BACKGROUND:Pedicle screw fixation in the treatment of thoracolumbar fracture can effectively restore vertebral body height and physiological radian, and are widely used in the clinic. In the clinic, we found that different surgical methods on restoration of vertebral height are different. Simultaneously, there are differences in relevant factors before repair, which causes that the recovery of vertebral body height is not consistent.
OBJECTIVE:To explore the related factors influencing the recovery of vertebral height of pedicle screw fixation system for treating thoracolumbar fracture.
METHODS:Clinical data of 63 patients with thoracolumbar fracture, who were treated by posterior pedicle screw fixation system from September 2012 to March 2015, were summarized. The fracture types were A3 or A4 type in the AO spine thoracolumbar injury classification system, including 32 cases of transpedicular screw fixation (group A) and 31 cases of beyond-injured-vertebral fixation (group B). The related factors including age, course of disease (within 3 weeks), bone mineral density, preoperative degree of vertebral compression and preoperative sagittal Cobb’s angle were recorded. The degree of vertebral height restoration was also observed. Intergroup analysis was conducted using independent samplet-test. Intragroup analysis was performed using bivariate regression analysis in single factor analysis. Multivariate linear regression analysis was applied for multivariate analysis so as to explore the factors related to vertebral height restoration.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:No significant difference in preoperative rate of vertebral compression or Cobb’s angle was detected between the two groups (P > 0.05). Postoperative rate of vertebral height restoration of group A was significantly greater than group B (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis within the group showed that course of disease, preoperative degree of vertebral compression and bone mineral density were strongly associated with the restoration of vertebral height (P < 0.05). In contrast, there was no significant correlation between age, preoperative sagittal Cobb’s angle and the restoration of vertebral height (P > 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the preoperative degree of vertebral compression and the course of disease were the predominant factors affecting the vertebral height restoration. The standardized partial regression coefficients were 0.225, -0.621, respectively. These results demonstrate that transpedicular screw fixation can more effectively restore vertebral height than traditional beyond-injured-vertebral internal fixation. The preoperative vertebral compression and course of diseases are the predominant factors affecting the vertebral height restoration, which can predict postoperative vertebral height restoration.

BACKGROUND:The ankle fusion is an important treating means of end-stage ankle joint disease. Internal fixation of implant has become the preferred way of fixation, but fixation of different implants has different effects. OBJECTIVE:To explore the value of different internal fixation methods in ankle fusion. METHODS:A retrospective analysis was performed in 64 cases of ankle fusion from September 2012 to March 2015. They were divided into the observation group (32 cases) and control group (32 cases) according to the way of internal fixation of implant. The observation group underwent headless compression screw fixation. The control group underwent interlocking compression plate fixation. Length of incision, operation time, postoperative drainage volume, postoperative complications, healing time of bone and functional recovery of ankle-hindfoot were observed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) There was no statistical significance in operation time and healing time of bone between the two groups (P>0.05). (2) Length of incision and postoperative drainage volume were significantly greater in the control group than in the observation group. The incidence of postoperative complications was significantly higher in the control group than in the observation group (P<0.05). (3) No significant differences in preoperative American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot score were found between the two groups (P>0.05), but the score was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group in final fol ow-up (P<0.05). (4) These findings suggest that compared with the interlocking compression plate, headless compression screw treatment for ankle fusion can obtain better effect, smal trauma, less postoperative complications, fixed firmly, more in line with the physiological and biomechanical requirements.

OBJECTIVETo study the efficacy and safety of specific sublingual immunotherapy with dermatophagoides farinae drops in the treatment of cough variant asthma in children.

METHODSA total of 106 children aged 4-14 years old with cough variant asthma and positive skin prick test responses to dermatophagoides farinae allergens were randomly divided into two groups: SLIT group (n=53), which received specific sublingual immunotherapy with dermatophagoides farinae drops as well as standardized treatment and conventional treatment group (n=53), which received standardized treatment alone. Improvement in cough/asthma symptom scores and the time taken for symptoms to improve were observed after treatment. Serum eosinophil (EOS) level and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were measured after treatment. The side effects were observed.

RESULTSCompared with the conventional treatment group, the SLIT group showed significant decrease in symptom scores and serum EOS level and significant increase in PEF (P<0.05). The time at which symptoms began to improve in the SLIT group was earlier than in the conventional treatment group (P<0.05). The effective rate in the SLIT group was significantly higher than in the conventional treatment group (85% vs 68%; P<0.05). Local reactions such as redness, swelling, and itching occurred in some children of the SLIT group but disappeared on the following day.

