Objective To evaluate the value of magnetic resonance imaging in rheumatoid arthritis(RA) of the knee and compare with radiography.Methods 34 cases of RA of the knee were performed MRI and radiography.Enhanced MRI scans were obtained in 13 knees.Results On MRI there were bone erosion in 34 knees,subchondral sclerosis in 21 knees,meniscus destruction in 22 knees,cartilage damage in 15 knees,tibia movement in 10 knees,posterior cruciate ligament dragged in 8 knees.Pannus adhesion,proliferation synovium and joint effusion were showed on enhanced MRI in all of the 13 knees.On radiography bone erosion was showed in 1 knee,subchondral sclerosis in 11 knees,joint space stricture in 16 knees,tibia movement in 8 knees.Conclusion MRI is much better than radiolgraphy for diagnosis of RA of the knee.

Objective To investigate the effect of microRNA-101 (miRNA-101) on atrial fibrosis in human chronic atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods Right atrial appendages were obtained from 59 patients (30 with AF) undergoing cardiac surgery, including 47 patients with valve heart disease and 12 patients with congenital heart disease. The expression of miRNA-101 was determined by quantitative real-time PCR in the right atrial appendages of patients with and without AF. The cell-specific localization of miRNA-101 was detected by in situ hybridization assay. The mRNA and protein expression levels of transforming growth factor β typeⅠreceptor (TGFβRⅠ) and collagen type I (COL1) were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and Western-blot assay, respectively. Collagen in the right atrial appendages was observed by Masson staining assay. Results The expression of miRNA-101 was found to be significantly down-regulated in AF patients compared with patients with sinus rhythm (SR) (P < 0.05). The result of miRNA-ISH showed that miRNA-101, which was highly distributed within the connective tissues of heart, was down-regulated at about 24.9% in patients with AF compared with patients with SR. No significant differences at the mRNA expression level of TGFβRI was found between patients with AF and patients with SR (P > 0.05). But the protein expression of TGFβRI in patients with AF was significantly higher than that of patients with SR (P < 0.05). The mRNA and protein expressionsl of COL1 were significantly higher in patients with AF than thoset of patients with SR (P < 0.05). The collagen was significantly increased in patients with AF than that of patients with SR (P < 0.05). Conclusions Downregulation of miRNA-101 may contribute to atrial fibrosis in human atrial fibrillation by targeting TGFβRⅠ.

OBJECTIVE:To study the chemical components of Swertia nervosa. METHODS:Silica gel column chromatogra-phy was used for purification and analysis of compounds’structure based on physicochemical properties and spectral data. RE-SULTS:Five compounds were isolated and identified in petroleum ether portion of S. nervosa,involving 1-hydroxy-3,7,8-trime-thoxyxanthone (1),1,8-dihydroxy-3,7-dimethoxyxanthone (2),1,8-dihydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyxanthone(3),1-hydroxy-3,5-dime-thoxyxanthone(4)and β-sitosterol(5). CONCLUSIONS:Compound 1,3 and 4 are isolated from S. nervosa for the first time,and the study has laid a foundation for the quality evaluation of S. nervosa.

An improving method, named direction-coding, is presented in this paper for plotting isodose curves in brachytherapy treatment planning. It is not necessary to find solutions of the intersection point of two lines and distance between two points. All possible curves can be searched with the simplified algorithm. The method is well applied in brachytherapy treatment planning.

Objective To investigate the effect of choledochoscopic gallbladder-preserving cholecystolithotomy combined with traditional Chinese medicine treatment.Methods A randomized controlled clinical study was conducted to analyze the 91 patients who were treated with choledochoscopic gallbladder-preserving cholecystolithotomy and 92 patients who underwent the same operation combined with subsequent treatment of traditional Chinese medicine.Intraoperative,postoperative and follow-up data were compared between the 2 groups (including operation time,blood loss,the rate of biliary fistula and common bile duct injury during the operation,gallbladder contraction function,the recurrence rate of gallstone,etc).Results In the simple choledochoscopic gallbladder-preserving cholecystolithotomy group,rate of gallstone recurrence was 7.7％ (7/91),the gallbladder wall was (3.5 ±0.6) mm,the gallbladder contraction function was (34.0 ± 3.6)％.However,the comprehensive treatment group,the rate of gallstone recurrence was 1.1％ (1/92),the gallbladder wall was(2.5 ±0.5) mm,the gallbladder contraction function was(48.0 ±4.5)％.There were significant differences between the two groups respectively (P ＜ 0.01,respectively).Conclusion Choledochoscopic gallbladder-preserving cholecystolithotomy combined with traditional Chinese medicine treatment is a safe,feasible,and minimal invasive approach for gallstone,and it can be considered as a alternative treatment of gallstone.

[Objective]To investigate the genetic polymorphisms of the CYP2C19 gene in the elderly Chinese Han populations of Guangzhou,and compare the frequencies of CYP2C19 gene polymorphisms in different populations,in order to provide accurate data for the appropriate prescription.[Methods]To detect the genetic polymorphisms of the CYP2C19 gene by the DNA microarray,and compare the frequencies of CYP2C19 gene polymorphisms in Chinese Han populations from different areas and the different races.[Results]There were 2312 case samples in our study. The allele frequencies of CYP2C19*1,CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*3 were 64.27%,30.75%,and 4.98%,respectively. As the genotype,EM(*1/*1)was 41.44%(n=958),IM(*1/*2,*1/*3)was 45.67%(n=1056),and PM(*2/*2,*2/*3 and*3/*3)was 12.89%(n=298). The ratios of EM and IM in Chinese Han populations from different areas and all the subtypes of the CYP2C19 genotype in different minority were statistically significant. As the races,there were difference in all the subtypes of the CYP2C19 genotype when Asian populations were compared with white races(P<1304.64)and black races(P<0.01),which was also statistically significant.[Conclusions]The distributions of the CYP2C19 gene polymorphisms were significantly different in Chinese han populations and in different races,and the main subtypes of the CYP2C19 genotype in the elderly of Chinese han populations were IM and EM,which is beneficial for prescribing appropriate in the elderly populations.

