Role of serum neutrophil elastase determination in the diagnosis of acute exacerbation of asthma in preschool children / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the role of serum neutrophil elastase (NE) level in acute exacerbation of asthma in preschool children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 85 preschool children who were diagnosed with asthma between January 2008 and January 2010 were classified into acute exacerbation group (n=44) and non-acute exacerbation group (n=41). Thirty-five children who received physical examination served as the control group. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the serum levels of NE and interleukin-8 (IL-8). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used for NE evaluation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both the acute and non-acute exacerbation groups had higher serum levels of NE and IL-8 than the control group, and the acute exacerbation group had significantly higher serum levels of NE and IL-8 than the non-acute exacerbation group (P<0.05). The serum level of NE was positively correlated with that of IL-8 (r=0.48, P<0.05). With serum NE level >27.73 μg/L as the cut-off value for diagnosing acute exacerbation of asthma, the sensitivity was 65.9%, the specificity was 95.1%, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.87 (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The determination of serum NE level in preschool children with asthma helps to diagnose the acute exacerbation of asthma.</p>

Changes in serum inflammatory factors in wheezing infants with community-acquired pneumonia / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study whether infantile wheezing pneumonia has similar immune mechanisms to asthma by determining the levels of serum inflammatory factors in wheezing infants with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-two infants with CAP but without wheezing, 47 infants with CAP and wheezing, and 30 healthy infants as a control were recruited in the study. The peripheral blood levels of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell-l, interferon-γ, interleukin-4, interleukin-10, and periostin were compared in the three groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The serum levels of procalcitonin, soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell-l, interleukin-4 and interleukin-10 in the two CAP groups were higher than in the control group (P<0.05). The ratio of interferon-γ/interleukin-4 in the wheezing pneumonia group was lower than in the non-wheezing pneumonia and control groups (P<0.05). The serum level of periostin in the wheezing pneumonia group was higher than in the non-wheezing pneumonia and control groups (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The unbalanced ratio of interferon-γ/interleukin-4 and airway eosinophilic inflammation in wheezing infants with pneumonia suggest infantile pneumonia with wheezing may has similar immune mechanisms to asthma.</p>

Roles of allergen testing in vitro and impulse oscillometry for lung function measurements in children with cough variant asthma / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the roles of allergen testing in vitro and impulse oscillometry for lung function measurements in preschool children with cough variant asthma (CVA).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>ethodsForty-four preschool children with acute asthma, 41 with chronic asthma, 46 with CVA, and 35 healthy preschool children as control were recruited in the study. Inhaled allergen, food allergen, and mite-specific IgE were determined by Pharmacia UniCAP System. Serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and total IgE levels were measured. Lung function was assessed by impulse oscillometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive rates of inhaled allergen and food allergen, and total IgE levels in the CVA, acute asthma and chronic asthma groups were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). However, no significant differences were found among the three case groups. The serum ECP levels in the CVA group were lower than those in the acute asthma group (P<0.01), but did not show differences when compared with the chronic asthma group. The impulse oscillometry demonstrated that the respiratory total impedance (Zrs), airway resistance at 5 Hz (R5), airway resistance at 20 Hz (R20), subtracting R5 from R20 (R5-R20) and resonant frequency (Fres) in the CVA, acute asthma and chronic asthma groups were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). Zrs, R5, R20, R5-R20, and Fres in the CVA and chronic asthma groups were lower than those in the acute asthma group (P<0.01). Serum ECP levels were positively correlated with Zrs, R5, R5-R20 and Fres (P<0.05) in the CVA and chronic asthma groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The measurements of allergens, serum ECP and impulse oscillometry for lung function are helpful for the evaluation of airway inflammation and airway obstruction in preschool children with CVA.</p>

Exploration on the modification of macroscopic classification of colorectal cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the feasibility and clinical significance of a modified macroscopic classification of colorectal cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The data of 1379 patients with colorectal cancer surgically treated between 1975 and 2003 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into four groups according to the primary macroscopic appearance: protruding type (group 1), local ulcerative type (group 2), invasive type (group 3) and non-invasive ulcerative type (group 4). The new classification system was simplified into two types: non-invasive type (group A, including group 1 and 2) and invasive type (group B, including group 3 and 4). The histo-differentiation, invasive depth into the intestinal wall, distance and number of lymph node metastasis and 5-year survival rate were analyzed and compared among the groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no significant difference between group 1 and 2, and between group 3 and 4 in histodifferentiation, invasive depth into the intestinal wall, distance and number of lymph node metastasis and 5-year survival rate (P>0.05). However, after modification of the primary macroscopic classification, a significant difference was observed in all the above mentioned parameters between group A and group B (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our results demonstrate that the clinicopathological characteristics of the group 1 and 2, and of the group 3 and 4 are similar to each other. So it is reasonable to merge the protruding type and local ulcerative type into non-invasive type, while invasive type and non-invasive ulcerative type into invasive type. This simplified macroscopic classification should be practical and instructive in diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of colorectal cancer.</p>

Effect of Budesonide on Dendritic Cells in Asthmatic Mice / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To explore the effect of budesonide(BUD) on dendritic cell(DC) and airway inflammation in the asthmatic mice.Methods Forty female Kunming mice were divided into 4 groups:asthmatic model group,therapeutic control group,BUD treated group,and normal control group,with 10 mice in each group.Mice were sensitized by an intraperitoneal injection of 50 ?g ovalbumin(OVA) adsorbed to 1 mg aluminum hydroxide dissolved in 0.2 mL saline.Animals were boosted on the 14th day in the same way.From the 21th to 35th days,and mice were challenged with 10 g/L aerosolized OVA for 30 min a day to establish a murine model of asthma.To evaluate the effect of BUD,60 minutes prior to OVA exposure,the mice were treated with 1 mg aerosolized BUD or placebo(saline).Control animals were sensitized intraperitoneally with saline and challenged with aerosolized saline alone.Eosinophil(EOS) count,degree of mucus secretion and DC count around the airways were measured by haematoxylin and eosin staining,periodic acid schiff's staining,immunochemistry technique and computerized image analysis system.Results In asthmatic model group,EOS count,DC count and the degree of mucus secretion around the airways were increased compared with nomal control group(P_a0.05).In BUD treated group,EOS count,DC count and the degree of mucus secretion around the airways were decreased compared with the asthmatic model group(P_a

Extended radical resection with nerve-preservation for rectal cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical value of extended radical resection with nerve- preservation for rectal cancer.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Ninety-eight patients with rectal cancer received extended radical resection with nerve- preservation in our hospital. The questionnaire were used to collect the data of the patients urination and sexual function. The survival was analyzed retrospectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>62.3% (61/98) of the patients could erect normally and 57.1% (56/98) of the patients had normal sexual function. The average time of catheterization in 57 patients was 60 hours, the residual urine volume (RUV) was 28 ml and the max-micturition-desire urine volume was 400 ml. The 5-year survival rate of those who underwent extended radical resection with nerve-preservation was 61.2%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Extended radical resection with nerve-preservation,which could decrease the incidences of post-operative urination and sexual dysfunction, and have not affect the survival, was the most optimal operation for rectal cancer.</p>

Effect of bacillus calmette-guerin treatment on airway inflammation and T regulatory cells in mice with asthma / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Previous studies have shown that bacillus calmette-guerin (BCG) can deviate TH2 response toward TH1 response, resulting in a suppressive effect on the development of asthma/atopy. This study examined the effect of BCG treatment on regulatory T cells in asthmatic mice to investigate the possible mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Kunming mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) to establish asthmatic models. Asthmatic mice were injected intradermally with BCG five days before and after sensitization. After 24 hrs of last challenge, bronchoaveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and peripheral blood were collected . The total cells and eosinophils were counted in the BALF. The percentage of CD4(+) CD25(+) in peripheral blood was detected with flow cytometry. Single spleen cell suspension was prepared and cultured in 1640 medium for 48 hrs and then the cytokine IL-10 level in the supernatant was determined using ELISA. The mice which were challenged with normal saline were used as the Normal control group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The number of total cells and eosinophils in BALF in asthmatic mice [(27.27 +/- 5.36) x 10(7)/L and (6.59 +/- 1.32) x 10(7)/L respectively] were more than in the Normal control group [(1.52 +/- 0.36) x 10(7)/L and zero respectively] (P < 0.01). The number of total cells and eosinophils in BALF in asthmatic mice were reduced after BCG treatment [(13.71 +/- 3.17) x 10(7)/L and (1.43 +/- 0.37) x 10(7)/L respectively] (P < 0.01). The percentage of CD4(+) CD25(+) in peripheral blood of asthmatic mice [(11.59 +/- 1.33)%] was noticeably lower than that of the Control group [(13.66 +/- 1.68)%] (P < 0.01), but increased significantly in asthmatic mice after BCG treatment [(14.40 +/- 2.70)%] (P < 0.05). The IL-10 level in spleen cell supernatant in the BCG-treated group (7.79 +/- 1.34 pg/mL) also increased compared with that in the untreated asthmatic mice (5.54 +/- 0.66 pg/mL) (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>BCG can markedly inhibit the airway inflammation in asthmatic mice possibly by promoting the production of regulatory T cells.</p>

Expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 in oral verruvous carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the expression of MMP2 mRNA in oral verruvous carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.@*METHODS@#Thirty cases were divided into 3 groups: verruvous carcinoma (n = 10), well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (n = 15) and moderately or poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (n = 5). Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to test the expression of MMP2 mRNA in the carcinoma tissues and matched normal tissues from 3 groups above.@*RESULTS@#The expression of MMP2 mRNA in the carcinoma tissues was significantly higher than that in their matched normal tissues (P 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The expression of MMP2 mRNA in oral verruvous carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma tissues was significantly higher than that in their matched normal tissues. The expression of MMP2 mRNA in verruvous carcinoma was significantly higher than that in squamous cell carcinoma.

On rationality of total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To discuss the rationality and clinical significance of total mesorectal excision (TME) assessed by the pattern of local recurrence of rectal cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>207 rectal cancer patients treated by surgery from 1975 to 2001 who developed local recurrence were retrospectively studied as to the option of treatment based on their outcome. 172 of these 207 patients had complete record of follow-up with a follow-up rate of 83.0%.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The local recurrent sites of 207 patients were: anastomotic stoma 71, mesorectum 65, perineum 50, lymph nodes 59, multiple recurrences 89 and others sites rare. Among 81 patients who had been first treated by anterior resection (AR), 58 were again treated by abdomino-perineal resection (APR). Among 102 patients who had been treated by APR, 38 were treated by perineal tumor resection, 15 were treated by total and posterior pelvic organ resection, and 18 were supplemented with lymph node resection. By all modalities, the resection rate was 66.1% (137/207), in which the curable resection rate was 46% (63/137). The 5-year survival rate of patients with tumor resection was 23.3% (32/137), those treated by curable resection was 34.9% (22/63).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>From the pattern of local recurrence, the operation for middle-lower rectal cancer must follow the principle of total mesorectum excision (TME). Patients with local recurrence should be energetically treated in the second operation if tolerable.</p>