Objective To investigate the interrelations of ALOX5AP SG13S114A/T , COX-2 765G/C , COX-1-50C/T polymorphisms and cerebral infarction. Methods The ALOX5AP SG13S114A/T, COX-2 765G/C and COX-1 50C/T polymorphisms in 411 cases with cerebral infarction and 411 controls were measured by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism method. The generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) method was employed to detect gene-gene interactions. Results Single-gene analysis showed that there were no significant differences in the genotype and allele frequency distributions of ALOX5AP SG13S114A/T, COX-2 765G/C and COX-1 50C/T between two groups. However, in those cases carrying ALOX5AP SG13S114AA as well as COX-2 765CC , the risk of cerebral infarction increased significantly by 2.842 times. Conclusions The combinational analysis among genes used in this study may be helpful in the elucidation of genetic risk factors for common and complex diseases.

Objective To explore the value of biomechanics parameter of rabbit abdominal aortic atheroma using velocity vector imaging(VVI).Methods Ten of 45 male New Zealand rabbits were chosen as normal control group randomly,the rest experimental rabbits were made atheromatous plaque model.The rabbits were examined by two-dimensional ultrasound and VVI respectively.The intima-media thickness(IMT) or thickness of plaques of abdominal aorta 1 cm from right renal artery branch were recorded.Maximum tangential velocity,strain and strain rate of IMT or plaques were measured using VVI.Then the rabbits were killed for pathological and immuno-histochemical examination.Results Based on pathology,the rabbites were divided into 4 groups:control group(group A,n=10),group of pathological endometrial thickening(group B,n=9),group of thick fibrous cap atheromatous plaques (group C,n=15) and group of thin fibrous cap atheromatous plaques (group D,n=11).The difference of plaques thickness and biochemical indicators had no statistically significant between group B and C(P>0.05),both bigger than group A and B (P<0.05).The difference of Vmax,Smax and SRmax had statistically significant each group(P<0.05).With Vmax>0.46×10-2 cm/s,Smax>0.37%,SRmax>1.415×10-2 s-1 to find the vulnerable plaques,the sensitivity were 75.0%,84.4%,84.4% respectively,specificity were 70.8%,91.7%,83.3% respectively.Conclusions VVI can identify plaque biomechanics parameter of different progression periods,which is expected to be a reliable method to find vulnerable plaques earlier in clinic.

The aim of this paper is to apply near infrared spectroscopy techniques to construct a rapid identification method for 8 kinds of mineral Chinese Medicines containing carbonates. The qualitative model using clustering analysis method in OPUS software can identify accurately 8 kinds of carbonate-containing mineral Chinese medicines. The near-infrared quantitative model was established by using partial least squares method (PLS) for 7 mineral Chinese Medicines in which main component is calcium carbonate. Compared with the results by EDTA titration, the established quantitative analysis model for calcium carbonate content showed a good prediction result that when the content is between 47.61% -99.17%, the average relative deviation of the prediction result is 0.24% and the average recovery rate was 100.3%. The results also showed that the model using near infrared spectroscopy can get not only a rapid identification of the 8 mineral Chinese medicines containing carbonates, but also an accurate and reliabe content determination of calcium carbonate for the 7 mineral Chinese medicines which contain the component.
Carbonates ; analysis ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Minerals ; chemistry ; Software ; Spectrophotometry, Infrared ; methods ; Time Factors

AIM: To explore the serum levels of visfatin (VF) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the patients with pre-eclampsia (PE) and their correlation with insulin resistance (IR).METHODS: The severe PE pa-tients (n =30), mild PE patients (n =30) and normal pregnant women (n =40) were selected according to the classifica-tion standard of PE.The serum levels of VF and TNF-αwere measured by ELISA.Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and fasting insulin (FIns) were detected by glucose oxidase method and radioimmunoassay, respectively.Triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C) were measured by an automatic biochemical analyzer.According to calculating the mean arterial pressure (MAP), body mass index (BMI) and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), the correlation between IR and the levels of serum VF as well as TNF-αwere analyzed.RESULTS: The levels of VF and TNF-αin severe PE group and mild PE group were significantly lower than those in normal pregnancy group (P <0.05).In addition, the levels of VF and TNF-αin severe PE group were lower than those in mild PE group (P <0.05).Linear correlation analysis showed that serum VF was positively correlated with TNF-αand HDL-C (P <0.05), and negatively with MAP and FIns (P <0.05). The serum TNF-αwas positively correlated with HDL-C (P <0.05), and negatively with BMI, TG, MAP and FIns (P <0.05).Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that FBG, FIns and HOMA-IR were relative independent factors of se-
rum VF and TNF-α(P <0.05).CONCLUSION: Serum levels of VF and TNF-αare closely related to IR.

BACKGROUNDLabyrinthine fistula (LF) is a very common clinical complication mainly caused by middle ear cholesteatoma. Whether the presence of different degree LF caused by middle ear cholesteatoma aggravates neurosensory hearing loss (NSHL) and what is the degree of the hearing loss caused by LF were still under controversial. This study aimed to investigate whether the LF degree is correlative with the age distribution, disease duration and hearing loss degree for cholesteatomatous patients.

METHODSThe files of 143 patients with middle ear cholesteatoma were selected and reviewed in a retrospective study. Seventy-eight patients with LF were divided into three types according to the degree of destruction of labyrinth. Sixty-five patients without LF were randomly chosen for control. Then, we compared the clinical characteristics of patients with or without labyrinthine fistulae caused by middle ear cholesteatoma.

RESULTSAccording to the study, cholesteatomatous patients with LF were older and suffered longer disease duration than those without LF. Hearing loss is severe with high frequencies both in patients with and without LF. Moreover, inner ear impairment is correlative with the degree of destruction in labyrinth, and more severe destruction in labyrinth follow the more severe symptoms correlative with inner ear impairment.

CONCLUSIONSurgical intervention should be performed as early as possible for these cholesteatomatous patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear ; complications ; surgery ; Fistula ; etiology ; Humans ; Labyrinth Diseases ; etiology ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

Chicken anemia virus (CAV) is an important viral pathogen that causes anemia and severe immunodeficiency syndrome in chickens worldwide. In this study, a potential diagnostic monoclonal antibody against the CAV VP1 protein was developed which can precisely recognize the CAV antigen for diagnostic and virus recovery purposes. The VP1 gene of CAV encoding the N-terminus-deleted VP1 protein, VP1Nd129, was cloned into an Escherichia (E.) coli expression vector. After isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyronoside induction, VP1Nd129 protein was shown to be successfully expressed in the E. coli. By performing an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay using two coating antigens, purified VP1Nd129 and CAV-infected liver tissue lysate, E3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) was found to have higher reactivity against VP1 protein than the other positive clones according to the result of limiting dilution method from 64 clones. Using immunohistochemistry, the presence of the VP1-specific mAb, E3, was confirmed using CAV-infected liver and thymus tissues as positive-infected samples. Additionally, CAV particle purification was also performed using an immunoaffinity column containing E3 mAb. The monoclonal E3 mAb developed in this study will not only be very useful for detecting CAV infection and performing histopathology studies of infected chickens, but may also be used to purify CAV particles in the future.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/biosynthesis/genetics/*immunology ; Antigens, Viral/analysis ; Capsid Proteins/genetics/*immunology ; Chicken anemia virus/genetics/*immunology ; *Chickens ; Circoviridae Infections/blood/immunology/*veterinary/virology ; Escherichia coli/genetics ; Immunohistochemistry/veterinary ; Liver/virology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Microscopy, Fluorescence/veterinary ; Poultry Diseases/blood/immunology/*virology ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms ; Thymus Gland/virology

Purpose: Some patients with respiratory failure fail initial weaning attempts and need prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV). Prolonged MV is associated with many complications and consumption of heathcare resources. Objective weaning indices help staffs to identify high-potential patients for weaning from the MV. Traditional weaning indices are not reliable in clinical practice. Transitional percentage of minute volume (TMV%) is a new index of the work of breathing. This study aimed to investigate the utility of TMV% in the prediction of weaning potential. Methods: This study was prospectively performed including all patients with prolonged MV. Researchers recorded their demographics, TMV%, respiratory parameters, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, and laboratory data upon arrival at the respiratory care center. The factors associated with successful weaning were analyzed. Results: Out of the 120 patients included, 84 (70.0%) were successfully weaned from MV. Traditional weaning indices such as rapid shallow breathing index could not predict the weaning outcome. TMV% was a valuable parameter as patients with a lower TMV%, higher tidal volume, higher hemoglobin, lower blood urea nitrogen, and lower Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores had a higher rate of successful weaning. TMV%, tidal volume, and HCO3- levels were independent predictors of successful weaning, and the area under the curve was .79 in the logistic regression model. Conclusion TMV% is a novel and effective predictor of successful weaning. Patients with lower TMV% had a higher MV weaning outcome. Once patients with a high potential for successful weaning are identified, they should be aggressively weaned from MV as soon as possible.

Purpose: Some patients with respiratory failure fail initial weaning attempts and need prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV). Prolonged MV is associated with many complications and consumption of heathcare resources. Objective weaning indices help staffs to identify high-potential patients for weaning from the MV. Traditional weaning indices are not reliable in clinical practice. Transitional percentage of minute volume (TMV%) is a new index of the work of breathing. This study aimed to investigate the utility of TMV% in the prediction of weaning potential. Methods: This study was prospectively performed including all patients with prolonged MV. Researchers recorded their demographics, TMV%, respiratory parameters, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, and laboratory data upon arrival at the respiratory care center. The factors associated with successful weaning were analyzed. Results: Out of the 120 patients included, 84 (70.0%) were successfully weaned from MV. Traditional weaning indices such as rapid shallow breathing index could not predict the weaning outcome. TMV% was a valuable parameter as patients with a lower TMV%, higher tidal volume, higher hemoglobin, lower blood urea nitrogen, and lower Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores had a higher rate of successful weaning. TMV%, tidal volume, and HCO3- levels were independent predictors of successful weaning, and the area under the curve was .79 in the logistic regression model. Conclusion TMV% is a novel and effective predictor of successful weaning. Patients with lower TMV% had a higher MV weaning outcome. Once patients with a high potential for successful weaning are identified, they should be aggressively weaned from MV as soon as possible.

Background/Aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common disease with severe inflammatory processes associated with numerous gastrointestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, we investigated the relationship between NAFLD and IBD and the possible risk factors associated with the diagnosis of IBD. Methods: This longitudinal nationwide cohort study investigated the risk of IBD in patients with NAFLD alone. General characteristics, comorbidities, and incidence of IBD were also compared. Results: Patients diagnosed with NAFLD had a significant risk of developing IBD compared to control individuals, who were associated with a 2.245-fold risk of the diagnosis of IBD and a 2.260- and 2.231-fold of increased diagnosis of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, respectively (P< 0.001). The cumulative risk of IBD increased annually during the follow-up of patients with NAFLD (P< 0.001). Conclusions Our results emphasize that NAFLD significantly impacts its incidence in patients with NAFLD. If patients with NAFLD present with risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia, these conditions should be properly treated with regular follow-ups. Furthermore, we believe that these causes may be associated with the second peak of IBD.

Background/Aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common disease with severe inflammatory processes associated with numerous gastrointestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, we investigated the relationship between NAFLD and IBD and the possible risk factors associated with the diagnosis of IBD. Methods: This longitudinal nationwide cohort study investigated the risk of IBD in patients with NAFLD alone. General characteristics, comorbidities, and incidence of IBD were also compared. Results: Patients diagnosed with NAFLD had a significant risk of developing IBD compared to control individuals, who were associated with a 2.245-fold risk of the diagnosis of IBD and a 2.260- and 2.231-fold of increased diagnosis of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, respectively (P< 0.001). The cumulative risk of IBD increased annually during the follow-up of patients with NAFLD (P< 0.001). Conclusions Our results emphasize that NAFLD significantly impacts its incidence in patients with NAFLD. If patients with NAFLD present with risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia, these conditions should be properly treated with regular follow-ups. Furthermore, we believe that these causes may be associated with the second peak of IBD.