Breast calcifications: analysis of imaging properties

The imaging characteristics of microcalcifications in both benign and malignant breast conditions were analyzed in 48 digitized film mammograms. Each case included in this analysis had findings considered suggestive of malignancy by the radiologist, with the underlying histologic structure determined by excisional biopsy. Imaging properties of each microcalcification--such as pixel intensity, relative location, distribution, size, and local neighborhood intensities--were recorded. This information was statistically analyzed at the population level according to such selection criteria as histologic type, size of calcification, and cluster size. Distribution ranges were determined for these criteria. Statistical differences between data from benign and malignant cases show the average distance between calcifications in malignant conditions was greater than in benign conditions, and tissue region averages surrounding calcifications associated with malignant conditions were consistently higher than those for benign conditions.     

Patients with partial seizures: evaluation by MR, CT, and PET imaging

Fifty patients who experienced partial seizures were imaged with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MR); 14 of these also had imaging studies of local cerebral glucose metabolism with positron emission tomography (PET). Thirteen patients with attenuation abnormalities on CT scans also had abnormal signals on MR images; ten other patients had MR-image signal abnormalities but normal CT scans. In all seven patients undergoing PET who had MR-signal and sometimes also CT-attenuation abnormalities, areas of metabolic asymmetry were present. Positive PET scans were also seen in three patients with no evidence of abnormality on CT and MR studies. Focal cerebral substance loss on CT and MR studies, present in 21 patients, did not correlate well with electroencephalographic findings. MR is utilized as the initial imaging procedure in patients with partial seizures because it is more readily available and less invasive than PET and more sensitive than CT scanning.     

Effects of intraluminal peptide YY on pancreatic function.

Peptide YY (PYY) is released postprandially into both the circulation and the distal intestinal lumen. While circulating PYY inhibits pancreatic secretion and insulin release, the effects of intraluminal PYY on pancreatic function are unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of exogenous, intraileal luminal PYY on pancreatic exocrine function and fasting glucose levels. Chronic pancreatic and ileal fistulae (50 cm from the ileocecal valve) were created in nine mongrel dogs. The animals were given intravenous infusions of secretin (125 ng/kg/h) and cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8, 50 ng/kg/h) for four hours. At the beginning of the second hour, either normal saline or PYY, at low [physiologic (2 ng/min)] or high [supraphysiologic (50 ng/min)] levels, was infused antegrade into the ileal fistula for two hours. Pancreatic juice was collected for PYY and glucose levels. Ileal luminal PYY infusions had no effect on pancreatic bicarbonate or protein output. Fasting serum PYY and glucose concentrations were unaffected by either dose of intraluminal PYY. We conclude that ileal luminal PYY does not influence pancreatic exocrine function or fasting glucose levels.     

Dutch Physiotherapy Guidelines for Low Back Pain

Many guidelines for the management of low back pain in primary care have been published during recent years, but guidelines for physiotherapy do not yet exist. Therefore, physiotherapy guidelines have been developed, reflecting the consequences of the current state of knowledge of effective and appropriate physiotherapy for low back pain. They aim to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of physiotherapeutic care for patients with low back pain.The guidelines were constructed on the basis of the phases of the physiotherapy process, using the Dutch method of developing physiotherapy guidelines. Scientific evidence of systematic reviews was used as the basis for the recommendations. A computerised literature search of Medline, Cinahl, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Database of the Dutch National Institute of Allied Health Professions was conducted to identify relevant systematic reviews. If no evidence was available, consensus between experts was obtained.The guidelines were pilot tested among one hundred physiotherapists and reviewed by an external multi-disciplinary panel.The guidelines recommend that the diagnostic process should focus on disability and participation problems resulting from back pain. The treatment should consist of an active approach, in which the patients learn to take control over their back pain. For patients with a normal course, where activities and participation gradually increase, reassurance, adequate information and advice to stay active are the most important recommendations. For patients with an abnormal course, where activities and participation do not increase, exercise therapy should also be provided, with a behavioural approach if necessary.These are the first national physiotherapy guidelines for low back pain. The recommendations are largely in line with other primary care guidelines for low back pain. Implementation will be a major challenge for the near future.     

