Objective To study the telomerase expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) in children with acute Kawasaki disease(KD) and its clinical significance.Methods The PBMCs of 64 children with acute KD [25 cases of them with coronary artery lesions(CAL),while the rest without] from 2 months to 6 years old admitted into Jiangxi Children's Hospital from Mar.2005 to Dec.2008 and those of 52 sex-age-matched healthy children (healthy control group) from 5 months to 7 years old were all assayed by Roche telomerase polymerase chain reaction enzymelinked immunosorbent assay(PCR ELISA).WBC,ESR and CRP were also detected.SPSS 11.0 software was used to analyze the data.Results The telomerase expression frequency of PBMCs in children with KD was 32.8%(21/64 cases),while that in healthy control group was only 15.4%(8/52 cases),the difference between the 2 groups was significant (?2= 4.65,P0.05).There were no significant difference of WBC,ESR and CRP between the telomerase of PBMCs positive group and negative group.Conclusions The higher frequency of telomerase expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes might be related to the development and progression of KD.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the anatomical and developmental characteristics of nasal sinuses in 1-2 years old children; and provide potential evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of sinusitis in 1-2 years old children. METHOD: Coronal CT scans of 60 cases (1-2 years old children) were studied with the imaging station. Reference datas were identified on these images using imaging station. The gasification conditions of the sinuses were identified and measured. RESULT: 100% of the frontal sinuses were not developed, while 100% of the maxillary sinuses were developed. The mean of the transverse and vertical diameters for the left side of the maxillary sinuse was (13.32 ± 2.88) mm and (13.55 ± 2.43) mm, respectively. While those for the right side were (13.63 ± 2.75) mm and (13.59 ± 2.13) mm, respectively. The anterior and posterior ethmoid sinuses were 100% developed. The mean transverse and vertical diameters for the left side of the anterior ethmoid sinus were (3.94 ± 0.86) mm and (11.92 ± 1.67) mm, respectively. While those mean for its right side were (3.88 ± 0.88) mm and (12.18 ± 1.86) mm, respectively. The mean transverse and vertical diameters for the left side of the posterior ethmoid sinus were (6.02 ± 1.07) mm and (10.51 ± 1.43) mm, respectively. While those for the right side were (5.91 ± 1.20) mm and (10.51 ± 1.55) mm, respectively. 88.3% (106 sides) of the sphenoid sinuses were developed, while 11.7% (14 sides) were not developed. The mean transverse and vertical diameters for the left side of the sphenoid sinus were (5.18 ± 2.15) mm and (5.78 ± 1.86) mm, respectively. While those for the right side were (4.91 ± 2.24) mm and (5.89 ± 2.03) mm, respectively. CONCLUSION The nasal sinuses in 1-2 years old children have been already developed. The development of the maxillary and ethmoid sinuses was clear and definite. The pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus was defined in many babies; however, the pneumatization of the frontal sinus was not defined in all babies. Acute rhinosinusitis in 1-2 years old children is not uncommon. Therefore, definite diagnosis and positive treatment of such cases are essential for avoidance of serious complications.
Ethmoid Sinus ; anatomy & histology ; Frontal Sinus ; anatomy & histology ; Humans ; Infant ; Maxillary Sinus ; anatomy & histology ; Sinusitis ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Sphenoid Sinus ; anatomy & histology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objective To explore the significance of nuclear factor-?B(NF-?B)activation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC)during acute Kawasaki disease(KD).Methods Peripheral blood was collected from children with acute KD(n=30)and healthy age-matched children(n=20).PBMC were cultured in vitro and divided into 3 groups:naturally cultured blank control group,protein kinase C(PKC)activator stimulated phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(PMA)group and PMA plus NF-?B inhibitor treated PMA plus pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate(PDTC)group.Percentages of NF-?B activation were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results Under natural culturing,the percentage of cells with activated NF-?B was significantly higher in acute KD blank control group than that in healthy blank control group.The percentage of cells with activated NF-?B was significantly higher in acute KD PMA group than that in acute KD blank group and that in normal control PMA group,respectively(Pa0.05).Conclusions NF-?B activation in PBMC during acute KD is markedly increased,which suggests that NF-?B activation plays an important role in the formation of vasulitis and CAL in this disease.NF-?B activation in PBMCs in children with KD is regulated by the PKC signaling pathway and PDTC obviously inhibits the activation of NF-?B.J Appl Clin Pediatr,2009,24(1):35-37

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; rehabilitation ; surgery ; Carotid Arteries ; Female ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; rehabilitation ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; blood supply ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Surgical Flaps ; blood supply

Hepatic encephalopathy is a common metabolic neuropsychiatric syndrome in the development of end-stage liver disease. Since the concept of intestinal-liver-brain axis was proposed, the relationship between the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy and the gut microbiota has been a hot research topic. In recent years, studies have confirmed that gut microbiota is involved in and affects various pathological processes of hepatic encephalopathy. This article combines the latest research progress at home and abroad to elaborate on the research status of regulating gut microbiota and thus interfering with the pathological process of hepatic encephalopathy, hoping to provide new ideas and methods for the intervention of hepatic encephalopathy based on the regulation of gut microbiota.

