Objective To observe the changes of four quantitative indexes of diabetic macular edema by using optical coherence tomography.Methods Eighty-nine patients (155 eyes) with diabetic retinopathy were included in this project and were divided into two groups according to the present of diabetic macular edema:Negative group (56 cases,100 eyes) and positive group(33 cases,55 eyes).In addition,23 cases (42 eyes) of normal volunteers constituted the normal control group.All the objects accepted an optical coherence tomography examination and the indexes including central retinal thickness (CRT),subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and integrity of external limiting membrane(ELM) as well as inner/outer segment (IS/OS) were measured and analyzed.Results The average CRT of positive group (219.048 ± 16.798) μm was significantly thicker than that of control group(217.775 ± 26.866) μm and negative group (280.418 ±74.187) μm (P ＜0.001).Mean SFCT among control group (312.893 ±140.559) μm,negative group (302.080 ± 125.287) μm and positive group (293.745 ±140.517) μm had no statistical significance (P =0.781).There were 3 eyes with disrupted ELM layer in the negative group and 8 eyes in the positive group.Difference between them was proved to be significant (P =0.019).Similarly,the integrity of IS/OS layer had significant difference between negative group (5 eyes disrupted) and positive group (19 eyes disrupted) (P ＜ 0.001).Conelusion CRT of patients with diabetic macular edema is always increased and the integrity of ELM or (and) IS/OS can be disrupted in many cases.Indexes including CRT and the integrity of ELM or (and) IS/OS can be used to evaluate the severity of diabetic macular edema quantificationally.

AIM:To investigate the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),and to analyze their correlations to clinicopathologic features of HCC.METHODS:The protein and mRNA levels of TLR2 and TLR4 in HCC and para-tumor tissue were determined by immunohistochemistry and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RFQ-PCR).RESULTS:The protein and mRNA levels of TLR2 and TLR4 in HCC were lower than those in para-tumor tissue(P

AIM: To investigate the dynamic variety of frequency and function of FoxP3~+ regulatory T cells in patients with acute hepatitis B (AHB). METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 15 AHB patients at acute phase (week 1 of illness), convalescent phase (primary occurrence of both ALT level normalization and HBsAg negative conversion), resolved phase (at least 8 weeks after both ALT normalization and HBsAg seroconversion, and 15 health subjects were analyzed for FoxP3 (Forkhead/winged helix transcription factor) mRNA expression in MACS magnetic beads-purified CD4~+ T cells by real-time RT-PCR assay. The effects of Treg cells on the proliferation of CD4~+CD25~- T cells were examined by a ~3[H]-thymidine incorporation assay. RESULTS: AHB patients presented a significantly higher FoxP3 mRNA expression at convalescent phase than acute phase (t=-6.04, P<0.01) and resolved phase (t=4.45, P<0.01), and healthy controls (t=3.44, P<0.01). We also observed that the suppression efficiency of Treg cells on proliferation of CD4~+CD25~- T cells was lower at acute phase than convalescent phase (t=-5.30, P<0.01) and resolved phase (t=-3.20, P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between healthy controls and any phase of AHB. CONCLUSION: AHB patients presented lower circulating Treg frequency and suppression function at acute phase, and both of them are increased at convalescent phase, and then return to normal level along with disease resolved. This follow-up study furthers our understanding of Treg' s role in immunopathogenesis of hepatitis B.

Protein kinase C (PKC) family plays a critical role in many developmental events, including oocyte activation, completion of the second meiosis and initiation of the first mitosis, compaction, and blastocysts formation as well. But little is known of its many isozymes. Studies have shown that 10 isozymes of PKC and its anchor protein, RACK, are expressed in the course from 2 cell stage through blastocyst stage in mouse. We reviewed here the recent studies on the location pattern and expression levels of different PKC isozymes. Those studies indicated that the isozymes were very important for every stage of preimplantation embryonic development, especially at the early 4-cell stage. Some are increased temporarily in nucleus, which indicated that they might control and regulate the remolding of embryonic nucleus. We also analyzed the possible functions of PKCs in the somatic nuclear transferred embryos.
Animals ; Embryonic Development ; physiology ; Fertilization ; physiology ; Isoenzymes ; metabolism ; physiology ; Oocytes ; physiology ; Protein Kinase C ; metabolism ; physiology ; Receptors for Activated C Kinase ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; metabolism

Objective To analyze the clinical features,diagnosis and treatment of adult Moyamoya disease in countryside of the southeast of Hubei province.Methods Sixty-eight adult patients with Moyamoya disease,selected in countryside of the southeast of Hubei Province from May 2010 to May 2015,were enrolled.The clinical data,including age,gender,address (surrounding of residence),living habit (special hobby),health of family members,past medical history,symptom,confirmation related factors,treatment methods and prognoses,were retrospectively analyzed.Results These patients had high and low incidences in distribution.The ratio of male to female was 1.09:1.The peak age of onset was 35 to 44 years.There were 42 bleeding patients,16 ischemia patients,and 7 patients with atypical symptom,and 3 patients were asymptomatic.Thirty-eight patients (55.9％) had early diagnosis and 30 (44.1％) had late conformed diagnosis;patients with early diagnosis had significantly higher percentages of first diagnosis in the tertiary hospitals,hemorrhagic apoplexy as first onset,high education level and economic level than patients with late conformed diagnosis (P＜0.05).Ten patients died.Eight patients received vascular reconstruction,accounting for 11.8％ (8/58).Conclusions The distributions of adult moyamoya disease are regional cluster.The main age of onset is at the life prime.The initial symptom is hemorrhagic stroke.The time for diagnosis was short in the tertiary hospitals.The ratio of patients receiving vascular reconstruction is low.

Heme is a key cofactor in aerobic life, both in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Because of the high reactivity of ferrous protoporphyrin IX, the reactions of heme in cells are often carried out through heme-protein complexes. Traditionally studies of heme-binding proteins have been approached on a case by case basis, thus there is a limited global view of the distribution of heme-binding proteins in different cells or tissues. The procedure described here is aimed at profiling heme-binding proteins in mouse tissues sequentially by 1) purification of heme-binding proteins by heme-agarose, an affinity chromatographic resin; 2) isolation of heme-binding proteins by SDS-PAGE or two-dimensional electrophoresis; 3) identification of heme-binding proteins by mass spectrometry. In five mouse tissues, over 600 protein spots were visualized on 2-DE gel stained by Commassie blue and 154 proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF, in which most proteins belong to heme related. This methodology makes it possible to globally characterize the heme-binding proteins in a biological system.
Animals ; Carrier Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Heme ; chemistry ; Hemeproteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Mass Spectrometry ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Protein Binding ; Proteins ; chemistry ; Proteome ; Proteomics ; methods ; Sepharose ; chemistry ; Tissue Distribution