Genetic polymorphism of properdin factor B (Bf)of alternative complement pathway was investigated in 110 patients with Gravesldisease and in 220 blood donors in Wuhan Blood Transfusion Center using high voltage agarose gel electrophoresis andsubsequent immunofixation. Results show that distributions of Bf phenotype observed in normals are in agreement with those expected from the Hardy-Weivr, erg equilibrium (XZ=5.4337, Pc~0.10),but in patients donlt (XZ=29.689~, Pc.

AIM: To study the causes of pyogenic granuloma after hydroxyapatite(HA) orbital implants.METHODS: HA orbital implants (250 cases) in our hospital (68 pegged implants) were reviewed.All patients were followed up from 18 months to 10 years. Implants were removed after medical therapy which was proved to be ineffective.RESULTS: Ten of 250 cases of HA orbital implants developed pyogenic granuloma. Pyogenic granuloma occurred in 1 unpegged implants patient and 9 patients after pegging and drilling of HA implantation over 4～7 years. The pyogenic granulomas were not controlled by medical therapy effectively. Implants were removed in 9 cases except 1 case denied removing and continued medical therapy.CONCLUSION: Pyogenic granuloma was serious complication that occurred after HA orbital implants. Partial vascularization, implant exposure, xenogenic sclera implant, pegging and drilling of HA implantation are risk factors that affect the development of pyogenic granuloma.Pyogenic granuloma hasn't relation with implanted peg material. Pyogenic granuloma denotes the potential implant infection, and all implants should be removed finally.

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 values of tissue factor (TF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expressions on peripheral CD14+ monocytes in disease assessment, prognosis, and short-term efficacy evaluation of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients.

METHODSTF and VEGF expressions on CD14+monocytes in 47 NHL patients (disease group) before chemotherapy and after 4 chemotherapy cycles and in 30 healthy subjects (control group) were detected by flow cytometry, and the potential relationship among TF, VEGF, International Prognostic Index (IPI), and short-term efficacy were analyzed.

RESULTSTF and VEGF expressions on CD14 + monocytes in disease group were significantly higher than those in control group ( all P <0. 01) and positive correlation was showed between them (r = 0. 708, P = 0.00). TF and VEGF expressions in Ann Arbor stage III and IV (n = 22 and 19) , symptomatic (n = 22) , lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) increased (n = 21) , Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score 2-4 (n = 12) and extranodal lesions >1 (n = 16) groups were significantly higher than those in Ann Arbor stage II (an = 6) , asymptomatic (an =25) , LDH normal (n = 26) , ECOG score 0-1 ( n = 35) and extranodal lesions ~1 ( na = 31) groups, respectively (all P <0.05). The expressions of TF and VEGF on CD14 + monocytes in high-risk (n = 7) or high-middle-risk (n = 11) groups were significantly increased compared with low-risk (n = 15) or low-middle-risk(n = 14) groups, respectively (all P <0. 01). TF and VEGF expressions in non-remission group before chemotherapy (n = 11) were both obviously higher than those in remission group (an = 36, all P <0. 01) , and after chemotherapy their expressions in remission group were significantly lower than those before chemotherapy (all P <0. 01) , while such significant changes were not observed in the non-remission group ( all P > 0. 05).

CONCLUSIONThe high expressions of TF and VEGF on peripheral CD14 + monocytes can be useful markers in dis-ease assessment, prognosis evaluation and short-term efficacy observation of NHL patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Lipopolysaccharide Receptors ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Monocytes ; metabolism ; Prognosis ; Thromboplastin ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; blood ; Young Adult

