OBJECTIVEDevelopment of new methods, ELISA and immunostrip test, for the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

METHODSThe engineering purified antigens coat plate or absorb on nitrocellulose filter. The plate and diagnostic strips carrying antigens were used for detection of IgG antibody in the sera from nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and outpatients patients.

RESULTS127 cases sera from nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients were parallel detected TK/IgG antibody by ELISA and immunostrips. The TK/IgG antibody are all positive in the 127 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. 55 cases show positive by ELISA, 58 cases positive by immunostrips in 247cases sera from outpatient. The antibody positive rate to early antigen p54 lower then to TK. Conclusion ELISA and imuunostrips are sensitive and specific means for detection of the IgG antibody to TK of EBV and the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Carcinoma ; diagnosis ; immunology ; virology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; methods ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; diagnosis ; immunology ; virology ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; enzymology ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; immunology ; virology ; Reagent Strips ; Thymidine Kinase ; blood ; immunology ; Viral Proteins ; blood ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Zhigancao Decoction (ZD) containing serum on transient outward potassium current (I(to)) in isolated single ventricular myocyte of rabbits.

METHODSSingle rabbit ventricular myocytes were isolated and divided into 6 groups, the normal group, the non-drug-containing serum group, and the ZD groups, they were treated with normal extracellular fluid alone or with ZD containing serum recording technique was used to observe the changes of I(to).

RESULTSAfter treated with 5%, 10%, 20% and 40% ZD containing serum, the I(to) was inhibited and its peak value dropped from (16.1 +/- 1.4) PA/PF to (13.9 +/-1.5) PA/PF, (11.8 +/- 1.9) PA/PF, (8.3 +/- 1.5) PA/PF and (8.2 +/- 1.2) PA/PF respectively, and the effect could be eliminated by elution.

CONCLUSIONZD containing serum could inhibit the I(to) in isolated ventricular myocytes of rabbits in a concentration-dependent manner, which may be the mechanism of antiarrhythmic action of ZI).

Animals ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Electrophysiology ; Heart Ventricles ; cytology ; Male ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Potassium Channels ; metabolism ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Serum

OBJECTIVETo investigate the distribution of Nontuberculous mycobacteria in the environment of Shenzhen city and its related sensitivity to drugs.

METHODS145 samples in the environment of Shenzhen city were collected and the samples were isolated, identified and its drug sensitivity were detected according to the "Procedure of Bacteriological Determination Regulation for Tuberculous Diagnosis", issued in 1995 by the Antituberculosis Association of China.

RESULTSAll together, 53 strains of Mycobacteria were detected from the 145 sample, including 6 of them isolated from the polluted water in the hospital before disinfected, 4 from the polluted water in the hospital after disinfected, 4 from the dirt of air condition in the hospital, 34 from the polluted water in the residential area, 3 from the ocean water and 2 from the fountain. M. nonchromogenicum, M. avium, M. fortuitum, M. gordonae, M. genavense, M. chelonae and M. intracellulare were identified.

CONCLUSIONNontuberculous mycobacteria seemed to widely exist in the environment of Shenzhen city and the ratio of drug-resistant was high. Attention should be paid to the influence of Nontuberculous mycobacteria on humans in order to formulate effective control measure.

Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Humans ; Mycobacterium ; Mycobacterium Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Water Microbiology

BACKGROUNDSince being reclassified by WHO in 1996, solid pseudopapillary tumour (SPT) of pancreas has been recognized as the internationally accepted name. Clinicians are lacking in knowledge of this rare disease so the misdiagnosis and inappropriate therapy are hard to avoid. The clinic data on 22 patients were summarized to study the misdiagnosis and treatment of a sample of SPTs.

METHODSTwenty-two female patients with SPT were studied retrospectively and divided into two groups, the misdiagnosed group and the correctly diagnosed one. The analyses were performed with Fisher test with accurate probability for categorical data, and Kruskal-Wallis test for ranked data.

RESULTSThe rate of misdiagnosis in this sample was 45.5%. The misdiagnosed SPTs were apt to be the incomplete capsule ones (P = 0.020), which resulted in obvious difficulties during operation (P = 0.024). In the misdiagnosed SPT group, the medical expenses increased significantly (P = 0.042), and the number of days in hospital greater than in correctly diagnosed group (P = 0.041).

CONCLUSIONSAlthough SPT has low malignancy with excellent prognosis after surgical treatment in most patients, the misdiagnosis of SPT increases the social and economic burdens on patients. It is important to analyse the causes of misdiagnosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Child ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of therapeutic ultrasound-induced microbubble destruction on the microcirculation of rat skeletal muscle.

METHODSThirty SD rats were randomized into 5 groups (n=6), namely normal saline, microbubble, ultrasound, high-energy ultrasound microbubble and low-energy ultrasound microbubble groups. Before and after the treatments, the diameter and blood flow velocity in the microvessels in the skeletal muscle were measured, and the structural changes of the injured microvessels observed by electron microscopy.

RESULTSMicrobubble cavitation did not produce significant effect on the mean arterial pressure and diameter of microvessels in rat skeletal muscle (P>0.05), but the blood flow velocity was obviously lowered and blood flow volume reduced in the microvessels. The reduction of the flow velocity and blood flow volume and their subsequent recovery were associated with ultrasound energy, and in the low ultrasound energy group, the flow velocity and blood flow volume in the of venules recovered obviously after about 15 min, which, however, took approximately 1 h for the arterioles. In contrast, recovery of the flow velocity and blood flow volume in the microvessels took more than 2 h in the high ultrasound energy group. Cavitation resulted in endothelium cell rupture, widening of the endothelial interspace and entry of the red blood cells into the extravascular tissues as revealed by electron microscopy, but no rupture of the lining endothelium was observed 2 h after the treatment.

CONCLUSIONSEndothelium cell rupture induced by microbubble cavitation may affect the local microcirculation, and lower ultrasound energy exposure is associated with milder endothelial injury and more rapid recovery.

Animals ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Blood Vessels ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Endothelial Cells ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Female ; Male ; Microbubbles ; Microcirculation ; Microscopy, Electron ; Microspheres ; Muscle, Skeletal ; blood supply ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ultrasonics

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the virological, serological and biochemical outcomes of 3 years of entecavir (ETV) treatment in nucleoside-naive chronic hepatitis B patients.

METHODSThis study was divided into two stages: Patients receiving either ETV 0.5 mg/d (n = 258) or lamivudine (LAM) 100 mg/d (n = 261) entered the initial 96-week randomized, double blind, controlled efficacy study. Patients not achieving a consolidated response (HBV DNA less than 0.7 MEq/ml, ALT less than 1.25 times*ULN, and if HBeAg-positive at baseline, loss of HBeAg for >or= 24 weeks), or those experienced viral breakthrough or relapse, entered a 48-week entecavir rollover study.

RESULTS96 weeks after the treatment, 79% of ETV treated and 46% of LAM treated patients had HBV DNA less than 300 copies/ml (P < 0.0001), 96% of ETV treated and 92% of LAM treated patients had normalized ALT (P = 0.06). 21% of ETV treated and 23% of LAM treated patients achieved HBeAg seroconversion. Among the 160 patients received continuous ETV for 144 weeks, 89% had undetectable serum HBV DNA, 86% showed ALT normalization, and 27% achieved HBeAg seroconversion. ETV resistance was rare: only 3 patients showed ETV resistance 96 weeks after the treatment, and additional 2 patients developed ETV resistance during the following 48 weeks, genotyping indicated the ETV resistance was caused by gene mutation. Adverse event rates in ETV-treated patients were similar to those in LAM-treated patients, but fewer ALT flares were observed in ETV-treated patients.

CONCLUSIONSThis study demonstrates that ETV treatment results in long-term HBV suppression and ALT normalization in Chinese CHB patients, and is associated with low rate of drug resistance.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Antiviral Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Double-Blind Method ; Drug Resistance, Viral ; Female ; Guanine ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Viral Load ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo validate the efficacy of velocity vector imaging (VVI) and quantitative tissue velocity imaging (QTVI) for evaluating left ventricular diastolic function.

METHODSFifty-one patients underwent left heart catheterization were included in this study. Mean of peak early diastolic velocity (Em), EF and the ratio of early (E) to late (A) mitral valve flow velocity (E/A) were measured by echocardiography and the ratio of E to Em (E/Em) was calculated. Left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was measured during catheterization examination.

RESULTSE/Em derived from VVI or QTVI was significantly correlated with LVEDP (r = 0.808, P < 0.01 and r = 0.692, P < 0.01, respectively) and the correlation coefficient between VVI and LVEDP was significantly higher than that between QTVI and LVEDP (Z = 2.246, P = 0.025). Em derived from VVI and QTVI also negatively correlated with LVEDP (r = -0.740, P < 0.01 and r = -0.567, P < 0.01) and the correlation coefficient between VVI and LVEDP was significantly higher than that between QTVI and LVEDP (Z = 2.595, P = 0.009). However, there was no correlation between E/A and LVEDP (r = 0.117, P = 0.415).

CONCLUSIONE/Em and Em derived from VVI and QTVI are valuable parameters for evaluating LV diastolic function.

Blood Flow Velocity ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Diastole ; physiology ; Echocardiography ; methods ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; diagnostic imaging ; physiology ; Reproducibility of Results ; Ventricular Function, Left ; physiology

BACKGROUNDPancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal human cancers with a very low survival rate of 5 years. Conventional cancer treatments including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or combinations of these show little effect on this disease. Several proteins have been proved critical to the development and the progression of pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of resveratrol on apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells.

METHODSSeveral pancreatic cancer cell lines were screened by resveratrol, and its toxicity was tested by normal pancreatic cells. Western blotting was then performed to analyze the molecular mechanism of resveratrol induced apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cell lines.

RESULTSIn the screened pancreatic cancer cell lines, capan-2 and colo357 showed high sensitivity to resveratrol induced apoptosis. Resveratrol exhibited insignificant toxicity to normal pancreatic cells. In resveratrol sensitive cells, capan-2 and colo357, the activation of caspase-3 was detected and showed significant caspase-3 activation upon resveratrol treatment; p53 and p21 were also detected up-regulated upon resveratrol treatment.

CONCLUSIONResveratrol provides a promising anti-tumor strategy to fight against pancreatic cancer.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Blotting, Western ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Humans ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

This article summarized the clinical experience of Professor WANG Meng-yong in treating lupus nephritis from the symptoms and essence. Professor WANG Meng-yong believes that treatment for lupus nephritis should attach importance to clinical features of setting deficiency of liver, spleen and kidney as the essence and toxin and blood stasisas symptoms, in which the essence is deficient and the symptoms are excess and combination of external and internal pathogenesis. He flexibly uses methods of nourishing liver and kidney, tonifying spleen, and stomach, clearing heat and cooling blood, activating blood and promoting diuresis to alleviate water retention, which have obvious efficacy, effectively avoid adverse reactions and reduce the risk of recurrence, and improve patient prognosis.

OBJECTIVEThe surgical therapies and prognoses on 21 solid-pseudopapillary tumors (SPT) of pancreas were summarized in our center.

METHODSTwenty-one SPTs were retrospectively studied and divided into two groups, the complete capsular group and the incomplete one. The analyses were performed by SAS6.12 Stat. software.

RESULTSThere are no tumor recurrences in all patients. There are significant difference between operative types in radical resection and the tumor position of the pancreas (P = 0.038). There are also significant differences between the capsular integrity and the course of the diseases (P = 0.029), and the possible malignant cells by the frozen section examination (P = 0.001), and the size of the tumor (P = 0.0004). The judgement on the capsular integrity of the tumor could directly effect the adoptable operative types (P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSThe surgical resection is good treatment for the SPT, which has satisfying prognosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; pathology ; surgery ; Child ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatectomy ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies