Male genital lichen sclerosus (MGLSc) is a chronically relapsing disease characterized by a long course, gradual aggravation, and a tendency towards malignancy. Once called balanitis xerotica obliterans, MGLSc has a distinct predilection for the prepuce and glans, involving the urethra when aggravating, forming scarring tissues, and causing urethral stricture, which may seriously affect the patients'quality of life with such symptoms as urinary stream narrowing, dysuria, and painful penile erection. The etiology and pathogenesis of MGLSc have not yet been adequately explained though it is generally thought to be associated with autoimmune mechanism, genetic factors, infections, local trauma, and chronic urinary irritation. MGLSc can be fairly easily diagnosed according to its clinical manifestations and histopathological results, but can be hardly cured. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are the most important approaches, which may relieve its symptoms, check its progression, and prevent its long-term sequelae. Ultrapotent topical corticosteroids are the choice for the treatment of MGLSc. For those who fail to respond to expectant medication or have dysuria due to urethral stricture and painful erection, rational surgery may be resorted to, with importance attached to long-term follow-up. This article presents an update of the diagnosis and treatment of MGLSc and MGLSc-induced urethral stricture.
Genital Diseases, Male ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus ; complications ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Male ; Urethral Stricture ; etiology

Objective: To investigate the dynamic expression of the 20S proteasome in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of type 2 diabetic patients without vascular complications. Methods: PBMCs were prepared from 30 type 2 diabetic patients and 30 nondiabetic controls. The general indexes including weight, height and blood pressure were recorded. Fasting plasma glucose, fasting plasma insulin and glycosylated hemoglobin were measured. The protein level of the 20S proteasome was measured by Western blotting. The mRNA expression levels of the 20S proteasome β1, β2 and β5 submits were detected by real-time PCR. Results: Compared with that in the nondiabetic controls, the protein level of the 20S proteasome was significantly increased in the diabetic patients and was positively associated with glycosylated hemoglobin. Conclusion: Type 2 diabetic patients without vascular complications have an increased 20S proteasome expression, the significance of which needs to be explored by further study.

Objective: To investigate the dynamic expression of the 20S proteasome in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of type 2 diabetic patients without vascular complications. Methods: PBMCs were prepared from 30 type 2 diabetic patients and 30 nondiabetic controls. The general indexes including weight, height and blood pressure were recorded. Fasting plasma glucose, fasting plasma insulin and glycosylated hemoglobin were measured. The protein level of the 20S proteasome was measured by Western blotting. The mRNA expression levels of the 20S proteasome β1, β2 and β5 submits were detected by real-time PCR. Results: Compared with that in the nondiabetic controls, the protein level of the 20S proteasome was significantly increased in the diabetic patients and was positively associated with glycosylated hemoglobin. Conclusion: Type 2 diabetic patients without vascular complications have an increased 20S proteasome expression, the significance of which needs to be explored by further study.

Pterygium is a common disorder of ocular surface with unknown etiology and pathogenesis. The epidemiological studies around the world have shown that the prevalence rates range from 0.3% to 37.46%. Pterygium is related to geographic setting, sunlight and ultraviolet exposure,age, gender, economic situation, dry eye syndrome and others. The purpose of this review is to present a summary of the more recent literature about the epidemiological study, paying particular attention to prevalence and risk factors of pterygium.

Objective To investigate the value of 64-slice spiral computed tomography(CT)angiography in preoperative evaluation of spinal vascular intervention.Methods Seventeen patients with segmental injury of the spinal cord underwent the enhanced 64-slice CT scan of the spine.Thin-slice reconstruction was done,with the slice thickness of 0.625 mm and interval of 0.625 mm.The data were transferred to the work station ADW4.2 in DICM format.Image postprocessing technologies such as volume rendering(VR),maximum intensity projection(MIP)and multi-planar reformat(MPR)were used to conduct three-dimensional reconstruction and analyze the anatomical characteristics of radiculomedullary artery.Results Radiculomedullary artery could be found in the thoracolumbar segment of 16 patients(16/17,94%).Among them,one artery(1/17,6%)went into the vertebral canal through the left intervertebral foramen of T4/5,two(2/17,12%)through the left intervertebral foramen of T10/11,one (1/17,6%)through the left intervertebral foramen of T11/12,four(4/17,24%)through the left intervertebral foramen of L1/2,two(2/17,12%)through the left intervertebral foramen of L2/3,two (2/17,12%)through the right intervertebral foramen of T11/12,two(2/17,12%)through the right intervertebral foramen of T12/L1,two(2/17,12%)through the right foramen of L2/3 andl0(10/17,59%)through the left intervertebral foramen.Either CT scan or DSA examination found no radiculomedullary artery in one patient.All the above findings were in accordance with the results of DSA examination.Conclusions Spiral 64-slice CT scan can provide significant preoperative evaluation information for spinal vascular intervention,for it can accurately and visually show the anatomical features of the radiculomedullary artery such as open position,flow tendency,caliber size and spatial relationship with the surrounding vessels.

