Objective To evaluate the clinical value of MSCT in the diagnosis of unexplained aseites.Methods 113 patients with unexplained ascites were retrospectively reviewed by CT、clinical data and continous observation.Results Large ascites in 50 cases(44.3%),moderate amount aseites in 10 cases(8.8%),small ascites in 53 cases(46.9%);Parietal peritoneum changed in 51 cases(45.1%);Mesentery changed in 44 cases(38.9%);Grerter omentum changed in 20 eases(17.7%);Enlargement of lymph nodes in 67 cases(59.3%).Conclusion Malignant tumor was the most common cause of unexplained ascites.MSCT could help in identifying tumors and the tumor lesion,forecast malignant ascites,and had great value in etiology and diagnosis of ascites.

Objective To evaluate the clinical results from different endoscopic treatments of patients with chronic pancreatitis. Methods Thirty-seven cases of chronic pancreatitis had accepted endoscop-ie treatments were analvzed retrospectively. Results All cases were diagnosed clearly by ERCP showing different degree of pancreatic duct dilatation. Among them 21 cases had pancreatic duct stricture, 9 cases pancreatie duet ealeification. EPS in 18 cases and EST in 37 cases, basket extraction pancreatic duct stones in 6 eases, PDSD in 17 cases, NPD in 5 cases were conducted. The abdominal pain in 34 cases disappeared or markedly relieved alter treatment. Conclusion Endoseopie treatments have the advantages of safe, less-trauma and effectiveness. The combination of different endoscopic treatments improved evidently the current state of chronic pancreatitis treatment, thereby the therapeutic results.

AIM:To determine the effects and mechanisms of interleukin-22 (IL-22) on the fibroblast-like sy-noviocytes ( FLSs) from rheumatoid arthritis ( RA) patients.METHODS:RA-FLSs were cultured by tissue culture meth-od.RA-FLSs were incubated with different concentrations of IL-22 (0,1,10,100μg/L) for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h.The cell viability was examined by CCK-8 assay.IL-22 at concentration of 10 μg/L was used to stimulate RA-FLSs for 24 h, and the change of cell cycle distribution was identified by flow cytometry.The effects of IL-22 at concentrations of 0, 1, 10, 100μg/L and/or STA-21 (a STAT3 inhibitor at concentrations of 0, 25, 50μmol/L) on the protein levels of Bcl-2 and p-STAT3 in the RA-FLSs were determined by Western blot.RESULTS:Compared with control group, stimulation of rhIL-22 at different concentrations for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h, the cells viabilityof RA-FLSs were obviously increased ( P<0.05 ) . After co-cultured with 10 μg/L rhIL-22 for 24 h, the percentages of RA-FLSs were obviously increased in the G2/M+S phase and decreased in the G0/G1 phase.At the same time, rhIL-22 increased, but STA-21 decreased the protein levels of Bcl-2 but p-STAT3 in the RA-FLSs obviously (P<0.05).Treatment with STAT3 inhibitor STA-21 reversed the effect of IL-22-induced Bcl-2 upregulation in the RA-FLSs ( P<0.01 ) .CONCLUSION: STAT3 is critical in the process of IL-22-induced Bcl-2 upregulation in RA-FLSs, indicating that IL-22 may play a role in the apoptosis of RA-FLSs.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of caudal block with dexmedetomidine mixed with ropivacaine for the management of perioperative analgesia in children.Methods Sixty pediatric patients,aged 1-5 yr,of ASA physical status Ⅰ or Ⅱ,scheduled for elective hypospadias repair,were equally and randomly assigned into 2 groups using a random number table:ropivacaine group (group R) and dexmedetomidine mixed with ropivacaine group (group DR).Each patient received a single caudal dose of 0.25％ ropivacaine 1 ml/kg in group R.Each patient received a single caudal dose of 0.25％ ropivacaine 1 ml/kg mixed with dexmedetomidine 2 μg/kg in group DR.Postoperative analgesia was assessed using FLACC scale,and the degree of motor block was assessed using modified Bromage scale within 24 h after the end of operation.The duration of analgesia (the time from onset of caudal block to first requirement for the rescue analgesic) and development of side effects were recorded.Results Compared with group R,the duration of analgesia was significantly prolonged,and the incidence of bradycardia and oversedation was increased in group DR.Hypoxemia,hypotension and postoperative motor block were not found in either group.Conclusion Addition of dexmedetomidine 2 μg/kg to caudal ropivacaine can significantly optimize the efficacy of caudal block with ropivacaine alone for the management of perioperative analgesia in children.

Objective:To evaluate diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasonography (CEH-EUS) for pancreatic cystic lesions.Methods:Endoscopic and clinical follow-up data of patients with pancreatic cystic lesions diagnosed by EUS in Department of Gastroenterology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University with CEH-EUS video from March 2013 to April 2020 was retrospectively analyzed.Results:A total of 36 patients were included. There were 16 cases of serous cystadenomas (SCA), 10 cases of mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN), 5 cases of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN, 3 with complex type, 2 with main pancreatic duct type) and 5 cases of pancreatic pseudocyst (PPC). 87.5%(14/16) of SCA and 86.7%(13/15) of MCN+ IPMN had hyperenhanced cystic wall with obvious peak and similar washout as surrounding tissue, whereas only 20%(1/5) PPC had hyperenhanced cystic wall. The hyperenhancing effect of PPC was significantly lower than that of SCA and MCN+ IPMN ( P=0.0035 and P=0.0048, respectively ). Mural nodules were detected in 17 cases of pancreatic cystic lesions by EUS, of which 3 cases had hyperenhanced mural modules and 14 cases had hypoenhanced mural nodules by CEH-EUS. Patients showing hyperenhanced mural modules were all finally diagnosed as pancreatic malignancy (1 IPMN, 2 MCN), and the accuracy was 100%. Conclusions:CEH-EUS can have a obvious advantage of differentiating pseudocyst and other pancreatic cystic lesions, while not very useful for differentiating SCA and MCN. Pancreatic cystic lesions showing hyperenhanced mural nodules under CEH-EUS may imply malignancy potential.

Objective To investigate the autophagy and the expression of its related genes in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.Methods Patients with newly onset or recently-diagnosed SLE (n=20) were enrolled.RA patients (n=10) and healthy blood donors (n=10) were used as controls.PBMCs from all subjects were immediately isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient centrifugation.And then monocytes were removed by wall sticking method.The morphology was observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM).Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of Beclin 1 and microtubule-associated protein 1-light chain 3 (MAPLC3) were determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time quantitative RT-PCR respectively.Results TEM showed autophagic phenomenon in PBMCs from active SLE.On the mRNA level,expression of Beclin 1 and LC3 was significantly increased in fresh isolated SLE cells as compared with RA or healthy donor's PBMCs.Conclusion Based on these results,we can conclude that autophagy occurs in active SLE and the expression of its related genes is significantly higher in active SLE than in RA or normal controls.The enhanced autophagy may indicate its role in the pathogenesis of SLE.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid factor (RF) is a kind of autoantibody which is routinely used as a factor in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to evaluate disease activity and severity.But in clinical practice, it occurs frequently that RF values do not decrease according to clinical improvement in RA patients. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between rheumatoid factor (RF) and activity or disease severity of RA.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: A randomized cross-sectional study was performed in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University during September 2006 and September 2007.PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-six patients,65 females and 11 males,mean age of (44±13) years,with RA diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for RA were included in this study. METHODS: Seventy-six patients with active RA were randomly recruited and assessed for functional status,radiographic change,joint pain,morning stiffness, tender joint count (TJC), tender joint score (TJS), swollen joint count (SJC), swollen joint score (SJS), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP),RF,and hemoglobin. The method of Pearson correlation or Spearman rank correlation was performed for assessing the association between RF and these indices separately, normally distributed data for Pearson correlation, nonnormally distributed data for Spearman rank correlation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Correlation of RF with above mentioned factors. RESULTS: None of the correlation coefficients between RF and indices including age,disease duration, functional status,radiographic change,joint pain, morning stiffness, TJC,TJS,SJC,SJS,HAQ,ESR,CRP,hemoglobin were significant (P＞0.05). CONCLUSION: No associations between RF and activity or severity of RA are studied.

