Objective To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of Q?SPECT, CTPA, Q?SPECT/CT, and Q?SPECT/CTPA for pulmonary embolism (PE) in rabbit models. Methods (1) The PE models were constructed by injecting Gelfoam into the femoral vein of New Zealand rabbits ( n=30) . Q?SPECT, CTPA, Q?SPECT/CT and Q?SPECT/CTPA fusion images were obtained by integrated SPECT/CT. (2) All images were interpreted by two experienced nuclear radiologists who were blind to pathologic findings. The locations and numbers of lung lobes with PE were recorded respectively. ( 3) Serial sectioning of the lungs was per?formed and pathologically determined. (4) Se, Sp and Ac of different methods were compared using McNemar test;PPV and NPV were compared usingχ2 test. Kappa test was used to analyze the consistency between two nuclear radiologists. Kappa values<0.40 were interpreted as poor consistency, 0.40 to 0.75 as moderate con?sistency, >0.75 as good consistency. Results (1) Histologically confirmed emboli were present in a total of 26 pulmonary lobes and absent in 79 lobes. (2)The Se, Sp, Ac, PPV, and NPV of 4 imaging methods were:53.8%(14/26), 93.7%(74/79), 83.8%(88/105), 14/19, 86.0%(74/86) for Q?SPECT;73.1%(19/26), 96.2%(76/79), 90.5%(95/105), 86.4%(19/22), 91.6%(76/83) for CTPA;76.9%(20/26), 93.7%(74/79), 89.5%(94/105), 80.0%(20/25), 92.5%(74/80)for Q?SPECT/CT;88.5%(23/26), 91.1%(72/79), 90.5%(95/105), 76.7%(23/30), 96.0%(72/75) for Q?SPECT/CTPA. (3) McNemar test showed Q?SPECT/CT and Q?SPECT/CTPA had higher diagnostic Se for the detection of PE than Q?SPECT (χ2=4.167, 7.111, both P<0.05) , but without any significant difference with CTPA in diagnostic efficiency (χ2=0-2.250, all P>0.05) . Q?SPECT/CT had higher diagnostic Ac than Q?SPECT (χ2=4.167, P<0.05) . There was no significant difference between Q?SPECT/CT and Q?SPECT/CTPA in diagnostic effi?ciency (χ2=0.001-1.333, all P>0.05). (4)Kappa values of 4 imaging methods for radiologist 1 and 2 were 0.902, 0.915, 0.973, and 0.884. Conclusions Q?SPECT/CT imaging provides good Se and Sp. The diag?nostic efficiency of Q?SPECT/CT is better than that of Q?SPECT and is corresponded roughly to the efficien?cy of CTPA, Q?SPECT/CTPA. The diagnosis of two radiologists on Q?SPECT/CT images has the best con?sistency.

Objective To assess the influence of length of the alanine tract of forkhead box E1 (FOXE1) gene on genetic susceptibility to idiopathic premature ovarian failure (POF). Methods Totally 110 patients with idiopathic POF were recruited between February 2009 and December 2012 at the Affiliated Shenzhen City Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital of Southern Medical University. Controls (n=110) were individuals with normal menstrual cycles, normal FSH concentrations. The polyalanine tract and flanking sequence of FOXE1 were screened using the multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) technique and direct sequence technique. Results The most frequent of FOXE1 polyalanine stretch length was 14 residues in both groups. The length of FOXE1 polyalanine reported in this study varied from 12 to 16 alanines, and three variants of FOXE1-polyalanine length, containing 12, 14, or 16 alanine residues, and 5 different genotypes were identified. The most common genotypes were 14/14 homozygote, occurring with the frequency of 81.8% (90/110) in the POF group, while 96.4% (106/110) in control subjects, respectively. The incidence of 14/14 genotypes of FOXE1-polyalanine was significantly lower in patients with POF (χ2=119.730, P=0.001) in comparison to the controls. There were significantly higher frequencies of the 16/16 genotypes in cases with POF [10.0% (11/110) versus 0; χ2=3.403, P=0.001], as compared with the controls. The FOXE1 14 alanine allele was significantly less common in the POF patient group than the controls [84.5% (186/220) versus 98.2% (216/220); χ2=25.923, P=0.001]. The FOXE1 16 alanine allele was significantly more common in the POF patient group than the controls [12.7% (28/220) versus 1.8% (4/220); χ2=19.412, P=0.001]. Conclusions The polymorphism of the polyalanine tract of FOXE1 gene have a certain relevance for the genetic aetiology of idiopathic POF.

Objective To evaluate clinical value of denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) used in detecting transforming growth factor beta receptor 3 (TGFBR-3) exons 11 and 12 polymorphism in women with idiopathic premature ovarian failure (POF).Methods From Feb.2009 to Dec.2011,110 patients with idiopathic POF undergoing treatment at Shenzhen Maternal & Child Health Institute affiliated to Southern Medical University were enrolled as POF group in this study.In the mean time,110 women under 40 years old with normal hormonal level and menstrual cycles as control group.The exons 11 and 12 of TGFBR-3 gene polymorphism were screened by using DHPLC,and results of DNA sequencing was as golden standard.Some related indexes were calculated,such as sensitivity,specificity,false negative value,false positive value,Youden index,positive predictive value,and negative predictive value.At the same time,20％ of the tested specimens were chosen randomly and detected by DHPLC again.The value of Kappa index were calculated by comparing the results between the first and second DHPLC analysis.Results The exon 11 of TGFBR-3 were not identified gene polymorphism and two nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in exon 12.For 2022 T/C polymorphism,the frequencies of CC with 0.9％ (1/110),TC with 22.7％ (25/110),TT with 76.4％ (84/110),Cwith12.3％ (27/220) and T with 87.7％ (193/220) in POF group were significantly different from CC with 0,TC with 9.1％ (10/110)and TT with 90.9％ (100/110),C with 4.5％ (10/220) and T with 95.5％ (210/220) in control group (all P ＜ 0.05).Allelic and genotypic frequencies of 2161-75 C/T were not differed significantly between the two groups (all P ＞ 0.05).As DNA sequencing as golden standard,DHPLC showed that the sensitivity was 100％,specificity was 97.9％,Youden index was 97.9％,positive predictive value was 96.3％,negative predictive value was 100％,and Kappa index was 0.888 (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion DHPLC analysis is higher validity,reliability and practicability method in detecting TGFBR-3 polymorphism in idiopathic premature ovarian failure.