Objective To assess the effectiveness of absorbable screws and metallic devices for treating tibial plateau fractures.Methods Fifty-seven cases of tibial plateau fractures were treated with internal fixation using absorbable screws(Group A),cannulated screws(Group B)and condylar buttress plates(Group C)in our hospital.According to Schatzker classification,there were 15 cases with typeⅠfractures,21 with typeⅡ,nine with typeⅢand 12 with typeⅣ,who were followed up for 6-51 months. Statistical analysis was performed to compare bone union and functional restoration of the knee between three groups.Results Bone union was achieved in all cases.Based on Merchant scale for knee func- tion,excellence rate was 84%(16/19)for Group A,92%(11/12)for Group B and 85%(22/26) for Group C,with no significant statistical difference.Conclusion Absorbable screws is as effective as metallic devices for treating tibial plateau fractures and has advantages of minimal invasion,few complica- tions and avoiding secondary operation.

Objective: To develop and utilize the bee plants and bee products in Changbai Mountain area,the representative area of alpine plants in northeast China featuring abundant resources of bee plants. Method:The pollen of bee plants was observed and studied by LM and SEM. Result:The pollen is morphologically oblate, suboblate, spheroidal and prolate. The external sculpture is commonly reticulate, striate and echinulate.Conclusion:Plant pollen identification criteria have been furnished for the development of bee plant resources as well as the inspection of bee products in Changbai Mountain area.

OBJECTIVETo study the frequency distribution of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in two genes associated with incomplete Kawasaki disease (KD) (rs1569723 in CD40 gene and rs2736340 in BLK gene), and to investigate its association with the genetic susceptibility and clinical phenotypes of incomplete KD.

METHODSA total of 184 children with incomplete KD and 203 normal children were recruited to carry out a case-control study. The genotypes of SNPs in CD40 gene and BLK gene were determined using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The frequency distribution of genotypes was compared between the KD and control groups. The association between gene polymorphisms and clinical features of incomplete KD was analyzed.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in genotype (AA, AC, CC) and allele frequencies in CD40 SNP rs1569723 between the KD and control groups. There were significant differences in the frequency distribution of three genotypes (TT, CT, CC) in BLK SNP rs2736340 between the KD and control groups (P=0.031), and the KD group had a significantly higher frequency of T allele than the control group (P=0.007). There were significant differences in the incidence of conjunctival hyperaemia among the patients with different genotypes (rs1569723 in CD40 gene) (P=0.036). The SNP rs2736340 in BLK gene was associated with the extremity changes in KD patients (P=0.017).

CONCLUSIONSThe SNP rs2736340 in BLK gene is associated with the susceptibility to incomplete KD, and the SNP rs1569723 in CD40 gene and SNP rs2736340 in BLK gene are associated with some of clinical phenotypes of incomplete KD.

CD40 Antigens ; genetics ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

Objective To investigate the influence of anti-depression therapy on cardiac function and short-term prognosis in elderly patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and the safety and effectiveness of fluoxetine in these patients.Methods Ninety six elderly hospitalized patients with CHF accompanied with depressive disorder were randomly divided into two groups:fluoxetine (20mg once daily)and placebo treated groups based on the routine cardiac drug therapy for 3 months. Results The prevalence rate of depressive disorder in elderly patients with CHF was 31.1%.The length of stay of fluoxetine group was shorter than that of placebo group.The post-treatment depressive exponents of self-rating depression scale(SDS)in fluoxetine group (51.39%?8.63)was lower than those in pretreatment and in placebo group.The improvement of cardiac function in fluoxetine group(53.4%?4.5%) was much better than that of placebo group (P