Objective To investigate the feasibility,safety,and short term efficacy of endoscopicultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation (EUS-RFA).Methods Three patients with advanced,inoperable pancreatic carcinoma underwent EUS-RFA.Under the guidance of EUS,a 22 gauge fine needle was punctured into the pancreatic carcinoma,and 1 Fr radiofrequency (RF) catheter was placed into the cancer through this 22 gauge needle.RFA was applied at 10 watts for 2 minutes,and then 15 watts for another 2 minutes.The second needle's tract was selected and punctured about 1 ～ 1.5 cm apart from the first needle tract,and the ablation was repeated.Results The average age of these 3 patients was 63 years old.Two patients were diagnosed to have pancreatic tail cancer and one was pancreatic body cancer,and the mean diameter of the tumor was 3.6 cm.Pre-operative EUS-FNA confirmed the presence of malignant cells.EUS-RFA was performed three times at an interval of 2 weeks in the first patient and one time in the last two patients.The average session of EUS-RFA of each lesion was 3.67 times.After 2 weeks,EUS showed that the diameter of the lesions was reduced by 13.9％ on average.There were vacuolar degenerations of variable sizes in those lesions.The serum level of CA19-9 was averagely decreased by 46.5％.Abdominal pain was not obviously aggravated.There were no episodes of pancreatitis,perforation or bleeding within 48 hours after the procedure.The mean follow-up time was 49 days,and no complications occurred.Conclusions EUS-RFA can reduce the diameter of pancreatic carcinoma and decrease the serum level of CA19-9,and it is feasible and safe.

AIM: To investigate the effect of IL-1 gene polymorphism on the expression of IL-1? mRNA in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: The method of FQ-RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of IL-1? mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells separated from rheumatoid arthritis patients with different IL-1? genotype. RESULTS: The expression levels of IL-1? mRNA in 20 patients who carried IL-1? 2*2 genotype were higher than patients who carried no 2*2 genotype and normal subjects. Significant difference existed among three groups. CONCLUSION: IL-1? gene polymorphism influences the transcription of IL-1?. [

Objective To establish neonate rate models induced by high-fat diet so as to explore the effect of high-fat diet before and during pregnancy on growth and serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) level in neonate offspring.Methods Forty female SD rats were divided into high-fat group and control group that were fed with 35％ high-fat diet and standard chow,respectively.After 8 weeks,8 rats from each group were euthanatized for liver pathology and the other female rats were mated with male rats and fed continuously with 35％ high-fat diet and standard chow throughout gestation,respectively.Offspring from both groups were studied within 24 hours after birth.Their birth weight and body length (from apex nasi to end of tail) were measured.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum IGF-1 level.Serum biochemical indexes were tested by biochemical analyzer.Liver pathologic changes were observed under the light microscope.The expression of IGF-1 in liver samples was detected by Western blot.Results 1.Rats in the high-fat group showed a significant less birth weight and shorter body length compared with those in the control group(all P ＜ 0.05).2.The level of serum IGF-1 of offspring in the high-fat group decreased by 20.1％ in comparison to offspring in the control group,but there was no significant difference between the 2 groups (P ＞ 0.05) because of the limited sample sizes.3.The aspartate transaminase(AST) of offspring in the high-fat group increased compared with those from control group(P ＜ 0.05),while other serum biochemical indexes between the 2 groups showed no significant differences(all P ＞0.05).4.Fatty degeneration could be found in livers of both dams and offspring in the high-fat group under light microscope,while the samples of both dams and offspring from the control group all showed normal.5.The IGF-1 expression in livers of offspring from high-fat group increased in comparison to that from control group(P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions A maternal high-fat diet before and during pregnancy decreases the birth weight and body length of offspring in utero,which may be associated with the decreased IGF-1.However,the pathogenesis of decreased IGF-1 in this study can not been found.Further study is needed to clarify the mechanism of intrauterine growth retardation induced by high-fat diet.