口腔黏膜下纤维性变S100蛋白表达

OBJECTIVE: To study the expression of S100 in oral submucose fibrosis(OSF). METHODS: Immunohistochemistry assay was performed on 10 cases of OSF, 10 cases of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) and 8 cases of normal oral epithelium using monoclonal antibody against S100 protein. RESULTS: S100 did not express in the normal oral muscosal epithelium. The S100 positive nuclear staining was found in 50% of the OSF and OED cases, which was significantly higher than that in the normal oral epithelium (P < 0.05). But the positive staining in the OSF and OED cases had no difference (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: S100 expression is closely related to the development of OSF and OED. The positive staining expression in the OSF and OED cases is the same.     

LONG‐TERM OUTCOME OF ENDOSCOPIC BALLOON DILATION IN OBSTRUCTIVE GASTROINTESTINAL CROHN's DISEASE

Background: Gastrointestinal strictures are the most often and serious complication in Crohn's disease. Because of the frequent postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease, endoscopic therapy of gastrointestinal stricture is one of the best therapeutic options. Method: The present study sets out the results from a prospective study of endoscopic dilation therapy on 48 Crohn's disease patients with severe gastrointestinal stenoses. All patients who could not undergo endoscopic balloon dilation therapy (EBD) were operated on. Results: Long‐term success was attained in 32 of the 48 patients; cumulative avoidance of surgery after EBD was 86% at one year and 71% at three. Second, the most hazardous factor was recurrent inflammation causing restenosis. Patients who had strictures with oral luminal dilatation and patients with frequent recurrence had a tendency to be operated on. As a complication, perforation occurred in two cases (3.3%). Conclusions: EBD therapy for Crohn's stricture in the gastrointestinal tract is recommended before surgical intervention.     

中国男性原发不育的遗传高风险因子:Y染色体DAZ基因拷贝缺失

目的 探讨Y染色体无精症因子C区(azoospermia factor C，AZFe)无精症缺失基因(deleted-in-azoospermia，DAZ)家族基因拷贝缺失与中国男性原发不育之间的关系。方法 运用多重PCR与PCR-RFLP检测技术，对210例已生育男性、216例原发无精症与189例严重少精症患者Y染色体AzFc区域DAZ基因家族的基因拷贝数进行分析。结果 在所有已生育男性中未检出DAZ基因拷贝的完全或部分缺失，而在原发无精症与严重少精症患者中DAZ基因拷贝完全缺失率分别为8．8％和12．2％，DAZ1／DAZ2共缺失率分别为8．3％和5．3％。结论 在中国男性原发无精症与严重少精症患者中存在较高频率的DAZ基因拷贝缺失现象，提示Y染色体AZFc区域DAZ基因家族基因拷贝的完全与部分缺失是中国男性原发不育的遗传高风险因子。     

Genome-wide scan identified QTLs underlying femoral neck cross-sectional geometry that are novel studied risk factors of osteoporosis.

A genome-wide screen was conducted using a large white sample to identify QTLs for FNCS geometry. We found significant linkage of FNCS parameters to 20q12 and Xq25, plus significant epistatic interactions and sex-specific QTLs influencing FNCS geometry variation. INTRODUCTION: Bone geometry, a highly heritable trait, is a critical component of bone strength that significantly determines osteoporotic fracture risk. Specifically, femoral neck cross-sectional (FNCS) geometry is significantly associated with hip fracture risk as well as genetic factors. However, genetic research in this respect is still in its infancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To identify the underlying genomic regions influencing FNCS variables, we performed a remarkably large-scale whole genome linkage scan involving 3998 individuals from 434 pedigrees for four FNCS geometry parameters, namely buckling ratio (BR), cross-sectional area (CSA), cortical thickness (CT), and section modulus (Z). The major statistical approach adopted is the variance component method implemented in SOLAR. RESULTS: Significant linkage evidence (threshold LOD = 3.72 after correction for tests of multiple phenotypes) was found in the regions of 20q12 and Xq25 for CT (LOD = 4.28 and 3.90, respectively). We also identified eight suggestive linkage signals (threshold LOD = 2.31 after correction for multiple tests) for the respective geometry traits. The above findings were supported by principal component linkage analysis. Of them, 20q12 was of particular interest because it was linked to multiple FNCS geometry traits and significantly interacted with five other genomic loci to influence CSA variation. The effects of 20q12 on FNCS geometry were present in both male and female subgroups. Subgroup analysis also revealed the presence of sex-specific quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for FNCS traits in the regions such as 2p14, 3q26, 7q21 and 15q21. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings laid a foundation for further replication and fine-mapping studies as well as for positional and functional candidate gene studies, aiming at eventually finding the causal genetic variants and hidden mechanisms concerning FNCS geometry variation and the associated hip fractures.     

Clinical report of cervical arthroplasty in management of spondylotic myelopathy in Chinese

Objectives  

To investigate clinical effects and manual operational point of Bryan cervical disc prosthesis in Chinese, to observe the stability and range of movement (ROM) post-operatively.     

The significance of a rapid cold hemagglutination test for detecting mycoplasma infections in children with asthma exacerbation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is a frequent cause of community-acquired respiratory infections in children and adults. However, standardized, rapid, specific methods for its diagnosis are lacking. The relationship between M. pneumoniae infection and asthma exacerbation has been recently discussed in the literature. We investigated the accuracy of rapid detection of mycoplasma infection by cold hemagglutination test compared to conventional enzyme immunoassays. The clinical characteristics of mycoplasma infection seen during emergent visits in asthmatic children were reviewed. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients with asthma exacerbation visiting the Department of Pediatric Emergency, National Taiwan University Hospital, over a 12-month period. Subjects 2-18 years of age diagnosed with asthma at our outpatient clinic were included in this study. Patients with immunodeficiency, congenital anomalies, neurological diseases and irregular follow-up were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 269 children (174 males and 95 females) with a mean (+/- standard deviation) age of 6.15 +/- 3.08 years were included. The prevalence of asthma exacerbation in regular follow-up patients was 13.4%, and as many as 19.6% of cases (74/378 person-times) required hospitalization. Asthma attacks were most prevalent during December. 126 patients had both rapid cold hemagglutination testing and mycoplasma immunoglobulin M titers determined using acute blood samples drawn in the emergency room; 46 (36.5%) of these patients demonstrated mycoplasma infection. Sensitivity and specificity of the rapid cold hemagglutination test was 78.3% and 41.3%, respectively. The positive predictive value was 43.4%. Comparison of patients with or without mycoplasma infection revealed no differences in gender, age, chest X-ray findings, and most symptoms/signs and laboratory data, except that more signs of fever and auscultatory rales were seen in the non-mycoplasma infection group. CONCLUSIONS: Mycoplasma infections could be an exacerbating factor for asthma, and the rapid cold hemagglutination test should not be a guideline for prescribing macrolides in the emergency room.     

Arterial effects of salt restriction in hypertensive patients. A 9-week, randomized, double-blind, crossover study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hemodynamic effects of a moderately low-salt diet in a 9-week, randomized, double-blind, crossover study in 20 hypertensive, ambulatory patients. METHODS: All subjects followed a 9-week, low-salt diet. During this period, they received capsules containing either lactose or salt in 4-week treatment periods, separated by a 1-week washout period. Hemodynamic and biological parameters were evaluated on the day of randomization and at the end of weeks 4 and 9. We defined a low-sodium diet (LSD) as a salt-restriction period with lactose capsules, and a normal-sodium diet (NSD) as a salt-restriction period with capsular salt supplementation. RESULTS: Blood pressure was significantly lower during LSD compared with NSD. This fall in blood pressure was associated with a decrease in peripheral resistance in carotid and forearm circulation. Brachial artery diameter was larger during LSD whereas carotid artery diameter remained unchanged. The changes in brachial artery were: (1) not related to blood pressure changes; (2) positively related to age, and (3) negatively correlated with baseline intracellular sodium content. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that moderate low-salt restriction is capable of decreasing blood pressure and peripheral resistance in carotid and forearm circulation. The increase in brachial, but not carotid, artery diameter following salt restriction suggests a difference in salt dependence among different arteries.     

Subclinical hepatic encephalopathy: relationship between neuropsychological deficits and standard laboratory tests assessing hepatic status.

A multivariate analysis of the relationship between biochemical measures of hepatic function and neuropsychological assessments of specific cognitive domains was performed on data obtained from 74 patients with chronic liver disease and subclinical hepatic encephalopathy. Biochemical tests of hepatic protein synthesis correlated significantly with measures of impaired language efficiency, perceptual speed, and psychomotor efficiency. Biochemical indices of impaired processing of nitrogenous compounds correlated with visuopractic deficits. Hepatic blood flow indices correlated with language inefficiency. Interestingly, biochemical measures of hepatic injury did not demonstrate a significant association with any neuropsychological parameter assessed. These results suggest that subclinical hepatic encephalopathy is the consequence of a multifactorial hepatic dysfunction, and that acute hepatic injury, as assessed by elevation of aminotransferases, does not appear to be involved in the pathogenesis of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy.