Objective To investigate the relationship between the levels of proteoglycan and collagen type Ⅱ in serum and severity of knee osteoarthritis, and to determine whether the two markers could reflect the metabolic changes of cartilage after different knee operations. Methods Serum samples and roentgenographic data of 65 patients with knee osteoarthritis and 22 normal persons in controls were collected. Three different operations were performed for 45 patients respectively. These patients were followed up for half a year. The serum levels of proteoglycan and collagen type Ⅱ epitope were analysed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Results Epitope levels of proteoglycan and collagen type Ⅱ in serum of osteoarthritis patients were higher than those in control group. The serum levels of both markers in the group that the roentgenograph show minor narrowing of joint space were highest. Half a year after total knee replacement, the level of proteoglycan decreased significantly(P

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare gadolinium-enhanced multiphase dynamic MR imaging and multirow-detector helical CT (MDCT) multiphase scanning for detection of small hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods Multirow-detector helical CT multiphase scanning and MRI with SE sequence combined with FMPSPGR sequence were performed in 37 patients with 43 small HCCs. ROC curves were established to analyze the results for each modality. Results There was no statistical difference between MDCT and MRI in the areas below the receive operating characteristic curve (Az). The detection of small HCC on MDCT showed lesser false-positive lesions than that on MRI, however the difference was not statistically different. Sensitivity of detecting small HCC on MDCT with multiphase scanning was higher than that on dynamic MRI. The sensitivity of detection for small HCC (≤1 cm) was 90.0%, 95.0% on MDCT and 70.0%, 85.0% on MRI, respectively. The positive predictive values for small HCC were higher on dynamic MDCT (97.5%, 97.6%) than on dynamic MRI (90.7%, 94.7%), respectively. Conclusion For early detection of small HCC, multiphase hepatic CT scan using MDCT is highly recommended for the patients with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis.

ObjectiveTo evaluate prognostic factors and the surgical results of pulmonary carcinoid tumors.Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 62 patients who were diagnosed as pulmonary carcinoid tumors between January 2000 and October 2010 at Department of Thoracic Surgery,Shanghai Chest Hospital.The following information was available for each of the 62 patients:age,sex,pathological type,and TNM stage.ResultsThere were no operative death.The 3-year and 5-year survival rates after surgery were 92.1％ and 77.8％,respectively.Of the 62 patients,42 were diagnosed as typical carcinoid tumor,and among them,4 patients (8.3％) had lymph node metastases.Their 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 97.8％ and 94.7％,respectively.The remaining 20 patients were diagnosed as atypical carcinoid tumor,and among them,6 patients (37.5％) had lymph node metastases.Their 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 84.4％ and 58.8％,which were statistically significant compared with typical carcinoid tumor( P =0.0047 ).There was significant difference in survival rate between the patients with lymph node metastases and the patients without lymph node metastases (P =0.0048).CondusionThe main risk factors affecting survival rate of those patients who were diagnosed as pulmonary carcinoid tumors were pathological types and lymph node metastases.

AIM To develop an HPLC method for the simultaneous content determination of berberine hydrochloride,jatrorrhizine hydrochloride,palmatine hydrochloride,kaempferol,luteolin and apigenin in Qingre Zhili Pills (Berberidis Radix and Portulacae Herba).METHODS The analysis of methanol extract of this drug was performed on a 35 ℃ thermostatic Agilent TC-C18 column (4.6 mm × 250 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of acetonitrile-0.02％ potassium dihydrogen phosphate flowing at 0.9 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and the detection wavelengths were set at 265 nm and 360 nm.RESULTS Six constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges (r≥0.999 3),whose average recoveries were 97.16％-99.90％ with the RSDs of 0.62％-1.48％.CONCLUSION This simple method can be used for the rapid quality control of Qingre Zhili Pills.

Objective To explore the effect of cyclooxygenase 2(COX-2) in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease(ALD).Methods A model of ALD was developed with Wistar rats by intragastric alcohol.Liver samples were collected by the end of 4th,8th,12th and 16th week respectively.The concentrations of triglyceride(TG),oxygen free radical(ORF),superoxide dismutase(SOD),anti-superoxide anion(ASOA),6-ketone-prostaglandin F1?(6-K-PGF1?),thromboxane B2(TXB2) and malondiadehyde(MDA) in the liver homogenate were measured by biochemistry chromatometry.Pathology of hepatic tissue was examined by hematoxylin eosin,sudan Ⅳ and sirius red staining.The protein and mRNA expression of COX-2 in liver tissues were examined by immunohistochemical method and reverse transcription-polymerase chain raction(RT-PCR) respectively.Results By the end of 4th,8th,12th and 16th week,the content of COX-2 mRNA in liver tissue of model rats were 1.29,1.70,1.92 and 3.38 times the same as normal rats(P

Objective:To explore the effect of Toll like receptor 4(TLR4) and interleukin 1 belta,6,10 and tumor necrosis ? on the etiopathogenesis in rat model with alcoholic liver disease(ALD).Methods:A rat model of ALD was induced by intragastric alcohol.At the end of 4,8,12 and 16 weeks,liver and serum samples were collected.The levels of interleukin 1 belta,6,10 and tumor necrosis ? in serum were examined.Hematoxylin-eosin,sudan Ⅳ and sirius red staining were performed to obeserve the hepatic pathology.The mRNA expression of TLR4 in liver tissues were examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain raction(RT-PCR) method.Results:With the progress of ALD,the levels of interleukin 1 belta,6 and tumor necrosis ? in serum and the mRNA expression of TLR4 in liver tissues increased significantly(P

objective To detect the serum macrophage migration inhibitory factor(MIF)and interlbukin (IL)-17,IL-23 levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients with atherosclerosis and to analyze the association between them and their role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis patients.Methods Total of 69 patients with RA were divided into atherosclerosis group(AS group)and those without atherosclerosis group(NAS group)according to neck vascular ultrasonography.Sixty-four healthy controls(the control group)were also enrolled into this study.MIF and IL-17,IL-23 levels were determined bv ELISA assay.The t test of two independent-samples and One-way ANOVA were used to compare the levels of MIF.IL-17 and IL-23 in different groups of patients and healthy individuals.The correlation between diffrent paramenters was assesed by Pearson's coefficient of correlation and Logistic regression.Results The serum MIF level in the AS group was significantly higher than that in the NAS group and healthy controls(15.2±1.7,13.8±2.2,8.0±2.9,P<0.05),and there were significant correlations between the serum MIF concentration,carotid intima-media thickness(IMT)(r=0.271,P=0.036).the size of atherosclerotic plaques(r=0.291,P=0.024),the serum level of IL-17(r=0.328,P=0.007)and IL-23(r=0.316,p=0.010).The serum IL-17 and IL-23 level in the AS group was higher than healthy controls(2.8±2.0 vs 2.0±0.8,449±174 vs 341±113),while there were no significant differences between AS group and NAS group.The serum MIF level in RA patients was positively correlated with atherosclerosis according to Logistic regression analysis.Conclusion The serum MIF level in RA patients with AS is significantly higher than that in NAS group and healthy controls,and it may be related with the serum level of IL-17 and IL-23.The elevated serum MIF level may be a predictor for atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective To investigate the expression profile variation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in ankylosing sporidylitis (AS) and explore the role of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of AS.Methods The peripheral blood mononuclear cells of AS patients and health controls (HC) were used to detect for differently expressed lncRNAs by microarray.The roles of lncRNAs were predicted with GO and pathway analysis.The results were verified by real time-polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Results A total of 148 lncRNAs and 134 mRNAs were detected,which had more than 2-fold differentially expressed in AS patients.Bioinformatics analysis found that GO term enrichment included protein binding,regulation of transcription,metabolism,signal transduction,et al.and might involve in toll-like receptor pathway,protein kinase,complement pathway,notch signaling pathway and so on.The expressions of three lncRNAs were estimated by real time-PCR which found that consistent with that of microarrays.Among these,D90064 was the most aberrantly expressed lncRNAs.Conclusions Several lncRNAs expression was changed significantly in AS patients in comparison with HC,which implies that those different lncRNAs may have an important role in the development and progression of AS.

Objective To study miRNA expression differences in ovalbumin(OVA)- induced murine asthma models of mice and mast cells stimulated by inflammatory cytokines stimulation,and to better understand asthma deve-lopment so as to provide potential target for its prevention and treatment. Methods OVA - induced murine asthma models were validated by detecting cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)and histopathology. And miRNA ex-pression differences in the lung tissues between the model group and the normal control group were detected by real -time polymerose chain reaction PCR . After tumor necrosis factor - α(TNF - α),interleukin 12(IL - 12)stimulation, miRNA expression differences in murine mast cells P815 were detected. Results The number of total cells and eosino-phil cells both increased in BALF of the model group[(12. 8 ± 2. 2)x 107 / L vs(5. 6 ± 2. 5)x 107 / L,t = 4. 760,P ﹤0. 05;(6. 6 ± 1. 9)x 107 / L vs(0. 8 ± 0. 8)x 107 / L,t = 8. 068,P ﹤ 0. 05]. In addition,histopathology showed more inflammatory cell infiltration in the model group than that in the normal control group,indicating that the models were validated. The expression of miRNA - 155 was up - regulated approximately 5. 0 - fold in the lung tissues of the model group(P ﹤ 0. 05),while miRNA - 192 showed no differences compared with the controls. After TNF - α and IL - 12 stimulated P815 mast cells,miRNA - 192 expressions in P815 were expression in P815 was up - regulated approximate-ly 1. 9 - fold and 1. 7 - fold after TNF - α and IL - 12 stimulation,respectively(P ﹤ 0. 05). Conclusions It is conclu-ded that miRNAs are differentially expressed in the presence of OVA - induced murint asthma models and mast cells stimulated by inflammatory cytokines. These differentially expressed miRNAs may regulate the function of mast cells and involved in the pathogenesis of asthma.

Objective To analyse the location of the mandibular canal,providing the theoretical basis for implanting and bone grafting. Methods Mandibular data of 83 Chinese people obtained by cone-beam computed tomography examination were collected. Results The distance from the mandibular canal to mandibular buccal wall was (5.32 ± 1.29)~(7.24 ± 1.29) mm. And the average distance from mandibular canal to mandibular lingual wall or inferior margin were respectively (3.43 ± .99) ~ (3.93 ± 1.17) mm and (8.81 ± 1.90) ~ (10.02 ± 2.19) mm. Significant differences between males and females were found in groups. The anterior loop was observed in 70.9%of all sides. The accessory mental foramen was observed in 10.84% of all sides. Conclusion For the remarkable mutation of the location of the mandibular canal in Chinese people, clinicians should be careful before implant or bone surgery procedures to minimize the risk of inferior alveolar nerve injury.