Objective To observe dynamic changes of incidence and epidemic characteristics of Keshan disease(KSD)in Shandong Province from 1960 to 2007,in order to provide scientific basis for prevention and treatment. Methods The data below were collected and analyzed retrospectively.Morbidity and mortality of KSD were reported annually by multi-level prevention and treatment network at the level of province,city,county.township and village; five large-scale epidemiological investigations of KSD were carried out in 1962,1969,1973,1982 at province-scale and in every disease counties too.Results A total of 4228 cases of KSD occurred from 1960 to 2007 and the highest incidence rate was 2.636 per ten thousand(158/599 368)in Shandong Province.Mortality rate of sub-acute KSD was 88.01 percent(492/559)and the five years mortality rate of chronic KSD was 67.91 percent(491/723).Incidence cbanges of KSD among 48 years experienced three stages(the years of the high and low incidence,the years with basicallv controlled incidence)in Shandong Province.The years of high incidence were from 1960 to 1979,when 3969 cases of patients were found.its highest incidence rate being 2.636 per ten thousand(158/599 368).The years of low incidence were from 1980 to 1989,when 200 eases of patients were found,the highest incidence rate being 0.058 per ten thousand(57/9 908 013).In the years from 1990 to 2007 the disease was basically controlled,and only 59 cases of patients were found,with the highest incidence rate of 0.016 per ten thousand(16/9 720 832).KSD onset gradually changed from acute and sub-acute to chronic and potential type.The onset age were gradually from 4-10 vealp8 0ld to 13-25 years old and 20-year-old and above.The disease was sporadically seen around the whole year instead of peaking in March and April.Conclusions The incidence of KSD has experienced the high,the low and controlled stages for the past 48 years in Shandong Province,which has decreased gradually after a m40r prevalence. The onset characteristics evolves with incidence changes.

Objective To explore therapeutic effect and side effect of oral indomethacin for treating patent ductus arteriosus(PDA)in full-term infants.Methods Forty-one full-term infants confirmed PDA by echocardiographically,who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of our hospital from Jan.2004 to Dec.2007,were randomly divided into experimental group(21 cases)and control group(20 cases).Three oral doses of indomethacin [0.2 mg/(kg?time),at an interval of 12 hours] were administered in experimental group,while nothing in control group.Hepatorenal function and blood routine were measured in both groups in 2 days before and after treatment.Urine output and level of serum blood sugar were measured,and abdominal distension,vomiting,bloating,and bleeding were recorded during treatment.Color Doppler echocardiographic examination was performed,heart murmur was stethoscopied,and the rate of ductal closure was recorded at 5 to 7 days after treatment.The infants were followed up at out-patient department at 6 to 12 months after treatment,color Doppler echocardiographic examination was performed,and ductal closure condition was recorded.Results Hepatorenal function and blood routine were normal in experimental group in 2 days before and after treatment.Except that a little gastrointestinal bleeding occurred in one case of experimental group after the second dose of indomethacin,other adverse reactions were not observed during treatment.The ductus was closed in 16 infants in experimental group,the rate of ductal closure was 76.19%,while the ductus was closed naturally in 5 infants in control group,the rate of ductal closure was 25.0% at 5 to 7 days after treatment.There was significant difference in the rate of ductal closure between the experimental and control groups(?2=10.74 P

Objective To explore the higher dangerous factors,the early clinical performances and its contents of neonatal pulmonary hemorrhage(NPH).Methods The clinical performances,chest radiograms and autoptical pathological materials of 66 cases of newborns who died of NPH at our neonatal department during 1993 to 2003 were reviewed and analyzed.Results The higher dangerous factors of NPH were premature delivery/low birth weight,serious diseases lead to hypoxia and severe infections.The early clinical performances of NPH were the suddenly aggravation of dyspnea and the increasing of moist sounds.The early X-ray performances were lower penetrance of lung fields extensively and well-distributly with path clouds,the intercostals space usually increased.According to the autoptical(patho)-logy,this X-ray perfomance indicated the edema of the pulmonary with small amount of hemorrhage.Conclusion The patients with the higher dangerous factors and the early clinical performances of NPH,must be diagnosed and interfered it as early as possible to reduce the mortality of NPH.

