Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), the natural receptor of lipopolysaccharide(LPS), plays an important role in the regulation of acute inflammation, intracellular signal transduction and cell apoptosis. TLR4 over expresses in both acute inflammation and fibrotic tissues, which suggests that TLR4 may be essential in acute inflammation and subsequent fibrosis. Nowadays, some progress has been made in the exploration of TLR4 in pathogenesis and treatment of liver cirrhosis and pulmonary fibrosis. TLR4 may become a new target in the treatment of human fibrotic diseases including liver cirrhosis and pulmonary fibrosis. The research status of TLR4 in human fibrotic diseases and its future development are reviewed in this paper.

Objective To explore the value of ectopic gastic mucosa imaging in diagnosis of Meckel′s diverticulum.Methods Twenty-five cases suspected of gastrointestinal bleeding underwent conventional ectopic gastic mucosa imaging with 99mT_cO_4-.The diagnostic criteria Meckel′s diverticulum was that abnormal radio active accumulation in the abdomen observed.Results Three cases of ectopic gastic mucosa imaging was positive,and the diagnosis was all confirmed by surgery and pathology examination.The rest 22 cases were caused by other reasons confirmed by affirmative examinations.Conclusions Ectopic gastic mucosa imaging is easy to conduct,safe with no injury to the patients.It can be the first choice of examination in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal bleeding in children.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical outcomes of the posterior C1,2 screw-rod combined with C2 unilateral translaminar screw and contralateral pedicle screw fixation and autogenous bicortical iliac crest graft fusion in treating upper cervical instability with vertebral artery variations.

METHODSFrom June 2008 to December 2012, the clinical data of 12 patients with upper cervical instability underwent C1 lateral mass screws-C2 unilateral laminar and contralateral pedicle screws fixation combined with autogenous bicortical iliac crest graft fusion were analyzed retrospectively. There were 8 males and 4 females with a mean age of 47.5 years (ranged, 16 to 77 years). Patients suffered from occipitocervical activity limitation of motion with pain or not, VAS was 0-7 points with an average of (3.50 +/- 2.71) points. Unilateral vertebral artery hypoplasia was demonstrated by vertebral arteriography (VAG) or CTA in all patients. Cervical X-ray and CT scans were done within 7 days after surgery in order to confirm internal fixation position. Internal fixation loosening and breakage, reduction losing, bone fusion ratio were observed during follow-up.

RESULTSNo nerves and vertebral artery injuries occurred during operation. Cervical pain obviously decreased and VAS was (0.92 +/- 0.90) points. Cervical alignment of 12 patients had well-recovered by X-ray while Atlantoaxial ventral lamina cortex of 1 case was encroached by CT scan without neurological symptom. All patients were followed up for 6 months to 3 years, no internal fixation loosening and breakage, reduction losing were found. All patients obtained bone fusion in 6-12 months after operation.

CONCLUSIONPosterior C1 lateral mass screws-C2 unilateral laminar and contralateral pedicle screws fixation combined with autogenous bicortical iliac crest graft fusion can achieve biomechanical stability and raise the successful rate of bone fusion, while avoiding the risk of vertebral artery injury and overcoming the insufficient of bone fusion during bilateral laminar screws placement as well. Posterior C1 lateral mass screws fixation is a safe and effective additional method in treating upper cervical instability with vertebral artery variations.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bone Screws ; Cervical Vertebrae ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Internal Fixators ; Joint Instability ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vertebral Artery ; pathology

Objective To explore the CT findings of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the tracheobronchial tree and improve the diagnostic accuracy. Methods The CT images, histopathological and clinical data in 24 patients with pathologically proved MEC of the tracheobroncbial tree were retrospectively analyzed. Results The clinical symptoms included cough, sputum, fever, wheezing, chest pain and hemoptysis. The patient was proved to be low-grade (n=19) and high-grade (n=5) MEC histopathologically. One lesion was located in trachea, 6 in main bronchus, 12 in lobar bronchus and 5 in segmental, subsegmental and distal bronchus. The tumor presented as no-invasive endotracheobronchial well-defined round-like nodule (n=13, locating in lobar and higher bronchus) and columnar sharp (n=3, locating in main bronchus), or intra-and-extraluminal well-defined round-like nodule or mass (n=6, locating in lobar and lower bronchus) and irregular mass with invasive pattern (n=2, high-grade type). The density of lesion was similar to the muscule and the calcification within lesion was showed in 4 patients on non-enhanced CT. The lesion had marked enhancement in 17 patients on enhanced CT. Obstructive changes were found in 20 patients. Conclusion MEC of the tracheobronchial tree is usually low-grade malignancy and locates in main and lobar bronchus with no-invasive well-defined airway mass, marked enhancement and calcification on CT.

Objective To investigate the angiographic manifestation of the proper esophageal artery (PEA),the hish risk factom for the presence of the anomalous PEA in hemoptysis and to evaluate the safety of transcatheter aaefial embolization(TAE) of the PEA using gelatin sponge(GS).Methods Selective esophageal arteriography WSS performed in forty-three patients with hemoptysis,including 15 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis,18 cases of bmnchiectasis,7 cases of posttuberculous bronchiectasis and three cases of lung cancer. One case experienced failure of bronchial arterial embolization. The angiographic manifestation of the PEAs Was studied.The complications of the procedure and clinical results were observed in the patients who underwent TAE using GS.Results Thirty-nine PEAs were catheterized selectively in 37 patients(86.0%).Eighteen anomalous PEAs(46.2%)were catheterized selectively in 17 patients (45.9%).The anomalous PEAs showed tortuosity,dilatation,hyperplasia,shunting with pulmonary artery and anastomosis with the bronchial artery.All lesions involved basal segment of inferior pulmonary lobar. Bronchiectasis Was the most frequent disease for PEA abnormality. No complications occurred and satisfactory curative effect Was achieved with TAE of the anomalous PEAs.Conclusions It is necessary to perform selective proper esophageal arteriography when the lesion involves basal segment of inferior pulmonary lobar in hemoptysis.Supplemental TAE of the anomalous PEA using GS is safe and valuable in the management of hemoptysis.

The stability of pharmaceutical preparations prepared Chinese medicine liposomes by liposome novel technology combined with traditional Chinese herbs is the main contents of quality study, not only affects preparations molding, but also relates to the efficiency and safety of traditional Chinese medicine. From the view of main influencing factors of stability about the Chinese medicine liposomes and combining with literatures published in home and abroad in recent years, the article analyzes, arranges and sums up measures of improving the stability of Chinese medicine liposomes, to provide reference for the study on the preparation of Chinese medicine liposomes.
Drug Combinations ; Drug Compounding ; Drug Stability ; Drug Storage ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Liposomes ; chemistry ; Nanoparticles ; Particle Size ; Quality Control ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlation among prevertebral hyperintensity (PVH), sagittal canal diameter on MRI and neurologic function of patients after cervical vertebral hyperextension injury without fracture and dislocation.

METHODSThe clinical data of 100 patients with cervical vertebral hyperextension injury without fracture and dislocation were retrospectively analyzed from September 2010 to December 2013. The patients were divided into PVH group and non-PVH group according to the presence of PVH on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. There were 39 patients in PVH group, including 31 males and 8 females, aged from 21 to 83 years old with an average of (58.10 ± 14.78) years; and the other 69 patients in non-PVH group, including 49 males and 12 females, aged from 32 to 77 years old with an average of (55.05 ± 10.36) years. The sagittal disc level canal diameters of subaxial cervical spine were measured on mid-sagittal magnetic resonance imaging. The age, sex, cause of injury, and the segments of spinal stenosis were recorded. American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale and motor score were used to evaluate the neurological status.

RESULTSThe ASIA motor score of the group with PVH was 52.56 ± 31.97 while the ASIA motor score was 67.70 ± 22.83 in non-PVH group (P = 0.013). More patients with intramedullary hyperintensity signal on MRI were observed in the PVH group than in non-PVH group (P = 0.006). There was a significant positive correlation between ASIA motor score and sagittal disc level canal diameter of injury segment (P = 0.003). The neurological status was worse in patients with multi-level sagittal canal diameters below 8 mm.

CONCLUSIONThe PVH and the disc-level canal sagittal diameter of the injury segment are associated with neurological status. The patients with multi-level sagittal canal stenosis are vulnerable to severe cervical spinal cord injury.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cervical Vertebrae ; injuries ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Canal ; pathology ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; pathology ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVESince HFMD was designated as a class C communicable disease in May 2008, 18 months surveillance data have been accumulated to December 2009. This article was to describe the distribution of HFMD for age, sex, area, and time between 2008 and 2009, to reveal the characteristics of the epidemic.

METHODSWe analyzed weekly reported cases of HFMD from May 2008 to December 2009, and presented data on the distribution of age, sex, area and time. A discrete Poisson model was used to detect spatial-temporal clusters of HFMD.

RESULTSMore than 1 065 000 cases of HFMD were reported in Mainland China from May 2008 to December 2009 (total incidence: 12.47 per 10 000). Male incidence was higher than female for all ages and 91.9% of patients were <5 years old. The incidence was highest in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang and Hainan. The highest peak of HFMD cases was in April and the number of cases remained high from April to August. The spatial-temporal distribution detected four clusters.

CONCLUSIONChildren <5 years old were susceptible to HFMD and we should be aware of their vulnerability. The incidence was higher in urban than rural areas, and an annual pandemic usually starts in April.

Aging ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Cluster Analysis ; Female ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Male ; Sex Characteristics ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo establish a HepG2 cell line stably expressing the human cytochrome P450 1A2 and to study its metabolic activity.

METHODSThe human wild-type CYP1A2 cDNA was subcloned into a mammalian expression vector pREP9. A transgenic cell line was established by transfecting the recombinant plasmid of pREP9-CYP1A2 to HepG2 cells. The expression of CYP1A2 mRNA was validated by RT PCR. The metabolic activation of HepG2 CYP1A2 cells on aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was assayed by cytotoxicity test.

RESULTThe HepG2-CYP1A2 cells expressed CYP1A2 mRNA and could increase the cytotoxicity to AFB1 in comparison with that of wild type HepG2 cells.

CONCLUSIONThe established HepG2-CYP1A2 can express the mRNA and has the metabolic activity to AFB1. The cell line may be useful for testing the toxicity and metabolism of xenobiotics, which might possibly be activated or metabolized by CYP1A2.

Aflatoxin B1 ; metabolism ; Biotransformation ; Cell Line ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; DNA, Complementary ; chemistry ; Humans ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis

Administration, Oral ; Adult ; Atrial Flutter ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Digoxin ; therapeutic use ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Fetal Diseases ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Hydrops Fetalis ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Pregnancy