Objective To study T lymphocyte subsets levels in acute zoster patients and investigate its relation to the zoster associated pain.MethodsAccording to the visual analogue scales(VAS) in the acuter phase, 60 patients with herpes zoster were divided into two groups: group A (VAS≤6) and group B (VAS＞6). According to the follow-up results, patients were divided into another two groups: group C (PHN not developed) and group D (PHN developed). 25 healthy volunteers with a similar age and gender range as the patients were recruited as control group. T lymphocyte subsets were detected by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). ResultsThere was no significant difference in gender and age between groups (P＞0.05). T lymphocyte subsets were significantly decreased in four groups compared with the control group (P＜0.05), and the CD4 +subsets in group B were significantly decreased compared with group A (P＜0.05). The CD4 +/CD8 + ratios were significantly higher in group A and C than in control group, higher in group A than B and higher in group C than in group D (P＜0.05). The visual analogue scales(VAS) in group D were significantly higher than in group C (P＜ 0.05).Conclusions Cellular immunity function is decreased with the lower percent of the T lymphocytes subsets in the elderly patients with acute herpes zoster, especially in severe patients. The CD4 +/CD8 + ratios and the visual analogue scales may be associated with the the risk of post herpetic neuralgia.

AIM: A new type of unsaturated poly (ester-amide) viz maleic anhydride-phthalic anhydride-propylene glycol-neopentylene glycol-hexane diamine copolymer was prepared by melt polycondensation and characterized.METHODS: To use it as biodegradable bone fixation polymer materials, the flexural strength of unsaturated poly (ester-amide) prepared under different heat treatment conditions was measured after depth cross-linking. The degradation and hydrolysis of the polymer were investigated in phosphate buffer (0.1 mol/L, pH7.4) at 37 ℃ and in 0.1 mol/L NaOH standard solution at room temperature.RESULTS: The results obtained indicate that increasing heat treatment time or temperature can dramatically increase the flexural strength of cross-linked unsaturated poly (ester-amide). The maximum flexural strength of the cross-linked polymer containing 50 wt% of cross-linker was 123 MPa. After degradation 3 months, the flexural strength of the cross-linked polymer that contained 50 wt% of cross-linker and was heated at 195 ℃ for 18 hours could maintain as high as 114.3 MPa.Heat treatment conditions and cross-linker content play an important role to control the mass loss of the cross-linked polymer during the hydrolysis. The polymer exhibits bulk erosion property.CONCLUSION: The preliminary results obtained suggested that the copolymer might be used as bone internal fixation material.

Objective To evaluate the relationship between characteristics of cervical cancer at contrast-enhanced ultrasound and prognostic factors.Methods Thirty-five patients with pathologically confirmed cervical cancer were enrolled in this retrospective analysis.All the patients accepted contrast-enhanced ultrasound examination before the surgery.Relationships between the characters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and the expression of ki-67 antigen(cell proliferation marker),tumor diameter,lymph node metastasis and histologic grade were studied.Results (1)Compared to the surrounding normal tissue, the cervical cancer had statistically significant differences in time to peak and peak intensity(P <0.05),the former was shortened,and the latter was increased.(2 )The ratio of perfusion defect and heterogeneous enhancement were significantly higher in tissues,including the ki-67 positive expression tissue,poorly differentiated or larger tumors (≥ 2.0 cm in diameter)(P < 0.05 ).(3 )Compared to the ki-67 negative expression group,time to peak of the ki-67 positive expression group was shorter and the peak intensity was higher,the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05 ).(4 )The peak intensity of poorly differentiated cervical cancers was significantly higher than that of the other groups (P <0.05).Conclusions Enhancement patterns and parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound were associated with prognosis, which may be useful in noninvasive prediction of the patients with cervical cancers.

Objective To explore the correlation between quantitative parameters of blood perfusion with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and microvessel density (MVD),microvessel area (MVA) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).And to investigate the value of CEUS in evaluating the angiogenesis in PTC before operation.Methods Totally 69 cases of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma were selected from April 2014 to October 2016 in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University.The CEUS characteristics of 69 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into three groups according to maximum diameter of lesions (＜ 1 cm group,1-2 cm group and ＞ 2.0 cm group),and two groups according to pathologic reports (neck lymph node metastatic and nonmetastatic groups).The blood perfusion parameters between or among different groups were evaluated by ttest or one-way ANOVA.Immunohistochemical staining were performed to evaluate the MVD,MVA in the surgical specimens,and the correlation of quantitative parameters with MVD,MVA were assessed by Spearman.Results (1) Peak Intensity (Peak),area under the curve (AUC),MVD and MVA of thyroid carcinoma were lower than the surrounding normal thyroid tissue (14.95 ± 4.96 vs 22.67±6.11,970.01±263.20 vs 1798.35±563.67,118.91±31.32 vs 206.27±39.58,8.58±-2.68 vs 18.47±3.13),and the differences were statistically significant (t=-8.700,-11.061,-14.377 and-20.532,all P ＜ 0.05).(2)With the increase of the lesion's maximum diameter,Peak,AUC,MVD and MVA increased,and the differences were statistically significant (t=0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000;t=0.027,0.044,0.033,0.000;t=0.027,0.044,0.033,0.000,all P ＜ 0.05).(3) Papillary thyroid carcinoma with lymphatic involvement had significantly higher values of Peak,AUC,MVD and MVA than those without lymphatic involvement (16.86±4.36 vs 13.80±3.55,1128.16±290.85 vs 874.39±192.27,114.12±30.69 vs 103.67±22.19,10.30 ± 2.44 vs 7.54 ± 2.29),and the differences were statistically significant (t=3.177,4.366,6.336 and 4.742,all P ＜ 0.05).(4) A positive correlation existed between the Peak,AUC and MVD,and the differences were statistically significant (r=0.506,0.478,all P ＜0.05).Peak,AUC and MVA showed positive correlation,and the differences were statistically significant (r=0.648,0.653,all P ＜ 0.05).TP,MTT and MVD,MVA showed no correlations (all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions The values of Peak and AUC calculated from CEUS were correlated to MVD and MVA.CEUS may be used to evaluated the angiogenesis of PTC before operation.And CEUS is helpful for prediction of prognosis of PTC.

