Orphan nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. It regulates the expression of multiple genes involved in adrenal and gonadal development,steroidogenesis,and reproductive function. Twenty five different mutations have been described and their clinical features are various. Detection of SF-1 gene may be contribute to the etiological diagnosis for 46, XY disorder of sex development patients.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for anterior mediastinal modules. Methods Thoracoscopic surgery was performed with the patients in supine position and the thoracoscope set at 30?. Three trocars were used during the procedure. One of the trocars was inserted through the fifth or sixth intercostal space at the midaxillary line for direct observation. And the other two were placed at the second or third intercostal space at the midclavicular line,and the fifth intercostal space at the anterior axillary line. The nodules were removed directly during the operation. For inseparable nodules,the whole thymus and the fat tissues in the anterior mediastinum were removed all together. Results The procedure was completed under a thoracoscope in all of the 32 cases. Small assistant incision was made in 3 cases because of hemorrhage in the chest cavity. Postoperative pathological examination showed thymus tumor in 14 cases,hyperplasia of the thymus in 3,thymic cyst in 5,bronchial cyst in 3,pericardial cyst in 2,neurilemmoma in 2,lymph node in 2,and angioma in 1. The accordance rate of pre-and post-operative diagnosis was 68.8% (22/32). Postoperative complications were found in two patients,including one case of pericardial effusion,and one case of lung infection. Both the cases were cured afterwards. Conclusions Thoracoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of anterior mediastinal nodules. It is optimal for young patients and cases with low lung function,as it causes less pain,quicker recovery,and satisfying cosmetic outcomes.

Astrocyte elevated gene (AEG) -1 is cloned as a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) -1-inducible and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-inducible transcript in primary human fetal astrocytes (PHFA) by a rapid subtraction hybridization approach. AEG-1 has been reported to be up-regulated in various types of human cancers. Multivariate analyses indicat that AEG-1 correlates with the ability of growth, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis and chemoresistance of tumors. AEG-1 over-expression activates the PI3K-Akt,nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and Wnt-β-catenin signaling pathways in several crucial aspects of tumorprogression. AEG-1 represents a viable potential target for the therapy of human cancers.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of vitapex paste in the treatment of deciduous teeth with periapical inflammation.Methods 112 children with chronic apicitis of deciduous teeth were divided into two groups randomly and averagely.The research group used vitapex paste,while the control group used zinc oxide eugenol paste.The clinical effects of the 2 groups were compared.Results Compared to the control group,the response to root canal filling of the research group was much weaker ( 10.7％ to 25.0％ ),which had statistical difference ( x2 =3.02,P =0.0 1 1 ).There wasalso significant difference betweenthe success rateofthetwogroups after 1 year followed up( x2 =5.16,P =0.004).Conclusion sing vitapex paste for root canal filling had a higher success rate and a weaker respose to root canal filling.

Vildagliptin is a potent and specific inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase 4,which has been implicated to enhance and prolong the physiological actions of incretion hormones including glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide.Vildagliptin is an orally administered drug and has been licensed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.Vildagliptin monotherapy or in combination with other drugs can effectively lower glycosylated haemoglobin levels to a great extent.In addition,vildagliptin acts in a glucose-dependent manner,explaining its low risk of hypoglycemia.This drug has been proved well tolerated with few gastrointestinal side effects or oedema.Therefore vildagliptin is a promising new option for type 2 diabetic patients,and these patients would achieve better glycemic control and fewer complications in the long run.

fulminant liver failure(FLF)is a rapid onset life-threatening emerency in which liver dysfunction,liver failure and hepatic encephalopathy occur within 8 weeks in previouslv norillal person.It has been confirmed by available clinical experience and literatures during the past decades that FLF patients are ideal recipients of liver transplantation.However,the prognosis of the FLF patients who accepted liver transplantation differed greatly according to the available reports because of the differences of supportive treatment during waiting period,the criterion for recipient assessment,the determination of operation chance,the use of critical techniques during operation and postoperative management between different transplantation centers.We probe the standardized clinical use of the aspects above mentioned in liver transplantation for FLF,particularly discuss the treatment of complications resulting from coagulopathy,determination of operation chance,significance of standardized etiological treatment and the indication of the use of veno-venous bypass technique during transplantation to provide better treatment strategy and improve the prognosis of FLF patients.

Background:The ability of tumor cells to evade destruction by immune system is known as tumor immune escape. Regulatory T cells( Treg cells)and myeloid-derived suppressor cells( MDSCs)are considered to be the most critical cell subsets participating in tumor immune escape. Aims:To determine the percentages of Treg cells and MDSCs in peripheral blood of patients with gastric cancer for investigating the effects of these two cell subsets on development and progression of gastric cancer. Methods:Peripheral blood specimens from 77 patients with gastric cancer and 20 healthy controls were collected for measurements of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells and MDSCs by flow cytometry. Correlations between Treg cells,MDSCs and clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer were analyzed. Results:Percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3 + Treg cells in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells and percentage of MDSCs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were both significantly higher in gastric cancer patients than in healthy controls( Treg cells:4. 72% ± 1. 01% vs. 1. 57% ± 0. 99%,P<0. 01;MDSCs:21. 72% ± 10. 12% vs. 2. 90% ± 1. 80%,P<0. 01). Percentage of Treg cells in peripheral blood was correlated with the clinical stage,depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer(P<0. 05), while percentage of MDSCs was correlated with the clinical stage of gastric cancer(P<0. 05). Furthermore,a significant positive correlation was observed between percentages of Treg cells and MDSCs in peripheral blood of gastric cancer patients ( rs =0. 681,P<0. 01). Conclusions:Gastric cancer patients are characterized by high expressions of immunosuppressive cells in peripheral blood,such as Treg cells and MDSCs,which might be related with the development and progression of gastric cancer via tumor immune escape.

Objective To investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics of metaplastic thymoma.Methods The histological features and immunophenotype of three cases with metaplastic thymoma were studied, and the literatures were reviewed.Results There were 2 females and 1 male of 3 patients with 45, 52 and 40 years old, respectively.All tumors were characterized by a biphasic pattern composed of epithelial components and spindle cells.The epithelial areas consisted of anastomosing cords and islands or broad trabeculae of cohesive neoplasia cells.Some epithelial cells showed mild cytologic atypia, the presence of prominent nuclear grooves or pseudoinclusion body, and very low mitotic activity.The cells appeared bland and a fine nuclear chromatin pattern, and the mitoses were not found.The epithelial cells were diffusely and strongly positive for AE1/AE3.The spindle cells were diffusely positive for Vimentin.The Ki-67 fraction was low (＜5 ％) in both components.Conclusions Metaplastic thymoma is a rare primary thymic epithelial tumor, and its biologic behavior is likely benign or lowly malignant process.Occasionally, the tumor invades adjacent tissue or recurrence.With complete tumor resection, the patients have good prognosis.The diagnosis of metaplastic thymoma mainly relies on its morphologic features and immunohistochemical profiles.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Astragalus injection (AI) on basal-like breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-468 and murine bone marrow stromal stem cells (mMSCs). METHODS: MDA-MB-468 cells and primary cultured mMSCs were treated by different concentrations of AI, and with untreated MDA-MB-468 cells as blank control. The morphology of cells was observed by phase-contrast inverted microscope and transmission electron microscopy. Cytotoxic effects of AI on MDA-MB-468 cells and mMSCs were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis of MDA-MB-468 cells induced by AI were measured by flow cytometry. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in supernatants was measured by enzymatic colorimetric method. The expressions of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and p53 protein in MDA-MB-468 cells were evaluated by streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method. RESULTS: A time-dependent cytotoxic effect of 1 g/ml AI was observed in MDA-MB-468 cells. 1 g/ml AI also had cytotoxic effect on mMSCs, but its effect was not better than cisplatin. 0.1 g/ml AI could promote the proliferation of mMSCs. Different concentrations of AI could all induce the apoptosis of MDA-MB-468 cells. There was no significant difference in LDH activity in the supernatants between blank control group and AI-treated and cisplatin-treated groups. AI could down-regulate the expressions of EGFR and p53 protein. CONCLUSION: The effects of AI on MDA-MB-468 cells and mMSCs are related to the concentration of AI, and its mechanism of inhibiting the proliferation of MDA-MB-468 cells may be due to down-regulation of the expressions of EGFR and p53 protein.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney on proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture. METHODS: The normal human mammary epithelial cells were dissociated by digestion with collagenase type I. The morphological identification of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture was determined under inverted phase contrast microscope and transmission electron microscope. The estradiol and progesterone were added to culture medium to induce the proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture, and the different doses of Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney and tamoxifen were also added into the culture medium. The MTT assay was used to evaluate the proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture under the different conditions of interventions. RESULTS: The normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture presented typically morphological features of normal human mammary epithelial cells in vitro. The proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture was significantly improved by intervention of estradiol and progesterone both with concentration of 1x10(-5) g/L. The high-dose Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney could obviously promote the proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture, while the proliferation was obviously inhibited by low-dose Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney. The tamoxifen exerted no effects on the proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture. CONCLUSION: The estradiol and progesterone can enhance the ability of proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture. The regulating effect of Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney on proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture is dose-dependent.