To provide a scientific basis for the selection of the appropriate drying method for Mentha Haplocalyx Herba (MHH), determine 2 monoterpenes, 4 phenolic acids and 5 flavonoids in MHH by GC-MS and UPLC-TQ-MS methods, and investigate the effects of the drying methods on the changes in contents of these analytes. The qualities of products obtained with different drying methods were evaluated by the multivariate statistical method of Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Results showed that the drying methods had the greatest impact on menthol, caffeic acid, and rosemary acid, which were followed by chlorogenic acid and diosmetin-7-O-glucoside. The contents in these analytes processed with hot-air-drying method were higher than those with microwave-drying and infrared-drying methods at the same temperatures. The contents in these analytes processed under low temperature (40-45 °C) were higher than those under higher temperature (60-70 °C). Above all, the contents in phenolic acids processed with microwave fixation (exposed under microwave at 100 °C for several minutes) were obviously higher than those of not being processed, showing an inhibition of some enzymes in samples after fixation. The TOPSIS evaluation showed that the variable temperature drying method of 'Hot-Air 45-60 °C' was the most suitable approach for the primary drying processing of MHH. The results could provide the scientific basis for the selection of appropriate drying method for MHH, and helpful reference for the primary drying proces of herbs containing volatile chemical components.
Desiccation ; methods ; Flavonoids ; analysis ; Hydroxybenzoates ; analysis ; Mentha ; chemistry ; Monoterpenes ; analysis

Adolescent ; Child ; Collagen Type I ; metabolism ; Extracellular Matrix ; metabolism ; Female ; Fibrillin-1 ; Fibrillins ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Microfilament Proteins ; metabolism

The present study was aimed to investigate whether calreticulin (CRT) was involved in the protective effect of hypoxic preconditioning (HPC) against oxidative stress injury in rat cardiomyocytes. Neonatal cardiomyocytes were prepared from Sprague-Dawley rats aged 24 h, and cultured in DMEM medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum. The cultured cardiomyocytes were randomly divided into 8 groups as follows: (1) hydrogen peroxide stress (H(2)O(2) group); (2) brief hypoxic exposure for 20 min to simulate HPC (HPC group); (3) hypoxic exposure for 20 min followed by normoxic reoxygenation for 24 h before hydrogen peroxide stress (HPC + H(2)O(2) group); (4) SB203580 (a specific inhibitor of p38 MAPK) + HPC + H(2)O(2) group; (5) CRT antisense oligonucleotide transfection (AS group); (6) AS + H(2)O(2) group; (7) AS + HPC + H(2)O(2) group; (8) control group. Morphological observation, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage and flow cytometry were employed to assess cell apoptosis and necrosis. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect CRT expression and activity of p38 MAPK. All experiments were repeated at least four separate times. The results obtained were as follows: (1) HPC relieved cell injury caused by H(2)O(2). Compared with that in H(2)O(2) group, the cell survival rate increased by 18.0% (P<0.05), apoptotic rate and LDH leakage in culture medium decreased by 19.4% and 53.0%, respectively (P<0.05) in HPC + H(2)O(2) group. (2) H(2)O(2) induced CRT over-expression (7.1-fold increase compared with control, P<0.05), while HPC resulted in mild CRT up-regulation (2.4-fold increase compared with control, P<0.05), suggesting that HPC can relieve the over-expression of CRT induced by H(2)O(2). (3) CRT AS transfection weakened the protection of HPC. Compared with that in HPC + H(2)O(2) group, the cell survival rate decreased by 4% (P<0.05), and apoptotic rate and LDH leakage in culture medium increased by 2.6% and 39.0%, respectively (P< 0.05) in AS + HPC + H(2)O(2) group. (4) The protection of HPC and HPC-induced upregulation of CRT were almost eliminated when SB203580 was administered before HPC. These results suggest that HPC up-regulates CRT expression through the p38 MAPK signaling pathway and protects cardiomyocytes from oxidative stress injury.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Calreticulin ; metabolism ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cell Survival ; Cells, Cultured ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Imidazoles ; pharmacology ; Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; pathology ; Oxidative Stress ; Pyridines ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; Up-Regulation ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; antagonists & inhibitors

AIMTo establish a fluorospectrophotometric assay for the measurement of nitrite in blood.

METHODSInterference from hemoglobin and other blood ingredients was removed through sulfuric acid and phosphotungstic acid pretreatment. Fluorescence of 1-[H]-naphthotriazole from the reaction of 2,3-diaminonaphthalene with nitrite was determined with fluorospectrophotometry.

