Objective To differentiate proteinuria due to non-diabetic renal diseases(NDRD)from that of diabetic nephropathy(DN)in type 2 diabetic patients,and to evaluate the prevalence of NDRD.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on diabetic patients who had undergone renal biopsy between Jan 1,2003 and Dec 3 1,2006.The data including history of diabetes,cardiac color ultrasound,color Doppler ultrasound of the carotid artery,retinal changes,examination of ocular fundus,giomerular filtration rate,hepatic and renal function,lipid profile,blood glucose,HbA1c,and urine protein were collected.Results Among 46 patients,22 cases (47.8%)were distinctly diagnosed as diabetic nephropathy(DN),while the other 24(52.2%)as NDRD.Focal segmental glomeruloselerosis Was the most common lesion found in patients with NDRD.In DN group,the fasting blood glucose was higher than that of NDRD group,as well as ejection fraction,carotid plaque,and intimamedia thickness(IMT)showed significant differences between 2 groups.Patients with NDRD were less frequently associated with diabetic retinopathy.Diabetic retinopathy showed hiigh sensitivity(72.7%)and specificity (91.7%)in diagnosing DN.Conclusions Blood glucose,ejection fraction,carotid plaques and IMT,and retinopathy may be helpful in differential diagnosis of diabetic patients with overt proteinuria.Renal biopsy is an important step lo establish the diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Pathological change of synovium in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has the characteristic of tumor-like growth, it appears thickening of the synovium tissue and the formatiom of pannus, which generate periarticular erosion and destruction. Multiplicate cell factors and growth factors participate in the development course of tumor-like lesion of synovium, and the tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)play important roles in the development of RA and the formation of pannus.OBJECTIVE: To observe the contents of plasma TNF-α of collagen-induced arthritis and the expression change of VEGF of synovium at different time point, and investigate the effect and correlation of TNF-α and VEGF in the pathogenesis of RA.DESIGN: Randomized grouping experiment taking animals as subjects.SETTING: Institute integrated traditional and western medicine of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University.MATERIALS: The experiment was finished from July to November 2003 in the laboratory of institute integrated traditional and western medicine.Forty SD rats aged 45-50 days were selected, the rats were randomly divided into the normal control group (n=10) and collagen-induced arthritis model group(n=30).METHODS: 10 mg Cattle collagen type Ⅱ and 5 ml full Freund adjuvant were grinded together, 100 μL of which were intradermally injected at the root of tails of rats, collagen-induced arthritis model of rats were re-immunized with the above-mentioned methòd and dosage after 21 days. The accumulated points of arthritis index was evaluated based on degree and extent of flare and the condition of tumefaction and deformation, the higher the accumulated points of arthritis index were, the more serious the arthritis symptom was. The blood was obtained by decapitation after 25 days in normal control group, and in the collagen-induced arthritis model group the blood was obtained by decapitation 25,30,35,40,45 days after immunization (model establishing), the contents of plasma TNF-α of collagen-induced arthritis rats at different time point was detected by radio-immune assay, the level of expression of VEGF in synovium tissue were detected with immunohistochemical method simultaneously, the correlation of invasion time and the neovascularization of synovium. The accumulated points of arthritis index . TNF-α and VEGF was observed. The correlation of TNF-α and VEGF was analyzed with the linear correlation analysis, the correlation of the accumulated points of arthritis index and TNF-α. VEGF was analyzed with the rank correlation analysis.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The correlation of invasion time of collagen-induced arthritis with the accumulated points of arthritis index, with the plasma content of TNF-α and the expression of VEGF, the correlation analysis of the plasma content of TNF-α of collagen- induced arthritis rats with the expression of VEGF in synovium.RESULTS: Forty rats attended the experiment, all of them entered the final analysis. the neovascularization of synovium was increased, synovium was thickening, the accumulated points of arthritis index was gradually increased, and the contents of TNF-α and level of VEGF were increased accordingly with the process of the invasion time of the collagen-induced arthritis rats; Its accumulated points of arthritis index had the positive correlation with the level of expression of VEGF (r=0.535 ,P ＜ 0.05)and had the correlated increasing tendency with the contents of TNF-α, but there was no significant difference(r=0.371 ,P ＞ 0.05 ). the plasma contents of TNF-α had the positive correlation with the level of expressions of VEGF (r=0.893,P ＜ 0.01 ).CONCLUSION: The TNF-α and VEGF have an important effect on the inflammatory reaction of RA and Cytokine network of neovascularization of synovium, they are possibly mutually influenced and promoted and have the effect of mediating the malignant network circulation; They are the key factors among multiplicate ones which mediate the generation and development of RA, bone erosion and Mutilation.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the diagnostic role of STAT6 immunohistochemistry in solitary fibrous tumors (SFT)/meningeal hemangiopericytomas (HPC).

