Sex Recognition of Skulls in Chinese Uygur / 法医学杂志

Objective Logistic regression method was used to establish a multiple regression sex discriminant function to discriminate the complete skull model and the incomplete skull model without frontal bone, occipital bone and mandible of Uygur adults in Turpan, Xinjiang. Methods A total of 117 （60 male and 57 female） three-dimensional skull models were collected by CT. Sixteen cranial measurement indexes were measured and calculated by computer software. The multivariate regression sex discriminant function was established with Logistic regression method and retrospectively tested. Results Among the 16 measurement indexes, except for nose width （x7） and maximum frontal breadth （x13）, the remaining 14 indexes had statistical significance of differences between male and female （P<0.05）. For the discriminant function of complete skull established by eyebrow arch convexity （x4）, mastoid width （x6）, maximum cranial length （x12）, cranial base length （x15）, cranial circumference （x16）, the male and female discrimination accuracy was 90.0% and 94.7%, respectively. For the sex discriminant function of incomplete skull without frontal bone established by mandibular angle width （x10）, mandibular height （x11） and cranial circumference （x16）, the discrimination accuracy of male and female was 85.0% and 84.2%, respectively. For the sex discriminant function of incomplete skull without occipital bone established by the index of eyebrow arch convexity （x4）, the discrimination accuracy of male and female was 80.0% and 73.7%, respectively. For the sex discriminant function of incomplete skull without mandible established by frontal chord （x5） and occipital protrusion angle （x9）, the discrimination accuracy of male and female was 85.0% and 78.9%, respectively. Conclusion The computer software and system developed in our study can achieve sex discrimination of complete skulls and incomplete skulls without frontal bone, occipital bone or mandible.

Accuracy of ultrasound-measured inferior vena cava diameter in assessment of preoperative blood volume in elderly patients / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective To evaluate the accuracy of ultrasound-measured inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter in assessment of the preoperative blood volume in elderly patients.Methods Sixty patients,aged 60-75 yr,with body mass index 20-25 kg/m2,of ASA physical status Ⅰ-Ⅲ,scheduled for elective transurethral resection of prostate,were randomly divided into 3 groups (n =20 each):control group (group C),lactated Ringer's solution group (group RL),and hydroxyethyl starch group (group H).Lactated Ringer's solution 8 ml/kg was infused intravenously in group RL.Hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 8 ml/kg was infused intravenously in group H.SpO2,mean arterial pressure (MAP),HR and central venous pressure (CVP) were monitored before and after fluid therapy.The IVC diameters,both during expiration (IVCe) and inspiration (IVCi),were measured using ultrasound.IVC collapsibility index (IVC-CI) was calculated.Results The IVCeand IVCi were significantly increased,and IVC-CI was decreased after fluid therapy as compared with those before fluid therapy in RL and H groups.Compared with group C,the IVCe and IVCi were significantly increased,and IVC-CI was decreased after fluid therapy in RL and H groups.IVCe and IVCi were positively correlatedwith CVP (r=0.746 and 0.697,respectively).IVC-CI was negatively correlated with CVP (r =-0.547).Conclusion Ultrasoundmeasured IVC diameter provides better accuracy in assessing the preoperative blood volume in elderly patients.

LIN28 expression and prognostic value in hepatocellular carcinoma patients who meet the Milan criteria and undergo hepatectomy / 癌症

Stem cell marker LIN28, related closely with SOX2 and OCT4, has been studied as a biomarker for the maintainance of pluripotent cells in several malignancies. Our previous study showed that SOX2 and OCT4 were negative predictors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the predictive value of LIN28 in HCC outcome is still undetermined. We hypothesized that LIN28 may also play a role as a biomarker for HCC. To test this hypothesis, we examined the expression of LIN28 in 129 radically resected HCC tissues using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and analyzed the association of LIN28 expression with clinicopathologic features and prognosis. Our study showed that LIN28 was expressed at a higher frequency in tumor tissues than in non-HCC tissues (45.0% vs. 21.7%, P = 0.020). Moreover, LIN28 expression was significantly increased in cases with large tumor size (P = 0.010). Univariate analysis did not reveal a significant correlation between LIN28 expression and overall survival or recurrence-free survival. For HCC patients who met the Milan criteria, stratified analysis revealed shorter overall survival (P = 0.007) and recurrence-free survival (P < 0.001) in those with detectable LIN28 expression compared to those with no detectable LIN28 expression. Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed that LIN28 was a negative independent predictor for both overall survival (hazard ratio= 7.093, P = 0.017) and recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio=5.518, P = 0.004) in patients who met the Milan criteria. Taken together, our results suggest that LIN28 identifies low-risk and high-risk subsets of HCC patients meeting the Milan criteria who undergo hepatectomy.

