Animals ; History, 20th Century ; Hong Kong ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Influenza, Human ; epidemiology ; history ; virology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny

OBJECTIVETo detect the level and dynamic change of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronavirus-specific IgG antibody in conavalescent SARS patients, and to provide information for prevention and vaccine development.

METHODSIgG antibody against coronavirus was detected by ELISA in the blood of 311 convalescent SARS patients for every 2 - 4 weeks. Stata 7.0 statistics software was used to analyse the results.

RESULTSIgG antibody was detected positive on each testing of all the convalescent patients and its peak appeared 35 days after recovery. IgG antibody level showed a 35.8% decrease within one year.

CONCLUSIONData showed that all the SARS convalescent patients had generated high level of specific IgG antibody against coronavirus in the early stage of recovery, but the antibody level declined along with the progress of convalescence, suggesting that the detection of the IgG antibody should go on until it disappeared.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Convalescence ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; SARS Virus ; immunology ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; immunology

The study was aimed at the exploration of relationship between T cells expressing killer cell inhibitor receptors (KIR, CD158 and CD94) and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The expression rates of CD158a, CD158b and CD94 on T cells and NK cell were detected by flow cytometry and donor/recipient HLA-Cw was analyzed using PCR after peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) and umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT). After both PBSCT and UCBT, the rates of CD3(+)CD158a(+) and CD3(+)CD158b(+) T cells increased, especially the rate of CD8(+)CD158b(+) T cells. In both acute and chronic GVHD groups, the rate of CD3(+)CD158b(+) T cells increased, especially in acute GVHD. The CD94 mainly expressed on CD3(+)CD8(+) T cells. The percentage of the expression of CD94 on CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells after UCBT and PBSCT increased significantly. The expression of KIR in GVHD (early stage of transplantation) increased but the expression of KIR in chronic GVHD (advanced stage of transplantation) decreased. Five patients who HLA-Cw matched had no severe GVHD. In four patients who underwent allo-PBSCT and UCBT from related HLA-matched donors, only 2 patients had no aGVHD. Four patients underwent transplantation from unrelated HLA-matched donors had GVHD. These observations suggested that there is some relationship between GVHD and KIR expression on T cells. CD158b might be an inhibitory molecule of T cell activated at early stage after transplantation. Understanding the mechanism of GVHD with the expression of KIR on T cells, especially those binding the HLA-Cw might shed light on the establishment of the specific immunotolerance for the prevention of GVHD. To pay attention to HLA-Cw typing is very important to reduce GVHD and increase GVL effect in related or unrelated HLA-matched transplantation.
Antigens, CD ; analysis ; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte ; analysis ; Genotype ; Graft vs Host Disease ; etiology ; HLA-C Antigens ; genetics ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Lectins, C-Type ; Receptors, Immunologic ; analysis ; Receptors, Interleukin-2 ; analysis ; Receptors, KIR ; Receptors, KIR2DL1 ; Receptors, KIR2DL3 ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics and surgical results of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)-secreting pituitary adenomas.

METHODSMRI characteristics and relationship between MRI positive rate and surgical results of 266 patients with pathologically confirmed Cushing's disease were analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent thin-section sagittal and coronal scans of the pituitary gland before and after administration of gadolinium-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) on a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner, and dynamic enhanced MRI was performed in 39 patients. All patients underwent transsphenoidal adenomectomy. Endocrinological examinations and assessments were performed.

RESULTSPreoperative MRI revealed normal results in 41 (15.4%) cases, microadenoma in 179 (67.3%), macroadenoma in 42 (15.8%), and huge adenoma in 4 (1.5%). Pituitary apoplexy was found in 13 (4.9%) cases. Positive rate of ACTH-secreting adenomas was 84.6% (225/266) on MRI scans, and that of small microadenomas was 87.2% (34/39) on dynamic enhanced MRI scans. Preoperative endocrinological tests of 199 cases supported the diagnosis of typical Cushing's disease, while the other 67 cases had atypical endocrinological results. The endocrinological cure rate, remission rate, and inefficacy rate were 85.7%, 7.9%, and 6.4%, respectively. There was no difference in the initial endocrinological cure rate between the patients with positive and normal MRI results (90% vs. 87.8%, P = 0.904).

CONCLUSIONSEnhanced coronal pituitary MRI is helpful for preoperative localization of ACTH-secreting pituitary microadenoma. Dynamic enhanced MRI may improve detection rate of microadenoma. There is no marked difference in the surgical results for patients with preoperative MRI results indicating presence or absence of microadenoma.

Adenoma ; diagnosis ; secretion ; surgery ; Adolescent ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; secretion ; Adult ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; secretion ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and surgical effects of thyroid-stimulating hormone pituitary adenomas (TSH-omas).

METHODSThe clinical data of 19 patients (14 female and 5 male) with TSH-omas were analyzed retrospectively in this study from January 2001 to December 2008. The patients ranged from 20 to 70 years old (average 40.5 years old) and had disease histories from 1 to 228 months (average 55 months). Among these patients, 15 of them complained of thyrotoxicosis symptoms, while the other 4 patients' symptoms were associated with headache and/or visual disturbance caused by the tumor mass effect. Initially, 12 of the 15 patients with thyrotoxicosis symptoms were misdiagnosed with Grave's disease. As a result 2 of them received (131) Iodine, and one received subtotal thyroidectomy. All of these patients underwent transsphenoidal microsurgery.

RESULTSAverage follow-up period was 3.6 years (6 months-7 years). Pathological analysis of the surgical specimen showed pituitary adenoma in all patients, immunohistochemistry were positive for TSH in 17 cases, negative for TSH in 2, positive for growth hormone in 2, positive for prolactin in 1, and positive for adrenocorticotrophic hormone in 1. Postoperative MRI revealed that the tumors in 15 patients were removed totally, though 4 patients still had residual tumors. The thyroid hormone level tests suggested that 13 patients could be considered normal 3 months after their tumors were removed, though 2 of patients with normal postoperative MRI and thyroid hormones showed increased levels of TSH. For these 2 patients, tumors did not recur and their thyroid hormone levels returned to normal after pituitary radiotherapy. The cure rate was 11/19 after surgery and 13/19 after surgery plus pituitary radiotherapy.

CONCLUSIONSThe screening test for hyperthyroidism patients with high TSH levels is a key point to improve the accuracy rate in early diagnoses of TSH-omas. The transsphenoidal microsurgery is first choice to treat TSH-omas, while pituitary radiotherapy and somatostatin analogs are beneficially adjunctive therapies.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyrotropin ; metabolism ; Young Adult

In order to improve the recognition of myeloid/natural killer cell acute leukemia and to reduce misdiagnosis, one case of myeloid/natural killer cell acute leukemia resembling acute promyelocytic leukemia(APL) was reported and the related articles published were reviewed. A series of clinical tests, the morphologic and immunophenotypic analysis of leukemia cells, cytogenetic and molecular biological examinations were performed. The results indicated that the patient had anemia, thrombocytopenia and leucocytosis, but no evidence of lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly. The morphology of leukemia cells was similar to that of abnormal promyelocytic cells, especially the variant of M3 (M3v) leukemia cells. The leukemia cells expressed CD117, CD33, CD15, CD56 and cMPO, but did not express CD34, HLA-DR, CD13 and CD16. Abnormal cytogenetics with del (7) (q22q32) was found. Neither t(15;17) nor PML/RARα gene rearrangement was detected. The patient failed to show a differentiation-induction response to all-trans retinoic acid(ATRA). In conclusion, the myeloid/natural killer cell leukemia is extremely rare. It is very important to distinguish the disorder from APL/M3v. The patient with myeloid/natural kill cell acute leukemia should be treated with chemotherapy as acute myeloid leukemia.
Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia, Large Granular Lymphocytic ; diagnosis ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute ; diagnosis ; etiology

OBJECTIVETo detect the frequencies of KIR2DS4 alleles in Chinese Han population and to study the impact of KR2DS4 alleles on clinical outcomes of HLA identical unrelated allo-HSCT.

METHODSA Sequence-Based Testing (SBT) and TOPO TA cloning system for identifying and distinguishing alleles of the KIR2DS4 gene were established. A total of 150 Chinese-Han individuals, including 75 leukemia patients who received allo-HSCT and their HLA high-resolution typing identical unrelated donors (URD) were entered this study. The patients underwent transplantation for CML (n = 24), AML (n = 19), ALL (n = 29) and other malignancies (n = 3).

RESULTSThe majority (139) of the 150 samples (92.7%) were positive for KIR2DS4. Sequencing of the whole length coding region of this gene identified four of the 12 known KIR2DS4 alleles, KIR2DS4*00101, *003, *004, and *007. 2DS4*00101 was the most frequent, being found in 109 of the 139 individuals (78.4%). The ratio of deleted to non-deleted versions of KIR2DS4 was approximately 1:2. Three novel KIR2DS4 alleles were identified. Transplantations from KIR haplotype B/x donors showed significantly higher overall survival rates than those from KIR haplotype A/A donors [RR 3.1 (95%CI 1.1 - 8.6), P = 0.007]. There was a lower overall survival rates in recipients when their donors carried two 2DS4 full-length allele (2DS4*001) than those carried less (0 or 1) 2DS4*001 allele (P = 0.031). In the haplotype A/A group, a higher risk of acute GVHD (aGVHD) [RR 9.0 (95%CI 1.2 - 66.9), P = 0.01], especially grade III-IV aGVHD (P = 0.006), was seen when the donor was homozygous for the full-length KIR2DS4*00101 allele.

CONCLUSIONThe development and application of the described SBT 2DS4 allele typing method highlights the diverse nature of the KIR gene family and displays the existence of KIR polymorphism that remains uncharacterized. Our findings suggest that KIR typing for 2DS4 be beneficial for selecting suitable donors.

Alleles ; Graft vs Host Disease ; genetics ; Haplotypes ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Receptors, KIR ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo analyze the transsphenoidal microsurgical results of non-invasive prolactinomas, in order to provide reference for their treatment choice.

METHODSTo review the transsphenoidal microsurgical results of 234 non-invasive prolactinomas treated in our department in recent 10 years, and to analyze the prognostic factors. There were 18 males and 216 females, aged between 13 and 58 years, averaged (31.1 +/- 8.5) years. The course ranged from half a month to 20 years, averaged (47.3 +/- 44.9) months. The preoperative serum PRL level ranged between 41 and 8406 ng/ml, averaged (400.5 +/- 888.0) ng/ml, with a median of 164.1 ng/ml. The primary symptoms were amenorrhea, galactorrhea and/or infertility in 211 cases. The tumor size was small (< 1 cm) in 100, large (> or = 1 cm) in 116 and giant (> or = 3 cm) in 18 cases. All the patients received transsphenoidal microsurgery and were followed-up for 12 to 132 months, averaged (43.8 +/- 35.0) months.

RESULTSThere was no mortality. One hundred and twenty-seven (54.3%) cases had transient postoperative imbalance of water and electrolytes. One hundred and eighty-eight cases (80.3%) were cured, 12 (5.1%) experienced clinical remission, 20 (8.5%) were improved, and 14 (6.0%) were ineffective. The male patient, the giant prolactinomas and those with higher preoperative serum PRL level had a relative poor postoperative prognosis. While the other factors had no influence on prognosis, including the course, preoperative bromocriptine intake, tumor texture, tumor apoplexy and intraoperative descending extent of the diaphragm of sella. The overall operative expense for transsphenoidal microsurgery ranged from 8323.8 to 22898.5 yuan, averaged (12912.0 +/- 2361.2) yuan.

CONCLUSIONSTranssphenoidal microsurgery may be chosen as the primary therapy for non-invasive prolactinomas, with the purposes of therapeutical efficacy, facilitating the patients, re-establishing the patients' self-confidence and reducing the overall expense.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypophysectomy ; methods ; Male ; Microsurgery ; Middle Aged ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; surgery ; Prolactinoma ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Sphenoid Sinus ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

Adult ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Convalescence ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; diagnosis

In this paper, a design of the portable acquisition system for autonomic nervous function data based on the microcontroller is introduced. The system contains an electrocardiogram amplifier and an AD convertor, using SD memory card as its storage device and thus it can record data for a longer time and exchange data with PC easily. The system with a simple structure realizes its miniaturization and low energy consumption.
Autonomic Pathways ; Data Collection ; instrumentation ; Equipment Design ; Heart Rate ; Miniaturization ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; instrumentation