Objective To investigate the expression of Fas/FasL in children with aplastic anemia(AA) and its clinical significance.To explore the pathogenesis of AA.Methods CD34+ cell counts and the expression of Fas/FasL in 12 children with severe AA(SAA),18 with chronic AA(CAA)and 10 normal children were detected by flow cytometry combining monocolon antibody.Results The expression of Fas in children with AA were significantly higher than that in control group(P0.05).Conclusions Fas/FasL systeam take part in inducing CD34+ cell apoptosis.This may contribute to understanding the decrease number of stem cells and bone marrow failure.

Background One of the difficulties in identifying early glaucoma is the variability of perimetry performance.For this reason,a field defect have to be reproduced more than two consecutive examinations before it is confirmed.The relationship between visual field sensitivity and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness may give us a more efficient and objective assessment to the early diagnosis of glaucoma.Objective This diagnostic test was to evaluate the application of functional-structural relationship between automated perimetry and RNFL in the early diagnosis of open-angle glaucoma.Methods Sixty-four eyes of 64 patients with early open-angle glaucoma and 50 eyes of 50 normal volunteers with the matched age and gender were enrolled in Xiangya Hospital January to June 2007.Visual field examinations,including standard automated perimetry (SAP),short wave automated perimetry (SWAP),and imaging of scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation(GDxVCC),were performed on the subjects with the informed consent.The sensitivity and specificity of the joint or single measurement of GDxVCC,SAP and SWAP under the local diagnostic criteria,and overall diagnostic criteria were calculated.Results According to the overall diagnostic criteria,the sensitivity of GDxVCC,SWAP and SAP were 70％,63％,61％ respectively,and the specificity were 84％,80％,78％,respectively.According to the local diagnostic criteria,the sensitivity of GDxVCC,SWAP and SAP were 78％,86％,78％,respectively,and the specificity were 54％,40％,50％,respectively.With the local diagnostic criteria,the sensitivity and specificity of serial test of GDxVCC,SWAP and SAP were 86％ and 90％ respectively,and the positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 8.59 and O.16,respectively.Conclusions The functional-structural relationship between automated perimetry and RNFL which can provide valuable individual diagnostic information for patients,and serial test of GDxVCC,SWAP and SAP can reduce the false positive rate and improve the diagnostic performance significantly.

Objective To explore the clinical significance of the brain natriuretic peptide(BNP) in evaluating the cardiotoxicity caused by daunorubicin(DNR) through studying the changes of the plasma BNP levels in children with acute leukemia who accepted the chemotherapy with DNR.Methods Thirty-one children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL) admitted in the year of 2002-2004 underwent the chemotherapy in DVLP project.The plasma level of BNP was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) and the left ventricular end diastolic diameter(LVEDD) by color Doppler respectively before and after the administration of DNR.Simultaneously,electrocardiography(ECG) and cardiac muscle enzymes(LDH1,CK-MB) were measured as routine.Results The plasma level of BNP increased from(3.97?2.41) ng/L to(18.25?7.63) ng/L(P

Biomarkers ; blood ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Critical Illness ; Early Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; blood ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Peptides ; blood ; Severity of Illness Index ; Trefoil Factor-2

The present study is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying Gleevec-induced apoptosis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) K562 cells in vitro. The apoptotic cell death and cell cycle distribution after Gleevec treatment and the effect of PDCD4 siRNA on Gleevec-induced apoptosis of K562 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The effect of Gleevec on p-Crkl, caspase-3, PARP and PDCD4 protein levels, and the knockdown efficacy of PDCD4 siRNA were detected by Western blotting. The results showed that Gleevec dramatically suppressed the phosphorylation level of Crkl in a dose-dependent manner and induced significant apoptosis and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest of K562 cells in time- and dose-dependent manners. In addition, Gleevec activated caspase-3 and its downstream substrates PARP, and the caspase pan inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK (50 micromol x L(-1)) markedly reduced Gleevec-induced apoptosis from 47.97% +/- 10.56% to 31.05% +/- 9.206% (P < 0.05). Moreover, Gleevec significantly increased the protein expression of programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4). PDCD4 knockdown by siRNA reduced Gleevec-induced apoptosis from 46.97% +/- 14.32% to 42.8% +/- 11.43%. In summary, Gleevec induced apoptosis in K562 cells via caspase-3 activation.
Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Benzamides ; pharmacology ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Humans ; Imatinib Mesylate ; K562 Cells ; Phosphorylation ; Piperazines ; pharmacology ; Pyrimidines ; pharmacology

Objective To investigate the relationship between apoptosis of bone marrow cells and tumor necrosis factor-?(TNF-?),Fas/FasL expression in children with aplastic anemia.Methods The concentration of TNF-? in supernatant of cultured bone marrow mononuclear cell(BMMC) was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.The expression of Fas/FasL,apoptosis ratio of bone marrow CD34+ cell were evaluated by flow cytometry.Results The concentration of TNF-? in supernatant of cultured BMMC in AA group[SAA (27.9?8.20) ng/L;CAA (23.6?6.78) ng/L] increased significantly compared with control group(t=3.432 P0.05).Apoptosis ratio of CD34+ cell in SAA group[(24.6?9.56)%] and CAA group[(20.9?7.32)%] significantly increased compared with control group(t=3.492,3.458 Pa0.05).The concentration of TNF-? was positively correlated with the expression of CD34+ Fas+ in all types AA children(r=0.542 P0.05).Conclusions TNF-? and Fas/FasL system can be involved in inducing CD34+ cell apoptosis.This may contribute to understanding the decreased number of stem cells and bone marrow failure.

