Discussing options between patients and health care professionals in genetic diagnosis: ethical and legal criteria

The specific characteristics of genetic data lead to ethical-legal conflicts in the framework of genetic diagnosis. Several international organisations, including UNESCO and the Council of Europe, have enacted rules referring to the use of genetic information. This paper discusses possible legal and ethical criteria that could be used in genetic testing.     

A Spanish version of the Family Assessment Device

Introduction  

This paper presents the results of a study on the psychometric properties of an authorized Spanish version of the McMaster Family Assessment Device, a self-report measure of family functioning.     

输尿管无细胞基质移植物的制备和评价

背景：与小肠黏膜下层等材料相比，脱细胞血管具有天然管状结构，与输尿管形态结构相近，替代输尿管时仅需端端吻合即可，手术操作简单，血管外壁光滑，获取及制备方法简便等优点。 目的：拟应用同种颈动脉血管无细胞基质体外构建输尿管。 设计、时间及地点：观察性实验，于2006-09/2008-06在上海交通大学医学院附属新华医院动物实验中心完成。 材料：长风杂交白猪由上海松联实验动物公司提供。上海交通大学医学院实验动物中心提供的健康成年大鼠8只，用于血管无细胞基质的动物毒性实验。 方法：剥去猪颈动脉血管外膜，PBS冲洗若干遍，然后将血管置于pH 7.1 的PBS中4 ℃下振荡清洗，0.5%十二烷基硫酸钠振荡24 h，后使用双蒸水4 ℃下反复振荡洗涤1周，每日换双蒸水2次。对于解剖过程中肌肉残留相对稍多的血管，在双蒸水洗涤前以混合消化液37 ℃下振荡消化约2 h，再行双蒸水洗涤。制备的无细胞基质置于青、链霉素溶液中，4 ℃保存，完成脱细胞支架制备。 主要观察指标：光镜及电镜观察脱细胞后管壁无细胞基质片的主要成分。将同种异体来源内皮祖细胞培养增殖后植入血管无细胞基质，观察细胞生长情况，并进行血管无细胞基质动物毒性实验。拉力实验了解血管无细胞基质材料的收缩性能。 结果：颈动脉血管无细胞基质中已无细胞成分，无细胞基质主要由胶原成分组成。扫描电镜未见该材料表面存在细胞及细胞碎片，同时发现该无细胞基质存在孔隙样结构。体外同种异体来源的内皮祖细胞培养增殖后植入血管无细胞基质，细胞黏附于无细胞基质。血管无细胞基质按毒性分级属于无毒级。拉力实验说明该无细胞基质具有一定的韧性和牵张性。 结论：采用胰酶和十二烷基硫酸钠制备的颈动脉血管无细胞基质材料无细胞残留，具有一定的韧性和牵张性，种植于其中的种子细胞具备一定的生长能力。     

The genetic and epigenetic basis of ependymoma

Introduction  

Although ependymoma is the third most common pediatric brain tumor, we know little about the genetic/epigenetic basis of its initiation, maintenance, or progression. This is due in part to the heterogeneity of the disease, as well as the small sample size of the cohorts analyzed in most studies.     

Abnormal fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in benign esophageal leiomyoma

A benign esophageal leiomyoma with abnormally increased fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake on positron emission tomography (PET) was resected thoracoscopically. The tumor, of which the maximum standardized uptake value of the lesion was 4.7, was well defined and 38 mm in diameter. Neither mitotic activity nor degeneration was found histologically; and immunoreactivity for CD34, CD117, MIB-1, and glucose transporter-1 was negative immunohistochemically. A diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor was ruled out by an oncogenic kinase gene mutation study. This case cautions against PET-dependent evaluation for malignant potential of esophageal submucosal tumors.