Objective To investigate the long term result of orthotopic liver transplantation for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, and to evaluate the predictability of Pittsburg scoring system. Methods 46 patients of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma received orthotopic liver transplantation in our center during October 2000 to December 2004. Data were collected and the 1-year and 3-year survival rates, were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier method. Based on the Pittsburg Scoring System, all cases were divided into 4 groups. The length of survival of each group was observed respectively, and differences were compared with Log-rank test. Results 3-year survival rate and tumor-free rate of all 46 patients were 46.7% and 38.8%, respectively. The mean tumor-free time was 27.7 months, and the mean survival time was 32.5 months. Among the 4 groups, no death or tumor relapse was detected in cases of grade 1 and grade 2 (group I) up to the present, whereas the 1-year tumor-free rate of grade 5(group IV) patients was only 12.5%, and no patient survived over 2 years. The 1-year and 3-year tumor-free rate among grade 3 and 4 (group II and III) patients were both about 65% and 40%, the mean tumor free time was about 32.5 and 24.3 months respectively, and there was no significant difference between 2 groups. In these two groups, the longest tumor free time was 58 months. Conclusions Some of the patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma still have the chance to survive tumor-free for a long time after liver transplantation. Pittsburg scoring system has more predictability than Milan criteria, especially in cases of grade 1, 2 and 5, but not so satisfactory in cases of grade 3 and 4.

Objective To investigate the expression of tumor suppressor gene PTEN in breast carcinomas and its significance. Methods Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of PTEN gene in 146 cases of breast carcinoma and 10 specimens of normal breast tissue closely adjacent to carcinoma. Results It was showed that PTEN gene was expressed in all 10 specimens of breast tissue closely adjacent to carcinoma. Expression of PTEN was localized in cytoplasm and nuclei of epithelial cells of lobular acini and epithelial cells of ducts. The rate of PTEN expression was 57.5% (84/146) in breast carcinoma. Expression of PTEN was related to tumor size, pathological stage, and the expression of ER and PR of breast cancer. The 2-year disease free survival of PTEN high expression breast cancer patients was superior to those with low expression (P

The study of 102 T2DM patients and 55 non-diabetes subjects showed that the average and largest IMT of carotid arterier had positive relation with age and HOMA-IR, and negative relation with insulin sensitivity.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics,diagnosis and treatment of senile primary central nervous system lymphoma.Methods The patients were divided into two groups,one group of the patients underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment following surgical resection,the other received a combined treatment of chemotherapy and radiotherapy only.The survival were analyzed with log-rank test.Results All of the lesions showed the iso-to slightly high density in the CT scan,and the boundary was unclear,surrounded by edema.Contrast enhancement was found in all of the patients.MRI showed iso-to low T1 and iso-to slightly high T2 signal intensity to the adjacent gray matter.The lesions were surrounded by the edema belt.Contrast enhancement such as rim enhancement or homogeneous enhancement was found in all.The pathological diagnosis was B cell lymphoma(n=32)and T cell lymphoma(n=4).In addition,all of the patients were excluded out of HIV infection and their immune function was normal.The median survival time of the group receiving surgery combination treatment and the group receiving just chemotherapy and radiotherapy were 19 months and 14 months,respectively.There was no significant statistics between the survival time of the two groups.Conclusion It is necessary to differentiate primary central nervous system lymphoma from glioma,metastatic tumor,meningoma,and so on.The surgical resection seems no help for those senile central nervous system lymphoma patients with multi-focus.The diagnosis should be suspected after MRI and obtained by stereotactic biopsy in order to avoid an unnecessary extend of surgery in primary central nervous system lymphoma(PCNSL).

As the development of functional and molecular imaging,PET/CT gradually becomes one of methods in optimizing cancer radiotherapy treatment planning.Currently,numerous hospitals routinely use 18F-FDG PET/CT for the delineation of target volume in esophageal carcinoma (EC).However,the validity of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the delineation of target volume for EC is limited and needs further clinical validation.This review focuses on the value and validity of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the delineation of gross tumor target volume of EC primary lesions and regional lymph nodes.

OBJECTIVE:To study the protective effect of butylphthalide on the apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) induced by Aβ1-42 and its mechanism. METHODS:HUVECs were divided into normal control group,Aβ1-42 group,TAK242 group(10 nmol/L),DMSO group(1‰DMSO)and butylphthalide low-concentration,medium-concentration and high-concentration groups (40,80,160 μg/L). Except for normal control group and DMSO group,other groups were given 50 μmol/L Aβ1-42 to culture HUVECs for 24 h. TAK242 group,DMSO group and butylphthalide low-concentration,medium-concentra-tion and high-concentration groups were given relevant concentration of drugs for 30 min,with 3 holes for each concentration. The cell viability was determined by CCK-8 assay;cell apoptosis was observed by Hochest 33342/PI double staining;the cell apoptotic rate was detected by AnnexinⅤ-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) flow cytometry;the protein expression of TLR-4 and COX-2 were determined by Western blot assay;the contents of IL-1 and TNF-α were detected by ELISA. RESULTS:Compared with nor-mal control group,cell viability of HUVECs were decreased in Aβ1-42 group;while apoptotic rate,protein expression of TLR4 and COX-2,the contents of IL-1 and TNF-α were increased. Compared with Aβ1-42 group,cell viability of HUVECs were increased in TAK242 group and butylphthalide low-concentration,medium-concentration and high-concentration groups;while apoptotic rate, protein expression of TLR4 and COX-2,the contents of IL-1 and TNF-α were decreased,with statistical significance(P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS:Butylphthalide can reduce HUVECs apoptosis induced by Aβ1-42,which may be related with inhibiting the expression of TLR4,COX-2 and inflammatory factors.

Objective:To investigate the protective effect of adenosine on cochlea in acute acoustic trauma. Methods: Guinea pigs were exposed to 118 dB SPL white noise for 30 min. During the process of exposure, artificial perilymph or artificial perilymph containing adenosine (0.1 mmol/L,1 mmol/L or 5 mmol/L) was infused into the cochlea through perilymphatic perfusion. Concentration of glutamate in perilymph and thresholds of compound action potentials (CAP) were measured before and after noise exposure. Results: After exposure, the concentration of glutamate and the mean threshold shifts evoked by click were significantly higher than those of before exposure. Concentration of glutamate and thresholds of CAP in adenosine (1 mmol/L and 5 mmol/L) treated groups were significantly lower than those of the control group. Conclusion: Adenosine can inhibit the elevation of glutamate and decrease the threshold shift of CAP after exposure to noise,which can protect cochlea in acute acoustic trauma in guinea pigs.

This paper reports the establishment of a method for rapid identification 15 effective components of anti common cold medicine (paracetamol, aminophenazone, pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, methylephedrine hydrochloride, caffeine, amantadine hydrochloride, phenazone, guaifenesin, chlorphenamine maleate, dextromethorphen hydrobromide, diphenhydramine hydrochloride, promethazine hydrochloride, propyphenazone, benorilate and diclofenac sodium) with MRM by LC-MS/MS. The samples were extracted by methanol and were separated from a Altantis T3 column within 15 min with a gradient of acetonitrile-ammonium acetate (containing 0.25% glacial acetic acid), a tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionization source (ESI) was used in positive ion mode, and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was performed for qualitative analysis of these compounds. The minimum detectable quantity were 0.33-2.5 microg x kg(-1) of the 15 compounds. The method is simple, accurate and with good reproducibility for rapid identification many components in the same chromatographic condition, and provides a reference for qualitative analysis illegally added chemicals in anti common cold medicine.

Objective To investigate the medication rules for the treatment of hepatopathy by national medical masters. Methods The prescriptions for hepatopathy were collected to build a database based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) inheritance assist system. After analyzed by the data mining, such as apriori algorithm and complex system entropy cluster, the frequency of single medicine and drug combinations that used in prescriptions, and the association rules among drugs were obtained. Results The most frequently used drugs were Herba Artemisiae Capillaris, Tuckahoe, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, and Radix Bupleuri, et al. The most frequently used drug combinations were “Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Tuckahoe”, “Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Tuckahoe”, and “Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Herba Artemisiae Capillaris”, et al. And when the confidence of drug association rules was 1, the drug combinations were“Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, Giant Knotweed→Herba Artemisiae Capillaris”,“Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, Radix curcumae→Herba Artemisiae Capillaris”, “Giant Knotweed, Gardenia→Herba Artemisiae Capillaris” and so on. Conclusion The medicines were often with the actions of clearing heat, removing dampness, regulating qi and activating blood circulation, which were used for the treatment of hepatopathy by national medical masters.

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the improvements of patients’ pulmonary ventilation function and 6-minute walk test (6-MWT) distance. Methods:A total of 80 COPD patients [grade 3-4 in Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), qi deficiency of the lung and kidney in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pattern] were randomly allocated into a treatment group (n=40) and a control group (n=40). Salmeterol Xinafoate and Fluticasone Propionate powder (Seretide,50μg/250μg) for inhalation was used for basic treatment in both groups (once in the morning and once in the evening). Patients in the treatment group received acupuncture at Feishu (BL 13), Shenshu (BL 23), Qihai (CV 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), Dingchuan (EX-B 1), Danzhong (CV 17) and Zusanli (ST 36) twice a week for 3 months. After 3 months of treatment, clinical effects, lung ventilation functions and 6-MWT distance were observed and compared in the two groups. Results:After 3 months of treatment, the total effective rate was 95.0% in the treatment group, versus 80.0% in the control group, showing a statistical difference (P<0.05); the phlegm expectoration, dyspnea and shortness of breath were more significantly improved in the treatment group than those in the control group (P<0.01,P<0.05); and the 6-MWT distance and forced expiratory volume in 1 second percentage of predicted value (FEV1%) were more significantly improved in the treatment group than those in the control group (P<0.05,P<0.01). Conclusion:Seretide inhaler combined with acupuncture can improve signs and symptoms in COPD patients, increase the 6-MWT distance, improve FEV1% and obtain better results than Seretide alone.