OBJECTIVETo investigate the risk factors of related disorders, which could lead to potential otitis media by observing the abnormal configuration of drum and abnormal acoustic immittance without symptoms in preschool children.

METHODSEighty-one cases (162 ears) received flexible pharyngorhinoscopy, skin prick test, CT examination of sinus, and were diagnosed as allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, adenoid hypertrophy. They had no complaints of ear related symptoms, but were observed to have abnormality in ear drum by physical examined. Acoustic immittance measurement were performed, so as to estimate whether they were accompany with potential otitis media. The changes of examination and tests were analyzed before and after the treatment.

RESULTSThere were 15 cases (29 ears) with abnormal acoustic admittance among 81 cases (162 ears) who had no ear related symptoms but had different degree abnormality in ear drum. The morbidity rate of these 15 patients was 13.6% (6/44 ears) in allergic rhinitis patients, 18.2% (12/66 ears) in chronic sinusitis patients, and 21.2% (11/52 ears) in adenoid hypertrophy patients, respectively. The differences among the three diseases had statistical significance (χ² = 63.02,P < 0.05). Among 29 ears, 28 ears whose type of tympanic pressure curve were transferred from type C to type A two weeks after treatment. One ear whose type of tympanic pressure curve transferred from type B to type C four weeks after treatment. All cases had been followed up with no recurrent cases.

CONCLUSIONSSome preschool children with nasal and nasopharyngeal disorders had abnormal configuration of drum and abnormal acoustic immittance, and had potential risk for otitis media. Among the disorders, adenoid hypertrophy impact more on middle ear function. The early intervention of related diseases could prevent the developing trend of otitis media.

Acoustic Impedance Tests ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nasopharyngeal Diseases ; physiopathology ; Otitis Media with Effusion ; etiology ; pathology ; Risk Factors ; Tympanic Membrane ; physiopathology

Objective The factors influencing the dose distribution of intracavitary brachytherapy for moderately advanced and advanced uterine cervical cancer was studied.Methods Ninty-five patients with cervical cancerⅡ～Ⅲb who received radical radiation therapy in our department from Aug,2004 to Nov,2005,were treated with after-loading brachytherapy using,first,the self-designed“Mutipurpose Hori- zontal Transit Table”(MPHTT) for locating and treatment before the intracavitaray brachytherapy proper. The deviation of isodose curve based on A-B reference system,and the dose of deviation was defined by measuring in a practical standard phantom.Results There were significant influence on the deviation of i- sodose curve in pathology and para-metrial infiltration of cervical cancer and operating skill,but negative to clinical stage.The degree of deviation of isodose curve could not be lowered with the increase in sessions of intracavitary brachytherapy.Conclusions It is necessary to perform the locating,by use of mphtt,before the proper brachytherapy for patients with cervical cancer,not only for the identification of the deviation of i- sodose curve,but also to provide the evidence for revising the plan for dose adjustment of conformal radiation therapy in the pelvic cavity.

Alpha 5 subunit-containing γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (α5GABAARs), mainly distributed in the hippocampus, are an inhibitory synaptic receptor of the central nervous system.α5GABAARs inhibit the hippocampal neurons by mediating a chloride leak current. A number of studies have demonstrated that alterations in the level of excitability of α5GABAARs impair cognitive function and learning-memory, thus resulting in a series of diseases and symptoms including postoperative cognitive dysfunction, pain, depression, schizophrenia and Down syndrome. Accordingly, allosteric modulators for α5GABAARs show therapeutic or improving effects on the above clinical diseases. This review mainly discusses the physiology of α5GABAARs, impact on cognition and key effects of these allosteric modulators.

OBJECTIVE: To study the morphological characteristics of femurs of adult human and 11 kinds of adult animals from cattle, horses, pigs, goats, sheep, dogs, cats, rabbits, geese, ducks, chickens, and to establish an effective species identification method among various species. METHODS: The 4 cm mid-diaphyseal segment of the femur from adult human (older than 20 years old) at autopsy was obtained. Addi-tionally, the 4 cm ones from 11 kinds of adult animals were obtained. After decalcification, all femurs were made into slices, and then were observed by optical microscope. The 25 indexes were selected and analyzed by step discriminant analysis according to differences between human and mammal, human and poultry, and human and 11 kinds of animals. RESULTS: The histological structure of bone mineral density of middle part of femur had obvious characteristics among the species. And the morphology and number of osteon showed the trend of obvious biological evolution. There were 11 indexes with significant differences between human and 11 kinds of animals to establish some mathematical models to discriminate all species. The correct discrimination rate was 96.3% between human and mammal. The correct discrimination rate was up to 100% between human and poultry, and was 89.4% among human, mammal and poultry. CONCLUSION The mathematical models have good correct discrimination rate among human and the other animals, which could be applied in the practical species identification cases.
Adult ; Animals ; Autopsy ; Bone Density ; Cadaver ; Cats ; Cattle ; Chickens ; Discriminant Analysis ; Dogs ; Femur/ultrastructure* ; Forensic Anthropology ; Haversian System/ultrastructure* ; Horses ; Humans ; Sheep ; Species Specificity ; Swine

OBJECTIVERecent studies have found that the variation of G894T on the region of T786C and 7th exon promoted by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene is associated with cardiovascular disease. This research explored possible correlations between eNOS gene polymorphisms and orthostatic intolerance (OI) in children through linkage disequilibrium analysis between eNOS genes T786C and G894T and OI.

