OBJECTIVETo screen the specific antibody binding peptides of tuberculosis from phage-displayed random phage display (Ph.D.)-7 peptide libraries with purified IgG from tuberculosis serum, and to provide the basis for the development of serological detection reagent of tuberculosis.

METHODSPurified IgG of tuberculosis serum was used as solid ligand to screen the binding peptide from the Ph.D.-7 peptide library, according to the biopanning process of absorption, elution and amplification. Purified IgG of health people serum was used as the molecule of counter selection during the second and third selection. Phages were enriched after 3 rounds of screening, then 20 single phages separately eluted by IgG of tuberculosis and health people were randomly selected on each direction of the determination plates and amplified. The single chains DNA were extracted as template for sequencing. The combination abilities of selected clones to IgG of tuberculosis and health people were tested by indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the positive clone was identified. Serum samples, from 47 patients with tuberculosis and 37 healthy people vaccinated with BCG, were verified by positive phage clones using phage-ELISA. The verifying results of 24 serum samples used for panning were separately analyzed statistically.

RESULTSAfter 3 rounds of panning, remarkable enrichment of phages that could specifically bind with target molecules were observed. Single phages were randomly selected for sequencing analysis and 12 sequences were obtained. 12 phage clones with different sequences were amplified and detected with indirect ELISA and single phage H12 showed higher affinity with IgG of tuberculosis (S/N ≥ 2.1) and was identified as the positive clone. It was found that, in indirect ELISA with single Phage H12, the A(450) value of tuberculosis patients (0.105 ± 0.010) was significantly higher than that of healthy individuals (0.070 ± 0.005), and the t value was 2.912 (P < 0.0001). The A(450) value of 12 serum samples of tuberculosis patients and 12 samples of health individuals used for panning were 0.144 ± 0.016 and 0.052 ± 0.004, and the t value was 5.69 (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONBy using phage-displayed random peptide libraries, we obtained the specific antibody binding peptides of tuberculosis, which showed specific binding activity with IgG of tuberculosis. It can provide a basis for the establishment of a new serological detection method of tuberculosis with peptide.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; immunology ; Peptide Library ; Peptides ; immunology ; Tuberculosis ; diagnosis ; immunology ; microbiology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the access to tobacco and exam the predictors of successful tobacco purchase attempts among Chinese minors.

METHODSA simulative trial of purchasing cigarettes was participated by 201 sixth grade students to assess the prevalence of illegal cigarette sales to minors in Guangzhou. Methods of Chi-square and unconditional logistic regression were used to identify the significant predictors,with the result of tobacco purchase as the dependent variable and the characteristics of stores, retailers and minors as the independent variables.

RESULTSA total of 165 students succeeded in purchasing cigarettes but 36 failed, and the percentage of successful purchase attempts was 82. 1% . Data from univariate analysis indicated that 9 factors were significantly associated with students' success in purchasing cigarettes. They were age and height of the purchasers, types of stores, seller's gender and age, posting cigarette advertisements,showing warning signs of 'no cigarette selling to minors' ,asking buyer's age,and asking whom you buy the cigarettes for. The results of multivariable analysis showed that only three variables entering the final logistic regression: the age of students, the type of stores, and showing warning signs of 'no cigarette selling to minors'.

CONCLUSIONChinese minors have easy access to purchasing cigarettes, especially in groceries and small markets. Selling cigarettes by sellers to minors should be monitored and managed in the future.

Adolescent ; Child ; China ; Commerce ; legislation & jurisprudence ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Minors ; statistics & numerical data ; Smoking ; epidemiology ; legislation & jurisprudence ; Students ; statistics & numerical data

Alleles ; Amelogenin/genetics* ; Chromosomes, Human, Y ; Humans ; Male ; Sex Determination Analysis

To investigate the resources of medicinal plant, such as wild Apocynum, supervised classification based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and texture feature were used to monitor wild medicinal plants from image captured by ZY-3 and World-view-2 and compare which satellite Image are more appropriate to monitor the wild medicinal plants. The research results shows that: for more complex growth conditions wild medicinal plants Apocynum, high-resolution images Worldview-2 is more suitable for its remote identification, the low-resolution satellite ZY-3 can only recognizes the wild medicinal plants which distributed intensively. If the study target distribution is more intensive and larger scale, and cultivated type medicinal plants, the use of satellite ZY-3 in low resolution remote sensing data to identify the target can be a good choice, it is not necessary to buy high-resolution data, in order to avoid waste of expenditure, for the scattered distribution, the high-resolution satellite imagery data may be indispensable to identify targets.
Apocynum ; chemistry ; growth & development ; China ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Geographic Information Systems ; Plant Dispersal ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Remote Sensing Technology ; methods

OBJECTIVETo elucidate the efficacy and probable prognostic factors of surgical resection of pulmonary metastasis from colorectal cancer.

METHODSClinical data and outcomes of 35 colorectal patients with pulmonary metastasis undergone pulmonary metastasectomy were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSMedian follow-up time was 48.0 months. The median overall survival time was 36.0 months. Five-year survival rate was 33.0%. Nineteen patients died of tumor progression. Sixteen patients were survival including survival with tumor (10 cases) and without tumor (6 cases). One patient was still alive without tumor for 164 months. Univariate analysis revealed that disease free interval (DFI) was a prognostic risk factor, while gender, age, primary tumor site, pulmonary metastasis size and location, surgical procedure, pre-surgical CEA level, re-metastasectomy did not show influence on the survival time after pulmonary metastasectomy.

CONCLUSIONSFor some selected patients with indication, pulmonary metastasectomy may be a potential curative method. DFI may be associated with the prognosis after pulmonary metastasectomy.

