OBJECTIVETo observe mid- and long-term changes in the histopathology and electron microscopic characteristics of the acellular dermal matrix engrafted with thin split-thickness skin autograft.

METHODSTwenty-three biopsy samples were collected from 17 patients undergoing extremity scar resection, who received subsequent grafting using allogenic dermal matrix dressed with thin split-thickness skin autografts. Six months to 2 years after the grafting, the grafts were sampled for histopathological and electron microscopic observations of the layer of the epidermis, thickness of the basal membrane, structural components of the dermis, and infiltration of fibroblasts and revascularization. The data were compared with those of the normal skin samples from the patients.

RESULTSOnly the number of epidermal layers showed statistically significant difference between the skin grafts and the normal skin (16.33-/+5.89 vs 26.57-/+3.46, P=0.007). The thickness of the basal membrane of the skin grafts was similar to that of normal skin, and no significant difference was found in the number of fibroblasts and newly generated capillaries between them.

CONCLUSIONThe mid- and long-term histopathology and ultrastructures of the composite skin graft in the extremities are similar to those of normal skin, suggesting satisfactory effect of the skin grafts.

Adolescent ; Burns ; surgery ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cicatrix ; surgery ; Dermis ; transplantation ; ultrastructure ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Male ; Skin ; ultrastructure ; Skin Transplantation ; methods ; Skin, Artificial ; Transplantation, Autologous

OBJECTIVETo probe factors of influencing therapeutic effects of acupuncture in the patient of insomnia.

METHODSAccording to scores of degrees of anxiety and depression, 52 cases of insomnia were divided into 3 groups, group I (mild or less degree) and group II (moderate degree) and group II (serious degree). The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) were compared before and after treatment in the 3 groups, and between two groups after treatment. Results There were significant differences in the therapeutic effect as the groups I, II compared with the group III (P < 0.01). The total sleep quality in the group I was better than that in the group II (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe degree of anxiety and depression in the patient of insomnia is one of important factors influencing therapeutic effect of acupuncture on insomnia.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Anxiety ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder ; Humans ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

BACKGROUNDT-cell receptor (TCR) plays an important role in the development of autoimmune diseases. Recently, it was reported that immunization of animals with TCR peptide derived from the pathogenic cells could prevent autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether vaccination with a synthetic peptide from the hypervariable region of TCR V(beta) 8.3, an experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU)-associated gene, was able to prevent the disease.

METHODSEAU was induced in Lewis rats by immunization with IRBP R16 peptide emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). The clinical and histological appearances were scored. Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) and lymphocyte proliferation were detected. Cytokine levels of aqueous humour, supernatants of cells from spleen and draining lymph nodes were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Gene expression of TCR V(beta) 8.3 on CD(4)(+) T cells was examined by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTSAfter vaccination, the intraocular inflammation was significantly mitigated, antigen specific DTH and lymphocyte proliferation responses were suppressed, interleukin (IL)-2 in aqueous humour, interferon (IFN)-gamma and IL-2 produced by the spleen and draining lymph node cells were significantly decreased, whereas the production of IL-4 and IL-10 were increased. The response of draining lymph node cells to TCR V(beta) 8.3 peptide was enhanced after vaccination. Inoculation with CFA alone did not affect the severity of EAU and the above parameters. The suppression of EAU was much stronger in the group of four fold inoculations than the group of two fold inoculations. The expression of TCR V(beta) 8.3 gene was significantly reduced in the group of fourfold inoculations.

CONCLUSIONVaccination with the synthetic TCR V(beta) 8.3 peptide could remarkably inhibit the development of EAU.

Animals ; Autoimmune Diseases ; prevention & control ; Cytokines ; biosynthesis ; Female ; Genes, T-Cell Receptor beta ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred Lew ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta ; immunology ; Retinitis ; prevention & control ; Retinol-Binding Proteins ; immunology ; Th1 Cells ; immunology ; Th2 Cells ; immunology ; Uveitis ; prevention & control ; Vaccination

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficiency, feasibility and safety of gasless endoscopic thyroid surgery through compared research.

METHODSFrom July 2001 to Oct. 2005, 83 cases that had received gasless endoscopic thyroid surgery were compared with 80 cases that had received conventional surgery and analyzed on operating time, blood loss, cosmetic effects, complications and costs.

RESULTSCompared with conventional thyroid surgery, endoscopic thyroid surgery group had better cosmetic effects. There was only minimal neck wound or even no neck wound. The cost of hospitalization in the endoscopic group was higher than that in the conventional group (10,844 +/- 2373) RMB and (7585 +/- 1081) RMB respectively (t = -7.23, P < 0.001). The endoscopic group had less blood loss than the conventional group (25 +/- 21) ml and (36 +/- 23) ml respectively (t = 3.160, P < 0.01), but had longer operating time (107 +/- 30) min and(79 +/- 19) min respectively (t = -7.225, P < 0.01). However, when the surgeon had got more experiences and applied the advanced harmonic scalpel, the operative time and blood loss reduced obviously.

CONCLUSIONSCompared with conventional thyroid surgery, gasless endoscopic thyroid surgery has the major advantage that it has cosmetic effect and has small or no scar left on neck. It can be concluded that this technique was efficiency, feasibility and safety. It can offer another choice for the thyroid neoplasms patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Endoscopy ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Thyroid Diseases ; surgery ; Thyroid Gland ; surgery ; Thyroidectomy ; methods ; Young Adult

Objective：The aim of this study was to evaluate radiation induced temporomandibular joint damage in the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and its correlative factors were analyzed. Methods： From November 7, 1966 to July 2, 1999, 352 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma received radical conventional radiotherapy were eligible for this analysis. The total dose of the temporomandibular joint were 51.90－ 78.89 gray and the overall treatment time were 35－ 141 days. The endpoint was the distance between two dens incisivus medialis (DDIM). The relationship between total doses and temporomandibular joint lesion was illustrated with curve estimation. Multivariate analysis with Logistic Regress was performed to evaluate the significance of prognostic variables on temporomandibular joint lesion. Results： The patient of DDIM60.00－ 70.00 gray, and >70.00－ 78.89 gray were 46.4％ , 53.5％ , and 62.3％ , respectively (P=0.050); and in the patients who insisted in opening mouths practice or not were 51.6％ and 61.7％ respectively (P=0.028); and in patients at age of 18－ 42 and 43－ 71 were 54.1％ and 62.7％ respectively(P=0.040). They were all significant prognostic factors for radiation induced temporomandibular joint lesion. Conclusion： Radiation induced temporomandibular joint lesion in radiation treated NPC patients was serious. The total dose of temporomandibular joint, opening mouths practice and age are three significant prognostic factors.

No abstract available.
Humans ; Interferon-gamma* ; Pityriasis Rosea*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the genetic polymorphisms of 12 X chromosome short tandem repeat (X-STR) loci of Investigator Argus X-12 amplification kit in Guangdong Han population.

METHODSDNA samples from 200 unrelated individuals (100 males and 100 females) and 103 families (59 father-mother-daughter trios and 44 mother-son duos) were extracted and amplified with fluorescence labeled multiplex PCR system. PCR products were separated and genotyped with capillary array electrophoresis.

RESULTSOne hundred and thirty-seven alleles,including 9 off ladder alleles (OL allele) were observed at the 12 X-STR loci in the population. Six mutations were observed in 162 meioses. The combined power of discrimination (DP) was 0.999 999 997 in males and 0.999 999 999 in females, and the combined mean exclusion chance (MEC) was 0.999 999 988 in the trio cases and 0.999 998 013 in the duo cases.

CONCLUSIONInvestigator-Argus X-12 amplification system is highly polymorphic in Guangdong Han population and it is powerful for personal identification and paternity testing.

Alleles ; China ; Chromosomes, Human, X ; Female ; Gene Amplification ; Gene Frequency ; Genetics, Population ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Mutation ; Paternity ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Records as Topic

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of endoscopy-assisted partial-superficial parotidectomy.

METHODS38 cases with benign tumors located in the superficial lobe of the parotid gland were randomly assigned to receive conventional (20 cases) or endoscopic (18 cases) partial-superficial parotidectomy. Two short incisions, which were 2 to approximately 2.5 cm in length and located at retromandibular and postauricular area, were adopted for endoscopy-assisted surgery. The facial nerve was dissected through retrograde approach.

RESULTSThe tumors were successfully resected with endoscopy in 18 cases. The operation time was not significantly different between the conventional and endoscopy-assisted procedures (P > 0.05). The intraoperative blood loss was markedly lower in endoscopy-assisted group, compared with conventional group (P < 0.01). All the 18 cases with endoscopy-assisted surgery were satisfactory with the postoperative cosmetic results. The great auricular nerve was preserved very well in 12 patients (66.6%). Transient facial paralysis happened in 1 case and relieved 1 month later. Salivary fistula occurred in 1 case and recovered after dressing with pressure for 2 weeks. All the patients were followed up for 24 to approximately 50 months (mean, 39 months) without relapse.

CONCLUSIONSEndoscopy-assisted partial-superficial parotidectomy can successfully treat benign tumors located in the superficial lobe of parotid gland with a better postoperative cosmetic result.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Parotid Gland ; surgery ; Parotid Neoplasms ; surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility, toxicity and tumor control of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

METHODSFourty-nine patients (Karnofsky performance status (KPS) >or= 80) with local-regional recurrence in the nasopharynx were treated with full course IMRT. Three patients with cervical lymph node metastasis (N1 2 and N3 1) were further supplemented with 5 to 6 courses of chemotherapy (Cisplatin + 5-Fu) after IMRT.

RESULTSThe results of treatment plan showed that the mean dose of covering gross tumor volume (GTV) (D(95)) in the nasopharynx was 68.09 Gy and the mean volume of GTV (V(95)) receiving the 95% dose was 98.46%. The mean dose of GTV, clinical target volume CTV1 and CTV2 in the targets were 71.40 Gy, 63.63 Gy and 59.81 Gy. The median follow-up time was 9 months (range 3 to 16 months). The local-regional progression-free survival was 100% with local-regional residual disease in 3 (6.1%) cases but was complicated with nasopharyngeal mucosa necrosis in 14 (28.6%) cases after IMRT.

CONCLUSIONIntensity modulated radiation therapy, as a re-treatment option for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma, is able to improve the tumor target coverage and spare the adjacent critical structures. As high dose IMRT can result in radio-necrosis of nasopharyngeal mucosa, the prescription dose of GTV should be suitably decreased to 60 - 65 Gy.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; radiotherapy ; Neoplasm Staging ; Radiation Injuries ; pathology ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted ; Radiotherapy, Conformal ; methods

BACKGROUNDIn most colorectal carcinomas, the level of phospholipase C (PLC)-gamma 1 expression is greatly elevated. Increased expression of PLC-gamma 1 may play an important role in colon carcinogenesis, but the mechanism is not well known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of PLC-gamma 1 in colon carcinogenesis by using recombinant lentivirus that stably suppressed the PLC-gamma 1 expression in human colorectal carcinoma LoVo cells.

METHODSRecombinant lentivirus producing PLC-gamma 1 siRNA were prepared. After LoVo cells were transduced by each lentivirus, stably transduced cells were selected by Blasticidin. The protein and mRNA expression of PLC-gamma 1 were examined by Western-blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, and the effects of the lentivirus on the cell adhesion, migration and apoptosis were analyzed.

RESULTSStable LoVo cell line deficient in PLC-gamma 1, was established. Notably, PLC-gamma 1 was silenced without affecting the levels of other subtypes of PLC so that the role of PLC-gamma 1 in colon carcinogenesis could be examined. Silencing of endogenous PLC-gamma 1 resulted in efficient inhibition of the adhesion and migration of LoVo cells in vitro and a great increase of 5-fluorouracil induced apoptosis (30%-40%) of LoVo cells.

CONCLUSIONSPLC-gamma 1 may play an important role in metastasis and anti-apoptosis in human colorectal carcinomas.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Adhesion ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; pathology ; therapy ; Fluorouracil ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Laminin ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; Lentivirus ; genetics ; Phospholipase C gamma ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; physiology ; RNA, Small Interfering ; therapeutic use