Crystal deposits in the human intervertebral disc: implications for disc degeneration.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Although crystal deposition in cartilage and synovial fluid has received much attention, crystal formation and the role that crystal deposits play are virtually unexplored in the intervertebral disc. In articular cartilage matrix, crystal deposits are associated with altered extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell phenotypic features, but crystal deposition in the human intervertebral disc has received much less attention. PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of crystal deposits in the annulus and to evaluate associated disc cell and ECM features. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Human intervertebral disc annulus tissue was obtained in a prospective study of the presence of crystals in the disc ECM. Human Subjects Institutional Review Board approved experimental studies. PATIENT SAMPLE: Two hundred eight sequential disc specimens were submitted from surgical disc procedures performed on individuals with herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, or recurrent disc herniation. During this same time period, three disc specimens were received from nonsurgical donors and added to the study population. OUTCOME MEASURES: Histologic features with special attention to crystal deposition. METHODS: Specimens were processed undecalcified and examined for the histologic presence of crystal deposits and ECM features around the crystals. RESULTS: The proportion of specimens containing crystals was determined to be 14.7%; crystals displayed varying sizes, morphology, and polarized light birefringence features. Pyrophosphate crystals were most common, but oxalate-like crystals were also present. ECM in crystal regions showed previously recognized alterations. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the incidence of crystal deposits in discs is approximately 15% and is thus a relatively common occurrence. These data are important because masses of crystals not only disrupt disc ECM but may also accelerate preexisting degenerative changes via an elevation in matrix metalloproteinases (as previously recognized in cartilage). Because failure of the structural integrity of the disc can result in annular tears and subsequent disc herniation, the mechanisms of crystal formation and the relationship between crystals and disc degeneration merit further investigations.     

对常规体外受精失败后补行卵胞浆内单精子注射的探讨

目的 探讨对可疑受精障碍的常规体外受精(IVF)周期在授精失败后补行卵胞浆内单精子注射(reacue ICSI)的时机及临床效果.方法 对2006年1月至2007年6月在我中心接受常规IVF助孕治疗,可能有受精障碍的13例患者,取卵后6h授精,4h后观察,发现所有卵母细胞均未排出第二极体,立即行补救ICSI.结果 13个周期共154个卵母细胞,其中M Ⅱ期142个;未行补救ICSI的46个均未受精;补救ICSI的96个,受精89个,受精率92.7%,移植13个周期29个胚胎,临床妊娠1例双胎和5例单胎,种植率24.1%.结论 常规IVF受精后4h行补救ICSI可以获得较好的受精率和妊娠率.     

Application of trans-abdominal chorionic villus sampling in prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal diseases in first trimester of gestation

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility and safety of prenatal diagnosis by traneabdominal chorionic villus sam-pling(TA-CVS)via the guidance of B-mode ultrasound in the first trimester of gestation.To explore the technique of long time culture and chromosome preparation of villi in early pregnancy.To evaluate the feasibility of the above techniques in the application of the prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis.Methods:One hundred and thirty-five singleton pregnancies at risk were referred from January 2001 to Decem-ber 2007.Results:The average maternal age was 35.2 years.TA-CVS was performed in the 10～13th weeks of gestation and the average gestational age was 10.89 weeks.All attempts at sampling were successful.The rate of operation-associated fetal loss was 0.74%.The failure rate of prenatal diagnosis because of inadequate amount of specimen was 0.The average culture time was 5-7 days.The success rate of the cell culture was 98.5%.No maternal con-temination and bacterial contamination happened.Fifteen cases of abnormal karyotype and one case of confined pla-cantel mosaiciem were diagnosed.Conclusion:TA-CVS appears to be safe and feasible and might to be offered in the prenatal diagnosis in the first trimester of gestation.The technique of long time culture and chromosome preparation of villi is stable and reliable.It is feasible to apply these techniques in the clinical practice of prenatal cytogenetic diagnose in the early pregnancy.     

