Objective To evaluate the efficacy ofintravitreal injection (IVI) ofexpansile gas alone to treat idiopathic full-thickness macular hole (FTMH).Methods This is a prospective interventional case series.Twenty FTMH patients (26 eyes) who underwent IVI with expansile gas alone were enrolled in this study.There were 5 males (5 eyes) and 21 females (21 eyes),with the mean age of (59 ± 12) years.All patients received the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA),slit lamp microscope,indirect ophthalmoscopy,fundus color photography and three-dimensional optical coherence tomography (OCT) examinations.The BCVA was measured using the international standard visual acuity chart,and the results were converted to the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity.The diameters of macular holes and the interface between vitreous and macular were observed by OCT (Topcon,OCT-2000).Based on the diameter,the holes were classified as small FTMH (equal or lesser than 250 μm),medium FTMH (more than 250 μm but equal or lesser than 400 μm) and large FTMH (more than 400 μm).The mean BCVA was 0.85 ± 0.29.There were 7,10 and 9 eyes with small,medium and large FTMH.There were 10 eyes with vitreous-macular traction (VMT).All the eyes received IVI of 0.2 ml C3F8 followed facedown positioning for 7-14 days.The follow-up ranged from 1 to 23 months.The BCVA,FTMH closure and complications were observed.If holes failed to close at 1 month after IVI,vitrectomy combined with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling and C3F8 tamponade would be performed for these eyes.Results FTMHs was able to close in 17/26 eyes (65.4％) had hole closure,failed to close in 9/26 eyes (34.6％).All 10 eyes with VMT achieved vitreous-macula separation after IVI of gas.The eyes failed in the closure initially with IVI of gas alone,all succeed with hole closure after vitrectomy combined with ILM peeling and C3F8 tamponade.The closure rate of small (6 eyes),medium (8 eyes) and large FTMH (3 eyes) was 85.7％,80.0％ and 33.3％ respectively.The diameter of FTMHs in holes-closure eyes and failed-closure eyes was (307.8 ± 122.8),(431.6± 128.4) μm respectively,the difference was significant (t=-2.407,P=0.024).VMT was found in 6 eyes and 4 eyes in holes-closure group and failed-closure group,respectively,the difference was significant (t=-2.196,P=0.038).The mean preoperative BCVA was 0.51 ±0.36.There was a significant difference between pre-and postoperative BCVA (t=4.758,P＜ 0.05).Two eyes developed local retinal detachment,which achieved hole closure and retinal reattachment after vitrectomy.Conclusion IVI of expansile gas alone is an effective way in treating FTMH with a diameter smaller than 400 μm and with VMT before surgery.

Numerous interpolation-based methods have been described for reducing metal artifacts in CT images, but due to the limit of the interpolation methods, interpolation alone often fails to meet the clinical demands. In this paper, we describe the use of quartic polynomial interpolation in reconstruction of the images of the metal implant followed by linear interpolation to eliminate the streaks. The two interpolation methods are combined according to their given weights to achieve good results.
Algorithms ; Artifacts ; Dental Prosthesis ; Humans ; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

Objective To investigate the association between interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene promoter microsatellite polymorphisms and the susceptibility to hepatitis B virus infection in Han,Yi and Yao ethnicities in GuiZhou province.Methods 500 volunteers were selected from Guizhou province.Ailelic frequency of IL-10.G and IL-10.R loci was identified by short tandom repeat polymerase chain reaction.The relativity between allelic frequency and HBV infection was analyzed.Results Genotype data from H-W analysis on all the IL-10 polymorphisms indicated that it was a random distribution.Very high HBV infection rates were found in the native ethnic minorities of Guizhou province.The overall HBV infection rate among the total population was 67.00％,with the HBV infection rates of Yi nationality in Weining,Yi nationality in Qianxi,Yao nationality in Libo and Han nationality in Libo as 51.85％,42.86％,79.52％ and 84.30％,respe~vely.The polymorphisms distribution of IL- 10.G and IL- 10.R were statistically different among the ethnic groups (P＜ 0.05 ).The polymorphisms distribution of IL-10.R had no significant difference between HBV infection group and non-infection group,as well as among HBV natural removal group and non-infected group in all the ethnic groups.The frequency of IL-10.G 459 bp (19CA) was significantly higher in non-infection group than in the infected group (P＜ 0.05 ).The frequency of IL-10.G 471 bp (25CA) was significantly higher in the non-infection group than in the HBV natural removal group(P＜0.05).The polymorphisms distribution of IL-10.G did not show significant difference between the HBV infection group and the HBV natural removal group in all the ethnic groups.We did not find any differences in allelic and genotypic frequencies of IL-10.G between infection group and non-infection group in Yi nationality in Weining,and Yao nationality in Libo (P＞0.05),as well as HBV natural removal group and non-infected group (P＞0.05).Conclusion The polymorphisms distribution of IL-10.R and IL-10.G did not show significant difference in Yi,Yao and Han ethnics population living in Guizhou province.IL-10.G seemed to influence the susceptibility of HBV infection in Han,Yao and Yi ethnics population of Guizhou province.

