BACKGROUND: Type I collagen is a polymer material that has good biocompatibility and good cell affinity, and can degrade under certain conditions. It can also develop good mechanical properties after cross-linking, but it is less reported in the reconstruction of the injured median nerve of the forearm. OBJECTIVE: To explore the preparation method of type I collagen nerve conduit and its mechanism in the reconstruction following median nerve injury in the forearm. METHODS: A total of 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were selected from the Medical Animal Experimental Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, 10 of which were randomly selected as sham surgery group. The remaining 30 rats were used to establish a rat model of median nerve injury in the forearm by laser-induced photochemical reaction. After successful modeling, the model rats were randomly divided into positive control group (n=10), type I collagen group (n=10) and autologous nerve group (n=10). The sham surgery group was routinely fed and did not participate in the modeling; the positive control group did not take special treatment after the successful modeling; the type I collagen group was subjected to bridging with type I collagen nerve conduit; and the autologous nerve group was subjected to bridging with autologous nerve. The repair effects were compared among groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Under the inverted microscope, the type I collagen was loosely arranged before cross-linking, and it had honeycomb-shaped irregular pores with the pore size of 10-100 μm and the porosity of 20-200 μm, and the pore interstitial was relatively thin. After cross-linking, the type I collagen was densely arranged, the collagen fibers could form relatively regular pores with the pore size of 50-100 μm and the porosity of 20-200 μm, the interstitial mass was thickened, and the spatial structure changed significantly. (2) After 4, 8 and 12 weeks of repair, the scores on the Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test in the type I collagen and autologous nerve groups were significantly lower than those in the positive control group (P < 0.05) and higher than those in the sham surgery group (P < 0.05). (3) At 12 weeks after repair, there was no significant difference in amplitude and latency between the type I collagen group and the autologous nerve group (P> 0.05), but the amplitude and latency in both groups were significantly higher than those in the positive control group (P < 0.05). (4) At 12 weeks after repair, the nerve injury site surrounded by necrotic tissues was visible in the positive control group; no injury was found in the autologous nerve group, and the surrounding necrotic area decreased, indicating good recovery; no injury was shown by toluidine blue staining in the type II collagen group, indicating good recovery. Overall, the type I collagen nerve conduit can be successfully prepared by the self-made mold, and it can be used for the reconstruction following median nerve injury in the rat forearm, helping nerve repair.

Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Prognosis ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo study the role of PCR technique in detection of mycobacterium tuberculosis in the samples from joint tuberculosis, and to evaluate the clinical value of PCR in diagnosis of joint tuberculosis.

METHODSFrom June 1993 to August 2001, PCR was used to detect DNA of mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the standard culture was applied to detect mycobacterium tuberculosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis were respectively blindly by the two techniques in the samples obtained from 95 patients with joint tuberculosis (55 males and 40 females, the age ranging from 2 to 75 years, with an average of 34 years). The positive rate of mycobacterium tuberculosis detection was calculated.

RESULTSIn the detection of mycobacterium tuberculosis, positive rate was 82% (78/95) in PCR technique, and 16% (15/95) in standard culture technique. There were statistical differences between the two groups (chi2=67, P<0.001). The whole process of PCR amplification was automatic and could be finished within several hours, and the detecting time was considerably shorter.

CONCLUSIONPCR technique is a rapid, simple, sensitive and specific method for detection of mycobacterium tuberculosis in the samples of joint tuberculosis, showing more marked advantages than the standard culture technique. It is valuable in the early rapid diagnosis and differential diagnosis of joint tuberculosis.

Adolescent ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Culture Techniques ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy and adverse effects between arsenic trioxide (ATO) and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).

METHODSThe clinical data of 71 patients with newly diagnosed APL were retrospectively analyzed. Two groups were classified according to the induction regimens, namely ATO group (n = 41) and ATRA group (n = 30). The complete remission (CR) rate and the time to CR were compared between these two groups.

