Objective To explore the distribution rule of metastatic lymph node in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods 315 histopathologically proved NPC patients were studied retrospectively.All patients had had their nasopharynx scanned by MRI with plain and contrast enhanced sequences.The distribution of lymph node was divided into six cervical levels plus retro- pharyngeal nodes(RN) according to RTOG guidelines proposed in 2003.Results 254 out of 315 patients (80.6%) had lymph node involvement,with 81 in the right neck alone,72 left neck alone,and 101 both necks;73 in RN alone,21 neck node alone,and 160 both necks and RN node.Skip metastasis was found in only 4 patients (1.6%).There was significant difference in BN metastasis between the primary tumor be- ing located merely on the superior/posterior wall and lateral wall (78% vs 49%,P＜0.01).The incidence of lymph node metastasis in T1,T2,T3 and T4 patients was 73.5%,91.2%,71.9%,73.5% (P＞0.05), respectively,without significant difference between early or advanced T stage in node distribution (P＞0.05).Conclusions The incidence of lymph node metastasis is high in nasopharyngeal carcinoma,with retropharyngeal node being the most commonly involved,but the incidence of skip metastasis is very low. There is no significant difference between T stage and the incidence of lymph node metastasis.So is the dis- tribution of metastatic node.

OBJECTIVETo establish an analytical method for the fingerprint of triterpenoid constituents of Poria by HPLC and compare the fingerprints of different medicinal parts of Poria in order to provide basis for controlling Poria quality.

METHODThe HPLC chromatographic conditions were Waters Symmetry C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 μm), 0.1% phosphoric acid (A) and acetonitrile (B) as gradient mobile phases, flow rate being 1.0 mL x min(-1), column temperature at 30 degrees C, The detection wavelength was set at 210 nm; The cluster analysis was carried on by SPSS 15.0.

RESULTThe HPLC fingerprints of triterpenoid constituents of Poria were set up. There were 16 common peaks in different medicinal parts. The results of method validation met technical requirement of fingerprints; Triterpenoid constituents in White Poria and Poria cum Radix Pini were different from Poria. The content of pachymic acid was the highest in Poria. The effect of habitat on the quality was no obvious difference.

CONCLUSIONThe method is stable, reliable, reproducible, and can be used as an effective means of Poria quality evaluation.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Cluster Analysis ; Poria ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; analysis

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of MRI in brachial plexus injury.Methods Total 98 patients with brachial plexus injury were examined by MRI before operation.Fifty-four of 98 patients MR imaging were obtained by 0.5 Tesla scanner and other 44 patients were obtained by 1.5 Tesla scanner.The scanning sequences include: SE T_1WI,T_2WI,FFE T_2WI and T_2WI SPIR. Exploration of the supraclavicular plexus was carried out and the MR imaging were compared with the operative finding in 63 patients.Thirty-five patients who had not surgery were followed-up.Results MR imaging found pre-ganglionic injuries in 45 patients and post-ganglionic injuries in 56 patients.Pre-and post-ganglionic injuries simultaneously in 16 patients among them.MR imaging can not find injury sings in 13 patients.The positive rate was 86.73%.MR imaging finding of pre-ganglionic injuries include:(1) Spinal cord edema and hemorrhage,2 patients (4.44% ).(2)Displacement of spinal cord,17 patients (37.78%).(3)Traumatic meningoceles,37 patients (82.22%).(4)Absence of roots in spinal canal, 25 patients(55.56% ).(5)Scarring in the spinal cnanl,24 patients (53.33%).(6)Denervation of erector spine,13 patients (28.89%).MR imaging finding of post-ganglionic injuries include:(1)Trunk thickening with hypointensities in T_2WI,23 patients (41.07%).(2)Nerve trunk complete loss of continuity with disappeared of nerve structure,16 patients (28.57%).(3)Continuity of nerve trunk was well with disappearance of nerve structure,14 patients(25.00%).(4)Traumatic neurofibroma,3 patients (5.36%).Conclusion MR imaging can reveal Pre-and post-ganglionic injuries of brachial plexus simultaneously.MR imaging is able to determine the location (pre-or post-ganglionic)and extent of brachial plexus injury,provided important information for treatment method selection.

