BACKGROUND: Collagen sponge is considered the most useful biomaterial owing to its excellent function and properties, easy processing, sterilization, and preservation and has been widely used in scientific research and clinical application. OBJECTIVE: To describe the properties of collagen sponge and to review the research progress of collagen sponge in clinical application in recent years. METHODS: A computer-based retrieval was performed by the first author to search for manuscripts published from January 2000 to August 2010 in Pubmeds and Elsevier databases and for manuscripts published from January 1993 to August 2010 in CNKI database using key words "collagen, collagen sponge, clinical application" in title and abstract items in English and Chinese language, respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Collagen sponge, as a new biological material, has been widely applied in tissue engineering research in terms of hemostasis, wound healing, anti-infection, cartilage repair, and nerve repair. But at present, nearly all collagen is from animals and immunogenicity cannot be thoroughly eliminated. Researchers outside of China have synthesized recombinant human collagen using bioreactor and transgenic technology, but its efficacy and safety in clinical application needs further investigation and research.

Objective To study the neuropsychological features of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods Fifty-two AD, 26 MCI and 24 healthy aging cases were investigated by the clinical evaluation and a series of neuropsychological tests which include mini-mental state examination (MMSE), clinical dementia rating scale (CDR), activity of daily living scale (ADL) and clinical memory scale (CMS). Results The scores of the neuropsychological tests in AD,MCI and normal control groups were as follows: MMSE scores were 18. 9?5. 1, 26. 9?2. 1, 29. 0?1.1 respectively; ADL scores were 48. 3?17. 7, 26. 7?9. 3, 22. 1?4.1 respectively; Memory Quotient(MQ)scores were 52. 5?26. 7, 81. 3?10. 8, 101. 8?11. 6; CMS scores were 52. 5?26. 7, 81. 3?10. 8, 101. 8?11. 6 respectively. All neuropsychological tests except ADL in MCI group were significantly lower than those in the normal controKall P

Objective To assess the diagnostic value of the single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) and the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD), and to explore the correlation between cerebral atrophy and cerebral regional blood flow and the degree of cognitive impairment in AD patients. Methods The temporal and frontal lobes and hippocampus were quantitatively detected by MRI and the cerebral regional blood flow in these regions was analysed semi-quantitatively by SPECT for 36 patients with AD, 32 with VD and 30 sex-matched non-demented elderly controls (NC). Results The hippocampal atrophy of AD and VD groups detected on MRI was significantly different from that of the NC group. Left hippocampal height was (9.27?3.43)mm in AD, (11.62?5.72)mm in VD and (12.13?2.97)mm in NC(P0.05, compared to that of NC), showing that hippocampal atrophy could not be detected by MRI. However, RAR of the left hippocampus by SPECT detection was 0.61?0.07 (P

Objective To study the mirror writing in elderly patients with senile dementia and vascular dementia. Methods Thirty-three senile dementia patients and 30 vascular dementia patients were studied. Age- and education-matched 63 healthy elder people were included in control groups. Ten items for determination of handedness, Mini Mental Status Examination(MMSE), Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) and the written language of Chinese Aphasia Examination Scale(draft) were adopted to examine all patients. Hachinski Ischemic Scale was used for differentiation between senile dementia and vascular dementia. Results Seventeen (51.51%) of senile dementia patients and 23 (76.60%) of vascular dementia patients were mirror writiers. In the corresponding control groups, these numbers were found to be 2(6.06%) and 7 (23.30%) respectively. The occurrence rate of mirror writing in senile dementia group and vascular dementia group was markedly higher than in the normal controls(P

ObjectiveTo investigate the incidence and correlative risk factors of aspiration in Alzheimer disease (AD) patients with aspiration pneumonia. MethodsData of 88 cases with AD were retrospectively investigated. Several possible correlative risk factors were analyzed with multiple Logistic regression. Results38 cases with AD complicated aspiration pneumonia during the observation period [average (3.51±0.25) years].The total average annual incidence of aspiration pneumonia in AD was 12.3%. The annual incidence of aspiration pneumonia in mild AD, moderate AD and severe AD were 11.1%,12.3%,17.6% respectively.The correlative risk factors of aspiration in AD patients with aspiration pneumonia were severity of AD,application of neurosedatives, silent bilateral basal ganglia lacunar infarction (SBI), decrease of activity of daily living (ADL) and leukoaraiosis (LA). ConclusionAspiration pneumonia is a common complication occurring not only in severe AD but also in mild and moderate AD.

