Small arteries in peripheral lymph nodes: a specific US sign of lymphomatous involvement

Fifty-seven patients with palpably enlarged peripheral lymph nodes underwent detailed ultrasonographic (US) examination with a 5.0-MHz and a 7.5-MHz probe. In 32 of 36 patients with malignant lymphoma (12 with Hodgkin disease, 24 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma) US showed a hypoechoic mass with a centrally located tubular structure. Pathologic examination showed that this structure correlated with small intact arterial vessels encased by confluent lymphomatous masses. This sonographic finding was not seen in patients with carcinomatous metastatic lesions to the lymph nodes (nine patients) or benign lymphadenitis (12 patients). The detection with US of small arteries within enlarged lymph nodes may indicate nodal infiltration by malignant lymphoma.     

Mechanism of transient adsorption of fibrinogen from plasma to solid surfaces: role of the contact and fibrinolytic systems

The transient detection of fibrinogen on surfaces has been described (Vroman effect) and high-mol-wt kininogen (HK) has been shown to play a role in this reaction. In this study, we attempted to identify the form of HK responsible for preventing detection of the fibrinogen initially adsorbed from plasma to various artificial surfaces and to determine if other plasma components were involved. We compared 125I-fibrinogen adsorption in the presence of normal plasma to plasma deficient in specific proteins. On all surfaces tested, we found that fibrinogen was displaced from the surface. The extent of displacement was greatly reduced, however, but not eliminated in HK-deficient plasma. Factor XII- deficient plasma also showed reduced fibrinogen displacement. These data indicate that HK can actually displace fibrinogen; however, factor XII, or a factor XII-mediated reaction also appears to be necessary for this displacement to occur. Furthermore, when normal plasma was first subjected to extensive contact activation by dextran sulfate, during which the HK was extensively degraded to components smaller than the light chain (as assessed by Western blotting), we observed greatly reduced displacement of fibrinogen. Extensive contact activation of Factor XI-deficient plasma failed to show low-mol-wt derivatives, however, and displacement of fibrinogen was similar to normal plasma that had not undergone extensive activation. These data indicate that HKa (active cofactor produced during contact activation by factor XIIa or kallikrein) is primarily responsible for displacing fibrinogen, and that HKi (inactive cofactor generated by factor XIa) cannot displace fibrinogen. The fibrinogen from all plasma samples looked similar by Western blot analysis, suggesting that fibrinogenolysis was not a component of the Vroman effect. In addition, experiments performed with plasma prechromatographed on lysine agarose showed that a lysine- agarose adsorbable protein may be minimally involved in fibrinogen desorption and a synergism may exist between HK and that protein.     

人β-神经生长因子和神经生长因子基因重组真核表达载体的构建

目的:入神经生长因子包括β-神经生长因子、神经生长因子这两种活性形式,拟分别构建这两种活性形式的基因重组真核表达载体,为进一步的转基因实验作好前期准备。方法:实验于2001～2004年在青岛大学医学院附属医院中心实验室完成。①对象:健康志愿者5人,均对本实验知情同意。流产胎儿由青岛大学医学院妇产科提供,产妇均签署知情同意书,实验经医院医学伦理委员会批准。②实验方法:根据人β-神经生长因子与神经生长因子的全长基因序列设计合成特异性引物。抽取正常人外周血1.5 mL,提取基因组DNA后克隆出人β-神经生长因子基因片段。取胎儿海马部位脑组织100 mg,采用RT-PCR技术从胎儿脑组织中克隆出人神经生长因子基因片段。分别将纯化的β-神经生长因子产物与神经生长因子产物连接于真核表达载体pcDNA_4上,构建重组真核表达载体。转入JM109大肠杆菌中,扩增后小剂量质粒提取,酶切鉴定及计算机自动测序。结果:β-神经生长因子和神经生长因子的PCR产物琼脂糖凝胶电泳结果显示,在预期位置均有阳性条带。酶切鉴定结果及计算机自动测序均证实插入片段为目的基因片断。结论:实验分别从人外周血和胎脑海马组织中成功克隆获得β-神经生长因子与神经生长因子,并顺利构建这两种活性形式的重组真核表达载体pcDNA_4-β-NGF与pcDNA_4-NGF,为进一步将神经生长因子基因转入真核细胞并比较二者表达效率作好准备工作。     

Localization of neuroendocrine tumours with [111In] DTPA-octreotide scintigraphy (Octreoscan): a comparative study with CT and MR imaging

A wide variety of neuroendocrine tumours express somatostatin receptors, and can be visualized by radiolabelled somatostatin analogue scintigraphy. To investigate the value of [111In]-octreotide scintigraphy (Octreoscan), 48 patients (37 with proven carcinoid, pancreatic endocrine and medullary carcinoma of thyroid tumours, 11 with neuroendocrine syndromes multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN-I) and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES) were examined with 111In-DTPA-D-Phe1- octreotide. Scintigrams were obtained at 24 and 48 h, and the results were compared with CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Thirty-five of 48 patients had positive [111In]-octreotide scintigraphy (23/25 (92%) carcinoids, 8/9 (89%) PETs, 4/11 (36%) MEN-I & ZES). Of the 42 lesions located by conventional imaging techniques, 37 (88%) were also identified by Octreoscan. Unexpected lesions (40 sites), not detected by CT or MR imaging were found in 24/48 (50%) patients. [111In]- octreotide scintigraphy has a higher sensitivity for tumour detection, and is superior to MR imaging and CT scanning in the identification of previously unsuspected extraliver and lymph node metastases. It may also be helpful for the localization of clinically suspected tumours in patients with MEN-I and ZES.      

去势雌干眼症模型鼠睑板腺上皮细胞凋亡及其组织损伤

目的:建立去势雌干眼症动物模型并探讨干眼症模型鼠睑板腺上皮细胞凋亡、相关基因表达与组织损伤的关系。方法:实验于2003-07/2004-07在青岛大学医学院附属医院动物实验中心及眼科病理室完成。①实验动物:清洁级健康成年Wistar雌性大白鼠20只,体质量180～200g,无眼疾患。②实验分组:采用随机数字表法分为去势雌组及对照组,每组10只。③实验干预:去势雌组摘两侧卵巢。对照组按相同方法找到卵巢后不摘除。去势雌组分别于手术前和手术后2,3,4,5,6个月行Schirmer试验、泪膜破裂时间及角膜荧光素染色检测。④去势雌组分别于术前、术后第1天、第9天心脏穿刺取血,采用化学发光法测量血清雌二醇水平(取血后有数只大鼠死亡,分别按上述步骤补齐);6个月后麻醉下处死两组动物,取睑板腺进行病理组织学观察,并采用免疫组织化学方法检测睑板腺上皮细胞中的Bax、bcl-2等相关基因蛋白的表达。结果:20只大鼠进入结果分析。①血清雌激素水平测定结果:去势雌组术后血清雌二醇水平明显低于手术前[(16.34±3.15),(43.57±2.81)ng/L,P<0.01]。②两组大鼠眼表损害的检查结果:去势雌组5个月起泪膜破裂时间明显低于正常对照组,且随观察时间的延长差异有显著性(P<0.01);4个月起角膜荧光素染色阳性,且随观察时间延长加重。③两组大鼠睑板腺光镜观察:病理学观察去势雌鼠睑板腺腺细胞萎缩,腺管扩展。④两组大鼠睑板腺上皮凋亡相关基因Bax、Bcl-2的表达:睑板腺上皮细胞中Bax阳性表达的细胞数明显高于对照组(P<0.01);bcl-2阳性表达的细胞数明显低于对照组(P<0.01)。结论:去势后雌鼠雌二醇水平明显低下,睑板腺上皮细胞中Bax增加及bcl-2减少均与促进细胞凋亡有关,可能是导致组织学改变进而功能丧失引起干眼症的原因之一。     

Lentiviral Delivery of a Vesicular Glutamate Transporter 1 (VGLUT1)-Targeting Short Hairpin RNA Vector Into the Mouse Hippocampus Impairs Cognition

Glutamate is the principle excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain, and dysregulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission is implicated in the pathophysiology of several psychiatric and neurological diseases. This study utilized novel lentiviral short hairpin RNA (shRNA) vectors to target expression of the vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1) following injection into the dorsal hippocampus of adult mice, as partial reductions in VGLUT1 expression should attenuate glutamatergic signaling and similar reductions have been reported in schizophrenia. The VGLUT1-targeting vector attenuated tonic glutamate release in the dorsal hippocampus without affecting GABA, and selectively impaired novel object discrimination (NOD) and retention (but not acquisition) in the Morris water maze, without influencing contextual fear-motivated learning or causing any adverse locomotor or central immune effects. This pattern of cognitive impairment is consistent with the accumulating evidence for functional differentiation along the dorsoventral axis of the hippocampus, and supports the involvement of dorsal hippocampal glutamatergic neurotransmission in both spatial and nonspatial memory. Future use of this nonpharmacological VGLUT1 knockdown mouse model could improve our understanding of glutamatergic neurobiology and aid assessment of novel therapies for cognitive deficits such as those seen in schizophrenia.     

A comparison of two injury surveillance systems within sports medicine clinics

This study compares a comprehensive method of collecting injury data from sports medicine clinics, with a more simplified method of injury surveillance. The sports medicine injury surveillance (SMIS) project was implemented in a group of five allied sports medicine clinics in Melbourne. over two consecutive years. The injury surveillance method used in the second year (SMIS2) was a simplified version of that used in the first year (SMIS1). Methodological differences in the injury surveillance systems included form design, staff commitment and training, auditing process, financial incentives offered and employment of a project officer. Data were collected on 6479 new sports injury patients during SMIS1 and on 1682 patients during SMIS2. Comparative data from the two years of injury surveillance included patient profile (gender. age. days from injury to treatment, sport and context of injury) and injury information (site, cause and nature of injury). The SMIS2 methodology was associated with a lower sensitivity (p < 0.001) and a higher proportion of missing information (p < 0.001) than the SMIS1 methodology. There was also a significant difference in the nature and cause of injury variables (p < 0.001) between SMIS1 and SMIS2 and this was associated with coding changes. This study shows that the method of data collection influences both the proportion of missing information and the sensitivity of the system. A comprehensive method of injury surveillance will lead to a more complete data collection process. Methodological differences, however, do not appear to substantially alter conclusions about general patient characteristics, but do have some influence on the accuracy with which broad injury data are identified. Notwithstanding these comments, this study shows that injury surveillance activities can be successfully implemented in sports medicine clinics.     

The Brazilian Network for HIV‐1 Genotyping External Quality Control Assurance Programme

The Brazilian network for genotyping is composed of 21 laboratories that perform and analyze genotyping tests for all HIV‐infected patients within the public system, performing approximately 25,000 tests per year. We assessed the interlaboratory and intralaboratory reproducibility of genotyping systems by creating and implementing a local external quality control evaluation. Plasma samples from HIV‐1‐infected individuals (with low and intermediate viral loads) or RNA viral constructs with specific mutations were used. This evaluation included analyses of sensitivity and specificity of the tests based on qualitative and quantitative criteria, which scored laboratory performance on a 100‐point system. Five evaluations were performed from 2003 to 2008, with 64% of laboratories scoring over 80 points in 2003, 81% doing so in 2005, 56% in 2006, 91% in 2007, and 90% in 2008 (Kruskal‐Wallis, p = 0.003). Increased performance was aided by retraining laboratories that had specific deficiencies. The results emphasize the importance of investing in laboratory training and interpretation of DNA sequencing results, especially in developing countries where public (or scarce) resources are used to manage the AIDS epidemic.     

Antihyperalgesic effects of a novel muscarinic agonist (LASSBio‐873) in spinal nerve ligation in rats

相似文献