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

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of domestic exogenous pulmonary surfactant (EPS)-Calsurf in treating full-term neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).Methods (1) From January 2011 to June 2012,154 full-term neonates with RDS were divided into Calsurf group (74 cases) and Curosurf group (80 cases),comparing differences in changes of arterial blood gas,the length of hospital stay,hospitalization expenses,duration of mechanical ventilation,inspired oxygen time,the incidences of complications and repeated EPS use rates between two groups.(2) In order to compare the effectiveness of different doses of Calsurf in treating full-term neonatal RDS,from July 2012 to March 2013,80 RDS patients who received Calsurf were divided into mild-moderate group (grade Ⅱ ～ Ⅲ on chest X-ray,50 cases) and severe group (grade Ⅳ on chest X-ray,30 cases).Furthermore,each group was divided into two subgroups,which were low-dosage(per-time 30 ～40 mg/kg) and high-dosage group (per-time 30 ～40 mg/kg).Results (1) Before administrating Calsurf and after administrating it at 0.5 h and 6 h,the pH,PaCO2 and PaO2 of RDS patients were no significant difference in two groups (P ＞ 0.05).(2) There were no significant difference between the duration of mechanical ventilation,inspired oxygen time,length of hospital stay in two groups (P ＞ 0.05).But the hospitalization expenses in Calsurf and Curosurf groups were 28.778 versus 31.827 thousand yuan,respectively,with the average reduction of 9.6％ in Calsurf group (P ＜ 0.05).(3) There were no significant difference between the morbidities and mortalities of multiple organ failure,persistent pulmonary hypertension,acute renal failure and pneumothorax in two groups (P ＞ 0.05).(4) In mild-moderate grade RDS patients,the low-dosage or high-dosage of Calsurf had similar effectiveness in improving bloog gas (P ＞ 0.05),the repeated Calsurf use rates of both subgroups were 16.0％ (4/25) and 20.0％ (5/25) (P ＞ 0.05).While in severe RDS patients,high-dosage Calsurf got a better effectiveness in improving bloog gas than low-dosage Calsurf(P ＜ 0.05).Meanwhile,the repeated Calsurf use rates of the low-dosage and high-dosage subgroups were 20.0％ (3/15) and 33.3％ (5/15),with a 40％ reduction in high-dosage subgroup.Conclusion (1) Both Calsurf and Curosurf can significantly improve the conditions of hypoxemia and hypercapnia,moreover,the length of hospital stay and duration of mechanical ventilation of both groups are similar,with less hospitalization expense in Calsurf group.(2) Both low and high-dosage Calsurf have similar curative effect on mild-moderate RDS,but for severe RDS,high-dosage Calsurf works better,reducing the repeated EPS use rate to some extent.

Objective To evaluate the value of lung sonography in diagnosis of neonatal pulmonary diseases and to provide a reliable and simple method for diagnosing neonatal pulmonary diseases.Methods From May 2012 to August 2012,105 newborns who admitted into Bayi Children's Hospital were enrolled into this study,including respiratory distress syndrome 40 cases (three of them with difficulty in withdrawing mechanical ventilation),meconium aspiration syndrome 17 cases,wet lung of newborn 17 cases and 30 health neonates without lung diseases.Lung ultrasound was performed at bedside by a single expert physician within the first 24 h of life.All patients with neonatal lung diseases were diagnosed by clinical manifestations,arterial blood gas analysis and chest X-ray.Results (1) Lung sonography of normal neonates showed hypo-echo (black),smooth and clear hyper-echoic pleural line.A line was hyper echo too.(2) All 40 neonates with respiratory distress syndrome showed lung consolidation with air bronchograms; abnormal pleural line,disappeared A-lines,pleural effusion and alveolar-interstitial syndrome.Five out of the 40 (12.5％)infants showed pleural effusion.(3) All 18 meconium aspiration syndrome infants showed focal lung consolidation under pleural membrane,alveolar-interstitial syndrome,atypical changes of abnormal pleural line and disappeared A-line in lesion area with lung sonography.(4) All infants with wet lung of newborn (100.0％,17/17) showed double lung point,with which all wet lung of newborn could be diagnosed.(5) Differential diagnosis of respiratory distress syndrome with wet lung of newborn:five infants with severe dyspnea showedwhite lung in X-ray and were diagnosed as respiratory distress syndrome,while sonography only showed severe lung edema and one infant showed pleural effusion which was in accordance with wet lung of newborn,so was their courses of disease.(6) Three cases of respiratory distress syndrome showed dyspnea after withdrawing mechanical ventilation,and lung sonography showed local atelectasis but normal in X-ray.Conclusions Lung ultrasound has many advantages,such as accurate,reliable,no radiation damage,low-cost and simple; therefore,it is feasible in neonatal ward.

Thymosin β4 exists in most human tissues and cells, involved in many physiological and pathological processes in the human body, such as anti-inflammation, wound healing, angiogenesis, and tumor metastasis. In recent years, thymosin β4 has been found to play an important role in the development and progression of liver diseases. This article reviews the relationship between thymosin β4 and the development and progression of liver diseases, indicating that further exploration of thymosin β4 would make it a new biomarker in diagnosing and treating liver diseases.

Methanotrophs are a group of bacteria capable of utilizing methane as the sole carbon and energy source for their anabolism and catabolism. Since methanotrophs contain the unique enzymes of methane monooxygenases (MMOs), which can catalyze the oxidation of methane and short-chain alkanes and alkenes, they have potential applications in carbon recycle of nature and industrial biotechnology. Therefore, methanotrophs have been paid much more attention by the researchers in recent 20 years. In this paper, the latest progresses in studies of methanotrophs and MMOs were reviewed, including taxonomy, function and distribution of methanotrophs, and structure, function and genetic engineering of MMOs. The future research directions of methanotrophs and MMOs as well as their applications were also discussed.
Methane ; metabolism ; Methylococcaceae ; enzymology ; genetics ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Oxygenases ; metabolism

Objective To compare the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic partial renal segmental artery occlusion and renal artery trunk interruption for partial nephrectomy. Methods We reviewed medical records of 65 patients with stage T1 renal tumor from October 2013 to February 2017. Among them, 29 cases underwent partial nephrectomy with high selective segmental renal artery occlusion, and 36 cases underwent partial nephrectomy with renal artery trunk occlusion. Then compare the preoperative and postoperative creatinine changes, intraoperative blood loss, warm ischemia time, operation time, hospitalization time and positive margins of the two methods. Results In all the patients, the procedures were done without conversion to open surgeries. The operation time of the renal artery branch block group is shorter than that of the main renal artery block, but the preoperative and postoperative creatinine changes are smaller than those of the main renal artery occlusion group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in intraoperative blood loss, warm ischemia time and positive margins (P > 0.05); There was no significant difference between the two groups in age, body mass index (BMI) and R.E.N.A.L score of renal tumor (P > 0.05). Conclusion For the stage T1 renal tumor, the selective renal artery branch interruption technique has a longer operation time, but the renal tissue has a small ischemic zone and has little effect on the kidney.

Objective:To investigate the effect of miR-34a on the migration and invasion of prostatic cell line through MSR1.Methods:Western blot was used to detect the expression of MSR1 in prostate cancer cell lines.qPCR was used to detect the ex-pression of miR-34a in prostate cancer cell lines.The correlation between miR-34a and MSR1 was examined by double luciferase as-say.Transwell invasion assay was used to detect the effect of miR-34a and MSR1 on the invasion ability of prostate cancer cells.The effects of miR-34a and MSR1 on the fine migration ability of prostate cancer were examined by scratch healing.Results:The expression level of MSR1 in PC3 cells was relatively high by Western blot.The expression level of miR-34a in PC3 cells was relatively low by qPCR.Double luciferase assay showed a direct binding site between miR-34a and MSR1,MiR-34a could regulate the expression level of MSR1,Scaffold Healing Test and Transwell Invasion Test were used to detect the migration and invasion of PC3 cells after overexpressing miR-34a.Overexpression of MSR1 could reverse the inhibitory effect of miR-34a on the migration and invasion of PC3 cells.Conclusion:miR-34a can regulate the migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells through MSR1 protein.

OBJECTIVETo investigate systematically Schwann cell apoptosis in Wallerian-degenerated sciatic nerve of the rat, and evaluate its time-related feature.

METHODSNinety-five SD rats were divided randomly into one normal group (8 rats) and 11 experimental groups (66 rats, 6 in each). Both hind legs of each rat in experimental groups were randomly divided into test leg (sciatic nerve transected) and control one (nerve uninjured). All test legs constituted a test group and all control legs constituted a control one. After operation, all rats were respectively sacrificed at 1 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 2 d, 3 d, 4 d, 8 d, 14 d, 21 d, and 30 d. We analyzed the specimens of mid-distal sciatic nerve, especially the morphological changes of the nerve, the different expression levels of S-100 protein and apoptosis-related proteins such as Bcl-2, Bax, and Fas in Schwann cells. The TUNEL method was used to detect the apoptotic rate of Schwann cells.

RESULTS(1) The test group showed Wallerian degeneration. The number of Schwann cells began to decrease at 24 h, obviously decreased on day 3 and 4, then began to increase from day 8 and formed Bungner belt after 14 days. (2) Schwann cells generally expressed S-100 at a low level in all groups. The control group was not significantly different from the normal group. The test group had statistical significance at 1 h and day 21. (3) As an inhibitory gene protein of Schwann cell apoptosis, Bcl-2 positive rates in the control and test groups apparently elevated and were statistically different from the normal group. (4) As a promotive gene protein of Schwann cell apoptosis, the control and test groups expressed Bax at a high level and were statistically different from the normal group. (5) As a promotive gene protein of Schwann cell apoptosis, Fas positive rate in control group was slightly elevated, but had no statistical significance compared with the normal group. Fas positive rate in test group continuously elevated in a fluctuant way, with highly statistical significance compared with the normal group. (6) TUNEL detection further proved that Schwann cell apoptosis rarely existed in the normal group, and the left sciatic nerve had no statistical significance compared with the right sciatic nerve. While the test group showed lots of apoptotic nuclei at 6 h, 2 d, 4 d, and 21 d. It had highly statistical significance compared with the normal group.

CONCLUSIONSSchwann cell apoptosis does exist in Wallerian-degenerated sciatic nerve of the rat after transection. Schwann cell apoptosis and its apoptotic genes expression have a time-related feature.

Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Female ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Schwann Cells ; pathology ; Sciatic Nerve ; pathology ; Staining and Labeling ; Wallerian Degeneration ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the discrepancy of HBsAg titre and correlation of HBV DNA levels among patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), HBV-related liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSHBsAg titre and HBV DNA in serum samples were measured among 47 CHB, 72 LC and 54 HCC cases using Abbott chemiluminescence and fluorescence quantitative PCR, respectively. Statistical analyses among multiple groups, between two groups and about the correlation were performed using Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman test, respectively.

RESULTSThe median HBsAg titre level in serum samples decreased from 2361.10 IU/ml in CHB cohort to 1001.64 IU/ml in LC cohort and 594.35 IU/ml in HCC cohort, suggesting a statistically significant difference (x2 = 24.394, P less than 0.05). Moreover, HBsAg titre in CHB group was significantly higher than that in LC group ( Z = -3.754, P less than 0.05). CHB patients had significantly higher HBsAg titre than HCC cases ( Z = -4.630, P less than 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference in HBsAg titre between LC and HCC group. Among HBeAg positive patients, HBsAg titre decreased from 3259.83 IU/ml in CHB group to 1077.30 IU/ml in LC group and 789.72 IU/ml in HCC group, indicating a significant difference (x2 = 15.643, P less than 0.01). Among HBeAg negative patients, HBsAg titre declined from 1669.00 IU/ml in CHB group to 1001.64 IU/ml in LC group and 582.05 IU/ml in HCC group, suggesting of a significant difference (x2 = 6.423, P less than 0.05). Positive correlation between HBsAg titre and HBV DNA was found in CHB ( r = 0.297, P less than 0.05), LC (r = 0.346, P less than 0.05) and HCC (r = 0.452, P less than 0.05), respectively.

CONCLUSIONHBsAg titre level in serum decreased progressively from CHB to LC and HCC group. There were positive correlations between HBsAg titre and HBV DNA level in CHB, LC and HCC.

Adult ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; blood ; virology ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; virology ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo study the commodity specification and grade standard of Pseudostellaria Radix, for standardizing market order and achieving industrialization, standardization and modernization of Pseudostellariae Radix.

METHODThe different areas and grade medicinal materials of Pseudostellariae Radix were respectively measured in quantitative characteristics of appearance, and the present grade classification of Pseudostellaria Radix was scientifically verified by the content of polysaccharide. Then the determination data were evaluated by spss correlation analysis, principal component analysis and cluster analysis. So combining with the actual production, the commodity grade standard of Pseudostellariae Radix was formulated.

RESULTCorrelation analysis indicated that the present grade classification of Pseudostellaria Radix was reasonable, and the more the grade of Pseudostellariae Radix was high, the more the content of polysaccharide was high. Meanwhile, length as a classification index was not suitable for the commodity grade standard of Pseudostellariae Radix. Using principal component analysis and cluster analysis, combining actual production, the thickest diameter, weight of single root tuber and the number of 50 g root tuber were filtrated and the grade was divided into 5 ranks: big, mid- dle, small selected goods, big ungraded goods and small ungraded goods.

CONCLUSIONthe commodity specification and grade standard of Pseudostellariae Radix that mainly included the thickest diameter, weight of single root tuber and the number of 50 g root tuber was formulated, the standard was divided into 5 grade. Each grade was not only consistent with the present situation of medicinal materials market, it could also reflected the intrinsic quality of Pseudostellariae Radix. In conclusion, the standard could be used as a classifica- tion basis to the commodity specification and grade.

Caryophyllaceae ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; standards ; Quality Control ; Reference Standards