Objective:To investigate the effects of thalidomide on vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and quality of life in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma after transcatheter arterial chemoembotization.Methods:A total of 60 patients with HCC,who were treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University from January 2014 to January 2016,were randomly divided into group A (n=30)and group B (n=30).Group A was treated with Thalidomide in combination with TACE,oral 200 mg every night for 1 month;group B was treated with TACE alone.The levels of VEGF in the two groups were detected before treatment and 3 weeks after treatment;the quality of life of patients before treatment and 1 month after treatment was evaluated by quality of life scale (QOL);the weight of two groups before and after treatment and adverse reactions during treatment were compared.Results:There was no significant difference in VEGF levels between the two groups before treatment (P＞0.05).After treatment,the levels of VEGF in the two groups were higher than those before treatment,and the VEGF levels in the group A was significantly lower than that in the group B,the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.01).There was no significant difference in QOL score and body weight between the two groups before treatment (P＞0.05).The QOL scores of the two groups after treatment were lower than those before treatment,but the QOL scores of patients in group A were significantly higher than those in group B (P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in weight between the two groups before and after treatment (P＞0.05).In group A,1 patients (3.33％) had severe somnolence,2 (6.67％) patients stopped taking thalidomide due to severe dry mouth,and the remaining 27 patients were able to tolerate.Conclusion:Thalidomide combined with TACE in the treatment of patients with HCC can reduce the levels of VEGF and improve the quality of life of cancer patients,which is worthy to be popularized in clinic.

Objective To describe the echocardiographic and clinical findings of patients with accessory mitral valve(AMV).Methods Four adult patients were diagnosed to have AMV by Doppler echocardiography.Results All the four patients had cardiac murmur but 2 were asymptomatic.Echocardiogram showed that two cases had isolated AMV with significant left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT)obstruction.Another patient was complicated by idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis and his systolic pressure gradient across the LVOT reduced to normal after taking negative inotropic drugs.The fourth patient was associated with complex congenital cardiac anomalies but without LVOT obstruction.Conclusions AMV may not be very rare as previously reported.An echocardiographic examination Can detect AMV and difierentiate it from other causes of LVOT obstruction.

Aged ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; diagnostic imaging ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVERNA interference was applied to knockdown the Dhcr7 gene in mouse embryonic palatal shelves to facilitate understanding of the function of Dhcr7 gene variants in the fusion of palatal shelves.

METHODSThe pAdTrack-CMV-siDhcr7 was constructed using the specific siRNA sequence of Dhcr7 from C57BL/6J mouse. The pAdTrack-CMV- siDhcr7 of positive clones was reconstructed in vitro, and the recombinant adenovirus pAdEasy-1-siDhcr7 of kanamycin resistance was screened. The adenovirus vector DNA was then prepared for transfecting the embryonic palatal shelves. Thirty pairs of embryonic palatal shelves at 13.5 d gestational age were harvested and then randomly divided into the following three groups: normal control group (n = 10), which included palatal shelves inculture medium without cholesterol; blank adenovirus control group (n = 10), which included palatal shelves in culture medium without cholesterol and blank adenovirus; and experimental group (n = 10), which included palatal shelves in culture medium without cholesterol and adenovirus encoding Dhcr7 siRNA. At 48 h after in vitro cultivation, the mRNA and protein of the palatal shelves were obtained for scanning electron microscopy (SEM), reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and Western blot analyses.

RESULTSSEM showed that the palatal shelves of the normal control and blank adenovirus control groups fused and formed continuous palates, whereas those of the experimental group was almost undeveloped but exhibited large gaps between the two palatal shelves. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses showed that the mRNA and protein of Dhcr7 in the experimental group decreased compared with those in the normal control group with a significant difference (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONResults indicate that Dhcr7 gene silencing affects the fusion of palatal shelves. Thus, Dhcr7 gene may serve a function in the normal development of palates.

Animals ; Cleft Palate ; Gene Silencing ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Organ Culture Techniques ; Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors ; Palate ; growth & development ; RNA, Messenger

ment with simple operation, high successful rate, high safety, less invasiveness and low complication rate.

Objective To determine the roles of thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor (TSLPR) and its antibody in airway inflammatory response in asthmatic mice, and to promote maturation and activation of dendritic cells (DCs) in mouse airway. Methods BALB/c mice were randomly divided into group A, B and C. The mice in group B and C were intraperitoneally injected with OVA for allergization while the mice in group A were intraperitoneally injected with PBS as the normal control. The mice in group B and C were treated by inhalation of non-specific IgG and TSLPR IgG respectively, before provocation of asthma using OVA. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of the mice in different groups were collected for cell differential counts and quantitative detection of IL-4, IL-5, IFN-γand IL-10 levels by ELISA. Moreover, the pulmonary tissue specimens of the mice were collected for pathological examination, and the numbers and phenotypes of DCs from the local lymph nodes and pulmonary tissue were determined by flow cytometry. Results The levels of all the tested cytokines in the BALF from mice in group B and C were remarkably higher compared to those from mice in group A (P<0.01). However, both the IL-4 and IL-5 levels in the BALF from group C mice that pre-blocked with TSLPR IgG were lower than those from group B (P<0.05, P<0.01), whereas both the IFN-γ and IL-10 levels in the BALF from group C mice were higher than those from group B (P<0.05, P<0.01). Furthermore, the numbers of total cells, eosinophils and lymphocytes in the BALF from group C mice were also lower than those from group B (P<0.01). A large number of inflammatory cell infiltration around the bronchus, beaker cell proliferation and mucous secretion reinforcement could be found in the samples from group B mice, while slight inflammatory cell infiltration and beaker cell proliferation in the samples from group C mice. The numbers of DCs in mediastinal lymph node and the levels of I-Ad, CD40, CD80 and CD86 expression of pulmonary DCs from group B mice were higher than those from group C mice (P<0.05). Conclusion TSLP/TSLPR have an effect on promoting asthma, which is closely relative to its regulation of DCs activation. And the interference of TSLPR antibody can decrease the effect of TSLP/TSLPR which indicating a potential of the antibody as a novel anti-asthma drug.

Catheterization ; instrumentation ; methods ; Endoscopy ; Humans ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Sinusitis ; therapy

Objective To assess the radial systolic function of left ventricle(LV) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM) by velocity vector imaging(VVI).Methods Sixteen patients with DCM and twenty control subjects were detected by VVI.VVI data were collected from the six basal segments and six mid segments in parastenal LV short axis views.The radial systolic velocity(V) ,strain(ε) ,strain rate(SR),the time to peak systolic velocity(PTV) and the time to maximum strain(PTε) were measured with special software.The differene of the earliest and the latest time to peak velocity(T-max) and the standard deviation of time to peak velocity(T-SD) of 12 segments were calculated.Results Compared to the controlled group,patients with DCM had significantly lower radial V,ε and SR (P ＜0.01) in all the 12 segments,significantly longer PTV and PTε (P ＜ 0.05) in most segments, and significantly larger T-max and T-SD (P ＜0.05).Conclusions VVI is useful to assess the abnormalities in LV radial movement in patients with DCM and could provide more information about regional cardiac function.

Objective To determine the current prevalence and risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MS) among adult residents in Chinese developed areas.Methods The clinical data of 6614 adult residents,including 4051 women,from Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces from China Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders Study (2007-2008) were analyzed.Age and sex standardized prevalences of MS were calculated according to the criteria of Chinese Diabetes Society (CDS),US National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel Ⅲ (ATP Ⅲ),International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and Joint Interim Statement (JIS),respectively.Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors of MS.Results Age and sex standardized prevalences of MS were 17.88％ (CDS),28.50％ (ATP Ⅲ),21.99％ (IDF) and 31.50％ (JIS),respectively.The prevalences of residents with at least one metabolic abnormality were 67.86％ (CDS) 79.56％ (ATP Ⅲ),79.62％ (IDF) and 80.74％ (JIS),respectively.MS was more common in female than in male by the ATPⅢ and IDF criterion (ATPⅢ:30.63％ vs 26.45％,P ＜0.01 ; IDF:26.04％ vs 17.91％,P ＜ 0.01),while the prevalence was higher in male by CDS criteria (15.94％ vs 19.87％,P ＜0.01).There was no significant difference in the MS prevalence between the rural and the urban residents.Kappa test showed ATP Ⅲ and JIS criteria were most homogenous (κ =0.95,P ＜ 0.01).The risk factors for MS by the logistic regression model were male,older age,lower degree of education,family history of hypertension and obesity,drinker as well as uncontrolled diet.Conclusion The prevalence of MS is high in the adult residents of Chinese developed areas (Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces),whatever diagnostic criterion was used.Effective measures should be taken to control the modifiable MS risk factors.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy in the treatment of parotid gland carcinoma. Methods: Eighty-six postoperated patients with parotid gland carcinoma( 7 in stage Ⅰ, 28 in stage Ⅱ, 33 in stage Ⅲ and 18 in stage Ⅳ) were radiated by 60Co ?-ray or linear accelerator X-ray combined with electron beam. All patients were diagnosed by pathology and followed up for more than 5 years. Results: The five year survival rate and the local control rate were 73.3% and 87.2% respectively. Poor prognosis was observed in the cases with the neoplastic classification of undifferentiated carcinoma, sequamous cell carcinoma and malignant pleomorphic adenoma, but the better prognosis was obtained in the cases with acinic cell carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Poor prognosis was observed in the cases with stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ of clinical stage. Radiotherapy undertaken in 2 weeks after surgical operation gave higher 5- year survival ratio( 83.8%). The group given 51～60 Gy radiation showed 82.9% of five- year survival rate. Conclusion: The combination of surgery with radiation is effective in the treatment of parotid gland carcinoma.Radiation of 51～60 Gy 2 weeks after operation may result in better prognosis. Neoplastic type and clinical stage are important factors for prognosis.