Submacular Hemorrhage (SMH) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) represents a challenging disorder for vision protection. Varied surgical interventions have been suggested in its management. The author herein reviewed some aspects related to SMH in AMD such as its risk factors, secondary damages, natural course and surgical management including different techniques,outcomes and complications.

Clinical analysis of 42 cases of scleral rupture revealed that the injures were caused by blunt objects in 42.9％ and by sharp objects in 38.1％ of the cases. The wound was mostly on the nasal side of the eye (71.43％ OD) and (78.95％ OS) with no correlation to the causes. The concurrent manifestations included hyphema (63.4％), posterior uveal or vitreous prolapse or vitreous heamorrhage (52.3％), and lens opacity or missing (over 21.4％). Enucleation was performed in 9 cases,of which 7 cases followed blunt contusion. The indications for enucleation were that the scleral wound extending posteriorly beyond the rectus muscle insertions or≥10mm in length,visual acuity≤LP, hyphema, lens dislocated or missing and vitreous heamorrhage.

Nocardia asteroides endophthalmitis is a rare and severe intraocular bacterial infection.In this paper we present the first reported ease in China,to our knowledge,of chronic suppurative endophthalmitis caused by Nocardia asteroides after ocular perforative trauma.Cases of exogenous Nocardia endophthalmitis in foreign literature are reviewed,and the clinical characteristics,diagnosis,treatment,as well as prognosis of exogenous Nocardia endophthalmitis, are extensively discussed.

To evaluate the role and efficacy of vitrectomy in the treatment of eye injuries in children with posterior segment involvement, forty-six eyes in 45 children aged under 16 with injuries involved posterior segment treated with pars plana vitreetomy are studied retrospectively. Six eyes underwent vitreetomy only, the others combined with seleral buekling and/ or gas-fluid exchange, and rarely, silicon oil tam-ponade; Seventeen eyes with lensectomy. Thirty-four (73.91%) of the 46 eyes achieved surgical success. Of 13 (28.26%) eyes with retinal detachments, six (46.15%) achieved reatachment. The failure of surgery was mainly due to retinal detachment, which mostly characterized by anterior proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). We conclude that pars plana vitrectomy is an important therapeutic operation for eye injury in children with posterior segment involvement. The key factor that influence the outcome of eye injury in children is the treatment of traumatic retinal deatchment.

Objective To investigate effects cytokine of rhIFN-a and their on ultrastructure of hypertrophic scar derived fibroblasts and explore its mechanism.Methods Hypertrophic scar fibroblasts cultivated in vitro were observed and analysed through transmission elextron microscope(TEM).Then the effects of rhIFN-a on biological behavior and pathological changes of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts have been determined.(Results) Compared with the control group,the experimental rhIFN-a group could be observed changes in inhibition of fibroblasts growth and proliferation with the mitochondrion swelling,its ridge dissolving and apoptosis promoting.Conclusions rhIFN-a can suppress growth and proliferation of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts and promotes apoptosis.This indicates that ,as a negative modulation factor,rhIFN-a is important in the treatment of hypertrophic scar.

In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on use of human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) for cartilage tissue engineering owing to their ability to differentiate into chondrocytes, which is mainly induced by growth factors (GFs). In general, GFs for chondrogenic induction come from the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) superfamily. To date, the most commonly used GFs for chondrogenes is TGF-beta1/3. However, the response of hADSCs to GFs may differ significantly from that of human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs). It has been reported that bone morphogenetic protein-6 (BMP-6) treatment induced TGF-beta receptor-I expression of hADSCs. It seems that these two cell populations varied strongly in their potency to undergo chondrogenesis in the same medium conditions. Here, we provide a concise review on various GFs used in chondrogenic differentiation of hADSCs in vitro.
Adipocytes ; cytology ; Cartilage ; Cell Differentiation ; Chondrocytes ; cytology ; Chondrogenesis ; Humans ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; TGF-beta Superfamily Proteins ; Tissue Engineering

Objective To evaluate the value of plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP),C-reactive protein(CRP) and D-dimer(D-D) in prognosis of elderly patients confined to bed.Methods The clinical data of 150 elderly patients confined to bed were reviewed retrospectively,and 35 patients were in dead group and 115 patients were in survival group.The level o f plasma NT-proBNP,CRP and D-D were measured before treatment,during treatment and after treatment.Their characteristics and dynamic change were analyzed,and the value of NT-proBNP,CRP and D-D was evaluated in prognosis of elderly patients confined to bed.Results The level of NT-proBNP,D-D and CRP in dead group before treatment,during treatment and after treatment were significantly higher than those in survival group (P ＜ 0.05 or ＜ 0.01).The peak level of NT-proBNP,D-D and CRP in dead group emerged after treatment.By the way,the peak level of NT-proBNP,D-D and CRP in survival group emerged before treatment.Incidence of two or three markers positive in dead group [37.1％ (13/35),54.3％ (19/35)] was significantly greater than that in survival group [20.9％ (24/115),8.7％ (10/115)] (P =0.032,0.008).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the level of NT-proBNP,D-D and CRP were independent predictors of 28-day mortality (P ＜0.05).Conclusions The level of NT-proBNP,CRP and D-D are increased in severe elderly hospitalized patients.The level of above indexes have a dynamic change and reach peak before death.They are the independent prognostic markers of hospital mortality.Combined detection of NT-proBNP,D-D and CRP can improve the predictive value of hospital mortality in elderly patients confined to bed.

Recent studies have shown that berberine is hypoglycemic and capable of improving insulin resistance,but the exact mechanism remains unknown.This article reviews the papers published in recent years concerning the clinical efficacy of berberine and its relevant mechanisms in improving insulin resistance.

ObjectiveTo investigate the hypersensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),level in serum and the heart rate variability(HRV) in patients with dysthymic disorder,and explore the possible psychological and physiological mechanisms.MethodsPHI and short-term HRV were measured in 42 patients with dysthymic disorder( DD group),33 patients with major depressive disorder ( MD group)and 30 heathy controls( NC group),fasting blood samples were also analyzed with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP).Results ( 1 ) DD group gained higher score in the somatization,anxiety,psychopathic deviate and hypomania than the MD group(P＜0.05 or P ＜ 0.01 ).(2)The standard deviation of differences between the consecutive RR intervals (SDNN),the percentage value of consecutive RR intervals that differ more than 50 ms(PNN50) and the high frequency band(HF) of DD group were lower significantly than MD and NC groups,the low frequency band(LF),and the ratio of LF to HF power(LF/HF) and hs-CRP level were higher than other two groups (P ＜ 0.05 or P＜0.01 ).(3)The somatization and anxiety were correlated with SDNN,the very low frequency band(VLF),LF and hs-CRP level ( r=-0.27,-0.29,r=0.38,0.33,r=0.41,0.31,r=0.34,0.23,P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(4)The hs-CRP level in serum were correlated with SDNN,the root mean square of successive RR intervals (RMSSD),the standard deviation of differences between the consecutive RR intervals ( SDSD),VLF,LF,HF and LF/HF ( r =- 0.47,- 0.45,- 0.45,0.26,0.46,-0.51,0.10,P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01 ).ConclusionThe patients with dysthymic disorder have significant somatization and anxiety,the personality character was mainly resulting in reducing HRV,which is related with the increasing serum hs-CRP level.

Objective To investigate relationship of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)at rs5029924 locus in A20 promoter region and posttraumatic sepsis.Methods PCR-DNA sequencing was used to analyze different gene distribution at rs5029924 locus of 103 trauma patients with sepsis (Group A),120 trauma patients without sepsis (Group B) and 135 healthy peoples (control group).Relation of different genotypes at rs5029924 locus to sepsis susceptibility was analyzed.Peripheral blood cells of healthy peoples of different genotypes were stimulated using lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in vitro.Expression of A20 mRNA was measured by fluorescent quantitative PCR,expression of A20 protein by flow cytometry,and levels of TNF-α and IL-1β by ELISA method.Results Frequency of rs5029924 genotypes CC,CT and TT was respective 77.8％,20.0％ and 2.2％ in control group； 63.1％,34.0％ and 2.9％ in Group A； 83.3％,15.0％ and 1.7％ in Group B.Significantly lower frequency of CC genotype was observed in Group A when compared to Group B and control group (P ＜0.05),but no statistical differences were recorded between Group B and control group (P ＞ 0.05).CT/TT genotype increased risk coefficient of sepsis to 2.397-fold higher level when compared to CC genotype.Allele T increased prevalence of sepsis significantly as well (OR =2.056) when compared to allele C.After LPS treatment in vitro,CC genotype individuals revealed significantly higher levels of A20 mRNA and protein in peripheral blood leukocytes,but significantly lower levels of TNF-α and IL-1 β when compared to CT/TT genotype individuals.Conclusion Polymorphism of rs5029924 locus is associated with sepsis susceptibility and the reason may be that mutant genes affect promoter activity and down-regulate A20 expression,which fails to suppress inflammation.