RESULTSThe CR rate was 97.5% in ATO group and 93.3% in ATRA group (P > 0.05). The median time to CR was 29 days (21-45 days) in ATO group, which was significantly shorter than 38.5 days (24-63 days) in ATRA group (P < 0.001). Retinoic acid syndrome occurred in 52.9% of patients treated with ATRA, which affected the further use of ATRA.

CONCLUSIONSBoth ATO and ATRA have high response rates for newly diagnosed patients with APL. Compared with ATRA, ATO induction therapy has shorter time to achieve CR and less adverse effects, and therefore may be the first-line therapy for APL.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Arsenicals ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxides ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Tretinoin ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

Exogenous calcium can enhance the resistance of certain plants to abiotic stress. However,the role of calcium insaltstressed honeysuckle is unclear. The study is aimed to investigate the effects of exogenous calcium on the biomass,chlorophyll content,gas exchange parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence of honeysuckle under salt stress. The results showed that the calcium-treated honeysuckle had better photochemical properties than the salt-stressed honeysuckle,such as PIABS,PItotal,which represents the overall activity of photosystemⅡ(PSⅡ),and related parameters for characterizing electron transport efficiency φP0,ψE0,φE0,σR,and φR are significantly improved. At the same time,the gas exchange parameters Gs,Ci,Trare also maintained at a high level. In summary,exogenous calcium protects the activity of PSⅡ,promotes the transmission of photosynthetic electrons,and maintains a high Ci,therefore enhances the resistance of honeysuckle under salt stress.
Calcium ; pharmacology ; Chlorophyll ; analysis ; Lonicera ; drug effects ; physiology ; Photosynthesis ; Plant Leaves ; Salt Stress

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy of porcine anti-human lymphocyte globulin (P-ALG) plus cyclosporine A (CsA) therapy for severe aplastic anemia (SAA).

METHODSForty-eight SAA patients (31 males, 17 females) including 17 very severe aplastic anemias (vSAA) were treated with ALG plus CsA between 1999 to 2009 in our hospital and the outcomes were analyzed retrospectively for early mortality, response rate and quality, survival rate, toxicity and complications.

RESULTSThe median age was 28 (13 - 64) years. The interval from diagnosis to treatment was 45 days. The median neutrophil count at diagnosis was 0.178 × 10(9)/L. Overall response was 83.3% (54.2% complete, 29.2% partial) with a median time of 90 (23 - 380) days. 10.4% died of infection within 30 days mainly of fungi infection. Only 1 patient relapsed 2 years after treatment. No clonal disease was found. The 1.5-year survival rate was 87.5%. vSAAs had less response, higher early mortality and less survival (64.7%, 29.4% and 51.8%, respectively) compared to that of SAA (93.5%, 0, 100%, respectively, P < 0.05). Grouped patients with different age, gender, intervals between diagnosis and treatment and pre-existing infections had similar response. The main side effects were fever and skin rash (52.1%), serum sickness (16.7%), impaired liver function (60.4%) and hemorrhage (2.1%). No treatment-related mortality was found.

