Effects of Bakumondo-to (Mai-Men-Dong-Tang) on cough sensitivity to capsaicin in asthmatic patients with cough hypersensitivity]

Some patients with bronchial asthma have increased cough sensitivity. In such patients coughing may be an inducer of wheeze. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Bakumondo-to on the cough sensitivity and respiratory tract inflammation in asthmatic patients with increased cough sensitivity. In addition influences of intensity of respiratory tract inflammation, gender, type of asthma, and disease period on the effect of Bakumondo-to on the cough sensitivity were examined. Twenty-one bronchial asthmatics whose cough thresholds to capsaicin were less than 3.9 microM were examined. METHODS: Cough thresholds to capsaicin (concentration of inhaled capsaicin solution causing 5 or more coughs) was measured before and after 2 months or more treatment with Bakumondo-to (9 g/day, TJ-29). Number of eosinophils in peripheral blood, sputum eosinophil ratio, and ECP level in the serum were also measured before and after treatment. RESULTS: Bakumondo-to significantly increased the cough threshold. Although respiratory tract inflammation was not significantly improved, number of eosinophils in peripheral blood, sputum eosinophil ratio and ECP level in the serum were remarkably decreased more than the half. And Bakumondo-to was more effective in asthmatic subjects with severe airway inflammation. Furthermore, a greater effect of it was observed in women. A greater effect was also observed in patients having a disease duration of less than 1 year. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that Bakumondo-to may be an effective therapeutic preparation for coughing in asthmatic patients with cough hypersensitivity.     

Anti-idiotypes to oxidized LDL antibodies in intravenous immunoglobulin preparations--possible immunomodulation of atherosclerosis

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine whether intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) preparations contain anti-oxLDL and anti-anti-oxLDL antibodies. BACKGROUND: Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is one of the major players in atherogenesis. IVIg can reduce atherosclerosis in experimental animal models. METHODS: Six commercial IVIg preparations were tested for the presence of anti-oxLDL antibodies by EIA. Inhibition studies were performed with the different IVIg preparations and IgGs purified from a pool of sera from patients with high anti-oxLDL antibody levels. Absorption assays were carried out to evaluate the presence of anti-idiotypes against anti-oxLDL antibodies in IVIg preparations. RESULTS: IVIg preparations tested had various degrees of reactivity towards oxLDL. Absorption experiments suggested that the reactivity was specific because it could be effectively absorbed by oxLDL and not by an irrelevant antigen PPD. The reactivity was smaller than that observed with the IgG from the pool with high anti-oxLDL antibody levels. Inhibition studies with IVIg demonstrated 20-45% inhibition of anti-oxLDL binding to oxLDL, compared to 76% inhibition by the pool with high anti-oxLDL levels. To investigate the presence of anti-idiotypes against anti-oxLDL antibodies within IVIg, F(ab')2 fragments of IVIg IgG were used to absorb IgG F(ab')2 fragments from the pool of sera with high anti-oxLDL levels. The decreased binding to oxLDL of the absorbed supernatants shows that IgG F(ab')2 fragments of the IVIg preparations had high inhibitory capacities ranging from 65 to 90%. CONCLUSIONS: IVIg preparations contain both anti-oxLDL and anti-anti-oxLDL activity. This finding may explain the immunomodulating effect of IVIg in atherosclerosis.     

细胞外基质成分及其构筑对平滑肌细胞黏着斑激酶表达的影响

目的:探讨细胞外基质纤维连接蛋白(FN)、层黏连蛋白(LN)及三维基膜Matrigel胶对平滑肌细胞黏着斑激酶(FAK)表达的影响。方法:免疫荧光组织化学技术对生长在FN、LN和Matrigel胶里的平滑肌细胞FAK的表达进行检测。结果:生长存FN、LN和Matrigel胶里的平滑肌细胞FAK的表达依次为最高、次之和最低,各组之间有统计学意义;平滑肌细胞FAK磷酸化水平和FAK的表达呈正相关,生长在FN上的平滑肌细胞FAK(py397)的表达水平最高,生长在Matrigel胶里的平滑肌表达最低。结论:细胞外基质成分及其构筑对平滑肌细胞FAK的表达具有重要调节作用。     

儿童智商与父母智商的相关性

目的：通过对儿童智商（IQ）与父母亲IQ和IQ分项相关研究，探讨儿童IQ和父母亲IQ的深层关系。方法：在合肥市某中学、小学和幼儿园，分别按年龄和性别分层，随机抽取4-14岁健康儿童206名及其父母作为研究对象，应用韦氏智力量表（成人和儿童）测定儿童和其父母的IQ，填写自编的影响儿童智力发育因素调查问卷。最后在考虑儿童的年龄、性别、克托莱指数（Quetelet index）和是否独生子女等可能混杂因素下将儿童的总IQ、语言IQ和操作IQ与其父母的总IQ、语言IQ、操作IQ和IQ分项进行多元逐步回归分析。结果：按F〉2．0标准，儿童总IQ与父母亲总IQ成正相关（偏相关系数分别为0．50和0．22）；儿童语言IQ与母亲算术、母亲知识、父亲算术、父亲拼物成正相关（偏相关系数0.23-0．37）；儿童操作IQ和母亲积木图案、母亲拼物和父亲拼物成正相关（偏相关系数0．31-0．50）。结论：父母亲的总IQ和父母IQ分项中的算术、拼物、积木图案和知识等对儿童总IQ、语言IQ和操作IQ影响最大。     

