Objective To investigate the effect of local injection of Botulinum toxin type A(BTXA) on spasticity and function of the affected upper limb in stroke patients.Methods A total of 32 stroke patients were re- cruited and randomly divided into two groups:a BTXA group and a control group.All the patients had spasticity of upper limb muscles,which scored grade 2 to 3 with the Modified Ashworth Scale(MAS) ,and decreased elbow joint range of motion.The 16 patients in the BTXA group received BTXA injection in the biceps brachii muscles and flexor muscles of forearm on 10～15 points,while those in the control group did not.All the patients in both groups were treated with rehabilitation training techniques.The MAS,Fugl-Meyer upper limb function assessment and Barthel In- dex were employed to evaluate the changes of muscle tone,upper limb function and activity of living (ADL)perform- ance of the patients before injection and at 1st,2nd,6th 12th weeks after injection.Results The therapeutic effect between the BTXA group anti control group was significantly different in terms of biceps muscle tone,the scores of Fugl-Meyer upper limb function assessment and Barthel Index.Compared with preinjection,muscle tone was de- creased significantly and ADL performance was improved after injection in BTXA group.The effects of BTXA lasted more than 12 weeks.Conclusion Intramuscular muhipoint injection of BTXA was useful in reducing muscle spas- ticity,and was helpful for increasing motor ability of the affected upper limb and ADL performance of the stroke pa- tients.

Objective To investigate the predicting value of serial serum human stromelysin-2 (ST2)testing on prognosis in elderly patients with acute heart failure(AHF).Methods 75 AHF patients aged 60 to 90 were selected in our study who were in Beijing Hospital during 2013.1 ～ 2014.8,blood sampling of serum ST2 took place at admission and 72-96 h later.Moreover,38 healthy people aged 70 to 80 were chosen as control group.Follow-up was performed 1 year after acute attack.We defined the end of observation as recurrence of heart failure or any cause of death.The data was analyzed by SPSS19.0.Results Among 55 AHF patients,sST2 level was higher in patients with endpoint events than those without it on the two moment(P=0.000).And we found that the change in sST2 was higher in patients with endpoint events than those without it(P=0.023);and the percentage change in sST2 was also significantly different(P=0.033).Receiver operator curve analysis of the change in sST2 from baseline to 72-96 h later was strongly reflective of prognosis with area under the curve(AUC) of 0.696(P=0.013).And the change in sST2 Combined with the sST2 level at admission to predict the prognosis of AHF,the result would be more exciting,the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is 0.861 (P ＜ 0.001).The endpoint event rate of the patients whose level of sST2 at admission was below 1408 ng/L and the change level in sST2 below 101 ng/L was 21.4％(3/14),while the data in patients whose level of sST2 at admission is above 1 408 ng/L and the change level in sST2 above 100 ng/L was 85.7％(12/14).Conclusions in elderly patients of AHF,sST2 elevate markedly.The result shows that the level of sST2 may be used to evaluate AHF prognosis.And the change in sST2 are able to predict the prognosis of AHF.Compared with NT-proBNP,serial sST2 testing appears to be a promising candidate for monitoring these patients.

BACKGROUND:Porous gradient hydroxyapatite/zirconia composite, which can adhere to a variety of cel s, such as osteoblasts, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s and chondrocytes, can induce and promote fracture healing or replace bone defects. OBJECTIVE:To review the development and application of porous gradient hydroxyapatite/zirconia composite in bone tissue engineering. METHODS:Articles related to porous gradient hydroxyapatite/zirconia composite in bone tissue engineering were retrieved in CNKI and PubMed databases (1971-01/2014-12). The key words were“porous bioceramic, bone tissue engineering, bone morphogenetic protein-2, induced pluripotent stem cel s”in Chinese and English, respectively. A total of 54 articles based on inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria were obtained for the review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Porous gradient hydroxyapatite/zirconia composite can provide a scaffold to induce natural y forming bone growing to fil the three-dimensional pores, thus realizing the perfect integration of tissue-engineered bone material and host-bone tissue. As zirconia functions as an enhancer of hydroxyapatite, high-quality artificial bone materials, which have elastic modulus, fracture toughness and structure similar to human bone, can be prepared by adjusting the proportion and porosity of materials. Additional y, the new hydroxyapatite/zirconia foamed ceramics as tissue-engineered bone carrying bone morphogenetic protein-2/chitosan gel sustained release system and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s derived from induced pluripotent stem cel s wil be expected to increase bone formation and bone fusion rates significantly in the future.