CONCLUSIONP-ALG plus CsA is an ideal and well tolerated treatment for SAA but not for vSAA.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anemia, Aplastic ; drug therapy ; Animals ; Antilymphocyte Serum ; therapeutic use ; Cyclosporine ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Swine ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the effect and mechanism of insulin-like growth factor 2 ( IGF2 ) on the proliferation of human ovarian granulosa cells ( KGN ). Methods KGN cells cultured in vitro and treated with different concentrations of IGF2 were divided into control group and IGF2 group (25 μg/L, 50 μg/L, 100 μg/L), and then cells were divided into control group, 100 μg/L IGF2 group, LY294002 group, and IGF2 +LY294002 group after intervened the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway with LY294002. MTS and 5-ethynyl-2'- deoxyuridine (EdU) method was used to detect the effect of IGF2 on KGN cell proliferation, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the contents of estrogen and progesterone in cell culture supernatant. The expressions of insulin like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R), protein kinase B (Akt), phosphorylated protein kinase B(p-Akt) and CYP19A1 protein in each group were detected by Western blotting. Results With the concentration gradient of IGF2, the proliferation rate of KGN cells and the secretion of estrogen and progesterone gradually increased. The cell proliferation rate and hormone level in the group treated with lOOfig/L IGF2 were the highest (P<0.01), while the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was inhibited, and the cell proliferation rate and hormone secretion decreased significantly (P<0.01). The protein expression levels of IGF1R, p-Akt and CYP19A1 in different concentration groups increased significantly (P<0.05). While the expression of the above proteins were affected by intervened the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Compared with the control group, the protein expression of IGF1R and p-Akt increased significantly in IGF2 group and IGF2 +LY294002 group(P<0.01), CYP19A1 increased significantly in IGF2 group(P<0.01), the protein expression of p-Akt and CYP19A1 decreased significantly in LY294002 group (P<0.05), there was no significant difference in the protein expression of IGF 1R. Compared with the IGF2 group, the protein expression of p-Akt and CYP19A1 decreased in IGF2 +LY294002 group (P<0.01), there was no statistically significant difference in the protein expression of IGF1R, and the expression levels of IGF1R, p-Akt and CYP19A1 were significantly reduced in LY294002 group (P<0.01). Conclusion IGF2 may promote the proliferation and secretion of human ovarian granulosa cells through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway mediated by IGF1R.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the incidence, pathogens, and clinical features of infection in consecutive cases from 2010 to 2012 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

METHODThe incidence, pathogen, treatment, and outcomes of patients with hematological diseases who had positive findings of bacterium in their samples from 2010 to 2012 were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSThere were 449 positive samples (5.8%) from 4 890 patients during this period, among which 388 were proved to be with pathogenic bacteria. Samples separated from patients with community-aquired infections accounted for 8.4% of all positive samples. Most community-aquired infections were caused by Gram-negative bacteria (75%), although no multidrug-resistant bacteria was observed. Samples separated from patients with nosocomial infections accounted for 91.6% of all positive samples. Respiratory tract (49.4%) and peripheral blood (32.6%) were the most common samples with positive results. Skin soft tissues (10.4%), and urine (3.7%) were less common samples. Most of the pathogenic bacteria of the nosocomial infections were Gram-negative (66.9%). The most common Gram-negative bacteria included Escherichia coli (13.8%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.1%), and Klebsiella pneumonia (12.1%), while Staphylococcus aureus (10.4%), Enterococcus faecium (7.0%), and Staphylococcus epidermidis (5.1%) were the most common Gram-positive bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria consisted of most of sputum samples and peripheral blood samples. Samples from the surface of skin wound and anal swab were composed largely by Gram-positive bacteria (63.8%). The detection rates of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumonia/Klebsiella oxytoca, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis were 24.0%, 87.9% and 38.4%, respectively. The resistance to Acinetobacter baumannii was serious. Multidrug-resistant, extensive drug resistant and pan drug resistant A. baumannii acountted for 74% of all A. Baumannii infections. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia showed low resistance to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, levofloxacin and minocycline. Also, 22 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and 9 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Epidermidis were detected, which were only sensitive to vancomycin, teicoplanin, and linezolid. All patients were treated in the haematology wards and most of them were under agranulocytosis or immunosuppression. Finally, 22 patients reached clinical recovery through anti-infective therapy, whereas 49 patients died. Among those deaths, 42 patients attributed to severe infections and infection-associated complications. Fourteen of all the deaths might be infected with drug-resistance bacteria. There were 61 samples proved to be bacteria colonization. Nonfermenters such as Acinetobacter baumannii and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia made up for a large amount of bacteria colonization.

CONCLUSIONSThe pathogens of nosocomial infections in the hematology ward are mainly Gram-negative bacteria. The incidences and pathogens vary from different infection sites. Nosocomial infection still has a higher mortality rate. Once nonfermenters are detected positive, the pathogenic or colonial bacteria should be distinguished.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bacteria ; isolation & purification ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Cross Infection ; microbiology ; Female ; Hematologic Diseases ; complications ; microbiology ; Hematology ; Hospital Departments ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult