Background:Matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9)is known to play a key role in tumor invasion and metastasis by mediating the degradation of extracellular matrix. It has been revealed that neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin ( NGAL)is capable of protecting MMP-9 from degradation and thereby preserving its enzymatic activity. Aims:To explore the MMP-9 and NGAL levels in peripheral blood of gastric cancer patients and their clinical significance. Methods:Serum levels of MMP-9 and NGAL were determined by ELISA in 76 gastric cancer patients and 50 healthy controls. Correlations of serum MMP-9 and NGAL levels with clinicopathological features of gastric cancer were analyzed,and their diagnostic performance for screening gastric cancer was evaluated by ROC curve. Results:Serum levels of MMP-9 and NGAL in patients with gastric cancer were significantly higher than those in healthy controls(P<0. 01),and either of them was positively correlated with the TNM stage of gastric cancer. Furthermore,MMP-9 was correlated with lymph node metastasis and serosal invasion,while NGAL was correlated with distant metastasis. However,tumor differentiation was not correlated with either MMP-9 or NGAL. By ROC curve,608. 19 ng/mL and 14. 71 ng/mL were identified as the cutoff value of serum MMP-9 and NGAL,respectively,for screening gastric cancer. Sensitivity and specificity of MMP-9 were 64. 5% and 90. 0%,and those of NGAL were 85. 5% and 90. 0%,respectively. When parallel test was taken,the sensitivity would be increased to 94. 7% and specificity being 82. 0%. Conclusions:Serum levels of MMP-9 and NGAL are elevated and associated with tumor progression in patients with gastric cancer. Both of them might be used as potential markers for screening,disease assessment and prognosis prediction of gastric cancer.

Objective To evaluate the effects of silicone pessary treatment on relieving the symptoms and improving the life quality of the pelvic organ prolapse patients.Methods From November 2005 to March 2009,33 pelvic organ prolapse (POP-Q stage Ⅲ～Ⅳ) patients received silicone pessary coneervative treatment were followed up and required to complete the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20) before and after initiating pessary treatment.Results 31 of 33(93.94%) patients finished the follow-up completely.23 of 31(74.19%) patients continually used the pessary.The follow up time was 3 to 17 (10.04±2.57) months.27 patients completed the PFDI-20 questionnaires.Before silicone pessary treatment, PFDI20 total score,POPDI6 (Pelvic organ prolapse distress inventory),CARDI8 (colorectal anal distress inventory 8) and UDI6 (urinary distress inventory 6) scores were (54.16±36.12),(27.78±17.30),(0.61±1.01) and (25.77± 24.10),respectively.After the treatment of pessary,the scores decreased to (20.20±25.98), (4.48±5.88), (0.45±0.84) and (15.28± 21.53),respectively.Except for CARDI8,the PFDI scores decreased significantly after the pessary treatment (P＜0.05).Conclusion Silicone pessary is a viable noninvasive treatment for pelvic organ prolapse.It could relieve the symptoms and improve the life quality of protrusion and voiding dysfunction patients.

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect and influence factors of silicone pessary in treatment of pelvic organ prolapse ( POP).Methods From October 2005 to October 2010,132 with symptomatic POP managed by pessary were enrolled in this retrospective study.Validated prolapse quality of life questionnaire (pelvic floor distress inventory short form 20,PFDI-20),pelvic floor impact questionnaire short form 7 (PFIQ-7) and the patients' satisfaction degree were used to evaluate the therapeutic effect.Clinical characteristic of the patients with successful using for more than 6 months ( successful fitting group),giving up within 6 months (giving up group),unsuccessful fitting (unsuccessful fitting group)were compared.Factors influencing satisfaction degree and causing discontinuation were investigated.Results One hundred and six among 132 ( 106/132,80.3％ ) patients were in successful fitting group,26 (26/132,19.7％ ) patients were in the unsuccessful fitting group.In the successful fitting group,86.8％ (92/106) patients were followed up,the median follow-up time was 12.5 months.And 78.3％ ( 72/92 ) patients continued to use pessary with the wearing time ranged 3 -69 months; 21.7％ (20/92) patients discontinued with the wearing time ranged 1 -38 month,14 patients (14/20) gave up in the initial 6 months.The median scores of PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 questionnaires before pessary use were 50.0 and 47.6,which decreased to 8.9 and 0.0 after pessary use (P＜0.05).And 87.1％ (61/70) patients were satisfied.There was no significantly difference among 3 groups on clinical characteristics,such as age,body mass index ( BMI ),pelvic surgery and so on (P ＞ 0.05 ).The main factor influencing satisfaction degree and causing discontinuation was difficulties in placing and removing.Conclusions Silicone pessary is effective for patients with POP.It could relieve discomfort symptoms and improve quality of life.The main factorinfluencing pessary use is difficulties in placing and removing.Thus,More suggestions are needed for patients in the initial 6 months.