OBJECTIVETo determine the detection rate of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) in children with Meckel's diverticulum (MD) and its clinical significance among children with MD.

METHODSEighty-one children with MD were divided into two groups according to the presence (n=45) or absence (n=36) of digestive hemorrhage. The detection rates of Hp in MD tissues and stomach tissues were determined by immunohistochemistry. The detection rates of Hp were compared between the two groups and between the MD tissues with different clinical features in the hemorrhage group.

RESULTSThe detection rate of Hp in MD tissues for the hemorrhage group was 76% (34/45), which was significantly higher than that for the non-hemorrhage group (47%, 17/36) (P<0.05). The detection rate of Hp in stomach tissues for the hemorrhage group (87%, 39/45) was insignificantly higher than that for the non-hemorrhage group (67%, 24/36) (P>0.05). Among patients in the bleeding group, the detection rate of Hp in MD tissues showed no relationship with age, sex, preoperative hemorrhage frequency, amount of hemorrhage, length of MD, basal diameter of MD, and pathological type (P>0.05), but was related to location of MD, presence or absence of ulcer, and depth of ulcer (P<0.05). For the hemorrhage group, a significant positive correlation was found between the detection rates of Hp in MD tissues and stomach tissues (P<0.05), as shown by the Spearman correlation analysis.

CONCLUSIONSThe detection rate of Hp in MD tissues is increased in children with MD complicated by digestive hemorrhage. Hp infection may play some role in the hemorrhage process among children with MD.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; microbiology ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; etiology ; microbiology ; Helicobacter pylori ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Infant ; Male ; Meckel Diverticulum ; complications ; microbiology

The Notch signaling pathway has been implicated in the regulation of cell-fate decisions such as differentiation of embryo stem cells and neural stem cells into neurons. We cultured human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in vitro and induced hMSCs to differentiate into neural cells by beta-mercaptoethanol (beta-ME), DMSO and 3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA). Immunocytochemistry was utilized to detect neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and Nissl body, and flow cytometry was used to determine cell growth phases. The expressions of signal molecules involved in the Notch pathway such as Notch1, Jagged 1 (JAG1), presenilin 1 (PS1) and hairy and enhancer of split 1(HES1) were observed by RT-PCR and immunofluorescent techniques. The results were as follows: (1) Before induction, the percentage of hMSCs at G(0)/G(1) was 58.5%, and the percentage at S+G(2)/M was 41.5%. After induction, the percentage of hMSCs at G(0)/G(1) increased to 73.1%, 76.2% and 78.1%, respectively on days 2, 4 and 6, and the percentage at S+G(2)/M decreased to 26.8%, 24.8% and 21.9%, respectively; The percentage of NSE-positive cells reached (77+/-0.35) %; Nisslos staining was positive in cytoplasm. (2) Notch1 and JAG1 were both expressed in hMSCs before and after induction, but the mRNA expressions of both Notch1 and JAG1, detected by RT-PCR, decreased obviously after induction(P<0.05). Notch1 mRNA/beta-actin was 1.157, 0.815, 0.756 and 0.570, and JAG1 mRNA/beta-actin was 0.437, 0.350, 0.314 and 0.362, respectively, on days 0, 2, 4 and 6 after induction. The Notch pathway activation participant PS1 mRNA and Notch pathway target gene HES1 mRNA also decreased apparently after induction (P<0.05), and their mRNA/beta-actin was 0.990, 0.449, 0.441, 0.454 and 0.370, 0.256, 0.266, 0.240 on days 0, 2, 4 and 6, respectively. These observations indicate that the expressions of Notch signal molecules were suppressed when hMSCs were induced to differentiate into neural cells. Based on these findings, we propose that low level of Notch signaling activation may contribute to neural cell differentiation.
Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors ; genetics ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Differentiation ; Flow Cytometry ; Homeodomain Proteins ; genetics ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; Jagged-1 Protein ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Neurons ; cytology ; Receptor, Notch1 ; genetics ; Receptors, Notch ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Serrate-Jagged Proteins ; Signal Transduction ; Transcription Factor HES-1

This study was purposed to investigate the therapeutic effects of early transfusion of immunized donor lymphocytes after haploidentical transplantation by means of mouse model of nonmyeloablative haploidentical bone marrow transplantation. CB6F1 female mouse was served as recipient and C57BL/6 male mouse was served as donor. Each CB6F1 female mouse was subjected to intravenous transfusion with 1×10(6) erythroleukemia (EL9611) cells at day 4 before transplantation, followed with intraperitoneal injection of Ara-C (0.015 g) respectively at day 2 and day 1, then conditioned for BMT with TBI (450 cGy) at day 1 before transplantation. After conditioning (day 0), each of recipients was transplanted with 6×10(7) mixture of bone marrow and spleen cells from the C57BL/6 mice, and was infused with 6 × 10(7) immunized donor lymphocytes at day 15 after transplantation. All treated animals were evaluated for survival, development of leukemia and aGVHD. The donor CD3(+) cell chimerism and sex determining region Y gene (SRY)in recipients were monitored periodically after transplantation. The results showed tht all mice with only inoculation of 10(6) EL9611 cells survived for 15 ± 1 days (n = 4); all mice of other groups obtained the varying degrees of implantation. SRY could be detected at day 30 and 60 after transplantation. The chimerism of donor CD3(+) cells in mixed bone marrow transplantation (MT) group at day 14, 30 and 60 respectively reached 17.95% ± 12.03%, 37.34% ± 2.78% and 47.06% ± 6.1%. In donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) group it reached 69.78% ± 12.62%, 75% ± 15.97%, 83.41% ± 16.07% at day 30, 45 and 60 after transplantation. The mice of MT and DLI group survived for 66.66 ± 1.47 days and 78.2 ± 7.82 days. It is concluded that the high tumor burden before transplantation can affect donor cell engraftment and prognosis.Early post-transplanted infusion of immunized lymphocytes from donor can help to improve the therapeutic efficacy and survival.
Animals ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; methods ; Female ; Haplotypes ; Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute ; therapy ; Lymphocyte Transfusion ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation Conditioning ; methods ; Transplantation, Homologous

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the accuracy of Hadeco ES-1000spm hand-held doppler during the anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap harvest.

METHODSTwenty-five patients (26 sides) with ALT flaps for head and neck reconstruction between May 2005 and May 2010 received preoperative Doppler examination for the location of the cutaneous perforators of ALT flaps. The Doppler signals and body mass index (BMI) were recorded preoperatively according to ABC system. The locations of Doppler signals and of the actual cutaneous perforators at surgery were plotted and compared. The diameter of perforators was measured.

RESULTSOne to three cutaneous perforators of the ALT flap were consistently found at specific locations. They were named perforators A, B, C from proximal to distal. Perforators A, B and C were present in 15 (58%), 24 (92%) and 20 (77%) cases and the diameter (> 0.5 mm) of A, B and C were 11/15, 22 (92%) and 8 (40%) respectively. The Doppler signal was within 0.5 cm of the actual perforator location in 85% flaps. The accuracy of Doppler decreased with increase of BMI.

CONCLUSIONSPreoperative assessment by hand-held Doppler is useful in predicting the perforator vessels' locations and diameter although it's accuracy is limited.

Adult ; Aged ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Perforator Flap ; Preoperative Care ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Thigh ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Ultrasonography, Doppler

OBJECTIVETo study the application of three-dimensional reconstruction technique based on CT-MRI fusion in skull base surgery.

METHODSTo acquire the thin layer CT scan and MRI scanned images, to achieve image registration, fusion, segmentation and 3D visualization by using self-preparation software, to operate, observe and measure models by using methods of endoscopic observation, volume rendering segmentation, automatically and manually measure.

RESULTSThe center of the eye and foramen magnum in CT-MRI were used as point registration. Good coincidence of important anatomic landmarks were formed in the image fusion. The boundary of spotted graphical was clear and complete. The models showed a complete, continuous, smooth surface. Virtual endoscopy could display the inside three-dimensional structures of skull from nasal with fluent operations of rotation and transparency. The boundary of skull stump segmented after volume rendering segmentation was clear and smooth, and it could show bone signs and soft tissue models together. Cooperation of automatic measurement method [(32.007 ± 15.311) mm] and the manual measurement method [(30.240 ± 15.169) mm] for measuring the maximum diameters of the tumor model, the difference was significant (t = 8.409, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe method of selecting the center of the eye and foramen magnum in point matching is scientific, simple and easy to operate. The models reconstructed based on CT-MRI fusion images can accurately reflect the size of the soft tissue and be better measured through the automatic measurement. Reconstruction models can be observed through the way of virtual endoscopic within the nasal cavity or volume rendering segmentation from outside to inside to frustrate the relationship of skull structures. Three-dimensional reconstruction techniques based on CT-MRI fusion in skull base surgery can be used to plan surgical approach, to assess the risk of surgery and to achieve space measurements, and it laid the foundation for the three-dimensional navigation.

Adult ; Aged ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skull Base ; surgery ; Software ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed