Objective To investigate the risk factors of hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy and bilateral central lymph node dissection in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.Methods Data of patients with PTC who accepted total thyroidectomy and bilateral central lymph node dissection in the Department of Thyroid Surgery from Jan.2013 to Jun.2016 were collected and analyzed retrospectively.The patients were divided into normal group,transient hypoparathyroidism group and permanent hypoparathyroidism group according to the level of serum parathyroid hormone within 6 months after surgery.Clinical data were collected for comparison between the three groups.The risk factors of hypoparathyroidism were indentified with univariate analysis and multivariate analysis.Results A total of 468 patients,241 in the normal group and 227 in the hypoparathyroidism group (220 in the transient hypoparathyroidism group and 7 in the permanent hypoparathyroidism group),were included in the study.Univariate analysis showed that without application of carbon nanoparticles (P=0.04) and autotransplantation of more than one parathyroid gland (P＜0.001) were risk factors of hypoparathyroidism,and without application of carbon nanoparticles (P=0.047),incidental parathyroidectomy of one parathyroid gland (P=0.04),gross extrathyroidal extension (P=0.006) and c N1a were risk factors of permanent hypoparathyroidism.Multivariate analysis showed that without application of carbon nanoparticles (OR,0.437;95％ CI,0.243-0.789;P=0.006) and autotransplantation of more than one parathyroid gland (OR,3.025;95％ CI,1999-4579;,P=0.000) were independent risk fact ors of hypoparathyroidism,and without application of carbon nanoparticles (OR,0.197;95％ CI,0.039-0.982;P=0.048) and gross extrathyroidal extension (OR,12.381;95％ CI,1.432-107.036;P=0.022) were independent risk factors of permanent hypoparathyroidism.Conclusion When total thyroidectomy and bilateral central lymph nodes dissection were performed,carbon nanoparticles were routinely applied.Although autotransplantation of more than one parathyroid gland can increase the incidence of transient hypoparathyroidism,it can reduce the incidence of permanent hypoparathyroidism.If extrathyroidal extension is suspected,hypoparathyroidism should be emphasized to patient,and accurate operation should be done to reduce the incidence of hypoparathyroidism.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)has become one of the great risks for children′s development and health, while its pathogenesis and progression characteristics are still not clear.The establishment of NAFLD specific research model can help to explore and reveal the role of related pathways in the occurrence and development of NAFLD.The existing models for the study of NAFLD in children mainly include diet-induced animal models and in vitro hepatocyte culture models.In recent years, organoids cultured from stem cells have similar spatial tissues of corresponding organs and can reproduce some functions of corresponding organs, which can be used to simulate liver inflammation and fibrosis process.In this paper, we will introduce these models and methods, focus on the construction and application of organoids, and look forward to the application of models for children NAFLD in the future.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the psychometric features of the body image after breast cancer questionnaire-Chinese version (BIBCQ-C) in Chinese women with breast cancer. METHODS: A total of 545 women with breast cancer received a demographics investigation: BIBCQ-C and hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD). Four weeks later, 31 patients were selected randomly to finish BIBCQ-C again. RESULTS: The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total scale was 0.90, and that for the 6 factors ranged from 0.62 to 0.87. The mean inter-item correlation coefficient of the total scale was 0.16, and the mean inter-item correlation coefficient of the subscales ranged from 0.21 to 0.57, and the test-retest reliability of the total scale and 6 factors was over 0.60. The confirmatory factor analyses supported the 6-factor model, and BIBCQ-C were significantly correlated with the symptom scales of anxiety and depression (r=0.20, 0.21, P<0.01). CONCLUSION BIBCQ-C is reliable and valid, which can effectively assess body image of Chinese women with breast cancer.
Anxiety ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Body Image ; Breast Neoplasms ; psychology ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Psychometrics ; Reproducibility of Results ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to explore signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) expression in breast cancer and to analyze the detailed mechanism that STAT3 contributes to the progression of breast cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathologic characteristics and overall survival (OS) of 140 breast cancer patients after curative surgery, and detected STAT3 expression, phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3) expression, Ki-67 expression, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C and -D expression in breast cancer tissues, and adjacent nontumor tissues. Survival analysis and relationship analysis were adopted for demonstrated the important mechanism of STAT3 contribution to progression of breast cancer. RESULTS: STAT3 expression, pSTAT3 expression, Ki-67 expression, VEGF-C expression, and VEGF-D expression in breast cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent nontumor tissues, respectively. With survival analysis, only number of lymph node metastasis (N stage) was identified as the independent predictors of the OS of breast cancer patients. Besides, we demonstrated there was the most prominent correlation between STAT3 expression and lymph node metastasis in breast cancer tissues by using the multinominal regression method. CONCLUSION: STAT3, a poor survival biomarker potential association with lymph node metastasis, was suitable for predication the OS of breast cancer patients after curative resection.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D

