Objective To evaluate the impact of lower renal calyceal anatomic structure on flexible fibreoptic ureteroscopy with holmium laserin treatment of calyceal calculi.Methods From January 2007 to December 2011,a total of 60 patients with a lower calyceal renal stone were enrolled in this study.The mean age was 51 years (range 23 to 78 years).The mean height was 169.8 cm,and mean body mass was 71.2 kg.Intravenous urogram (IVU) was performed on all patients and the lower pole anatomy (including infundibulopelvic angle,length of the inferior caliceal infundibulum and infundibular width) were measured in these patients.The correlation between lower pole anatomy and the success of flexible fibreoptic ureteroscopy with holmium laser for calyceal calculi was analyzed.Results Of the 60 patients,42 patients were successful in stone clearance.The patients in the stone-free group age of (50.1 ± 14.6) years,height (169.8 ±5.1) cm,body mass (71.4 ±5.1) kg,the maximum stone size in diameter (10.9 ±2.1) mm,stone burden (85.4 ± 9.5) mm2,lower infundibular length (36.3 ± 3.7) mm and lower infundibular width (4.9 ±1.4) mm; the other 18 patients age (50.7 ± 11.7) years,height (169.9 ±6.4) cm,body mass (71.6±4.7) kg,the maximum stone size in diameter (11.3 ±2.4) mm,stone burden (82.5 ±8.6)mm2,lower infundibular length (37.2 ± 2.3) mm and lower infundibular width (4.8 ± 1.9) mm.There was no difference between the stone-free group and the residual group in all above parameters (P ＞ 0.05).However,the infundibulopelvic angle in the stone-free group was significantly greater than that in the residual group (63.4 ± 23.2 vs 45.32 ± 17.6,P ＜ 0.05).x2 test showed the stone clearance rate in patients with angle ≥45 was better than that in those with angle ＜45 (84.6％ vs 42.7％,P ＜0.05).If grouped by infundibulopelvic angle,patients with infundibulopelvic angle greater than 90°had stone clearance rate 92.3％ (12/13),those with angle ranged from 30° to 90° had 73.2％ (30/41),and those with infundibulopelvic angle smaller than 30° had 0％ (0/6).Logistic regression analysis showed that the angle was a significant independent predictor of stone clearance (OR =1.12,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The infundibulopelvic angle has adverse influences on the performances of flexible ureteroscopy.The samller the angle is,the poorer the performances of flexible ureteroscopy is.

Objective To evaluate the performance of community health institutions of Pudong new district.Methods According to the criteria of the Ministry of Health of China,the performance evaluation system appropriate for local area was developed.A cross-sectional survey was conducted at 44 community health centers,and data was analyzed using descriptive statistics,correlation coefficients and multi-factor linear regression.Results The average score of total performance of these 44 community health centers was 78.53.The average scoring rate for institution management,public health service,basic medical care service,CTM service,and comprehensive satisfaction was 68.49％,89.09％,63.51％,87.80％,76.32％,respectively.Degree of informationization (0.477),regional location (0.331) and participating in medical consortia(-0.309)had significant impact on the total performance.Degree of informationization(0.302)and pilots for family doctors(0.301)had significant impact on the basic medical service performance.Conclusion There is a tremendous room for performance improvement for community health institutions in Pudong.Regional location and degree of informationization were the most crucial factors affecting the performance,irrelevant to institutional sizes.Proposals were raised for strengthening the construction of informationization,expanding pilots for family doctors,perfecting the mechanism of medical consortia.

〔Abstract〕 The paper explains the construction background and objective of the graded diagnosis information system based on the provincial health information platform in Zhejiang province and introduces the system framework and function in detail .This system pro-vides uniform referral information service for medical institutions at all levels all over the province and realizes the exchange and sharing of dual referral records between basic health service institutions and big hospitals .

Objective:To predict and identify HLA-A * 0201 restricted CD8+ CTL epitopes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigen Ag85C, so as to provide evidence for epitope-based study for tuberculosis (TB) vaccine. Methods: The online database SYFPEITHI was applied to predict the potential HLA-A * 0201 restricted epitopes from Ag85C, an antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. T2 cell line was used to assay the affinity between the predicted peptides and HLA-A * 0201 molecules. The specific CTL lines were induced from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of HLA-A * 0201 positive TB patients and PPD+ healthy donors by peptides with high binding affinity to HLA-A * 0201 molecules. IFN-?production, in vitro proliferation and cytotoxicity of peptide-induced CTL were determined to screen HLA-A * 0201 restricted CD8+ CTL epitopes from those candidates. Results: Fourteen potential epitopes were identified from the SYFPEITHI database. After binding affinity assay, 3 of the 14 peptides (170-178 aa, 317-325 aa, and 144-153 aa) were found to have high binding affinity to HLA-A* 0201 molecules. However, only one peptide (144-153 aa) stimulated its specific CTL to release IFN-y, proliferate in vitro and produce specific cytotoxicity. Conclusion: We have successfully identified a HLA-A * 0201 restricted CD8+ CTL epitope of Mtb Ag85C-FLTREMPAWL( 144-153 aa) , which might be a candidate epitope for TB vaccine designing. Our findings provides a basis for developing novel and effective anti-TB vaccine.

AIMTo study the chemical constituents of the stems of Opuntia vulgaris Mill(Cactaceae).

METHODSThe compounds of Opuntia vulgaris were isolated by chromatography of Amberlite Dowex 50 and silica gel, and identified by means of UV, IR, MS, 1D and 2D NMR.

RESULTSThree compounds were isolated and identified as: opuntin B(I), 4-hydroxyproline(II) and tyrosine(III).

CONCLUSIONCompound I is a new alkaloid.

Hydroxyproline ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Maleimides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Conformation ; Molecular Structure ; Opuntia ; chemistry ; Phenols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Tyrosine ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo study the regulatory role of interferon-stimulated response elements (ISREs) located on the retinoic acid-induced gene G (RIG-G) promoter in RIG-G expression.

METHODSBy using point mutation technique, the authors constructed the wide type and site mutant reporter gene plasmids according to the ISRE sequence on RIG-G promoter, and detected the functional activities by luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTSMutation in ISRE II alone had no obvious effect on the expression of the reporter gene, whereas mutation in ISRE I dramatically inhibited the transactivity of RIG-G promoter. Mutation in both ISRE I and ISRE II resulted in complete loss of its response to the transcription factors for the reporter gene.

CONCLUSIONBoth ISRE I and ISRE II on the RIG-G promoter are the binding sites for the complex of transcription factors. They are required for RIG-G expression, and ISRE I has a preferential role over ISRE II.

Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Interferon Regulatory Factor-1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Interferons ; genetics ; metabolism ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; Mutation ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; Response Elements ; genetics ; STAT2 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; metabolism

To investigate the molecular mechanisms of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)-induced rig-g gene expression and to better understand the signal transduction of ATRA during acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cell differentiation, the luciferase reporter assay, co-immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation were used to clarify the basic transcriptional factors, which directly initiated the expression of rig-g gene. The results showed that the expression of STAT2, IRF-9 and IRF-1 could be upregulated by ATRA with different kinetics in NB4 cells. IRF-9 was able to interact with STAT2 to form a complex, which could bind the rig-g gene promoter and trigger the rig-g expression. IRF-1 alone could also activate the reporter gene containing rig-g gene promoter, but C/EBPalpha could strongly inhibit this transcription activity of IRF-1. It is concluded that during ATRA-induced APL cell differentiation, IRF-1 is first upregulated by ATRA, and then IRF-1 increases the protein levels of IRF-9 and STAT2 with the downregulation of C/EBPalpha. The complex of IRF-9 and STAT2 is the primary transcriptional factor for rig-g gene induction. This study will be helpful for better understanding the signal transduction networks of ATRA during the course of APL cell differentiation.
CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic ; drug effects ; Genes, Regulator ; drug effects ; Humans ; Interferon Regulatory Factor-1 ; metabolism ; Interferon-Stimulated Gene Factor 3, gamma Subunit ; metabolism ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute ; genetics ; STAT2 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Tretinoin ; pharmacology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

OBJECTIVETo investigate the cyto-genotoxicity of cigarette smoke condensates (CSCs) in human peripheral blood lymphocytes with different assays in vitro.

METHODSHuman lymphocytes were exposed to particle matter of cigarette smoke combined with or without S9 mixtures at doses of 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 microg/ml for 3 h. The cytotoxicity induced by CSCs was detected by CCK-8 assay. The DNA damage, DNA repair (repair time: 30, 60, 90, 120 and 240 min, respectively) and the somatic cell mutations induced by 75 microg/ml CSCs were measured by comet assay, hprt gene and TCR gene mutation tests, respectively.

RESULTSCCK-8 assay indicated that the cell viability decreased with CSCs doses. At the doses of 100, 125 microg/ml, the cell viability of CSCs +S9 group was significantly higher than that of CSCs -S9 group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In comet assay, DNA damage significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner, as compared with controls (P < 0.01). Moreover, there was significant difference between -S9 group and +S9 group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The Mf-TCR at each dose group was significantly higher than that of controls (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The Mf-hprt at high-dose groups were significantly higher than that of controls (P < 0.01), and significant difference of Mf-TCR and Mf-hprt at high doses of CSCs between -S9 group and +S9 group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The DNA damage induced by CSCs +S9 or CSCs -S9 could be repaired, but DNA repair speed was different between -S9 group and +S9 group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCSCs may induce cyto-genotoxicity in human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro, but S9 mix could reduce the toxicity of CSCs and impact DNA repair speed.

Cells, Cultured ; Comet Assay ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; DNA Repair ; drug effects ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; Male ; Mutation ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution ; adverse effects ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the molecular mechanisms by which IFN-alpha regulated retinoic acid-induced gene G (RIG-G) expression.

METHODSThe expression of STAT1, p-STAT1 and RIG-G in IFN-alpha-treated NB4 cells was detected by Western blot. The roles of STAT1, STAT2 and IRF-9 in IFN-alpha-induced RIG-G expression were analyzed in STAT1-null U3A cells by cell transfection, reporter gene assay, co-immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitaion.

RESULTSIn U3A cells, only when STAT2 and IRF-9 were co-transfected, the luciferase activities of RIG-G promoter-containing reporter gene could be highly increased about 8-fold compared with that in the control group. Moreover, in the absence of IFN-alpha, similar effects were observed in either IRF-9 co-transfected with wild type or mutant form of STAT2, whereas IFN-alpha could increase the transactivation activity of wild type STAT2 and IRF-9 by 6-fold compared with that without IFN-alpha, but had no effect on mutant STAT2. In addition, STAT2 could interact with IRF-9 and bind to the RIG-G promoter.

CONCLUSIONSTAT2 may interact with IRF-9 in a STAT1-independent manner. The complex STAT2/IRF-9 is the key factor mediating the expression of RIG-G gene regulated by IFN-alpha. This is a novel signal transduction cascade for IFN which is different from the classical JAK-STAT pathway.

Cell Line, Tumor ; Fibrosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Immunoprecipitation ; Interferon-Stimulated Gene Factor 3, gamma Subunit ; genetics ; metabolism ; Interferon-alpha ; pharmacology ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute ; metabolism ; pathology ; Phosphorylation ; Plasmids ; STAT1 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; STAT2 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Transfection

To explore the molecular mechanisms of acute promyelocytic leukemia cell differentiation induced by cAMP combined with low-dose As2O3, the PR9 cell line, which was stably transfected by PML-RARa fusion gene, was used as in vitro model. The effects of PML-RARa on cAMP-induced AML cell differentiation were evaluated according to cell growth, cell morphology, cell surface antigen as well as luciferase reporter gene assay, in the cells before and after the treatment with cAMP and/or As2O3. The results showed that cAMP alone could slightly increase the expression of CD11b in the PR9 cells expressing the PML-RARa fusion protein, but could not induce these cells to differentiate. The cells presented the terminal differentiation morphology and significantly increased CD11b expression only under the treatment of cAMP combined with As2O3. In addition, PML-RARa had strong inhibitory activity on the transcription of the reporter gene containing cAMP response elements. In conclusions, the PML-RARa fusion protein could dramatically block the signaling pathway of cAMP during the AML cell differentiation.
Arsenicals ; pharmacology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclic AMP ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic ; Humans ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute ; genetics ; metabolism ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion ; genetics ; Oxides ; pharmacology ; Signal Transduction ; Transfection