机械振动的成骨效应研究进展

应力是骨形成的“指导性”因素。其机制是近十年来骨科学、生物医学工程及康复医学领域的研究热点。机械振动是力学刺激形式之一。诸多研究表明：振动具有显著的成骨效应,其在骨质疏松的治疗中将会有广阔的应用前景。但是,现有相关研究中,具有成骨效应的振动频率、强度等参数并不一致,尤其是振动的成骨机制不明,相关报道极少,本文对其作一论述,可为更系统、深入地研究及其在临床中的应用提供理论基础。     

Lack of evidence for fecal-oral transmission of Helicobacter pylori infection in Taiwanese.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Helicobacter pylori infection is primarily acquired in early childhood and its transmission routes are debated. The aims of this study were to determine the seroprevalence of anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin G (IgG) in Taiwanese and to investigate whether a common mode of transmission could be shared between H. pylori and hepatitis A virus (HAV). METHODS: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to investigate the prevalence of H. pylori among 924 healthy volunteers aged less than 40 years, and radioimmunoassay for HAV infection was conducted in 500 subjects from the same population. The kappa statistic was used to measure the difference in positivity for the 2 infections in a subgroup of 500 subjects who had their sera simultaneously tested for anti-H. pylori and anti-HAV antibodies. RESULTS: The seroprevalence of anti-H. pylori IgG was 16.7% in subjects aged < 16 years and 38.3% at ages >or= 16 years. Most children (99%) under the age of 16 were seronegative for HAV. The prevalence of H. pylori infection increased rapidly with age, at 1%/year and 0.8%/year for children and adults, respectively. The rate of H. pylori infection was higher in male (21%) than in female (12%) children (p < 0.01; OR, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 3.0). No significant difference in seroprevalence between genders was noted in subjects aged >or= 16 years. The agreement in the trend of seropositivity between both infections in the age groups 1 to 10 years and 10 to 20 years was worse than chance (kappa = -0.56) and little better than chance (kappa = 0.01), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Acquisition of H. pylori infection occurs at a young age, and male children are more likely to develop the infection. The main transmission route of HAV, the fecal-oral route, did not seem to be responsible for H. pylori transmission in this Taiwanese cohort.     

Model of reentrant ventricular tachycardia based on infarct border zone geometry predicts reentrant circuit features as determined by activation mapping

BACKGROUND: Infarct border zone (IBZ) geometry likely affects inducibility and characteristics of postinfarction reentrant ventricular tachycardia, but the connection has not been established. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine characteristics of postinfarction ventricular tachycardia in the IBZ. METHODS: A geometric model describing the relationship between IBZ geometry and wavefront propagation in reentrant circuits was developed. Based on the formulation, slow conduction and block were expected to coincide with areas where IBZ thickness (T) is minimal and the local spatial gradient in thickness (DeltaT) is maximal, so that the degree of wavefront curvature rho proportional, variant DeltaT/T is maximal. Regions of fastest conduction velocity were predicted to coincide with areas of minimum DeltaT. In seven arrhythmogenic postinfarction canine heart experiments, tachycardia was induced by programmed stimulation, and activation maps were constructed from multichannel recordings. IBZ thickness was measured in excised hearts from histologic analysis or magnetic resonance imaging. Reentrant circuit properties were predicted from IBZ geometry and compared with ventricular activation maps after tachycardia induction. RESULTS: Mean IBZ thickness was 231 +/- 140 microm at the reentry isthmus and 1440 +/- 770 microm in the outer pathway (P <0.001). Mean curvature rho was 1.63 +/- 0.45 mm(-1) at functional block line locations, 0.71 +/- 0.18 mm(-1) at isthmus entrance-exit points, and 0.33 +/- 0.13 mm(-1) in the outer reentrant circuit pathway. The mean conduction velocity about the circuit during reentrant tachycardia was 0.32 +/- 0.04 mm/ms at entrance-exit points, 0.42 +/- 0.13 mm/ms for the entire outer pathway, and 0.64 +/- 0.16 mm/ms at outer pathway regions with minimum DeltaT. Model sensitivity and specificity to detect isthmus location was 75.0% and 97.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Reentrant circuit features as determined by activation mapping can be predicted on the basis of IBZ geometrical relationships.     

Regional left atrial voltage in patients with atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND: Regional differences in fibrosis, particularly related to the posterior wall and septum, may be important in atrial fibrillation (AF). Using electroanatomic mapping, voltage can be used as a measure of fibrosis. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine if patients with AF have disproportionately lower voltage in the septal and posterior walls of the left atrium. METHODS: Sinus rhythm left atrial electroanatomic maps were used in serial patients presenting for left atrial ablation of AF (8-mm tip). Patients undergoing left atrial mapping for focal atrial tachycardia (AT) were used as a comparison group (4-mm tip). Animal experiments were performed to assess the influence of ablation catheter tip size on voltage amplitude. RESULTS: The posterior and septal walls exhibited the lowest voltages in both groups. Compared with the anterior wall, there was a 3.78-fold greater odds of finding a low-voltage point (<0.5 mV) in the septum (P <.001) and a 3.37-fold greater odds of finding a low-voltage point in the posterior wall (P <.001) in the AF patients; the proportion of low-voltage points by region were not significantly different in the AT group. In the animal model, the mean voltage obtained from an 8-mm ablation catheter was significantly higher (0.30 +/- 0.17 mV) than that obtained from the same points using a 4-mm catheter (0.22 +/- 0.17, P = .05). CONCLUSION: Regional differences in voltage are present in patients with atrial arrhythmias, with AF patients exhibiting significantly more low-voltage areas in the septum and posterior walls.     

人毛乳头细胞条件培养液治疗斑秃的临床观察

目的：人毛乳头细胞条件培养液治疗斑秃患者的临床观察。方法：用人毛乳头细胞条件培养液治疗100例斑秃患者，并分别选择其中53例和30例作去炎松组和空白组自身对照。结果：人毛乳头细胞条件培养液组、去炎松组和空白组治愈率分别为75％、51％、10％，有效率分别为97％、72％、30％，人毛乳头细胞条件培养液组其治愈率和有效率均明显高于去炎松组和空白组（P〈0．05）。结论：人毛乳头细胞条件培养液对斑秃患者有明显的治疗作用。     

经尿道前列腺电汽化术治疗前列腺增生(附386例报告)

目的探讨经尿道前列腺电汽化术（TVP）治疗前列腺增生的疗效。方法回顾分析采用经尿道前列腺电汽化术治疗386例前列腺增生（BPH）患者的临床资料。结果术中发生前列腺包膜穿孔2例,电切综合征（TURS）1例。术后随访1月-5年,术后3月内出血6例,前列腺尖部黏连狭窄1例,远期出血2例发生在术后1-3年。术后3个月最大尿流率（Qmax）12.3-23.5mL/s,平均18.5mL/s;IPSS评分6-17分,平均9.5分。结论经尿道电汽化术治疗前列腺增生效果明显,腺体残留是术后出血、排尿困难的主要原因。     

Quantifying the blood oxygenation level dependent effect in cerebral blood volume-weighted functional MRI at 9.4T.

In cerebral blood volume (CBV)-weighted functional MRI (fMRI) employing superparamagnetic contrast agent, iron dose and blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contamination are two important issues for experimental design and CBV quantification. Both BOLD and CBV-weighted fMRI are based upon the susceptibility effect, to which spin-echo and gradient-echo sequences have different sensitivities. In the present study, CBV-weighted fMRI was conducted using spin-echo and gradient-echo sequences at 9.4T by systematically changing the doses of contrast agent. Results suggest that BOLD contamination is a significant component in CBV-weighted fMRI at high field, particularly when relatively low dose of contrast agent is administered. A mathematical model was developed to quantify the extravascular (EV) BOLD effect. With a TE of 35 ms, the EV BOLD effect was estimated to account for 76+/-12% of the observed spin-echo fMRI signal at 9.4T. These data suggest that correcting BOLD effect may be necessary for accurately quantifying activation-induced CBV changes at high field.