Objective To investigate the effects of human urinary kallidinogenase (HUK) on the abilities of spatial learning and memory and the expression of nestin in the peri-infarction cortex of rats after focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. Methods Sixty rats were equally randomized into 5 groups:sham-operated group, model group, low dose HUK treatment group (3.5 ×10-3 PNAU/kg), median dose HUK treatment group (8.75×10-3 PNAU/kg) and high dose HUK treatment group (17.5×10-3 PNAU/kg).The focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion models in the model group and HUK treatment groups were established by introducing an intraluminal filament into the right middle cerebral artery of the rats. HUK was administered intraperitoneally right after the operation and afterward once daily for 2 weeks. The spatial learning and memory functions were studied by Morris water maze test, and the nestin expression in the peri-infarction cortex was measured by immunohistochemistry on the 15th d. Results The model group exhibited seriously spatial learning and memory deficits in both place navigation trail and spatial probe trial. In the place navigation trial, the mean values of escape latency in the median dose and high dose HUK treatment groups were shorter than those in the model group (P＜0.05). In the spatial probe trial, significant differences in the percentages of time spending in the former platform quadrant and frequency of crossing the former platform site were noted between the model group and both median dose and high dose HUK treatment groups (P＜0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the nestin expression in the peri-infarction cortex of median dose and high dose HUK treatment groups increased significantly as compared with that in the model group (P＜0.05). Conclusion Treatment with HUK improves the spatial learning and memory abilities in rats after focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, which may result from the increasing expression ofnestin and the proliferation of neural stem cells.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL)in treating renal calculi.Methods The data of 118 patients with renal calculi who had underg- one PCNL from July 2002 to August 2004 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 86 men and 32 women. The mean age was 39 years(range,7-68 years).Of the 118 cases,11 had pelvic calculi,16 had calyx cal- culi,35 had pelvocalyceal calculi,54 had staghorn calculi,and 2 had bilateral renal calculi.The mean stone size was 2.5 cm?1.5cm(ranged from 2.0 cm?1.0 cm to 4.5cm?4.0cm).Results Of the 118 ca- ses,112 underwent one-stage PCNL,and 6,two-stage PCNL.The procedure was performed by single tract in 114 cases,and by two tracts in 4 cases.Lithotomy was done by one session in 60 cases,by 2 sessions in 42 cases,and by 3 sessions in 16 cases.The total stone clearance rate was 81.4%.The mean operative time was 120 min,and mean hospital stay was 15 d.No blood transfusion was needed during operation,and only one patient experienced bleeding(about 500 ml)after 4 d postoperatively,and was cured by conservative treat- ment such as blood transfusion and anti-inflammation.No major complications were observed in other pa- tients.Conclusions PCNL has advantages of minimal trauma,less blood loss,fewer complications,and is safe and effective in treating renal calculi,especially for patients who will have the second procedure.

BACKGROUNDBenign prostate hyperplasia is one of the most common diseases affecting the health of the aging males. Watchful waiting is an acceptable management strategy for benign prostate hyperplasia in which the patient is monitored by the physician but receives no active intervention. The epidemiological data on this are lacking in China. Our study was designed to evaluate the changes of signs and symptoms of patients with benign prostate hyperplasia during management by watchful waiting in China.

METHODSOne hundred and forty-five patients with benign prostate hyperplasia aged > 50 years were enrolled in management by watchful waiting. All the patients were visited every 6 months and were given an International Prostate Symptom Score and Quality of Life questionnaire to complete. They also had uroflowmetry and were assessed using ultrasonography to get the volume of prostate, transition zone and amount of residual urine. The Student's t test, the Chi-square test, and variance analysis were used in the statistical analysis.

RESULTSAll patients were visited after 6 months, the mean volume of transitional zone was found to have increased by 1.6 ml (P < 0.01), International Prostate Symptom Score was increased by 0.8 (P < 0.01) and Quality of Life was increased by 0.2 (P < 0.01), and there was no statistical change in other data. Among these patients, 17.9% (26/145) visited again after 12 months when the data failed to show a statistically significant difference among the three groups (0, 6, and 12 months).

CONCLUSIONSAfter one year's follow-up, the progression of benign prostate hyperplasia was slow and the clinical data did not undergo much change.

Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; psychology ; therapy ; Quality of Life

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between α-actinin content and cardiac function in rats during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion.

METHODSThirty-two rats were randomized equally into sham-operated group, 30 min ischemia group, 1 h ischemia group, and 1 h ischemia with 2 h reperfusion group. Acute myocardial ischemia was induced in the 3 ischemia groups by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery, and the cardiac functions were evaluated. The myocardial contents of α-actinin was measured by immunohistochemistry, and phospholipase C (PLC) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) contents were determined by ELISA after the operations.

RESULTSThe left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), +dp/dt max, and -dp/dt max tended to decrease during myocardial ischemia, and increased after reperfusion, and the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) showed reverse changes. The levels of α-actinin decreased with prolonged ischemia, showing a significant difference in 1 h ischemia group from those in the other 3 groups. PI3K and PLC contents were significantly increased with prolonged myocardial ischemia. Stimulation by LY-294002 and U-73122 caused enhanced contraction of single cardiomyocytes, and also increased the fluorescence intensity of α-actinin in the cardiomyocytes compared with that in 1 h ischemia group.

CONCLUSIONSThe cardiac dysfunction during acute ischemia-reperfusion in rats may be related with the changes of myocardial α-actinin content, which are probably a result of increased PI3K and PLC contents in the ischemic myocardium.

Actinin ; metabolism ; Animals ; Myocardial Ischemia ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Type C Phospholipases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of stellate ganglion block (SGB) on blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHRs).

METHODSThirty-two 10-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHRs) were assigned randomly into four groups: left stellate ganglion block group(Group LS), right stellate ganglion block group(Group RS), captopril group(Group D) and control group(Group C). Arterial systolic blood pressure(SBP) was measured, and endothelin (ET-1) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS) in blood vessels were detected by radioimmunoassay.

RESULTSCompared with baseline value, the blood pressure of Group LS gradually increased significantly (P<0.05 or P <0.01); however, the blood pressure of Group RS was stable(P >0.05) and increased only at week 2(P <0.05).The blood pressure of Group D decreased significantly at week 2 and week 4, and it remained stable compared with baseline value (P<0.05). The blood pressure of Group C gradually increased at weeks 2-10, compared with baseline values (P <0.01). Compared with Group LS and Group C, the expression of eNOS in blood vessels of Group RS significantly increased (P <0.05), and ET-1 decreased (P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe right stellate ganglion block can significantly lower blood pressure, down-regulate ET-1 and up-regulate eNOS protein expression.

Animals ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Male ; Nerve Block ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Stellate Ganglion

OBJECTIVETo investigate the related to relapse of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) after recombinant interferon-alpha (rIFN-alpha) treatment.

METHODSThis investigation involved 523 pathologically confirmed CHB patients including 403 HBeAg-positive and 120 HBeAg-negative patients, who were treated with 5 MU rIFN-alpha subcutaneously thrice a week for 6-25 months. For each patient, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was measured biochemically, serum HBV DNA level detected with quantitative fluorescent PCR, and HBeAg level with enzyme immuoassay every 1-3 months during therapy and every 3-6 months during the follow-up period.

RESULTSEarly response to rIFN-alpha treatment was observed in 302 (57.7%) patients at the end of treatment, among whom 39.4% (119/302) suffered relapse during the follow-up for 39.2-/+21.5 months. Age, HBeAg status before treatment, and follow-up duration were the predictive factors for post-treatment relapse. The mean age of patients with CHB relapse was significantly higher than that of the sustained responders (P<0.001), and the relapse rates in HBeAg-negative group (55.8%, 43/77) were significantly higher than that in HBeAg-positive group (33.8%, 76/225) at the end of follow up (P<0.001). The relapse rate and accumulative relapse rates at each year during the follow-up (for 5 years as the longest) differed significantly (P<0.001, P=0.000), but the accumulative relapse rates differed little between the years after the initial 2 of the follow-up (P=0.670). The relapse was not related to the patient's gender, pretreatment serum ALT, HBV DNA, grade of liver inflammation, stage of liver fibrosis, or duration of treatment. In HBeAg-positive patients, however, the mean HBV DNA was significantly higher in relapse group than in sustained response group (P=0.017).

CONCLUSIONAge, pretreatment HBeAg status, and follow-up duration are independent predictive factors for post-treatment CHB relapse. In HBeAg positive patients, pretreatment serum HBV DNA is also one of the risk factors for relapse.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Recurrence ; Treatment Outcome