Point mutation in exon 4 of presenilin-1 gene and early-onset familial Alzheimer disease

INTRODUCTION Alzheimer disease can be classified into familial Alzheimer disease (FAD) and sporadic Alzheimer disease (SAD)[1]. Among FAD, ear- ly-onset FAD(EOFAD) is a familialform in which the onset ofsymptoms occurs before the age of 60 to 65 years, an…     

Study on therapeutic mechanism of Neiyifang in treating endometriosis

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of Neiyifang (NYF) in treating endometriosis and to explore its therapeutic mechanism through observing its influence on plasma β-endorphin (β-EP) in different menstrual stages and levels of prostaglandins (PGs) in menstruation.Methods:NYF was administered to 104 patients with endometriosis one dose daily with 3 successive menstrual cycles as one therapeutic course. Peripheral blood β-EP level in follicular, luteal and menstrual stages, as well as PGF_2α, PGE2, thromboxane B₂ and 6-keto-PGFl α levels in menstrual stage were detected by RIA, and controlled with those in 15 healthy persons.Results: (1) The total effective rate of NYF was 81.3% and it showed significant effect in improving patients’ clinical symptoms and physical signs; (2) In menstrual stage, the levels of β-EP, 6-keto-PGF_α/ TXB₂ were lower(P <0.05) and levels of PGF_2α, PGE₂, TXB₂ and 6-keto-PGF_1α were higher (P< 0. 05) in patients than those in control, and the higher the level of PGE₂, the severer the menalgia, (3) NYF could increase levels of β-EP, 6-keto-PGF_1α, and reduce levels of PGF_2α, PGE_2α in menstrual stage of patients (all P<0.05).Conclusion: (1) NYF has good clinical effect in treating endometriosis; (2) Patients’ symptom of menalgia is closely related with the excessive high levels of PGF_2α and PGE₂, PGI₂/TXA₂ ratio disturbance, and excessive low level of β-EP; (3) NYF could significantly decrease the PGE₂, PGF_1α levels, increase the 6-keto-PGF_1α/TXB₂ ratio and the level of β-EP, so as to alleviate the menalgia in patients with endometriosis. This item was supported by National Funds of Natural Sciences(No. 30070942)     

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.     

Pancreatic cancer–Palliative therapy: surgery (bypass/resection)

Objective: We compare the outcome of palliative pancreaticoduodenectomy and palliative surgical bypass in patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma in our hospital. Recent published related articles are also reviewed. Methods: A respective analysis was performed comparing the perioperative parameters and outcome of 20 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy with a gross suspected cancer residue and 30 patients who underwent a surgical bypass, all of the patients were diagnosed as in advanced stages intra-operatively. Results: The two groups were comparable with patient characteristics, including age, gender, initial symptoms and concomitant major organ diseases. Tumors are similar in size and intra-operatively diagnosed as in advanced stages in both groups. All of the patients in the resection group were microscopically proved having cancer residue. One postoperative mortality occurred in the resection group (5%), zero in the bypass group (P > 0.05). Overall complications were significantly higher in the resection group (30% vs. 0, P < 0.01), including 2 patients developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), zero in the bypass group (P < 0.01); hemorrhage and transfusions in the resection group were much more than that in the bypass group (P < 0.05). Hospital stay after resection was significantly longer than bypass (20 vs. 12 days, P < 0.01). Hospital fee after resection was 4 times more than after bypass (median 61.500 vs. 15. 300 yuan, P < 0.01). Survival was significantly longer after resection (median 12.2 vs. 7.1 months, P < 0.01). Conclusion: Our results show that palliative resection in advanced pancreatic carcinoma lengthens the survival time of the patients, but this is paid for significantly higher complications than bypass.     