Objective To improve recognition and imaging diagnosis of aneurysmal bone cyst secondary to a giant cell tumor.Methods To collect the dates of 12 patients with aneurysmal bone cyst secondary to a giant cell tumor were proved by operation and pathology from January 2003 to October 2006. Analyzed and summarized their imaging manifestations and correlation with pathohistology.Results Six lesions were located in epiphysis and metaphysic regions of long bone.Six lesions were located in pelvis.All cases showed a cystic lesion with expanded and osteolytic,eccentric 10 cases and centric 2 cases.Four cases display trabeculate,the margin is well define with a rim of bone sclerosis in 2 cases.Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)scans were available in 10 patients.All case showed cystic,dilated lesions with solid areas. Eight cases manifested single or multitude solid nodules in big cystic wall.Two cases appeared solid masses with multitude cysts.The sign of multitude fluid-fluid level,best seen on T_2-weighted images,was present in all patients.Seven cases emerged soft-tissue masses.MR found indicative of large amounts of hemosiderin in one cases.Eight cases were examined by spiral CT with plain scanning and enhancement scanning. Reconstructed image were CTA and 3D-MPR(three dimensions multiplanar reconstruction)imaging.All cases showed cystic,dilated lesions with solid areas.The sign of multitude fluid-fluid level was present in 6 patients.The solid areas and cystic-wall of lesions showed contrast enhancement in 8 patients.3D-MPR imaging showed supply blood vessel of tumors in 3 cases.Arteriovenous malformation did not found in all patients.The surgeons'operative findings and the gross specimens were studied in all patients.All lesions were composed of solid areas and cystic areas.The diagnosis of pathology were ABC with GCT(grade Ⅱ)in 10 cases and ABC with GCT(grade Ⅲ).Conclusion Aneurysmai bone cyst secondary to a giant cell tumor is not rare.Adequately recognizing the pathologic basis of ABC,and selecting imaging techniques correctly (X-ray and MRI,or X-ray and CT)is especially important to diagnose a giant-cell tumor with secondary aneurysmai bone cyst.When an eccentric,expanded,lytic tumor with a cystic-solid lesion in epiphysis of long bone or pelvis shows multiple fluid levels,a giant-cell tumor with secondary aneurysmai bone cyst components should be sufficiently considered.

OBJECTIVE: To observe cardiac ultrastructure and the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and hypoxia inducible factor-lα (HIF-lα) in electric shock death rats and to explore the application of these indexes as the basis of medical identification in electric shock death. METHODS: Seventy-two SD rats were randomly divided into electric shock death group, postmortem electric shock group and the control group. The changes of myocardial ultrastructure were observed by transmission electron microscope, and the expressions of myocardial HSP70 and HIF-1α were observed by immunohistochemical technology. RESULTS: Myocardial myofibril fracture, mitochondrial cristae and membrane dissolution, and disordered arrangement of Z lines and M lines were observed in electric shock rats. HSP70 and HIF-lα were strong positive expressions in the electric shock death group, significantly compared with the control and postmortem electric shock groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The expressions of HSP70 and HIF-lα were obviously increased in electric shock death group, which may be used as the diagnostic indicator of electric shock death.
Animals ; Death ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins/metabolism* ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/metabolism* ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a new MRI imaging method--diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) with short TI version recovery-echo planar imaging (STIR-EPI) sequence in differentiating benign cervical lymph nodes from malignant ones. METHODS Twenty nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and fourteen volunteers received both conventional MRI and DWI with STIR-EPI. Ability of detecting lymph nodes between conventional MRI and STIR-EPI-DWI was compared, and the difference of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value between metastatic lymph node and normal lymph node was analyzed.

RESULTSDWI was more sensitive in detecting lymph node than conventional MRI. ADC value of metastatic lymph node (0. 766 +/- 0. 119) x 10 (-3) mm(2)/s was significantly lower than that of normal lymph node (0. 975 +/- 0. 179) x 10 - mm2/s (P < 0. 01).

CONCLUSIONAs a new MRI imaging technique in detecting cervical lymph nodes, diffusion weighted imaging ( DWI) with short TI version recovery-echo planar imaging ( STIR-EPI) sequence is more reliable and sensitive than conventional MRI imaging, providing an alternative way to differentiate benign lymph nodes from malignant ones.

Adult ; Aged ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Echo-Planar Imaging ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Neck ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo investigate the different expressions of cytoskeletal organizer ezrin and cytoskeleton protein beta- and gamma-actin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines with different metastatic potentials and to explore the role of ezrin in cell growth and metastasis in HCC cell lines SF7721 and MHCC97-H.

METHODSImmunofluorescence, RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the gene and protein expressions of ezrin and actin in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines with different metastatic potentials. RNA interference (RNAi) was applied to down-regulate the ezrin expression in SF7721 and MHCC97-H. Changes of the cell growth and metastasis potentials after the RNAi treatment were studied. MTT assay was used to detect cell proliferation changes and Transwell assay was applied to observe the changes of cell motility and invasiveness.

RESULTSBoth ezrin and cytoskeleton protein were demonstrated in the cytoplasma of the cells at the same time. The expression of them in cell lines with high metastatic potential, such as SF7721, MHCC-1 and MHCC97-H was obviously higher than in those with low metastatic potentials, such as SMMC-7721, Hep3B and HepG2 (chi2= 13.277, P = 0.010; chi2= 21.815). The mRNA and ezrin and cytoskeleton protein gamma-actin were over-expressed in HCC cell lines with high metastatic potentials. The expressions of beta-actin of cell lines with different metastatic potentials showed no differences. Ezrin protein was successfully down-regulated and the proliferation and the invasiveness of the cells decreased with low ezrin protein level in SF7721 and MHCC97-H.

CONCLUSIONOver-expression of ezrin and cytoskeleton protein gamma-actin are associated with the process of metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The growth and invasiveness of SF7721 and MHCC97-H cells can be inhibited by down-regulating ezrin expression.

Actins ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness

Autopsy ; Coxsackievirus Infections ; Enterovirus ; isolation & purification ; Enterovirus B, Human ; isolation & purification ; Enterovirus Infections ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease ; pathology ; virology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male

Objective To construct an expression plasmid of human papillomavirus type 11 E7 (HPV11-E7)/hurnan IFN?-2b fusion gene, to express the fusion gene in E.coli BL21, and pave way for further immunological study. Methods The recombinant plasmid was introduced into E.coli BL21, then the expression product was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting after induction with isopropy-?-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG). Results The fusion gene of HPV11-E7 and human IFN?-2b was successfully cloned into pET-32a by a linker with the same sequence as we expected. The expressed fusion protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Conclusions The successful construction of prokaryotic expression plasmid and expression of HPV11-E7/human IFN?-2b fusion gene enable further immunological study.

E.coli single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB) plays an important role in replication, recombination and repair of DNA and is thus crucial for the survival of the bacteria.We described a high expression and efficient purification scheme and kinetic assay of interaction with its substrate, single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). A ssb gene (537 bp) for encoding SSB was obtained by PCR amplification from E.coli K-12 genome. The expression vector of the fusion protein SSB was constructed by attaching ssb gene to pQE30. SSB fusion protein was expressed in M15 E.coli strain induced by IPTG. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that the expected protein with a molecular weight 20.6kDa was soluble and amounted to about 30% of the total bacterial protein. SSB protein was purified by immobilized metal (Ni2+) chelation affinity chromatography and the purity was about 90%. The resulting SSB protein was a correctly folded tetramer analyzed by gel filtration. It could bind ssDNA with equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) of 4.79×10-7 mol/L as determined by surface plasmon resonance.