Colorectal Neoplasms ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; mortality ; secondary ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonectomy ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To examine the correlation of CCBE1 expression in adjacent tissues of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) with pericancerous lymphatic vessel proliferation, cervical lymph node metastasis and survival outcomes of the patients. METHODS: Lymphatic vessel density was quantified in pericancerous tissue sections of 44 cases of cT_1-2N₀ TSCC using D2-40 as the lymphatic vessel endothelial marker for calibration and counting of the lymphatic vessels. Of these 44 cases, 22 showed a relatively low lymphatic vessel density (group A) and the other 22 had a high lymphatic vessel density (group B), and the expression levels of CCBE1 in the adjacent tissues determined using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence assay and Western blotting were compared between the two groups. The expression level of CCBE1 was also measured in another 90 patients with TSCC using immunohistochemistry, and all the patients were followed up for their survival outcomes. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting showed a significantly lower rate of high CCBE1 expression in group A than in group B (P < 0.05). Immunofluorescence assay showed co-localization of CCBE1 and D2-40 in the adjacent tissues of TSCC. In the 90 TSCC patients with complete follow-up data, a high expression of CCBE1 was found to correlate with lymph node metastasis and a poor 5-year survival outcomes of the patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION A high expression of CCBE1 in the adjacent tissues of TSCC is closely related with pericancerous lymphatic vessel proliferation, cervical lymph node metastasis and a poor 5-year survival of the patients, suggesting the value of CCBE1 as a potential prognostic predictor for TSCC.
Humans ; Tongue Neoplasms/pathology* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism* ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Lymphatic Vessels/pathology* ; Cell Proliferation ; Tongue/pathology* ; Calcium-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins/metabolism*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the ultrasonographic features of obstructive azoospermia and to evaluate transrectal ultrasonography in the diagnosis of the disease.

METHODSWe performed transrectal ultrasonography for 248 patients with obstructive azoospermia, observed the sonographic features of the prostate gland, seminal vesicle and ejaculatory duct.

RESULTSThe average volume of the prostate gland of the studied group was 13.2 ml. A total of 111 cases showed normal sonographic features, 39 cases bilateral seminal vesicle defect, 33 cases bilateral seminal vesicle aplasia, 23 cases unilateral seminal vesicle defect and contralateral seminal vesicle aplasia, 28 cases bilateral and 14 cases unilateral seminal vesicle dilatation. Of the 42 cases of seminal vesicle dilatation, 18 had ejaculatory duct dilatation and 17 had cysts in the midline of the prostate.

CONCLUSIONObstructive azoospermia varies in kind. Transrectal ultrasonography can reveal the details of the prostate, seminal vesicle and ejaculatory duct and help to classify obstructive azoospermia and determine the location of the lesion.

Adult ; Azoospermia ; diagnostic imaging ; Ejaculatory Ducts ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Posture ; Prostate ; diagnostic imaging ; Rectum ; Seminal Vesicles ; diagnostic imaging ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo research the changes in microscopic characteristics and ability of secreting testosterone between aged SD rat Leydig cells and young SD rat Leydig cells.

METHODSThe total and free serum testosterone levels of serum both young and aged rats were examined. The changes in microscopic characteristics between young and aged rat Leydig cells were observed under microscope and electron microscope. The testosterone secreted by cultured Leydig cells of stimulated by hCG and Forskolin both groups were detected.

RESULTSA significant difference was found in both total and free testosterone levels between young and old rats (P < 0.05). Aged SD rat Leydig cells were observed smaller in volume and more markedly stained than young ones; The secretion ability of aged rat Leydig cells was found lower than that of young rat Leydig cells with or without hCG and Forskolin stimulation (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe secreting index of aged SD rat Leydig cells is lower than that of young rat Leydig cells both in vivo and vitro, and the reason is the system of synthesizing testosterone is arrested.

Androgens ; deficiency ; Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Leydig Cells ; pathology ; secretion ; Male ; Progesterone ; secretion ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Testosterone ; secretion

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Fascia Lata ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Synovial Cyst ; surgery

OBJECTIVEThrough an analysis of the effect of PKP (percutaneous kyphosis plasty) for aged osteoporotic spinal multiple fracture to demonstrate the importance of the selection of responsible veterbal body.

METHODSTwenty-four consecutive procedures were performed in 19 aged patients with osteoporotic spinal compression fractures from May 2004 to October 2007. The 24 responsible veterbal bodies were confirmed by the manifestations of MRI, X-ray, physical examination before the procedures. Established work path through hibateral vertebral arch, put into saccule, poured in bone cement under X-ray perspective. To observe the condition about symptom improving, fractured reduction and complications after operation.

RESULTSThe operations were successfully completed and the pain released obviously at 2 days after operation. The patients can walk next day after operation and no complication found. The mean loss percent of the anterior and middle vertebal heights were respectively (34.22 +/- 11.51)% and (26.53 +/- 11.61)% before operation,postoperative were respectively (13.21 +/- 11.43)% and (15.10 +/- 6.50)%. The mean kyphosis corrected from (24.50 +/- 3.10) degrees to (8.70 +/- 4.30) degrees; the VAS scores decreased from 83.00 +/- 6.00 to 27.00 +/- 5.00. There was significant difference between before and after operation (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSPKP for aged osteoporotic spinal multiple fractures by selecting true veterbal body has satisfactory clinical efficacy. We should emphasize the importance of the selectivity of responsible veterbal body in the procedures. It needs three essential elements: (1) Obviously spinous process tenderness and rap pain. (2) X-rays showed veterbal body compression fracture; MR showed low signal in veterbal body by T1WI, and high signal by T2WI, STIR. (3) The manifestation of radiology can be explained clearly by clinical symptomes arid signs.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis ; complications ; Recovery of Function ; Spinal Fractures ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Spine ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vertebroplasty ; methods