Significance of -191G/C single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter region of ATP-binding cassette transporter gene in coronary artery disease]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of -191G/C single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the promoter region of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1(ABCA1) gene on plasma lipids and its significance in coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: By polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), -191G/C SNP in the promoter region of ABCA1 gene was analyzed in 204 patients with CAD and 114 control subjects and the distribution of the -191G/C genotypes compared between the two groups and also between different clinical phenotypes of CAD. The clinical indexes associated with CAD were also compared between the patients with the three genotypes of CAD. RESULTS: The frequency distribution of GG, GC, and CC genotypes significantly differed between CAD group and the control group, and the former group had obvious higher CC genotype frequency and the C allele frequency (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). In CAD patients, the frequency distribution of GG, GC, and CC genotypes varied significantly between those with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and those with stable angina pectoris (SAP). The CC genotype showed obviously higher frequency in ACS group than in SAP group and the C allele was more frequent in the former group (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). However, no significant difference was noted in the body mass index, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, or very low-density lipoprotein cholesterols between the three genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: The -191G/C SNP in the promoter region of ABCA1 is associated with increased CAD and the C allele may relate to the stability of CAD without detectable changes in plasma lipids.     

中药和限制门静脉血流对大鼠极限性肝叶切除早期残肝损害的影响

目的：探讨丹参针剂和限制门静脉血流对大鼠极限性肝叶切除（90％）后早期残肝损害的效应。方法：按Gaub的方法建立大鼠90％极限性肝叶切除模型，分别观察限制门静脉血流和加用丹参对大鼠手术后死亡率，残肝HE染色肝细胞中央静脉及汇管区的改变以及术后血生化的改变。结果：限制门静脉血流能减轻早期极限性肝叶切除后残肝的损害，加用丹参后能进一步减轻损害，但均不能改善实验动物的死亡率。结论：限制门静脉血流能减轻早期极限性肝叶切除后残肝的损害，加用丹参后能进一步减轻，但并不能引发残肝细胞再生的启动而延长动物的存活。     

II. Hypersociability in Williams Syndrome

Studies of abnormal populations provide a rare opportunity for examining relationships between cognition, genotype and brain neurobiology, permitting comparisons across these different levels of analysis. In our studies, we investigate individuals with a rare, genetically based disorder called Williams syndrome (WMS) to draw links among these levels. A critical component of such a cross-domain undertaking is the clear delineation of the phenotype of the disorder in question. Of special interest in this paper is a relatively unexplored unusual social phenotype in WMS that includes an overfriendly and engaging personality. Four studies measuring distinct aspects of hypersocial behavior in WMS are presented, each probing specific aspects in WMS infants, toddlers, school age children, and adults. The abnormal profile of excessively social behavior represents an important component of the phenotype that may distinguish WMS from other developmental disorders. Furthermore, the studies show that the profile is observed across a wide range of ages, and emerges consistently across multiple experimental paradigms. These studies of hypersocial behavior in WMS promise to provide the groundwork for crossdisciplinary analyses of gene-brain-behavior relationships.     

Association study of a functional serotonin transporter gene polymorphism with schizophrenia, psychopathology and clozapine response

Serotonin is implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Following serotonin release, the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) is the major determinant of serotonin inactivation. The present study tested the hypothesis that a biallelic polymorphism in the 5' regulatory region of the 5-HTT gene (5-HTTLPR) confers susceptibility to schizophrenia, association with the clinical manifestations of schizophrenia or clozapine response. 90 treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients were assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale before and after clozapine treatment. The results demonstrated that the 5-HTTLPR variants did not play a major role in the susceptibility, clinical manifestations or clozapine response in schizophrenia.     

Association study of apolipoprotein E epsilon4 with clinical phenotype and clozapine response in schizophrenia

Schizophrenic patients with the apolipoprotein E (APOE = gene; apoE = protein) epsilon4 allele exhibited lower psychosis scores than patients without the epsilon4 allele in previous reports. The present study tested the hypothesis that the APOE epsilon4 allele confers association with the clinical manifestations of schizophrenia or clozapine response. A total of 95 schizophrenic patients who were treatment resistant were included in the study. The results demonstrated that the presence of the APOE epsilon4 allele did not influence the response to clozapine in schizophrenic patients, neither was the baseline psychopathology related to the APOE epsilon4 allele. Given the multiple functions of the apoE protein in the brain, further study of the influence of APOE on CNS medication response is needed.     

