OBJECTIVETo investigate prospectively the effectiveness of kyphoplasty with SKY bone expander system in treatment of compression fracture of thoracic/lumbar vertebrae and correction of the deformity.

METHODSTwenty-five patients with thoracic/ lumbar vertebral osteoporotic compression fracture were admitted to our hospital between March 2007 and March 2008, and treated by kyphoplasty with SKY bone expander system. Patient's pain status was rated with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score system 1 day before and 1 hour, 48 hours, 6 months, 12 months after surgery. In addition, Rolland-Morris and Oswestry disability questionnaires (RDQ and ODI) were used for survey 1 day before and 1, 6, 12 months after surgery. Pre- and post-operative vertebral heights and Cobb's angles were measured based on the X-ray films and statistically analyzed.

RESULTSThere were 27 fractured vertebrae in these 25 patients. After SKY kyphoplasty, the Cobb's angles (9.8 degree ± 9.76 degree) were significantly reduced compared with preoperative angles (17.18 degree ± 9.35 degree P < 0.05), and the average improvement rate was 39%. Patients'pain VAS scores were also greatly improved after operation (P < 0.05). Moreover, postoperative RDQ and ODI scores were significantly smaller than preoperative values (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSKyphoplasty with SKY bone expander system provides an effective method for treating thoracic/ lumbar vertebral osteoporotic compression fracture, with the advantages of small surgical wound and short duration. It can effectively recover the anterior and medial heights of fractured vertebrae (33% and 50%, respectively), reduce the Cobb's angle, quickly alleviate pain and improve patients'quality of life in a relatively short time period.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Fractures, Compression ; surgery ; Humans ; Kyphoplasty ; methods ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; injuries ; Male ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; surgery ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; injuries ; Tissue Expansion Devices

OBJECTIVETo establish an early diagnostic method for detecting female genital tuberculosis.

METHODSEighty-six women with genital tuberculosis during January 2005-September 2007 were examined by phage amplified biological assay, and the results were compared with those from leucorrhea culture, smear and PCR.

RESULTSForty-five patients were tuberculosis positive with 100% of specificity identified by phage amplified biological assay. Twenty patients were tuberculosis positive by PCR. Five patients were culture-positive tuberculosis and no case had smear-positive tuberculosis.

CONCLUSIONPhage amplified biologically assay is sensitive and specific, which could be used for the early diagnosis of female genital tuberculosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Bacteriological Techniques ; methods ; Bacteriophages ; Biological Assay ; methods ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tuberculosis, Female Genital ; diagnosis ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on leukemia stem cells through comparing the biological senescence characteristics of HSCs in the patients with leukemia and healthy people,and provide new ideas and methods for leukemia prevention and treatment.Methods Fifteen cases of normal bone marrow in normal group and sixteen cases of chronic myeloid leukemia in leukemia group were divided into control group and Rg1 group,respectively.The control group used the conventional culture.The Rg1 group used the culture system with 10 μg/mL ginsenoside Rg1,other conditions were the same as control group.The bone marrow mononuclear cell of all groups were extracted after 2 days,and the CD34 +/CD38-cells population was isolated and purified by immunomagnetic adsorption cell sorting(MACS).The purity of the cells and cell cycles phase were detected by flow cytometry.Cell viability was detected by trypan blue staining.The percentage of positive cells was detected by SA-β-gal staining.CCK-8 detected the CD34 +/CD38-proliferation ability of each group.Results The ratio of CD34 +/CD38-cell population was (1.76 ± 0.34) ％ in every 1 × 106 BMNCs before sorting;the proportion of CD34 +/CD38-cell population per 1 × 106 cells after immunomagnetic sorting was (91.15 ± 2.41)％.The positive rate of SA-β-gal staining in human bone marrow CD34 +/CD38-cells of leukemia Rg1 group was significantly higher than that in leukemia control group,the difference was not significant (P ＞ 0.05);meanwhile there was no significant difference between normal control group and normal Rg1 group,but higher than that in leukemia control group,the difference was significant(P ＜ 0.05).CCK-8 results showed that the proliferation of CD34 +/CD38-cells was significantly increased in leukemia control group than those in the other groups.The survival rate of CD34 +/CD38-cells in human bone marrow was 99.1％ in all groups.Cell cycle phase results showed that the G1 arrest of CD34 +/CD38-cells in leukemia control group was significantly lower than those in the other three groups.Conclusion CD34 +/CD38-cells in chronic myeloid leukemia patients may be caused by some chronic myeloid leukemia.Ginsenoside Rg1 can effectively delay the process of aging.

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy betweenLing Gui Ba Fa (eight magic turtle techniques) time-based points selection method and ordinary acupuncture in treating diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) due to spleen-stomach deficiency.Method Sixty patients were randomized intoLing Gui Ba Fa group and ordinary acupuncture group, 30 cases each. InLing Gui Ba Fa group, Gongsun (SP4) was selected as the host point, Neiguan (PC6) as the guest point, and Dachangshu (BL25), Tianshu (ST25), Shangjuxu (ST37), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Pishu (BL20) and Zusanli (ST36) as the adjunctive points; in the ordinary acupuncture group, Gongsun and Neiguan were selected as the major points, and Dachangshu, Tianshu, Shangjuxu, Sanyinjiao, Pishu and Zusanli were selected as the adjunctive points. The acupuncture treatments were conducted 3 times a week (the practitioner would make appointment with patient at a convenient time if Gongsun had multiple activation time points according toLing Gui Ba Fa), 10 sessions as a course of treatment. Before and after the intervention, the two groups of patients were evaluated by using the traditional Chinese medicine symptoms and syndromes scale and irritable bowel syndrome quality of life questionnaire (IBS-QOL), and clinical efficacy was also observed.Result The control rate was 86.7% inLing Gui Ba Fa group versus 73.3% in the ordinary acupuncture group, and the therapeutic efficacy ofLing Gui Ba Fa group was significantly better than that of the ordinary acupuncture group (P<0.01); after the treatment, the scores in rating symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal bloating and abdominal pain were significantly lower than those before the treatment in both groups (P<0.01), and the declines of scores inLing Gui Ba Fa group were more significant than those in the ordinary acupuncture group (P<0.01).ConclusionLing Gui Ba Fa time-based points selection method can produce a more significant efficacy than ordinary acupuncture in treating irritable bowel syndrome.

Objective To investigate the effects of separate and direct bee sting punctures at acupoints on ESR and RF in rheumatoid arthritis. Method Seventy-two patients with rheumatoid arthritis were randomized to observation and control groups, 36 cases each. The observation group received separate bee sting puncture at acupoints and the control group, direct bee sting puncture at acupoints. In both groups, treatment was given once every other day, three times a week, one week as a course, for two courses. ESR and RF were measured in the two groups before treatment and at one and two weeks after. Result ESR and RF changed significantly in both groups after treatment compared with before (P<0.05). The effects of the two treatments on rheumatoid arthritis-related ESR and RF were equal and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Both separate and direct bee sting punctures at acupoints can reduce ESR and RF in rheumatoid arthritis. Separate bee sting puncture at acupoints is easy for the patients to accept.

OBJECTIVETo study an intervention model of "schools without infected students with schistosoma japonica", to control and prevent students from schistosoma infection.

METHODSTwelve primary schools of four heavy endemic counties (districts) with schistosomiasis in the Poyang Lake areas were selected as the study fields, of which, ten schools were the experimental groups, and the other two schools were the control groups by cluster random sampling. All enrolment students were the target population. The baseline survey was carried out in 2005, and an intervention model, "information dissemination + behavior participation + behavior encouragement", was applied in the experiment groups in 2006 - 2008, then the effect of intervention was assessed.

RESULTSBefore intervention (2005), the anti-schistosomiasis knowledge awareness rate of experimental and control groups were 14.75% (324/2196) and 16.58% (91/549), and the different was not significant (χ(2) = 1.14, P > 0.05); the rate of accurate attitude of anti-schistosomiasis were 14.71% (323/2196) and 11.84% (65/549) in experimental and control groups, and the difference was not significant (χ(2) = 2.98, P > 0.05); the rate of contacting infected water were 15.44% (18 988/122 976) and 15.03% (4622/30 744) in experimental and control group and the difference was not significant (χ(2) = 3.13, P > 0.05); and the infection rate of schistosomiasis of experiment control groups were 9.65% (212/2196) and 10.56% (58/549), the difference was not significant (χ(2) = 0.41, P > 0.05). After one year intervention (2006), the anti-schistosomiasis knowledge awareness rate of experimental and control groups were 97.79% (2032/2078) and 18.11% (98/541), and the different was significant (χ(2) = 1794.31, P < 0.01); the rate of accurate attitude of anti-schistosomiasis were 99.09% (2059/2078) and 13.49% (73/541) in experimental and control group, and the difference was significant (χ(2) = 2077.45, P < 0.01). After 1 - 3 years intervention (2006 - 2008), there were no any contactors with infected water and infectors with schistosome in students of the experiment group in successive 3 years. While in the control group of the same period, the rate contacting infected water were 16.12% (4884/30 296), 11.11% (3079/27 720) and 12.25% (3451/28 168); the infection rate of schistosomiasis were 8.87% (48/541), 7.47% (37/495) and 7.95% (40/503), respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe intervention model of health promotion, "information dissemination + behavior participation + behavior encouragement", can effectively control and prevent students from infecting schistosoma japonica in heavy endemic areas with schistosomiasis.

Animals ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Schistosomiasis ; prevention & control ; Schistosomiasis japonica ; School Health Services ; Schools ; Students

OBJECTIVETo investigate operative skill and recent clinical effects of remaining bulk ligamentum flava and treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion by micro-endoscope.

METHODSFifty-two cases with lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion included 31 males, 21 females; aged from 28 to 45 years,mean 36 years; L(4,5) in 24 cases, L5S1 in 28 cases. Under the micro-endoscope, all patient were excised the vertebral plate partly, decompressed the nerve root, remaining bulk ligament flava and excised the herniated nucleus pulposus.

RESULTSForty-six of 52 patients were followed up for 5 to 51 months with an average of 34.5. According to the effect of Nakai standards,the results were excellent in 34 cases, good in 9 cases, fair in 3 cases. The operation time was 45 to 75 minutes and bleeding was 40 to 80 ml. There were no nerve root injury and endorachis tear complications.

CONCLUSIONThe bulk ligamentum flava remaining cure intervertebral disc protrusion by micro-endoscope, demic natural anatomic structure is retained through technically manipulate and spinalis constancy is kept.

Adult ; Endoscopes ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; surgery ; Ligamentum Flavum ; surgery ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo summarize lessons learned from an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China during the spring of 2004.

METHODSData of SARS cases were officially reported by Beijing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (BCDC) and Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (APCDC) and results of epidemiological investigations were collected and analyzed.

RESULTSThree generations of 11 cases of SARS were identified during the outbreak. Initial two cases were most likely to be infected in Diarrhea Virus Laboratory of National Institute of Virology, China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and main mode of transmission was direct contact with SARS patients. Delay in detecting initial case resulted in spread of the illness at hospitals and communities with two generations of secondary cases.

CONCLUSIONSSARS outbreak in 2004 has yielded following lessons for public health globally. (1) Lab bio-safety programs should be made and should be strictly abided by. Studies in highly pathogenic viruses such as SARS coronavirus should be utmost cautious. (2) Management systems of occupational exposure to virus and disease surveillance need to be strengthened to take all risk factors into account so as to detect potential patients with infectious disease as early as possible.

China ; epidemiology ; Disease Outbreaks ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; prevention & control ; Occupational Health ; Retrospective Studies ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; transmission

OBJECTIVEto investigate the effect of somatostatin on inflammatory immune disorders and prognosis in patients with severe sepsis caused by abdominal diseases.

METHODSfifty-three patients with severe abdominal sepsis (age > 18 years, APACHE-II score > 15) from June 2005 to June 2009 were randomly divided into Somatostatin group (n = 23) and SSC Group (n = 30). Fifteen healthy volunteers of the same age range were chosen as Control group. The SSC group was treated with classical SSC therapy, and the Somatostatin Group was treated with the same regime plus 14-peptide somatostatin continuous infusion at the dose of 6 mg/24 h for 7 days. The serum levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined by using ELISA. CD(4)(+), CD(8)(+) T cell subsets were determined by fluorescence activated cell sorter(FACS) and CD(4)(+)/CD(8)(+) was calculated. APACHE-II score was observed on admission (d1) and day 3, 7 and 14 after treatment. Morality rates in 28 days in two groups were recorded.

RESULTScompared with Control group, IL-10 and TNF-α levels were significantly elevated in patients with severe abdominal sepsis (P < 0.05), while CD(4)(+), CD(8)(+) T cell and CD(4)(+)/CD(8)(+) decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with the Somatostatin group CD(4)(+), CD(8)(+) T cell and CD(4)(+)/CD(8)(+) on d7 and d14 in SSC Group were significantly increased (P < 0.05), while IL-10 and TNF-α decreased significantly(P < 0.05). APACHE-II scores on d3, d7, d14 of Somatostatin group were significantly lower than those of SSC group, and 28 d mortality rate also declined.

CONCLUSIONSin patients with severe abdominal sepsis, systemic inflammatory response and immune suppression exist simultaneously. Somatostatin has a dual immunomodulatory activity in these patients.

APACHE ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-10 ; blood ; Male ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Sepsis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; immunology ; Somatostatin ; therapeutic use ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

Objective To explore the effect of single local intraosseous injection of small dose simvastatin on the angiogenesis and cardiac function in rats after myocardial infarction. Methods Adult male Wistar rats were divided into sham operation group, myocardial infarction model group and intraosseous injection of simvastatin 0. 5 mg group ( all n=12 per group) . The left anterior descending branch of coronary artery was ligated to establish a rat model of myocardial infarc-tion. The left ventricular function was evaluated by small animal echocardiography at 4 weeks postoperatively. The rest of the rats were sacrificed, the myocardial infarct size was evaluated by TTC staining, and the myocardial neovascularization was detected by immunofluorescence staining. Results We successfully established the rat model of myocardial infarction. The echocardiography showed that the left ventricular systolic function was decreased significantly at 4 weeks after myocardi-al infarction. Intraosseous injection of simvastatin (0. 5 mg) did not improve the left ventricular function after myocardial infarction in the rats. TTC staining showed that intraosseous injection of simvastatin did not reduce myocardial infarct size. Immunofluorescence staining showed that the myocardial capillary density of simvastatin group was slightly higher than that of myocardial infarction model group, but showing no significant difference between them. Conclusions Intraosseous in-jection of simvastatin 0. 5 mg 24 hours after myocardial infarction cannot significantly promote myocardial angiogenesis, which is believed to be beneficial to the revascularization after ischemia, and thus failed to improve the cardiac function.