Abnormalities, Multiple ; genetics ; pathology ; Child, Preschool ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diarrhea ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy ; Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency ; complications ; Fever ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Fingers ; abnormalities ; Humans ; Male ; Pancreatic Diseases ; etiology ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVETo study the impact of IFN-gamma on liver fibrosis and its possible mechanism. Thirty healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into two groups: fibrosis model group, IFN-gamma treatment group. Experimental liver fibrosis was induced by subcutaneous injection of CCl4. After 12-week-treatment, serum hyalurnic acid and TGF-beta1 was examined, histopathological changes and degrees of fibrosis were observed by optical microscopy. Meanwhile, the expression of TGF-beta1, TbetaR- I and Smad2/3 proteins was detected by immunohistochemistry and quantified by using computerized image analysis.

RESULTS(1) Pathological observation of hepatic specimens: histological examination showed that there were significant difference between normal group and fibrosis model group by comparing with the degrees of inflammation and fibrosis (P < 0.05). And the difference between fibrosis model group and IFN-gamma treatment group was significant (P < 0.05). (2) Changes of the hepatic fibrosis index (serum HA and TGF-beta1): the levels of serum HA, TGF-beta1 in fibrosis model group were higher than IFN-gamma treatment groups (P < 0.05). (3) Changes of gene protein levels about TGF-beta1/Smad: the expressions of TGF-beta1, TbetaR- I and Smad2/3 in rat hepatic tissue were detected with immunohistochemistry techniques. The expressions of the three items in model group were higher than normal group (P < 0.01). The difference between model group and IFN-gamma treatment group was significant (P < 0.05);

CONCLUSIONIFN-gamma treatment group had significant results on treating experimental hepatic fibrosis. By the way of inhibiting expressions of TGF-beta1, TbetaR- I, Smad2/3, IFN-gamma treatment group exerted its anti-fibrosis effect.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; therapeutic use ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Liver Cirrhosis ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Smad2 Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Smad3 Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the impacts of the acupoint catgut implantation on postpartum pain of uterine contraction with qi and blood deficiency.

METHODSOne hundred and ten primiparas of natural delivery differentiated as qi and blood deficiency pattern in TCM were selected as the subjects. They were randomized into an acupoint catgut implantation group (55 cases) and a routine nursing group (55 cases). In the acupoint catgut implantation group, the catgut was implanted in Zigong (EX-CA 1), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Pishu (BL 20) and Geshu (BL 17) in 6 h after delivery; additionally, the routine post-delivery nursing was adopted. In the routine nursing group, the routine post-delivery nursing was applied simply. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and the pain relief time of uterine contraction were compared in 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 96 h after acupoint catgut implantation between the two groups.

RESULTSVAS Scores in 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 96 h after acupoint catgut implantation in the acupoint catgut implantation group were lower apparently than those in the routine nursing group (3.31 +/- 0.39 vs 4.31 +/- 0.29, 1.86 +/- 0.29 vs 2.66 +/- 0.25, 0.89 +/- 0.21 vs 1.59 +/- 0.24, 0.35 +/- 0.10 vs 0.69 +/- 0.13, all P < 0.05). The pain relief was achieved in (72.06 +/- 6.83) h in the acupoint catgut implantation group and was (123.42 +/- 11.12) h in the routine nursing group. The pain relief in the acupoint catgut implantation group was achieved more quickly (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe intervention of acupoint catgut implantation in 6 h after natural delivery in primiparas prevents effectively postpartum pain of uterine contraction.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Catgut ; utilization ; Female ; Humans ; Labor Pain ; therapy ; Pain ; prevention & control ; Postpartum Period ; physiology ; Pregnancy ; Qi ; Uterine Contraction ; Uterus ; physiopathology ; Young Adult

Photothermal therapy (PTT) has attracted significant attention due to minimal side effects and high treatment specificity. However, it often requires very high temperature to achieve complete tumor ablation under a single PTT. Such high temperature brings obvious thermal damage and inflammatory response to the body, affecting the therapeutic effect. In recent years, nitric oxide (NO) has been used to significantly inhibit tumor growth and enhance the sensitivity of tumor cells of temperature and drugs, thus enhancing the therapeutic effect. However, compounds as NO donors often have some disadvantages such as poor biocompatibility and untargeted delivery, etc., therefore, this medical application based on NO therapy is limited. In conclusion, the organic combination of NO donors and photothermal agents (PTAs) is expected to overcome the shortcomings of single therapy and achieve the antitumor effect of "1 + 1 > 2". In view of the rapid development of NO combining with PTT in tumor therapy, this review firstly introduces the antitumor mechanisms of different types of NO donors. Then the treatment strategy based on NO combined with PTT is discussed. Finally, the prospects and challenges of this combination therapy strategy in the clinical treatment of cancer are discussed.