RESULTSThe following conditions were proper: Serum or plasma was treated with sulfuric acid and phosphotungstic acid pretreatment for two times, 2,3-diaminonaphthalene of 0.63 mmol x (L(-1)) was used, reaction solution pH and final pH were about 1.60 and 1.70 respectively, solution containing 2,3-diaminonaphthalene and supernatant after pretreatment was water-bathed at 20 degrees C for 15 minutes. The lower limit of detection was 24.27 nmol x L(-1). Nitrite determined in peripheral blood of healthy people was (10.91 +/- 2.38) micromol x L(-1), and its 95% distribution range was (6.24-15.57) micromol x L(-1).

CONCLUSIONIt's a relatively sensitive, specific, simple method. It's of some value to the study of nitric oxide.

Fluorophotometry ; Humans ; Limit of Detection ; Nitrites ; blood

Objective To study the relationship between coronary arteriographic and fluorescence fundus angiographic characteristics in type 2 diabetic patients with coronary heart disease.Methods The study was carried out by the analysis of the data from coronary arteriography and fluorescence fundus angiography in 203 type 2 diabetic patients with coronary heart disease in different groups divided according to age or total cholesterol level. Logisitic regression analysis was applied to explore various risk factors to angiographic characteristics.Results With advancing age,there were more involvement of 3 coronary vessels or the left main branch along with stageⅢretinopathy,but less single vessel diseases in the coronary arteries and less stageⅠretinopathy.The difference in coronary angiographic and fluorescence fundus angiographic characteristics between groups with different total cholesterol levels was not significant.Logistic regression analysis suggested that coronary artery diaease was related to age,sex and blood glucose and triglyceride levels while diabetic retinopathy was related to blood glucose level and age.Conclusion There is great difference in coronary arteriography and fluorescence fundus angiography among different age groups.Aging may aggravate the lesions both in the coronary arteries and fundal vessels in type 2 diabetic patients with coronary heart diseease.

The study was aimed to investigate the clinical significance of coagulation function changes in lymphoma patients and to analyze the relationship between their changes and international prognostic index (IPI). The prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT) and fibrinogen (FIB) were detected by magnetic bead method in 75 lymphoma patients and 20 healthy persons. The dehydrogenase (LDH) level was detected by rate method in all lymphoma patients and healthy persons. The results showed that (1) the APTT and FIB more obviously increased in lymphoma patients which displayed as hyperfibrinogenemia, as compared with control group (p < 0.05, p < 0.01); no obvious changes of coagulation indexes presented in patients with different ages and extranodal lesions (p > 0.05, p < 0.01). (2) APTT and FIB levels in stage III and IV patients were much higher than those in the stage II (p < 0.05 and < 0.01), and FIB level in stage IV group was significantly higher than those in the stage III (p < 0.05). FIB level in symptomatic group was significantly higher than that in asymptomatic group (p < 0.01). (3) APTT and FIB in increased LDH group were obviously higher than those in control group (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). Furthermore, FIB in increased LDH group was higher than that in normal LDH group (p < 0.05). FIB in performance status (PS) 2 - 4 groups increased significantly as compared with those in PS 0-1 group (p < 0.01). (4)FIB levels in the low-middle-risk, high-middle-risk and high-risk groups were significantly higher than those in control group (p < 0.01), while FIB levels in high-middle-risk and high-risk groups were higher than those in low-risk group (p < 0.05). (5) the number of FIB increased patients in symptomatic group, increased LDH group, PS 2 - 4 group and Ann Arbor stage III-IV group were much higher than those in counterparts (p < 0.05 or 0.01).There were positive correlations between FIB and LDH level, PS grades, Ann Arbor stages as well as risk grades respectively (p < 0.05 or 0.01). It is concluded that lymphoma patients usually accompany with hyperfibrinogenemia which may be influenced by Ann Arbor stage, systemic symptom, LDH level and PS grade. FIB is supposed to be an effective indication of prognosis in lymphoma patients.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Coagulation ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Prognosis ; Prothrombin Time ; Young Adult