METHODSPCR, Macrorestriction Map and other molecular biotechnology were used to determine the genotypes of eNOS/T786C and G894T in 60 OI probands and their parents. Correlation analysis and transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) between T786C, G894T and OI were performed.

RESULTSThere was linkage disequilibrium of eNOS/T786C and G894T gene polymorphisms in the occurrence of childhood OI (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSeNOS genes T786C and G894T may be associated with the pathogenesis of OI.

Adult ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Male ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; genetics ; Orthostatic Intolerance ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic

AIMTo investigate the effects of tamoxifen on proliferation of human breast cancer Bcap-37 cells and cervical carcinoma HeLa cells and to explore it's possible mechanism.

METHODSThe techniques of cell culture, growth curves, flow cytometry and laser scanning confocal microscope were used.

RESULTSTamoxifen (10(-6) mol/L) shifted the growth curve of Bcap-37 cells downward, and shifted the growth curve of HeLa cells upward. Tamoxifen (10(-8) - 10(-6) mol/L) inhibited the proliferation of Bcap-37 cells in a dose-dependent manner, but stimulated the proliferation of HeLa cells in a dose-dependent manner. Bcap-37 cells appeared apoptosis when treated with tamoxifen (10(-6) mol/L), and the same dose stimulated the proliferation of HeLa cells at GI/S phases. The apoptotic rate of Bcap-37 cells was 97.5%. It blocked G1 phase of HeLa cells from 55.5% to 32.8%, and increased the S phase from 29.0% to 49.4%. Tamoxifen (10(-6) mol/L) also increased the releasing of calcium in Bcap-37 and HeLa cells.

CONCLUSIONTamoxifen can significantly influence the proliferation of breast cancer and cervical carcinoma cells possibly by affecting cell cycle and stimulating the releasing of Ca2+ in the cells.

Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Female ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Tamoxifen ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the hypermethylation status of blu gene promoter in nasopharyngeal NK/T cell lymphoma and its role in the tumorigenesis and molecular diagnosis of this lymphoma.

METHODSTwenty cases of paraffin-embedded nasopharyngeal NK/T cell lymphomas tissues were studied by using methylation specific PCR (MSP).

RESULTSHypermethylation of blu gene promoter is detected in 6 of 20 (30%) nasopharyngeal NK/T cell lymphoma. The 6 positive cases were 4 in 15 nasopharyngeal NK cell lymphomas, 1 of 2 NK like T cell lymphoma and 1 in 3 peripheral T cell lymphomas (unspecified type).

CONCLUSIONHypermethylation of blu gene promoter in nasopharyngeal NK/T cell lymphoma indicated the inactivation of blu gene and its possible role in the tumorigenesis of this lymphoma. blu gene methylation could be detected in paraffin-embedded tissue and used as a new molecular marker for the diagnosis of this lymphoma.

DNA Methylation ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; genetics ; pathology ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins

Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; diagnosis ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma ; diagnosis

The objective of this study was to elucidate the correlation of killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) gene diversity with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in the Chinese southern Han population. KIR genotyping of peripheral blood samples from 67 patients with NPC and 77 randomly-selected healthy controls was performed by PCR-SSP, the relative risk (RR) value was calculated by means of Wolf method. The results showed that the KIR2DL3 gene frequency in NPC patient group was significantly lower than that in healthy controls (χ²>3.84, p < 0.05, RR = 0.08), whereas the KIR2DS5 and KIR2DL5B gene frequencies in patient group were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (χ²>3.84, p < 0.05, RR > 1), the other KIR gene frequencies were no statistically different between two groups. It is concluded that the KIR2DL3, KIR2DS5 and KIR2DL5B genes may be correlated with pathogenesis of NPC in the Chinese southern Han population.
Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; genetics ; Receptors, KIR ; genetics ; Receptors, KIR2DL3 ; genetics ; Receptors, KIR2DL5 ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo determine the serotype and genotype of a sample with ABO blood group discrepancies.

METHODSSerotype was determined with serological method. Sequence specific primer polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR) was carried out based on the serotype. Sequences of exons 6 and 7 of ABO gene was analyzed by sequence-based testing (SBT).

RESULTSCompletely agglutinated A antigen, half agglutinated B antigen and weak agglutinated anti-B antibody were detected in both erythrocytes and serum, which suggested presence of a ABw serotype. An A/Bw12 genotype was revealed by B subgroup detection. Sequences of exons 6 and 7 were 278CT, 297GA and 467CT, 526CG, 657CT, 703GA, 796CA, 803GC, 930GA, respectively. The genotype fit with A102/B101 except for a nt278 C>T mutation. Blood group antigen gene mutation database (BGMUT) search has confirmed the mutant allele to be Bw12.

CONCLUSIONAn A102/Bw12 genotype has been found in the Chinese population.

ABO Blood-Group System ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Blood Group Antigens ; genetics ; Blood Grouping and Crossmatching ; methods ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation