Objective Tetralogy of Fallo( TOF) is one of cyanotic congenital heart disease, which is difficultly diagonosed because of its complicated texture.The aim of this study was to evaluate the manifestation and value of echocardiography in diagnosis of TOF. Methods The fetal sonograms of 99 fetuses with prenatal diagnosis of TOF in 5791 gravida were reviewed and analyzed from January 2010 to December 2012. Results Ninty nine fetuses with TOF were all diagnosed accurately by prenatal ultrasonography, including 11 cases with pulmonary atresia, 2 cases with complete atrio-ventricular septal defect and 4 cases with permanent left superior vena cava.The key echocardiographic features of TOF were ventricular septal defect, overriding aorta and pulmonary stenosis.TOF was accurately diagnosed by prenatal echoeardiography combined with visualization of TOF in four chamber view, outflow tract view and three vessels view.Sixty eight fetuses were confirmed to be TOF by autopsy or operation after birth, 12 cases refused to autopsy and 19 cases lost of follow up in the total 99 cases.None of TOF was reported to us in other 5692 gravidas. Conclusion The echocardio-graphy has important clinic value in diagnosis of fetal TOF with high sensitivity and specificity.

A general review is here presented on the development, composition, existing problems and prospects of telerobotic laparoscopic surgery systems, based on the related literatures and informations in recent years.
Laparoscopy ; methods ; Robotics ; methods

Cellular fibronectin (cFn) is a type of bioactive non-collagen glycoprotein regarded as the main substance used to maintain periodontal attachment. The content of cFn in some specific sites can reflect the progress of periodontitis or peri-implantitis. This study aims to evaluate the expression of cFn messenger RNA (mRNA) in tissues of adult periodontitis and peri-implantitis by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and to determine its clinical significance. A total of 30 patients were divided into three groups of 10: healthy, adult periodontitis and peri-implantitis. Periodontal tissue biopsies (1 mm×1 mm×1 mm) from each patient were frozen in liquid nitrogen. Total RNA was extracted from these tissues, and the content, purity and integrity were detected. Specific primers were designed according to the sequence, and the mRNA expression levels of cellular fibronectin were detected by real-time PCR. The purity and integrity of the extracted total RNA were both high, and the specificity of amplified genes was very high with no other pollution. The mRNA expression of cFn in the adult periodontitis group (1.526±0.441) was lower than that in the healthy group (3.253±0.736). However, the mRNA expression of cFn in the peri-implantitis group (3.965±0.537) was significantly higher than that in the healthy group. The difference revealed that although both processes were destructive inflammatory reactions in the periodontium, the pathomechanisms were different and the variation started from the transcription level of the cFn gene.
Adult ; Alveolar Bone Loss ; metabolism ; Female ; Fibronectins ; analysis ; genetics ; Gingiva ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peri-Implantitis ; metabolism ; Periodontal Attachment Loss ; metabolism ; Periodontal Index ; Periodontal Pocket ; metabolism ; Periodontitis ; metabolism ; Periodontium ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transcription, Genetic ; genetics ; Young Adult

AIMTo establish the fundamentals for the design of scutellarin prodrug and formulation with feasible physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties by esterifying scutellarin, an active component with poor absorption extracted from Erigeron breviscapus of Chinese medicine.

METHODSWith the method of salifying followed by esterifying, ethyl and benzyl ester of scutellarin were synthesized. Glycolamide ester of scutellarin was also synthesized with an improved method. Their structures were confirmed by MS and 1H NMR. The solubility and partition coefficient of the prodrugs were determined and their degradations were investigated in various buffers and in human plasma. The emulsion and cyclodextrin complex of glycolamide ester were prepared and the protection of the ester from degradation was compared in the intestinal tract contents. Furthermore, the degradation of glycolamide ester in the homogenates of various intestinal segments was studied. Results Three prodrugs were synthesized successfully and their structures were confirmed. Glycolamide ester of scutellarin showed better stability in the aqueous solution (t(1/2) approximately =16 d, pH 4.2) and the shortest half-life in the human serum (t(1/2) approximately =7 min). Compared with scutellarin, the solubility of glycolamide ester was increased about ten times in pH 4.0 buffer, and about thirty five times in water. Partition coefficient of the glycolamide ester increased significantly from -2.56 to 1.48. However, the ester degradation in the homogenates of intestinal mucus would be an obstacle for its absorption. The degradation rates were in the order duodenum > ileum > or = jejunum > colon. The emulsion showed a better protection of glycolamide ester from the degradation than cyclodextrin complex.

CONCLUSIONGlycolamide ester of scutellarin shows better physicochemical properties than ethyl and benzyl eater of scutellarin, but its stability in intestinal tract needs to be improved. The emulsion or / and colon-targeted delivery may be selected as one of strategies to decrease the presystemic degradation.

Animals ; Apigenin ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Emulsions ; Erigeron ; chemistry ; Esters ; Flavones ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Glucuronates ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Glucuronides ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Humans ; Intestinal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Intestines ; metabolism ; Male ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Prodrugs ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo study the correlation between prognosis and cell proliferation, apoptosis in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of tongue.

METHODSUsing TdT-mediated dUTP biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) for cell apoptosis and immunohistochemical staining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Bcl-2 and Bax protein expression.

RESULTSIn SCC of tongue, the positive rates of apoptosis index (AI), Bcl-2, Bax and PCNA were 55.8%, 65.4%, 73.1% and 100.0% respectively. In the univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis, low expression of Bax, high expression of PCNA, Bcl-2/Bax expression ratio > 1 and high staging were all associated with lower survival rate (Log-rank test, P < 0.05, respectively), AI was only correlated with grading. Bcl-2 did not show a significant association with all features.

CONCLUSIONSThe levels of Bax and PCNA expression and Bcl-2/Bax expression ratio have independent prognosis value in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Comprehensive analysis of these parameters can be helpful to identify biological behavior and predict more accurately the prognosis of patients of tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Adult ; Aged ; Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; mortality ; pathology ; Cell Division ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; analysis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; analysis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; analysis ; Survival Analysis ; Survival Rate ; Tongue Neoplasms ; metabolism ; mortality ; pathology ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Xinfeng Capsule (XFC) on ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients' symptoms and signs, serum immunoglobulin levels, peripheral blood lymphocyte autophagy protein, autophagy gene, and to explore its mechanism.

METHODSTotally 59 AS patients were assigned to the treatment group (39 cases) and the control group (20 cases) according to random digit table. Patients in the treatment group received XFC, 0.5 g each pill, three pills each time, 3 times per day, while those in the control group received sulfasalazine (SASP), 0.25 g per tablet, 4 tablets each time, twice per day. Three months consisted of one therapeutic course. Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) were statistically calculated. Serum immunoglobulins (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, IgA , SIgA, and IgM) were detected using ELISA. Changes of Beclin1, LC3-II, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) were detected using Western blot. Serum autophagy related genes such as Atg1, Atg5, Atg12, Atg13, and Atg17 were detected using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The correlation between immunoglobulin subtypes and autophagy gene in AS patients using Spearman correlation.

RESULTSCompared with before treatment, BASDAI, IgG1, lgG3, and IgA decreased (P < 0.01); PI3K, Akt, and mTOR protein expressions decreased (P < 0.01); ATG1, ATG12, ATG13, and ATG17 mRNA expressions decreased, ATG5 mRNA expression increased (P < 0.01) in the treatment group. But BASDAI, IgG1, and IgA levels decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); PI3K, Akt, and mTOR protein expressions decreased (P < 0.05); ATG1 and ATG13 mRNA expressions decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in the control group. Compared with the control group, BASDAI, IgG1, and IgA levels decreased (P < 0.05); PI3K, Akt, mTOR protein expressions decreased (P < 0.01); ATG12 and ATG17 mRNA expression decreased, ATG5 mRNA expression increased (P < 0.01) in the XFC group. Correlation analysis showed AS patients' IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgA, SIgA, IgM had negative correlation with ATG17; IgG4 and ATG17 were positively correlated (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONXFC could elevate clinical efficacy of AS patients and enhance their autophagy, which might be achieved by acting on PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal, affecting autophagy gene and autophagy protein expression, taking part in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation of lymphocyte B, and strengthen humoral immunity.

Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; metabolism ; Autophagy ; drug effects ; Beclin-1 ; Capsules ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; blood ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; metabolism ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; drug therapy ; Sulfasalazine ; therapeutic use ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of minimally invasive acupotomy-injection technique with targeted three-point in the treatment of frozen shoulder. METHODS: From March 2017 to November 2018, a total of 140 patients with frozen shoulder were randomly divided into observation group and control group. The observation group was made up of 70 patients, including 30 males and 40 females; the mean age was (59.2±11.5) years old; the mean duration of disease was (6.76±4.14) months; the observed patients were treated with acupotomy-injection technique with targeted three-point. There were also 70 patients in the control group, made up of 29 males and 41 females; the mean age was (58.9±11.8) years old; the mean duration of disease was (6.65±3.98) months; the control group was treated with the small needle knife therapy. Before treatment and one month after the treatment, the pain levels of both groups were assessed using the short-form McGill pain questionnaire, and the shoulder function was evaluated using the Constant-Murley Shoulder Outcome Scoring. The clinical efficacy of between groups was compared after treatment, and finally, the improvement rate of pain degree was used to evaluate the therapeutic effect of the patients. RESULTS: The PRI, VAS, PPI and total pain scores of frozen shoulder patients in both groups decreased significantly one month after the treatment compared with those before treatment (<0.01). Compared with the control group, the observation group exhibited a more significant decrease in pain scores (<0.01). Furthermore, the shoulder pain, muscle strength, ADL, ROM and total function scores of frozen shoulder patients in the two groups were significantly improved one month after the treatment compared with those before treatment(<0.01). The inter-group comparison indicated that the pain, ADL, ROM and total function scores were improved obviously in the observation group when compared to those in the control group(<0.01), but no remarkable difference was found between muscle strength score and the control group(>0.05). In addition, the markedly effective rate of pain improvement was 70.0% and 45.7% in the observation group and the control group, respectively, meanwhile, the corresponding total effective rate was 97.1% and 84.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The application of acupotomy-injection technique with targeted three-point in the treatment of frozen shoulder shows definite efficacy, easy operation, little pain and high safety. Therefore, it is an ideal method for minimally invasive treatment.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Bursitis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Joint ; Shoulder Pain ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVEThe aim of the present study was to investigate the difference of intolerance to food between southern and northern middle-aged Chinese, and furthermore analyze its association with eating habits in both study population.

METHODSELISA was applied to determine the serum concentrations of specific IgG of 14 food anaphylactogen in 1568 healthy subjects from totally 9 districts in both southern and northern China. Life style questionnaire was also applied to investigate the daily intake of six categorizes of food associated with food intolerance.

RESULTS45.8% of all subjects were found to be intolerant to certain food. 62.3% of subjects from southern China and 40.4% of subjects from northern China were found to be intolerant to certain food, the difference between southern and northern Chinese was statistically significant. Top three foods intolerant by southern Chinese were crab, egg, and cold fish, while top three food intolerant by northern Chinese were egg, crab, and milk. The differences of intolerance to crab, cold fish, soy bean, rice, and tomato between southern and northern Chinese were statistically significant. Investigation on eating habits revealed that cereals and fish were the major food consumed by subjects in our study. There was no certain association between food intolerance and eating habits.

CONCLUSIONConsidering that there are differences between southern and northern Chinese, southern and northern Chinese should pay attention to their daily food in order to avoid food allergy.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Food Hypersensitivity ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Metabolic Diseases ; epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVEThis study aimed at understanding clinical features, biochemistry and gene mutation in one Chinese pedigree which had a neonatal-onset ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD) boy, and exploring the significance of ornithine transcarbamylase analysis in prenatal diagnosis.

METHODThe clinical and biochemical data of one case were analyzed. The amino acids in blood and organic acids in urine were analyzed by mass spectrum technology. The OTC gene mutation was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA direct sequencing for the case, his parents and the fetus amniocyte and her blood after birth.

RESULTThe age of onset was 3 days after birth, he began to have poor reaction, difficulty to feed, high blood ammonia, infection, slight metabolic acidosis, which were consistent with the clinical diagnosis of urea cycle disorders. The boy died at the age of 9 days. Citrulline of blood was detected twice, and were 0.86 µm and 1.06 µm, respectively. The orotic acid was elevated (124 µm/M Creatinine), and urine lactic acid was significantly elevated. The citrulline and orotic acid in his parents and their second baby were normal in DBS and urine. One nonsense mutation in the OTC gene was found at the exon 9 (C. 958 C > T) and his mother was the heterozygote, which caused an arginine to terminate the code at position 320 of the protein (R320X). Two other mutations were also detected at intron 9 (C.1005 + 132 InsT) and intron 5 (C.542 + 134 G > G/A). But the analysis of his father's DNA, the fetus amniocyte and her blood was normal.

CONCLUSIONThe mutation of C. 958 C > T in OTC gene may occur during neonatal period. This mutation would result in a very severe symptom, even die suddenly several days after birth, if it was a boy. It needs more researches to discuss whether the C.1005 + 132 InsT in intron 9 and C.542 + 134 G > G/A in intron 5 were associated with the neonatal-onset OTCD. The DNA analysis of OTC gene could be utilized for the prenatal diagnosis.

Citrulline ; analysis ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Exons ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Ornithine Carbamoyltransferase ; genetics ; Ornithine Carbamoyltransferase Deficiency Disease ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Orotic Acid ; analysis ; Pedigree

This study was purposed to analyse the immunophenotypic characteristics of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute monocytic leukemia (AML-M5b) by using multiparameter flow cytometry, and to explore its significance in diagnosis and differential diagnosis. The immunophenotypic characteristics of bone marrow samples from 14 CMML patients, 48 MDS patients, 46 AML-M5b patients and 18 normal persons were analyzed and compared by multiparametric flow cytometry. The results showed that the ratio of monocytes in CMML patients was obviously higher than that in MDS, AML-M5b patients and normal persons (P < 0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference between bone marrow samples of MDS and AML-M5b patients as well as normal persons. The ratio of blast cells in MDS patients was obviously higher than that in normal persons (P < 0.05), but did not show significant difference as compared with CMML patients. The ratio of mature granulocytes in AML-M5b patients was obviously lower than that in CMML and MDS patients as well as normal person bone marrow (P < 0.05). Certain differences of CD45/SSC characteristics in MDS, AML-M5b and CMML patients were found in comparison with normal persons. The abnormal expression of CD2, CD56, and CD14 tailing phenomenon were observed in CMML patients in comparison with bone marrow samples of MDS, AML-M5b and normal persons (P < 0.05). Lack and decrease of CD15 expression in MDS and CMML patients was significant different from AML-M5b and normal persons marrow, abnormal expression rate of CD15 in CMML patients was higher than that in MDS patients (P < 0.05), the CD13/CD11b/CD16 abnormal expression of granulocytes was seen in both CMML and MDS patients, but there was no statistically significant difference between them. Other antigens showed abnormality of varying degrees, but did not have any statistical significance. It is concluded that MDS, CMML and AML-M5b displayed a certain degree of similarity, and also possess their own immunophenotype characteristics. Comprehensive analysis of immunophenotype by multiparameter flow cytometry may be important for differential diagnosis among CMML, MDS and AML-M5b. High percentage of monocytes, abnormal coexpression of CD2, CD56 and CD14 tailing phenomenon, lack or decrease of CD15 as well as abnormal expression of CD13/CD11b/CD16 in granulocytes may play important roles in diagnosis of CMML.
Case-Control Studies ; Flow Cytometry ; methods ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; methods ; Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; diagnosis ; immunology