Objective To evaluate efficiencies of 4 kinds of γ‐interferon release assay(IGRA) detection kits in diagnosis of pul‐monary tuberculosis .Methods 4 kinds of IGRA reagents produced by Oxford Immunotec Ltd (Oxford) in British ,Shanghai Fuxing Changzheng Medical Science Co .,Ltd(Fuxing) ,Cellectis in Australia(Cellectis) and Haikou VTI Biological Institute(VTI) ,respec‐tively ,were used to determine release levels of peripheral bloodγ‐interferon which had antigenicity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 86 cases of patients with tuberculosis and 80 cases of healthy individuals ,and diagnostic efficiencies were evaluated .Results Among the 4 kinds of IGRA reagents ,including Oxford ,Fuxing ,Cellectis and VTI ,the sensitivity was 93 .02% ,88 .37% ,90 .70% and 91 .86% ,respectively ;the specificity was 92 .50% ,75 .00% ,82 .50% and 87 .50% ,respectively ;the positive predictive value was 93 .02% ,79 .17% ,84 .78% and 88 .76% ,respectively ;the negative predictive value was 92 .50% ,85 .71% ,89 .19% and 90 .91% ;the diagnostic accordance rate was 92 .77% ,81 .93% ,86 .75% and 89 .76% ,respectively ;the area under receiver operating charac‐teristic(ROC) curve was 0 .975 ,0 .892 ,0 .958 and 0 .963 .Conclusion There are no significant differences among Oxford ,Fuxing , Cellectis and VTI reagents ,and reagents could be selected according to clinical requirements .

Objective To analyze and evaluate neoadjuvant chemotherapy's value and significance in combining with surgical treatment for limited small cell lung cancer(LD-SCLC).Methods A total of 94 LD-SCLC patients underwent complete resections combined with chemotherapy between January 2000 and January 2011 in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital.Among these cases,initial two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapies were performed for all pathologically confirmed patients (Group A),and initial operations followed by adjuvant chemotherapy were administered to patients without pathology (Group B).The survival rate was analyzed by log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier method.Multivariate analysis of the prognostic factors was performed using Cox's regression model.Results Group A included 43 cases and Group B included 51 cases.The mean age was (56.37 ± 10.18) years.According to the 6th edition of Tumor,Node,Metastasis(TNM) classification of lung cancer,54 cases were at stage Ⅰ or Ⅱ,40 cases were at stage Ⅲ.Overall 5-year survival(5-YS) was 27％.The 5-YS for patients with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ was notably better than that of stage Ⅲ (34％ vs 20％,P =0.033).For patients with stage Ⅲ,the 5-YS of Group A was significantly better than that of Group B(34％ vs 12％,P =0.020),besides median overall survival for Group A and Group B were 46 and 15 months(P =0.009).Furthermore,the results of multivariate analysis showed that neoadjuvant chemotherapy,surgery and histopathology of SCLC were independent factors that strongly affected survival and prognosis.Conclusion In combined surgical treatment for LD-SCLC,neoadjuvant chemotherapy obviously improved the prognosis of patients with stage Ⅲ.Therefore,it was very important and necessary that pre-surgical neoadjuvant chemotherapy was administered to resectable stage Ⅲ LD-SCLC patients.

OBJECTIVEThe SSR information in the transcriptome of Erigeron breviscapus was analyzed in this study, in order to further develop new functional genes SSR markers laid a solid foundation.

METHODSSR loci were searched in all of 52,060 unigenes by using est_timmer. Perl program and SSR primers were designed by Primer3. Furthermore, 36 pairs of primers were randomly selected for the polymorphism analysis on 13 Erigeron breviscapus plants collected from different places.

RESULTA total of 3639 SSRs were found in the transcriptome of Erigeron breviscapus, distributed in 3260 unigenes with the distribution frequency of 6.99%. Di-nucleotide repeat was the main type, account for as much as 34.41% of all SSRs, followed by mono-nucleotide (31.41%) and tri-nucleotide repeat motif (28.08%). The di-nucleotide repeat motifs of AT/AT and AC/GT were the predominant repeat types (28.71%). The tri-nucleotide repeat motifs of AAT/AT was the predominant repeat types (7.94%). For validation the availability of those SSR primers, we randomly selected 36 pairs of primers for PCR amplification. Among them, 34 pair primers (94.44%) produced clear and reproductive bands, 19 pair primers showed polymorphism (52.78%), and 13 Erigeron breviscapus plants were divided into 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONThere are numerous SSRs in Erigeron breviscapus transcriptome with high frequency and various types, this will provide abundant candidate molecular markers for genetic diversity study and genetic map in this plant.

China ; DNA Primers ; genetics ; Erigeron ; classification ; genetics ; Genetic Variation ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Transcriptome

·AIM: To improve our understanding of retinoschisis at the macular area.·METHODS: From January 2003 to January 2005, the patients whose macular retinoschisis was confirmed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) were included in the study. Their data and other results were further analyzed.·RESULTS: During that period, macular retinoschisis was found in 116 eyes which fit the including criteria. Among these, 94 eyes were pathological myopia; 17 were X-linked congenital retinoschisis; and 5 had excavation of optic disk.By analyzing the OCT figures, it was found that retinoschisis could happen at many locations within retinal neural epithelium, including inner, middle and outer part. The retinoschisis caused by different reasons differs in OCT results.·CONCLUSION: Retinoschisis at the macular area was not rare at the clinic, and the retinoschisis may be located at different parts of the retina. OCT was useful in the diagnosis and follow-up of macular retinoschisis.

AIM: To investigate the effect of Z,E-butylidedephthalide (Bdph) on laser-induced experimental choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in rat model and choroid blood flow in rabbits'eyes.METHODS: Male Brown Norway rats were treated with Nd:YAG laser to break Bruch's membrane. Thirty mg/kg and 15 mg/kg Bdph were given daily through intraperitoneal injection for 4 weeks after laser treatment. Fluorescein angiography (FA) and choroidal flat mount were used to measure the development of CNV. Female New Zealand white rabbits' eyes were instilled with 10g/L Z,E-butylidenephthalide solution,and ocular blood flow was measured with colored microsphere technique. RESULTS: The intensity of fluorescein leakage, indicating the ocular lesion, decreased significantly in group Bdph 30mg/kg and 15mg/kg, as compared to the control at P＜0.01.The area of neovascularization checked by FA in both groups of Bdph, at 30mg/kg and 15mg/kg decreased significantly compared to the control group at P＜0.05. On the choroid flat mount, the areas of CNV were also smaller in both Bdph groups than in control group. One percent Z,E-butylidenephthalide solution instilled into rabbits' eyes could improve the choroid blood flow at 30 and 60 minutes after drug instillation (P＜0.05).CONCLUSION: Z,E-butylidedephthalide could inhibit the development of CNV in the rat eyes and increase the choroid blood flow in the rabbit eyes. These results suggest that Z,E-butylidedephthalide may be a good agent for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration(ARMD).

Ten compounds were isolated from the artificially induced dragon's blood of Dracaena cambodiana by various column chromatographies on silica and sephadex LH-20 gel. Based on spectral analysis of NMR and MS, their structures were identified as 3, 4-dihydroxyallylbenzene (1), 3', 4', 5'-trimethoxycinnamylalcohol (2), pinoresinol (3), (2R)-7, 4'-dihydroxy-8-methylflavane (4), (2R)-7,4'-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-8-methylflavane(5),(2S)-7,3'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxy-8-methylflavane(6) ,(2S)-4',7-dihydroxy-6, 8-dimethylflavane(7), 4,2',4'-trihydroxychalcone(8), 4,4'-dihydroxy-2-methoxydihydrochalcon(9) and Cambodianin E (10). Antibacterial activity assay showed that compounds 1, 4 and 10 have inhibitory effect on Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cuben, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum and Ralstonia solanacearum.
Antifungal Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Dracaena ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Fusarium ; drug effects ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is an antiangiogenic factor which is effective in tumour inhibition in a variety of tumours and has not yet been studied in bladder tumour before. In this study the expression of PEDF, interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and -8 (IL-8) in bladder tumours was investigated. Immunohistochemistry was performed on 64 bladder tumour and 23 normal uroepithelium samples. Expression change of the factors was compared with clinicopathological parameters. Correlations between PEDF, IL-1α and IL-8 were analyzed. None of the factors was in relation to gender, tumour occurrence, and size or onset pattern. PEDF (P=0.014) and IL-1α (P=0.049) expression was down-regulated with grade progression. PEDF expression was lower in normal uroepithelium than in papillary urothelial neoplasm of low malignant potential (PUNLMP) (P=0.000) and carcinoma (P=0.009) whilst IL-1α (P=0.000 and P=0.000 respectively) and IL-8 (P=0.000 and P=0.023 respectively) expression was higher in the same grouping. PEDF expression had a negative correlation with IL-8 in PUNLMP (P=0.049, r=-0.578) as well as in tumour grouping (P=0.033, r=-0.276). Deranged expressional change of PEDF, IL-1α and IL-8 could be in relation to loss of differentiation from normal uroepithelium to papillary lesion and eventually to carcinoma.

Objective: To explore the inhibitory effect of artesunate(Art)on human esophageal carcinoma cells and to study the related mechanism.Methods: Nude mice were inoculated with Eca109 cells subcutaneously on the left upper limbs to establish esophageal carcinoma model.The model mice were divided into 5 groups: first group received 100 mg/kg Art,second group 200 mg/kg Art,third group 300 mg/kg Art,forth group 3 mg/kg cisplatin(DDP),and the fifth group received normal saline.Mass and volume changes of transplant tumors in different groups were observed.Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle,apoptosis,and the expression of CDC25A protein,Smad3 protein and TGF-?protein in the transplanted tumors in mouse model.RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of CDC25A,Smad3 and TGF-?mRNA in the transplanted tumors.Results: Nude mouse model bearing human esophageal carcinoma was success- fully created.Compared with the control group,the volume and mass of transplant tumors in Art groups were significantly smaller(P

Objective To evaluate global and segmental right ventricular ( RV ) systolic functions in patients with excessive volume or pressure load using real‐time three‐dimensional echocardiography ( RT‐3DE) . Methods Forty‐five patients with RV volume overload ,45 patients with RV pressure overload and 45 healthy subjects were underwent RT‐3DE . RV global and segmental ( inflow ,body ,outflow ) end‐diastolic volume (EDV) ,end‐systolic volume (ESV) ,stroke volume (SV) and ejection fraction (EF) were analyzed with TomTec software . The correlations between EF with the three‐dimensional method and two‐dimensional parameters including right ventricle systolic pressure( RVSP) were discussed . Results Global EDV and ESV increased significantly in both patient groups compared with controls ( all P < 0 .05) ,but there was no difference between two patient groups ( P >0 .05) .Compensated increase of SV was found in sixty percent of patients with volume overload but none with pressure overload ( P < 0 .05) . Global EF decreased significantly in both of patient groups (all P <0 .05) ,which was more significant patients with pressure overload ( P < 0 .05 ) . Different patterns of the regional dysfunction were found among the different RV segments . No correlation was found between RVSP and global or segmental EF in patients with pressure overload . Conclusions RT‐3DE could be used to assess global and segmental RV systolic function in patients with pressure and volume overload .

Objective To establish a suitable evaluation index system to track implementation effect of clinical research program.Methods Delphi method was used to creat the evaluation index system.The weighted average method was adopted to determine the weight of each index.Results After two rounds of expert consultation,twenty seven evaluation indices were selected,including three first-class indices,eight second-class indices and sixteen third-class indices,and the weight of each index was determined.Conclusions The evaluation index system reflects the purpose of tracking clinical research to a certain extent.This index system is simple and easy to be used.