Limb spasticity is a common complication after stroke,with clinical manifestations such as increased muscle tone,limb stiffness and pain,which reduces the quality of patients'daily life and increases the economic burden.Currently,scales,surface electromyography and biomechanical methods are mostly used to assess limb spasticity in clinical practice,but clinical scales rely on experience and are highly subjective;surface electromyography is prone to compensations and test errors;and biomechanical methods are more restrictive.Musculoskeletal ultrasound is not only capable of detecting muscle parameters and providing quantitative information such as muscle hardness and elasticity,but also has the unique advantages of high-resolution and real-time imag-ing,which has been increasingly used in clinical diagnosis and treatment.In this paper,we review the evidence related to musculoskeletal ultrasound and limb spasticity assessment,with the aim of exploring a simple and reasonable quantitative assessment method,which will provide some thoughts for the future clinical assessment of limb spasticity.

Limb spasticity is a common complication after stroke,with clinical manifestations such as increased muscle tone,limb stiffness and pain,which reduces the quality of patients'daily life and increases the economic burden.Currently,scales,surface electromyography and biomechanical methods are mostly used to assess limb spasticity in clinical practice,but clinical scales rely on experience and are highly subjective;surface electromyography is prone to compensations and test errors;and biomechanical methods are more restrictive.Musculoskeletal ultrasound is not only capable of detecting muscle parameters and providing quantitative information such as muscle hardness and elasticity,but also has the unique advantages of high-resolution and real-time imag-ing,which has been increasingly used in clinical diagnosis and treatment.In this paper,we review the evidence related to musculoskeletal ultrasound and limb spasticity assessment,with the aim of exploring a simple and reasonable quantitative assessment method,which will provide some thoughts for the future clinical assessment of limb spasticity.

Objective To evaluate the mechanism of governor vessel electroacupuncture in rats with post-stroke limb spasm by observing the changes of glutathione antioxidant system-related factors.Methods A total of 60 SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group(n=12),sham operation group(n=12)and modeling group(n=36).The middle cerebral artery obstruction model was prepared by thread approach method in the modeling group,and 24 rats with successful modeling were randomly divided into the model group and the electroacupuncture group,with 12 rats in each group.At the 3rd day after modeling,the electroacupuncture group was treated with electroacupuncture at three acupoints of the governor vessel,namely,"Dazhui"(GV14),"Jizhong"(GV6)and"Houhui"(anteromedial of the transverse process of the sixth lumbar vertebra),for 30 min each time,once a day for 7 days.The neurological function of rats was assessed by Zea Longa neurological deficit score.The muscle tension of rats was detected by modified Ashworth dystonia rating and electrophysiological tracing method.The brain tissue water content was measured by the dry-wet weight method.The volume of cerebral infarction of rats was measured by the TTC staining method.The contents of glutathione(GSH),catalase(CAT),oxidized glutathione(GSSG),superoxide dismutase(SOD),and malondialdehyde(MDA)in the cortex of rats were detected by colorimetry.The protein and mRNA expressions of glutathione reductase(GR),glutamate cysteine ligase(GCL)C,GCLM,and glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)in the cortex of rats were measured by Western blotting and real-time PCR,respectively.Results Compared with rats in the normal and sham operation groups,the Zea Longa neurological deficit score,modified Ashworth dystonia rating,the volume of cerebral infarction,brain tissue water content,and GSSG and MDA contents in cortex were increased in the model group,the tension signal value and the proteins and mRNA expressions of GR,GCLC,GCLM,and GPX4 in cortex were decreased,and the contents of GSH,CAT,and SOD in cortex were decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the Zea Longa neurological deficit score,modified Ashworth dystonia rating,the volume of cerebral infarction,brain tissue water content,and GSSG and MDA contents in cortex were decreased in the electroacupuncture group,the tension signal value and the proteins and mRNA expressions of GR,GCLC,GCLM,and GPX4 in cortex were increased,and the contents of GSH,CAT,and SOD in cortex were increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion Governor vessel electroacupuncture can improve the severity of post-stroke limb spasm in rats,and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of glutathione antioxidant system in cerebral cortex.

Mechanical ventilation(MV)provides life support for critically ill respiratory patients,but in the meantime can cause fatal ventilator-induced lung injury(VILI),and the latter remains a major challenge in respiratory and critical care medicine,because the pathological mechanism has not been fully elucidated.Recent studies show that on the one hand,in the lung with VILI,there exists airway collapse at multi-sites of an individual airway,which can not be explained by traditional airway collapse models.But on the other hand,under MV conditions,airway smooth muscle cells(ASMC)exhibit abnormal mechanical behaviors,accompanied by regulation of Piezo1 expression and endoplasmic reticulum stress.These phenomenons indicate that the MV-induced abnormal mechanical behavior of ASMC is closely related to multiple airway collapse and VILI.Therefore,by studying the MV-induced changes of ASMC mechanical behaviors and their relationship with airway collapse in lung injury,as well as the related mechanochemical signal coupling process,it is expected to reveal a novel mechanism of MV-associated airway collapse and lung injury from the perspective of cell mechanics.In this review,the recent research progress of airway collapse during MV,the regulation of ASMC mechanical behavior by MV-related high stretch,especially the related mechanochemical signal coupling mechanism is summarized.These advances may provide a novel insight for exploring the roles of ASMC abnormal mechanical behavior in the pathological mechanism of VILI,alternative targets of drug intervention for prevention and treatment of VILI,as well as for optimizing the ventilation mode in clinical practice.

Objective To summarize the current status and trend of hypoglycemic agents of diabetic inpatients in different departments of Chinese PLA General Hospital.Methods The clinical data of diabetic patients admitted to Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2000 to May 2014 were collected(those hospitalized in the department of endocrinology were excluded).A total of 10 041 patients were selected by stratified random sampling.The type of hypoglycemic agents in different departments and the variation on anti-hyperglycemic drugs with time were retrospectively analyzed.Results Of all the patients in non-endocrinological wards, 50.2% were treated with insulin, 36.9% with metformin, 21.3% with α-glycosidase inhibitor, and 18.9% with sulfonylureas.Metformin, α-glucosidase inhibitors, pre-mixed 30R, and insulin glargine were more commonly used than other anti-hyperglycemic agents, accounting for 36.9%, 21.0%, 14.0%, 8.7%, respectively.Metformin, sulfonylureas, α-glucosidase inhibitor, and different types of insulin were more widely applied in internal medicine while insulin therapy was more frequently used in surgical department.During the past 15 years, the proportions of insulin, glinides, α-glucosidase inhibitor, and thiazolidinediones application were gradually increased, while the proportions of sulfonylureas and metformin treatment were on the decline trend.Conclusion Most of the inpatients were treated with oral antidiabetic drugs.Metformin, α-glucosidase inhibitor, pre-mixed 30R, and insulin glargine were the most frequently prescribed agents for the inpatients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma in Situ ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Vulvar Neoplasms ; surgery

Objective To detect the genetic association between cirrhosis and polymorphism of IL-12B gene .Methods Observed in a sample of 173 parent/offspring trios where the proband net for cirrhosis using correlation analysis and haplotype relative risk a-nalysis .The polymorphism of rs15677380 ,rs14050311 of IL-12B gene was detected with PCR methods and SNP typing in all nucle-us families .Results The rs15677380 allele was connected with cirrhosis(P=0 .009) .Allele G was protect factor(Z= -2 .36) and allele A was the hazard factor(Z=2 .36) .The rs14050311 allele was connected with cirrhosis(P=0 .013) .Allele T was protect fac-tor(Z= -2 .24) and allele C was the hazard factor (Z=2 .24) .The haplotypes of G/T and A/C in the rs15677380 ,rs14050311 were associated with cirrhosis (P=0 .021 ,0 .015 ,Z= -1 .85、2 .16) .Conclusion It shows an association between cirrhosis and the poly-morphism of IL-12B gene in Chinese .

Hyperthyroidism and acromegaly formed an unusual association.An acromegaly patient with a toxic thyroid adenoma was reported here,including clinical features,treatment,and final outcomes.The association of thyroid disease with acromegaly was reviewed.

Objective To assess the significance of insulin tolerance test(ITT) in clinical diagnosis of adult growth hormone deficiency(GHD).Methods Eighty-two patients with an established diagnosis of adult GHD [53males,29 females,mean age (30.9 ± 12.3) years (18-65 years)] were reviewed retrospectively for evaluating the GH response to ITT in the General Hospital of the People' s Liberation Army.Control data for peak GH after ITT were obtained in 15 healthy subjects [9 males,6 females,mean age (26.7 ± 5.6) years (22-41 years)].Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic cut-off point of peak GH and GH increment response to ITT.Results (1) Mean peak GH response to ITT was significantly higher in 15 controls compared with 82 patients (the median 14 μg/L vs 0.62 μg/L,P =0.001).The cut-off point of the peak GH(chemiluminescent immunoassay,CLIA) response to ITT in adult GHD was 4.935 μg/L (AUC 0.993).(2) Mean GH increment was significantly higher in 15 controls compared with 82 patients (the median 13.17 μg/L vs 0.19 ug/L,P＜0.001).The cut-off point of the GH increment was 4.088 μg/L(AUC 0.937),with a 91.5％ sensitivity and 100％ specificity.(3) The peak GH showed even higher diagnostic value than the GH increment after ITT.(4)The above mentioned cut-off points (peak GH less than 4.935 μg/L and 5 μg/L) had a coincidence with a 95.1％ sensitivity and 100％ specificity,respectively.Conclusion The current guidelines for the diagnosis of adult GHD based on the optimal cut-off point of the peak GH(CLIA) response to ITT less than 5 μg/L turned to be of reliable diagnostic value in our country.

Objective To study the clinical features of patients with ACTH-independent bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia(AIMAH).Methods Eighteen cases with AIMAH diagnosed in Chinese PLA General Hospital from 1998 to 2010 were analyzed retrospectively.Results ( 1 ) AIMAH was equally distributed between genders,mean age at diagnosis was ( 51.4 ± 10.7 ) years,and average course was ( 9.9:t:2.7 ) years.( 2 )Most patients visited hospital because of adrenal incidentaloma; hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance/diabetes mellitius were the most common clinical presentations; typical signs of Cushing′s syndrome (CS) such as moon face and central obesity were less frequent.( 3 ) All cases′ laboratory findings met the diagnostic criteria of ACTH-independent CS,some cases with the features of subclinical CS.24 h dynamic plasma ACTH and cortisol monitoring had the advantage of revealing the features of subclinical CS for some AIMAH cases; there was remarkable elevation of plasma cortisol after exogenous ACTH stimulation in AIMAH patients.(4) Bilateral adrenal macronodular changes could be visualized on CT scan.( 5 ) Pathology identified bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia.( 6 ) Bilateral adrenalectomy was the most useful treatment.Conclusions AIMAH is an infrequent cause of CS,and some patients present subclinical CS.Its marked clinical feature is ACTH-independent bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia.