OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effects of single posterior debridement, bone grafting, internal fixation and local chemotherapy in treating thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis.

METHODSFrom February 2009 to September 2012,11 patients with thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis were treated by single posterior debridement, bone grafting, internal fixation and local chemotherapy. There were 7 males and 4 females, aged from 27 to 65 years old with an average of 53.7 years. The courses of disease was from 3 months to 2 years with the mean of 9 months. According to ASIA standard of spinal cord injury, 3 cases were grade C and 8 cases D. After treatment, clinical effects were evaluated by ASIA grade, visual analogue score (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI); kyphosis Cobb angle change was observed by X-rays.

RESULTSEleven patients were followed up from 12 to 29 months with an average of 18 months. ASIA grade of spinal cord injury, 3 patients with grade C improved to grade D in 2 cases and grade E in 1 case 8 patients with grade D improved to grade E in 7 cases and unchanged in 1 case. VAS decreased from preoperative 6.10 ± 1.30 to 1.70 ± 0.80 at 3 d after operation (P < 0.05). ODI improved from preoperative (68.36 ± 10.41)% to (14.55 ± 8.99)% (P < 0.05) at 3 d after operation. Kyphotic Cobb angle was corrected from preoperative (22.64 ± 4.84)° to (4.27 ± 1.49)° (P < 0.05) on the 3rd day after operation, and angle loss was mild at final follow-up, there was no significant difference between postoperative at 3 d and final follow-up.

CONCLUSIONSingle posterior debridement, bone grafting, internal fixation and local chemotherapy for the treatment of thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis can effectively remove the lesion, improve nerve function and correct deformity, has advantage of single incision, little trauma, and low recurrence rate. But it still need long-term and systemic treatment with anti-TB drugs.

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Transplantation ; Debridement ; Female ; Humans ; Internal Fixators ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; surgery ; Tuberculosis, Spinal ; therapy

Cell Differentiation ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumor ; pathology ; Sex Cord-Gonadal Stromal Tumors ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo study the roles of IL-4, IL-5 and IgE in childhood cough variant asthma (CVA).

METHODSThe IL-4 and IL-5 levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and the serum IgE levels were determined using ELISA in children with CVA in the acute stage (n=21) and in the convalesce stage (n=9). The samples from 30 children with acute bronchial asthma and from 30 healthy children were used as controls.

RESULTSThe levels of PBMC IL-4 (91.57 +/- 12.19 ng/L) and IL-5 (13.28 +/- 0.31 ng/mL) in children with CVA in the acute stage were significantly higher than those in the convalesce stage (74.68 +/- 11.54 ng/L, 6.53 +/- 0.28 ng/mL) and also higher than those in the healthy controls (70.32 +/- 18.16 ng/L, 5.29 +/- 0.36 ng/mL) (P < 0.01). The levels of serum IgE in children with CVA in the acute stage (279.6 +/- 41.3 KU /L) were strikingly higher than those in the convalesce stage (153.8 +/- 37.5 KU/L) (P < 0.01). The levels of serum IgE in children with CVA either in the acute stage or in the convalesce stage were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (90.6 +/- 44.8 KU /L) (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in the levels of IL-4, IL-5 and IgE between children with acute CVA and acute asthma.

CONCLUSIONSA combined determination of PBMC IL-4 and IL-5 and serum IgE may be valuable for the diagnosis and the outcome evaluation of CVA. IL-4 and IL-5 may play a role in the pathogenesis of CVA. It is speculated that CVA may have similar pathogenesis to bronchial asthma since acute CVA patients have similar IL-4, IL-5 and IgE levels to children with acute bronchial asthma.

Asthma ; immunology ; Child, Preschool ; Cough ; immunology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Infant ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; physiology ; Interleukin-5 ; blood ; physiology ; Male

Nanotechnology has shown obvious advantages in the field of medical treatment and diagnosis. Through the encapsulation of nano carriers, drugs not only enhance the therapeutic effect and reduce toxic and side effects, but also become intelligent responsive targeted drug systems through the modification on the surface of nano carriers. However, due to the obstacles in relevant basic research, production conditions, cost, clinical trials, and the lack of pharmacokinetic research on various drug loading systems, few nano systems have been used in therapy. In order to solve the above problems, this paper reviewed and analyzed the research progress of nano carriers in drug delivery, including their auxiliary role and characteristics, types and functions, pharmacokinetics, application prospects and challenges.

Based on variation of Pinus massoniana families, heritablility and correlation analysis, the contents of shikimic acid and procyanidine (heritability 0.90, 0.70), dry weight of single branch (heritability 0.60) and and leaf length (heritability 0.46) were screened out as quality, yield and harvest cost traits of Folium Pini, respectively. For the different medicinal application of Folium Pini, varied methods were chosen to estimate weight and construct index equation. Weight adjustment based.on equal emphasis were used as economic weight determining method to select the best families, and the index (accuracy 0. 936 4 and heritability 0. 881 6) obtained was a little better than that obtained by equal emphasis, and much better than that by restricted index. The superior families selected with adjustment weight and equal emphasis were No. 46, 43 and 28. Partial regression were used as economic weight determining method to select the best families,and the index obtained had the highest accuracy (0.941 5) , index heritability (0. 889 9) and the genetic gain of shikimic acid content. The superior families selected with this method were No. 46, 27 and 47. No. 46 was the best families with maximal economic benefit. Our study indicated that suitable method for estimate weight and construct index equation can be applied for better accuracy of superior families selection of P. massoniana.
Breeding ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Pinus ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics ; growth & development ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics ; growth & development

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Shenluotong Decoction (SD) on serum levels of aldosterone, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), α-smooth muscle protein (α-SMA), and nuclear factor-KB (NF-κB) in obstructive nephropathy rats, and to explore the initial mechanism of SD for inhibiting renal interstitial fibrosis.

METHODSTotally 48 healthy Wistar rats were randomly divided into the sham-operation group (n =12) and the model group (n =36). Renal interstitial fibrosis rat model was established by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). After successful modeling, 36 rats were randomly divided into the model group, the Chinese medicine group, and the Western medicine group, 12 in each group. Eplerenone was added in the forage at the daily dose of 100 mg/kg for rats in the Western medicine group. Chinese medicine was added in the forage at the daily dose of 26 g/kg for rats in the Chinese medicine group. Equal volume of normal saline was administered to rats in the sham-operation group and the model group. All medication was performed once daily. The obstructive kidneys were extracted ten days after medication. The pathomorphological changes were observed. The contents of serum aldosterone and MCP-1, and the protein or mRNA expression of MCP-1, α-SMA, and NF-KB were detected.

RESULTSCompared with the sham-operation group, infiltration of a large amount of inflammatory cells and collagen deposition significantly increased, serum contents of aldosterone and MCP-1 obviously increased (P < 0.01), the expression of MCP-1 mRNA and protein were significantly up-regulated (P <0.01), the protein expression of α-SMA and NF-KB were significantly enhanced in the model group (P <0.01). Com- pared with the model group, infiltration of inflammatory cells and renal collagen deposition were attenua- ted in the Chinese medicine group and the Western medicine group, the serum MCP-1 level were reduced, and the mRNA and protein expression of MCP-1 were significantly down-regulated (P <0.01), the protein expression of α-SMA and NF-KB were obviously inhibited (P <0. 01). At the same time, serum aldosterone level was reduced in the Chinese medicine group (P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONSinflammatory lesions of the renal tissue could promote the progress of interstitial fibrosis in rats with obstructive nephropathy. SD could attenuate interstitial fibrosis through reducing serum contents of aldosterone and MCP-1, down-regulating MCP-1/ NF-KB, and inhibiting the expression of α-SMA.

Animals ; Chemokine CCL2 ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Fibrosis ; Kidney ; drug effects ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; genetics ; NF-kappa B ; drug effects ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ureteral Obstruction ; drug therapy ; genetics

Action Potentials ; Animals ; Electromyography ; Environmental Exposure ; Hypothermia ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Seawater ; Thigh ; physiology ; physiopathology

Adult ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 ; Female ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; methods ; Microdissection ; methods ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics of primary nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma (NPACC) and its relation to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in Guangzhou where is a high-incidence area of EBV-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

METHODS17 cases of NPACC with clinical record and biopsy samples were collected in Guangzhou and their clinical manifestations were reviewed. Besides HE, Alcian blue and PAS, LSAB immunohistochemistry was performed for detecting the expression of a variety of epithelial markers, CD21 and EBV encoded LMP1. EBV encoded early RNAs (EBER) was detected by using in-situ hybridization. Nested PCR was applied for studying the presence of EBV W-fragment in tissues.

RESULTSThe ratio of male to female was 7:10. The patients' age ranged from 30 to 63 years, and the median age was 46 years. 14 out of 17 tumors showed markedly local aggressive growth, presenting as T3 or T4. However, only 1 patient had metastasis of an ipsilateral cervical lymph node. The majority of neoplastic cells were basal-cell like in shape and with scanty cytoplasm and a deeply stained nucleus. Intercellular hyaline or mucinous substance was always present in between the carcinoma cells. Cribriform structure formed by the neoplastic cells could be found in 16 out of these 17 biopsies. The NPACC always express the wide-spectrum cytokeratin and the epithelium membrane antigen. Only a few or a small number of carcinoma cells showed nuclear EBER-signals in 9 cases (9/17). Concurrently, these 9 NPACCs showed a 192 bp W-fragment positive band on electrophoresis gel by nested PCR. LMP1 expression had been found in 5 out of the 9 NPACCs (55.6%) accompanying with EBER-positive carcinoma cells. The EBER-positive infiltrating lymphocytes could also be found in the stroma of 3 out of the 9 EBER-stained NPACC slides. All the tumor cells, including the EBER-positive cell of the 17 NPACCs showed no CD21 expression.

CONCLUSIONSThe female is predominant over the male in development of NPACC, which often accompanied with a markedly invasive capacity at the nasopharynx and its neighboring sites. Only a small number of tumor cells, nearly a half of the studied cases were infected with EBV. Therefore, it's postulated that there seems no close relation present between NPACC and EBV infection.

Adult ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; etiology ; pathology ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; complications ; Female ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; etiology ; pathology ; RNA, Viral ; analysis ; Viral Matrix Proteins ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo introduce the advantages of the circumcision with a scalpel by inserting a piece of gauze between the inner prepuce and superficial fascia.

METHODSFrom November 2000 to March 2006, 2 100 patients with redundant prepuce, aged 6-78 years, averaging 23, were circumcised with a scalpel by inserting a piece of gauze between the inner prepuce and superficial fascia. Of all the cases, 1 799 (85.7%) were classified as Type I, 237 (11.3%) as Type II and 64 (3.0%) as Type III redundant prepuce. The mean operation time was 20 minutes (15-35 min).

RESULTSThe incisions were all healed in one stage, with good appearance, no infection and no disruption. Bleeding occurred in 12 cases 648 hours after the operation and delayed bleeding in 3 cases.

CONCLUSIONThe circumcision with a scalpel by inserting a piece of gauze between the inner prepuce and superficial fascia, with easier performance, fewer complications and less bleeding, and capable of preserving more and continuous superficial fascia and giving a better appearance, well deserves to be popularized in clinical practice.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Circumcision, Male ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phimosis ; surgery ; Surgical Sponges