错误相关负电位在精神科临床上推广——附50例正常成人分析

目的:应用引进的德国仪器及新技术探讨并建立健康成人错误相关负电位(ERN)的正常值。方法:应用德国Brain Products公司的ERP记录与分析系统,对50例21~55岁健康成人右利手受试者,作了ERN检测。结果:(1)32个头皮记录点皆在约100~150ms处出现了一个负波,健康成人ERN波形较稳定。(2)在Cz、Fz、Pz、C3、C4 5个脑区,建立了健康成人ERN潜伏期和波幅均值。(3)左右侧比较及男女性别比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:健康成人ERN较稳定和可靠。ERN可作为一个有临床推广应用价值的ERP而用于神经精神科临床。     

Analysis of CD8+ Treg cells in patients with ovarian cancer: a possible mechanism for immune impairment

Regulatory T (Treg) cells may participate in mediating a suppressive microenvironment that blunts successful anti-tumor immunotherapy. Recent studies show that CD8⁺ Treg cells might impede effective immune responses to established tumors. However, there is limited research regarding CD8⁺ Treg cells in ovarian cancer (OC) patients. Here, we investigated CD8⁺ Treg cells in OC patients and their in vitro induction. The immunohistochemistry of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes revealed a significant correlation between the intratumoral CD8⁺ T cells and the forkhead box p3 (Foxp3)⁺ cells in the intraepithelial and stromal areas of advanced OC tissues. We examined the expression of Treg markers in CD8⁺ T cells from the peripheral blood and fresh tumor tissues of OC patients using flow cytometry. Our results indicated an increase in the CD8⁺ Treg cell subsets of OC patients compared with those in patients with benign ovarian tumors and healthy controls, including an increased expression of CD25, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), and Foxp3 and decreased CD28 expression. To demonstrate whether the tumor microenvironment could convert CD8⁺ effector T cells into suppressor cells, we used an in vitro transwell culturing system. Compared with the CD8⁺ T cells cultured alone, the CD8⁺ Treg cells induced in vitro by coculture with SK-OV-3/A2780 showed increased CTLA-4 and Foxp3 expression and decreased CD28 expression. In addition, the in vitro-induced CD8⁺ Treg cells inhibited naïve CD4⁺ T-cell proliferation, which was partially mediated through TGF-β1 and IFN-γ. Our study suggests that CD8⁺ Treg cells were increased in OC patients and could be induced in vitro, which may be the way that tumors limit antitumor immunity and evade immune surveillance.     

Amino acids 89–96 of Salmonella typhimurium flagellin represent the major domain responsible for TLR5-independent adjuvanticity in the humoral immune response

Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) signaling in response to flagellin is dispensable for inducing humoral immunity, but alterations of aa 89–96, the TLR5 binding site, significantly reduced the adjuvanticity of flagellin. These observations indicate that the underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. Here, we found that the native form of Salmonella typhimurium aa 89–96-mutant flagellin extracted from flagella retains some TLR5 recognition activity, indicating that aa 89–96 is the primary, but not the only site that imparts TLR5 activity. Additionally, this mutation impaired the production of IL-1β and IL-18. Using TLR5KO mice, we found that aa 89–96 is critical for the humoral adjuvant effect, but this effect was independent of TLR5 activation triggered by this region of flagellin. In summary, our findings suggest that aa 89–96 of flagellin is not only the crucial site responsible for TLR5 recognition, but is also important for humoral immune adjuvanticity through a TLR5-independent pathway.     

Does parents' socio-economic status matter in intentions of vaccinating against human papillomavirus for adolescent daughters?

BackgroundThe Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination provides substantial protection, and it is best to be taken before the age of twelve. Taiwan approved HPV vaccines since 2006. However, very few female adolescent have been vaccinated until now.ObjectivesTo examine whether the parents'' socio-economic status matters in deciding to purchase HPV vaccination for their daughters based on the theory of planned behavior.MethodA structured questionnaire to collect 394 responses from parents of adolescent girls in Taiwan. Data was coded to categorize relevant socio-economic classes, and was analyzed with SPSS.ResultsThe behavior intentions of parents with low (mean= 5.28) and high (5.01) socio-economic status are significantly stronger than the moderate (4.56) in deciding to purchase the HPV vaccination. Socio-economic factor has a slightly negative impact (B= -0.08), and attitude (0.68), subjective norms (0.16), and behavior control (0.32) have positive impacts on the parents'' intention.ConclusionMajor impacts on the decision to purchase an HPV vaccination for their adolescent was not due to the parents'' socio-economic status but the parent''s attitude. As the major predictor of a less complicated decision, attitudes toward the HPV vaccination should be reinforced through continuous communications between service providers and patient-advocate groups.     

A New Technique to Map the Lymphatic Distribution and Alignment of the Penis

The present study was to examine the distribution of lymphatic vessels in the penis of normal adult males, which could provide an anatomical basis for improvement of incisions in penile lengthening surgery, and may also help to prevent postoperative refractory edema. Thirteen normal adult male volunteers were recruited for this study. Contrast agent was injected subcutaneously in the foreskin of the penis, and after two minutes magnetic resonance lymphangiography (MRL) was performed. The acquired magnetic resonance images were analyzed to determine the changes in the number and diameter of lymphatic vessels in different parts of the penis. Maximum intensity projections (MIP) and materializes interactive medical image control system (MIMICS) were applied to analyze the overall distribution of lymphatic vessels in the penis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed that the lymphatic vessels were in conspicuous contrast with surrounding tissues and could be clearly identified. Penile lymphatic vessels were clearly visible in the root of the penis. At the junction of the penis and the abdominal wall, all lymphatic vessels were found to be concentrated in the dorsal part of the penis. MIP two‐dimensional reconstruction showed that the overall distribution of relatively large lymphatic vessels in the dorsal and ventral parts of the penis could be seen clearly on bilateral 45° position, but not inside the abdominal wall because some of lymphatic vessels were overlapped by other tissues in the abdomen. MIMICS three‐dimensional reconstruction was able to reveal the overall spatial distribution of lymphatic vessels in the penis from any angle. The reconstruction results showed that there were 1–2 main lymphatic vessels on the root of dorsal penis, which coursed along the cavernous to the first physiological curvature of the penis. Lymphatic vessels merged on both sides of the ventral penis. At the root of the penis, lymphatic vessels gradually coursed to the dorsal surface of the penis and folded at the abdominal wall to the outside, and finally merged into the inguinal lymph nodes. The changes in distribution, number and diameter of the lymphatic vessels in the penis were observed by MRI. MIP and MIMICS reconstructions directly revealed the anatomical features of penile lymphatic vessels such as spatial distribution, overall alignment, and the relations to adjacent structures, drainage and reflux. The study will provide the anatomical basis for penile surgery, penile lymphatic reflux disorders caused by trauma or lymphatic vessels obstruction, and lymph node metastasis in penile cancer. Anat Rec, 298:1465–1471, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma: follow-up results of four cases and review of the literature

Head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma (HNRMS) is exceedingly rare and poorly documented. The difficult diagnosis often causes a poor prognosis and high mortality. Hence, we report 4 cases of HNRMS and their follow-up outcomes, and review the clinicopathological features of this rare tumor. The 4 patients ranged in age from 5 to 29 years. Among them, 3 patients had a good prognosis after combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy or surgery alone. Another patient survived for only 3 months after diagnosis without therapy. Deeply insight into HNRMS might improve the ability of diagnosis and treatment for this disease.     

Mediation of opioid analgesia by a truncated 6-transmembrane GPCR

The generation of potent opioid analgesics that lack the side effects of traditional opioids may be possible by targeting truncated splice variants of the μ-opioid receptor. μ-Opioids act through GPCRs that are generated from the Oprm1 gene, which undergoes extensive alternative splicing. The most abundant set of Oprm1 variants encode classical full-length 7 transmembrane domain (7TM) μ-opioid receptors that mediate the actions of the traditional μ-opioid drugs morphine and methadone. In contrast, 3-iodobenzoyl-6β-naltrexamide (IBNtxA) is a potent analgesic against thermal, inflammatory, and neuropathic pain that acts independently of 7TM μ-opioid receptors but has no activity in mice lacking a set of 6TM truncated μ-opioid receptor splice variants. Unlike traditional opioids, IBNtxA does not depress respiration or result in physical dependence or reward behavior, suggesting it acts through an alternative μ-opioid receptor target. Here we demonstrated that a truncated 6TM splice variant, mMOR-1G, can rescue IBNtxA analgesia in a μ-opioid receptor–deficient mouse that lacks all Oprm1 splice variants, ablating μ-opioid activity in these animals. Intrathecal administration of lentivirus containing the 6TM variant mMOR-1G restored IBNtxA, but not morphine, analgesia in Oprm1-deficient animals. Together, these results confirm that a truncated 6TM GPCR is both necessary and sufficient for IBNtxA analgesia.     

产后盆底肌训练对盆底功能的恢复效果观察

目的观察产后盆底肌训练对提高盆底肌力、改善尿失禁及盆腔脏器脱垂的效果。方法选取94例产后盆底功能障碍性疾病患者,随机分为两组,各47人。观察组采用标准的盆底肌训练,每周进行2次,5周为1个疗程;对照组完成相关健康教育和练习产后操。两组患者治疗前后均进行盆底肌力测定以及评价压力性尿失禁和盆腔脏器脱垂的发生情况。结果观察组与对照组盆底肌力治疗有效率分别为66.0%和89.4%,压力性尿失禁治疗有效率分别为59.6%和78.7%,盆腔脏器脱垂治疗有效率分别为57.4%和74.5%,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论产后盆底肌训练对提高盆底肌力、改善尿失禁及盆腔脏器脱垂效果较好,值得推广应用。