Pericellular matrix (PCM) is a narrow tissue region surrounding chondrocytes, which "chondron" with its enclosed cells. A number of studies suggested that PCM is rich in proteoglycans, collagen and fibronectin, and plays an important role in regulating microenvironment of chondrocytes. Direct measures of PCM properties through micropipette aspiration technique showed that PCM was different from mechanical property of chondrocytes and nature extracellular matrix. However, the function of PCM is not clear, and need further study.
Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Chondrocytes ; chemistry ; cytology ; metabolism ; Extracellular Matrix ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Humans

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of periodontal mechanical therapy for chronic periodontitis and coronary heart disease patients with low dose of aspirin.Methods:Sixty nine chronic periodontitis patients with coronary heart disease were randomly selected as the experimental group (medication group,group A),the control group (withdrawal group,group B) including 20 chronic periodontitis patients with coronary artery disease,stopping the drug for one week and another control group with 50 chronic periodontitis patients (group C).The three groups were examined with pocket probing,and received supragingival scaling,subgingival scaling,and root planning.Local bleeding after operation was observed.In 30 minutes after periodontal mechanical treatment,there was still a need to take some hemostatic measures (containing the oxidized cellulose putting in the periodontal pocket,gauze oppressing,and suturing).Nd:YAG laser was used to stop bleeding 60 minutes after operation.Results:At baseline,there was no significant difference in the three groups,as to the plaque index (PLI),the probing depth (PD),and the attachment loss (AL).The bleeding index (BI)in group A was significantly higher than that in group C (P =0.024),higher than that in group B (P =0.088).The platelet maximum aggregation rate (Aggmax) was detected in some subjects.The average Aggmax value group A was 15.2％,which was much greater than that in group B (60.7％) and group C (62.5 ％).The three groups were all safe in the treatment of periodontal therapy.There were five cases of active bleeding in group A,one case in group B and one case in group C in 30 minutes after operation.In 60 minutes after operation,there was one case of bleeding actively in group A.Nd:YAG laser was used to stop bleeding successfully.Conclusion:The chronic periodontitis and coronary heart disease patients with long-term oral administration of low dose of aspirin can be safely treated with periodontal mechanical treatment,and the effect of local hemostasis is positive without stopping the drug.

Plasmablastic myeloma is a rare pathological classification of multiple myeloma. This condition must be differentially diag-nosed because of lack of a distinctive phenotype. Involvement of the central nervous system is a rare complication of multiple myelo-ma. The choice of treatment is important for plasmablastic myeloma. Thus, this article presents a rare case of plasmablastic myeloma with multiple cranial nerve involvement. We clarify the diagnosis through the multidisciplinary team and select the optimal therapy for the patient.

Objective: To deepen the knowledge of HIV-negative plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) . Methods: Medical records from 8 HIV-negative PBL patients diagnosed in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1997 to May 2015 were collected, and the clinical features and prognosis of these patients were analyzed. Results: All of these 8 patients were diagnosed as HIV-negative PBL, 3 of 8 patients were males, and others were female. The median age was 60 (43-80) year. Among these patients, 4 cases had underlying immunosuppressive state. These patients all had extra-nodular involvement, and 6 cases of them were at stage Ⅳ according to Ann Arbor Staging, 5 patients had bone marrow involvement. CD38 and CD138 were diffusely positive for all patients, while the positive rate of B cell marker including PAX-5 and Bcl-6 were relative low. 5 of 8 patients had been detected for EBV-DNA, and all of them were negative. The median follow-up for the 7 patients receiving chemotherapy and regular follow-ups was 36 (11-57) months, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 15 (6-52) months, and the median overall survival was 36 (2-52) months. Among these patients, 4 cases had received chemotherapy combined with Bortezomib, showing 3 cases of effective, but it seems to be difficult to keep the long term efficacy, and disease progression occurred in 2, 9, and 21 months after treatment. 2 patients at stageⅠ-Ⅱ were treated effectively, without disease progression and survival, 5 patients at stage Ⅳacquired the efficacy unsustainably, with a median PFS of 10 (2-21) months and a median overall survival of 12 (6-52) months. Conclusion HIV-negative PBL is relatively prevalent in elderly patients, and presenting with high invasiveness in clinical, extremely prone to extra-nodular involvement, especially the bone marrow. The immunophenotype of PBL is more resemble to that of plasmacytoma. Patients who were in late stage at diagnosis show poor prognosis.

Aim To investigate the effect of p-hydroxybenzaldehyde ( HD) on intestinal fibrosis in mice based on mouse intestinal fibrosis model and in vitro EMT model,and to explore the underlying mechanism Methods HE staining, Masson staining, immunohisto-chemistry ,qPCR, Western blot and other experimental methods were used to verify the effect of HD on intestinal fibrosis in mice and the potential mechanism. Results In vivo experiments showed that compared with the normal group, the DSS-induced intestinal fibrosis model group had shortened colon, increased colon his-topathological score, increased collagen volume fraction, and significantly increased collagen I expression. After treatment with 4, 10, and 25 mg • kg

BACKGROUNDRecent research shows that lasers can inhibit fungal growth and that Nd:YAG 1064-nm lasers can penetrate as deep as the lower nail plate. The aim of this study was to observe the effect of a long-pulse Nd:YAG 1064-nm laser on 154 nails of 33 patients with clinically and mycologically proven onychomycosis.