Objective To investigate the relevance between expectations before treatment, new symptoms and satisfaction after treatment of the pelvic organ prolapse (POP) patients. Methods Made a collection of 75 cases of POP patients at Peking University Third Hospital, who were affected by the POP symptoms and came to our clinic for treatment from January to December in 2013. Prospectively investigate the patients′expectations before treatment, which were the most troubling symptoms to be solved. According to treatment we divided the patients into surgery and pessary groups. Two groups were followed up with the degree to achieve the desired goals using patient global impression of improvement (PGI-I), new symptoms and satisfaction after treatment, try to find the relevance between expectations before treatment, new symptoms and satisfaction after treatment. Results There were 47 (63%, 47/75) patients in the surgical group and 28 (37%, 28/75) patients in the pessary group. The top three problems for patients were friction when walking (25%, 19/75), dysuria (23%, 17/75) and the feeling of vaginal prolapse (19%, 14/75). The follow-up rate was of 93% (70/75), follow-up time was (5 ± 4) months. Satisfaction score after treatment of surgical group was higher than that of pessary group [(4.9±0.4) versus (4.0±1.3) scores, P<0.01]. There was no statistically significant difference between two groups of PGI-I score [(6.7±0.6) versus (6.6±0.9) scores, P=0.886]. The top three new symptoms after treatment were increased secretion, urinary incontinence and dysuria. PGI-I and satisfaction scores was relevant (P=0.021). The availability of new symptoms and satisfaction scores was relevant (P=0.001). Conclusion When achieving higher expectations to the treatment and no more new symptoms, the satisfaction score after treatment is higher.

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a slowly progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by eosinophilic hyaline intranuclear inclusions in the central and peripheral nervous system, and also in the visceral organs. Although in recent years skin biopsy is useful for the antemortem diagnosis of this disease, it is often misdiagnosed due to its highly variable clinical manifestations. A case of NIID is reported here. The patient had a long course of disease, mainly presenting as dysfunction of autonomic nervous system. No significant cognitive impairment was found. Thus, a new idea is provided for the diagnosis of this disease.

Objective: Throughing the investigation and analysis of seven cases of acute lung injury caused by a welding operation, the hazards and production pathways of harmful gases such as phosgene and nitrogen oxides are understood, which will serve as a reference for preventing similar events in the future. Methods: Throughing the accident scene environment investigation and clinical case analysis, combined with the laboratory test results, carried on the comprehensive analysis. Results: The accident caused a total of 7 people to suffer from acute lung injury to varying degrees. Three of them were sent to the ICU ward for treatment due to acute respiratory failure. After active treatment, 7 people were discharged from the hospital with obvious relief. Conclusion Welding is also a kind of profession that causes the high incidence of acute lung injury accidents. It is necessary to strengthen the knowledge training and protection awareness education of welding workers to avoid the occurrence of acute harmful gas poisoning accidents.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the indications of the therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with neural network model analysis. METHODS: Three hundred and ninety-seven patients were included in the clinical trial from 9 clinical centers. They were randomly divided into Western medicine (WM) treated group, 194 cases; and traditional Chinese herbal medicine (CM) treated group, 203 cases. A complete physical examination and 18 common clinical manifestations were prepared before the randomization and after the treatment. The WM therapy included voltaren extended action tablet, methotrexate and sulfasalazine. The CM therapy included Glucosidorum Tripterygii Totorum Tablet and syndrome differentiation treatment. The American College of Rheumatology 20 (ACR20) was taken as efficacy evaluation. All data were analyzed on SAS 8.2 statistical package. The relationships between each variable and efficacy were analyzed, and the variables with P<0.2 were included for the data mining analysis with neural network model. All data were classified into training set (75%) and verification set (25%) for further verification on the data-mining model. RESULTS: Eighteen variables in CM and 24 variables in WM were included in the data-mining model. In CM, morning stiffness, swollen joint number, peripheral immunoglobulin M (IgM) level, tenderness joint number, tenderness, rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP) and joint pain were positively related to the efficacy, and disease duration and more urination at night negatively related to the efficacy. In WM, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), weak waist, white fur in tongue, joint pain, joint stiffness and swollen joint were positively related to the efficacy, and yellow fur in tongue, red tongue, white blood negatively related to the efficacy. In the analysis with the neural network model in the patients of verification set, the predictive response rates of 20% patients would be 100% and 90% in the treatment with CM and WM, respectively. CONCLUSION: Neural network model analysis, based on the full clinical trial data with collection of both traditional Chinese medicine and modern medicine diagnostic information, shows a good predictive role for the information in the efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlations between clinical symptoms and treatment efficacy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Four hundred and thirteen patients were included in the clinical trial from 9 clinical centers. They were randomly divided into Western medicine-treated group with 204 cases and Chinese herbal drug-treated group with 209 cases. Eighteen clinical symptoms were evaluated before and after treatment. The Western medicine therapy included voltaren extended release tablets, methotrexate and sulfasalazine. The Chinese herbal drug therapy included glucosidorum Tripterygii totorum tablets and Yishen Juanbi Tablets combined with treatment based on syndrome differentiation. The American College of Rheumatology 20 (ACR20) was used as efficacy evaluation criteria. RESULTS: In the Chinese herbal drug-treated group, clinical symptoms such as arthralgia and tenderness of joints were positively correlated with the efficacy after 12-week treatment, while frequent urination at night was negatively correlated. In the same group, tenderness of joints and fever were positively correlated with the efficacy after 24-week treatment, while deep-colored and turbid urine was negatively correlated. In the Western medicine-treated group, tenderness of joints and thirst were positively correlated with the efficacy after 12-week treatment, while vertigo was negatively correlated. And in the same group, tenderness of joints was positively correlated with the efficacy after 24-week treatment, while heaviness of limbs was negatively correlated to the efficacy. The statistical results showed that the treatment efficacy was improved when the correlated symptoms were included in the indications. CONCLUSION: The treatment efficacy of RA is correlated with some symptoms, so further studies should proceed on these correlations in order to achieve better treatment outcome.

Therapeutic plasma exchange can quickly remove the pathogenic macromolecular sub-stance in vivo,and its application is gradually expanded. With the maturity and development of plasma ex-change technology,the effect of high volume plasma exchange in liver failure,thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura,sepsis and other diseases is obvious. But there is still controversy about the wide use of high volume plasma exchange in ICU. This review aimed to discuss the use of high volume plasma exchange in patients with critical diseases.

Artificial intelligence (AI), a branch of computer science, is an emerging science used to develop theories, methods, technologies and application systems that can simulate human intelligence. The goal is to enable machines to solve some complex tasks that require human intelligence. With the era of big data coming, AI has been widely used in multitudinous professional fields, including machine vision, speech recognition, image understanding, genetic programming, intelligent factory and expert systems. As the most common three-dimensional deformity of the spine, scoliosis not only changes patients' appearance and body shape but also affects their mental health. Some challenges have to be solved in diagnosis and treatment of scoliosis, such as the complexity of the anatomical structure of the spine, the importance of maintaining the posture, and the long learning-curve of spine specialty. Additionally, some aspects, such as heavy workload, fatigue, high misdiagnosis rate and missed diagnosis rate, are prone to occur in large-scale scoliosis screening and diagnosis. Researchers have discovered that AI can learn inherent laws and representation of sample data in recent years. AI technology has been used in clinical practice, such as screening, diagnosis, surgical decision-making, intraoperative operation, prognosis prediction and conservative interventions. However, AI technology has serious limitations currently. There are many disadvantages in diagnosis and treatment of scoliosis, including irregular data collection, technical difficulty, inherent defects of AI, overdependency on AI, legal and ethics issues. Thus, summarizing the relevant trends and application of AI in the diagnosis and treatment of scoliosis is still required by using the literature database and data-sharing network. The aim of the present review is to provide a glimpse into the future applications of AI.