Objective:To investigate the relationship between symptoms of vertigo and vestibular functions and short-term hearing outcomes in patients with flat descending sudden sensorineural hearing loss （SSNHL）. Methods:A retrospective review was conducted of the vestibular symptoms observed in 48 patients with unilateral flat-down sudden sensorineural hearing loss treated at the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Symptoms of vertigo and the results of cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials （cVEMP）, ocular VEMP （oVEMP）, caloric test and video head-impulse test （vHIT） were collected to determine whether these factors could predict therapeutic efficacy. Results:The symptoms of vertigo was not correlated with prognosis （P>0.05） or with abnormal vestibular functions （P>0.05）. Patients with abnormal cVEMP, oVEMP, caloric test or vHIT showed significantly lower effective rates （32.0%, 44.0%, 32.0%, and 24.0%, respectively）; the greater the number of abnormal tests, the poorer the outcome. Patients with all four tests abnormal gained only （3.13±15.97） dB HL in hearing recovery, whereas those with normal cVEMP, oVEMP, caloric test or vHIT showed better chances of hearing improvements by （29.22±20.31）, （31.18±21.59）, （26.17±21.31）, and （26.38±24.05） dB HL, respectively. Conclusion:Vestibular function effectively predicts prognosis in flat descending SSNHL. Patients with abnormal vestibular tests, regardless of symptoms of vertigo, responded poorly to treatment, whereas those with normal cVEMP, oVEMP, caloric test and vHIT results achieved better hearing recovery. Abnormal vestibular function implies more extensive and severe inner-ear lesions in patients with SSNHL.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Prognosis ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Vertigo/diagnosis* ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/diagnosis* ; Young Adult ; Hearing Loss, Sudden/diagnosis* ; Adolescent ; Aged ; Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials

Aim To investigate Jianpi Qinghua Chinese herbal compound( JQCC) on the expressions of the rel-evant proteins of TLR4 and its downstream MyD88-de-pendent pathways, and on the inflammatory factor TNF-α in the animal model of chronic atrophic gastritis ( CAG) in rats, so as to discuss the molecular mecha-nism of JQCC in the treatment of CAG. Methods 53 Wistar rats were randomly divided into the blank con-trol group(n=8) and the CAG model group(n=45), and the animal model of CAG in rats was replicated by the “ammonia + sodium deoxycholic acid + ethanol”method. After the successful modeling was confirmed, the rest of the 40 CAG rats in the CAG model group were divided into the model group, the vitacoenzyme-tablet group, the low dose of JQCC group, the medium dose of JQCC group, the high dose of JQCC group ( each group n =8 ) . The experimental animals of all the groups were given intragastric administration of medication continuously for 30 days. Then the patho-logical histological changes were observed by HE stai-ning. The protein expressions of TLR4, MyD88, NF-КB and COX-2 were tested by Western-blot assay. And the serum TNF-α level was measured by ELISA. Results The protein expressions of TLR4 , MyD88 , NF-КB and COX-2 and the serum TNF-α level in the rats in the model group were increased evidently ( P<0. 01). Compared with the model group, the gastric mucosa lesions were improved in the low dose of JQCC group, the medium dose of JQCC group, the high dose of JQCC group, together with significant decreases of the protein expressions of TLR4 , MyD88 , NF-κB and COX-2 and the serum TNF-α level ( P <0. 05 or P <0. 01 ) . Conclusion JQCC could effectively improve the pathological and histological changes in the gastric mucosa in CAG rats, and the therapeutic mechanism might be related to the expressions of the relevant pro-teins of TLR4-MyD88-dependent pathways and the ex-pressions of anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Objective To establish the mathematical models of stature estimation for Sichuan Han female with measurement of lumbar vertebrae by X-ray to provide essential data for forensic anthropology re-search. Methods The samples, 206 Sichuan Han females, were divided into three groups including group A, B and C according to the ages. Group A(206 samples) consisted of all ages, group B(116 samples) were 20-45 years old and 90 samples over 45 years old were group C. All the samples were examined lumbar vertebrae through C Rtechnology, including the parameters of five centrums (L1-L5) as anterior border, posterior border and central heights (x1-x15), total central height of lumbar spine (x16), and the real height of every sample.The linear regression analysis was produced using the parameters to establish the mathematical models of stature estimation. Sixty-two trained subjects were tested to verify the accuracy of the mathematical models. Results The established mathematical models by hypothesis test of linear regression equation model were statistically significant (P<0.05).The standard errors of the equation were 2.982-5.004 cm, while correlation coefficients were 0.370-0.779 and multiple correlation coefficients were 0.533-0.834.The return tests of the highest correlation coefficient and multiple correlation coefficient of each group showed that the highest accuracy of the multiple regression equation, y=100.33+1.489 x3-0.548 x6+0.772 x9+0.058 x12+0.645 x15, in group Awere 80.6% (±1SE ) and 100% (±2SE ). Conclusion The established mathematical models in this study could be applied for the stature estimation for Sichuan Han females.