Objective To explore the clinical significance of detection of IL-17 and peripheral blood eosinophil(EOS) count in whee-zing children under 5 years old.Methods Fifty-three children with recurrent wheezing under 5 years old had been randomly enrolled including 43 boys and 10 girls.They were divided into 2 groups :wheezing group Ⅰ,in which,the patients with atopic high risks(n=27);whee-zing group Ⅱ,in which,the patients without atopic high risks(n=26).Children without infectious diseases such as hernia and renal calculus had been enrolled randomly as control group(n=20),including 11 boys and 9 girls.After taking 3 mL venous blood and centrifuging of patients in 3 groups,the level of IL-17 in the serum was measured by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,peripheral blood EOS count was performed in the meantime by means of eosine staining.Results The serum levels of IL-17 in wheezing groups [(1 469.315?978.300) ng?L-1,(263.340?131.800) ng?L-1]were significantly higher than that of control group[(36.478?2.000) ng?L-1](Pa0.05);serum IL-17 and peripheral blood EOS count had positive correlation(r=0.933,P

The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test contributes a lot to the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) and, along with imaging-guided prostate biopsy, has improved the diagnosis rate of lower-risk PCa and the accuracy of its clinical staging. However, many questions and controversies remain as to the choice of optimal biopsy strategies. Scholars differ in views about how to utilize PCa-related biomarkers to optimize the detection of initial and repeat biopsies. This review focuses on the present status of and advances in transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy for PCa.
Humans ; Image-Guided Biopsy ; methods ; Male ; Prostate ; pathology ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; blood ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; pathology ; Ultrasonography, Interventional ; methods

Adolescent ; Adult ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Genotype ; Homozygote ; Humans ; Hypoprothrombinemias ; etiology ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Phenotype ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect and relevant mechanism of shuxuening Injection (SI) in treating patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC).

METHODSTotally 91 patients with active UC were randomly assigned to 2 groups, 44 in the control group and 47 in the treatment group. Patients in the control group received routine treatment, while patients in the treatment group additionally received intravenous injection of SI (15 mL), twice daily for 14 days in total. Colonoscopy was performed before and after treatment. The therapeutic effect was assessed by Mayo scoring system and the grading of activities evaluated by Baron endoscope. Serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were detected by ELISA. The activity of SOD was detected by xanthine oxidase method. The content of MDA was detected by thiobarbituricacid (TBA). Besides, 20 healthy subjects were recruited as the healthy control group.

RESULTSTotally 82 patients completed the study (40 in the control group and 42 in the treatment group). There was no statistical difference in serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, SOD, MDA, the Mayo score and endoscope grading between the two groups before treatment (P >0. 05). Compared with the healthy control group, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MDA significantly increased (P <0.01), and the serum SOD level decreased (P < 0. 05) in the treatment grup and the control group before treatment. Compared with before treatment in the same group, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MDA, the Mayo score and endoscope grading all decreased in the treatment group and the control group after treatment (P <0. 01, P <0. 05). Compared with the control group after treatment, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MDA, the Mayo score and endoscope grading all decreased (P <0.01, P <0.05), the serum SOD level increased (P <0.05) in the treatment group after treatment. The serum SOD level was obviously negative correlated with serum levels of IL-6, TNF-a, Mayo score, and endoscope score (r = -0. 621, -0.638, -0. 509, -0.787, P <0.01). The serum MDA level was obviously positive correlated with serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, Mayo score, and endoscope score (r =0.711, 0. 882, 0. 525, 0. 639, P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONSI could improve inflammatory injury and clinical symptoms of patients with active UC, and its mechanism might be associated with antioxidant and scavenging oxygen free radicals.

Colitis, Ulcerative ; blood ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Inflammation ; drug therapy ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of negative emotions on serum levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and neuropeptide Y (NYP) in hepatitis B liver cirrhosis (HBLC) patients.

METHODSTotally 617 HBLC patients were assigned to the negative emotion group (415 cases) and the non-negative emotion group (202 cases) judged by negative emotions. Case numbers of various grading Child-Pugh were recorded in the two groups. Their liver functions were compared between the two groups. Serum levels of ACTH and NPY were detected using double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the two groups.

RESULTSThere was no statistical difference in Child-Pugh grading between the two groups (χ2 = 0.65, P = 0.72). Compared with the non-negative emotional group, serum ACTH levels decreased significantly in the negative emotion group with statistical difference (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in serum ACTH levels between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe negative emotion of HBLC patients was not related to the serum ACTH level, but to relatively lower-concentration serum NPY levels.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; Emotions ; Hepatitis B ; blood ; psychology ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; psychology ; Neuropeptide Y ; Serum

Airway Remodeling ; physiology ; Animals ; Asthma ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; PPAR gamma ; biosynthesis ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo compare therapeutic effects between unilateral decompression technique only and open decompression technique with fusion and internal fixation for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis.

METHODSFrom March 2008 to February 2011, 82 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis were treated with operations, and divided into two groups. There were 13 males and 19 females in group A, with a mean age of (56.31±4.31) years old. The patients in group A were treated with unilateral decompression via fenestration technique only, including 23 patients obtaining single level decompression and 9 patients obtaining two levels decompression. In group B, there were 18 males and 32 females, with a mean age of (57.53±4.28) years old. The patients in group B were treated with open decompressive technique with fusion and internal fixation, including 38 patients obtaining single level decompression and 12 patients obtaining two levels decompression. The VAS of back pain and leg pain, ODI were recorded before and after surgery to evaluate low back pain,leg pain and walking tolerance.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 10.9 to 43.4 months,with a mean of 32.8 months. There were no differences in age, stenosis level, VAS of back and leg pain and ODI before surgery between two groups. Compared with the corresponding ones in group B, the operation time, blood loss, hospitalization time,recovery time of routine daily life and finacial expenditure of patients were all shorter or less in group A. There was no statistically difference in complications between two groups.

CONCLUSION"Unilateral decompression via fenestration technique" is a less invasive and more effective decompressive technique for degenerative spinal stenosis without posterior elements damage. It has advantages in operation time, blood loss, hospitalization time, recovery to daily life and financial expenditure. When controlling the operative indications strictly, the technique could be an important procedure for surgical treatment of degenerative spinal stenosis, especially in the elderly population.

Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Decompression, Surgical ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Spinal Fusion ; methods ; Spinal Stenosis ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of paraquat (PQ) on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and neutrophil apoptosis and its possible signal transduction pathways.

METHODSCultured neutrophils were treated with different concentrations of PQ for 6-24 h. The apoptosis rate of neutrophils and ROS content were determined by flow cytometry. The exoressions of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and Caspase 3 were detected by Western blot. These parameters were checked again after NF-κB and Caspase 3 antagonist were applied.

RESULTSPQ could boost ROS generation and depress neutrophil apoptosis significantly. At the same time PQ could enhance the expression of NF-κB and inhibit the expression of Caspase 3. These effects could be reversed by ROS inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) and NF-κB inhibitor pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC).

CONCLUSIONPQ is a potent inducer of ROS and can inhibit neutrophil apoptosis by activating NF-κB and surpressing Caspase 3 activity.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; NF-kappa B ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Neutrophils ; cytology ; drug effects ; Paraquat ; toxicity ; Pyrrolidines ; pharmacology ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Thiocarbamates ; pharmacology

Objective To study the value of measurement of sinus node artery in adults with multi-slice spiral CT(MSCT).Methods 119 cases were examined by MSCT coronary artery angiography.The diameter of the sinus node artery,the distance from the origin of the sinus node artery to the origin of the coronary artery(S-O),to the origin of left circumflex branch(LO-O),and to straightly the aortic wall erectly(S-W) and the angle between the sinus node artery and the proximal segment of the coronary artery(the angle of S-C) were measured on axial and MIP images.Results The origin,morphological characteristics of the sinus node artery were shown clearly on CT coronary artery angiography,and the diameter,length,the distance of S-W,S-O and LO-O and the angle of S-C were measured precisely.Conclusion The parameters of the sinus node artery measured by MSCT are basically corresponded with those on anatomy,MSCT may be used to show the sinus node artery.

Background The injury or surgery of cornea cause the proliferation of corneal stromal cells and scar formation.Recent research showed that cureumin can obviously reduce the degree of fibrosis of tissue.But if curcumm play inhibitory effect on corneal keratocytes fibrosis is rarely reported.Objecttve This studv was to investigate the effect of curcumin on the transformation of corneal keratocytes into fibroblasts in vitro and further explore the antifibrotic effect of curcumin on corneal keratocytes.Methods The murine corneal keratocytes from 150 BALB/c mice were isolated and primary culture in DMEM culture medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum and then divided into blank control group(inducer group,CG),low-dose group(CG+7.5 mg/L curcumin),mediumdose group(CG+10.0 mg/L curcumin),high-dose group(CG+12.5 mg/L curcumin),non-inducer group.Seven days following intervention,the expression of cell markers such as keratocan,aldehyde dehydrogenase(ALDH),decorin and fibronectin-1 in keratocytes were analyzed by RT-PCR.The effect of curcumin on cultured murine corneal keratocytes proliferation was evaluated by MTS technique.The expression of fibronectin-1 in murine cornea was investigated by immunofluorescence assay.Results The primarily cultured keratocytes showed tlIe fusiform-like shape with the abundant cytoplasm and big nuclei.In the presence of curcumin,the mRNA levels of keratocan and ALDH were down-regulated and those of CD90 and decorin were up-regulated,showing the significantly differences with the increase of dose(P<0.05),but the expression pf fibronectin-i was not obviously changed with the alteration of dose of curcumin. MTS showed that the inhibitory rates of curcumin on keratocytes in 10.0 mg/L and 2. 5 mg/L groups were enhanced in comparison with 7.5 mg/L group, showing statistically significant difference among three groups( F = 956.00, P<0.05). The expression of fibronectin-1 was found in the corneal keratocytes with the red fluorescence in stroma. Conclusion Curcumin can inhibit the fibrosis of corneal keratoeytes in a dose-dependent manner. These results offer a preliminary theoretical basis for the application of curcumin in controlling corneal scar formation during wound healing.