At present,the graduate teaching of medical imaging and nuclear medicine is still facing many problems,such as paying more attention to the academic research while ignoring ideological and moral reconstruction,teaching arrangement being unreasonable,poor students' clinical practice ability,lack of scientific training system,and no mature evaluation system and so on.Therefore,in clinical teaching ideological and political education is needed as the guide,to enable students to understand the present medical environment,enhance their doctor-patient communication ability.Besides,in the clinical and scientific research ability cultivation,graduate students' learning enthusiasm should be fully mobilized to promote them to actively explore scientific problems.Furthermore the perfect clinical evaluation method and index system should be combined to assess the quality of training.

Chromosome Disorders ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 13 ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Trisomy ; Trisomy 13 Syndrome

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic ; etiology ; Transplantation, Autologous

Autophagy is a crucial biological process of eukaryotes, which is involved in cell growth, survival and energy metabolism, while the premise of the autophagy function is activated autophagic flux. It has been confirmed that impaired autophagic flux promotes pathogenesis of many chronic inflammatory diseases, especially cancer, neurodegenerative disease and tissue fibrosis, therefore the analysis of autophagic flux state is important for revealing autophagy function and the mechanism of autophagy related diseases. Given that autophagy is a dynamic process with multiple steps, it is very hard to observe the real state of autophagic flux. Summarized here is the novel concept and current approach to detect autophagic flux. This knowledge is crucial for the researching of the biological function of autophagy, and may provide some strategies for developing autophagy-related drug.
Autophagy ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Inflammation ; pathology ; Neoplasms ; pathology ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; pathology

BACKGROUND:Anterior cruciate ligament is the important anatomic structure to maintain the knee joint stability. The tendon bone healing and clinical functional recovery after anterior cruciate ligament have attracted more attention. OBJECTIVE:To observe the healing of graft tendon and surrounding bone with histological method through the same diameter grafts matching with the bone tunnel of different sizes in the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery, and to detect the functional recovery with biomechanics. METHODS:Middle 1/3 of canine autologous tendon was selected as the anterior cruciate ligament graft, and then trimmed into the same diameter of 4 mm. Sixteen adult mongrel canine were randomly divided into four groups. The anterior cruciate ligament was resected completely, and the tibial and femoral tunnels were prepared on the end sites of tibia and femur with the diameters of 5, 4.5, 4 and 3.5 mm, then implanted into the tendon in prepared and linked into the bone tunnel. At 6 weeks after reconstruction, the experimental canine were sacrificed under general anesthesia to col ect the tissue and organs in the surgical area. Then the hematoxylin-eosin staining, biomechanical testing and statistical analysis were performed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:At 6 weeks after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, anatomical observation showed that there were no significant differences in growth of grafts and bone tunnels between groups;hematoxylin-eosin staining showed sharpey-like fibronectin could be seen in the tendon bone healing surface, and the col agen fibers in the 3.5 mm bone tunnel group were more compact and regular than those in the other groups;the biomechanical testing results in the 3.5 mm bone tunnel group were better than those in the other groups. The results indicate that during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, decreasing the diameter of bone tunnel that matched with grafts in order to make the tendon and the bone tunnel closely matched can provide a more stable cel biological and mechanical environment, accelerate the formation and transformation of tendon-bone healing interface, and can improve the quality of tendon-bone healing.