Objective To evaluate the clinical application of contrast-enhanced digital subtraction MRI in vertebral metastases.Methods 50 patients with vertebral metastases were scanned by contrast-enhanced T_1WI with an injection of Gd-DTPA(0.1 mmol/kg).Digital subtraction were performed between post-contrast-enhanced images and pre-contrast-enhanced images.Vertebral metastases were evaluated by means of a contrast to noise ratio(CNR) and signal to noise ratio(SNR),and boundaries were compared between subtraction MRI images and conventional contrast T_1WI MR images.Results Contrast-enhanced digital subtraction MRI images were better than conventional contrast T_1WI MR images in showing the lesions. All lesions had a higher CNR and SNR on subtraction MR imaging than that on conventional contrast T_1WI MR images.CNR was 155.05 ? 24.73(mean ? standard error) for subtraction MR imaging and11.11?14.26 for conventional contrast T_1WI MR images,(t=35.65,P

Objective:To explore the role of peripheral blood monocyte subsets in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA),we therefore decided to compare the percentage of monocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood,as well as cytokines secretion function,to that of healthy controls. Methods:22 patients with RA and 22 cases of healthy controls ( HC) were drew 3 ml fresh venous blood into a tube containing heparin. The percentage of monocyte subsets,expression of Toll-like receptor(TLR)2,HLA-DR,triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1(TREM-1) on intermediate monocyte and mean fluorescence intensity(MFI) of intracellular tumor necrosis factor-α ( TNF-α) were evaluated with the methods of flow cytometry ( FCM ) . The correlation between percentage of monocyte subsets and serum cytokines was explored. Statistical significance between parametric data was determined by the students't-test. Results:Compared to HC controls, the percentages of intermediate monocytes were significant higher in RA patients [ ( 11. 7 ± 1. 6)% vs (4. 6±1. 2)%,P<0. 05],as well as the expression(MFI) of TLR2 (750. 2±110. 3 vs 526. 8±98. 6) and TREM-1 (58. 4± 12. 1 vs 40. 3±10. 2) on intermediate monocytes (P<0. 05). The expression of HLA-DR on intermediate monocytes of RA patients had no difference with HC controls (P>0. 05),while MFI of intracellular TNF-αin intermediate monocytes of RA patients were significant higher than that of HC controls (46. 3±6. 4 vs 36. 7±8. 3,P<0. 05). In addition,RA patients showed a positive correlation between the percentage of CD14highCD16+ monocytes and DAS28 scores(r=0. 538,P=0. 009),as well as the serum levels of TNF-α,IL-17 ( r=0. 471,P=0. 027;r=0. 593,P=0. 003). Conclusion:Monocyte subpopulations from RA patients are abnormally skewed toward to in-termediate monocytes which has high expression of TLR2 , TREM-1 and the function of TNF-α secretion. Therefore, intermediate monocytes may play a role in the pathophysiology of RA. By modulating polarization or blocking monocyte cell surface receptors could be a new treatment of RA.

Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate ; metabolism ; Fucosyltransferases ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lewis X Antigen ; metabolism ; Neoplasms ; immunology ; pathology ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; immunology ; Stage-Specific Embryonic Antigens ; metabolism

AIM: To compare the clinical outcomes of pterygium excision followed by translocation of adjacent conjunctival autograft with stem cells or transplantation of conjunctival autograft with stem cells to treat and prevent the recurrence of pterygium.METHODS: Fifty patients (60 eyes) were divided into 2groups, and pterygium excision followed by translocation of adjacent conjunctival autograft with stem cells (group A) and pterygium excision followed by transplantation of conjunctiva autograft harvested from counter-side limbus with stem cells (group B) were performed respectively.The surgical time of each case was recorded.RESULTS: All the 50 cases (60 eyes) of pterygium were recruited. The epithelization of cornea and conjunctiva in all cases finished in 2-5d, During the follow-up of 6-12mo, pterygium reoccurred in 2 cases (1 in each group), with no difference in recurrence rate. The mean surgical time was 25± 8min for group A,43± 11min for group B, the difference being statistically significant (P＜0.05, t-test).CONCLUSION: Both methods, pterygium excision followed by translocation of adjacent conjunctival autograft with stem cells or transplantation of conjunctival autograft with stem cells are effective on treating and reducing the recurrence of pterygium. Compared with the latter, pterygium excision followed by translocation of adjacent conjunctival autograft with stem cells is simpler and easier to perform, and is preferred by the patients too.

