Objective To evaluate the CT findings of lymphofollicular thymic hyperplasia in adult myasthenia gravis (MG).Methods The CT findings of thymus area of 134 adult patients with lymphofolficular thymic hyperplasia in MG were reviewed,all of them with surgically and histologically proven diagnosis,and compared with the CT findings of 165 normal subjects.Results In the group of patient,CT showed enlargement of thymus in 31 patients,5 patients had nodule or mass(＜3 cm);thus 36 cases(26.9%)can confirmed diagnose by CT with thymic hyperplasia.CT showed 2 masses(＞3 em) and 9 patients(6.7%)had normal size thymus with soft-tissue density,it can considered with thymic hyperplasia.The spotty or streak shadow showed in other patients,though it could not be certain diagnosed as thymic hyperplasia,but could not be except it.The thymus area tissue complete replacement by fatty density were not found in patient group.The CT findings of patients had marked difference when compared with group of normal subjects(P＜0.01),except the spotty or streak shadows.Conclusion CT scan is an important method in diagnosing thymic lymphofollicular hyperplasia of MG in adult.

Objective To study the relationship between the clinical manifestations and changes of pituitary magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) in short stature children with growth hormone deficiency(GHD).Methods The pituitary MRI finding in 38 cases of short stature children diagnosed as GHD(males 23,females 15;5-14 years old,10 children were in pubertas and Tanner Ⅱ-Ⅲ) were analyzed,and the pituitary morphology,size,signal and pituitary stalk's shape and location were observed.SPSS 12.0 soffware was used to analyze the data.Results The forms of pituitery were plaque in 20 children(53%),cupped in 17 children(45%),and carinate in 1 children.In the 22 cases of completely GHD,18 cases had different levels of anterior pituitary dysplasia,abnormal pituitary stalk and/or pituitary signal changes,5 cases without posterior lobe disappeared high signal and 4 cases with pituitary stalk interruption syndrome;the other 4 cases had completely normal pituitary.In the 16 cases of partially GHD,7 cases had varying degrees of pituitary size and/or abnormal pituitary stalk,8 cases had completely normal pituitary,and 1 case had pituitary adenoma.Conclusion Pituitary MRI could assist diagnosis and evaluate pituitary function in short stature children.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the factors affecting clinical therapeutic effect on acute tetramine poisoning.

METHODSUsing Logistic regression to analyze the relationships among the degree of tetramine poisoning, time of onset, time of admission, exposure history, sex, age, unithol, gastric lavage, etc with the death of poisonded patients.

RESULTSThe fatality rate of patient with tetramine poisoning who got gastric lavage was less than that who did not (5.85% vs 38.00%, P < 0.01). In patients who got gastric lavage, the fatality rates were increased with the degree of tetramine poisoning (control: 0%, mild poisoning: 3.07%, severe poisoning: 9.14%, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in fatality between using unithol and not using patients (7.22% vs 8.25%, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONUnithol has no significant influence of clinical therapeutic effect on tetramine poisoning patients and dose not reduce the fatality rate of patient with tetramine poisoning, but gastric lavage and the degree of tetramine poisoning do. Logistic regression analysis showed that gastric lavage is the main factor affecting the therapeutic effect on tetramine poisoning.

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Antidotes ; therapeutic use ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; poisoning ; Child ; Female ; Gastric Lavage ; methods ; Humans ; Insecticides ; poisoning ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Poisoning ; mortality ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Unithiol ; therapeutic use

Clinical data of 113 patients with non-alcoholic fat liver disease (NAFLD) diagnosed by liver biopsy from January 2015 to January 2017 in Taizhou People's Hospital were retrospectively reviewed . Patients all underwent transient elastographic ( TE) examination and the values of fat attenuation index (FAI) were obtained.The hepatocyt fatty changes in pathological examination were scored as 0 (＜5%, n＝40), 1 (5%-33%,n ＝27), 2 (34% -66%,n ＝28) and 3 (＞66%, n ＝18).There were significant differences in AST , Glu, TC and FAI among patients with hepatocyte fatty change scores 0, 1, 2 and 3, and the FAI was significantly correlated with the degree of fatty liver disease .The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) of FAI in patients with hepatocyte fatty change scores 1, 2 and 3 were 0.78, 0.90 and 0.96, respectively.Logistic regression analysis showed that FAI was correlated with TG , TC and BMI.The results suggest that FAI in TE can be a non-invasive, rapid and objective evaluation method for patients with NAFLD.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effect and safety of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSCs) in the treatment of lung injury caused by acute paraquat poisoning.

METHODSThirteen patients with lung injury caused by acute paraquat poisoning, who were admitted to Guangzhou No. 12 People's Hospital from December 2008 to December 2012, were divided into HUCMSC group (n = 5) and control group (n = 8). All patients received conventional treatment, while the HUCMSC group was treated with HUCMSCs as an addition. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) system, which was created by the Infection Section of European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II were used to acquire the SOFA scores of patients. The lung injury was evaluated with lung injury score (LIS). The two groups were compared with respect to maximum SOFA scores at 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 15 days after paraquat poisoning.

RESULTSThe HUCMSC group showed significantly lower maximum SOFA scores than the control group at 15d after poisoning (1.80 ± 2.05 vs 13.50 ± 7.59, P < 0.05). The LISs of the HUCMSC group after treatment (0.45 ± 0.27) were significantly lower than those of the HUCMSC group before treatment (1.15 ± 0.34) and those of the control group after treatment (2.94 ± 1.20) (P < 0.01). In the HUCMSC group, all patients survived, and they complained no discomfort and showed normal liver, kidney, and lung functions in reexamination; one patient showed incompletely absorbed shadow in the posterior segment of the left lower lobe of the lung during lung CT scan, and no abnormal findings were seen in other patients. In the control group, one patient survived, and others died. No adverse reactions, such as chill and fever, were presented in the HUCMSC group.

CONCLUSIONHUCMSCs show promise for clinical application in the treatment of lung injury caused by acute paraquat poisoning.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Injury ; chemically induced ; therapy ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Paraquat ; poisoning ; Pulmonary Edema ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Umbilical Cord ; cytology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of different concentrations of PPAR gamma agonist rosiglitazone on hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced oxidative stress, cell viability and apoptosis in rat cardiac myocytes.

METHODSCultured rat cardiac myocytes were divided into 5 groups, namely group I (normal group), group II (20 micromo/L ROS group), group III (I/R group), group IV (I/R+20 micromo/L ROS group), and group V (I/R+80 micromo/L ROS group). Group IV and group V were treated with rosiglitazone 12 h before hypoxia/reoxygenation. The changes in cell morphology were observed under optical and transmission electron microscopy, and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content were determined after the treatment. MTT assay was performed to assess the cell viability and flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell apoptosis.

RESULTSHypoxia/reoxygenation resulted in significantly increased MDA and LDH contents and apoptosis of the cardiac myocytes (P<0.05), but lowered SOD activity and the cell viability (P<0.05). The MDA and LDH contents and apoptotic rate were significantly lower but SOD content and cell vitality significantly higher in groups IV and V than in group III (P<0.05). Group V showed significantly lower MDA and LDH contents and apoptotic rate but higher but SOD content and cell vitality than group IV (P<0.05). Electron microscopy revealed obvious apoptotic changes in group III, and only mild changes were found in group V.

CONCLUSIONRosiglitazone can significantly reduce hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced oxidative stress in cardiac myocytes, improve the cell viability and dose-dependently reduce the apoptotic rate of the cardiac myocytes.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Immunohistochemistry ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; ultrastructure ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Oxygen ; metabolism ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology

BACKGROUNDThere has been an increase in the incidence of breast cancer in China, but no definite risk and protective factors for breast cancer have been identified in Chinese females. This study was designed to identify the risk factors for female breast cancer in North and East China.

METHODSA 1:3 matched, case-control study was conducted. All of the subjects in the case and control groups were selected from a previous epidemiological survey of 122 058 females aged 25 to 70 years. Single and multiple Logistic regression analyses were used to study potential factors in the development of breast cancer.

RESULTSSignificant differences at the level of α=0.20 between case and control groups were observed for the following factors: economic status, social status, family annual income, bean product consumption, body mass index (BMI), family history of breast cancer in the first or second degree, number of miscarriages, menstrual pattern, benign breast disease history, nipple leakage, inverted nipple, history of diabetes mellitus, history of hypertension, history of ovarian cyst, physical exercise, current and global quality of life satisfaction, healthy behavior and prevention, and scores of breast cancer-related knowledge. After Cox-regression model analysis (α=0.10), six factors were found to be significantly related to breast cancer, of which the ORs and 95%CIs were: BMI, 1.696 (1.169-2.460, P=0.005); benign breast disease history, 2.672 (0.848-8.416, P=0.093); family history of breast cancer, 7.080 (1.758-28.551, P=0.006); number of miscarriages, 1.738 (1.014-2.978, P=0.044); global quality of life satisfaction, 3.044 (1.804-5.136, P=0.000); healthy behavior and prevention, 3.294 (1.692-6.412, P=0.000).

CONCLUSIONSA comprehensive range of factors related to breast cancer was identified. Women should be educated about a healthy lifestyle, especially those with a family history of breast cancer or a personal history of benign breast disease.

Adult ; Aged ; Breast Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the toxicity of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and nicotine on mouse brain mitochondria as well as the protective effect of vitamin C in vitro.

METHODMouse brain mitochondria in vitro was incubated with CSE or nicotine in the absence or presence of vitamin C for 60 minutes, and the changes of mitochondrial function and structure were measured.

RESULTSCSE inhibited mitochondrial ATPase and cytochrome C oxidase activities in a dose-dependent manner. However, no significant changes in the peroxidation indices were observed when mitochondrial respiratory enzymes activity was inhibited, and protection of mitochondria from CSE-induced injury by vitamin C was not displayed in vitro. The effect of CSE on mouse brain mitochondria swelling response to calcium stimulation was dependent on calcium concentrations. CSE inhibited swelling of mitochondria at 6.5 mumol/L Ca2+, but promoted swelling response at 250 mumol/L Ca2+. Nicotine, the major component of cigarette smoke, showed no significant damage in mouse brain mitochondria in vitro. The CSE treatment induced mitochondrial inner membrane damage and vacuolization of the matrix, whereas the outer mitochondrial membrane appeared to be preserved.

CONCLUSIONThe toxic effect of CSE on brain mitochondria may be due to its direct action on enzymatic activity rather than through oxygen free radical injury. Nicotine is not the responsible component for the toxicity of CSE to brain mitochondria.

Adenosine Triphosphatases ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Ascorbic Acid ; pharmacology ; Brain ; pathology ; Electron Transport Complex IV ; pharmacology ; Free Radicals ; Ganglionic Stimulants ; toxicity ; Mice ; Mitochondria ; pathology ; Nicotine ; toxicity ; Smoke ; adverse effects ; Tobacco

AIMTo investigate the molecular mechanism of protective effect of acidic oligose 971 on Alzheimer's disease mouse model by using microarray.

METHODSBalb/c mice were randomly divided into control group, beta-AP(25-35) i.c.v. injected group and 971-treated group. The learning-memory ability of mice was tested by Morris water maze experiment. Total RNA of the cerebral cortex was extracted from the mice of each group. cDNA microarrays containing 1176 genes were used to investigate the gene expression pattern of each group. Expressions of 5 genes were randomly selected for further confirmation by RT-PCR.

RESULTSIcv injection of beta-AP(25-35) caused significant impairments in spatial and working memory performances of mice in Morris water maze and which were relieved by the treatment of 971. Up- and down- regulated genes were 19 and 12 in beta-AP(25-35)-injected group vs control group, respectively. Up- and down- regulated genes were 13 and 4, respectively, in 971-treated group vs beta-AP(25-35)-injected group. RT-PCR results indicated that 5 genes showed identical results to that of the microarray.

CONCLUSIONThe protective effect of 971 on learning and memory ability of beta-AP(25-35)-treated mouse may be related to the expression changes of genes involved in cell cycle, DNA repair, nerve growth, synaptic plasticity and immune response, etc.

Alzheimer Disease ; chemically induced ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; Animals ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Male ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neuroprotective Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Oligosaccharides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Peptide Fragments ; Phaeophyta ; chemistry ; Random Allocation

Objective To develop a rapid test for the detection of F1 antigen of Yersinia Pestis based on gold-immunochromatography.Methods F1 antibodies were coupled with colloidal gold to prepare collidal gold reagent,which was used to detect F1 antibodies based on double antigen sandwich.The collidal gold reagent was estimated for its sensitivity specificity and stablity in labs and 1798 samples were detected in 17 surveillance spots.Results The reagent was sensitive to 0.0010 g/L F1 antigens.The reagens kept stable when it had been placed at 4℃ or room-temperature for 12 months and did not react to Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia enterolitica.In 17 surveillance labs the reagent was used to test 1798 viscera samples from animal.resulting an accordance rate of 97.11%(1746/1798)to bacterial culture and 96.83%(1741/1798)accordance to reverse indirect hemagglutination assay(RIHA),showing a higher detection rate[9.23%(166/1798)]compared with RIHA[6.79%(122/1798)]and bacterial culture[6.28%(113/1798)].Conclusions The collidal gold reagent,sensitive and specific in diagnosing Yersinia pestis infection of both human and animals,is a rapid method in surveillance spot.