Endogenous motion of liver correlates to the severity of portal hypertension

BACKGROUND Degree of portal hypertension(PH) is the most important prognostic factor for the decompensation of liver cirrhosis and death, therefore adequate care for patients with liver cirrhosis requires timely detection and evaluation of the presence of clinically significant PH(CSPH) and severe PH(SPH). As the most accurate method for the assessment of PH is an invasive direct measurement of hepatic venous pressure gradient(HVPG), the search for non-invasive methods to diagnose these conditions is actively ongoing.AIM To evaluate the feasibility of parameters of endogenously induced displacements and strain of liver to assess degree of PH.METHODS Of 36 patients with liver cirrhosis and measured HVPG were included in the casecontrol study. Endogenous motion of the liver was characterized by derived parameters of region average tissue displacement signal(dantero, dretro, d RMS) and results of endogenous tissue strain imaging using specific radiofrequency signal processing algorithm. Average endogenous strain μ and standard deviation σ of strain were assessed in the regions of interest(ROI)(1 cm × 1 cm and 2 cm × 2 cm in size) and different frequency subbands of endogenous motion(0-10 Hz and 10-20 Hz).RESULTS Four parameters showed statistically significant(P 0.05) correlation with HVPG measurement. The strongest correlation was obtained for the standard deviation of strain(estimated at 0-10 Hz and 2 cm × 2 cm ROI size). Three parameters showed statistically significant differences between patient groups with CSPH, but only dretro showed significant results in SPH analysis. According to ROC analysis area under the curve(AUC) of the σROI[0…10 Hz, 2 cm × 2 cm] parameter reached 0.71(P = 0.036) for the diagnosis of CSPH; with a cut-off value of 1.28 μm/cm providing 73% sensitivity and 70% specificity. AUC for the diagnosis of CSPH for μROI[0…10 Hz, 1 cm × 1 cm] was 0.78(P = 0.0024); with a cut-off value of 3.92 μm/cm providing 73% sensitivity and 80% specificity. Dretro parameter had an AUC of 0.86(P = 0.0001) for the diagnosis of CSPH and 0.84(P = 0.0001) for the diagnosis of SPH. A cut-off value of-132.34 μm yielded 100% sensitivity for both conditions, whereas specificity was 80% and 72% for CSPH and SPH respectively.CONCLUSION The parameters of endogenously induced displacements and strain of the liver correlated with HVPG and might be used for non-invasive diagnosis of PH.     

Quantitative chemical exchange saturation transfer (qCEST) MRI – omega plot analysis of RF‐spillover‐corrected inverse CEST ratio asymmetry for simultaneous determination of labile proton ratio and exchange rate

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI is sensitive to labile proton concentration and exchange rate, thus allowing measurement of dilute CEST agent and microenvironmental properties. However, CEST measurement depends not only on the CEST agent properties but also on the experimental conditions. Quantitative CEST (qCEST) analysis has been proposed to address the limitation of the commonly used simplistic CEST‐weighted calculation. Recent research has shown that the concomitant direct RF saturation (spillover) effect can be corrected using an inverse CEST ratio calculation. We postulated that a simplified qCEST analysis is feasible with omega plot analysis of the inverse CEST asymmetry calculation. Specifically, simulations showed that the numerically derived labile proton ratio and exchange rate were in good agreement with input values. In addition, the qCEST analysis was confirmed experimentally in a phantom with concurrent variation in CEST agent concentration and pH. Also, we demonstrated that the derived labile proton ratio increased linearly with creatine concentration (P < 0.01) while the pH‐dependent exchange rate followed a dominantly base‐catalyzed exchange relationship (P < 0.01). In summary, our study verified that a simplified qCEST analysis can simultaneously determine labile proton ratio and exchange rate in a relatively complex in vitro CEST system. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于荧光定量PCR技术的当归不同炮制品中大肠埃希菌数量测定方法开发及比较研究

目的对当归不同炮制品中大肠埃希菌变化进行定量分析。方法建立荧光定量PCR方法,对当归不同炮制品、不同产地、不同收集企业、不同储藏时间的大肠埃希菌进行定量分析。结果不同炮制品中大肠埃希菌数量变化为生当归土炒当归酒当归;在不同产地的当归中以甘肃岷县地区所含的大肠埃希菌的数量最少;与零售企业相比,生产销售企业的当归和酒当归中大肠埃希菌的数量较少;不同储藏时间对当归和酒当归中大肠埃希菌数量有一定影响,随储藏时间的增加,大肠埃希菌的数量也在增加。对部分代表性样品进行平板计数法与荧光定量PCR法比较时发现,平板计数法结果多呈阴性,荧光定量PCR结果均呈阳性。结论所建立的荧光定量PCR法特异性、灵敏度、可靠性以及报告周期均优于平板计数法,可为当归不同炮制品中大肠埃希菌的快速、准确定量检测提供有效手段。     

