Objective To investigate whether the variability in the NS5A region among patients with hepatitis C virus(HCV) genotype 1 b affect the response to pegylated interferon alpha-2a(PEG-IFNα-2a) and ribavirin(RBV) combination therapy.Methods We retrospectively analyzed 15 patients (7 with rapid virological response and 8 non-response to therapy) with chronic HCV genotype-1b infection treated with PEG-IFNα-2a plus RBV.The entire NS5A region was amplified by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR followed by cloned sequenced.Results No single amino acid and motif substitution were associated with different responses to therapy in any of the NSSA regions.No significant differences were found in the number of mutations in the full-length NS5A,ISDR,PKRBD,and IRRDR.The number of mutations in the V3 region (aa 2356-2379)was higher in patients with rapid virological response than in patients with non-response (5.3 ± 0.5 and 3.4 ± 0.6 respectively,P =0.03).Conclusion The number of amino acid mutations in the V3 region was correlated with RVR to PEG-IFNα-2a plus RBV therapy in HCV-1b patients.

Objective To investigate the effect of Yaobitong Capsules combined with Fu's subcutaneous needling on lumbar range of motion and surface electromyography of trunk extensors in patients with lumbar disc herniation(LDH).Methods A total of 80 patients with LDH of blood stasis type were randomly divided into the study group and the control group,with 40 cases in each group.The control group was treated with Yaobitong Capsules orally,and the study group was given Fu's subcutaneous needling combined with Yaobitong Capsules orally.The course of treatment for the two groups covered 2 weeks.The changes of lumbar range of motion,pain visual analogue scale(VAS)score,improved Chinese Oswestry Disability Index(ODI)score,Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire(RMDQ)score and surface electromyography of trunk extensors in the two groups before and after treatment were observed.After treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated.Results(1)After 2 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the study group was 97.50%(39/40),and that of the control group was 80.00%(32/40).The intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the clinical efficacy of the study group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the range of motion of lumbar flexion,extension and rotation in the two groups was significantly improved compared with that before treatment(P＜0.05),and the improvement of lumbar range of motion in the study group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the lumbar function scores of ODI score and RMDQ score in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease of ODI score and RMDQ score in the study group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(4)The pain VAS scores of the study group after one week,2 weeks and one month of treatment and the pain VAS scores of the control group after 2 weeks and one month of treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease of pain VAS scores of the study group after one week,2 weeks and one month of treatment was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.01).(5)After treatment,the parameters of surface electromyography of trunk extensors such as integrated electromyographic value(IEMG)and mean power frequency(MPF)in the two groups were obviously increased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the increase of MPF and IEMG in the study group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.01).Conclusion Yaobitong Capsules combined with Fu's subcutaneous needling can significantly enhance the curative effect of LDH patients,alleviate the lumbar range of motion,improve the surface electromyography of trunk extensors,and relieve muscle fatigue and pain symptoms.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the early clinical effects of total hip arthroplasty(THA) for the treatment of old acetabular fractures.

METHODSFrom January 2007 to June 2010, thirteen patients with old acetabular fractures were reviewed, including 10 males and 3 females. Ten patients were treated with internal fixation and conservative treatment had been used in three patients. The average Harris Hip Score was used to evaluate therapeutic effects.

RESULTSAfter operation, all thirteen patients were followed up for one year. Hip X-ray films were taken and prosthesis loosening was not seen on any of the films at the 1st year after operation. The Harris Hip Score improved from preoperative (37.19 +/- 20.12) to postoperative (83.38 +/- 3.33), there was statistically significant difference.

CONCLUSIONFor reasons of malunion or failure of internal fixation, large and various bone defect, it's difficult to reach the anatomical reduction. THA is a good treatment method, but it needs rich skills and experience compared with ordinary operation.

Acetabulum ; injuries ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; methods ; Female ; Fractures, Bone ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo clarify expression and subcellular localization of XIAP and XAF1 protein in human normal oral keratinocytes (hNOK) and Tca8113 cells human tongue carcinoma cell line.

METHODSThe hNOKs and Tca8113 cells were cultured in vitro. Expression and subcellular localization of XIAP and XAF1 protein were examined by combination of indirect immunofluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy.

RESULTSXIAP expression was weak in the hNOKs and fluorescence staining localized chiefly in the cytoplasm and perinuclear areas. In the Tca8113 cells, high level of XIAP protein could be detected in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus. In the hNOKs, XAF1 distributed mostly in the nucleus. Homogeneous nuclear and cytoplasmic distribution of XAF1 could be visualized in the Tca8113 cells.

CONCLUSIONSIn cancerization of oral mucosa, XIAP protein could play an important antiapoptotic role by overexpression, while XAF1 protein does not appear to antagonize effectively the role of XIAP.

Apoptosis ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Keratinocytes ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mouth Mucosa ; cytology ; metabolism ; Neoplasm Proteins ; metabolism ; Tongue Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the feasibility of self-made capacitation liquid for in vitro fertilization of Mongolian gerbils, and to provide a reference for gerbil embryo cryopreservation. Methods In vitro fertilization of Mongo?lian gerbil was performed with the self?prepared capacitation solution and semen, and the 2?cell embryos of Mongolian ger?bils were cultured in vitro using an improved KSOM culture medium. Results The in vitro fertilization rate of gerbils was over 60%, and some gerbil 2?cell embryos could develop further in vitro. Conclusions An in vitro fertilization and embry?o development system of Mongolian gerbil has been established, but it needs further optimization.

Objective：This study was designed to investigate the outcome of double autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(Double AHSCT) in hematological malignancies. Methods: The clinical data of 12 patients who underwent Double AHSCT between January 1995 and January 1999 were analyzed retrospectively and the outcome were compared with that of 17 patients who received single autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Single AHSCT) in the same period. Results: The duration of continuous remission in 12 patients undergoing Double AHSCT ranged from 6 to 68 months(mean 27 months). Among them, eight patients (66.7％ ) were still alive without relapse up to now. While one patient had relapsed 6 months after second grafting. Three patients died from diseases related to graft. The patients who received Single AHSCT had a continuous remission of 1－ 36 months after graft (mean 12 months). Six of the 17 patients were still alive in good condition. Eight patients relapsed and 3 patients died from diseases related to graft. Conclusion: Good outcome were showed in Double AHSCT for the treatment of hematological malignancies. The 18 month survival rate in Double AHSCT tended to be better than that in Single AHSCT.

BACKGROUNDAtopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by chronic recurrent dermatitis with profound itching. Most patients have personal and/or family history of atopic diseases. Several criteria have been proposed for the diagnosis of AD. Although the clinical features of childhood AD have been widely studied, there has been less large-scale study on adult/adolescent AD. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features of adult/adolescent patients with chronic symmetrical eczema/AD and to propose Chinese diagnostic criteria for adult/adolescent AD.

METHODSA hospital-based study was performed. Forty-two dermatological centers participated in this study. Adult and adolescent patients (12 years and over) with chronic symmetrical eczema or AD were included in this study. Questionnaires were completed by both patients and investigators. The valid questionnaires were analyzed using EpiData 3.1 and SPSS 17.0 software.

RESULTSA total of 2662 valid questionnaires were collected (1369 male and 1293 female). Of all 2662 patients, 2062 (77.5%) patients had the disease after 12 years old, while only 600 (22.5%) patients had the disease before 12 years old, suggesting late-onset eczema/AD is common. Two thousand one hundred and thirty-nine (80.4%) patients had the disease for more than 6 months. One thousand one hundred and forty-four (43.0%) patients had a personal and/or family history of atopic diseases. One thousand five hundred and forty-eight (58.2%) patients had an elevated total serum IgE and/or eosinophilia and/or positive allergen-specific IgE. Based on these clinical and laboratory features, we proposed Chinese criteria for adult/adolescent AD. Of all 2662 patients, 60.3% were satisfied with our criteria, while only 48.2% satisfied with Hanifin Rajka criteria and 32.7% satisfied with Williams criteria, suggesting a good sensitivity of our criteria in adult/adolescent AD patients.

CONCLUSIONLate-onset of eczema or AD is common. The clinical manifestations of AD are heterogeneous. We have proposed Chinese diagnostic criteria for adolescent and adult AD, which are simple and sensitive for diagnosis of adult/adolescent AD.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Eczema ; diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Xiangsha Yangwei pill was selected as a model drug in this research, and time domain reflectometry (TDR) was used to determine the water content in the pill. The effects of five factors including the number of pill layers, pill packing density, atmospheric moisture, ambient temperature and the ratio of pill formula were investigated on water content. The results showed that the number of pill layers and ambient temperature had significant effects on water content of pills, while the pill packing density, atmospheric moisture and pill formula ratio had little effect on the determination of water content in pills. The reflection value was stable when 6 layers of pills were used. Under the condition of 25 ℃ and 45% relative humidity, the water content of pills ranged from 4.01% to 22.38%, showing good linear relationship between water content and reflection value, and the model equation was as follows: Y=0.279X－21.670 (R²=0.997 0). Verification experiment was used to explain the feasibility of this prediction model. The precision of the method complied with the methodology standard. It is concluded that TDR can be used in determination of water content in Xiangsha Yangwei pills. Additionally, TDR, as a new way to quickly and efficiently determine the water content, has a prospect application in the processing of traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy, especially for concentrated pill.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between genetic polymorphisms of human leukocyte antigen-DQ (HLA-DQ) and susceptibility to trichloroethylene (TCE)-induced severe generalized dermatitis.

METHODSA case-control study was conducted which included 112 patients with TCE-induced severe generalized dermatitis and 142 healthy controls exposed to TCE in the same workshop. The DNA sequences in exon2 of HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQB1 were performed by direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products. The frequencies distribution of allelic genotypes and codon polymorphisms were compared.

RESULTSThe frequencies of DQA1*0201 and 060101/0602 in cases [7.6% (17/224) and 16.1% (36/224)] were significantly higher than those of the exposed controls [3.5% (10/284) and 7.0% (20/284)], while frequencies of DQA1*0103 and 050101/0503/0505 in cases [5.8% (13/224) and 8.9% (20/224)] were significantly lower than those of exposed controls [10.9% (31/284) and 17.3% (49/284)]. In terms of codon polymorphisms, there were 5 codons of DQA1 (25, 41, 52, 54 and 69) showing significant differences between cases and controls. There were no significant differences in the frequencies of allelic genotypes of HLA-DQB1 between cases and exposed controls.

CONCLUSIONThe genetic polymorphisms of HLA-DQA1 might be one of the factors influencing the individual susceptibility to TCE-induced severe generalized dermatitis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Alleles ; Drug Eruptions ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; HLA-DQ Antigens ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Trichloroethylene ; toxicity

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of wearable 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) devices in pre-hospital diagnosis of acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS: This analysis was conducted among 441 patients selected from the''National ECG Network'', who used wearable 12-lead ECG device with critical situation warning of ST change between January 2019, and August, 2021.The general characteristics, response time and complaints of the patients with STEMI were analyzed.The accuracy of pre-hospital diagnosis of STEMI was compared between clinician's interpretation of ECGs and AI diagnosis by the wearable ECG device. RESULTS: In 89 of the patients, a pre-hospital diagnosis of STEMI was made by physicians based on ECGs from the wearable devices, and 58 of them sought medical attention after online warning, with a referral rate of 65.17%.The average time for diagnostic assessment of the ECGs was 153.02 s, and the average time for confirmation of the diagnosis was 178.06 s.The sensitivity for pre-hospital diagnosis of STEMI by clinician's interpretation of the ECGs and by AI diagnosis was 100% and 88.37%, respectively, with a specificity of 95.40% and 79.31%, respectively.The pre-hospital diagnosis by clinicians and AI diagnosis of STEMI both showed a high consistency with the subsequent definite clinical diagnosis of STEMI. CONCLUSION Wearable 12-lead ECG devices can accurately record ECG characteristics of STEMI patients outside the hospital and allow immediate data uploading for an early diagnosis.The diagnoses of STEMI made based on AI technology are highly consistent with those by clinicians, demonstrating excellent clinical performance of the wearable ECG devices.
Humans ; ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction/diagnosis* ; Electrocardiography ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Wearable Electronic Devices ; Hospitals