OBJECTIVETo investigate expression and clinical significance of VEGF and apoptosis in frozen-thawed mouse ovaries after transplantation.

METHODSOvaries from B6C2F1 (C57BL/6j x BALB/c) 4 week old mice were cryopreservation and the thawed ovaries were xenografted into kidney capsules of 8-12 week old adult male mice. The grafted were recovered 1 d, 2 d and 7 d after transplantation respectively, the grafts and frozen-thawed were removed for follicle counting and immunohistochemically, ultrastructure, and detection of the mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF).

RESULTSThe follicle numbers were decreased gradually after transplantation,the cell apoptosis increased especially in 48 h after transplantation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed the tissue damaged was severest 48 h after transplantation; the expression of VEGF increased after transplantation, peaked on day 7, the mRNA expression of VEGF120 and VEGF188 was more on 48 h after transplantation, decreased on day 7 (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe number of follicles was decreased after transplantation, the apoptosis index was increased especially in 48 h after transplantation; the expression of VEGF increased after transplantation, an increase in the VEGF188 and VEGF164 isoform might suggest the positive effect in the early stages of angiogenesis.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; physiology ; Cryopreservation ; Female ; Male ; Mice ; Organ Preservation ; adverse effects ; Ovarian Follicle ; pathology ; Ovary ; pathology ; transplantation ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the histopathological and ultrastructural changes in the corneal epithelium in TgAPPswePS1 transgenic mice.Methods TgAPPswePS1 transgenic mice were randomly divided into experimental group (A and B sub-group) and control group.There were 15 APPswe/PSEN1dE9 transgenic mice (15-18 months old) with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the experimental A group,and 15 APPswe/PSEN1 dE9 transgenic AD mice (8 months old) mice in the experimental B group,as well as 10 wild-type mice (8 months old) in the control group.Then,the histopathological and ultrastructural changes and the expression of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) in the corneal epithelium of the mice were detected,and finally,the apoptosis of corneal epithelial cells were observed by TUNEL assay.Results The thickness of corneal epithelium in the control group,A and B sub-group of the experimental group was (23.567 ± 2.123) μm,(15.456 ± 1.439) μm and (20.104 ± 1.763) μm,respectively.Meanwhile,murine corneal epithelial cells presented the histopathological changes of disorderly arrangement,decreased layers of cells and irregular morphology in the experimental group compared with the control group.Under transmission electron microscope,the microvilli on the surface of corneal epithelium was flat and significantly decreased in the A and B sub-group when compared with the control group.Moreover,Aβ positive expression in the experimental group was significantly upregulated compared with the control group;and the apoptotic number of the corneal epithelium in the B sub-group [(5.631 ± 2.471) cells] was smaller than that in the A sub-group [(16.329 ±3.542) cells],with the significant difference(P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion There are changes in the histopathology and ultrastructure of the corneal epithelium and the expression of Aβ in TgAPPswePS1 transgenic mice compared with wild-type mice,which are associated with the age of mice.

Background: Approximately 15–20% cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are diagnosed in children. There have been a few studies reporting the epidemiological data of pediatric?onset SLE (cSLE) in China, neither comparing the differences between cSLE and adult?onset SLE (aSLE). The aim of this study was to describe the impact of age of onset on clinical features and survival in cSLE patients in China based on the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research group (CSTAR) database. Methods: We made a prospective study of 225 cSLE patients (aged <16 years) and 1759 patients aged 16–50 years based on CSTAR registry. We analyzed initial symptoms, clinical presentations, SLE disease activity, damages, and outcomes of cSLE, as well as compared with aSLE patients. Results: The mean age of cSLE patients was 12.16 ± 2.92 years, with 187 (83.1%) females. Fever (P < 0.001) as well as mucocutaneous (P < 0.001) and renal (P = 0.006) disorders were found to be significantly more frequent in cSLE patients as initial symptoms, while muscle and joint lesions were significantly less common compared to aSLE subjects (P < 0.001). The cSLE patients were found to present more frequently with malar rash (P = 0.001; odds ratio [OR], 0.624; 95% confidence interval [CI ], 0.470–0.829) but less frequently with arthritis (P < 0.001; OR, 2.013; 95% CI, 1.512–2.679) and serositis (P = 0.030; OR, 1.629; 95% CI, 1.053–2.520). There was no significant difference in SLE disease activity index scores between cSLE and aSLE groups (P = 0.478). Cox regression indicated that childhood onset was the risk factor for organ damage in lupus patients (hazard ratio 0.335 [0.170–0.658], P = 0.001). The survival curves between the cSLE and aSLE groups had no significant difference as determined by the log?rank test (0.557, P = 0.455). Conclusions: cSLE in China has different clinical features and more inflammation than aSLE patients. Damage may be less in children and there is no difference in 5? year survival between cSLE and aSLE groups.

Objective To investigate the association of IL-10 gene promoter polymorphism with susceptibility to hepatitis B viral infection in Han, Yi and Yao ethnic groups from Guizhou province.Methods Five hundred volunteers from Guizhou province were selected to undertake PCR-RFLP for detection of IL-10 gene promoter -592 polymorphisim. Results The genotypic distributions of IL-10-592 were 32.53%- 51.43% (AA),40.74%-54.82% (AC),5.79%-18.52% (CC) whereas the allelic frequencies were 59.94% -72.38% for the A allele, and 27.62%-40.06% for the C allele in Han, Yi and Yao ethnics from Guizhou. The distributions of allele and genotype frequencies of IL-10-592 were statistically different between Yao ethnic in Libo and Yi ethnic in Qianxi, Yao ethnic in Libo and Han ethnic in Libo, Yi ethnic in Qianxi and Yi ethnic in Weining, Yi ethnic in Weining and Han ethnic in Libo (P ＜0.05). IL-10-592 polymorphism was associated with HBV infection in Yi ethnic in Qianxi and the whole population. Conclusion IL-10-592 gene polymorphisms influenced the susceptibility to HBV infection in Han, Yao, Yi sub-populations in Guizhou. Result of the study suggested that IL-10-592 gene polymorphisms might serve as a risk factor to HBV infection.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the baseline data of outpatient clinical subjects with vertigo and study on the clinical characteristics of vertigo.

METHODThe questionnaires and clinical tests data of 3432 patients complained vertigo were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSAll the patients received interview and vestibular function test. These patients aged 4-89 years with an average age of (40 +/- 18.6) years. Among them 1513 (44.09%) were male and 1919 (55.91%) were female, with a male:female ratio of 1:1.27. Vertigo patients increased according to age and reached its peak in the 41-60 years among all patients. The incidence might increase along with the increase of education level in urban populations. The onset of vertigo might correlate with the careers but differed among different populations.

CONCLUSIONSVertigo attacks patients in all age spans, but vertigo is highly prevalent in the population aged 41-60 years. The onset of vertigo is related to many different factors.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Distribution ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vertigo ; epidemiology ; physiopathology ; Vestibular Function Tests ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo create transgenic mice expressing hamster- and human-PRNP as a model for understanding the physiological function and pathology of prion protein (PrP), as well as the mechanism of cross-species transmission of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs).

METHODSHamster and human-PRNP transgenic mice were established by conventional methods. The copy number of integrated PRNP in various mouse lines was mapped by real-time PCR. PRNP mRNA and protein levels were determined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, real-time RT-PCR, and western blot analysis. Histological analyses of transgenic mice were performed by hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining and immunohistochemical (IHC) methods.

RESULTSIntegrated PRNP copy number in various mouse lines was 53 (Tg-haPrP1), 18 (Tg-huPrP1), 3 (Tg-huPrP2), and 16 (Tg-huPrP5), respectively. Exogenous PrPs were expressed at both the transcriptional and translational level. Histological assays did not detect any abnormalities in brain or other organs.

CONCLUSIONWe have established one hamster-PRNP transgenic mouse line and three human-PRNP transgenic mouse lines. These four transgenic mouse lines provide ideal models for additional research.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cricetinae ; DNA ; genetics ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Transgenic ; Organ Specificity ; Plasmids ; Prion Diseases ; genetics ; Prion Proteins ; Prions ; genetics ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transcription, Genetic

To study the intervention programs on smoking cessation in a general hospital and to evaluate its effects of the programs. Four methods including: a) the intervention through specialists in the smoking cessation clinic, b) short-time intervention in the out-patient department,c) free medical intervention, d) group intervention, were adopted for different smokers, with health counseling, psychological intervention and drug treatment. Intervention effect was evaluated by standard methods. During the 20-month period of the project, we treated 690 cases and 402 completed 6-month follow-up. Preliminary results in 402 cases showed that the three methods of smoking cessation interventions could reduce the amount of cigarette smoking and increase the quitting rate. Motivation to quit smoking, intervention methods and intensity of intervention seemed cessation clinic (31.6%) and in the group intervention (30.9%) was higher than short-time intervention in free medical events (15.1%). The successful rate of smoking cessation depended on the motivation of quitters, and the attitude, methods and intervention skills of the physicians.Therefore, it is necessary to explore and develop smoking cessation service models suitable to national context and individual intervention methods in China.