METHODSThirty-three patients with 154 nails affected by onychomycosis were randomly assigned to two groups, with the 154 nails divided into three sub-groups (II degree, III degree, and IV degree) according to the Scoring Clinical Index of Onychomycosis. The 15 patients (78 nails) in group 1 were given eight sessions with a one-week interval, and the 18 patients (76 nails) in group 2 were given four sessions with a one-week interval.

RESULTSIn group 1, the effective rates at 8 weeks, 16 weeks, and 24 weeks were 63%, 62%, and 51%, respectively, and the effective rates in group 2 were 68%, 67%, and 53% respectively. The treatment effect was not significantly different between any sub-group pair (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSLong pulse Nd:YAG 1064-nm laser was effective for onychomycosis. It is a simple and effective method without significant complications or side effects and is expected to become an alternative or replacement therapy for onychomycosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lasers, Solid-State ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Onychomycosis ; surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the image quality of different tube voltage on digital chest radiograph for contrast detail phantom (CDRAD2.0) and occupational exposed workers.

METHODSThe CDRAD2.0 phantom DR images of high KV and different tube voltages were analyzed by 3 readers, image quality figure (IQF) were calculated and compared; at the same time 136 exposed workers were examined with high-kV and DR chest radiograph of different tube voltages. Contrast to high-KV images, 10 anatomic sites were scored .The image differences were compared between DR and high-kV.

RESULTSOn CDRAD2.0 phantom, the IQF value of DR images in 3 readers were minimum in the condition of 120 kV, average value was 22.25. The analysis of variance in model with random effects, the mean IQF value of different tube voltage DR image had a significant difference (F = 13.775, P<0.01); By Dunnett t-tests analysis, the mean IQF value of DR image in 120 kV and high kilovoltage had no difference (t = -0.58, P = 0.979); On clinical cases, the DR image of 120 kV showed the closest anatomy to the high KV, the mean had no significant difference with 0 (P > 0.05) with single sample t test.

CONCLUSIONOn the CDRAD2.0 phantom or clinical exposed workers, the DR image quality of 120 kV tube voltage equals to high-KV basically.

Adult ; Aged ; Dust ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; instrumentation ; methods ; Radiography, Thoracic ; instrumentation ; methods

OBJECTIVEPosterolateral intertransverse process fusion was performed in aged and young adult female rabbits lumbar spine using recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) and autograft to reveal the function of rhBMP-2 on spinal fusion on aged animals.

METHODSA total of 24 female New Zealand white rabbits included 12 young adult of 6 months and 12 aged of 2-year-old, was divided into 4 groups: (1) young adult autologous iliac crest bone group [ICBG(Y), n=6); (2) young adult rhBMP-2/absorbable collagen sponge (ACS) group [BMP-2(Y), n=6]; (3) aged autologous iliac crest bone group [ICBG(O), n=6]; aged rhBMP-2/ACS group [BMP-2(O), n=6]. All were underwent posterolateral fusion in same day. rhBMP-2 and autologous iliac crest bone was implant bilateral LS-L6 intertransverse processes, respectively. Half of the rabbits were sacrificed at 3.6 weeks following surgery, respectively. The results were assessed by manual palpation, radiographs, computed tomographic scans (3D) and histology.

RESULTSSix weeks after surgery, radiography, computed tomography and histology indicated the different result in healing in the posterolateral fusion using rhBMP-2 compared to ICBG (P < 0.05). Aged BMP-2 group showed significantly higher fusion rates than Aged ICBG group.

CONCLUSIONThis study demonstrated rhBMP-2 can increase the posterolateral fusion rate and new bone quality in aged rabbitss than autograft, it may take the place of ICBG. But its role is effected by age.

Aging ; Animals ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Palpation ; Rabbits ; Recombinant Proteins ; pharmacology ; Spinal Cord ; drug effects ; pathology ; surgery ; transplantation ; Spinal Fusion ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Transplantation, Autologous

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEThe effect of gefitinib on advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was various. How to choose the sensitive patients and improve the effect was difficulty in clinic. This study was to assess the correlation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and HER2/3 protein expression with the effect of gefitinib on Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC.

METHODSFrom May 2002 to February 2005, a total of 106 Chinese NSCLC patients who had failed at least one chemotherapy regimen were treated with gefitinib 250 mg once a day. The mutations in the exons 18-24 of EGFR gene were detected in the tumor tissues from 106 patients before the treatment of gefitinib, and HER2/3 expression in 84 tumor samples were detected by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSMutation was identified in 32 (30.2%) tumor tissues. Overall remission rate was significantly higher in the HER2 high expression patients than in the HER2 low expression patients (36.8% vs 17.4%, P=0.044). HER2 and HER3 expression levels were not associated with time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS). The patients with HER2/3 single high expression had relatively longer TTP and OS than those with HER2/3 single low expression (6.1 vs 9.1 months, P=0.725; 6.1 vs 9.0 months, P=0.862), while those with concomitant HER2/3 high expression had significant longer TTP and OS. EGFR-mutated patients with HER2 expression or high HER2 and HER3 expressions were more sensitive to gefitinib.

CONCLUSIONEGFR mutations combined with HER2/3 expressions is a significant predictor for gefitinib efficacy on Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC.

Adenocarcinoma ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Exons ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Neoplasm Staging ; Quinazolines ; therapeutic use ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; genetics ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; metabolism ; Receptor, ErbB-3 ; metabolism ; Remission Induction ; Survival Rate

Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; Male