Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of pneumomediastinum in patients with dermatomyositis and polymyositis for demonstrating its pathogenesis and for predicting its prognosis. Methods The clinical records of 96 patients with PM/DM were reviewed, focusing on for perdicting its pneumomediastinum. Five patients with pneumomediastinum are described in detail. Case reports of pneumomediastinum in PM/DM in English publications are reviewed. Results Five DM cases complicated by pneumomediastinum all had lung infections. Twenty-nine cases (including our five cases) of DM/PM with pneumomediastinum have taken methylprednisolone, four cases alive, and six died. Nine cases have taken CsA,seven cases alive and two died. Conclusion The infections was strongly suspected as being responsible for the pneumomediastinum. Methylprednisolone has poor effect. CsA can be an effective therapeutic agent in PM/DM.

Purpose To investigate the expression of tumor buds and its relationship with clinicopathological characteristics in endome-trial carcinoma. Methods 47 cases of endometrial carcinoma were observed and analyzed by means of clinicopathologic data and im-munohistochemical staining. The connections between tumor buds and clinicopathologic parameters were studied by statistics. Results Of the 47 endometrial carcinoma cases, tumor buds were seen in 18 cases. Tumor buds were correlated with histological grade, lymph node metastases, vascular invasion, Ki-67 index and survival. There were no associations between tumor buds with age, tumor size, pTNM stage or myometrial invasion depth. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the level of N-cadherin, vimentin in bud cells was higher than normal carcinoma cells while the level of CK(AE1/AE3),β-catenin and E-cadherin got the opposite results. Conclu-sion Tumor buds may play an important role in the progression of endometrial carcinoma. The immunohistochemical features of bud cells indicated that tumor buds may be a key step in epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of combined use of jinnaduo (an injection made by extract of Ginkgo leaf, EGb) and Deferoxamine (DFO, a chelating agent) in antagonizing the ototoxicity of cisplatin (CDDP).

METHODSGuinea pigs were randomly divided into the CDDP group, the EGb group, the DFO group, the combined treated group (EGb + DFO) and the control group. Changes of auditory brain-stem response (ABR), serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, as well as light and scanning electronic microscopic (SEM) figures were observed before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe threshold of ABR was significantly higher in the CDDP group than that in the other groups (P<0.01), but was insignificantly different among the latter groups (P>0.05). Serum SOD activity was lower and MDA content was higher in the CDDP group than those in the control group (P<0.01), but in comparison of the two parameters between control and other groups, the difference was insignificant (P>0.05). SEM examination on cochlea showed that the damage of hair cells was milder in the DFO group and the combined treated group than that in the CDDP group, which was slightly milder in the EGb group than that in the CDDP group.

CONCLUSIONCombined use of EGb and DFO could effectively reduce the ototoxicity of CDDP, its effect is better than using EGb singly, and similar to that of using DFO alone. The combination could also prevent the side-effect of CDDP in bone marrow inhibition. The Fe ion participated free radical response could be one of the mechanisms of CDDP in damaging hearing.

Animals ; Cisplatin ; adverse effects ; Cochlea ; drug effects ; Deferoxamine ; pharmacology ; Drug Synergism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Female ; Ginkgo biloba ; chemistry ; Guinea Pigs ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; Random Allocation ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood

ObjectiveTo observe the recovery of proprioception of the affected ankle over time after lateral ankle sprain accepting routine rehabilitation. MethodsFrom June, 2020 to June, 2022, 18 patients with lateral ankle sprain in Kunshan Rehabilitation Hospital underwent routine rehabilitation for twelve weeks. They were measured active and passive position sense of bilateral ankles using an isokinetic dynamometer before treatment, and four, eight and twelve weeks after treatment, respectively. ResultsThe active presentation difference of affected ankle reduced after treatment (F = 22.533, P < 0.001), but it was more than that of the healthy ankle at the same time (t > 4.419, P < 0.001). No significant improvement was found in passive presentation difference of affected ankle after treatment (F = 1.175, P > 0.05), and it was not significantly different from those of the healthy ankle at the same time (|t| < 0.646, P > 0.05). ConclusionProprioception of affected ankle has been impaired after lateral ankle sprain, and it can be recovered after rehabilitation, but cannot achieve the healthy level even after three months of training. Passive position sense as an index of proprioception needs more researches.

Objective To investigate the residential radon concentration in typical areas of Hubei Province and assess the dose hazards of radon to human body. Methods According to geographical location, five cities including Wuhan, Enshi, Shiyan, Xianning and Daye were selected, and the stratified cluster sampling and monitoring were conducted in accordance with the residential building structure. From April to July, 2019, RSKS standard detectors were placed in the bedroom or living room of the tested families. After continuously sampling for three months, those detectors were returned back to the laboratory for test readings using Radosys system. Results A total of 651 detectors were deployed in 577 households of 70 communities, and 634 detectors were recovered. The recovery rate of detectors was 97.4%. The indoor residential radon concentration in Hubei Province showed a logarithmic normal distribution, with a median (25% quantile and 75% quantile) of 40.52 (29.13,64.74) Bq/m3 and an annual effective dose of 2.02 mSv. The indoor radon concentrations in Wuhan and Enshi were significantly higher than those in Shiyan, Xianning and Daye (P<0.05). The indoor radon concentrations in brick wood or civil structures were significantly higher than those in reinforced concrete structures (P<0.05), and indoor radon concentration in the first floor was significantly higher than those in other floors (P<0.05). The indoor radon concentrations after 2010 were significantly lower than those between 2001 and 2010 (P<0.05). Conclusion The number of households with indoor radon concentrations exceeding the national limit in newly-built buildings accounted for 10.1%; The indoor residential radon concentration levels of in Hubei Province were influenced by building structure, age and floor.