OBJECTIVETo determine the genetic relationship of three species of official Rheum in molecular level.

METHODTwelve samples from three species of official Rheum were employed to be analyzed by the approach of sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP). Systematic relationships were constructed based on the UPGMA method by TREECONW software.

RESULTA total of 272 bands were scored and 199 bands of them were polymorphic, which were up to 73.2% polymorphic ratio. Genetic similarity coefficient was changed from 0.578 4 to 0.941 6. The results indicated that there was abundant genetic diversity among the tested materials. The clustering analysis revealed that the results between SRAP marker and the traditional morphological characteristics was almost the same.

CONCLUSIONSRAP marker is suitable for variety identification and genetic relationship research in official Rheum.

Cluster Analysis ; Genetic Variation ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; genetics ; Rheum ; classification ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical features and outcome of patients with noncompaction of ventricular myocardium (NVM).

METHODSClinical manifestations, electrocardiograms and echocardiographies data were analyzed in 18 patients with NVM. Mean follow-up period was (11 +/- 5) months.

RESULTSThe patients aged from 1.5 to 71 years, 66.7% patients were males, familial history was observed in 2 cases, congestive heart failure was present in 14 cases, thromboembolic event occurred in 1 patient, arrhythmia induced syncopes were diagnosed in 2 patients and 1 patient was asymptomatic. Abnormal electrocardiograms were observed in all patients, including premature ventricular beats (7 cases), heart block (4 cases), and atrial fibrillations (4 cases). Echocardiographies showed that noncompaction of ventricular myocardium localized in the left ventricle in 17 patients, and right ventricle in 1 patient. The extension of noncompaction myocardium was predominantly at the apex (72%). N/C was 2.3 - 3.1. EF was less than 50% in 15 patients. Hypokinetic movements were observed in both noncompacted and compacted segments. During the follow-up, 1 patient with congestive heart failure received heart transplantation. ICD was implanted in one patient due to ventricular tachycardia. One patient suffered from sudden cardiac death.

CONCLUSIONSThe most common clinical presentations of NVM are congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, and thromboembolism. Echocardiography is considered as the best tool for the diagnosis of NVM. ICD, heart transplantation and anticoagulation therapy could improve the prognosis of patients with NVM in selected cases.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; diagnosis ; Cardiomyopathies ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Failure ; diagnosis ; Heart Ventricles ; abnormalities ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo discuss the surgical treatment of chiari-I malformation complicated with syringomyelia.

METHODSThe surgical treatments of 247 cases were analyzed retrospectively. The indication of operation styles was proposed by various surgical treatment to different MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) findings. MRI findings includes: tonsillar herniation with no or slight syringomyelia (126 cases), tonsillar herniation with syringomyelia above C(2) (second cervical vertebrae) vertebral level (38 cases), serious tonsillar herniation (to C(2) approximately C(3) level) with syringomyelia of isolated spinal segments (67 cases), serious tonsillar herniation (to C(2) approximately C(3) level) with syringomyelia above C(2) vertebral level (16 cases). They were performed by posterior fossa decompression, posterior fossa decompression and incision of the syringomyelia, posterior fossa decompression and resection of the cerebellar tonsils, posterior fossa decompression and incision of the syringomyelia combined with resection of the cerebellar tonsils respectively.

RESULTSThe clinical signs and symptoms had been markedly improved or improved in 197 cases (79.8%) until patients were discharged from hospital, unchanged in 39 cases (15.8%), deteriorated in 7 cases (2.8%). there were 4 death in all cases after surgery. 107 cases were followed up from 5 months to 9 years. The postoperative MRI findings in the 107 patients demonstrated that the cavities in spinal cords disappeared completely or nearly in 78 cases, reduced in 14 cases, unchanged in 15 cases.

CONCLUSIONSPosterior fossa decompression, posterior fossa decompression and incision of the syringomyelia, posterior fossa decompression and resection of the cerebellar tonsils, posterior fossa decompression and incision of the syringomyelia combined with resection of the cerebellar tonsils should be an effective method for treatment of chiari-I malformation complicated with syringomyelia. Surgical treatment may fully ameliorate the clinical syndromes.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Arnold-Chiari Malformation ; complications ; surgery ; Child ; Craniotomy ; Female ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Syringomyelia ; complications ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and left ventricular mass (LVM) in newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

METHODSSeventy-two newborns admitted to the NICU were enrolled. ACE genotypes were determined by genomic DNA which was isolated from heel-prick blood. Disease status of the newborns was evaluated by the Neonatal Critical Score (draft) on postnatal day 1. LVM and LVM index (LVMI) were evaluated by echocardiography on postnatal days 1-3.

