Prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy and relation to glycemic control therapies at baseline in the BARI 2D cohort

Abstract   We evaluated the associations between glycemic therapies and prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) at baseline among participants in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) trial on medical and revascularization therapies for coronary artery disease (CAD) and on insulin-sensitizing vs. insulin-providing treatments for diabetes. A total of 2,368 patients with type 2 diabetes and CAD was evaluated. DPN was defined as clinical examination score >2 using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI). DPN odds ratios across different groups of glycemic therapy were evaluated by multiple logistic regression adjusted for multiple covariates including age, sex, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and diabetes duration. Fifty-one percent of BARI 2D subjects with valid baseline characteristics and MNSI scores had DPN. After adjusting for all variables, use of insulin was significantly associated with DPN (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.15–2.13). Patients on sulfonylurea (SU) or combination of SU/metformin (Met)/thiazolidinediones (TZD) had marginally higher rates of DPN than the Met/TZD group. This cross-sectional study in a cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes and CAD showed association of insulin use with higher DPN prevalence, independent of disease duration, glycemic control, and other characteristics. The causality between a glycemic control strategy and DPN cannot be evaluated in this cross-sectional study, but continued assessment of DPN and randomized therapies in BARI 2D trial may provide further explanations on the development of DPN.     

Lipid extract from completely sporoderm‐broken germinating Ganoderma sinensis spores elicits potent antitumor immune responses in human macrophages

Ganoderma sinensis has been used widely in Oriental countries for the prevention and treatment of various diseases including cancer. Previous studies have shown that the lipid extract from Ganoderma exhibits direct cytotoxicity against tumor cells. Here, it is reported that the lipid extract from germinating G. sinensis spores, at lower concentrations that have no direct tumoricidal activity, induce potent antitumor immune responses in human monocytes/macrophages. Upon stimulation with the lipid extract, monocytes/macrophages exhibited markedly increased production of proinflammatory cytokines and surface expression of costimulatory molecules. Conditioned medium from stimulated cells effectively suppressed the growth of tumor cells. Apparently, the lipid extract triggered macrophage activation via a mechanism different from that associated with LPS. Moreover, it was observed that the lipid extract could partially re‐establish the antitumor activity of the immunosuppressive tumor‐associated macrophages. These results indicated that in addition to its direct tumoricidal activity, the lipid extract from G. sinensis spores could exert antitumor activity by stimulating the activation of human monocytes/macrophages. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Changes in T .lymphocyte subsets after severe traumatic brain inJury

BACKGROUND： Besides local changes of cranial parenchymal cells, hemorrhage, etc., severe traumatic brain injuries also cause the changes of total body fluid and various functions, and the changes of lymphocytes and T lymphocyte subsets should be paid more attention to. OBJECTIVE： To reveal the changing laws of T lymphocyte subsets after severe traumatic brain injury, and compare with mild to moderate brain injury. DESIGN： A comparative observation. SETTINGS： Department of Neurosurgery, Longgang District Buji People＇s Hospital of Shenzhen City; Central Laboratory of Shenzhen Hospital of Prevention and Cure for Chronic Disease. PARTICIPANTS： All the subjects were selected from the Department of Neurosurgery, Longgang District Buji People＇s Hospital of Shenzhen City from August 2002 to August 2005. Thirty patients with severe brain injury, whose Glasgow coma score （GCS） was ≤ 8 points, were taken as the experimental group, including 21 males and 9 females, aging 16 - 62 years. Meanwhile, 30 patients with mild traumatic brain injury were taken as the control group （GCS ranged 14- 15 points）, including 18 males and 12 females, aging 15 -58 years. All the subjects were in admission at 6 hours after injury, without disease of major organs before injury Informed consents were obtained from all the patients or their relatives. METHODS： （1） The T lymphocytes and the subsets in peripheral blood were detected with immunofluorescent tricolor flow cytometry at l, 3, 7 and 14 days after injury in both groups. （2） The conditions of pulmonary infections were observed at 4 days after injury. The differences of measurement data were compared with the t test. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Changes of T lymphocytes subsets at 1 - 14 days after severe and mild or moderate traumatic injury. RESULTS： Finally, 28 and 25 patients with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury, whereas 25 and 21 patients with severe traumatic brain injury were analyzed at 7 and 14 days respectively, and the missed ones died due to the development of disease. （1） Changes of T lymphocyte subsets： At 1 and 3 days after injury, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8 began to decrease, whereas CD8 increased in the experimental group, which were very significantly different from those in the control group （t =2.77 - 3.26, P 〈 0.01）, and began to recover at 7 days, which were significantly different from those in the control group （t = 2.06 - 2.24, P 〈 0.05）, and generally recovered to the normal levels at 14 days （P 〉 0.05）. （2） Conditions of pulmonary infections： At 4 days after injury, the rate of pulmonary infection was significantly different between the experimental group and control group [73% （22/30）, 0, x2=37.29, P 〈 0.01]. CONCLUSION： Patients with severe traumatic brain injury suffer from damages of cellular immune function at early period （within 7 days）, and they are easily to be accompanied by pulmonary infections.     