Efficacy of multipurpose solutions for rigid gas permeable lenses

The use of multipurpose solutions for cleaning and disinfecting rigid gas permeable lenses has replaced single purpose solutions, but there are no reports of the efficacy of these multipurpose solutions, or of the effects of storage conditions on their disinfecting capacities. This study investigated activity against four bacterial and two fungal species, and the effects of storage in a refrigerator, at room temperature, at elevated temperature in both dry and humid conditions and with exposure to sunlight. The disinfecting solutions were challenged with the micro-organisms initially upon opening and then at 2-weekly intervals up to 12 weeks after being stored under the different conditions. Solutions were opened daily to simulate use. One solution failed to meet Food and Drug Administration (FDA) criteria to reduce numbers of bacteria by three log dilutions and of fungi by one log dilution. Storage reduced activity of all solutions over the 12-week period, but not below the requirements of the FDA. Storage in the refrigerator tended to reduce disinfecting capacity more quickly. Multipurpose solutions for rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses lose activity over the 3 months recommended time of use but remain satisfactory for use over this time in the conditions tested. Practitioners need to remind patients to replace their solutions regularly and should advise against storage in the refrigerator. Multipurpose solutions for RGP lenses have simplified cleaning and disinfecting processes and the current formulations have improved disinfecting capacity compared to former disinfecting solutions, which is particularly important for wearers of orthokeratology lenses.     

Laparoscopic Ladd's procedure for intestinal malrotation: report of three cases.

Ladd's procedure for laparoscopic repair of malrotation has many advantages over conventional surgical techniques, such as earlier feeding and discharge. However, this procedure is still not commonly used in Taiwan. This report describes the results of treatment of intestinal malrotation in three patients using laparoscopic Ladd's procedure. The patients, aged 8 days, 17 days, and 3 years, underwent laparoscopic Ladd's procedure between July 1999 and September 2000. All three patients had symptoms of intermittent vomiting and were shown to have intestinal malrotation by upper gastrointestinal series study. The procedure was performed using three trocars of 5 mm diameter placed at the infraumbilical ring and the right and left lower quadrants. All procedures were completed laparoscopically. The operative times were 4.8, 3.6, and 3.5 hours, respectively. Feeding was started on postoperative Day 2 to 5, and the hospital stay was 6 to 11 days. Our results suggest that laparoscopic Ladd's procedure can be performed safely in pediatric patients. In addition, patients are expected to benefit from the smaller incision, earlier feeding, shorter hospital stay, and fewer complications compared with traditional Ladd's procedure.     

Concurrent chemotherapy-radiotherapy compared with radiotherapy alone in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: progression-free survival analysis of a phase III randomized trial.

PURPOSE: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is highly sensitive to both radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy. This randomized phase III trial compared concurrent cisplatin-RT (CRT) with RT alone in patients with locoregionally advanced NPC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with Ho's N2 or N3 stage or N1 stage with nodal size > or = 4 cm were randomized to receive cisplatin 40 mg/m(2) weekly up to 8 weeks concurrently with radical RT (CRT) or RT alone. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: Three hundred fifty eligible patients were randomized. Baseline patient characteristics were comparable in both arms. There were significantly more toxicities, including mucositis, myelosuppression, and weight loss in the CRT arm. There were no treatment-related deaths in the CRT arm, and one patient died during treatment in the RT-alone arm. At a median follow-up of 2.71 years, the 2-year PFS was 76% in the CRT arm and 69% in the RT-alone arm (P =.10) with a hazards ratio of 1.367 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93 to 2.00). The treatment effect had a significant covariate interaction with tumor stage, and a subgroup analysis demonstrated a highly significant difference in favor of the CRT arm in Ho's stage T3 (P =.0075) with a hazards ratio of 2.328 (95% CI, 1.26 to 4.28). For T3 stage, the time to first distant failure was statistically significantly different in favor of the CRT arm (P =.016). CONCLUSION: Concurrent CRT is well tolerated in patients with advanced NPC in endemic areas. Although PFS was not significantly different between the concurrent CRT arm and the RT-alone arm in the overall comparison, PFS was significantly prolonged in patients with advanced tumor and node stages.     

生脉注射液在气管插管后血压降低中的运用

生脉注射液具有益气养阴、复脉固脱之功效,广泛用于严重感染、血容量不足引起的血压降低.在气管插管后血压降低时,应用生脉注射液也取得了较好的临床疗效.本文对气管插管后血压降低应用生脉注射液的用法用量、注意事项等进行了归纳.