RESULTSDD genotype was identified in 11 cases, ID genotype in 31 cases, and II genotype in 30 cases. There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics, critical score and body measurements in newborns with different genotypes. The DD genotype group showed significantly lower LVMI than the group with ID+II genotypes (29±4 g/m2 vs 35±8 g/m2; P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSACE gene polymorphism is associated with the LVMI in newborns admitted to the NICU. The LVMI of DD genotype carriers is significantly lower than that of ID+II genotypes carriers, which suggests that D allele may be associated with the growth and development of left ventricular.

Echocardiography ; Female ; Gene Deletion ; Genotype ; Heart Ventricles ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Male ; Mutagenesis, Insertional ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic

OBJECTIVETo develop a novel single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-PCR based method for quantitative detection of chimerism after allogeneic haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), and to explore its feasibility, accuracy and superiority.

METHODS18 SNP loci were sereened to identify informative markers for detecting chimerism in each donor/recipient pair before transplantation. Then the chimerism rate of each informative marker was analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR). The accuracy and sensitivity were verified by multiple proportion dilution and analogy chimerism compared with quantitative detection of short tandem repeat (STR)-PCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and fusion gene.

RESULTS(1) The average slope of the 17 time amplications of the internal control plasmid was -3.39, the average intercept was 39.97, correlation coefficients were more than 0.995, which was close to the theoretical level. The intra- and interassay variability was 0.50% and 1.1%, respectively, which were both in the allowed ranges. A linear correlation with artificial mixed chimerism is above 0.99 and a sensitivity of 0.01% proved reproducible. (2) At least one informative marker could be found in over 95% of 40 donor/recipient pairs. The results of the chimerisms derived from SNP-PCR were consistent with that from STR-PCR (96.7%), FISH and fusion gene analasis (P > 0.05); the quantitative results of special fusion gene transcripts were negtive in complete chimerism samples, and positive in mixed chimerism samples.

CONCLUSIONSThis new assay which overcome the PCR competition and plateau biases of STR-PCR provides an accurate, reliable and rapid quantitative assessment of mixed chimerism after allo-transplantation. It is highly promising for of clinical application and may take the place of STR-PCR in the conventional chimerisim assessment.

Chimerism ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Transplantation Chimera ; Transplantation, Homologous

OBJECTIVETo apply fluorescent real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in detecting influenza viruses.

METHODSA total of 207 oral swab samples were obtained in 16 collections from SARS patients and suspected influenza outbreak cases. They were subjected to influenza virus detection by fluorescent real-time RT-PCR, MDCK cell culture, and hemagglutinin inhibition assay.

RESULTSOut of 207 samples, 79 (38.16%) were positive for influenza viruses when tested by fluorescent real-time PCR, and 62 (29.95%) positive when tested by MDCK cell culture. There was a statistically significant difference between them (chi square=8.64, P less than 0.005). From 104 cases in 9 collections dual serum samples were obtainable. When tested with hemagglutinin inhibition assay, 64 cases (61.54%) showed a 4-fold increase against H3N2 antigen.

CONCLUSIONThis study showed that fluorescent real-time PCR is a reliable, sensitive, and fast method for detecting influenza viruses.

Cell Culture Techniques ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype ; isolation & purification ; Influenza A virus ; isolation & purification ; Influenza, Human ; virology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; virology

Objective To explore the method of WeChat medication education for patients used by pharmacists,and to investigate the effect of WeChat medication education at Peking university third hospital.Methods Totally 30 patients who used warfarin at Peking university third hospital were enrolled.A series of subscriptions concerning warfarin medication education were sent to patients and/or their caregivers by WeChat regularly.The medication knowledge score after/before the intervention were assessed.Results The score of patients' warfarin medication knowledge before intervention was (14.20 ± 1.97) points,and after that the score was (16.63 ± 1.74) points,showing an improvenent with significance (P ＜ 0.001).Questions about adverse events of warfarin were most likely to be answered by mistake and the score of relevant questions was only (0.97 ± 0.80) points and (1.07 ± 0.81) points,respectively (P ＞ 0.05) before and after intervention.Conclusion It is of great significance for pharmacists to provide warfarin medication education.It is proved effective to improve patients' recognition of warfarin medication by means of WeChat subscriptions.

Objective To observe the curative effect of Shuxuetong injection on intracerebral hemorrhage at acute phase. Methods Sixty patients with intracerebral hemorrhage at acute phase were randomly divided into treatment group and control group (n=30). The treatment group intravenously received 6 mL Shuxuetong daily for 15 consecutive d and control group was treated with routine treatment. CT was performed to evaluate the volumes of hematomas, the changes of low-density areas surrounding the hematomas on the 1st, 7th and 15th d of treatment, respectively. The neurologic impairment evaluation scores were recorded with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Monitor on plasma fibrinogen level was performed in both groups. Results No significant differences on the volumes ofhematomas, low-density areas surrounding the hematomas, neurologic impairment evaluation scores, and plasma fibrinogen level were noted between the 2 groups on the admission day (P＞0.05). On the 7th and 15th d of treatment, volumes of hematomas, low-density areas surrounding the hematomas and neurologic impairment evaluation scores in the treatment group reduced significantly as compared with those in the control group (P＜0.05), however, plasma fibrinogen level was not statistically different between the 2 groups (P＞0.05). Conclusion Shuxuetong injection is superior to routine treatment in reduction of volumes of hematomas, low-density areas surrounding the hematomas, neurologic impairment evaluation scores, but not in reduction of plasma fibrinogen level.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeutic effectiveness of intracoronary transplantation of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNC) on myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury in mini-swine model.

METHODSMyocardial ischemia reperfusion injury model was established by ligating in 16 mini-swines, which were further randomized into two groups: (3.54 +/- 0.90) x 10(8) BM-MNC was intracoronarily transplanted in BM-MNC group (n = 9), and phosphate buffer saline was intracoronarily applied in the control group (n = 7). Ultrasonic cardiograhpy, hemodynamics, neovascular density, and myocardium infarction size were evaluated before and 4 weeks after transplantation.

RESULTSIn BM-MNC group, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), intra-ventricular septa, lateral wall and anterior wall, cardiac output (CO) and + dp/dt(max) had no significant differences before and 4 weeks after transplantation (P > 0.05). In the control group, LVEF, intraventricular septa, lateral wall and anterior wall, CO, and + dp/dt(max) significantly decreased 4 weeks after transplantation (P < 0.05). Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and- dp/dt(max) had no significant differences before and after cell transplantation. Capillary density was significantly larger in the BM-MNC group than in the control group [(13.39 +/- 6.96) /HP vs. (3.50 +/- 1.90) /HP]. The percentage and size of myocardial infarction was significantly lower in the BM-MNC group than in the control group.

CONCLUSIONTransplantation of BM-MNC into the myocardial ischemic reperfusion-injury area can increase capillary density and decrease infarction area, and thus remarkably improve cardiac systolic function.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Coronary Vessels ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; pathology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Random Allocation ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature

OBJECTIVETo compare the effects of intracoronary transplantation of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNC) or peripheral endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) in mini-swine model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion.

METHODSThe Mini-swine acute myocardial infarction and reperfusion model was created with 90 min occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by reperfusion and the animals were then divided into BM-MNC group (3.54 x 10(8) +/- 0.90 x 10(8), n = 9), EPC group (1.16 x 10(7) +/- 1.07 x 10(7), n = 7) and control group (saline, n = 7). Echocardiography, hemodynamic measurements and myocardium infarction size were evaluated before and 4 weeks after intracoronary cell transplantations.

RESULTSThe net decrease from baseline to 4 weeks after transplantation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end systolic pressure, cardiac output and +dp/dt(max) were significantly attenuated post BM-MNC and EPC therapy compared to control group (all P < 0.05) and were similar between BM-MNC and EPC groups. Transplantation of BM-MNC and EPC also significantly decreased myocardial infarction size compared to control group.

CONCLUSIONAutologous intracoronary transplantation of BM-MNC or EPC in this model equally improved cardiac systolic function and reduced infarction area.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Coronary Circulation ; Disease Models, Animal ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Female ; Male ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; therapy ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature ; Transplantation, Autologous