复方碘酊消毒液中和剂试验研究

复方碘酊消毒液是含有20 g/L碘和1 g/L三氯羟基二苯醚的酒精溶液,为选择出合适的中和剂,采用化学中和法的悬液定量试验和滤膜冲洗及中和剂加滤膜冲洗法进行了试验研究。结果,硫代硫酸钠、硫代乙醇酸钠、吐温80、卵磷脂及其复方中和剂经悬液定量试验法和滤膜冲洗法,均不能中和复方碘酊消毒液对试验菌的残留作用。采用中和剂加滤膜冲洗法证明,用含5000 mg/L硫代硫酸钠+5000 mg/L吐温80+2000 mg/L硫代乙醇酸钠的磷酸盐缓冲液作为中和剂,均可有效去除复方碘酊消毒液对试验菌的残留作用;各中和剂及其中和产物对试验菌及培养基无不良影响。结论,选择复方碘酊消毒液的中和剂,不适宜用悬液定量试验法;宜采用滤膜过滤冲洗法。     

108例支气管哮喘患者舌脉象特征分析

目的：探讨对支气管哮喘临床辨证有意义的舌脉象客观指标，以辅助临床诊断。方法：应用TP—I型中医舌脉象数字化分析仪检测108例患者舌脉象参数，分析支气管哮喘发作期与缓解期的舌脉象特征。结果：108例支气管哮喘患者的舌象中，舌色以淡红舌、淡紫舌多见，舌苔以白苔、黄苔、薄苔为多见；脉象以弦脉、滑脉、弦滑脉为多见；舌脉象参数中舌色指数、苔色指数、厚苔指数、胖瘦指数在哮喘发作期各证型中有显著性差异（P〈0．05）；RPSR1、RPSR3、RPSR4、RBF、RLMS2、PLMP2、RLMS3、RLMP3在哮喘发作期与缓解期有显著性差异（P〈0．05）。结论：支气管哮喘患者的脉象参数、舌色指数、苔色指数、厚苔指数、胖瘦指数、RPSR1、RPSR3、RPSR4、RBF、RLMS2、PLMP2、RLMS3、RLMP3对其辨证分型有重要参考价值。     

Postmenopausal Women With Colles'' Fracture Have Lower Values of Bone Mineral Density Than Controls as Measured by Quantitative Ultrasound and Densitometry

Measurement of ultrasonographic parameters provides information concerning not only bone density but also bone architecture. We investigated the usefulness of ultrasonographic parameters and bone mineral density (BMD) to evaluate the probability of Colles' fracture. Two-hundred eighty-nine postmenopausal women (62.3 +/- 8.7 yr) with (n = 76) and without (n = 213) Colles' fracture were studied. BMD of lumbar spine and proximal femur was evaluated in all women by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and speed of sound (SOS), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), and stiffness in the calcaneus were measured by a Sahara ultrasonometer (Hologic). Patients suffering from Colles' fracture had lower values of BMD adjusted by height at the lumbar spine, L2-L4 (0.797 g/cm2 vs 0.860 g/cm2), femoral neck (0.685 g/cm2 vs 0.712 g/cm2 ), SOS (1518 m/sg vs 1525 m/sg), and stiffness (74.6 vs 77.7) (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, BUA values were similar in both groups. After stepwise logistic regression analysis, the area found under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was 0.60 for L2L4 and 0.63 for a formula combining L2L4 and height. Our data suggest that patients suffering from Colles' fracture have lower values of BMD by DXA, SOS, and stiffness. However, the ability of these techniques to discriminate is low because the values for the area under ROC curve are 0.60 for L2-L4 and 0.63 for a formula derived of the combination of L2-L4 and height.     

Quantitative observation by enzyme cytochemistry of human rectal adenocarcinoma cells killed by LAK cells

Activity of succinic dehydrogenase(SDH)and acid phosphatase(AcPase)of effector-target cells during the process of LAK cells killing HR8348 cells was estimated by enzyme cyto-chemistry technique.SHD positive granules and AePase gray level were assayed with MIAS-300image analyser.The results showed:(1)After cocultivation of effector and target cells for vari-ous times,the activity of AcPase of HR8348 cells was apparently higher than that of the controlgroup,and it increased following prolonged coincubation.SDH activity of target cells increasedmarkedly within 30 and 60 rain cocultivation,but became low after 90 min treatment.(2)Ac-Pase content within LAK cells at 60,90,120,180 and 240 rain cocultivation was significantlyhigher than that of control group(P<0.01).The phenomenon of high AcPase and SDH activitywithin effector-target cells indicates that the function of the two types of cells was in an activestate.At the early stage of effector-target combining,the increase of SDH with HR8348 cellsmay be related to defensive function of the target cells.Higher AcPase activity of target cells in-dicates the activation of lysosomal enzyme which serves as the material basis for autolysis of thecells.