Objective To evaluate the roles of plasma p-tau(~ 181P)protein for clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer′s Disease (AD). Methods Subjects including 23 mild AD(19≤MMSE≤26) and 35 moderate and severe AD(MMSE0.05). Level of p-tau(~ 181P) protein was significantly higher in the moderate and severe AD group(18.3?20.3)ng/L than that in HC( P

Objective To explore the correlation between the level of serum uric acid (UA) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP) with sudden cardiac death of coronary artery disease.Methods Clinical data of 80 patients with coronary artery disease were collected,and according to whether occurred coronary heart sudden cardiac death,the patients were divided into the observation group(coronary heart disease with sudden cardiac death group) and the control group(coronary heart disease with non-sudden death group),each group had 40 cases.The levels of serum UA,low-density hpoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),blood sugar,hs-CRP of the two groups were detected and compared.Results The UA and hs-CRP levels of male and female in the observation group were (444.06 ±36.44.) μmol/L,(7.29 ± 0.57) mg/L,(399.25 ± 9.91) μmol/L,(6.56 ± 0.38) mg/L,respectively,which were significantly higher than those in the control group [(289.40 ± 25.78) μmol/L,(1.04 ± 0.11) mg/L,(209.90 ±29.87) μmol/L,(1.22 ± 0.31) mg/L] (t =-15.49,-47.71,-26.90,-47.92,all P ＜ 0.01).There were no statistically significant differences in the levels of LDL-C and blood glucose between the same sex of the two groups(t =-1.34,-1.54,-1.06,-1.33,all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion The increased levels of serum UA and hs-CRP may be associate with sudden cardiac death of coronary artery disease.

One hundred patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) aged 60 and above treated with levodopa were enrolled in this cross section study.The general conditions,medication,unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) scores and the incidence of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) were documented.The incidence rate of LID in this group of PD patients was 37.0％ (37/100).The incidence was significantly higher in patients with levodopa treatment ≥ 4 years than that in patients with levodopa treatment ＜ 4 years (55％ vs.26％,x2 =8.770,P =0.003).The incidence rate ofpeak dosage dyskinesia in tremor-dominant PD patients was lower than that in rigidity-dominant PD patients(x2 =4.399,P =0.036).The incidence rate of LID was correlated with the duration of levodopa therapy.Amantadine may reduce the incidence of off dystonia.

To explore the safety of ropinirole in the treatment of Parkinson′s disease( PD).A total of 221 PD patients participated in a multi-center,12-week randomized,bromocriptine-controlled,double-blind, double-dummy and parallel-group trial.The safety was assessed on the basis of adverse reactions , blood pressure,pulse,laboratory parameters and electrocardiography recordings.The incidence of adverse reaction was 34.9%in ropinirole group and 34.8% in bromocriptine group.And the frequency of adverse reactions had no inter-group statistical significance (χ2 =0.000,P=0.995).Ropinirole has an excellent profile of safety in the treatment of Chinese PD patients.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), and analyze the relationship of HP infection with the symptoms, disease progression and motor complications of PD.Methods 72 PD outpatients were randomly selected, and 100 gender and age-matched subjects who took health physical examination were considered as healthy controls.Basic data were collected and estimated by Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hoehn and Yahr stage, the 39-item Parkinson' s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), Activity of Daily Living Scale (ADL), Minimum Mental State Examination (MMSE), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA).All subjects underwent 13C-urea breath test to determine Helicobacter pylori infection status.Results There was no significant difference in H P infection rate between PD and control groups [37.5 ％ (27 cases)vs.32.0％ (32 cases), P=0.45].According to the initial symptoms, PD patients were divided into two groups: bradykinesia/ rigidity group and tremor group.The HP infection rate was higher in bradykinesia/rigidity group than in tremor group [52.2％ (12 cases) vs.30.6％ (15 cases)], but had no significant difference (P=0.08).The mean HY stage was higher in the HP-infected patient group than in the non-infected group [(2.6±0.7) vs.(2.2±0.9), P=0.03].The HP infection rate was higher in patients with HY stage ≥2 than with HY stage ＜2 [46.4％ (26 cases) vs.6.3％ (1 case),P=0.003].There were no correlations of HP infection with gender, age, age of onset, UPDRS, UPDRS-Ⅲ, PDQ-39, the course of the disease, wearing-off phenomenon, and dyskinesias.Conclusions The PD patients with HP infection are mainly at middle-and late-stage.HP infection may be related with the progress of the disease.It needs further study and validation by expanding the sample to investigate whether HP infection affects the motor complications.