Child ; Humans ; Tuberculosis, Renal

Objective To study the changes of cytokine activation in patients with chronic congestive haert failure(CHF) as indicated by plasma levels of C-reactive protein(CRP)and its relation to adrenomedullin(ADM) and endthelin-1(ET-1).Methods The plasma levels of CRP,ADM and ET-1 of 60 decompensated haert failure(DHF) patients group and 30 essential hypertension patients with compensated cardiac function(CCF) group were tested. CRP was determined by immunoturbidometry,ET-1 and ADM were determined by radioimmunoassay.Results The plasma levels of ET-1 ,ADM and CRP of decompensated heart failure group were significantly higher than the compensated cardiac function group;In the decompensated heart failure group,the plasma levels of CRP and ADM were elevated according to worsening of heart failure(NYHA classification) ;In the decompensated heart failure group,the plasma levels of CRP were positively correlated with ADM(r=0.57).Conclusion There is extensive activation of cytokines,ADM and ET-1 in patients with chronic congestive heart failure.Cytokine activation might play a role in the synthesis of ADM,thus contribute to the hum oral regulation of heart failure,but may not be re- sponsible for the activation of ET-1.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus has been considered as one of the most important foodborne bacterial pathogens.The loop-mediated isothermal amplification(LAMP) that amplifies DNA with high specificity and rapidity under an isothermal condition was applied for rapid detection of this pathogen for the first time.A set of four primers,two outer and two inner primers,was designed specifically to recognize the thermolabile hemolysin gene(tlh) of V.parahaemolyticus.The LAMP reaction mix was optimized.The most optimal reaction temperature and time of the LAMP assay for the tlh gene were 60℃ and 60min,respectively.Genomic DNAs from 28 bacterial strains including 14 V.parahaemolyticus strains were amplified using LAMP,and no amplicon was observed in other bacterial strains.The detection limit of this LAMP assay was around 90 fg of V.parahaemolyticus genomic DNA and 24 colonies forming units for pure cultures.In addition,this method was applied to detect artificially contaminated food samples,and the detection limit was 89 cfu/g for non-cultured artificially contaminated food samples.These results suggested that detection of V.parahaemolyticus by LAMP is an effective and low-cost procedure with high specificity and sensitivity that requires no specialized equipment.This assay is expected to become a valuable tool for rapid detection and identification of V.parahaemolyticus.

Objective To assess the feasibility for the automated treatment planning verification system Mobius3D (M3D) to perform an independent 3D dose calculation in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for cervical cancer.Methods Twenty patients with cervical cancer were randomly selected.With treatment planning systems (Pinnacle,Version 9.2;Eclipse,Version 13.5),all IMRT plans were divided into 7 fields to meet the dosimetric goals.The optimized plans were exported to the M3D server.The percentage differences in the volume of region of interest (ROI) and the dose calculation of target volume and organ at risk (OAR) were evaluated for the two treatment planning systems,and theγ passing rate was used to assess the accuracy of M3D calculation.Results The difference in the volume of ROI for Pinnacle 9.2 to M3D was less than that for Eclipse 13.5 to M3D,with maximum differences of 0.22％±0.69％ and 3.5％±1.89％ for Pinnacle 9.2 and Eclipse 13.5,respectively.The differences in the dose calculation of target volume and OAR for the two treatment planning systems to M3D were within ± 1％.After recalculating by M3D,the dose difference between Pinnacle 9.2 and M3D was smaller than that between Eclipse 13.5 and M3D,but the mean differences were all within ±3％.The γ passing rates for target volume and OAR were more than 95％ on average.Conclusions The method of utilizing the automated treatment planning verification system to validate the accuracy of plans is convenient.It can be used as a secondary check tool to improve accuracy in IMRT dose calculation.

Aged ; Apoptosis ; physiology ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; Cell Cycle ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVETo compare the short-term clinical outcome between unilateral fixation fusion (ULF) and minimally invasive spine transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) in treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH).

METHODSThe clinical data of 39 patients with LDH were retrospectively analyzed from June 2008 to March 2013. There was 22 males and 17 females, aged from 45 to 75 years old with an average of 56.9 years. Therer were 3 cases in L3,4, 15 cases in L4,5, 21 cases in L5S1. Among them, 21 patients underwent unilateral fixation fusion (ULF group) and 18 underwent minimally invasive spine transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF group). Operation time, blood loss, the times of radiographic exposure and hospital stay were noted and compared between two groups. Radiograph informations were regularily accessed and VAS, ODI scores were recorded at 3 days and 3, 6, 12 months after operation, respectively. According to modified Macnab criteria, the clinical effects were evaluated at final follow-up.

RESULTSAll operations were successful without severe complications. The averaged operative time and the times of radiographic exposure in ULF group [(95 ± 25) min and (4.2 ± 0.4) times] were less than that of MIS-TLIF group [(120 ± 35) min and (10.1 ± 3.9) times] (P < 0.05). But, the mean blood loss and hospital stay in MIS-TLIF group [(75 ± 45) ml and (7.2 ± 2.2)d ]were less than that of ULF group [(165 ± 60) ml and (11.0 ± 3.7) d] (P < 0.01). All patients were followed up from 12 to 45 months with an average of 29.5 months. The VAS and ODI score had significantly improved during the follow-up and no significant differences were found between two groups at the same time point (P > 0.05). The postoperative radiographs showed internal fixation position was good. And all patients obtained bone fusion by CT scan at 1 year after operation. There was no significant differences in modified Macnab criteria between two groups at the latest follow-up (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONFavorable short-term clinical effects can be achieved in suitable LDH patients with ULF or MIS-TLIF surgical procedures.

Aged ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; surgery ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Spinal Fusion ; methods

OBJECTIVETo compare the difference in the clinical efficacy on cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type (CSA) treated with thermosensitive moxibustion at different dosages.

METHODSSixty cases of CSA were randomized into a saturated moxa dosage group and a regular moxa dosage group, 30 cases in each one. The thermosensitive moxibustion was adopted in the two groups. The mild suspended moxibustion was applied at two acupoints with the strongest thermosensitization. In the saturated moxa dosage group, the moxibustion time was determined by the disappearance of thermosensitization. In the regular moxa dosage group, 15 min was required on each acupoint. The treatment was given twice a day for first 4 days in the two groups. Since the 5th day, the treatment was given once a day, continuously for 10 times, and totally 14 days were required. The score of symptoms and function and clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups before and after treatment as well as 6-month follow-up after treatment.

RESULTSThe curative and effective rate was 56.7% (17/30) after treatment and 60.0% (18/30) in 6-month follow-up after treatment in the saturated moxa dosage group, which were superior to 26.7% (8/30) and 30.0% (9/30) in the regular moxa dosage group respectively (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The scores of clinical symptoms and function after treatment and in follow-up were improved apparently as compared with those before treatment in both groups (all P < 0.01). The scores of clinical symptoms and function after treatment and in follow-up in the saturated moxa dosage group were increased much more apparently than those in the regular moxa dosage group (after treatment: 22.32 +/- 4.64 vs 17.43 +/- 3.21; in follow-up: 23.01 +/- 4.76 vs 18.32 +/- 2.13, both P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe thermosensitization moxibustion of saturated dosage achieves the superior short-term and long-term efficacies in the treatment of CSA as compared with the regular moxibustion dosage.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; instrumentation ; Spondylosis ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Vertebral Artery ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo search for an optimum method for testicular prothesis implantation in the treatment of testis loss.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the surgical methods and outcomes of 53 cases of terminal prostate cancer and 4 cases of unilateral testicular torsion treated by implantation of testicular prothesis with the polypropylene mesh.

RESULTSThe 57 male patients all received testicular prothesis with the polypropylene mesh. All the patients were satisfied with the appearance and size of the scrotum after surgery. No scrotal hematoma, prosthesis infection, or autoimmune disease occurred postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONTestis loss is not a rare condition clinically, for the treatment of which surgical implantation of testicular prothesis with the polypropylene mesh can achieve both a fine tissue compatibility and a desirable scrotal appearance.

Humans ; Male ; Polypropylenes ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; surgery ; Prostheses and Implants ; Retrospective Studies ; Scrotum ; Spermatic Cord Torsion ; surgery ; Surgical Mesh ; Testis

Bacillus anthracis collagen-like protein(BclA) is a structural component of the exosporium filaments,as well as the immunodominant antigen on the spore surface.The genes encoding BclA proteins were cloned and sequenced from three Bacillus anthracis strains separated from China.It was founded that the BclA proteins of strain A16R and 40048,containing 388 and 322 amino acids,72 and 50 copies of GXX repeat,5 and 3 copies of 21-amino-acid sequence(GPT)_(5)GDTGTT(BclA repeat) respectively,are different from those reported by foreign scholars;while the BclA protein of strain 40022,containing 370 amino acids,66 copies of GXX repeat,and 5 copies of BclA repeat,is identical with that of strain 53169 reported by others.The results are helpful for the molecular typing of B.anthracis strains,and provide a basis for the elucidation of the pathogenesis and immunogenicity of B.anthracis spore.

Objective To develop a TaqMan fluorogenic probe based amplification refractory mutation system (TaqMan-ARMS) for the detection of the C BS gene G919A and T833C mutations,and to investigate whether the mutations are associated with diabetic nephropathy in Chinese population. Methods According to the principle of amplification refractory mutation system,the cycle threshold (Ct) of wild (Wct) and mutation (Mct) allele-specific primers between the two PCR reactions in real-time PCR were monitored and genotype detection criteria were established based on the threshold ratio Act (?ct= Wct/ Mct) or an appearance of exponential amplification.With this technique,the G919A and T833C mutations in the CBS gene were analyzed in 94 patients with diabetic nephropathy and 140 control subjects. Results The detection criteria of TaqMan-ARMS assay for T833 allele were ?ct40,for T833C allele 0.940,respectively.The criteria for G919 allele were ?ct40,for G919A allele 0.9240,respectively.The T833C rates of TT,TC and CC genotypes were 98.94%, 1.06% and 0 in the patients and 99.29%,0.71% and 0 in the controls.The 833C allele frequencies were 0.53% in the patients and 0.36% in the controls.No significant differences in both genotypes and allele of T833C mutation were observed between the two groups.The G919A point mutation was not observed in all subjects.Conclusions A TaqMan-ARMS assay for the detection of the CBS gene GA919A and T833C mutations has been developed.The assay is accurate and sensitive,and is suitable for high-throughput detection of the point mutations.The G919A and T833C point mutations of CBS gene may not be related to diabetic nephropathy in Chinese.