抗hER合成肽单克隆抗体的制备与鉴定

用合成的人雌激素受体（ｈＥＲ）抗原决定簇多肽（氨基酸序列从１５１～１６５）与ＫＬＨ的偶联物为抗原，免疫ＢＡＬＢ／Ｃ小鼠，经鼠－鼠杂交，ＥＬＩＳＡ和免疫细胞化学法筛选，有限稀释克隆化，得到一株分泌抗ｈＥＲ合成肽的杂交瘤细胞株（２Ｂ１２）。用ＥＬＩＳＡ法测定。该纯化抗体１０ｎｇ／ｍｌ仍与抗原反应，其免疫球蛋白为ＩｇＧ２ａ．ｋ。与ＭＣＦ－７乳腺癌细胞溶解蛋白的Ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎｂｌｏｔ分析，在分子量６７ｋＤ     

基于Client／Server结构的医院图像处理系统

作者介绍了一种医院图像处理系统，可将医院的各种设备所产生的医疗图象资料，动用先进的可读写光盘为存储介质有效地进行存储，再通过通信网络及时地传送到医院的各个部门，辅助医生进行临床诊断及科研，提高有关科室及整个医院的工作效率及经济效益。     

脑血流断层显像Bullseye显示

为了探讨用Bullseye显示脑血流灌注显像数据的可能性,对8例典型脑梗塞病例及15例脑血流断层显像常规分析可疑病例的脑血流断层显像的横断面数据进行Bullscye显示,结果8例典型病人病灶用普通Bullseye即显示良好;常规分析可疑病例病变用普通Bullseye 8例显示良好,变黑Bullseye 13例显示出病灶;结果提示利用Bullseye显示脑血流灌注显像数据的可能。     

Simulation studies of data classification by artificial neural networks: Potential applications in medical imaging and decision making

Artificial neural networks are being investigated in the field of medical imaging as a means to facilitate pattern recognition and patient classification. In the work reported here, the effects of internal structure and the nature of input data on the performance of neural networks were investigated systematically using computer-simulated data. Network performance was evaluated quantitatively by means of receiver operating characteristic analysis and compared with the performance of an ideal statistical decision maker. We found that the relatively simple neural networks investigated in this study can perform at the level of an ideal decision maker. These simple networks were also found to learn accurately even when the training data are extremely unbalanced with respect to the prevalence of actually positive cases and to differentiate input data patterns by recognizing their unique characteristics.     

Effect of once-daily fluticasone furoate nasal spray on nasal symptoms in adults and adolescents with perennial allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Intranasal corticosteroids are recommended as first-line therapy for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Fluticasone furoate is a novel enhanced-affinity glucocorticoid for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of intranasal fluticasone furoate with those of vehicle placebo nasal spray in adult and adolescent patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR). METHODS: After screening (7-14 days), patients 12 years and older with confirmed PAR were randomized to receive fluticasone furoate, 110 microg once daily, or placebo once daily intranasally for 4 weeks in this double-blind, multicenter study. The primary end point was mean change from baseline during the entire treatment period in daily reflective total nasal symptom score (rTNSS), recorded on diary cards by patients, using a 4-point categorical scale. RESULTS: The mean reduction from baseline during the treatment period in daily rTNSS was significantly greater in fluticasone furoate recipients than in placebo recipients (P = .005). This finding was supported by significantly greater mean reductions in morning rTNSS and evening rTNSS (P = .004 and P = .011, respectively). A significantly greater mean reduction in instantaneous morning predose TNSS with fluticasone furoate compared with placebo (P = .006) confirmed the efficacy of once-daily administration. Fluticasone furoate was also significantly more effective than placebo in overall response to therapy (P = .005). CONCLUSIONS: Fluticasone furoate nasal spray, 110 microg once daily, effectively relieved nasal symptoms of PAR in adults and adolescents 12 years and older.     

Real-time PCR for quantitation of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and porcine circovirus type 2 in naturally-infected and challenged pigs

Real-time PCR assays were developed for quantitative detection of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). The established real-time PCR for the quantitation of PRRSV cDNA and PCV2 DNA were found to be in the 9-log(10) linear dynamic range with excellent linearity and reliable reproducibility. Using these techniques, the distribution and quantitation of PRRSV and PCV2 in naturally infected and challenged pigs were investigated. The viral concentrations were expressed as the mean log(10) viral DNA or cDNA copy numbers per mg or ml of tested samples. For pigs infected naturally with both viruses, the lung, spleen, tonsil and lymphoid organs had the highest viral burdens with ranges from 5.73 to 8.38 and 5.65 to 6.91 for PRRSV and PCV2, respectively. The injection of formalin-inactivated Salmonella choleraesuis emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant 1 week before and after the inoculation of both viruses resulted in PRRSV replication enhancement 2 weeks post-challenge. However, this facilitated the clearance of PRRSV 4 weeks post-challenge. Results from this study show that the established quantitative PCR could be a useful tool when applied to vaccine development and pathogenesis studies in the future.