Cardiomyopathies ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Echocardiography ; Heart Ventricles ; pathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Young Adult

Objective With awareness, attitudes, and rice-intake behavior of Kaschin-Beck disease (KBD) and the analysis of the factors that influence KBD related rice-intake behaviors among resident's in Aba,this research could provide evidences for KBD-Control, and benefit the policy development related to KBD-Control.Methods Villages were chosen by proportional stratified random sampling from KBD monitoring villages among agriculture areas, pastoral areas, and farming & pastoral areas in Aba, Sichuan, in July 2009. Interview questionnaire of household survey, designed by research associates of this project, was used in this research for residents in endemic area of KBD in Aba. The questionnaire covered demographic and socio-economic characteristics, KBD knowledge and diet habits. Multi-level Variance Component Analysis was used to explore factors which would influence the KBD related rice-intake behaviors. Results A total of 1029 permanent residents were recruited in this research, among which the detection rate of KBD was 48.01％ (482/1004). Most of the patients lived in farming & pastoral areas(84.44％, 407/482). Pastoral residents had the least knowledge of KashinBeck disease, and the composition ratios ofGeneral andGood were 15.87％ (33/208)and 3.36％ (7/208),respectively. Still, people who were willing to have rice as staple food were 93.13％(935/1004). It indicated that only (50.40 ± 23.68)％ on average, of research subjects had the life style of rice intake. Ethnic, work status,language situation and attitudes to rice intake were influencing factors for rice-intake behavior. Conclusions The percentage of rice intake in Aba KBD epidemic areas is low. And to prevent KBD, the advocacy actions should be targeted at ethnic, work status, language situation, and attitudes to rice intake.

Objective To investigate the effects of chronic high glucose on α-cells glucagon releasing in relation to insulin resistance induced by high glucose. Methods TC1-6 cells, an α-cell line, were incubated separately in DMEM containing high (25.0 mmol/L), medium (11.1 mmol/L) and low (5.5 mmol/L) concentrations of glucose for 1 to 5 days. The secretion and gene expression of glueagon were measured. When TC1-6 cells had been cultured for 5 days, three different concentrations of insulin were added for 6 h and then glucagon secretion was detected. Western blot was used for 1 and 3 days to confirm the effect of high glucose on phosphorylation of Akt in TC1-6 cells. Results (1) Exposure of TC1-6 cells to 11.1 and 25.0 mmol/L glucose resulted in a slight increase of glucagon secretion compared with those incubated with 5.5 mmol/L. However, after 5 days in media containing 25.0 mmol/L glucose, glucagan secretion was significantly increased as compared to cells treated with low glucose [(136.80±10.94 vs 78.62±4.72 ) ng/106 cells, P<0.05]; moreover, in TC1-6 cell cultured with high glucose glucagon mRNA expression was increased significantly. (2) 10-7 mol/L insulin reduced significantly glucagon secretion of TC1-6 ceils exposed to low glucose [(21.59±1.30 vs 55.12±3.86) ng/106 cells], but just scarcely inhibited glucagon secretion of cells incubated with high glucose [(106.58±8.53 vs 117.18±10.55) ng/106 cells]. When insulin concentration was increased to 10-5 mol/L, glucagon secretion of TC1-6 cells in high glucose was also reduced [(46.55±3.72 vs 118.61±10.68 )ng/106 cells]. (3) After treated with 10-5 mol/L insulin for 2h, the levels of Akt phosphorylation in both groups of TC1-6 cells were increased by 180% and 70%, while the level in high glucose group was significantly lower than that in low glucose group. In the presence of phosphoinositide 3 kinase inhibitor, the levels of Akt phosphorylation were both lowered, but the inhibition in low glucose group was more significant than in high glucose group. Conclusion High glucose induces hypersecretion of glucagon, which may be due to the a-cell insulin resistance.

T polymorphism,was selected as putative promoter.The recombinant constructions containing-1328-+812 of TGF-?_1 gene and CAT reporter gene(phTGF2.14T,phTGF2.14C)were constructed and transfected into HepG2 cells with liposomal trans- fection method,then the transfected HepG2 cells were treated with IL-10(4 ng/ml),HGF(10 ng/ml)or IFN-?(20 ng/ml). Reporter gene activity was analyzed by ELISA.Results:Reporter gene activity in cells transfected with phTGF2.14C was sig- nificantly higher than those transfected with phTGF2.14T(P

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of color doppler flow image (CDFI) and three-dimension color power angiography(3D-CPA) in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules. Methods A total of 62 pathologically confirmed thyroid nodules of 30 patients were analyzed. All the patients underwent ultrasound examination and operation in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between January, 2008 and May, 2009. Both CDFI and 3D-CPA were performed before the operation. All the nodules were divided into three groups including nodular goiters, thyroid adenomas and thyroid cancers according to the pathological results. The hemodynamic features and the vascular morphology characteristics of nodules in different groups were compared. Results 3D-CPA showed that blood vessels of nodular goiters commonly distributed surrounding the mass and the inner vessels were thin and regular, thyroid adenomas were bulb-shaped and netted structure, and malignant thyroid nodules displayed distorted and irregular distributed vessels. Peak systolic velocity (PSV)of the three groups were (39.43±11.17a), (46.39±12.98) and (65.17±9.23)cm/s, respectively. Resistance index(RI) of the three groups were (0.32±0.08), (0.41±0.06) and (0.69±0.07)cm/s, respectively. Both PSV and RI in malignant thyroid nodules were higher than in nodular goiters and in thyroid adenomas and the difference were statistical significant (all P < 0.05). The blood flow grade of malignant nodules was also higher in malignant nodules than in other two groups(χ2 = 17.11, 12.79, 23.05, 15.41, P< 0.01). Conclusions CDFI and 3D-CPA could visually demonstrate the characteristic and distribution of the inner and outer blood vessels, display the vessels structures, and they are benefit the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most popular diseases that cause menstrual dysfunction and infertility in women. The present paper is a brief retrospection on the progress in treatment of PCOS caused infertility with integrative Chinese and Western medicine (ICWM). It can be seen from these materials that using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) recipes formulated by Shen-replenishing herbs or acupuncture to reinforce Gan-Shen, regulate Chong-Ren Channels in treating PCOS, stable clinical efficacy could be obtained, with less adverse reaction, though the effect initiated somewhat late. Whereas, when Shen-replenishing recipe and acupuncture are combined with hormone or ovulation promoting drugs of Western medicine, the above-mentioned shortcomings would be overcome. So, this combined therapy is frequently used in clinical practice.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Ovulation ; drug effects ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ; therapy

OBJECTIVEThe reporting of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instrument development is vital for both researchers and clinicians to determine its validity, thus, we propose the Preferred Reporting Items for PRO Instrument Development (PRIPROID) to improve the quality of reports.

METHODSAbiding by the guidance published by the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) Network, we had performed 6 steps for items development: identified the need for a guideline, performed a literature review, obtained funding for the guideline initiative, identified participants, conducted a Delphi exercise and generated a list of PRIPROID items for consideration at the face-to-face meeting.

RESULTSTwenty three items subheadings under 7 topics were included: title and structured abstract, rationale, objectives, intention, eligibility criteria, conceptual framework, items generation, response options, scoring, times, administrative modes, burden assessment, properties assessment, statistical methods, participants, main results, and additional analysis, summary of evidence, limitations, clinical attentions, and conclusions, item pools or final form, and funding.

CONCLUSIONSThe PRIPROID contains many elements of the PRO research, and this assists researchers to report their results more accurately and to a certain degree use this instrument to evaluate the quality of the research methods.

Humans ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Research Report ; Research Support as Topic ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDCisplatin based chemotherapy is a well recognized risk factor for coagulation disorders and thrombosis. The pathophysiological mechanisms by which cisplatin promote thrombosis are not well understood.

METHODSRed blood cells (RBCs) were separated from peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer (n = 10) and healthy adults (n = 6) and treated with cisplatin. Coagulation time of RBCs was assessed by one step recalcification time and the productions of thrombin, intrinsic and extrinsic factor Xa were measured in the presence or absence of various concentrations of lactadherin. Exposed phosphatidylserine was stained with lactadherin and observed by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry.

RESULTSNeither fresh RBCs nor RBCs treated without cisplatin had potent procoagulant activity. Cisplatin treatment increased procoagulant activity of RBCs in a cell number- and concentration-dependent manner. Exposed phosphatidylserine was stained with lactadherin and after cisplatin treatment, strong fluorescence was revealed by confocal microscopy. Lactadherin bound RBCs from patients with breast cancer increased from (1.9 +/- 0.5)% on control RBCs to (68.0 +/- 3.5)% on RBCs treated with 10 micromol/L cisplatin for 24 hours.

CONCLUSIONSCisplatin treatment increases procoagulant activity of RBCs, which have a strong association with exposure of phosphatidylserine. The increased procoagulant activity may contribute to the pathogenesis of thrombophilia during cisplatin based chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Blood Coagulation ; drug effects ; physiology ; Cisplatin ; pharmacology ; Erythrocytes ; drug effects ; physiology ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Genes, Viral ; genetics ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Protein Isoforms ; genetics ; Viral Core Proteins ; genetics