Bronchi ; abnormalities ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Multidetector Computed Tomography ; methods ; Pulmonary Artery ; diagnostic imaging ; Trachea ; abnormalities

Objective To examine how stroke affects muscle coordination and whether muscle function will be improved after rehabilitation.Methods Ten stroke patients with mild hemiparesis and six age-and sex-matched controls were investigated at baseline.Velocity-encoded phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (VE-PC MRI) and surface eleetromyography (sEMG) were performed to evaluate muscle coordination of thigh muscles during knee extension and flexion and the effect of rehabilitation. Results Using VE-PC MRI,we found that the peak velocity of rectus femoris was lower in the affected limb (P

BACKGROUNDRecent autopsy study showed a high incidence of cerebrovascular lesions in Alzheimer's disease (AD). To assess the impact of cerebrovascular pathology in AD, we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to study AD patients with and without cerebrovascular lesions.

MATERIALS AND METHODSConventional and DTI scans were obtained from 10 patients with probable AD, 10 AD/V patients (probable AD with cerebrovascular lesions) and ten normal controls. Mean diffusivity (D) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values of some structures involved with AD pathology were measured.

RESULTSD value was higher in AD patients than in controls in hippocampus and the cingulate gyrus. In AD/V patients, increased D value was found in the same structures and also in the thalamus and basal ganglia compared to controls. There was a significant difference of D value between AD and AD/V patients. FA value reduced in the white matter of left inferior temporal gyrus and in the bilateral middle cingulate gyrus in patients with AD/V compared with controls. The MMSE (mini-mental state examination) score significantly correlated with FA value in the right hippocampus (r=0.639, P<0.019), in the right anterior cingulate gyrus (r=0.587, P<0.035) and in left parahippocampal gyrus (r=0.559, P<0.047).

CONCLUSIONCerebrovascular pathology had stronger impact on the D value than the AD pathology alone did. Elevated D value in thalamic and basal ganglia may contribute to cognitive decline in AD/V patients. Reduced FA values in AD/V patients may indicate that cerebrovascular pathology induced more severe white matter damage than the AD pathology alone did.

Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; complications ; pathology ; Brain ; blood supply ; pathology ; Cerebral Cortex ; pathology ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; complications ; pathology ; Cognition ; Corpus Callosum ; pathology ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Female ; Hippocampus ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Temporal Lobe ; pathology

The purpose of this study was to determine the changes of pathogens in hematological ward and susceptibility of patients received chemotherapy to antibiotics. The pathogens were taken from blood, urine and sputum of patients who accepted chemotherapy from years 2001 to 2005, then were isolated and identified. The susceptibility test was performed by disk diffusion method. The results showed that the total of 418 strains were detected. Gram-negative bacteria were the most common of nosocomial infection. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae, E. coli account for the most of Gram negative- bacteria infection and most resistant to broad-spectrum penicillin, Acinetobacter baumannii showed a trend of increase. The ratios of gram positive bacteria and fungi were increased slowly, mainly as Enterococcus and Candida. Enterococcus is the most common cause of Gram-positive bacterial infection. Vancomycin resistance did not occur. It is concluded that Gram-negative bacteria are main cause of nosocomial infection in patients with hematological malignancies. Gram positive bacteria and fungi had been more frequent. Strains resistant to antimicrobial agents increase.
Cross Infection ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Hematologic Diseases ; microbiology ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; microbiology ; Humans ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests

Based on the sequence of BAC (Bacterial Artificial Chromosome) along with the Cre/lox P system, the gene-targeting vectors to multiple loci of the repetitive internal transcribed spacers between rDNA genes in Leghorn chicken were constructed. The key material of multiple loci gene targeting in vivo would be obtained. First, the plasmid of pYLSV-TDN with TK, HRDS2, and Neo genes was constructed. The TK-HRDS2-Neo DNA fragment obtained from the plasmid of pYLSV-TDN was digested by Not I/HindIII and inserted into the upstream of the lox P site of BAC plasmid for obtaining the selective vector of BAC-TDN. The expression vector of pYLVS-GID with EGFP, hIFN genes, and HRDS1 was then obtained. The plasmid of BAC-TDN-VS-GID was obtained by cotransformation of the selective vector of BAC-TDN and the expression vector of pYLVS-GID to E. coli NS3529 through the action of Cre/lox P system. The gene-targeting vector of BAC-TDN-GID to multiple loci of the ITS region in Leghorn chicken was obtained by cleaving the sequence of pYLVS with the homing endonuclease of I -Sce I and ligating with the linker of LS. The insertion and the insert direction of DNA fragments were identified by restriction digestion or PCR and sequencing in each clone. The significance of the technique ofgene-targeting vector to multiple loci are shown as follows. First, the targeting loci were increased to 100 - 300. Second, the problems of unstable expression of inserted genes were partially solved. Third, the need for safety against toxicity integration was resolved. Fourth, the forbidden zone of gene integrating on the repetitive DNA sequences was broken through.
Animals ; Attachment Sites, Microbiological ; genetics ; Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA ; genetics ; metabolism ; DNA Restriction Enzymes ; metabolism ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; Humans ; Integrases ; genetics ; Interferon-gamma ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; Transformation, Genetic

