing values were seen in the SS group and NSS group compared with the normal control group (P=0.00,0.00).BUT values in the SS group and NSS group were 2.50 (2.00,3.88) seconds and 3.50 (2.13,4.00) seconds and were lower than 15.00 (13.13,17.00) seconds in the normal control group (P=0.00,0.00).S Ⅰ t values in the SS group,NSS group and the normal control group were 2.00 (1.50,2.88),4.00 (3.00,5.75) and 19.00 (18.00,25.00)mm,showing significant differences between the SS group and the normal control group (P =0.00),the SS group and the NSS group (P =0.00) or the NSS group and the normal control group (P=0.00).The marked elevation of keratoepithelioplasty score was seen between the SS group and the normal control group (5.75 (4.00,7.75) vs.0.00 (0.00,0.75) (P =0.00) or the NSS group and the normal control group (4.50(3.63,6.00) vs.0.00(0.00,0.75)) (P=0.00).Concentrations of IL-6 in serum and tear in the SS group,NSS group were (131.47±21.04) μg/L and (77.81 ± 15.68) μg/L and were significantly higher than (31.62±8.57) μg/L of the normal control group,and those in the tear were (33.44±8.01) μg/L,(18.78 ±5.73) μg/L and (8.77 ± 3.43)μg/L,respectively in the three groups,with a significant reduce in the normal control group (all P=0.00).tL-6 levels in serum and tear were positively correlated with the score of symptom questionnaires or keratoepithelioplasty and negatively correlated with BUT and S Ⅰ t (all P =0.00).Conclusions IL-6 levels in the tear and serum of the dry eye patient are associated with the severity of the disease.IL-6 levels in serum and tear may be objective,sensitive and reliable indicators of dry eye.

Objective To investigate the parameters of diffusion?weighted magnetic resonance imaging ( DWMRI) for prediction of the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy ( CRT) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma ( ESCC) , to determine the optimal time point and threshold for prediction, and to provide a basis for clinical practice. Methods From 2010 to 2011, 38 patients with ESCC were consecutively enrolled as subjects. All patients received three?dimensional conformal radiotherapy with 60 Gy in 30 fractions for 6 weeks. They also received concurrent or consolidation chemotherapy ( FP or TP scheme ) as adjuvant treatment. Patients received DWMRI scans before radiotherapy and at weeks 1?6 during radiotherapy. The apparent diffusion coefficient ( ADC ) values and tumor lengths obtained from serial DWMRI scans were recorded and analyzed. Comparison was made by paired t test. Repeated measurements were analyzed by analysis of variance ( ANOVA) and multivariate ANOVA. The prognosis was predicted by the Logistic model. The effectiveness analysis and threshold screening were performed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results In all patients, 20(52?6%) had complete response (CR) and 18(47?4%) had partial response ( PR) . There were no significant differences in the ADC values before radiotherapy and at weeks 1?6 during radiotherapy between patients with CR and PR ( 1?82 vs. 1?42;1?92 vs. 1?49;2?06 vs. 1?67;2?35 vs. 1?79;2?62 vs. 2?11;2?71 vs. 2?18;2?96 vs. 2?28×10-3 mm2/s;P=0?006,0?003,0?012, 0?001,0?003,0?008,0?002) . The ADC value at third week during radiotherapy was the only independent prognostic factor for short?term treatment outcomes in patients with ESCC ( OR=0?134, P=0?007) . These results were also supported by the multivariate ANOVA analyses. The analysis of the ROC curve showed that at the third week during radiotherapy, the area under the ADC curve was the largest ( A z=0?857) and the diagnostic effectiveness was the best;the threshold value, sensitivity, and specificity were 2?02×10-3 mm2/s, 80?0%, and 92?9%, respectively. Eight patients who had tumor out of control or recurrence within 1 year after treatment had the ADC curve fall down at the end of the fifth week and the reduction of tumor length substantially slow down from the fifth week. Conclusions DWMRI is an effective imaging approach for monitoring tumor response to CRT in patients with ESCC. The ADC value at the end of the third week during radiotherapy may be the optimal time point for prediction of treatment outcomes. The reduction in the ADC value or non?reduction in tumor length at the end of the treatment indicates a high risk of recurrence.

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and the least-squares estimation (IDEAL) method with a fat-saturated T2-weighted (T2W) fast recovery fast spin-echo (FRFSE) imaging of the spine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Images acquired at 3.0 Tesla (T) in 35 patients with different spine lesions using fat-saturated T2W FRFSE imaging were compared with T2W IDEAL FRFSE images. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)-efficiencies measurements were made in the vertebral bodies and spinal cord in the mid-sagittal plane or nearest to the mid-sagittal plane. Images were scored with the consensus of two experienced radiologists on a four-point grading scale for fat suppression and overall image quality. Statistical analysis of SNR-efficiency, fat suppression and image quality scores was performed with a paired Student's t test and Wilcoxon's signed rank test. RESULTS: Signal-to-noise ratio-efficiency for both vertebral body and spinal cord was higher with T2W IDEAL FRFSE imaging (p < 0.05) than with T2W FRFSE imaging. T2W IDEAL FRFSE demonstrated superior fat suppression (p < 0.01) and image quality (p < 0.01) compared to fat-saturated T2W FRFSE. CONCLUSION: As compared with fat-saturated T2W FRFSE, IDEAL can provide a higher image quality, higher SNR-efficiency, and consistent, robust and uniform fat suppression. T2W IDEAL FRFSE is a promising technique for MR imaging of the spine at 3.0T.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio ; Spinal Diseases/*diagnosis/pathology ; Statistics, Nonparametric

OBJECTIVETo compare plasma and red blood cell folate levels among women in their first trimester of pregnancy from rural areas with high or low prevalence of neural tube defects.

METHODSA cross-sectional study was performed, among women in their first trimester of pregnancy from rural areas with high or low prevalence of neural tube defects in 2003. Non-fasting blood sample were collected and analyzed for plasma and red blood cell folate concentrations for 688 women.

RESULTSThe median plasma (10.53 nmol/L) and red blood cell folate (389.2 nmol/L) among women from the high prevalence rural area were lower than those of women from the low prevalence rural area (plasma folate: 30.39 nmol/L, red blood cell level folate: 926.0 nmol/L). Among women from the high prevalence area, about 50% and 43% were respectively, deficient for plasma and red blood cell folate, compared with 6% and 4% respectively, for women from the low prevalence area. The median plasma folate levels among women who took periconceptional folic acid supplements in both high and low prevalence areas were about twice higher than those who did not take the folic acid. The median red blood cell folate level of the folic acid users was 40% higher than those of the non-users. Among those who took folic acid, women in the low prevalence area had 70%-90% higher plasma folate concentration and twice higher red cell folate concentration than women in the high prevalence area.

CONCLUSIONWomen from the rural area with a high prevalence of neural tube defects had low plasma and red blood cell folate levels. Periconceptional supplementation with folic acid could substantially improve folate status of reproductive-aged women. However, supplementation with 0.4 mg of folic acid per day might be inadequate for women in the high prevalence rural area.

Dietary Supplements ; Erythrocytes ; chemistry ; Female ; Folic Acid ; administration & dosage ; blood ; Humans ; Neural Tube Defects ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Preconception Care ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Prevalence ; Rural Health

OBJECTIVETo demonstrate the myocardial lesion associated with long-term administration of methamphetamine in rats.

METHODSThe experimental models of intoxication of methamphetamine were established in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methamphetamine hydrochloride (3 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) was subcutaneously injected to rats in methamphetamine-treated group (n = 16), and normal saline at the same dose was injected to rats in control group (n = 16). After 1 week and 8 weeks of injection, 8 rats in each group were sacrificed and their hearts were examined with light microscopy and electron microscopy, respectively.

RESULTSAfter 1 week of methamphetamine exposure, foci of contraction band and cellular degeneration were present in subendocardial myocardium. Cellular degeneration, myocytolysis, and contraction band necrosis became prominent and extensive in methamphetamine-treated rats after 8 weeks. Hypertrophy, intracellular vacuolization, and fibrosis were also observed. The ultrastructural feature showed marked swelling and degeneration of mitochondria, enlargement of sarcoplasmic reticulum, and dissolution of myofilaments. No obvious cardiac myocyte lesions were observed in rats of control group.

CONCLUSIONMethamphetamine abuse daily for a long time may result in an increased risk of cardiovascular lesions similar to cardiomyopathy.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Heart ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Methamphetamine ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Myocardium ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley