Objective To investigate the feasibility and prospects of nested real-time PCR(NR-PCR)technique for Treponema palladium(Tp)detection in various samples of different stages of syphilis from patients preliminarily diagnosed as syphilis. Methods Targeting the Tp polA gene, NR-PCR was performed to detect Tp DNA in various samples from the patients with various stages of syphilis at the first clinic visit, including skin tissue fluid swabs, serum, whole blood, cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)and earlobe blood. Data were analyzed with SPSS software version 13. Results A total of 368 clinical samples were collected from 200 patients with syphilis. With a detection limit of 2 Tp/ml, NR-PCR showed that the total positive rate for Tp DNA was 71.7%(264/368). The Tp DNA positive rate was highest in earlobe blood samples (92.0%, 23/25), followed by CSF samples(90.2%, 46/51), skin tissue fluid swabs(74.3%, 26/35), serum samples(66.9%, 99/148)and whole blood samples(64.2%, 70/109). There was good agreement between NR-PCR results and serologic test results, with a consistency rate of 76.0%(152/200). Furthermore, the Tp DNA positive rate did not differ between patients with primary(12/19)and secondary syphilis(14/16)in skin tissue fluid swabs(χ2 = 2.62, P > 0.05), and was slightly but insignificantly higher in patients with secondary syphilis than those with primary syphilis in the serum samples(χ2=3.6, P=0.06). The Tp DNA positive rate of whole blood samples was also higher in patients with secondary syphilis than those with any other types of syphilis. Among patients with neurosyphilis, no significant difference was observed in the Tp DNA positive rate between earlobe blood samples and CSF samples(P=0.06). Among patients with latent syphilis, the Tp DNA positive rate was significantly higher in serum samples with an RPR titer of ≥ 1:8 than those with an RPR titer of≤1:4. Conclusion NR-PCR is feasible for detecting Tp DNA in various kinds of samples, and the Tp DNA positive rate is influenced by stages of syphilis and types of samples, as well as RPR titers.

Objective To compare the effect of ultrasound-guided Mammotome minimally invasive operation and traditional surgery in treating benign breast tumor.Methods Eighty patients with benign breast tumor admitted to People's Hospital of Beijing Daxing District from October 2015 to April 2016 were randomly divided into group A and group B.Patients in group A accepted ultrasound-guided Mammotome minimally invasive operation (n =40),while patients in Group B accepted traditional surgery (n =40).Operation time,incision length,blood loss,patient satisfaction,postoperative pain,and the occurrence rates of complications were compared between the two groups.Results All the tumors in two groups were removed.Patients in group A had shorter operation time (10.4 ± 1.0) min,less blood loss (4.1 ± 0.5) ml,smaller length of incision (0.34 ± 0.04) cm (P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01);also had less occurrence of complication (P ＜ 0.05);and patients in group A had better patient's satisfaction (95％) (P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Ultrasound-guided Mammotome minimally invasive operation is helpful to shorten operation time and incision length,and reduce blood loss,also improve satisfaction.It is valuable for application and popularization in primary hospital.

Membranes prepared from bovine skin collagen were exposed to 15, 25, 35 KGy gamma-radiation respectively at low temperature. Radiation dose rate of about 22 KGy/h was used. The stability of the membranes was evaluated by measuring resistance of collagen membranes to collagenase digestion. Infrared spectra analyses of collagen films were performed in order to explore possible mechanisms of irradiation modification of collagen membranes. The results revealed that the degree of cross-linking and stability of collagen membranes after gamma-irradiation were improved. The MTT assay and SEM observation of the morphology of L929 mouse fibroblast cells which directly cultured on the collagen membranes were employed to evaluate the cytocompatibility of collagen membranes treated by gamma-ray radiation. In the range of 0 to approximately 25 KGy irradiation dose, no significant difference in cytocompatibility of collagen membranes irradiated by gamma-ray was observed. However, when the irradiation dose was over 25 KGy, the cytocompatibility of collagen membranes was influenced by gamma-radiation to some degree.
Animals ; Cattle ; Collagen ; radiation effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Gamma Rays ; In Vitro Techniques ; Materials Testing ; Membranes, Artificial ; Mice

Objective To analyze the patterns of lymph nodes metastasis (LNM) in supraglottic laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas (SLSCC) patients with different tumor differentiation. Methods We retrospectively investigated the clinicopathological data of patients diagnosed as SLSCC. The LNM patterns were analyzed by different tumor differentiation degrees. Results A total of 79 patients were included and divided into poorly differentiated group (n=20), middle differentiated group (n=52) and well differentiated group (n=7). There were 38 patients in N0 stage, 8 patients in N1 stage, 28 patients in N2 stage and 5 patients in N3 stage; 36 patients with LNM in level Ⅱ, 21 patients with LNM in level Ⅲ, 7 patients with LNM in level Ⅳ and no patients with LNM in level Ⅴ or Ⅵ. Conclusion SLSCC patients can benefit from bilateral neck dissection, and the patients with poor or moderate differentiation can benefit from neck dissection (levelsⅡ-Ⅳ), while the patients with well differentiation dissection may be more appropriate for neck dissection (levels Ⅱ-Ⅲ).

Objective To evaluate the dosimetric difference between fixed-field static intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), fixed-field dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC), and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), all of which involve supraclavicular and infraclavicular regions, in breast cancer patients after breast-conserving surgery.Methods This study included 14 female patients with breast cancer who received radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery in our hospital from October 2012 to April 2016.The radiation field included the chest wall and supraclavicular and infraclavicular regions.IMRT, DMLC, and VMAT plans were generated for each patient while using identical optimization conditions.The doses to planning target volume (PTV) and organs at risk (OARs) were compared based on dose-volume histogram (DVH);one-way analysis of variance or nonparametric Wilcoxon rank test was used for comparison.Results For the dose distribution of PTV, VMAT achieved the best V95, V98, CI, and HI (P<0.009).Concerning the doses to OARs, VMAT achieved the best V5, V20, and Dmean of the ipsilateral lung and the best V5 and Dmean of the contralateral lung (P<0.022).Dmean of the spinal cord was significantly lower in VMAT than in IMRT and DMLC (P=0.004).Conclusions VMAT is preferred for the patients with breast cancer to be treated with radiotherapy involving supraclavicular and infraclavicular regions after breast-conserving surgery.It can improve the dose distribution of target and reduce the doses to organs at risk and radiotherapy toxicities.

Objective To study the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) in Taixing city,Jiangsu province.Methods A populationbased case-control study was carried out to collect data including demography,socioeconomic status indicators and possible risk factors.Unconditional logistic regression was used to compare different SES indicators and composite wealth scores constructed between cases and controls,using the principal component analysis methodology.Results Factors as:having received high school or higher education (OR=0.66,95％CI:0.46-0.96),living space over 67 m2 per-capita (OR=0.71,95％CI:0.54-0.94),drinking tap water longer than 5 years (OR=0.76,95％ CI:0.59-0.98) and wealth score ＞0.93 (OR=0.63,95％CI:0.48-0.83) were associated with increased risk of ESCC.Compared to those worked in farming,forestry,animal husbandry,fishery and water conservancy,the individuals who worked in business-service industry were at lower risk of ESCC (OR =0.65,95％CI:0.43-0.97).Conclusion An inverse association of low SES and ESCC were found in Taixing people that called for further explanation.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of different materials for partial sciatic nerve ligation on glial cell activation in the spinal cord in a rat model of chronic constriction injury (CCI). METHODS: SD rats were randomly divided into the sham group (=15), silk suture CCI group (=15) and chromic catgut CCI group (=14). The mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) of the rats were detected at 3, 7, 11 and 15 days after the operation. The changes in the sciatic nerve, the activation of spinal cord glial cells and the expression of inflammatory factors were observed using Western blotting and RT-PCR. RESULTS: At 3 to 15 days after the surgery, MWT and TWL of the rats were significantly lower in silk suture group and chromic catgut group than in the control group ( < 0.05), and was significantly lower in chromic catgut group than in the silk suture group ( < 0.05) at 3 days after the surgery. The results of sciatic nerve myelin staining showed that the sciatic nerve was damaged and demyelinated in both the ligation groups. The expressions of CD11b, GFAP, IL-1β and TNF-α in the two ligation groups were similar and all significantly higher than those in the control group ( < 0.05). IL-6 mRNA level was significantly higher in chromic catgut group than in the silk suture group ( < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The CCI models established by partial sciatic nerve ligation with silk suture and chromic catgut all show glial activation, and the inflammatory response is stronger in chromic catgut group.
Animals ; Constriction ; Neuroglia ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sciatic Nerve ; Spinal Cord

To promote the development of extracellular vesicles of herbal medicine especially the establishment of standardization, led by the National Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles, research experts in the field of herbal medicine and extracellular vesicles were invited nationwide with the support of the Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles, Professional Committee on Extracellular Vesicle Research and Application, Chinese Society of Research Hospitals and the Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Chinese Herbal Vesicles. Based on the collation of relevant literature, we have adopted the Delphi method, the consensus meeting method combined with the nominal group method to form a discussion draft of "Consensus statement on research and application of Chinese herbal medicine derived extracellular vesicles-like particles (2023)". The first draft was discussed in online and offline meetings on October 12, 14, November 2, 2022 and April and May 2023 on the current status of research, nomenclature, isolation methods, quality standards and research applications of extracellular vesicles of Chinese herbal medicines, and 13 consensus opinions were finally formed. At the Third Academic Conference on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles, held on May 26, 2023, Kewei Zhao, convenor of the consensus, presented and read the consensus to the experts of the Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles. The consensus highlights the characteristics and advantages of Chinese medicine, inherits the essence, and keeps the righteousness and innovation, aiming to provide a reference for colleagues engaged in research and application of Chinese herbal vesicles at home and abroad, decode the mystery behind Chinese herbal vesicles together, establish a safe, effective and controllable accurate Chinese herbal vesicle prevention and treatment system, and build a bridge for Chinese medicine to the world.