Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of methotrexate(MTX)on the hip involve ment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS).Methods Among the AS patients with hip joint involvement admitted to the department from 1999—2002,50 patients were treated with sulfasalazine(SSZ)(control group, CG)and 48 MTX(observation group,OG).One kind of NSAIDs was taken by the patients in both groups as the basic therapy.The treatment was maintained in both groups after being discharged.Patients were followed-up for three years.The observation parameters included symptoms,signs,Bath AS disease activity index(BASDAI), Bath AS functional index(BASFI),hip joint function score,the CT staging of hip joint involvement,serum in- flammation markers,laboratory tests and side effects.The data were analyzed with SPSS10.0 statistics software. Results At the 1st,2nd and 3rd year,44,38 and 32 cases in the OG and 45,38 and 31 cases in the CG were followed up respectively.During the three-year follow-up period,the hip joint function score of the OG was significantly higher than that of the CG(P

Background The development of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP) is associated with many regulatory cytokines related to neovascularization;however,the retinal expression and regulated mechanism of stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) in mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) remain uncertain.Objective This study was to investigate the expression of SDF-1 in retina of mouse model of OIR.Methods Forty 7-day-old C57BL/6J mice were divided into OIR group and control group.In OIR group,20 mice were exposed to 75% oxygen for 5 days and then to room air for 5 days.In control group,20 mice were raised in room air.The expression of SDF-1 in retina of mice was studied by immunochemistry and quantified by real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results The positive immunohistochemical staining for SDF-1 was found mainly locating at the ganglion cell layer in 12-day-old mice of OIR group;the stronger positive immunohistochemical staining for SDF-1 was noted mainly locating at the ganglion cell layer,vascular endothelial cells of inner retina,neovascular endothelial cells in 17-day-old mice of OIR group;the delicate positive immunohistochemical staining for SDF-1 was both found mainly locating at the inner retina and being around the retinal vascular in 12-day-old mice of control group and 17-day-old mice of control group.The expression of SDF-1 mRNA in 17-day-old mice of OIR group was higher than that of 12-day-old mice of OIR group (t=8.072,P＜0.05)and 17-day-old mice of control group(t=10.026,P＜0.05),respectively.The expression of SDF-1 mRNA in 12-day-old mice of OIR group was lower than that of 12-day-old mice of control group (t=4.336,P＜0.05).Conclusion SDF-1 might improve the onset of retinal neovascularization of OIR.

In order to find the characteristics of two members of gene family of squaleneexpoxidase (SE) , a quantitative real time PCR method was developed to analyze the expression of Eleutherococcus senticosus SE1 and SE2 gene from different growth periods and in different organs. The result indicated that all the expression of SE2 more than SE1 in the whole growth period and organs of E. senticosus. And in the whole growth period, expression of SE1 showed a low-high-low characteristic. Both expression of SE2 and growth period showed the same trend. The lowest content of the expression was in the roots. SE1 expression have been improved more than SE2 when treated with MeJA. The expression of E. senticosus SE1 and saponins content had significantly positive correlation (P < 0.05) and the correlation coefficients was 0. 858, while the correlation was not significant for SE2. That indicated that SE1 played a key enzyme gene in the biosynthesis of triterpenoidsaponins
Eleutherococcus ; chemistry ; enzymology ; genetics ; growth & development ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Peroxidase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Saponins ; analysis ; metabolism ; Transcriptome

Objective To evaluate the value of D-dimer in assessing severity and predicting longterm prognosis in patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP).Methods From June 2009 to December 2010,a total of 189 patients with CAP were enrolled.After admission,D-dimer,procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured,and Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) was calculated.They were assigned into two groups according to their D-dimer levels:high D-dimer levels group (D-dimer levels≥500 μg/L) and normal D-dimer levels group (D-dimer levels ＜ 500 μg/L).The followup time was one year.A Kaplan-Meier survive curve was constructed to assess the 1-year mortality,and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to assess the value of D-dimer for predicting long-term prognosis.Results D-dimer levels increased with increasing PSI class [class Ⅰ-Ⅲ:378.37 μg/L (216.74,649.50) μg/L; class Ⅳ:673.41 μg/L (544.77,866.85) μg/L; class Ⅴ:831.58 μg/L (591.78,1066.39) μg/L,x2 =56.58,P ＜ 0.01].The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that 1-year mortality rate of high D-dimer levels group was higher than normal D-dimer levels group (log-rank test,x2 =52.51,P ＜ 0.01).The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed an independent relationship between higher D-dimer levels and long-term mortality (OR =2.05,95％ CI:1.48-2.61,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion D-dimer is an independent predictor of severity and long-term prognosis in patients with CAP.

