肝炎后肝硬化ET-1、CGRP、TNF-α和IL-8联合检测的临床意义

目的:探讨肝炎后肝硬化血浆活性物质ET-1、CGRP和血清TNF-α、IL-8的临床意义.方法:68例肝炎后肝硬化患者,根据Child-Pugh分级分为A级(23例)、B级(20例)、C级(25例)三组.采用放射免疫(RIA)方法联合检测ET-1、CGRP、TNF-α和IL-8水平,并与30例健康组相对照.结果:肝炎后肝硬化组ET-1、CGRP 、TNF-α和IL-8水平较健康组明显升高(均P<0.01),且A、B、C三组中ET-1、CGRP、TNF-α和IL-8水平差异显著(均P<0.01),C级>B级>A级.结论:ET-1、CGRP、TNF-α和IL-8水平是反映肝炎后肝硬化肝脏损害程度,可作为预后判断的重要指标.     

急性脑梗死患者血清胎球蛋白A水平与颈动脉易损斑块的关系研究

目的 研究急性脑梗死(ACI)患者血清胎球蛋白A(AHSG)水平与颈动脉易损斑块的关系。方法 纳入ACI患者152例,依据颈动脉超声结果分为稳定斑块组67例和易损斑块组85例,收集临床资料。采用Pearson相关分析,研究ACI患者血清AHSG与各临床指标的相关性;应用logisitc回归模型,分析颈动脉易损斑块的影响因素;采用受试者工作特征曲线,探索AHSG对颈动脉易损斑块的诊断效能。结果 (1)ACI患者的AHSG与TNF-α(r=-0.430,P<0.001)、MMP-9(r=-0.403,P<0.001)、IL-1β(r=-0.375,P<0.001)及IL-6(r=-0.445,P<0.001)均呈负相关。(2)高血压病(OR=2.416,95%CI:1.206-4.841)、2型糖尿病(OR=3.019,95%CI:1.398-6.520)、AHSG(OR=0.540,95%CI:0.318-0.935)、MMP-9(OR=1.481,95%CI:1.085-2.022)及IL-1β(OR=1.004,95%CI:1.000-1.009)为颈动脉易损斑块的独立影响因素。(3)AHSG诊断颈动脉易损斑块的曲线下面积(AUC)为0.806(95%CI:0.736-0.876);DeLong非参数检验示,AHSG诊断颈动脉易损斑块的AUC优于MMP-9(P=0.022)和IL-1β(P=0.042)。结论 低水平的AHSG是ACI患者颈动脉易损斑块的独立危险因素,并可作为辅助临床诊断颈动脉易损斑块的预警指标,可为早期防治ACI提供指导。     

Extraction and Characterization of Chick PEA (Cicer arietinum) Extract with Immunostimulant Activity in BALB/C MICE

Traditional plant medicines are used for a range of cancer conditions. The chickpea is highly proteinaceous andconsumed as a staple in many parts of the world. An evaluation of chemoprotective and immunomodulatory activitiesof Cicer arietinum (CE) in cisplatin-induced immunosuppressed mice was here performed. Cisplatin was givenat 100mg/kg, intraperitoneally, and after induction of immunosuppression mice were treated with Cicer arietinum(0.5 mg/dose/animal/IP) for a period of 10-day. The influence of the extract on lymphoid organ weight, bone marrowcellularity, alpha esterase activity and on enzyme levels such as (SGOT,SGPT, Urea, Creatinine was assessed toidentify any chemoprotective influence. Administration of CE to cisplatin-treated mice alleviated the drastic reductionin bone marrow cellularity and α- esterase positive cells seen with cisplatin. Thus myelosuppression was reversed orinhibited. Cisplatin bids to DNA and causes damage resulting in chromosome breaks, micronucleus formation and celldeath. CE is comprised of numerous middle-chain aliphatic alcohols, aldehydes and ketones, in addition to compoundslike 7-hydroxy-1-methoxy-6-methylanthraquinone, cyclohexadecane (CAS) and 6-(amino methyl)-2-naphthol. Theselatter are thought to contribute to the characteristic aroma of C. arietimnum. In conclusion, administration of CEin cisplatin-treated mice, boosted bone marrow cellularity and increased α- esterase positive cells, thus reversingmyelosupproession.     

Post-traumatic stress disorder is associated with altered modulation of prefrontal alpha band oscillations during working memory

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between the severity of PTSD symptoms, modulation of alpha band oscillations, and behavioral performance in a working memory task.MethodsMagnetoencephalography data were recorded in 35 participants with combat exposure and various degrees of PTSD symptom severity while they performed a modified Sternberg working memory task: briefly presented sets of two or six letters had to be held in memory and participants indicated whether subsequent probe letters were present or absent from these sets.ResultsPTSD scores were positively correlated with the false positive rate in the high memory load condition. Higher rates of false recognition were associated with negative probes that were seen in recent previous trials (negative probe recency effect) or were physically similar with the list letters. The relative alpha band power in the left middle frontal gyrus was negatively correlated with both PTSD scores and false positive rates.ConclusionsReduced task specific modulation of alpha band oscillations in left middle frontal cortex may reflect alterations in the functions of pattern separation and suppression of memory traces for irrelevant or no longer relevant information in PTSD.SignificanceThe lower amplitude of prefrontal alpha band oscillations may represent an important physiological basis for core PTSD symptoms and can provide a target for interventions to augment response to treatment.     

After-effects of 10 Hz tACS over the prefrontal cortex on phonological word decisions

IntroductionPrevious work in the language domain has shown that 10 Hz rTMS of the left or right posterior inferior frontal gyrus (pIFG) in the prefrontal cortex impaired phonological decision-making, arguing for a causal contribution of the bilateral pIFG to phonological processing. However, the neurophysiological correlates of these effects are unclear. The present study addressed the question whether neural activity in the prefrontal cortex could be modulated by 10 Hz tACS and how this would affect phonological decisions.MethodsIn three sessions, 24 healthy participants received tACS at 10 Hz or 16.18 Hz (control frequency) or sham stimulation over the bilateral prefrontal cortex before task processing. Resting state EEG was recorded before and after tACS. We also recorded EEG during task processing.ResultsRelative to sham stimulation, 10 Hz tACS significantly facilitated phonological response speed. This effect was task-specific as tACS did not affect a simple control task. Moreover, 10 Hz tACS significantly increased theta power during phonological decisions. The individual increase in theta power was positively correlated with the behavioral facilitation after 10 Hz tACS.ConclusionOur results show a facilitation of phonological decisions after 10 Hz tACS over the bilateral prefrontal cortex. This might indicate that 10 Hz tACS increased task-related activity in the stimulated area to a level that was optimal for phonological performance. The significant correlation with the individual increase in theta power suggests that the behavioral facilitation might be related to increased theta power during language processing.     

Comparing Maternal Serum Screening Markers Among IVF and Spontaneous Conceptions in Ontario Through Registry Data

Objective

The objectives of this study were as follows: (1) to investigate the accuracy of IVF identification on the prenatal screening record from prenatal screening laboratories; (2) to compare the screening markers in IVF and non-IVF pregnancies in the population of Ontario; and (3) to propose more appropriate IVF adjustment factors for the Ontario population.

miR-202、AFP及DKK1在原发性肝癌患者血清中的表达及其意义

目的:研究微小RNA-202（miR-202）、甲胎蛋白（AFP）、分泌性蛋白Dikkopf-1（DKK1）在原发性肝癌（PHC）患者血清中的表达水平及临床价值。方法:选择2013年6月-2014年12月我院肝病科收治的PHC患者（PHC组）43例、良性肝病患者（良性肝病组）37例作为研究对象,选择同期健康体检人员51例作为健康对照组。检测3组受试对象血清中miR-202、AFP及DKK1的表达水平,运用受试者工作特征曲线（ROC曲线）分析miR-202、AFP、DKK1联合检测诊断PHC的诊断效能。结果:（1）PHC患者血清中miR-202水平低于良性肝病组和健康对照组,有显著性差异（P＜0.05）;AFP和DKK1水平均高于良性肝病组和健康对照组,差异具有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。（2）联合检测诊断PHC的效能高于miR-202、AFP及DKK1单独检测。（3）miR-202与AFP呈负相关（r =-0.314,P＜0.05）;miR-202与DKK1呈负相关（r =-0.319,P＜0.05）;AFP与DKK1呈正相关（r=0.556,P＜0.05）。结论:原发性肝癌患者miR-202水平表达水平降低,AFP和DKK1表达水平升高,三者联合检测有助于原发性肝癌的临床诊治。     

Lessons from the Past: Some Histories of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Before Its Discovery

A1AT deficiency- a genetically inherited autosomal codominant disease with more than 120 identified alleles- was first identified by Laurell and Eriksson in 1963. The most common hereditary disorder in adults, A1AT causes an increased risk of developing pulmonary emphysema and liver disease. In A1AT patients, lung disease generally presents at a younger age than “usual” chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and it may be misdiagnosed as asthma. Because A1AT deficiency patients can show the same clinical features as non-deficient COPD (including increased evidence of bronchiectasis, frequent exacerbations, impaired health status and a degree of reversibility of airflow obstruction), the World Health Organization recommend to test every patient with a diagnosis of COPD or adult-onset asthma for A1AT deficiency. Despite these recommendations, the epidemiology of A1AT deficiency remains uncertain. Although recently discovered A1AT deficiency has affected human populations since antiquity. By using scientific data and recently studied skeletons and historical cases, we show that it is now possible to reconstruct the natural history of pathological processes, whether due to genetic, infectious or environmental factors. We believe that the evolution of disease in patients and research to elucidate the relationship between social science and environmental are pertinent contemporaneous subjects.     

Quantitative EEG and functional outcome following acute ischemic stroke

Objective

To identify the most accurate quantitative electroencephalographic (qEEG) predictor(s) of unfavorable post-ischemic stroke outcome, and its discriminative capacity compared to already known demographic, clinical and imaging prognostic markers.

Decreased occipital alpha oscillation in children who stutter during a visual Go/Nogo task

Objective

Our goal was to discover attention- and inhibitory control-related differences in the main oscillations of the brain of children who stutter (CWS) compared to typically developed children (TDC).