Role of 5-HT1A receptor in distal cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons in neuropathic pain in rats / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective To evaluate the role of 5-HT1A receptors in distal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-contacting neurons in neuropathic pain (NP) in rats. Methods Forty male SD rats weighing 230-270 g were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 8 each): sham operation group (group S); NP group; dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) group and 8-OH-DPAT (a specific 5-HT1A receptor agonist) group. NP was induced by chronic constrictive injury (CCI) in groups NP, DMSO and 8-OH-DPAT. Four silk ligatures were placed on the sciatic nerve at 1 mm intervals . In group S, the sciatic nerve was exposed but not ligated. 8-OH-DPAT and DMSO 1 μl were injected into the region where most of CSF-contacting neurons are present over 5 min on 7th day after CCI in groups 8-OH-DPAT and DMSO respectively. Paw withdrawal latency (PWL) and paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) were measured before CCI, on 7th day after CCI, and at 3 and 6 h after administration. The rats were sacrificed 6 h after administration, and the brain tissues removed for determination of the expression of 5-HT1A receptors in the distal CSF-contacting neurons by immunofluorescence. Results Compared with group S, PWL was significantly shorten and PWT decreased at T, in groups NP, DMSO and 8-OH- DPAT (P ＜ 0.01) . Compared with group DMSO, PWL was significantly prolonged and PWT increased at T2 and T3 in group 8-OH-DPAT ( P ＜ 0.01). The 5-HT1A receptor expression was significantly down-regulated in groups NP and DMSO compared with group S, while up-regulated in group 8-OH-DPAT compared with groups NP and DMSO ( P ＜ 0.01). There was no significant difference in 5-HT1A receptor expression between groups NP and DMSO ( P ＞ 0.05). Conclusion 5-HT1A receptors in distal CSF-contacting neurons are involved in the regulation of NP in rats.

OCT4 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma and its clinical significance / 癌症

<p><b>BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE</b>Recently, many studies have focused on stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and found some stem cell markers in HCC, which are associated with the prognosis. OCT4, as a member of the POU transcription factor family, is a key factor to maintain self-renewal and pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). This study was to explore the expression of the ESCs marker OCT4A in HCC, and its correlations with clinicopathologic features and prognosis of HCC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>OCT4A mRNA expression was detected in five liver cancer cell lines (SMMC-7721, BEL-7402, Hep-G2, MHCC97-L, and MHCC97-H), one immortalized liver cell line L-O2, tumor tissues with matched non-neoplastic liver tissues in 107 HCC patients, and normal liver tissues of 20 cases using semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The correlations between OCT4A mRNA and clinicopathologic features and prognosis of HCC were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>OCT4A mRNA was detected in SMMC-7721, BEL-7402, Hep-G2, MHCC-97L, and MHCC-97H cells, but not in L-O2 cells. The positive rate of OCT4A mRNA expression was significantly higher in the HCC tissues than in the non-neoplastic liver tissues (72.0% vs. 30.8%, P<0.001). No OCT4A mRNA expression was found in the normal liver tissues. OCT4A mRNA expression was correlated with the tumor size, vascular invasion, and TNM stage (P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients with positive expression of OCT4A mRNA had lower overall survival and disease-free survival rates.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>OCT4A mRNA, which is highly expressed in a subset of liver cancer cell lines and HCC tissues, may be involved in the carcinogenesis of HCC. OCT4A mRNA may be a valuable biomarker for assessing the prognosis of HCC.</p>

Peripheral blood stem cell mobilization with low dose rhG-CSF in 56 unrelated healthy donors / 中国实验血液学杂志

The study was aimed to observe the effect of recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factors (rhG-CSF) in low dose on peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) mobilization in unrelated healthy normal donors. G-CSF was administered at 5 microg/(kg x d) subcutaneously for successive 5 or 6 days to 56 unrelated donors. Stem cells were harvested on the fourth and fifth days or on the fifth and sixth days. The numbers of mononuclear cells (MNC), CD34(+) cells and Hb, Plt, and CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+) and CD20(+) cells were determined during the mobilization. The results showed that most common adverse events were bone pain (17.9%, 10/56), agrypnia (8.9%, 5/56) and lassitude (4.5%, 3/56) during rhG-CSF mobilization, but all donors were suffered less than grade II according to the WHO criteria, and did not need to stop the mobilization and not need to give special treatment. In harvest on day 4 - 5 and 5 - 6, MNC count was (5.95 +/- 1.52) x 10(8)/kg and (7.19 +/- 2.12) x 10(8)/kg; CD34(+) cells count was (3.03 +/- 1.09) x 10(6)/kg and (7.92 +/- 2.50) x 10(6)/kg. There were no significant differences in hemoglobin level and platelet count, the percentage of CD3(+) cells, CD4(+) cells, CD8(+) cells and CD20(+) cells between pre-mobilization and post-mobilization of rhG-CSF. It is concluded that the low dose of rhG-CSF 5 microg/(kg x d) for peripheral blood stem cell mobilization in unrelated healthy normal donors is safe and effective.

Replication of collagen induced arthritis in C57BL/6 mice / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To replicate a model of type Ⅱ collagen (C Ⅱ) induced arthritis in C57BL/6 mice. Methods C57BL/6 mice were immunized by intradermal injection at the base of the tail with chick type Ⅱ collagen and complete Freund adjuvant emulsion, followed by another injection 21 days later. Manifestations of joint ailment, pathological examination, and T cell subtypes detected by FCM were observed. Results In comparison with control mice, the C57BL/6 mice developed CIA with high incidence (70%) and severity after immunization. Hyperplasia of the synovium and inflammatory infiltration were observed. The percentage of Th1 cells in the peripheral blood of the mice was significantly increased in the peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMC). Conclusion The CIA model of C57BL/6 mice and the platform its study were successfully established.