The Application of Topical Anesthesia Combined with Subconjunctival Anesthesia for Glaucoma Surgery

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility, reliability and analgesia effect of topical anesthesia combined with subconjunctival anesthesia in anti-glaucomatous surgery.Methods: Two hundred and four cases (357 eyes) underwent anti-glaucomatous surgeries under topical anesthesia with 0.5％ Alcaine eye drops combined with subconjunctival anesthesia with 2％ Lidocaine. The analgesic effect was analysed with visual analogue pain scale.Results: Among all of 357 eyes, 62 eyes underwent peripheral iridectomy, 67 eyes underwent simple trabeculectomy, 167 eyes underwent compound brabeculectomy and 12 eyes nonpenetrating trabecular surgery. The effects of anesthesia were as follows: 304 eyes (85.2％) were painless (Grade Ⅰ), 50 eyes (14.0％) were slight painful (Grade Ⅱ), and 3 eyes (0.8％) were more painful (Grade Ⅲ) during surgery. And no severe complications were observed in all the cases during surgery and postoperatively. Amaurosis fugax was not observed in the glaucoma patients at the late stage with narrow vi     

Feasibility of establishing cerebral ischemia models by using aerocyst-blocking bilateral ascending pharyngeal artery of piglets Imaging assessment

BACKGROUND: The cerebral ischemia and ischemia/reperfusion animal models are used to simulate the human cerebrovascular diseases is one of the popular topics of neurological science recently. To study the pathophysiology, pathogenesis, prophylaxis and treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases and to establish the ideal animal model that is the most similar to the human cerebral ischemia, are the topics that the people generally cared about. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of aerocyst-blocking bilateral ascending pharyngeal artery on the establishment of cerebral ischemia models by using digital subtraction angiography (DSA), magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and magnetic resonance perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI). DESIGN: Repetitive measure animal experiment. SETTING: Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Dalian University. MATERIALS: The experiment was carried out in the Animal Laboratory (Provincial Laboratory), Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian Univeristy from January to May 2006. A total of 14 domestic piglets, of 6 months old, weighing 12–15 kg, of either gender, were selected from Animal Experimental Center, Dalian University. Multistar T.O.P digital subtraction angiography machine was provided by Siemens Company, German. METHODS: Aerocyst-blocking bilateral ascending pharyngeal artery was used to establish cerebral ischemia models. And then, Multistar T.O.P. DSA was used for imaging of cerebral vessels before blocking, during blocking and at 0.5 and 2 hours after ischemia perfusion. GE Signa 1.5 T supraconduction magnetic resonance imaging was used for DWI examination; in addition, PWI was used based on focal sites and areas. Otherwise, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to detect signal changes of T1WI and T2WI in ischemic areas. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Analytic results of DSA, DWI, PWI and MRI. RESULTS: All 14 experimental piglets were involved in the final analysis. ① DSA: The blood flow of bilateral ascending pharyngeal arteries and its branch were blocked at blocking phase, which restored 0.5 and 2 hours after reperfusion. ② DWI and PWI: There were no observable abnormalities in PWI and DWI at pre-blocking. Abnormal increased signals were found on both DWI and PWI at during and post-blocking. There were reduction in ADC and rCBF and delay in rTTP at all time points except pre-blocking. ③ MRI: There were no abnormal signals observable at any time of pre- and post-blocking in T1WI and T2WI. CONCLUSION: It is feasible to establish this kind of animal experimental models, and it can simulate the ischemic state; meanwhile, the existence and extent can be showed directly by DSA, DWI, and PWI.     

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WITH LEVONORGESTREL AND ETHINYL ESTRADIOL IN BEIJING

A combination of levonorgestrel 0.15mg and ethinyl estradiol 0.03mg, an ultra-low dose oral con traceptive in pellet form, was tried out in 9 Beijing clinics. A total of l,035 healthy women of reproduc tive age participated in 9,413 cycles of treatment. Only one pregnancy was attributed to medication failure which resulted in a corrected Pearl index of 0.13/100 women-year. The incidence of breakthrough bleeding and amenorrhea was 0.12% and 0.05% res pectively. Using the life-table method, the net cumulative rate of termination due to medical-related reasons at one year was only 5.93/100 women. The incidence of side effects was low. The most frequent complaints were nausea and drowsiness, which re duced with the increase of treatment cycles. Some metabolic changes were studied. In comparison with other OCs used in China, this formula has the advantages of ultra-low-dose steroids with higher contraceptive efficacy, better cycle control and fewer side effects.