Pneumoconiosis: current status and future prospects / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Pneumoconiosis refers to a spectrum of pulmonary diseases caused by inhalation of mineral dust, usually as the result of certain occupations. The main pathological features include chronic pulmonary inflammation and progressive pulmonary fibrosis, which can eventually lead to death caused by respiratory and/or heart failure. Pneumoconiosis is widespread globally, seriously threatening global public health. Its high incidence and mortality lie in improper occupational protection, and in the lack of early diagnostic methods and effective treatments. This article reviews the epidemiology, safeguard procedures, diagnosis, and treatment of pneumoconiosis, and summarizes recent research advances and future research prospects.

Inhibitory effects of apigenin on the expression of GATA-3 and Th2 cytokines in asthmatic mice / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the inhibitory effects and mechanism of apigenin (APG) on dominant response of Th2 cells in asthma model of mice.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-two 6-week-old healthy BALB/c mice, SPF grade, were randomly divided into four groups equally, the normal control group (A), the asthma model group (B), and the two APG groups (C and D) consisted of asthma model mice treated respectively with high-dose (20 mg/kg per day) and low-dose (2 mg/kg per day) APG given by dissolving in 1% dimethyl sulphoxide via intraperitoneal injection. The murine asthma model was established by ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and provocation. Twenty-four hours after the last airway provocation, acetylcholine (Ach) was administered via caudalis vein for measuring airway resistance by pulmonary function detector; levels of IL- 4 and IL-13 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and total IgE in serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); total and differential cell counts in BALF were measured by light microscopy; the airway inflammatory infiltration was detected by haematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining; and the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (GATA-3) in the lung tissue was determined by Western blot analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>As compared with Group A, the airway hyper-reactivity, airway inflammation, cell count and eosinophil percentage in BALF, levels of total serum IgE and BALF IL-4 and IL-13, and GATA-3 protein expression in the lung tissue were significantly increased in Group B (P < 0.05). As compared with Group B, all the above-mentioned indices in Group C and D were lower, showing respective significant difference (P < 0.05), and significant difference was also shown between the two APG treated groups (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>APG could reduce the airway inflammation and hyper-reactivity by down-regulating the expressions of pulmonary GATA-3 and Th, cytokines, which is a potential drug for asthma therapy.</p>

Deep venous thrombosis in the lower limbs and unilateral total hip replacement in the elderly / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower limbs is one of the severe complications of total hip replacement (THR)during the perioperative period. The incidence rate was high. The effect of primary disease on the DVT after THR in the elderly remains poorly understood.OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of primary disease on DVT after THR in the elderly.METHODS: 147 cases with unilateral THR aged 64-93 years, were included and divided into two groups. Fracture group contained 68 cases, which of them were all traumatic femoral neck fracture ones. Osteopathia group contained 79 cases, and they had no traumatic injury. We selected total hip prostheses according to their physiological age, preoperative socialization ability,substantia ossea and life expectancy. Biological prosthesis in 5 cases and mixed prosthesis in 12 cases were used, while the others used bone cement prosthesis. If the patient had pain and/or swelling on the injured limb, with or without Homans/Neuhofs sign, we did the pressurized ultrasonic Doppler to examine whether the patient had got DVT.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In the fracture group, 32 cases had swelling in the injured limbs, and 20 cases with pain, 15 cases with Homans/Neuhofs sign, and 29 DVT cases were confirmed by the pressurized ultrasonic Doppler. One femoral neck fracture case of THR had no DVT clinical signs and was dead 17 days later. The autopsy found that it was an mixed type combined of pulmonary embolism; Osteopathia group: 20 cases had swelling in the injured limbs, and 11 cases of pain, 9 cases of Homans/Neuhofs sign, 20 DVT cases were confirmed by the pressurized ultrasonic Doppler. The blood coagulation state was greater, and the incidence rate of DVT in the lower limbs was greater in the fracture group compared with osteopathia group (P ＜ 0.05). These indicated that femoral neck fracture is a high risk factor for DVT development in lower limb affer THR in the elderly.

Clinical study on peripheral T lymphocyte subsets in children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease / 中华传染病杂志

Objective To evaluate the dynamic changes of T lymphocyte subsets in children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease(HFMD)and to provide new evidence for the therapy and prognosis.Methods Peripheral venous blood samples of 346 HFMD cases in acute stage who were hospitalized in Beijing Ditan Hospital from May 1,2008 to August 31,2008 were collected and T lymphocyte subsets were assayed by flow cytometer.Meanwhile,T lymphocyte subsets of 67 HFMD cases in recovery phase were also detected.The pathogens were determined by reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)using pharynx swab samples from 99 cases.Different samples were compared by independent-sample t test,paired t test or variance analysis.Results The average levels of T lymphocyte subsets of HFMD children in different agc groups were all lower than reference levels of healthy children in according age groups.In severe cases.T lymphocyte(TL)/lymphocyte (L)ratio in all age groups,helper T cell(Th)/L ratio in children older than 1 year,TL,Th and Th/suppressor T cell(Ts)ratio in children of 1-2 years old were all lower than those in common eases (P＜0.05).The Th/L ratio tended to increase with the disease progression.Ratios of TL/L and Th/L in common cases were increased in recovery phase(TL/L:56.3±8.6 vs 61.1±9.1,t=2.56,P＜0.05;Th/L:30.2±7.2 vs 34.9±7.9,t=2.90,P＜0.05)and all indices of severe cases except Ts/Lratio and Th/Ts ratio increased apparently in recovery phase(P＜0.01).TL[(1.738±0.976)×10~6/Lvs(2.696±1.946)×10~6/L,t=2.17,P＜0.05],Th/L ratio(25.9±7.0 vs 30.2±7.2,t=2.34,P＜0.05),Th[(0.864±0.550)×10~6/L vs(1.459±0.879)×10~6/L,t=2.90,P＜0.01]and L[(3.352±1.458)×10~6/L vs(4.664±2.435)×10~6/L,t=2.32,P＜0.05]of severe cases in acute phase were all lower than those of common cases(P＜0.05),while those were not significantly different in recovery phase between two groups(P＞0.05).The T lymphocyte subsets of enterovirus(EV)71 positive cases were lower than EVT1 negative cases,but there was no significant difference between these two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion T lymphocyte immune responses may be correlated with HFMD onset and progression.

Polymorphism of c-Ha-ras 3'VNTR in hydatidiform mole and its relationship with the development of postmolar tumor / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the polymorphism of c-Ha-ras 3' variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) and its relationship with development of postmolar tumor.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The cases of hydatidiform mole (HM) were retrospectively analyzed by amplified fragment length polymorphism-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The DNA origin of HM was determined by comparison with the parents' DNA amplified results.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the samples from 15 cases, DNA from only paternal origin was found in 2 cases. DNA from both parents was in 13 cases, and of these 13 cases, 2 were found to be had balanced DNA origin, 11 had more DNA form paternal origin than DNA from maternal origin.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The HM which has DNA from both parents origin and predominantly from paternal origin developed to postmolar tumor more frequently.</p>