OBJECTIVETo examine the effect of a Chinese medicinal herbal formula (Feitai Capsule, ) on the quality of life (QOL) and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSSixty-two patients were randomly divided into the treatment group (31 cases) and the control group (31 cases). For the treatment group, 4 capsules (1.2 g/capsule) of Feitai Capsule were administered 3 times a day after meals for 3 weeks; then no drug was administered for 1 week. This schedule was continued for at least 3 more cycles (12 weeks totally). If there were no obvious toxic reactions, the treatment was extended. The patients were evaluated at least once every 8 weeks until progressive disease (PD). For the control group, the regular follow-up and evaluation were performed at least once every 8 weeks until PD. Clinical symptoms, objective response, physical constitution and energy, QOL, and PFS were evaluated regularly. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), a non-parametric test, and analysis of covariance were used to compare clinical features, amelioration of clinical symptoms, physical constitution and energy, and QOL. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare the two-group PFS.

RESULTSSixty patients finished the final evaluation, with 30 patients in each group. Baseline characters between groups were not significantly different (P>0.05). The control group had a 36.7% improvement in clinical symptoms, while the treatment group had a 73.3% improvement. This difference was statistically significant (Z= -2.632, P=0.008). The control group had a 26.7% improvement in the Karnofsky performance status (KPS), while the treatment group had a 53.4% improvement. This was also significantly different (Z=-2.182, P=0.029). A comparative analysis indicated a positive correlation (r=0.917, P<0.001). Compared with the control group, QOL in the treatment group was significantly improved, except in the social/family condition and doctor-patient relationship indicators. The PFS of the treatment group and control group were 6.23 months and 4.67 months, respectively (P=0.048).

CONCLUSIONFeitai Capsule, a Chinese medicinal herbal treatment could improve the QOL and extend the PFS of the unresectable NSCLC patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Capsules ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; surgery ; Case-Control Studies ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life

OBJECTIVETo observe the change of behavior, pathological change of the spinal cord,and expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (NGF) on rats with spinal cord injury in order to explore the optimal time of BMSCs transplantation.

METHODSEighty health SD rats were randomly divided into 8 groups (group A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H), 10 rats in each group. According to the modified Allen method,the rat model of spinal cord injury was built. Group A as non-injured group only exposed the spinal cord but not result in blast injury. BMSCs of vitro culture were respectively infunded the region of spinal cord injury in group C, D, E, F, G, H (as transplantation groups) at the 0 h, 6 h, 24 h,3 d,5 d,7 d after model made. Group B as single model group was infunded the equal cell culture fluid. BBB score was used to evaluate the function of spinal cord at the 1st,2nd and 4th weeks after injury. The morphological changes of the tissue of spinal cord injury were observed by HE stain and the expression of BDNF and NGF were detected by Elisa method at the 4th weeks after BMSCs transplantation.

RESULTSIn non-injured group,BBB score was highest than that of other 7 groups at the 1st, 2nd and 4th weeks after injury (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in BBB score between single model group and transplantation groups at the 1st week after BMSCs transplantation (P>0.05). BBB score in transplantation groups were higher than that of single model group at the 2nd and 4th weeks after BMSCs transplantation (P<0.05). At the 2nd week after injury, BBB score from high to low was group F,E,G,D,H,C,but there was no significant difference among the groups (P>0.05). At the 4th week after injury,there was significant differences in BBB score between group F and other transplantation groups (group C,D,E,G,H)(P0.05). The levels of BDNF and NGF in group F was highest at the 4th week after BMSCs transplantation (P<0.05). In non-injured group,HE staining showed the struction of spinal cord was clear and complete,no neutrophil was found. But in other 7 groups,HE staining showed obviously oedema at local tissue,juncture of gray and white matter was undefined,and different gliocyte proliferation and inflammatory cell infiltrate cound be found.

CONCLUSIONAllogeneic BMSCs transplantation is effective to stimulate the recovery of spinal cord function in rats with spinal cord injury,and the optimal time of BMSCs transplantation maybe at the 3 d after injury.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; genetics ; Female ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Nerve Growth Factor ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; metabolism ; pathology ; therapy ; Transplantation, Homologous