人骨关节炎滑膜组织cDNA文库的构建及分析

目的:构建骨关节炎滑膜组织的cDNA文库,为筛选与骨关节炎的发生特异相关的基因及探讨骨关节炎发病机制奠定基础。方法:实验于2006-01/10在深圳市人民医院骨关节科完成,选取骨关节炎患者滑膜,以Trizol一步法从骨关节炎滑膜组织中提取总RNA,分离纯化mRNA,反转录合成双链cDNA,以pBlueScriptII为载体,构建关节炎滑膜组织cDNA文库,对随机挑取的克隆进行鉴定。结果:①总RNA及mRNA的质量:总RNA经分光光度计测定,测得mRNA的A260nm吸光度值为0.245,平均得率为0.45g/L,A260nm/A280nm=1.84,无DNA、蛋白质及小分子污染。符合建库要求。②cDNA的合成及分析:10μg mRNA反转录合成cDNA,合成的cDNA大小为0.5￣9.0kb,且主要集中在1.0￣2.0kb之间。③文库的鉴定:将50ng的cDNA与质粒载体pBlueScriptII连接过夜,采用电转化法转化受体菌DH5A,经稀释铺板测定原始文库的滴度为1.45×109pfu/L,总克隆数为4.6×105,重组率为96.2%,扩增后文库总滴度为6.4×1012pfu/L,插入片段多分布在0.5～2.6kb之间。结论:构建关节炎滑膜组织cDNA文库具有较好的库容量、较高的重组率以及较大的插入片段,为克隆关节炎相关功能基因的研究奠定了基础。     

Transplantation of enriched and purged peripheral blood progenitor cells from a single apheresis product in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

High-dose chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy followed by autologous transplantation of hematopoietic progenitor cells is an effective treatment for patients with high-risk or relapsed non- Hodgkin's lymphoma. Chemotherapy and/or hematopoietic growth factors have been used to mobilize progenitor cells in the peripheral blood for transplantation. However, the mobilized blood cell products have been found to be frequently contaminated with tumor cells, and techniques have not been developed to purge tumor cells from these products. In addition, the minimum number of hematopoietic progenitor cells required for engraftment has not yet been fully elucidated. We treated 21 patients with a single infusion of cyclophosphamide (4 g/m2) followed by daily administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G- CSF). After recovery of the white blood cell count, a single 3-hour apheresis collection was performed. The apheresis product was then applied to a discontinuous Percoll gradient. The low-density fractions resulting from this separation procedure were enriched for CD34+ progenitor cells (total cell yield, 19.5%; CD34+ cell recovery, 81.2%). These enriched cellular products were treated with a panel of anti-B cell or anti-T cell monoclonal antibodies and complement in an effort to remove residual tumor cells. After treatment of the patient with myeloablative therapies, the enriched and purged cells were reinfused. Hematologic recovery was rapid, with median neutrophil engraftment in 10 days [absolute neutrophil count (ANC), greater than 0.5 x 10(9)/L] and 11 days (ANC, greater than 1.0 x 10(9)/L). Median platelet transfusion independence required 13 days. The rapidity of multilineage engraftment correlated with the number of CD34+ cells per kilogram that were infused. Patients who received more than 2 x 10(6) CD34+ cells per kilogram had rapid hematologic engraftment, whereas those patients transplanted with less than 2 x 10(6) CD34+ cells per kilogram had slower platelet recovery. Modeling studies using a lymphoma cell line with a t(14; 18) chromosomal translocation demonstrated the successful removal of tumor cells assayed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after the processing and purging. Four of the 21 patients had PCR- detectable lymphoma cells in the bone marrow and peripheral blood; however, the enriched and purged blood products reinfused in all four did not contain detectable tumor cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

前路与后路腰椎间盘切除后Cage植入治疗与射频治疗改善椎间盘源性下腰痛的效果比较

目的:比较采用射频疗法与前路和后路椎体间融合术治疗椎间盘源性下腰痛疗效差别。方法:①于1999-01/2005-08在解放军总医院骨科、北京大学第三医院骨科有完整临床资料的椎间盘源性腰痛患者53例,男33例,女20例;年龄33～58岁。纳入对象影像学检查显示无明显神经根受压、腰椎不稳等其他腰椎疾病;符合国际疼痛学会1988年制定的椎间盘造影阳性标准;均对治疗方案知情同意。②所有入选病例依据治疗方法不同分为3组:射频组21例:行经皮穿刺射频汽化成型术;前路椎体间融合组14例:行腹膜外椎间盘切除、Cage植入、结合后路经椎板关节突螺钉固定、髂骨取骨植骨融合术;后路椎体间融合组18例:行后路椎间盘切除、椎间Cage植入结合椎弓根螺钉内固定后外侧植骨融合术。③统计手术时间和出血量,术后1年进行放射学评估融合情况。采用目测类比评分评估患者疼痛程度(无痛为0分,腰痛到无法忍受的最大程度为10分)。参照Oswestry功能障碍指数评估患者腰部功能恢复程度(分值越高表示功能受限程度越重)。分别于术前、术后1年进行评分。改善率=[(术前评分-术后评分)/术前评分]×100%。分级标准,优:改善率≥75%。良:改善率50%～75%;可:改善率25%～50%;差:改善率<25%。④计量资料差异比较采用连续型重复测量资料的方差分析。结果:椎间盘性下腰痛患者53例均进入结果分析。①手术时间和出血量比较:后路椎体间融合组手术时间和手术出血量明显长于/高于其他2组(P<0.05),射频组明显短于/小于前路椎体间融合组(P<0.05)。②术后疼痛改善情况:射频组良9例,可10例,差2例;前路椎体间融合组和后路椎体间融合组疼痛评分改善均为优。射频组目测类比评分改善率明显低于其他2组(P<0.05)。③术后功能改善情况:射频组良5例,可13例,差3例;前路椎体间融合组优12例,良2例;后路椎体间融合组优6例,良12例。射频组Oswestry功能障碍指数改善率明显低于前、后路椎体间融合组(P<0.05),前路椎体间融合组Oswestry功能障碍指数改善率明显高于后路椎体间融合组(P<0.05)。④椎体融合情况:前、后路椎体间融合组术后1年椎体融合率均为100%。结论:射频治疗创伤小但疗效差,前路椎间盘切除Cage植入结合后路经椎板关节突螺钉固定与后路椎间盘切除椎间融合结合椎弓根固定可明显改善疼痛,前者创伤相对小,功能恢复更好,是治疗椎间盘源性腰痛的最佳选择。     

An improved clonal excess assay using flow cytometry and B-cell gating

In humans with B-cell malignancies, the presence of monoclonal B lymphocytes (clonal proliferation) can be detected by comparing the fluorescence intensity distributions of lymphocytes stained with anti- kappa and anti-lambda reagents. The sensitivity of previously described single-color immunofluorescence techniques to low levels of clonal excess is limited by background from cytophilic immunoglobulins on non- B cells and by the low proportion of circulating B cells in individuals with minimal disease. We have used two-color immunofluorescence and B- cell gating to develop an improved assay that avoids false positives due to non-B cells, without requiring restrictive light scatter gates that may exclude true positives. This method is sensitive to 0.2% monoclonal B cells admixed with fresh normal lymphocytes, to 0.6% monoclonal B cells admixed with normal lymphocytes that have been stored for up to 72 hours, and readily detects 1% monoclonal cells in patient specimens. The two color B-cell gated assay offers sensitivity equivalent to the single-color assay and improved specificity for detection of low levels of clonal excess.     

TNF-α值与2型糖尿病胰岛素抵抗的关系

目的　探讨肿瘤坏死因子 -α(TNF -α)与 2型糖尿病胰岛素的关系。方法　用homa -R法选取有胰岛素抵抗 (IR组 )和无胰岛素抵抗 (NIR组 )的 2型糖尿病患者各 2 0例。另以 2 0名年龄及体重指数相匹配的人群的作为对照组 ,分别检测其空腹血糖、胰岛素 ,计算Homa -R值 ,用ELISA法检测TNF -α。结果　IR组的TNF -α与NIR组及对照组相比较明显增高 ,有统计学意义(P <0 0 5 ) ,IR组的空腹胰岛素水平及胰岛素抵抗指标Homa -R也显著高于NIR组及对照组 (P值为 <0 0 1) ,而三组间年龄、BMI、血脂、脂蛋白、血压均无显著性差异 (P >0 0 5 )。结论　血浆TNF -α水平与胰岛素抵抗呈密切相关 ,在 2型DM中有重要病理意义 ,可作为评估有无胰岛素抵抗的一项重要参考指标