BACKGROUND:The pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis is stil not very clear, and there is a lack of early diagnosis methods. Because it is more common in middle-aged women, it is suggested that the pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis may be closely related to serum estradiol levels in the human body. OBJECTIVE:To explore the correlation between the level of serum estradiol and the severity of osteoarthritis in female patients with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS:Seventy-six female patients with knee osteoarthritis admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from February 2012 to December 2013 were enroled, and divided into premenopause group (n=42) and postmenopause group (n=34). According to Kelgren-Lawrence (K-L) grading, both two groups were subdivided into K-L 0, II and IV groups. The knee function was evaluated with Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Knee Score Standard in USA, the serum estradiol levels were detected with electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Then, the correlation analysis was performed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The serum estradiol levels of the premenopause group and postmenopause group were decreased significantly with the increase of K-L grade and age (P < 0.05). Under the same K-L grade, the serum estradiol levels in the postmenopausal patients were significantly lower than those in the premenopausal patients. Linear regression analysis showed that there was a negative relationship between age and serum estradiol level (R2=0.222,P < 0.05), and there was a positive correlation between HSS scores and serum estradiol levels (R2=0.415,P < 0.05). The severity of knee osteoarthritis in female patients shows a negative correlation with the level of serum estradiol but a positive correlation with age.

In order to assess the feasibility of subcutaneous administration of Triptorelin with 6-week intervals for the suppression of pituitary-gonadal axis and changes of clinical signs in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP), 46 girls with ICPP were treated with GnRHa. Triptorelin (Decapeptyl, 3.75 mg) was administered subcutaneously (SC) at 6-weeks intervals or intramuscularly (IM) at 4-weeks intervals randomly for more than 12 months consecutively. During GnRHa therapy, clinical parameters and laboratory data, including height, weight, pubertal stage, bone age, uterine volume and ovarian size, serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2), were monitored and analyzed. It was found that both treatment regimes led to regression of precocious puberty and reversal of secondary sexual characteristics. Breast developments regressed. Uterine volume was decreased after treatment, but there was no statistically significant difference. Mean ovarian volume did not change significantly during treatment. The height velocity was decreased significantly from 6.3+/-1.4 cm/year to 5.8+/-1.2 cm/year in group SC and 6.7+/-1.3 cm/year to 5.4+/-1.0 cm/year in group IM, respectively. The rate of bone maturation was reduced significantly during treatment. The ratio of deltaBA/deltaCA was 1.2+/-0.2 or 1.3+/-0.3 at the onset of therapy and decreased significantly after the treatment to 0.7+/-0.2 or 0.9+/-0.1, respectively. The predicted adult height was increased significantly and progressively during therapy. The levels of serum LH, FSH and E2 returned to the prepubertal condition. No significant side effects of therapy were noted. The most common side effect during SC treatment was that a non-irritating, 1 cm in diameter mass was palpated at the site of subcutaneous injection in the abdominal wall of patients, which disappeared after 6-12 weeks. Two girls had minimal withdrawal vaginal bleeding episodes after the first injection. It was concluded that both IM and SC triptorelin administrations were clinically effective. They induce profound suppression of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis while stabilizing height velocity, slowing bone maturation and increasing predicted adult height. These results suggest that subcutaneous injection of triptorelin in 6-weeks intervals at a dosage of 3.75 mg be a safe and acceptable regimen for ICPP

Objective To analyze the serum inflammation related factors of influenza A ( induced by sub-type H1N1 virus) patients with epidemic febrile damp-heat syndrome and warm-heat syndrome. Results Fifty-six patients confirmed as influenza A ( H1N1) were differentiated into epidemic febrile damp-heat syndrome ( 36 cases) and epidemic febrile warm-heat syndrome (20 cases) . And then we observed the serum immune globulins IgM and IgG, interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-ɑ), tumor growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), lipolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and soluble CD14 (sCD14) levels of the influenza A patients. Results Insignificant differences of serum IgM, IgG, IL-8, TNF-ɑand TGF-β1 levels were shown between epidemic febrile damp-heat syndrome patients and epidemic febrile warm-heat syndrome patients (P>0.05), but the differences of LBP, TLR4 and sCD14 were significant (P<0.05) .Conclusion Influenza A (H1N1) patients with epidemic febrile damp-heat syndrome have higher serum LBP, TLR4 and sCD14 levels than patients with epidemic febrile warm-heat syndrome, indicating that inflammatory reaction is severer in influenza A (H1N1) patients with epidemic febrile damp-heat syndrome.

Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell ; pathology ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; pathology

Background and purpose:Colorectal cancer is a kind of common digestive malignancies, which seriously threaten the human health. Although modern diagnostic and treatment technology has developed rapidly, the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer continue to show an increasing tendency in recent years, and early diagnosis and prevention of colorectal cancer liver metastases are important to increase the survival rate of patients and to improve the prognosis. P-selectin and L-selectin is attracting much attention in cancer research ifeld recently, and the change of their expression and mediated adhesion play an important role in tumor cell metastasis, but their relationship between the occurrence and clinical stage of colorectal cancer rarely reported. This study aimed to explore whether the serum P-selectin and L-selectin levels of colorectal cancer patients were correlated with clinical and pathological features and the situation before and after surgery.Methods:A total number of 132 cases of colorectal cancer patients and 100 healthy subjects with gender and age-matched were enrolled. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum P-selectin and L-selectin concentrations in 132 cases before and after surgery, 100 healthy subjects were enrolled as the control group, the P-selectin and L-selectin levels were analyzed combined with theclinical and pathological features.Results:Serum P-selectin and L-selectin levels in patients with colorectal cancer before surgery were signiifcantly higher than those in the healthy control group (75.2±13.3vs 26.6±9.6, 89.2±12.7vs 33.9±8.3,P<0.05) ; Compared with the patients before surgery, 1 week after surgery, the P-selectin and L-selectin levels were not significantly decreased (63.8±11.1vs 75.2±13.3, 71.5±10.9vs 89.2±12.7,P>0.05); however, significantly decreased after 3 months (34.8±10.4vs 75.2±13.3, 40.1±9.5vs 89.2±12.7,P<0.01); This paper studied patients with colorectal cancer, the higher clinical stage, higher P-selectin and L-selectin levels, and their expression levels with tumor invasion depth, Dukes stage, histological grade and lymph node metastasis were related, but were not correlated with age, gender and tumor site. Meanwhile, P-selectin and L-selectin levels were not signiifcantly correlated in the same serum of patients with colorectal cancer (r=4.114,P>0.05).Conclusion:Serum P-selectin and L-selectin levels to some extent relfect the invasion of colorectal cancer, the degree of inifltration and lymph node metastasis, and which can be an important indicator in the development and prognosis of colorectal cancer.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of bladder extracellular matrix (BACM) seeding with autologous cultured vaginal smooth muscle cells (VSMC) repaired rabbit vaginal defect.Methods This study included 24 female rabbits.BACM and vaginal acellular matrix (VACM) were obtained from 8 rabbits by decellularization process.The other 16 rabbits were randomly divided into experimental and control groups.Vaginal tissue biopsies ( ～ 1 cm2) were harvested from female New Zealand rabbits.VSMC were cultured and stained with a-smooth muscle actin antibodies. Cultured VSMC cells were seeded on BACM ( experimental group) or VACM ( control group) at a cell density of 1 × 107 cells/cm2.The cell-seeded matrixes were cultured for 5days.In experimental group of 8 rabbits,a 2 cm segment of vagina was resected and replaced with BACM seeding with VSMC.Then the regenerative segment was studied with histological technique by hematoxylin-eosin staining after 3,6 and 12 weeks postoperative aud vaginography was performed at 12 weeks postoperative.The 8 rabbits in control group underwent the exact same procedure as above but the vaginal defect was repaired with VACM seeding with VSMC,Results The prepared BACM and VACM were transparent,HE staining and scanning electron microscopy showed the two acellular matrix was both consisted of abundant network of fibers with the regular arrangement,without cellular debris.Primary culture of VSMC was successfully established and passaged,and was uniformly spindle-shaped in the confluent state and showed a characteristic hill and valley'formation.Immunohistochemical staining showed VSMC in culture stained positively with a-smooth muscle actin antibodies.VSMC began to adhere to the BACM 5 hour after implanting and the number of the adhered cells increased with time.Cells gradually expanded and showed the typical morphology of smooth muscle cells.Three weeks after implantation in vivo,the luminal surface of matrix was completely covered by vaginal epithelial tissue,a layer of smooth muscle cells was formed in the outer surface of the matrix.Multilayered vaginal epithelial and improved development of organized muscle bundles was observed after 6 weeks.The regenerative tissue was equivalent to the normal vaginal tissue at 12 weeks postoperatively.Vaginography demonstrated the maintenance of full patency and a wide vaginal caliber without fibrosis and graft rejection.There was no significant difference in all evaluated items between experimental and control groups.Conclusions BACM has the same regenerative process as VACM in the replacement of vaginal defect.Moreover,BACM has wider source and appears to be an suitable material for vaginal replacement.

Objective To explore the prenatal indications and pregnant outcome of balanced transloca-tion at amniocentesis, so as to provide scientific guidelines of prenatal diagnosis for local pregnant women. Methods Retrospective review was made on 76 cases of balanced translocation at amniocentesis from 2011 to 2015 at our hospital. Results In 76 cases, 38 cases were aged pregnancy prenatally, 20 cases carriers, 9 cas-es abnormal serum screening , 5 cases with previous abnormal births , 2 cases with abnormal ultrasound findings and 2 cases with other problems. Conclusion Balanced translocation concomitant aneuploidy , de novo X-auto-some translocation or de novo complex chromosome rearrangements can cause fetal abnormalities on prenatal di-agnosis. The results of ultrasound, FISH and array-CGH could provide for de novo simple translocation at amnio-centesis.