Drug slow release in osteomyelitis treatment is an important biomedical problem, to prepare the high effect drug sustained-release bead is the sticking point. A sustained-release bead system consisting of gentamicin sulfate in biodegradable poly(dimer acid-tetradecandioic acid) copolymer [P(DA-TA), WDA: WTA= 50: 50] is prepared by melt casting which may be useful in osteomyelitis treatment. The stability at room temperature and the in vitro release profile in distilling water, in 0.9% saline buffer and in 0.1 mol/LpH7.4 PBS at 37 degrees C of the bead are determined, the drug release behavior in vitro follows the first order release kinetics and Peppas release kinetics equation. In vitro bacteriostatic activity studies demonstrated that the beads possessed desired bacteriostatic activity and lasted for 50 days for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, which are common bacteria for infections in bone. All the above suggest that the biodegradable sustained-release beads may be a new treatment device for osteomyelitis treatment.
Delayed-Action Preparations ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology ; Dicarboxylic Acids ; administration & dosage ; chemical synthesis ; Drug Carriers ; Escherichia coli ; drug effects ; Gentamicins ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Osteomyelitis ; drug therapy ; Polyanhydrides ; administration & dosage ; chemical synthesis ; Polymers ; administration & dosage ; chemical synthesis ; Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical and genetic characteristics of five pedigrees affected with hereditary spastic paraplegia(HSP). METHODS: Clinical data of the five pedigrees was collected, and high-throughput sequencing was carried out to detect potential variants. Sanger sequencing were used to verify the results. RESULTS: The probands of pedigree 1 and 2 were found to harbor heterozygous SPAST gene variants, namely c.1196C>T and c.1523T>A. The proband of pedigree 3 harbored compound heterozygous variants of FA2H gene (c.61G>C and c.688G>A). Proband from pedigree 4 harbored compound heterozygous variants of SPG11 gene (c.6812+4_6812+7delAGTA and c.915delT). The proband of pedigree 5 harbored compound heterozygous variants of SPG7 gene (c.1703_1704delAG and c.1937-1G>C). Based on the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics(ACMG) guidelines, all variants were predicted to be likely pathogenic. Among these, SPAST gene c.1523T>A, FA2H gene c.61.G>C, SPG11 gene splicing region c.6812+4_6812+7delAGTA, c.915delT, SPG7 gene c.1703_1704delAG and splicing region c.1937-1G>C variants were unreported previously. CONCLUSION The probands of pedigrees 1 and 2 were diagnosed with autosomal dominant hereditary spastic paraplegia type 4, for which pedigree 2 showed incompletely penetrance. Pedigrees 3, 4, and 5 were diagnosed with autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia type 35, 11 and 7, respectively. Above result provided a reference for clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling for the affected pedigrees.

OBJECTIVE: The CYP4V2 gene of two pedigrees affected with Bietti crystalline corneoretinal dystrophy was analyzed to indentify the cause of the disease and provide a basis for clinical diagnosis. METHODS: The probands were subjected to next generation sequencing (NGS). Suspected variants were verified by Sanger sequencing. Pathogenicity of the variants were searched through relevant databases and PubMed by following the ACMG guidelines. RESULTS: A homozygous variant in the CYP4V2 gene c. (802-8) _810delTCATACAGGTCATCGCTinsGC was detected in proband from pedigree 1, parents did not detect; CYP4V2 genes c. (802-8)_810delTCATACAGGTCATCGCTinsGC and c. 958 C>T (p.Arg320X) compound heterozygous variants existed in the proband of pedigree 2,both parents were variant carriers. The results of Sanger sequencing showed that the variant of CYP4V2 gene in the two families was consistent with the NGS sequencing. The c. (802-8)_810delTCATACAGGTCATCGCTinsGC of CYP4V2 gene was splicing variant, and both splicing variant and nonsense variant could produce truncated nonfunctional protein products. Based on standards and guidelines by American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the CYP4V2 genes c. (802-8)_810del TCATACAGGTCATCGCTinsGC and c. 958 C>T (p.Arg320X) were predicted to be pathogenic variants (PVS1+PS1+PM2+PM3). CONCLUSION The homozygous variant c. (802-8) _810delTCATACAGGTCATCGCTinsGC and the complex heterozygous variants c. (802-8) _810delTCATACAGGTCATCGCTinsGC and c.958C>T (p.Arg320X) in CYP4V2 gene are the cause of the disease in the probands of two pedigrees , respectively.
Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary/pathology* ; Cytochrome P450 Family 4/genetics* ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Phenotype ; Retinal Diseases/pathology*