CONCLUSIONSSpecific sublingual immunotherapy with dermatophagoides farinae drops is an effective and highly safe treatment for cough variant asthma in children.

Administration, Sublingual ; Adolescent ; Antigens, Dermatophagoides ; immunology ; Asthma ; therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cough ; therapy ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; adverse effects ; Eosinophils ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVETo construct a recombination retroviral expression vector pLNC-IL-4RA with high efficiency transfection and carrying a screening label.

METHODSIL-4RA was inserted into retroviral vector pLNC-Laz to get recombination retroviral expression vector pLNC-IL-4RA and then transfected into packaging cell line PA317 by liposome transfection. The transfected PA317 cells were obtained and amplified by G418 pressure screening. The cell culture supernatants containing viruses were harvested and the viral titer was determined by NIH3T3 cells infection.

RESULTSThe G418 resistant clones were titrated and checked for the presence of replication virus. The results showed that the highest titer of viral supernatant was 1 x 10(4) CFU/mL. Genome DNA isolated from the cell clone of the highest titer showed the function gene, IL-4RA cDNA, had integrated into the genome of host cells verified by PCR.

CONCLUSIONSThe recombination retroviral vector pLNC-IL-4RA encoding IL-4RA after packaging PA317 cells have higher viral titer. This provides a basis for gene treatment of asthma.

Asthma ; therapy ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, Interleukin-4 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Retroviridae ; genetics ; Transfection ; Virus Assembly

OBJECTIVETo investigate the spectrum of pathogens for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children, and to provide a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of CAP.

METHODSRespiratory secretions and venous blood samples were collected from 1560 children with CAP aged from one month to 9 years within 2 hours after admission, for detection of multiple pathogens. Respiratory virus antigens in nasopharyngeal swab specimens were detected by immunofluorescence. Sputum was used for bacterial culture. Levels of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP)-IgM and Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP)-IgM in venous blood were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTSA total of 579 strains of bacteria were isolated from all respiratory secretions, including 213 (36.8%) Gram-positive strains and 366 (63.2%) Gram-negative strains. The five most common strains were Haemophilus influenzae (7.50%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (6.73%), Staphylococcus aureus (6.35%), Moraxella catarrhalis (5.19%), and Escherichia coli (3.46%), wherein the beta-lactamase-producing strains accounted for 3.3% of all strains. The non-bacterial pathogens mainly included respiratory syncytial virus (12.88%), MP (7.88%), and CP (8.91%). Mixed infection of pathogens was serious, and the mixed infection of respiratory syncytial virus with Haemophilus influenzae infections were the most common. For most pathogens, the infection rate was higher in children aged under one year than in those aged over one year.

CONCLUSIONSHaemophilus influenzae, respiratory syncytial virus, MP and CP are the main pathogens for children with CAP. For most pathogens, the infection rate is higher in children aged under one year than in those aged over one year. Mixed infection rate of pathogens is high.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Coinfection ; etiology ; microbiology ; Community-Acquired Infections ; etiology ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Pneumonia ; etiology ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the infection rate of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) and age, sex and season.

METHODSPassive agglutination assay was used to detect Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibodies (MP-Ab) in the serum of patients with respiratory tract infection, and MP-Ab test results in 2010 were analyzed.

RESULTSThe positive rates of 5 year test results were 30.10%; among the results, the positive rates of male and female patients were respectively 30.74% and 36.12%, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05); And every age group were significantly different (P < 0.001), among each group, the positive rate of 3-14 years old patients was the highest; the season was no significant difference in incidence rates; the patients of positive titer > 1:640 accounted for 10.18% of the patients.

CONCLUSIONMP infection is increasing year by year, children aged 3 to 14 has become the high-risk groups. Women are more susceptible to MP than the men and the chances of infection are throughout the year, but the most of the patients have a good prognosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antibodies, Bacterial ; blood ; immunology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; immunology ; microbiology ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; blood ; immunology ; microbiology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To accumulate experience for dated forensic matter analysis, for example, Mummy. METHODS: DNA are extracted by methods of phenol-chloroform and are purified by Wizard DNA clean-up system. The STRs locus are ampolification with Promega Powerplus 16 system. The mtDNA hypervariable region 1 (HV1) is amplificated by '3 pair primers'. The products were sequenced with 377 DNA sequencer. RESULTS: The STRs locus very distinctness and mtDNA sequence is correct. CONCLUSION It is a valuable method for special forensic matters.
Base Sequence ; DNA/genetics* ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics* ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Microsatellite Repeats/genetics* ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mummies ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods*

BACKGROUNDThe clinical significance of metabolic syndrome (MS) score, MS, and its individual components with respect to risk prediction of coronary artery disease (CAD) remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate whether and to what extent MS score, MS, and its individual components were related to the risk of CAD.

