Objective To comparatively analyze the clinical characteristics of thyrotropin-secreting pituitary adenomas (TSH-omas).Methods The clinical features, laboratory variables, imaging and pathological Results were retrospectively compared and analyzed of 26 cases with TSH-omas admitted in Chinese PLA General Hospital from Feb. 2006 to Oct. 2016 and 20 cases with TSH-omas admitted in Shanghai Huashan Hospital from Apr. 2006 to Apr. 2013.Results The female ratio was slightly higher in patients of Chinese PLA General Hospital than in Huashan Hospital [(57.7%(15/26)vs. 45.0%(9/20)], while the mean age was similar [39.5±14.1(18-67 years)vs. 40.0±14.5(17-74 years)]. The most common chief complaint was thyrotoxicosis [73.1%(19/26)vs. 55.0%(11/20)], and mild-to-moderate goiter was the most common symptom. The mean serum TSH levels in Chinese PLA General Hospital and in Huashan Hospital were 5.06(2.97-6.27)mU/L and 6.16(3.76-10.91)mU/L respectively, and patients with normal serum TSH levels were more common in Chinese PLA General Hospital than in Huashan Hospital [57.7%(15/26)vs. 40.0%(8/20)]. Microadenoma was more common in Chinese PLA General Hospital than in Huashan Hospital [34.62%(9/26)vs. 20.0%(4/20)], while macroadenoma was more common in Huashan Hospital than in Chinese PLA General Hospital [20.0%(4/20)vs. 7.7%(2/26)]. Microadenoma was more common in female patients of the both groups [66.7%(6/9)vs. 75.0%(3/4)], while macroadenoma was all found in male patients. Tumor invasion of surrounding tissue and structure was often found in macroadenoma. In terms of octreotide inhibition test, the range of 24h TSH inhibition rate was roughly the same in the two groups (37.4%-91.8% and 46.5%-94.1%, respectively). Mixed adenoma was rare among all the pathologically confirmed cases. In Chinese PLA General Hospitals, TSH immunoreactive negative neoplastic cells were found in 3 of 8 cases, and octreotide scanning showed negative in 2 of 12 cases.Conclusions Patients with TSH-omas in the two hospitals show similarities but also some significant differences in the clinical features. Overall, the domestic patients with TSH-omas are diagnosed without gender difference according to the reports in China. The mean age at diagnosis is significantly younger than that in foreign data. Microadenoma is more common in females, while macroadenoma is more common in males. Serum TSH levels can be normal in patients with TSH-omas. Immunostaining and/or octreotide scanning for TSH can be negative.

Objective To evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with growth-hormone adenoma (GHA) and summarize the diagnosis and treatment experience.Methods The clinical data of 338 GHA cases at the General Hospital of PLA from Jan. 1990 to Dec. 2016 were collected, of which 252 cases with more complete clinical data were retrospectively analyzed including their general situation, medical history, laboratory tests and auxiliary examinations, and treatment modalities and outcomes. Parts of the patients were followed up.Results The cases of hospitalized GHA patients have increased year by year since 1990, and the number of patients admitted in the last 3 years accounted for 56.2% of the total number of cases. The sex ratio for GHA patients was nearly 1:1. Age of visiting followed Gaussian distribution while the 41-50 age group occupied the largest part. The most typical sign is hand and foot enlargement (60.7%), followed by the hypertrophy of nasal ala. The most common symptoms are headache (42.5%), hypopsia, visual field defect and diplopia. More than half of GHA patients were complicated with prediabetes and diabetes (72.6%), sleep apnea (69.5%), goiter or thyroid nodularity (56.4%), cardiac insufficiency (57.0%) and colon polyp (54.1%); while the percentages of cases undergone the relevant examination in the total number of cases were as follows: 75g OGTT test (42.1%), polysomnography (23.4%), thyroid ultrasound (37.3%), echocardiogram (47.6%) and colonoscopy (14.7%); GHA was 23.37±1.42μg/L and IGF-1 was 804.28±273.93ng/ml on average; 85.0% of somatotroph tumors are macroadenoma. Surgery remains the mainstay of therapy to GHA, while medical therapy was selected by less patients. During the follow-up, only 38.0%of GHA patients can be contacted, among them the remission rate decreased to 40.5%. The positive rate of long-term remission evaluated by early postoperative GHA level was consistent with that confirmed by the long-term follow-up (χ2=3.368,P>0.05). Conclusions The number of hospitalized GHA patients have increased recent years. The common clinical signs and symptoms are somatic enlargement and nonspecific headache. Due to uncompleted screening, GHA associated complications are always misdiagnosed; It is essential to establish a sound model of follow-up to improve patients' quality of life. The early postoperative GHA levels may predict the prognosis of surgery.

Objective To analyze the relationship between the brain functional alterations of patients with Cushing's disease (CD) and patients' mental symptom by applying the Evaluating Emotional Scales and task functional magnetic resonance imaging (Task fMRI).Methods Task fMRI was performed on 8 patients with diagnosed CD admitted in the Department of Endocrinology of Chinese PLA General Hospital from Nov. 2015 to Nov. 2016 and 21 healthy people with matched age, gender and education level as control. Meanwhile, Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Positive and Negative Affective Scale (PANAS) and Cushing Quality of Life Scale (Cushing QOL) were obtained to assess the brain functions.Results Significant depression and anxiety were observed in patients with CD, and their positive affective score was substantially lower while the negative affective score was relatively higher compared with that in the controls. Task fMRI revealed that, when watching the positive pictures, the activation degree of left cerebellum and right postcentral gyrus weakened in CD patients than in the controls, and the positive correlations existed between the activation degree of left cerebellum and the 16 o'clock adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) level, and between the activation degree of right postcentral gyrus and the urinary free cortisol (UFC) level in CD patients. In contrast, when watching the negative pictures, the activation degree of left cerebellum, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus and left inferior frontal gyrus was weakened in CD patients than in the controls, and the activation degree of left cerebellum was negatively correlated to the 0 o'clock cortisol level and SAS score, but is positively correlated to the UFC level. When watching the neutral pictures, the activation degree of left cerebellum and left parahippocampal gyrus was weakened in CD patients than in the controls.Conclusions CD patients may have impaired brain function with depression and anxiety mental symptoms. By Task fMRI, it can be found that the weakened activation degree of left inferior frontal gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus and left cerebellum may be related to CD patients' mental symptoms.

Objective To explore the potential influence of gender on screening value of aldosterone-renin ratio (ARR) for primary aldosteronism (PA).Methods The biochemical parameters were collected of 451 PA patients and 300 essential hypertension (EH) patients who were diagnosed in the General Hospital of PLA from 1992 to 2014. Each group was then divided into two groups by gender. The clinical characteristics were compared and then the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was conducted to evaluate the best cut-off value.Results The plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), serum sodium and ARR were much higher, but the plasma rennin activity (PRA), serum potassium and BMI were much lower in PA patients than in EH patients (P<0.01), and no significant difference existed between the two groups in age, duration of hypertension and blood pressure. The PRA was obviously lower in males than in females either in PA or in EH patients, but no signicantcant difference existed between males and females in PAC (P>0.05). The best cut-off value of ARR in male PA patients was 19.11, the relevant area under the curve (AUC) was 0.968, the sensitivity and specicantcity was 92.44% and 93.08%, and the Youden index (YI) was 0.86. The best cut-off value of ARR in female PA patients was 27.26, with AUC 0.956, sensitivity 92.07%, specicantcity 90.00% and YI 0.82, respectively. If the cut-off value was set at 27.26 in males, the specicantcity would rise a little, but the sensitivity and YI would sharply decrease. Similarly, the sensitivity would increase a little but the specicantcity and YI would fall substantially if the cut-off value in females was set at 19.11. The best cut-off value of ARR in men was smaller than the ocantcial value recommended by guidelines.Conclusion Gender is an important factor should be considered while ARR is used in PA screening, and the cut-off value of ARR in screening female PA patients should be setting higher.

BACKGROUND:Theoreticaly, lumbar semi-rigid fixation can slow down the degeneration of adjacent segments, but there is stil a lack of biomechanical support. OBJECTIVE:To explore the biomechanical effect of semi-rigid fixation system, taking Isobar TTL for instance, on adjacent segment disc by means of finite element analysis. METHODS: The finite element models of USS and Isobar TTL were constructed by putting respective parameters into a validated L2-S5 lumbar model. The angular displacement and von Mises stress of adjacent segments were recorded when the models were subjected to 400 N preload and 7.5 N?m moment of forces under different conditions: flexion, extension, lateral bending and axial rotation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The angular displacement and inter-vertebral disc stress of adjacent segments in the USS and Isobar TTL models were higher than those of an intact state in every condition. But the values in Isobar TTL model were lower than the USS model in varying degrees. Compared with the USS model, the decrease rates of angular displacement in Isobar TTL model for flexion, extension, left bending, right bending, left axial rotation and right axial rotation were 19.2%, 15.1%, 11.1%, 12.2%, 18.4% and 22.1%, respectively. The decrease rates of von Mises stress were 33.0%, 20.2%, 23.9%, 18.6%, 28.8% and 28.0%, respectively. The results suggested that the Isobar TTL, when compared with the USS, partialy reduced the angular displacement and inter-vertebral disc stress of adjacent segments.

Objective To compare the effects of different doses of FTY720 on inhibiting expression of Caspase-3 and neural apoptosisin rats with acute spinal cord injury (SCI), and find out the suitable dose. Methods 200 female SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groupswith 40 in each group. Group A (laminectomy but not contusion) were administered 0.3 ml normal saline by gavage. SCI model was establishedby Allen's WD method at the T9 level of spinal cord in other groups. Group B were administered 0.3 ml normal saline after modeling.Groups C, D and E were administered 0.3 ml FTY720- saline solution of 1, 3 and 5 mg/kg respectively. All the groups were sacrificed at 6 h,12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h (n=8, per each time-point). Caspase-3 expression was detected with streptavidin-peroxidase immunohistochemistry,and neural apoptosis was detected with the TUNEL method. Results Positive Caspase-3 expression and neural apoptosis were not observedin Group A at 6 h. In Groups B、C、D and E, the number of apoptotic cells increased with increased time of acute SCI, peaked at 24 h afterinjury, and then gradually reduced. Caspase-3 expression was at equal pace with neural apoptosis. The difference of the number of apoptoticand Caspase-3 expression cells among all groups were significant, with the order Group B>Group C>Group D>Group A (P<0.05). However,there was no significant difference between Group D and Group E (P>0.05). The number of apoptotic and Caspase-3 expression cells negativelycorrelated with the dose of FTY720 when the dose was less than 3 mg/kg (P<0.05), and there was no relationship when the dose wasmore than 3 mg/kg (P>0.05). Conclusion FTY720 significantly reduces Caspase-3 expression and neural apoptosis in rats with acute SCI.There is a dose-effect relationship between the dose of FTY720 and the Caspase-3 expression and neural apoptosis. It's indicated that 3 mg/kg is the most appropriate dosage.

Objective Adipsic hypernatremia is very rare in clinical practice and only a few cases have been reported so far. Since the pathogenesis of adipsic hypernatremia is unclear, therapeutic method is very limited and uncertain. We previously found the existence of partial central diabetes insipidus in the patient with adipsic hypernatremia according to a series of clinical studies. In this clinical study, we observed the response of vasopressin in the treatment of adipsic hypernatremia as a routinely used agent in treating central diabetes insipidus.Methods Five patients with chronic sustained hypernatremia and hypodipsia were diagnosed as adipsic hypernatremia according to the criteria by Halter. After testing plasma electrolytes, urinary osmolality, plasma osmolality, and free water clearance (CH2O);with evaluating thirsty grade and anterior pituitary function, patients were forced to drink water 2 000-2 500 ml each day combined with prednisone and/or levethyroxin supplementation therapy if hypopituitarsm was revealed. One week later, since the hypernatremia was unrelieved, desmopressin acetate (0.05-0.2 mg/d)was administered to those 5 patients. About 5-7 days later, plasma electrolytes, urinary and plasma osmolality, and free water clearance ( CH2O ) were reevaluated. Osmolality was detected by the method of freezing point depression and thirst grade by the method of visual analogue scales. Results The plasma sodium was 160-190 mmol/L and plasma osmolality was 330-370 mmoL/L without thirsty perception during the hospitalization. Four of the five patients were revealed to be suffering from hypopituitarism, but the hypernatremia could not be corrected by intentional water intake combined with prednisone treatment. After administering vasopressin 0.05-0.2 mg/d to these patients, that hypernatremia was relieved, and hyperosmolality and hypodypsia were improved effectively. During this period of time, no side effects were detected in these patients. Conclusion We testified the existence of central partial diabetes insipidus in the patients with adipsic hypernatremia. Desmopressin acetate in the treatment of adipsic hypernatremia is proved to be effective, simple, and safe.

Objective To evaluate the clinical feature of the aldosterone-producing adenoma(APA) and idiopathic hyperaldosteronism(IHA)in primary hyperaldosteronism.Methods Retrospectively analyzed clinical feaures of 76 patients with APA and 17 patients with IHA.Results (1)Compared with the patients with IHA,the patients with APA had higher plasma and urinary aldosterone,lower serum potassium.(2)Furosemide provocation test(FPT)in 48 patients with APA and 14 patients with IHA were carried out.It was found that the plasma aldosterone after FPT was increased or no changed in 27 patients with adenoma,and increased in the others.It was increased in all IHA patients.(3)The diagnostic accuracy rate of CT was 84.2% in 88 patients with computed tomography imaging(CT).Conclusion The anomalies of laboratory in patients with APA are more evidence than those of IHA.The results of FPT are overlapped in a considerable amount of APA and IHA.Now those with elevation of serum aldosterone after the FPT can not exclude the adenoma.The diagnostic accuracy rate can be improved according to FPT and CT.

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of sympathetic skin response ( SSR) and P300 event-related potentials (ERP) in depression patients. Methods The SSRs and ERPs of 46 depressed patients and 42 normal healthy people were measured. Results Abnormal rates of SSR were observed in 84. 8% of the depressed group (39/46) and 78.3% (36/46) of the controls. Compared with those in the control group, the latency and amplitude of the SSRs were significantly longer and lower in the depressed group. Abnormal ERPs were observed in 89. 1% of the depressed group(41/46) compared with 78. 3% of the controls (36/46). The latency of N2 and P3 and the amplitude of P3 in the ERPs of the depressed patients were longer and lower in comparison with those in the control group. Hence there was a significant difference between two groups. There was a high positive correlation between N2 and P3 latency in the ERPs and the SSR readings in the depressed group, and between amplitude of P3 and SSR, while there was a significant negative correlation between latency and amplitude in the two indexes of P300 and SSR in the depressed group. Conclusion SSR and ERP have remarkable clinical value as diagnostic indexes for depres-

Objective:To prepare the immunoglobulin Y(IgY) against Avain Influenza Virus (H5N1) and to investgate its inhibitory activity to Influenza virus A (FM1).Methods:Iimmunized by Avain Influenza vaccine,IgY against Avain Influenza Virus was purified from the yolk and then the antibody was enriched by the means:caprylate acid-two-step salt precipitation-gel chromatograph.TD0 of IgY and the inhibory effectiveness were showed by nhibiting cytopathic effect (CPE) thst in MDCK infected with Influenza virus A(FM1).Results:IgY against Avain Influenza Virus was obtained.The TD0 value of IgY against Avain Influenza to MDCK cell line was 1.764 mg/ml,while at the dosage as low as 0.082 8 mg/ml the lnfluenza virus A(FM1) was still inhibited in vitro.Connchusion:Caprylate acid-two-step salt precipitation-gel chromatograph can prepare IgY successfully and the inhibitory effectiveness of IgY is good for inhibition of Influenza virus A(FM1).