Objective To investigate the significance of serum krebs Yon den lungen-6(KL-6), surfactant protein A(SP-A), surfactant protein D(SP-D )and matrix metalloprotease 7(MMP-7) in the diagnosis of idiopathic pul-monary fibrosis (IPF) and its relationship with pulmonary function .Methods Serum levels of KL-6, SP-D, SP-A and MMP-7 were detected by ELISA in 38 patients with IPF and serum from 38 patients with pneumonia and 38 normal controls.Serum levels of markers were further analyzed by operating characteristic curve receiver (ROC), from which the ideal level of each serum marker was obtained , and the follow-up of 6 months in patients with IPF . Explore the significance of the diagnosis of IPF and its correlation with pulmonary function .Results The expres-sion of MMP-7, SP-A, SP-D and KL-6 in serum of IPF patients was higher than that in the control group and healthy control group ( P<0.05) .The optimal cutoff value of KL-6 was 723.0 U/ml, SP-A was 67.2 ng/ml, SP-D was 98.1 ng/ml, and MMP-7 was 10.1 ng/ml.The sensitivity of KL-6 was 71.1% and 98.7%, SP-A was 81.6%and 97.4%, SP-D was 81.6%and 97.4%, MMP-7 was 68.4%and 98.7%.The sensitivity of combined KL-6, SP-A, SP-D and MMP-7 four serum markers was 100%, compared with a single serum index , the P value was less than 0.05, with statistical significance .IPF patients serum SP-A, MMP-7 and forced vital capacity within 6 months were significantly correlated(r1 =-0.574,P1 <0.001;r2 =-0.465,P2 =0.003).Conclusion KL-6, SP-A, SP-D and MMP-7 were highly expressed in serum of patients with IPF , and in the diagnosis of IPF , com-bined detection of 4 serum markers can improve the early diagnosis of IPF patients .Combined serum SP-A and MMP-7 levels can improve the accuracy of the IPF patients with pulmonary function changes , the prediction of dis-ease progression has a certain significance .

Based on research of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM), the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and the related public websites of acupuncture educational institutions, the first hand information was studied, summarized and sorted on the status quo of the educational qualification or the relative authentication of education programs of ACAOM as well as the status of professional qualification and examination of NCCAOM. The education curriculum of the Master degree of Acupuncture, Master degree of Oriental Medicine Science as well as the Doctor degree of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine were also introduced in this article including student enrollment and graduation in recent years. The developing tendency of the federal unified acupuncture education, management, professional qualification and examination system of U. S. A. were discussed and analyzed as well.
Acupuncture ; education ; manpower ; organization & administration ; Acupuncture Therapy ; standards ; Certification ; Humans ; United States

Objective To investigate the expression and significance of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)in the uvea of endotoxin in- duced uveitis.Design Experimental study.Participants 12 Wistar rats were divided into two groups at random,a group(n=6)of endo- toxin induced uveitis(EIU)and a control group(n=6).Methods Cholera vibrio was injected into hind footpad and abdominal cavity in the EIU group.In the control group,cholera vibrio was replaced by PBS.Anterior segment of the rats eyes were observed by slit lamp microscope at 4h,10h,16h,24h after injection.Immunohistochemical staining was performed using polyclonal antibodies to TLR4 on the frozen sections of the eyes and uveal wholemounts at 24 hours after LPS injection.Main Outcome Measures The inflammation of anterior segment and the number of TLR4 positive cells in uveal wholemounts.Results The inflammation began at 4h after LPS injec- tion.Cellulose exudates were observed at 16h after injection.The positive-stained protein located in cellular membrane or cytoplasm. The number of TLR4 positive cells in EIU group is evidently higher than that in the control group.TLR4 positive cells were hardly de- tected in the frozen sections of eyes.Conclusion TLR4 expression increases in the EIU,which suggests that TLR4 probably participates in the formation and development of acute anterior uveitis.(Ophthalmol CHN,2008,17:48-51)

BACKGROUND:It has been proved that Rhizoma Chuanxiong can promote osteoblast proliferation and differentiation.
OBJECTIVE:To further observe the effects of tetramethylpyrazine (Ligustrazine) extracted from Rhizoma Chuanxiong on osteoblast proliferation and type I col agen expression.
METHODS:Mouse osteoblast cel line MC3T3-E1 was cultured in medium containing 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg/L Ligustrazine, respectively. Osteoblast proliferation was detected by cel counting kit-8 assay, and alkaline phosphatase activity and type I col agen level measured using ELISA method.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Different concentrations of Ligustrazine al significantly promoted the osteoblast proliferation and type I col agen level compared with the blank control group (P<0.005). The activity of alkaline phosphatase in al Ligustrazine groups except 15 and 20 mg/L groups was significantly higher than that in the blank control group (P<0.005). These results show that Ligustrazine isolated from Rhizoma Chuanxiong can effectively promote the osteoblast proliferation and type I col agen expression, with the optimum concentration of 10 mg/L.

Objective To investigate the value of virtual colonoscopy in the diagnosis of malignant and benign lesions in the colon. Methods CT colography was performed in 37 patients. Patients included 20 cases colon polyps, 6 cases colon cancer, 4 cases diverticulum, 5 cases ulcerative colitis and 2 cases other benign lesions. The colon lesions were evaluated with 2D and 3D images, depending on individual software. Results were compared with colonoscopy for each case. Results 17 cases colon polyps, 6 cases colon cancer, 4 cases diverticulum, 2 cases ulcerative colitis were detected by CTC. Conclusion CT virtual colography is a promising technique for the detection of colorectal lesions. This procedure is minimal invasive and fast, causes mild patient discomfort.

Objective:To observe the influence of long-term exercise training on carotid intima-media thickness (IMT)in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension.Methods:A total of 92 patients with mild-to-moderate es-sential hypertension (EH)were randomly and equally divided into exercise group and routine treatment group.Exer-cise group received exercise training based on routine treatment.All patients were followed up one year.Influence of long-term exercise training on carotid artery diameter and carotid IMT was observed in EH patients.Results:Af-ter one year,there were significant reductions in systolic blood pressure (SBP),diastolic blood pressure (DBP),ca-rotid artery diameter and carotid IMT in both groups,P<0.05 all;compared with routine treatment group,there were significant reductions in SBP [(145.72±11.31)mmHg vs.(130.89±13.01)mmHg],DBP [(88.49±7.32) mmHg vs.(81.71±8.45)mmHg],carotid artery diameter [(6.34±1.23)mm vs.(6.22±1.01)mm]and carotid IMT [(0.89±0.21)mm vs.(0.84±0.11)mm]in exercise group after treatment,P<0.05 all.Conclusion:Long-term exercise training can effectively reverse early arteriosclerosis lesion of carotid wall and effectively control blood pressure.

Objective To determine the effect of Vibrio vulnificus cytolysin (VVC) inducing ap-optosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cell(HUVEC) and its possible mechanism. Methods The en-tire vvhA gene that encoding VVC from V. vulnificus strain GTC333 was amplified by PCR and sequenced af-ter T-A cloning. E. coli BL21DE3pET-42a-vvhA, a prokaryotic expression system of the vvhA gene, was then con-structed. Ni-NTA affinity chromatography was applied to purify the target recombinant protein rVVC, and SDS-PAGE plus Bio-Rad Agarose Image Analyzor were used to measure the output of rVVC and to determine the purity of rVVC extract. The activity of rVVC dissolving rabbit erythrocytes was detected by hemolysis test. DPNH chromotometry and TphBNa chromotometry were performed to examine the contents of LDH and K+ in the supernatants of rVVC-treated HUVEC cultures, respectively. The effect of rVVC inducing apepto-sis of HUVEC was detected by flow cytometry, rVVC was labeled with FITC and the location of FITC-labe-ling rVVC in HUVEC was observed by laser canfocal microscopy. Results The cloned whA gene had 96.09% and 98.26% similarities of nucleotide and amino acid sequences compared to the corresponding se-quences in GenBank. rVVC, with a dosage of 1 μg/ml, could dissolve rabbit erythrocytes (P<0.01). 10 μg/ml rVVC was able to promote the increases of K+ content (P<0.01) but no change of LDH content could be found in the cell supernatants. HUVEC was apoptotic after the cell was treated with 1～100 μg/ml of rVVC for 2 h. In the 5～240 min duration of co-incubation of FITC-labeling rVVC and HUVEC, the rV-VC gradually moved from surface to inner side of the membrane and then entered the cytoplasms. When FITC-labeling rVVC treated HUVEC for 30 min, most of the rVVC was found to be intracellular location. Conclusion rVVC has cytolytic activity. VVC has an ability to enter HUVEC and causes injury of HUVEC via inducing apoptosis, which may be the major pathogenic mechanism of VVC.

ObjectiveTo analysis the clinic outcome(similarities & differences, indication and caution)of repairing fingertip soft tissue defect with two kind of reverse digital artery island flaps with the palmar cutaneous branch of proper digital nerve.MethodsFrom January 2000 to Auguest 2008, all 500cases (514 fingers) were repaired with reverse homodigital artery island flap (263 fingers of 250 cases) and reverse cross finger digital artery island flap(251 fingers of 250 cases).All cases were followed up from 3-8years,compared with flap range,finger extension,sensory rehabilitation,et al. ResultsAll flaps (A & Bgroup) of 500 cases (514 fingers) survived.According to flap range,cross finger flap was better than homodigital flap (P ＜ 0.05); according to finger extension,homodigital flap better than cross finger flap (P ＜0.05); according to sensory rehabilitation,homodigital flap little better than cross finger flap(P ＜ 0.05); according to long-term follow-up, all had no obviously different (P ＞ 0.05).ConclusionHomodigital flap can cover distal soft tissue defect less than 2.0 cm× 2.5 cm, cross finger flap is a better choice for more than 2.0cm×3.0cm of distal soft tissue defect. According to the flap cover area, cross finger flap is first choice,and to finger extension & sensory rehabilitation,homodigital flap is first choice; accoding to finger movements,two kinds of flaps are all good choice.