METHODEvaluated the expression of STAT6, vimentin, CD34, EMA, PR, S-100, CD56, GFAP and Ki-67 in a cohort of 37 SFT/meningeal HPC, 30 meningiomas and 30 schwannomas by immunohistochemistry staining.

RESULTSAll SFT/meningeal HPC demonstrated nuclear positivity for STAT6, and the proportion of positive tumor cells ranged from 60% to 95%, with no significant difference cases.Vimentin was strongly positive in all cases. CD34, EMA and PR positivity was found in 32 cases, 1 case and 4 cases, respectively.S-100 protein, CD56 and GFAP were negative; Ki-67 labeling index was 1%-8%. However, the meningiomas and schwannomas were negative for STAT6.

CONCLUSIONSSTAT6 is a relatively specific biomarker for SFT/meningeal HPC, and may be used in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of SFT/meningeal HPC, especially for the atypical cases, and allows the precise pathologic diagnosis of SFT/meningeal HPC.

Antigens, CD ; analysis ; Antigens, CD34 ; analysis ; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte ; analysis ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; analysis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; analysis ; Hemangiopericytoma ; chemistry ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Ki-67 Antigen ; analysis ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; chemistry ; diagnosis ; Meningioma ; chemistry ; diagnosis ; Neurilemmoma ; chemistry ; diagnosis ; S100 Proteins ; analysis ; STAT6 Transcription Factor ; analysis ; Solitary Fibrous Tumors ; chemistry ; diagnosis ; Vimentin ; analysis

Based on our previous electrical heart model, an electromechanical biventricular model was constructed by means of composite material theory and the finite element method. And the 3-D motion of the right ventricular wall was simulated based on this model. The orientation of cardiac fibers and myocardial contractility were taken into consideration during simulation modeling. The propagation of electrical excitation was simulated using an electrical heart model, and the resulting active forces was used to calculate the ventricular wall motion. Regional deformation and Lagrangian strain tensors were calculated during systole. Displacements, minimum principal strains were used to describe the motion of the right ventricle. The simulation results are in good accordance with results obtained from MR tagging images reported in literatures. In addition, the results also show that although the maximum displacement occurs in the base of the heart, however, the maximum contraction occurs in the apex of the heart. Such result is very difficult to be obtained by means of animal experiment or human experiment. This study suggests that such electrophysiologic-mechanical biventricular models have the important significance to be used to assess the mechanical functions of the two ventricles.
Computer Simulation ; Electrophysiology ; Finite Element Analysis ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Models, Cardiovascular ; Movement ; Myocardial Contraction ; physiology ; Ventricular Function, Right ; physiology

  Objective  To analyze the clinical characteristics of thyroid LCH to enhance understanding of the disease.  Methods  We retrospectively studied the clinical data from six thyroid LCH patients who hospitalized in Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University from January 2015 to January 2022.We analyzed the ultrasound and ¹⁸F FDG-PET/CT imaging characteristics of thyroid LCH.  Results  The six patients diagnosed (2 males and 4 females) were between 18 and 58 years old.All patients had diabetes insipidus.MRI revealed thickened pituitary stalk.Two cases had central hypothyroidism, while four cases euthyroidism.Three cases tested positive for thyroid antibodies.Ultrasound showed thyroid nodules of TI-RADS 3 in three cases, TI-RADS 4 in two cases, and 1 with nodular goiter.Ultrasound showed that all sic cases indicated low echogenicity, 5 of which clear boundaries, 4 of which uneven echo distribution, 5 of which irregular shape, and noen has calcification.¹⁸F FDG-PET/CT indicated high uptake nodules with SUVmax values all above 10.4 cases were diagnosed by surgical excision and the other 2 by coarse-needle aspiration biopsy.When diagnosed, two cases had liver and thymus involvement respectively.One case had lung and bone involvement respectively.After treatment, 4 cases showed that nodular goiter shrank, while the other two with liver involvement progressed fast and no assessment made.  Conclusions  Thyroid LCH presented low echogenicity, clear boundaries, irregular shape, without calcification, and high uptake in ¹⁸F FDG-PET/CT.A definite diagnosis of pituitary stalk thicking accompanied by thyroid nodules, especially those with hypoechoic and irregular nodules, can be achieved by coarse-needle aspiration biopsy and langerin-specific pathological staining.