ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate effects of retinol on the expressions of epidermal growth factor (EGF), stem cell factor (SCF), colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in cultured human umbilical-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human UCMSCs were isolated from human umbilical cord and identified for immunophenotypes. The cells were then cultured in DMEM/F12 media supplemented with 12% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 12% FBS+1 µmol/L retinol, 15% knockout serum replacement (KSR) and 15% KSR+ 1 µmol/L retinol. The expressions of the cytokines EGF, SCF, CSF1 and LIF in the cells were detected using RT-PCR and ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The isolated cells exhibited characteristic immunophenotypes of human UCMSCs and expressed EGF, CSF1 and SCF at both mRNA and protein levels but not LIF protein. Retinol (1 µmol/L) significantly promoted the expressions of SCF and CSF1 at both mRNA and protein levels but did not result in changes of EGF and LIF expressions in human UCMSCs.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Retinol at the concentration of 1 µmol/L can promote expression of SCF and CSF1 in human UCMSCs in vitro.</p>
Subject(s)
Humans , Cell Differentiation , Cells, Cultured , EGF Family of Proteins , Metabolism , Immunophenotyping , Leukemia Inhibitory Factor , Metabolism , Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor , Metabolism , Mesenchymal Stem Cells , Metabolism , Stem Cell Factor , Metabolism , Umbilical Cord , Cell Biology , Vitamin A , PharmacologyABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the natural history of HIV infection caused by contaminated plasma donation among former commercial plasma donors in China. Methods Ambispective cohort study among HIV/AIDS cases and suspected AIDS deaths was conducted from January 1,1995 to March 31,2008 in 7 administrative villages in Shangcai county of Henan province.Information regarding diagnostic criteria, deaths and anti-retrovirus treatment was collected.Incubation and survival time were calculated using Kaplan-Meier and life-tables method. Sensitive analysis on the time of outcome was conducted. Results A total number of 2569 cases of HIV infection including 483 suspected AIDS deaths were involved in a cohort. 200 patients with rapid progress (7.8%) and 337 long-term but non-progressive patients (13.1%) were identified. Results from the sensitive analysis showed that the median incubation period from HIV infection to AIDS was between 8.5 and 8.9 years, with incidence as 11.7-12.0 cases/100 person-years and the median survival time for HIV progression to death was from 8.8 to 10.7 years, with the death rate as 6.9-8.3 cases/100 person-years. The median survival time for AIDS patient was from 1.2 to 2.0 years, with death rate as 34.9-51.5 cases/100 person-years. Conclusion According to sensitive analysis, the incubation period for HIV progression to AIDS, the median survival time for HIV progression to death and the median survival time for AIDS patient to death were 8.8 years, 1.2 years and 9.8 years,respectively.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Thoracic outlet syndrome can be divided into nervous system type and vascular type according to different compressed structure. Nervous system type has typical clinic manifestations,physical signs,radiological evidence and electromyogram variation. So,there is wide prospect for clinic application about evaluation of compression of nerve in patients with thoracic outlet syndrome by electrophysiological examination.OBJECTIVE: To study diagnostic significance of electrophysiological examination to thoracic outlet syndrome.DESIGN: A completed and randomized research based on patients.SETTING: An electrophysiological department in a municipal hospital.PARTICIPANTS: Twenty patients diagnosed as thoracic outlet syndrome were collected in Neurology and Neurosurgery Department,Hand Surgery Department and Clinic of Dalian Central Hospital from April 1998 to July2002,in which there were 5 males and 15 females,aged 31 -67,average46.0 years,with course of 2 - 7 years,average 4.5 years.METHODS: Nerve conduction velocity,wave amplitude and corresponding muscular needle electrode electromyogram(EMG) of median nerve,ulnar nerve,interior and exterior cutaneous nerve in forearm,suprascapular nerve,axillary nerve,musculocutaneous nerve,radial nerve were tested by keypoint myoelectricity evoked potential equipment made in Denmark.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The results of nerve electrophysiological examination.RESULTS: The type of compression of nerve trunk manifested as slower sensory and motor conduction velocity of nerve dominated by corresponding trunk across axillary section,lower wave amplitude and loss of nerve of corresponding muscle.CONCLUSION: Nerve electrophysiological examination is of important significance to diagnose thoracic outlet syndrome.
ABSTRACT
The results of drug activity of singe drug and multidrug combination susceptibility tests showed the coincidence rate between the two kinds of tests was above 95% . The results also indicated that the chemotherapy program consisted of resistant drugs exhibited an inhibitory effects to different extents on the growth of 40% strains in vitro. Using two resistant drugs and one susceptible drug in the susceptibility test of three drug combination assay the pathogenic strain was still susceptible. It is proved that the extents of susceptibility of pathogenic strains to chemotherapy programs could be accurately calculated by the time of initial growth , the colony count and the colony size in multidrug combination susceptibility test. The results suggested Kuang′s agar medium should be adapted in the drug susceptibility test and the multidrug combination susceptibility test should be carried out for multidrug resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.