聚合酶链反应检测患儿尿标本中的巨细胞病毒DNA

本文建立了聚合酶链反应(PCR)检测人巨细胞病毒(HCMV)方法,探讨了该方法的某些实验条件。用PCR检测24例临床患儿尿标本。证明PCR方法特异、敏感、简便而快速。同科不同属病毒如HSV、EBV等以及人源正常细胞均无假阳性结果:最小检出量可达0.1fg DNA,相当于6个基因拷贝;用水浴箱手控时间即可进行PCR循环,30次循环仅需97min30s;PCR和DNA杂交检测尿标本中HCMV阳性例数分别为20和14例。该结果证明HCMV感染儿童的广泛性和严重性,初步表明儿童肾病综合症与HCMV有关。     

平阳霉素对HeLa细胞的大分子生物合成及超微结构的影响

作者用同位数前体参入法及透射与扫描电镜研究了平阳霉素(博莱霉素A_5)对HeLa细胞大分子生物合成及超微结构的影响。结果显示:平阳霉素能抑制HeLa细胞DNA,RNA和蛋白质的生物合成,对DNA的抑制作用强,ID_(50DNA)为42.77μg/ml。表现为:染色质减少,核内电子密度低,核仁分离及“核仁帽”形成,细胞表面微绒毛消失或变形,最终导致质膜破裂等。作者认为,细胞膜是否为此类药物作用的靶位值得进一步研究。     

乳腺良恶性病变的磁共振T2*W首过灌注成像与血管生成相关性研究

Objective： To study the diagnostic value of T2^＊-weighted first-pass perfusion imaging in breast tumors. Methods： We analyzed the magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） information along with the pathological and immunohistochemistry results. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 28 patients with breast tumor. The time to signal intensity curves were generated according to the T2^＊-weighted first-pass perfusion imaging. The curve＇s maximal signal intensity drop rate and maximal signal intensity decrease time were analyzed and compared with the pathological diagnoses after surgery. Results： Malignant breast lesions showed higher maximal signal intensity drop rate （44.69% ± 17.07 vs. 17.22% ±7.49, P 〈 0.001） than benign lesions, but there was no significant difference of maximal signal decrease time between those two lesions （23.94 s ± 4.92 vs. 20.02 s ± 6.83, P 〉 0.05）. Conclusion： The T2^＊-weighted first-pass perfusion imaging has enough sensitivity and specificity in breast tumor diagnosis.     

明代中晚期的礼仪之变及其社会内涵——以江南地区为考察中心

中国传统的礼仪制度是在以身份等级制为内核的社会架构中形成的，同时又对传统的社会形态起着维系的作用。然而，至明代中晚期，婚、丧、冠、寿、社交等礼仪惯制却发生了诸多变异，并在江南地区尤为典型地表现出来。考察并分析当时的礼仪之变，可以发现。婚礼的变古出新，丧礼的淆乱旧制，冠礼的废弛，寿诞礼的盛行，人际交往的尊卑失序。所反映的正是社会的震荡与变迁。     

图书馆做好读者服务工作之管见

图书馆要做好读者服务工作,只有加强图书馆专业队伍建设,丰富读书活动,优化馆藏结构,创新信息服务,树立“读者第一,服务至上”的理念,才能适应社会的发展,最大限度地满足读者的需求。     

淋巴瘤样肉芽肿与韦格内肉芽肿临床特点的比较

目的 总结淋巴瘤样肉芽肿病(lym phom atoid granulom atosis,LG)与韦格内肉芽肿( egener granulo Wm atosis,W G)的临床特点,从临床上加以鉴别。 方法 回顾性总结我院与北京协和医院 1989 年以来收治的 6 例 LG和20 例 W G 患者的临床资料,并进行比较。 结果 发热、咳嗽及呼吸困难在 LG 中较常见,流涕、鼻衄及关节痛以W G 为多,肺受累以 LG 为多,耳鼻喉、眼及肾病变在 W G 中明显增多,皮肤受损两者相似。W G 患者常有 c-ANCA 阳性及尿沉渣异常。 LG X 线胸片为双侧多发结节,边界不清,多无肺门、纵隔淋巴结肿大; G 则为双侧多发边界清晰W的结节, 易形成空洞, 肺门和纵隔淋巴结可肿大。LG 病理改变为血管中心性淋巴增生性病变, 浸润的细胞主要是小淋巴细胞和不同数量大的不典型淋巴细胞; 而在 W G 中可见坏死性血管炎及大量中性白细胞、浆细胞及少量嗜酸细胞浸润形成的肉芽肿, 部分有多核巨细胞。W G 经治疗后, 多数患者病情缓解; 则疗效不佳。 结论 LG 和 W G 在临 LG床表现、实验室检查、 影像及病理诸方面的差异有利于两者的鉴别诊断。