Background Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) has been shown to be associated with the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD),therefore VEGF is a target for the treatment of wet AMD.However,the mechanism of VEGF in the pathogenesis of AMD is not clearly understood.Studying the correlation between VEGF gene polymorphism and AMD is becoming a new research hotspot,but relevant studies on Han Chinese have not been performed.Objective This study was to investigate the association between the VEGF +936C/T gene polymorphism and AMD in the Chinese population.Methods A pilot prospective and nonrandomized controlled trial was designed.This protocol complied with Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethic Committee of Chinese PLA Second Artillery General Hospital.Written informed consent was obtained from each subject prior to entering the study.Two hundred AMD patients and 200 age-and gender-matched normal controls were enrolled in this study.The genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood samples of the subjects,and analysis of the VEGF polymorphisms at the +936 position in the promoter and 3＇-untranslated regions was performed by the restriction fragment length polymorphism method.Frequencies of the VEGF+936C/T genotype were compared between the two groups,and the risk of the VEGF+936C/T gene polymorphism in pre-disposing AMD was evaluated.Results No significant differences were seen in the incidence rates of smoking(P ＝ 0.76),hypertension(P ＝ 0.84),hyperlipidemia (P=0.71),diabetes mellitus (P=0.86) and cardiovascular disease(P=0.89) between the AMD group and the normal control group,and BMI was matched between the two groups (P =0.18).The prevalence of the TT genotype was 9.0％ (18/200)in the AMD group,but that in the normal control was 3.5％ (7/200),showing a significant difference between the two groups (P =0.03).The odds ratio (OR) was 2.73 with a 95％ confidence interval(CI) of 1.11 to 6.68 for AMD in this genotype.The CC and CT genotypes were not significantly different between the two groups (P =0.52,P =0.57).The genotype frequency and allele frequency conformed to HardyWeinberg equilibrium law.There were no significant differences found in the CC,CT,TT genotype frequencies among the early AMD,geographic atrophy AMD and choroidal neovascular AMD (all at P＞0.05).Conclusions The VEGF+936TT genotype is associated with AMD in Han Chinese population.

Objective:To construct high level prokaryotic cell expression vector carrying human upstream regulatory element binding protein1 (hureb1) gene for producing GST hureb1 fusion protein and generating anti hureb1 antibody Methods: After the Xho I/Not I fragment from hureb1 open reading frame was recombined into the prokaryotic expression vector pGEX 4T 2, the vector was transformed into E coli BL21(DE3) strain and induced with IPTG to express the fusion protein, GST hureb1 The crudely isolated fusion protein was applied to immunize rabbit and mouse for generating anti hureb1 polyclonal antibody and monoclonal antibody respectively Results:The prokaryotic expression vector expressing GST hureb1 fusion protein was constructed and induced to produce high level GST hureb1 that was detected up to 33 45% of the total bacterial protein expressed The GST hureb1 fusion protein immunizing animals generated high titer and specific anti hureb1 antibodies Conclusion:Recombinant hureb1 protein and anti hureb1 antibodies can be used to analyze the biological functions of hureb1

The mature seeds and excised embryos of Dalbergia odorifera were used as materials to study the effect of moisture content on their survival, as well as the effect of rapid freezing and vitrification freezing method on seeds and in vitro embryos cryopreservation. The results showed that the germination rate and vigor decreased from 82.67%, 85% to 18.35%, 25% respectively, when the seed moisture content decreased from 15.04% to 8.14%; and the germination rate decreased from 82.67% to 37.50%, 25.37% respectively by vitrification freezing method and rapid freezing method, when the seed moisture content decreased from 15.04% to 9.37%. Among all the moisture content gradient, 12.35% moisture reached the maximal germination rate, which were 63.58% and 50.45% respectively by vitrification freezing and rapid freezing; and when the embryo moisture content was 26.32%, the germination rate decreased from 95.67% to 58.31% and 33.82% respectively by vitrification freezing and rapid freezing. And when the moisture content was in the range of 14.17% -21.34%, the germination rate was a bit of decrease. The experiment results showed that the optimum conditions of seed cryopreservation were: moisture content 12.35%, vitrification freezing; and the optimum conditions of in vitro embryo cryopreservation were: moisture 15.04%, vitrification freezing. In conclusion, the effects of moisture content on germination rate after cryopreservation in D. odorifera seeds and embryo were significant, and vitrification freezing method is much better than rapid freezing method.
Cryopreservation ; methods ; Dalbergia ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Germination ; Seeds ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Water ; analysis

Objective To compare the appearances between chronic mastitis and breast cancer on MRI and investigate the differ-ential diagnostic value.Methods MRI data of 20 patients with chronic mastitis pathologically proved by biopsy or operation were ret-rospectively analyzed.30 cases of breast cancer were contemporaneously chosen as the control group.Morphological feature and dy-namic contrast-enhanced(DCE)manifestation of the lesions were evaluated and statistical difference was compared between mastitis and breast cancer.Morphological feature included configuration,spiculated sign,ring-like enhancement,peri-focal edema,skin thick-ening,nipple involvement and axillary lymph nodes enlargement.DCE manifestation contained calculating early enhancement ratio and drawing time-intensity curve (TIC).Results There were significant statistical differences among configuration,ring-like en-hancement and peri-focal edema between mastitis and breast cancer,respectively.No statistical differences could be found among spiculated sign,skin thickening,nipple involvement and axillary lymph nodes enlargement.Early enhancement ratio in the group of mastitis was 1.1 56±0.635 while 1.253±0.499 in the group of breast cancer and there was no statistical difference between them. There were 1 1 cases with type Ⅰ TIC,6 with type Ⅱ,3 with type Ⅲ in the lesions of mastitis,while 4 with type Ⅰ,1 1 with typeⅡ,1 5 with type Ⅲ in the lesions of breast cancer and significant statistical differences could be found between two groups.Conclu-sion Mastitis usually manifests as non-mass-like lesions on MRI.Ring-like enhancement,peri-focal edema and benign type TIC can be applied to discriminate mastitis from breast cancer.

Objective:To prepare superparamagnetic iron oxide(SPIO) nanoparticles and to observe its acute toxicity on mice,so as to pave a way for further study on its long-term toxicity and on its role as a carrier in magnetic resonance gene imaging.Methods: The SPIO nanoparticle was obtained by means of co-precipitation,and its physical and chemical parameters were determined by transmission electron microscope,atomic force microscope,and 1.5 T super conduct MR,etc.According to the administration pathway and doses of SPIO,90 mice were divided into oral administration(with a total dose of 2 104.8 mg/kg and a volume of 40 ml/kg,n=30),intravenous injection(a total dose of 438.5 mg/kg and a volume of 25 ml/kg,n=30) and intraperitoneal injection(with a total dose 1 578.6 mg/kg and a volume of 30 ml/kg,n=30) groups.Another 10 mice in each group receiving the same dose of normal saline via the same pathway served as the controls(n=10).The general condition,the major serologic parameters,and the pathological changes of major organs were observed 14 d after administration in each group.Results: We have successfully prepared SPIO,and its core component was Fe3O4 crystal,with a size of 20-35 nm,a T2 relaxivity of 0.155?106 mol-1?sec-1,a specific saturated magnetization of 68.395 68 emu/g,and a retentivity of 21.463 74 Gs.There was no death of mice during the observation.There was no significant difference in serological parameters between mice of different groups and between each experiment group and their corresponding control group.No edema,degeneration and necrosis were seen in the liver,spleen,kidney,heart,and lungs by H-E staining and marrow by Wright staining;only a few blue particles were observed in the liver and spleen in the administration groups by Prussian blue staining,none observed in the control groups.Conclusion: SPIO prepared in the present study meets the requirement of MR imaging,with no acute toxicity to mice,and warrants further study for future MR gene imaging.