Objective To analyze the impact of rs3826392 polymorphism in MKK4 promoter on prognosis of colorectal cancer cases (CRC) receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods The associations between rs3826392 genotype of 203 CRC cases receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and clinicopathologic factors,overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS) were analyzed retrospectively. Results No association was found between rs3826392 genotype and clinicopathologic factors (P > 0.05). TG+GG genotype had better OS (P = 0.018) and DFS (P =0.019) when compared with TT genotype. Cox multivariate model showed rs3826392 TG+GG genotype remained independent favorable factor for OS(HR = 0.389;95%CI = 0.177-0.855) and DFS(HR=0.491;95%CI = 0.271-0.890) respectively. Conclusion -1304G variant genotypes (i.e., TG+GG) in rs3826392 may be the biomarker of better prognosis in CRC receiving adjuvant chemotherapy.

Objective To study the anti-inflammatory effects of idazoxan (IDA) on endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenged mice in vivo and activated macrophages in vitro,and explore its potential molecular mechanisms.Methods To do the experiments in vivo,30 adult male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group,model group,and low,medium and high doses IDA groups (IDA-L,IDA-M,and IDA-H groups),n =6 in each group.The inflammatory model was reproduced by intraperitoneal injection of LPS 10 mg/kg,and the control group was injected with the same amount of normal saline.The IDA groups received LPS (10 mg/kg) and IDA 0.3,1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg,respectively.The blood samples of mice in each group were collected at 6 hours after the reproduction of the model.For the in vitro experiments,primary peritoneal macrophages were collected from 20 adult male C57BL/6 mouse cells and they were divided into control group,LPS group (10 mg/L) and LPS+IDA-L,IDA-M,IDA-H groups (10 mg/L LPS + 5,25,100 μmol/L IDA,respectively).Cell culture supernatants were collected at 24 hours after the reproduction of the model.Detection methods:enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),interleukin-6 (IL-6),monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and nitric oxide (NO).Western Blot was used to determine the effect of IDA on the expression levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in macrophages.Results ① For the in vivo experiment,the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly elevated in the model group as compared with those in the control group [TNF-o (ng/L):403.96 ± 40.98 vs.17.50 ± 8.68;IL-6 (ng/L):61 400.31 ± 7 826.61 vs.2 436.30 ± 448.89;both P ＜ 0.01].IDA treatment could inhibit the elevation of inflammatory cytokines in a dose-dependent manner,with the most significant decrease in LPS+IDA-H group [TNF-α (ng/L):170.09 ± 28.53 vs.403.96 ± 40.98,IL-6 (ng/L):16 570.81 ± 1 083.65 vs.61 400.31± 7 826.61;both P ＜ 0.01].② For the in vitro experiment,the levels of TNF-α,IL-6,MCP-1,and NO secreted by LPS-stimulated macrophages were distinctly higher in the LPS group than those in the control group [TNF-α (ng/L):7 259.14 ± 320.70 vs.28.50±27.08,IL-6 (ng/L):14809.60±5852.73 vs.1 113.47±465.53,MCP-1 (ng/L):20847.37± 1 788.33 vs.447.37± 395.69,NO (μmol/L):1 900.00 ± 144.31 vs.603.03 ± 102.18;all P ＜ 0.01].However,IDA intervention could lower the secretion of TNF-α,IL-6,MCP-1 and NO in a dose-dependent manner,with the most notable decrease in the LPS+IDA-H group [TNF-α (ng/L):784.40±281.90 vs.7259.14±320.70,IL-6 (ng/L):1 802.96± 1 534.18 vs.14 809.60± 5 852.73,MCP-1 (ng/L):2005.26± 1 534.28 vs.20847.37 ± 1 788.33,NO (μ mol/L):654.54± 150.21 vs.1 900.00 ± 144.31;all P ＜ 0.05].In addition,IDA at the concentration of 100 μmol/L could promote the translocation of NF-κBp65 in macrophages into the nucleus 15 minutes early and lead to increased NF-κBp65 expression (gray value:18.70 ± 2.29 vs.1.09 ± 0.36,P ＜ 0.05),hut significantly reduce the expression levels of NF-κBp50 in the nucleus at 45 minutes after treatment (gray value:1.99 ± 0.14 vs.2.94 ± 0.54,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions IDA could significantly reduce inflammation of mice challenged with LPS and inhibit inflammatory cytokines and mediators secreted by macrophage in a dose-dependent manner.High concentration of IDA (100 μmol/L) exhibited the greatest anti-inflammatory effects.The anti-inflammatory effect of IDA may be worked through NF-κB signaling pathway.

Based on the physical characteristic of ultrasound, the images of body tissues can be obtained through ultrasonic medical technology, which is another flourishing cross-linked branch of BME after X ray technology. Being non-invasive, painless and reusable, ultrasonic medical technology is suitable for the examination and treatment of the soft tissue. This paper introduces such of ultrasonic technology as its basic principle, developing prospect and application to clinical medicine.