Objectives Understanding the characteristic changes of Keshan disease (KD) in different epidemic period to provide reference basis for prevention and teatment. Methods On the basis of medical record as fundamental element, the relative conditions of Keshan disease's prevailing and spreading period were compared. Results In high incidence years, familial aggregation [accounted for 12%(6/50)] and seasonal aggregation were found, and KD cases occurred mainly from May to September, which was 78% (39/50)of the total cases in the whole year. Circulatory dysfunction(gallop rhythm, pulmonary role, jugular venous engorgement, cyanosis of lips) was more severe in high incidence years than that in low incidence years(X2=8.53,P<0.01). The average age of incidence was (4.07±1.46) years old in high incidence years and (6.11±2.71) years old in low incidence years. The type constitution in high incidence years was significantly different from that in low incidence years (X2=40.68, P<0.01), and chronic type of KD accounted for 22.85%(707/3094),46.09%(53/115), respectively, in high and low incidence years. Conclusions Making a further research of seizure of disease, and improving diagnosis and cure management level are also the important content for prevention and cure research work of Keshan disease at right time.

Objective To discuss the diagnostic value of MRI for portal vein(PV)and superior mesenteric venous(SMV)thrombosis.Methods Twelve patients with portal vein and superior mesenterie venous thrombosis proved by operation and pathology were examined with T_1WI,T_2WI,T_2-weighted fat suppression imaging,MR angiography(MRA)and Gd-DTPA enhanced dynamic MRI.Results Signals in PV and SMV were detected on T_1 WI and T2WI in 12 cases;3 acute thrombus presented hypo-or isointense on T_1 WI and hyperintense on T_2 WI.ttyperintense on T_1 WI and T_2WI were showed in 8 subacute thrombus; 1 chronic thrombus presented heterogenous intense on T_1W1 and hypointense on T_2W1.No enhancement within PV and SMV was found on Gd-DTPA enhanced images.Bowel dilatation was found in 10 cases,bowel hemorrhage in 6,bowel wall thickening in 12,intestinal pneumatosis in 3,ascites in 12,cavernous transformation of the portal vein in 3,hepatic perfusion disorder in 6.Conclusion MRI is an important and sensitive imaging method for the diagnosis and location of portal vein and superior mesenteric venous thrombosis with intestinal ischemia.

Objective To evaluate the association between interleukin-I(IL-1)loci polymorphisms and increased risk of gastric carcinoma in samples from northern Chinese population.Methods Blood sam- ples from 126 patients with gastric cancer and 125 controls with chronic gastritis were collected.Genomic DNA was extracted and polymorphisms at -31(C to T),-511(C to T)and at intron 2(86-bp VNTR)of IL-I RN were genotyped by PCR-CTPP,PCR-RFLP and PCR.For detection of Hp infection fast urenase test,~(14)C breath test and serum anti-Hp IgG antibody assay were used.Results Five kinds of polymorphism of IL-IRN were found as 1/1,1/3,1/4,1/2 and 2/2,and the frequencies in patients were 76.19%、4.76%、6.35%、11.90% and 0.79%,respectively.However,the frequencies in controls were 76.00%、4.00%、4.80%、13.60% and 1.60%.No significant differences were observed between cases and controls in each genotype.The polymorphism of IL-IB-31 allele was C/C,C/T and T/T.The frequencies in patients were 12.70% ,47.62% and 39.68%,and in controls 28.00%,48.80% and 23.20% respectively.IL-1B- 31 T/T carriers were at an increase risk of gastric cancer with an odds ratio of 3.772(95% CI,1.786- 7.966).IL-IB-511 alleles were C/C,C/T and T/T.The frequencies in patients were 19.20%,56.80% and 24.00% and in controls,23.38%,49.19% and 27.42% respectively.No significant differences were observed between cases and controls in each genotype.Conclusion In Chinese population,the polymor- phism of IL-1B-31 alleles may be associated with the susceptibility of gastric cancer.However,no evidence was found to support that the polymorphisms of IL-1RN and IL-I B-511 alleles had relationship with gastric cancer.

Objective To construct transgenic mice tissue-specifically co-expressing human DAF/CD59 in the vascular endothelia and to investigate the ability to protect against human comple- ment-mediated attack.Methods Transgenic mice were generated by co-microinjection of hDAF/CD59 expression constructs driven by the human intercellular adhesion molecule-2(ICAM-2)promoter.PCR and Southern blot of genomic DNA were used to assess the presence of hDAF/CD59 in the genome of the founders,and the expression at protein level was measured by flow cytometry.Immunohistochemis- try was used to detect the distribution of hDAF/CD59.An ex vivo perfusion model was used to com- pare hearts from these hDAF/CD59 transgenic mice with hDAF hearts.Results After microinjection of genes,11 of 135 mice born were shown to be double-transgenic,and human DAF/CD59 were ex- pressed on the surface of leucocytes in 6 of the 11 DAF/CD59-integrated mice.Expression levels of 6 founders ranged from 80% to 95% of that in human leucocytes.Human DAF/CD59 were strongly expressed in the vascular endothelia of heart,kidney,with little or no positive staining observed in non- endothelial cells.Compared to hDAF hearts that maintained approximately 20% maximum work during perfusion with 20% human plasma,these endothelial-specific hDAF/CD59 hearts were further protected with work maintained at 40% of the maximum level during 60 min.Conclusion The intro- duced hDAF/CD59 genes have been integrated and specifically expressed in the vascular endothelia. The endothelial co-expression of hDAF/CD59 can provide greater protection against human complement-mediated attack than the expression of hDAF alone.

Objective To observe the effects of fosinopril(FOS),a new generation angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor(ACEI),on protein and mRNA expression of transforming growth factor-?_1(TGF-?_1) of rat glomerular mesangial cell(GMC) induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS);to demonstrate the preventive mechanism against glomerular sclerosis by applying FOS.Methods The cultured GMC in classic way were divided into 3 groups:control group;LPS group;LPS+FOS group.TGF-?_1 concentration in GMC supernatant fluid was detected by ELISA;TGF-?_1 mRNA expression was determined by semiquantitative real-time RT-PCR.Results LPS group was obviously higher than control groups in TGF-?_1 secretion and mRNA expression,while LPS+FOS group decreased distinctively in TGF-?_1 secretion and mRNA expression compared with LPS group.Conclusions FOS has obviously inhibited on TGF-?_1 expression of rat GMC both at protein level and mRNA level,which reveals that it may be an important mechanism by FOS on restraining the development of glomerulosclerosis.

Objective To explore the association between ratio index of gamma glutamyl transpeptidase/platelet (GPRI) and the prognosis of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) before liver resection. Methods A total of 368 patients underwent liver resection for HBV-related HCC were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Patients were divided into high GPRI group (n=184, GPRI≥0.38) and low GPRI group (n=184, GPRI<0.38). Clinicopathologic characteristics including overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between the two groups. Independent risk factors influencing DFS and OS were determined by Cox multivariate analysis. Results Compared to low GPRI group, there were higher levels of serum total bilirubin and alanine aminotransferase, higher proportions of tumor diameter larger than 10 cm, amount of tumou more than 3, and patients with macrovascular invasion and intermediate or advanced HCC in high GPRI group (all P<0.05). Values of DFS at 1, 3, and 5 years were significantly lower in high GPRI group (50.8%, 16.9%and 5.7%) than those in low GPRI group (69.0%, 33.3%, 10.7%;P=0.001). Values of OS at 1, 3, and 5 years were also significantly lower in high GPRI group (75.0%, 51.8%and 36.0%) than those in low GPRI group (89.8%, 72.8%and 63.2%;P<0.05). Cox multivariate analysis also demonstrated that GPRI ≥0.38 was an independent risk factor for DFS and OS in patients with HBV-related HCC after liver resection. Conclusion Preoperative GPRI can predict tumor recurrence and long-term survival in patients with HBV-related HCC after liver resection.

·Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP) are common outer retinal degenerative problems, which are also the predominant causes of most blinding retinal diseases. Retinal prosthesis is a promising solution for such photoreceptor degeneration diseases.Most of current concepts for a retinal prosthesis are based on neuronal electrical stimulation. In the past twenty years, retinal prosthesis has been developed in two different directions: epiretinal prosthesis and subretinal prosthesis. Each prosthesis technique has its advantages and disadvantages. For epiretinal prosthesis, it is easier to be implanted and has the advantage of keeping most of the electronics in the vitreous cavity, off the retinal surface, which greatly helps in dissipating the heat generated by the implant device. In this paper, a brief overview of retinal prostheses concepts is introduced. After that, several important aspects of epiretinal electrical stimulation will be discussed. Moreover, some practical epiretinal prosthesis devices developed by researchers in United States, Germany and Japan in the past have been reviewed. We hope that the devices will be used widely in the near future.