Objective To establish a single-tube detecting system for the simultaneous identification of JAK2 V617F and JAK2 exon12 mutations.Methods Genomic DNA of cell line PC-3 was utilized as the wild type control,while genomic DNA of cell line HEL and plasmids with diverse JAK2 exon 12 mutations were used as the positive controls for JAK2 V617F and exon12 mutations.Multiplex PCR was performed to amplify the different amplicons combined with high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis,which established the multiplex detecting system for JAK2 V617F and exon12 mutations.Meanwhile 42 cases of polycythemia vera patients were collected to detect 2 kinds of JAK2 mutations by the above system and routine methods.Results The multiplex JAK2 mutations detecting system was successfully established by multiplex PCR combined with high-resolution melting curve analysis,which could simultaneously detect JAK2 V617F and JAK2 exon12 mutations.The analytical sensitivities of 2 mutations in this system were both up to 5％ and the precision (coefficient of variation) of intra-and inter-assay of the melting temperature (Tm) of 2 amplicons were separately less than 0.01％.37 cases were identified JAK2 V617F mutations from 42 polycythemia vera patients,while 2 JAK2 exon12 mutations cases were found from 5 JAK2 V617F negative patients.Compared with routine methods,the results matched the rate of 100％.Two cases of JAK2 exon 12 mutations were confirmed to the mutation types of H538K539delinsL and F537-I546dul10 + F547L by cloning and sequencing.Conclusions This method can simultaneously detect two kinds of JAK2 mutations in the peripheral blood and will contribute to the molecular diagnosis of myeloproliferative neoplasms,especially polycythemia vera.

Objective To assess the effectiveness and safety of vitamin D in preventing and treating bone loss in renal transplant patients.Methods Methods recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration were used.MEDLINE,EMBase,Cochrane Library and CNKI were searched from Jan.1990 to Nov.2009 to locate all the randomized controlled trials (RCT) concerning preventing and treating bone loss by vitamin D in renal transplant patients.The qualities of included trials were evaluated by two independent reviewers.Trails consistent with criteria wereanalyzed by Revman 4.2 software.Results Nine RCTs involving 658 post transplant patients were included.The qualities of included trials were graded as grade A in 4,grade B in 2 and grade C in 3.Meta-analysis showed that after being treated with vitamin D for one year,the difference of BMD,Z-score and T-score between the two groups was statistically significant (P＜ 0.05); the difference of PTH concentration was also statistically significant (P＜0.01),but there was no significant difference in concentrations of serum calcium and phosphorus,and the incidence of hypercalcemia (P＞0.05).Conclusion Current available evidence demonstrates that vitamin D is effective and safe in preventing and treating bone loss in renal transplant patients.

This study was aimed to examine the effect of TREK-1 silencing on the function of astrocytes. Three 21-nucleotide small interfering RNA (siRNA) duplexes (siT1, siT2, siT3) targeting TREK-1 were constructed. Cy3-labeled dsRNA oligmers were used to determine the transfection efficiency in cultured astrocytes. TREK-1-specific siRNA duplexes (siT1, siT2, siT3) at the optimal concentration were transfected into cultured astrocytes, and the most efficient siRNA was identified by the method of immunocytochemical staining and Western blotting. The proliferation of astrocytes tranfected with TREK-1-targeting siRNA under hypoxia condition was measured by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The results showed that TREK-1 was expressed in cultured astrocytes. The dsRNA oligmers targeting TREK-1 could be transfected efficiently in cultured astrocytes and down-regulate the expression of TREK-1 in astrocytes. Moreover, the down-regulation of TREK-1 in astrocytes contributed to the proliferation of astrocytes under hypoxia condition as determined by cell cycle analysis. It was concluded that siRNA is a powerful technique that can be used to knockdown the expression of TREK-1 in astrocytes, which helps further investigate the function of TREK-1 channel in astrocytes under physicological and pathological condition.

Objective To evaluate the value of percutaneous transhepatic angioplasty in treatment of portal vein stenosis (PVS) after pediatric liver transplantation.Methods The data of 8 pediatric patients with PVS after liver transplantation were retrospectively evaluated.All cases were confirmed by portal vein angiography,and were treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and/or percutaneous transluminal stent angioplasty.The effect of endovascular interventional therapy in 8 cases was analyzed.Results A total of 12 times of 8 patients received endovascular interventional therapy.The success rate was 66.67％ (8/12).The clinical success rate of the first treatment was 62.50％ (5/8).Three cases were treated with balloon dilation after the first balloon dilation,and there was no recurrence of PVS after operation in 2 cases.After the treatment of balloon dilation,stent angioplasty was performed in 1 case.There were no complications related to treatment in 8 cases.Conclusion Endovascular interventional treatment is a safe and effective way for PVS after pediatric liver transplantation.