In the face of the worldwide threat of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) to human life, some of the most urgent challenges are to develop fast and accurate analytical methods for early diagnosis of this disease as well as to create a safe anti-viral vaccine for prevention. To these ends, we investigated the antigenicity of the spike protein (S protein), a major structural protein in the SARS-coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Based upon the theoretical analysis for hydrophobicity of the S protein, 18 peptides were synthesized. Using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), these peptides were screened in the sera from SARS patients. According to these results, two fragments of the S gene were amplified by PCR and cloned into pET-32a. Both S fragments were expressed in the BL-21 strain and further purified with an affinity chromatography. These recombinant S fragments were confirmed to have positive cross-reactions with SARS sera, either by Western blot or by ELISA. Our results demonstrated that the potential epitope regions were located at Codons 469-882 in the S protein, and one epitope site was located at Codons 599-620. Identification of antigenic regions in the SARS-CoV S protein may be important for the functional studies of this virus or the development of clinical diagnosis.
Antigens, Viral ; immunology ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Cloning, Molecular ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Molecular Weight ; Peptide Fragments ; chemistry ; Recombinant Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus ; Viral Envelope Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism

In order to develop clinical diagnostic tools for rapid detection of the SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus) and to identify candidate proteins for vaccine development, the C-terminal portion of the nucleocapsid (NC) gene was amplified using RT-PCR from the SARS-CoV genome, cloned into a yeast expression vector (pEGH), and expressed as a glutathione S-transferase (GST) and Hisx6 double-tagged fusion protein under the control of an inducible promoter. Western analysis on the purified protein confirmed the expression and purification of the NC fusion proteins from yeast. To determine its antigenicity, the fusion protein was challenged with serum samples from SARS patients and normal controls. The NC fusion protein demonstrated high antigenicity with high specificity, and therefore, it should have great potential in designing clinical diagnostic tools and provide useful information for vaccine development.
Antigens, Viral ; immunology ; Cloning, Molecular ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genetic Vectors ; Genome, Viral ; Humans ; Nucleocapsid Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; immunology ; Yeasts ; genetics

The nucleocapsid protein (N protein) has been found to be an antigenic protein in a number of coronaviruses. Whether the N protein in severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is antigenic remains to be elucidated. Using Western blot and Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), the recombinant N proteins and the synthesized peptides derived from the N protein were screened in sera from SARS patients. All patient sera in this study displayed strong positive immunoreactivities against the recombinant N proteins, whereas normal sera gave negative immunoresponses to these proteins, indicating that the N protein of SARS-CoV is an antigenic protein. Furthermore, the epitope sites in the N protein were determined by competition experiments, in which the recombinant proteins or the synthesized peptides competed against the SARS-CoV proteins to bind to the antibodies raised in SARS sera. One epitope site located at the C-terminus was confirmed as the most antigenic region in this protein. A detailed screening of peptide with ELISA demonstrated that the amino sequence from Codons 371 to 407 was the epitope site at the C-terminus of the N protein. Understanding of the epitope sites could be very significant for developing an effective diagnostic approach to SARS.
Blotting, Western ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epitopes ; chemistry ; immunology ; Humans ; Nucleocapsid Proteins ; chemistry ; immunology ; Peptide Fragments ; chemical synthesis ; Plasmids ; Recombinant Proteins ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism

The Coronaviridae family is characterized by a nucleocapsid that is composed of the genome RNA molecule in combination with the nucleoprotein (N protein) within a virion. The most striking physiochemical feature of the N protein of SARS-CoV is that it is a typical basic protein with a high predicted pI and high hydrophilicity, which is consistent with its function of binding to the ribophosphate backbone of the RNA molecule. The predicted high extent of phosphorylation of the N protein on multiple candidate phosphorylation sites demonstrates that it would be related to important functions, such as RNA-binding and localization to the nucleolus of host cells. Subsequent study shows that there is an SR-rich region in the N protein and this region might be involved in the protein-protein interaction. The abundant antigenic sites predicted in the N protein, as well as experimental evidence with synthesized polypeptides, indicate that the N protein is one of the major antigens of the SARS-CoV. Compared with other viral structural proteins, the low variation rate of the N protein with regards to its size suggests its importance to the survival of the virus.
Amino Acid Motifs ; genetics ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Antigens, Viral ; immunology ; Base Composition ; Base Sequence ; Cluster Analysis ; Computational Biology ; DNA Primers ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genetic Variation ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nucleocapsid Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

This article aims to study the factors affecting the flexibility of the tip of an epidural anesthesia catheter. The flexibility of the tip of the epidural anesthesia catheter was tested with a softness tester from four aspects:raw materials, tip structure, tip processing technology, and the outer diameter of the catheter. Highly flexible and malleable polymer material with a smooth tip, the tip softening process and the proper outer diameter can effectively improve the tip flexibility of the epidural anesthesia catheter.
Anesthesia, Epidural ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Epidural Space

In the canonical version of evolution by gene duplication,one copy is kept unaltered while the other is free to evolve.This process of evolutionary experimentation can persist for millions of years.Since it is so short lived in comparison to the lifetime of the core genes that make up the majority of most genomes,a substantial fraction of the genome and the transcriptome may-in principle-be attributable to what we will refer to as "evolutionarytransients",referring here to both the process and the genes that have gone or are undergoing this process.Using the rice gene set as a test case,we argue that this phenomenon goes a long way towards explaining why there are so many more rice genes than Arabidopsis genes,and why most excess rice genes show low similarity to eudicots.