Objective To investigate the guiding value of serum procalcitonin (PCT) level in antibiotic treatment of stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods A total of 120 patients with SAP after acute cerebral hemorrhage were enroled and were randomly divided into either a conventional treatment group ( n=59) or a PCT guided group ( n=61). In accordance w ith the guidelines for the use of antibiotics in China, the conventional treatment group w as treated w ith antibiotics and the course of antibiotics w as determined by the treating physician. The serum PCT of the PCT group w as monitored continuously after using antibiotics for 5 days. When PCT w as < 0.25 μg/L and the body temperature of the patients w as normal, the antibiotics w ere stopped. When PCT w as ≥0.25 μg/L, the antibiotics w ere used continuously. When PCT w as <0.25 μg/L, but stil had a fever, and the antibiotics w ere used continuously til the temperature w as normal. The course of antibiotics, length of hospitalization, and 30-d mortality of both groups w ere compared. At day 90 after treatment, the modified Rankin scale (mRS) w as used to evaluate the neurological outcome. The mRS score 0-2 w as good outcome and >2 w as poor outcome. They were folowed up for 6 months after discharge. A Kaplan-Meier survive curve was use to compare the survival rate of both groups. Results The course of antibiotics ( 8.95 ±2.73 d vs.13.26 ± 4.11 d;t=6.407, P<0.001) and the length of hospitalization ( 15.64 ±2.63 d vs.18.36 ±4.27 d; t=3.967, P<0.001) of the PCT group w ere significantly shorter than those of the conventional treatment group. There w ere no significant differences in the proportions of 30 d mortality ( 9.8%vs.10.1%; χ2 =0.003, P=0.951) and 90 d good outcome ( 60.6%vs.59.3%; χ2 =0.022, P=0.881) betw een the PCT guided group and the conventional treatment group. At the end of the 6-month folow-up period, a total of 13 patients (12.0%) died, including 6 in the conventional treatment group and 7 in the PCT group. The Kaplan-Meier analysis show ed that there w as no significant difference in the 6-month survival rate betw een the 2 groups (χ2 = 0.070, P= 0.791 ). Conclusions Monitoring the serum PCT level for guiding antibiotic treatment of SAP after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage is safe, and it may shorten the course of antibiotics and reduce the length of hospitalization.

Objective To investigate the correlation between CT perfusion parameters of pulmonary carcinoma and standardized uptake values(SUV)derived from ~(18)F-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography(~8F-FDG PET)and tumor microvessel density(MVD),and to determine the validity of CT perfusion in assessing tumor angiagenic activity of pulmonary carcinoma.Methods Fifty patients(mean age 57.5,17 females)with pulmonary carcinoma underwent CT perfusion using 16-slice helical CT.Blood flow(BF,ml?100g~(-1)?min~(-1)),blood volume(BV,ml?100g~(-1)),mean transmit time(MTF,s)and permeability surface area product(PS,ml?100g~(-1)?min~(-1))were analyzed.SUV of PET was calculated in 14 patients.The CD34 immunohistochemical staining was used for tumor microvessel counting.CT perfusion parameters of pulmonary carcinoma were correlatively studied with SUV and tumor MVD.Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the association between CT perfusion parameters and SUV and MVD.Results The average values of BF,BV,MTT and PS were 97.30 ml?100g~(-1)?min~(-1), 8.86 ml?100g~(-1),6.75 s and 34.52 ml?100g~(-1)?min~(-1),respectively.The average value of MVD was 61.82/FOV.The mean value of SUV was 5.96.There was positive correlation between BF and SUV(r= 0.727,P

OBJECTIVETo study the susceptibility of Aedes albopictus to dengue virus infection.

METHODSAedes albopictus from 15 collections in Guizhou province were challenged orally with dengue virus 1-4 types, respectively. The total RNA from mosquitos were extracted. The viral NS1 gene fragment was amplified with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Dengue virus in mosquitoes was isolated with C6/36 cells. Then the viral antigen was detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Antigen and nucleic acid of dengue virus from 15 geographic strains of Aedes albopictus orally infected with dengue viruses (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4) were detected by IFA, RT-PCR and the virus was isolated with C6/36 cells, respectively.

RESULTSThe rates of Aedes albopictus orally infected with DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4 were 12/15, 12/15, 8/15 and 13/15, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSDifferent geographic strains of Aedes albopitus in Guizhou were susceptible to dengue viruses.

Aedes ; cytology ; virology ; Animals ; Antigens, Viral ; analysis ; Cell Line ; China ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; Dengue Virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Disease Susceptibility ; Ecosystem ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Viral Nonstructural Proteins ; genetics

Objective To compare the diagnostic value of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and 64 multi-slice spiral CT (64-MSCT) for coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods Fifty-two patients with suspected or known CAD were included in the study. Each patient underwent both stress and rest MPI,MSCT as well as conventional coronary angiography (CAG) within 1 month. The stress and rest MPI were scored by a 5-grade criteria (0 ～ 4) based on 17 coronary artery segments. The difference between summed stress and rest scores ＞ 1 was defined as myocardial ischemia. Stenosis in one main vessel or one main branch of the main vessel ≥50% was defined as myocardial ischemia by MSCT. CAG was used as the reference for comparison. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 13. 0 software. Kappa value was used to test the accordance of MPI and MSCT results. X2 test was used to evaluate the difference between MPI and MSCT results. Results The patient-based sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and accuracy of MPI and MSCT for the diagnosis of CAD were 86.7% (26/30), 77.3% ( 17/22),83.9% (26/31), 81.0% ( 17/21), 82.7% (43/52) and 83.3% ( 25/30), 86.4% ( 19/22), 89.3%( 25/28), 79.2% ( 19/24), 84.6% (44/52), respectively. The vessel-based sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and accuracy of MPI and MSCT were 74.5% (38/51), 81.0% (85/105 ), 65.5% (38/58), 86.7% ( 85/98), 78.8% ( 123/156 ) and 90.2% (46/51 ), 88.6% ( 93/105 ),79.3 % (46/58), 94.9% (93/98), 89.1% ( 139/156), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between MPI and MSCT for either patient or lesion-based diagnosis (X2 =0.44, 0.21, both P ＞0.05 ). 96.0% (24/25) patients with both abnormal MPI and MSCT positive were valified by CAG while 83.3% (15/18) patients with both MPI and MSCT negative were excluded by CAG. Conclusions Both MPI and MSCT are reliable diagnostic modalities for CAD. They also provide complementary diagnostic value to each other.

Erythroderma with complicated etiology is one of the severe skin diseases and has high mortality,of which the incidence was 0.5％-1.5％ in skin diseases.Erythrodermic psoriasis (EP) is the commonest type of erythroderma.In addition,there are drug-induced erythroderma,erythroderma secondary to preexisting dermatoses,malignancy-related erythroderma,and idiopathic erythroderma of unknown etiology.Erythroderma of different etiologies has various clinical manifestations,resulting in relevant curative effects and outcomes.In this article,we retrospectively investigated 205 erythroderma patients about clinical symptoms,auxiliary examination and treatments,and evaluated the efficacy and prognosis.There were 84 cases of EP among 205 patients,10 cases of erythroderma caused by specific drugs,77 cases of erythroderma secondary to preexisting dermatoses (excluding psoriasis),7 cases of erythroderma patients suffering from malignancy and 27 cases with unknown causes.We concluded that the etiology of male patients in different age groups had significant difference.The incidence of EP was the highest among all types.The EP was commonly accompanied with hypoproteinemia,and changed into psoriasis vulgaris after treatment.Drug-induced erythroderma was commonly accompanied with fever,and mostly cured by systematic steroid therapy.For erythroderma secondary to preexisting der matoses,the original dermatoses must be actively treated to achieve a satisfying prognosis.Erythroderma with malignancy or unknown causes had long-term duration,poor response to the treatment,and high potential to relapse.Therefore,clarifying the etiology,providing an appropiate and individual regimen,and regular follow-up are crucial for the successful treatment of erythroderma with unknown causes.

OBJECTIVETo construct luxS mutant aften luxS gene of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) was knocked out, and examine their ability of biofilm formation.

METHODSA recombinant plasmid containing the flanking fragment of luxS of S. mutans was transformed into S. mutans UA159, and selected by brain heart infusion (BHI) agar medium with kanamicin. The luxS mutant further confirmed via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the autoinducer-2 (AI-2) bioluminescence assay of Vibrio harveyi (V. harveyi), and ability of luxS mutant and S. mutans UA159 biofilm formation was examined in different phases, in BHI medium with 1% sucrose and 1% glycose by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

RESULTSLuxS-deficient S. mutans strains were successfully constructed. Compared with S. mutans UA159, the luxS mutant maintained in BHI medium containing 1% sucrose displayed an apparent defect in biofilm formation, while they showed no significant deviation in BHI medium containing 1% glycose.

CONCLUSIONluxS gene in S.mutans can play a role in dental plaque biofilm formation, and the luxS gene is possible to regulate sucrose-dependent biofilm formation.

Bacterial Proteins ; Biofilms ; Carbon-Sulfur Lyases ; Culture Media ; Dental Plaque ; Homoserine ; analogs & derivatives ; Humans ; Lactones ; Streptococcus mutans