METHODSAmong 1191 participants who underwent coronary angiography for the confirmation of suspected myocardial ischemia, 858 were included in this study according to the inclusion criteria from September 2010 to June 2013. MS was diagnosed with the 2005 National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. The severity of coronary atherosclerosis was assessed by Gensini score.

RESULTSThe results showed that the age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios (OR s) for CAD were as follows: MS score, 1.327; MS, 2.013; elevated waist circumference, 1.447; reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 1.654; and elevated fasting glucose, 1.782; all P < 0.05; whereas for elevated triglycerides, 1.324, and elevated blood pressure, 1.342, both P > 0.05. After multivariate adjustment, results showed that only MS and elevated fasting glucose were significantly associated with CAD (OR, 1.628, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.151-2.305, P = 0.006 for elevated fasting glucose, and OR, 1.631, 95% CI, 1.208-2.203, P = 0.001 for MS). The study showed that only MS score and elevated fasting glucose were significantly associated with Gensini score (standardized coefficient, 0.101, P = 0.031 for elevated fasting glucose and standardized coefficient, 0.103, P = 0.009 for MS score).

CONCLUSIONSThe present study demonstrated that MS score, MS, and its individual components might have different contributions to CAD prevalence and severity. MS and elevated fasting glucose were independent risk factors for the prevalence of angiographic CAD whereas MS score and elevated fasting glucose were significantly associated with the severity of CAD.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; epidemiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Fasting ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Lipoproteins, HDL ; blood ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; epidemiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides ; blood

OBJECTIVETo study the association of ORMDL3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) with lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC) and apolipoprotein B (apoB) levels.

METHODSA total of 300 children diagnosed with bronchial asthma between January 2010 and December 2012 were selected for the asthma group, and 298 children diagnosed with upper respiratory tract infection in the same period were selected for the control group. Serum LysoPC and apoB levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Genotype analysis was performed using the TaqMan probe.

RESULTSLysoPC and apoB levels were significantly higher in the asthma group than in the control group (P<0.01). Among children with various genotypes of ORMDL3 gene at locus rs12603332, the asthma group had significantly higher LysoPC and apoB levels than the control group (P<0.01). Among the children with asthma, those with CC genotype had significantly higher LysoPC and apoB levels than those with CT and TT genotypes (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSLysoPC and apoB may intervene in the pathological process of asthma. Pro-inflammatory gene ORMDL3 SNP rs12603332 may be associated with high LysoPC and apoB levels, which leads to the occurrence of childhood asthma.

Apolipoproteins B ; blood ; Asthma ; blood ; genetics ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Lysophosphatidylcholines ; blood ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

OBJECTIVETo analyze the frequency distribution of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of four asthma-related gene loci (ACE I/D; ADRB2 Arg16Gly; TNF-α G-308A; MS4A2 Glu237Gly) in 198 asthmatic children, and to investigate its association with genetic susceptibility to childhood asthma and some clinical phenotypes of asthma.

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction product electrophoresis identification and real-time quantitative PCR detecting system were used to determine the frequency distributions of the SNPs of the four asthma-related gene loci in 198 asthmatic children and 110 healthy controls. The serum total IgE (TIgE) levels and blood eosinophil proportion (%EOS) of the asthmatic children were measured. Different genotypes at the four asthma-related gene loci were compared in terms of TIgE and %EOS.

RESULTSThe genotype DD of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) had a significantly higher frequency in the asthmatic children than in the healthy controls (χ2= 30.667, P<0.01), and the frequency of D allele was also significantly higher in the asthmatic children than in the healthy controls (χ2=7.151, P<0.01). No correlation was found between the polymorphism of each gene locus and serum TIgE level and %EOS (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSGenotype DD of ACE is related to genetic susceptibility to childhood asthma and may be the risk factor for childhood asthma.

Asthma ; etiology ; genetics ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 ; genetics ; Receptors, IgE ; genetics ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics