Objective To observe the effects of Kinesio taping on upper limb spasticity after stroke. Methods From March to Novem-ber, 2015, 39 stroke patients were divided into Kinesio taping group (Kinesio taping and rehabilitation, n=13), white taping group (white tap-ing and rehabilitation, n=13) and blank group (rehabilitation, n=13) randomly. They were evaluated with modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) of upper limbs and the modified Barthel Index (MBI) before treatment, four and eight weeks after treat-ment. Results There was no significant difference among the three groups in the scores of FMA and MBI (P>0.05) four weeks after treat-ment, but the score of MAS improved more in the Kinesio taping group than in the other two groups (P<0.05). The scores of MAS, FMA and MBI all improved more in the Kinesio taping group than in the other two groups (P<0.05) eight weeks after treatment. Conclusion The application of Kinesio taping can relieve upper limb spasticity, and improve motor function and activities of daily living for patients with stroke.

The Medline and CNKI databases were searched with the key words of radiation-induced myocardial damage,damage pathway,pathogenesis,and intervention,and 37 articles were obtained.The pathogenesis of radiation-induced myocardial damage may be related to various mechanisms such as oxidative stress,transforming growth factor-β,renin-angiotensin system,mast cells,and endothelial dysfunction.The pathogenesis of radiation-induced myocardial damage is a complex process involving various mechanisms,and currently,there are ongoing studies on the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis and interventions.

Objective To improve the recognition of treatment of adult T lymphoblastic lymphoma (TLL) with Hyper-CVAD regime.Methods The turnovers of 7 cases treated with Hyper-CVAD regime were summarized.Results Among the 7 cases,1 case died after the first unfinished chemotherapy,1 case gained complete remission before autologous stem cell transplantation but relapsed after transplantation,3 cases gained complete remission until now,2 cases without transplantation relapsed and then gave up following treatments after treating with ICE regime or the virgin regime,but the therapeutic effects were poor.Conclusions Adult TLL should get early chemotherapy treatments,and some special characteristics should be noted,the treatment does not relate to the stage,the chemotherapy treatment should be carried out regularly and enough,radiation of mediastinum mass can be applied after 4 cycles of Hyper-CVAD regime,choose suitable transplantation method.

Objective To investigate the pathological manifestations of acute?stage radioactive myocardial damage and related mechanisms using an experimental animal model. Methods A total of 12 adult male Sprague?Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group and radiation group. In the radiation group, the model of radiation?induced myocardial damage was established by the irradiation of the anterior myocardial territory with 6?MV X?ray at a single dose of 20 Gy, and at 14 days after irradiation, HE staining was used to observe the morphological changes of cardiomyocytes and intercellular matrix, and Masson staining was used to observe the distribution of collagen fibers. The collagen volume fraction ( CVF) was used for semi?quantitative analysis. ELISA was used to measure the activity of total superoxide dismutase ( T?SOD) and the concentration of malondialdehyde ( MDA ) , and Western blot was used to measure the expression of the fibrosis marker protein collagen type I ( COL?1 ) and the endoplasmic reticulum stress?related proteins GRP78 and CHOP. The t?test, t ’?test, or nonparametric rank sum test was used for comparison between groups. Results At 14 days after local irradiation of the heart, the radiation group had disordered arrangement of cardiomyocytes, marked edema, rupture of some cardiomyocytes, mild karyopyknosis in cardiomyocytes, and infiltration of inflammatory cells in the myocardial interstitium, compared with the control group. Collagen fibers in the myocardial tissue were mainly distributed in the perivascular area and cardiomyocyte interstitium. The radiation group had a significantly higher CVF than the control group ( 11?35% vs. 5?23%, P=0?000 ) and a significant increase in the expression of COL?1 compared with the control group ( P=0?000) . The radiation group had significant increases in the activity of T?SOD and the concentration of MDA in the myocardial tissue compared with the control group ( T?SOD:156?61 U/mgprot vs. 137?06 U/mgprot, P= 0?042;MDA:2?36 nmol/mgprot vs. 1?31 U/mgprot, P=0?007) . Compared with the control group, the radiation group showed significant increases in the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress?related proteins GRP 7 8 and CHOP ( P= 0?037 and 0?009 ) . Conclusions The pathological manifestations of acute?stage myocardial damage include degeneration of cardiomyocytes, inflammatory exudation in the interstitium, and deposition of collagen in the perivascular area and myocardial interstitium. Myocardial fibrosis can be observed in the acute stage of radiation?induced myocardial damage, and the mechanism may be related to oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by radioactive rays.

Objective To observe myocardial tolerance to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats after exposure to X-ray irradiation.Methods Twelve male rats were randomly divided into control group and radiation group.The rat model of radiation-induced heart disease was established in the radiation group by precordial irradiation with 20.0 Gy of 6 MV X-ray in a single fraction.At 14 days after model establishment,the Langendorff perfusion technique was performed in the two groups and the cardiac parameters including left ventricular developing pressure (LVDP),left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP),maximal rate of left ventricular pressure rise/fall (+/-LVdp/dtmax),and coronary flow (CF)were recorded.Myocardial infarct size after I/R was compared between the two groups by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining.Results After 30 minutes of ischemia and 60 minutes of reperfusion,the irradiation group had a significantly slower CF than the control group (5.64±0.35 vs.8.38±0.52 ml/min,P=0.002).Moreover,the irradiation group had substantially poorer recovery of cardiac function in isolated hearts compared with the control group,as shown by a significantly reduced LVDP (25.4±2.31 vs.52.76±2.76 mm Hg(1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa),P=0.000),significantly reduced+/-LVdp/dtmax(547.04±78.74 vs.1 100.05±83.35 mm Hg(1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa)/s,P=0.001;-408.81±56.74 vs-813.62±73.82mm Hg(1 mm Hg =0.133 kPa)/s,P=0.002),and a significantly increased LVEDP (85.29±4.61 vs.65.65±3.65 mm Hg (1 mm Hg =0.133 kPa),P=0.012).X-ray irradiation induced a significantly increased percentage of myocardial infarct size in rats (44.67％±0.95％ vs.30.46％±0.96％,P=0.000).Conclusions X-ray irradiation can induce coronary injury,reduce myocardial tolerance to I/R injury,and increase myocardial infarct size after I/R in rats.

Objective To examine the pathological changes in the myocardial tissues such as inflammatory response and fibrosis in a rat model of acute radiation-induced heart damage (RIHD),and to explore whether NF-κB and its downstream pathway are associated with acute radiation-induced myocardial fibrosis.Methods Fourteen nale adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group and radiation group.Local heart irradiation was delivered to the precordial region of rats to establish an RIHD model in a single fraction with a dose of 20 Gy generated by a 6 MV linear accelerator.At 14 days after irradiation,the histopathological changes in myocardial and interstitial tissues were examined by HE staining;the distribution of collagen fibers was observed by Masson staining,and collagen volume fraction (CVF) was used as a semi-quantitative evaluation for myocardial collagen deposition,which was defined as the percentage of collagen area occupied in total area,and was compared using the independent-samples t test.The protein and mRNA expression levels of the NF-κB members p50 and p65 and the downstream pathway members hypoxia-inducible factor 1α(HIF-1o),connective tissue growth factor (CTGF),and type I (COL-1) were quantitatively analyzed by Western blot and qPCR,respectively.Results At 14 days after local heart irradiation,the radiation group showed significant myocardial edema and derangement,rupturc of some myocardial ceils,mild nuclear pyknosis,darkened nuclear staining,a small number of irregular nuclei,and myocardial interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration accompanied by increased fibroblast,as compared with the control group.The Masson staining showed that the collagen fibers in radiation group were widely distributed at the interstitial tissue and increased significantly compared with those in the control group;normal myocardial cells were in disordered array and had a tendency to be replaced by collagen fibers.The semi-quantitative analysis showed that radiation induced a significant increase in CVF (22.05％ vs.3.76％,P =0.003).Western blot and qPCR revealed that the protein and mRNA expression of p50,p65,HIF-1 α,CTGF,and COL-1 was significantly higher in the radiation group than in the control group (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The pathological features of acute RIHD include significant myocardial edema and myocardial interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration accompanied by increased fibroblasts and collagen fibers.Radiation exposure can activate NF-κB and cause the upregulation of HIF-1α and CTGF at both protein and mRNA levels,which may play an important role in the progression of radiation-induced myocardial inflammation to fibrosis.

Objective To analyze the patterns and distribution of lymph node metastasis in patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction ( AEG). Methods The pathological data of 393 patients with AEG from 2006 to 2009 were analyzed. The patterns and distribution of lymph node metastasis were analyzed in patients with different Siewert subtypes, depths of tumor invasion, and maximum diameters of the tumor, and the high?risk lymphatic drainage areas were investigated. Between?group comparison was performed by χ2 test. Results The metastatic rate and ratio of abdominal lymph nodes in AEG were 69?? 2%and 31?? 31%, respectively. The incidence rates of lymph node metastasis in the cardia, lesser curvature, left gastric artery, splenic artery, splenic hilum, mesenteric root, and abdominal aorta were the highest. The metastatic rate and ratio of mediastinal lymph nodes were 16?? 4% and 8?? 3%, respectively. The incidence rates of lymph node metastasis in the lower paraesophageal, esophageal hiatus, and superior diaphragmatic areas were the highest. Compared with Siewert type II and type III AEG, Siewert type I AEG had a significantly higher mediastinal lymph node metastatic rate (P= 0?? 003) and a significantly lower abdominal lymph node metastatic ratio (P= 0?? 002).The metastatic ratios of lymph nodes in multiple abdominal regions were higher in patients with stage T3+T4 AEG and a maximum tumor diameter of ≥6 cm than in the control group, while the metastatic ratios of mediastinal lymph nodes in groups with different maximum tumor diameters were similar. The metastatic ratios of lymph nodes in the greater curvature, hepatoduodenal ligament, and inferior diaphragmatic areas were lower than 10% in all groups. Conclusions In radiotherapy for AEG, the abdominal high?risk lymphatic drainage areas involve the cardia, lesser curvature, left gastric artery, splenic artery, splenic hilum, mesenteric root, and abdominal aorta, while the mediastinal high?risk lymphatic drainage areas involve the lower paraesophageal, esophageal hiatus, and superior diaphragmatic areas. In addition, the personalized target volume design should be based on the patterns of lymph node metastasis with different Siewert subtypes and clinical pathological characteristics.

Objective To examine the effects of different pre-treatment nutritional status and inflammatory markers on acute adverse reactions in esophageal cancer patients during concurrent intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and chemotherapy.Methods The acute adverse reactions of 338 eligible esophageal cancer patients who received concurrent IMRT and chemotherapy in our hospital from 2006 to 2014 were reviewed.The effects of different pre-treatment nutritional status, such as body mass index level (BMI), albumin level (ALB), total lymphocyte count (TLC), the presence or absence of anemia, and inflammatory indicators including neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), on acute adverse reactions in the patients were examined.Data were analyzed using the chi-square test with continuity correction and logistic regression analysis.Results The incidence rate of malnutrition in the patients based on their nutritional status was 5.62%-54.14%.The incidence rate of grade≥2 acute radiation esophagitis (RE) was significantly higher in the low ALB group than in the normal ALB group (P=0.000).The incidence rate of adverse reactions in the hematologic system increased as TLC decreased (P=0.006), but the incidence rate of acute radiation pneumonitis (RP) was reduced as TLC decreased (P=0.001).In addition, the incidence rate of grade ≥2 acute RE was significantly higher in the anemia group than in the non-anemia group.Inflammatory marker analysis demonstrated that the incidence rate of acute RE was significantly higher in the high NLR group and high PLR group than in the low NLR group and low PLR group (P=0.000 and P=0.024, respectively).Logistic regression analysis of nutritional status and inflammatory markers showed that TLC was an independent risk factor for acute adverse reactions in the hematologic system (P=0.001), and ALB and PLR were independent risk factors for acute RE (P=0.017 and P=0.011,respectively).Conclusions Nutritional status and inflammatory markers are associated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy-induced acute adverse reactions in esophageal carcinoma patients, and hence may be valuable indicators of acute adverse reactions during treatment.In addition, nutritional treatment and support care should be actively provided to the patients to prevent the development of acute adverse reactions during treatment.

OBJECTIVETo confirm the existence of point mutations in the SSU rDNA variable regions of 5 Leishmania donovani (L.d.) isolates from different epidemic foci in China.

METHODSSpecific SSU rDNA fragments from nuclear DNA of 7 Leishmania species/isolates were amplified by PCR and then cloned into pGEM(R)-T Easy Vectors. After that, the specific fragments were sequenced by an automated DNA sequencer.

RESULTSSequence analysis showed that the amplified DNA fragments of 7 Leishmania species/isolates were all 392 bp in length. All 5 point mutations were located in two unique sequence blocks (UQ-I and UQ-II), and no insertions or deletions were found. The identities of comparison of Leishmania in GeneBank were more than 98%.

CONCLUSIONFive point mutations exist in the SSU rDNA variable region of 5 L.d. isolates from different epidemic foci of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in China. Sequence differences of the SSU rDNA variable region exist among L.d. isolates from different foci.

Animals ; DNA, Protozoan ; chemistry ; DNA, Ribosomal ; chemistry ; Humans ; Leishmania donovani ; genetics ; Leishmaniasis, Visceral ; parasitology ; Point Mutation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective To evaluate the clinical outcome of autologous hemopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) for hematological malignancies. Methods Data of 61 patients with hematological malignancies who underwent AHSCT in Xiangya Hospital from April 1994 to August 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 30 acute non-lymphoblastic leukemias (ANLL), 25 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), 3 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and 3 plasmacytoma. Mel 160 mg/m2 + Ara-C 2.0/2.5 g × 2 +Cy 1.8 g/m2 × 2, or TBI 8-10 Gy + Cy 1.8 g/m2 × 2 were mainly included in pretreatment regimens. Results All patients had rapid hemopoietic reconstitution. There was one patient who died of heart failure during the transplantation process. The rate of AHSCT related death was 1.6 %. The median follow up duration was 52(2-211) months. Forty-seven of 61 patients were still alive during the analysis. The probabilities of disease free survival (DFS) at 5 years were significantly different between these two groups: (77.5±5.5) % for AHSCT groups and (31.6±7.3) % for synchronous intensive chemotherapy groups(P ＜0.01). Conclusion AHSCT can be safely performed as an important treatment constituent for hematological malignancies.