Objective To discuss the clinical value of transesophageal echocardiography used in extracorporeal circulationcardiac valve replacement. Methods 89 patients received extracorporeal circulation cardiac valve replacement in our hospital from January 2012 to December 2014 were included in the study. Transesophageal echocardiography were performed preoperatively, intraoperation and postoperatively and the findings were compared to the result of preoperation transthoracic echocardiography exam. The measurement of aortic annulus diameter and detection rates of calcification obtained by transthoracic and transesophaged echocardiography were compared. Changes in heart function parameters before and after operation were compared. The alternations in surgery plan made after pre-operative transesophageal echocardiography exam and any relevant treatment or procedure performed according to intra-operation transesophageal echo findings were recorded. All the patients were followed up for 6 months - 40 months. Results Before extracorporeal circulation cardiac valve replacement, the aortic annulus diameter measured and detection rates of calcification by transthoracic echocardiography were smaller and lower than actual surgical pathology results ( P < 0. 05 ) . No differences in the results from transesophageal echocardiography of two-dimensional and three-dimensional examination when compared to pathological findings ( P > 0. 05 ) . Conclusions For patients receiving extracorporeal circulation cardiac valve replacement, transesophagus echocardiography examination is helpful to guide the selection of valve stent and operation methods.

Objective To detect the serum levels of IL-6 and CRP in patients with acute type A aortic dissection complicated with pulmonary injury and inflammatory response. Methods From January 2007 Month to February 2016,216 patients with acute type A aortic dissection were admitted to our hospital. Among them,there were 120 male and 96 female patients,with a mean age of 52.1 years. All patients underwent cardiac ultrasound and other imaging studies. They were diagnosed and hospitalized immediately after the onset. Treatment lasted for more than 1 week. In a calm state of oxygen ,oxygenation index ≤200 preoperative lung injury is defined as positive. In this study ,according to the definition of the lung injury ,patients were divided into positive and negative lung injury groups. There were 72 positive and 144 negative cases among 216 patients. All patients were hospitalized. Every 4 hours,arterial oxygenation index is calculated. At the same time blood samples were tested for C-reactive protein(CRP)and interleukin-6(IL-6)levels. Data was analyzes by SPSS20.0 statistical software and counted byχ2 test. The results were plotted as the percentage,the measurement data with the t test,with(x ± s) to represent,evaluate serum levels of CRP and IL-6 levels with acute type A aortic dissection complicated by the relationship between lung injury. Results The differences of patients from two lung injury groups in gender,age, smoking,alcohol consumption,and other aspects of common chronic diseases were not significant(P>0.05);the difference between the pre-operative examination of several experimental studies in echocardiography were also no statistically significant(P > 0.05);two groups of patients,serum CRP positive group lung injury peak level and peak IL-6 levels were significantly higher in patients with acute lung injury negative group (P > 0.05). Further study of lung serum CRP in patients with damage to the relationship between IL-6 levels and oxygenation index found after dissection. Patient's oxygenation index decreased ,and serum C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels were rising rapidly ,reaching peak levels ,and then ,with the patients with inflammatory response decreased oxygenation index showed an upward trend. Conclusion Inflammatory reaction in acute type A aortic dissection plays a key role in the lung injury. In result ,patients'sicken time is prolonged ,which was closely related to serum C reactive protein(CRP),interleukin 6 levels and hypoxemia. Active anti-inflammation treatment before surgery may improve the patient's oxygenation status.

Objective To summarize the causes of patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO) and to analyze the relationship between infectious diseases and FUO,in order to provide envidence for experiential therapy.Methods Clinical data of 374 FUO inpatients at He'nan Provincial People's Hospital from June 1,2009 to May 31,2013,including gender,age,diagnosis and department were analyzed retrospectively.Results Three hundred and twenty-seven cases among the overall 374 FUO patients (87.4％) were eventually etiological diagnosed based on supplementary examinations or diagnostic treatment.As for the causes of fever,209 were infection,accounting for 55.9％,among which 78 cases (20.9％) were diagnosed with tuberculosis,23 cases (6.1％) brucellic diseases,19 cases (5.1％) rickettsia infection.Meanwhile,the noninfectious diseases,such as connective tissue diseases (47,12.6％),hematonosis (37,9.9％) as well as the solid tumors (13,3.5％) also constituted considerable shares of the causes for FUO.However,the causes of 47 cases (12.6％) were not identified before discharge.Conclusions Infectious diseases are the main cause of FUO,in which tuberculosis accounts for the majority.Brucellosis and rickettsia infection also account for a considerable proportion.The causes of most FUO cases could be identified through detailed analysis of clinical data and supplemental examinations.

This paper presents and discusses the liquid density sensing potential of a delay line Lamb-wave sensor configuration, where Lamb wave is excited only by interdigital transducer (IDT), without membrane when fabricated. An optimized cut orientation and the normalized thickness of substrate by using genetic algorithm is presented to improve the sensitivity of the sensor and to get low noise. Experimental measurements performed on Lamb-wave device fabricated from Y-Z LiNbO3 in a delay line configuration are found to be in agreement with theoretical calculations.
Algorithms ; Biosensing Techniques ; instrumentation ; methods ; Equipment Design ; Models, Theoretical ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Transducers ; Ultrasonics ; Water ; analysis ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo discuss diagnosis and treatment of iatrogenic purulent lumbar spinal infection.

METHODSFrom December 2006 to January 2010, 4 patients with iatrogenic purulent lumbar spinal infection were treated with posterior debridement. There were 2 males and 2 females, ranging in age from 50 to 66 years (respectively in 52, 66, 58, 50 years); in course of disease from 2 weeks to 2.5 months (respectively in 21, 14, 60, 75 days ). All patients had fever, lumbago, local tenderness and limited lumbar activity before operation. White blood cell count (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were abnormal. The clinical effects were evaluated by symptoms and laboratory examination.

RESULTSSymptoms of lumbago and fever vanished in 4 patients, of which wounds were primary healing without complications. The patients were followed up for 3 months, no infection (WBC, C-reactive protein and ESR were normal) and lumbar instability were found.

CONCLUSIONIatrogenic purulent lumbar spinal infection can be diagnosed according to course of disease, clinical symptoms and signs, imaging finding. In the items, magnetic resonance imaging finding have necessarily specificity, once finding abscess-formation, will promptly operate.

Aged ; Debridement ; methods ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spondylitis ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Suppuration

Objective: To observe ascitic interleukin-7 expression level in cirrhotic patients complicated with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and to detect the effect of recombinant human IL-7 on CD4⁺ and CD8⁺T lymphocyte function. Methods: A total of 84 patients with liver cirrhosis who were hospitalized from August 2017 to April 2018 were selected. Among them, 51 cases were complicated with cirrhosis and untainted ascites, and 33 cases were cirrhosis complicated with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Peripheral blood and ascites were collected routinely. The levels of IL-7 in peripheral blood and ascites were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. CD4⁺T cells and CD8⁺T cells were purified from ascites, and were stimulated with recombinant IL-7. Cellular proliferation, key transcription factors for mRNA, and cytokines production by CD4⁺T cells in response to IL-7 stimulation was measured. mRNA expression corresponding to perforin, granzyme B, and granulysin as well as cytokines production by CD8⁺T cells was also measured in response to IL-7 stimulation. Cytolytic and non-cytolytic activity of CD8⁺T cells in response to IL-7 stimulation was also investigated in both direct and indirect contact co-culture system. Measurement data of the normal distribution were compared between the two groups by Student’s t-test and the data before and after stimulation were compared by paired t-test. Measurements that did not conform to normal distribution were compared between the two groups using Mann-Whitney U test, and data before and after stimulation were compared using Wilcoxon paired test. Results: There was no significant statistical difference in serum IL-7 levels between the two groups [(5 001 ± 1 458) pg/ml vs. (4 768 ± 1 128) pg/ml, P = 0.41]. The level of ascitic IL-7 in cirrhotic patients complicated with SBP was significantly lower than cirrhosis patients with untainted ascites [(966.4 + 155.8) pg/ml vs. (792.1 + 126.4) pg/ml, P < 0.01]. Recombinant IL-7 stimulation promoted the proliferation of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺T cells from ascites in patients with liver cirrhosis complicated by SBP. T-bet mRNA relative expression and IFN-γ secretion in CD4⁺T cells was also elevated in response to IL-7 stimulation in vitro. Moreover, IL-7 stimulation also increased the mRNA expressions of perforin, granzyme B, and granulysin as well as productions of IFN-γ and TNF-α by CD8⁺T cells. Recombinant IL-7 stimulation elevated cytolytic and non-cytolytic activity of CD8⁺T cells from ascites in patients with liver cirrohosis complicated by SBP, which manifested as increased target cell death and IFN-γ production in both direct and indirect contact co-culture system. Conclusion Ascitic IL-7 promotes T lymphocyte function in patients with liver cirrhosis complicated with SBP.

OBJECTIVETo study the liver targeted drug delivery system of TBMS--the effective anticancer component from Bolbstemma paniculatum, and to discuss the system's function of decreasing toxicity.

METHODBCA was used as carrier material. The preparation through overall feedback dynamic techniques. The properties of preparation and toxicology were also technology of nanoparticles was optimized studied. Thenanoparticles' targeting in mice vivo was observed with transmission electron microscopy. The function of decreasing toxicity was researched by the XXTX-2000 automatic quantitative analysis management system.

RESULTD50 was 0.68 microm. Drug-loading rate and entrapment rate were 37.3% and 88.6% respectively. The release in vitro accorded with Weibull equation. The reaching release balance time and the t 1/2 extended 26 times and 19 times respectively comparing with injection. Nanoparticles mainly distributed in liver tissue. Their toxicity to lung and liver was evidently lower than injection. Nanoparticles' LD50 exceeded injection's by 13.5% and their stimulus was much lower than injection.

CONCLUSIONThe TBMS can be targeted to liver by liver targeted drug delivery system. At the same time, the problem about the toxicity hindering clinical application could be solved, which lays the foundation for the further studies on TBMS.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Cucurbitaceae ; chemistry ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Drug Compounding ; methods ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Excipients ; Liver ; metabolism ; Mice ; Nanostructures ; Particle Size ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rabbits ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Tissue Distribution

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical features of thyroid disease occurring in response to antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

METHODSEighty-two patients diagnosed with CHC were recruited for study from our hospital between 2009 and 2010. All patients were given a 48-week course of antiviral combination therapy with pegylated-interferon (Peg-IFN; 180 mug qw ih) and ribavirin (RBV; 15 mg/kg bw). Patient sera was collected prior to treatment (baseline), at treatment weeks 24 and 48, and post-treatment week 24, and used to detect changes in levels of thyroid function markers, thyroid-specific and other autoantibodies, complement factors, and immunoglobulins (Igs). Differential expression of biomarkers was assessed between patients who developed thyroid disorder and those who did not.

RESULTSAt treatment week 48, 13.4% (11/82) of cases developed hypothyroidism, 3.7% (3/82) developed hyperthyroidism, 20.7% (17/82) tested positive for thyroglobulin antibody, and 22.0% (18/82) tested positive for thyroid peroxidase antibody. The patients who did not develop thyroid disease had significantly higher post-treatment levels (vs. baseline) of IgG (14.84 +/- 2.61 vs. 12.95 +/- 3.32 g/L, F = 10.458, P = 0.002) and C4 (0.26 +/- 0.09 vs. 0.22 +/- 0.08 g/L, F = 6.835, P = 0.011) and significantly lower IgM (0.86 +/- 0.48 vs. 1.00 +/- 0.42 g/L, F = 9.106, P = 0.003). The patients who developed thyroid disease showed no significant differences in the baseline and post-treatment levels of IgG, C4, or IgM. When the two groups of patients who did or did not develop thyroid disease were compared, there was no difference in the amount of patients who achieved sustained virological response.

CONCLUSIONAntiviral-induced thyroid disease in patients with refractory hepatitis C manifests as clinically-detectable abnormalities in serum levels of thyroid autoantibody and markers of hypothyroidism. Levels of other autoantibodies and Igs do not correlate with the development of thyroid disease in these patients, and thyroid disease does not appear to affect the efficacy of Peg-IFN + RBV antiviral therapy.

Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Polyethylene Glycols ; therapeutic use ; Ribavirin ; therapeutic use ; Thyroid Diseases ; chemically induced

OBJECTIVETo study the mechanism of hepatitis B virus infected patients who is negative for HbsAg.

METHODSDNA sequences of 46 patients were analyzed. In these patients, HBsAg was negative but HBV DNA was positive and six new HBsAg variants were identified. Four of the six variants were combined point mutants and two were insertion variants. These S genes were subcloned into eukaryotic expression vector EBO-plpp, and the recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmids were transfected into COS7 cells. Cell lines expressing mutant type HBsAg were obtained. The supernatants were detected by ELISA and RIA.

RESULTSOnly the two-amino acid-insertion variants could be detected and the others failed to react with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against HbsAg.

CONCLUSIONThe results indicated that the point mutations and insertions may result in a conformational change of the S gene, which affect HBsAg antigenicity, suggesting a possible relationship between the variants and the negative conversion of HBsAg of the patients.

Animals ; Antigenic Variation ; COS Cells ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; immunology ; virology ; Humans ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Point Mutation ; Transfection

Objective To report our experience with retroperitoneoscopic nephroureterectomy with excision of a bladder-cuff for renal pelvic and ureteral tumors.Methods Thirty-five patients (21 women and 14 men;mean age,67 years;age range,49 -82 years) with upper urinary tract tumors underwent retro- peritoneal laparoscopic nephrourcterectomy with excision of a bladder-cuff.Of the 35 cases,15 had pelvic tumors and 20 had ureteral tumors;19 cases had the tumors on the right side and 16 on the left.Two cases had ureteral tumors combined with bladder tumors.One case had bilateral ureteral tumors then concomitantly had bladder tumors.The needle electrode was used to circleround incise the bladder thoroughly 0.5 cm away from the ureterostoma.Three trocars in the waist were used for dissecting the kidney;and the ureter was dis- sected as far distally downward.Then an incision of 5-9 cm was created in the lower abdomen to allow dis- section of the distal ureter and bladder-cuff and intact specimen extraction.Results The operation was successful in all 35 patients.The mean operative time was 3.1 h ( range,1.5-6.0h).The mean estimated blood loss was 166 ml (range,20-1600 ml).Four cases received blood transfusion.The patient's activity re- covered in 20-32 h after operation.Postoperative pathology showed transitional cell carcinoma in 30 cases, poorly differentiated adenocareinoma in 2 (ureter),squamous cell carcinoma in 1 (ureter),leiomyosarcoma in 1 (ureter),xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis in 1.Duodenal leakage occurred in 1 patient who had had dialysis a drainage catheter was placed on the third d after operation,and the patient died of heart failure af- ter 2 months.Postoperative vesical irrigation was performed to prevent tumor recurrence.The mean hospital stay was 11 d.During a mean follow-up of 14 months(range,1-32 months),1 patient developed pelvic me- tastasis and was alive with the tumor.The other 33 patients survived free of tumor to date.No patient had re- current transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.Conclusions Our data demonstrate that retroperitoneo- scopic nephroureterectomy for renal pelvic and ureteral tumors has shorter incision and more rapid postopera- tive recovery compared with open surgery.Using resectoscope to resect the termination of ureter allows more complete excision of the ureter.