Objective To determine the protein levels of receptor activator of NF ?B ligand (RANKL) in synovial tissues obtained from ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients, and compare the expression level and distribution of RANKL protein in AS with that in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA) and normal synovial tissues, in order to define the role of RANKL expressions in the pathogenesis of arthritis and bone destruction in AS. Methods Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using monoclonal antibodies to determine RANKL expression in 13 AS, 16 RA, 17 OA patients and 6 healthy controls. The protein levels of RANKL in labeled synovial tissue sections were quantified by digital image analysis and semiquantitative analysis to compare the expression of RANKL in positve cells among different patient groups and normal subjects. In addition, RANKL expression was correlated with certain inflammatory indices (including ESR, CRP, blood platelet count) and radiological stage of involved joints, respectively. Results Positive staining of RANKL was seen respectively in all 13 AS patients and 16 patients with RA, and the positive expression was distributed predominantly in the synovial lining layer and at synovium cartilage junctions. There was no significant difference between levels of RANKL expression in tissues from patients with AS and in tissues from RA. No positive staining of RANKL was observed in 6 normal subjects and all OA patients. Positive correlation was found between RANKL protein expression and X ray stage of bone destruction of involved joints in the patients with AS and RA ( r =0 73,0 41, P =0 003,0 021 respectively). Conclusions RANKL plays an important role in the pathogenesis of bone destruction in patients with AS, and its elevated expression level may reflect the degree of bone destruction of peripheral joints in AS patients. Since similar patterns of RANKL expression are found in synovial tissues from AS and RA patients, therefore, we conclude that the pathogenesis of bone destruction in AS may be similar to that in RA

Objective To compare expression and distribution of CD68 protein and TRAP positive protein in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), and normal synovial tissues to study the differentiation of osteoclast in synovial tissues obtained from AS patients and its role in the pathogenesis of bone destruction in AS. Methods Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using CD68 monoclonal antibody to detect CD68 expression, and the distribution of TRAP positive cells in the synovial tissues was examined by enzyme histochemistry in 13 AS, 16 RA, 17 OA patients and 6 healthy controls. The above two variables were quantified in the labeled sections by digital image analysis and semiquantitative analysis to compare the expression of CD68 positive cells in different patient groups and normal subjects. Results Positive CD68 staining was seen in synovial cells from all the patients with AS, RA, OA and normal subjects, and the expression levels of CD68 from patients with AS and RA were higher than those from OA patients and healthy subjects. The CD68 positive cells were abundant mainly in lining layer. In areas where elevated RANKL expression levels were present, the number of TRAP positive cells was found significantly increased in AS and RA synovium. TRAP positive cells were rarely observed in synovium from OA patients and normal controls. There was positive correlation between the number of TRAP positive cells and the RANKL expression (r=0.442, P=0.043) in RA patients. Conclusions An obvious increase in the number of CD68 positive cells and TRAP positive cells in synovium may provide a main source of osteoclastogenesis in AS patients. The up-regulation of activity and quantity of osteoclast may have an important role in peripheral articular destruction in patients with AS.

30 mm Hg) was diagnosed with Doppler echocardiography in 28 patients with SSc.Twenty patients have isolated PHT,while 8 patients were of secondary PHT which was due to severe pulmonary fibrosis.The levels of albumin, ? globulin ,IgA,IgG and CRP in serum of patients with PHT were significantly higher than those without PHT ( P

Objective To detect osteoprotegerin (OPG) protein levels in synovial tissues from ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and compare the expression level and distribution of OPG protein in AS, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA) and normal synovial tissues. By studying the correlation of OPG expressions with pathological changes of inflammatory joints to explore the role of OPG in the pathogenesis of bone destruction in AS. Methods Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using OPG monoclonal antibody to detect OPG expression in 13 AS, 16 RA,17 OA patients and 6 healthy controls. The labeled synovial tissue sections were quantified by digital image analysis and semiquantitively analyzed to compare the expression of OPG positve cells in different patient groups and normal subjects. In addition, the correlation of OPG expression with certain inflammatory indices (including ESR, CRP, blood platelet count) and radiological stage of involved joints was analyzed respectively. Results Positive staining of OPG was seen in all 13 AS patients. OPG expression was predominantly seen in the synovial lining layer and sublining areas. Positive staining of OPG was also found in the synovial tissues of 2 normal subjects, but the OPG level was significantly lower. No positive staining of OPG was found in synovial tissues from all patients with RA and OA. Conclusions {1}Higher levels of OPG are expressed in synovial tissues from AS patients than in tissues from normal subjects (P

Enamel pearl is an ectopic enamel, which usually occurs in the root bifurcate or approaching enamel-cementum site of the first maxillary molar. A case of multiple enamel pearls on the left maxillary third molar is reported in this paper, and relevant literature was reviewed.
Dental Cementum ; Dental Enamel ; abnormalities ; Humans ; Molar ; Molar, Third ; Tooth Root

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Female ; Herbicides ; poisoning ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Paraquat ; poisoning ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the expression of discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) in rats with pulmonary fibrosis induced by paraquat (PQ) poisoning, and its relationship with the expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Methods 120 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into control group and 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg PQ poisoning groups (each n = 30). Pulmonary fibrosis induced by PQ poisoning model was reproduced by one time administration of 20, 40, 80 mg/kg of 20% PQ, and the rats in control group were given 4 mL normal saline. Fifteen rats in control and different doses of PQ groups were sacrificed at 7 days and 21 days after intragastric administration, and lung tissues were collected. Pulmonary fibrosis was observed after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The immune-histochemical method was used to determine the expressions of DDR1 and TGF-β1. The relationship between the expression of TGF-β1 and DDR1 was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Results The rats in control group were active, and no pathological changes in lung tissue were found. The rats in PQ groups became shortness of breath, bristles, and slow reaction etc. 0.5 hours after intragastric administration. After 7 days, the lung tissue was dark red, hard texture, appearance of yellow soil fiber nodules and obsolete hemorrhage, destruction of alveolar structure. The extent of lung injury increased gradually with the time of poisoning and the increase of PQ dose. It was shown by immune-histochemical staining that the control group had only a small amount of DDR1 and TGF-β1 positive expressions; in PQ groups, there were a large number of DDR1 and TGF-β1 positive expression particles in the alveolar wall, pulmonary interstitial and alveolar cavity. It was displayed by quantitative analysis that compared with the control group, DDR1 and TGF-β1 expressions were significantly increased in 20, 40, 80 mg/kg PQ groups with time- and dose-dependent [DDR1 (integral A value): 0.221±0.014, 0.249±0.021, 0.364±0.016 vs. 0.121±0.036 at 7 days; 0.247±0.025, 0.321±0.015, 0.432±0.027 vs. 0.139±0.021 at 21 days; TGF-β1 (integral A value): 0.230±0.016, 0.265±0.015, 0.339±0.016 vs. 0.129±0.032 at 7 days; 0.248±0.011, 0.295±0.016, 0.399±0.026 vs. 0.119±0.026 at 21 days; all P < 0.05]. It was shown by Pearson correlation analysis that DDR1 expression was positively correlated with TGF-β1 expression with the increase of PQ dose and poisoning time (DDR1 with TGF-β1: r = 0.996, P < 0.000; DDR1 with PQ dose: r = 0.985, P < 0.000; DDR1 with poisoning time: r = 0.989, P < 0.000; TGF-β1 with PQ dose: r = 0.992, P < 0.000; TGF-β1 with poisoning time: r = 0.972, P < 0.000). Conclusions The expression of DDR1 in the lung tissue in PQ poisoning rats showed a time- and dose-dependent change, and it was positively correlated with TGF-β1 expression. DDR1 may be involved in the process of pulmonary fibrosis induced by PQ poisoning.

Objective To determine the monokine levels of serum and synovial fluid (SF) in patients with JSpAs and estimate the correlation between monokines and inflammatory indices.Methods Serum and SF monokines (IL 1?,IL 1?,IL 6,IL 8,IL 12 and TNF ?) were measured by sandwich ELISA in patients with JSpAs ( n =28) and healthy controls ( n =10).The correlation between serum monokines and inflammatory indeces and between both serum and SF monokine levels was analysed.Results Elevated serum level of IL 6 was found in patients with JSpAs as compared to healthy controls ( P

Modern medical staff are facing the challenge to survive in competitions and develop through cooperation.Thus it is of great importance for the future medical staff,that is,medical students to cultivate and enhance their teamwork for future demand.Cultivating approaches mainly include creating a collaborative environment,carrying out cooperative scientific research,creating teamwork in the curriculum,and launching community service activities.

Objective To study the role of transforming growth factor-?1(TGF-?1) and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) in the ankylosing spondylitis, and to evaluate whether synovial levels of TGF-?1/ BMP2 mRNA and TGF-?1/BMP2 protein expression correlate with disease activity and macroscopic observation during arthroscopy. Metheds TGF-?1/BMP2 mRNA and protein were detected by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry.The vascular morphology of synovial membrane was assessed for vascular morphology, tortuous vessels, straight vessels, vascular density, synovial hypertrophy, by 2 blinded observers and Reece's method using a validated VAS methods. They were significantly higher in AS than that in RA in different synovial regions. Results TGF-?1 mRNA and TGF-?1 expression were significantly higher in early AS than that in early RA in perivascular region and sublining interstitial tissue. BMP2 mRNA and BMP2 expression were significantly higher in AS than that in RA in different synovial regions.No significant relation was found between TGF-?1/BMP2 expression and CRP/ESR/platelet count in early AS. A positive relation was found between the TGF-?1 and synovial hypertrophy in synovium lining layer region, and between TGF-?1 and straight vessels,vascular density in perivascular region, and between BMP2 and synovial hypertrophy in sublining region in early AS. Conclusion Expression of TGF-?1 mRNA and TGF-?1 protein is higher in AS synovial tissue than that in RA. BMP2 mRNA and BMP2 expression are significantly higher in AS than that in RA.