Mortality trend and predictors of mortality in dysphagic stroke patients postpercutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding is widely used in stroke patients suffering from persistent dysphagia; however, predicting the risks and benefits of PEG insertion in the individual patient is difficult. The aim of our study was to investigate if candidate risk factors could predict short-term mortality risk in poststroke patients who had PEG tube insertion for persistent dysphagia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This was a retrospective study of 3504 consecutive stroke patients admitted to two metropolitan hospitals during the period January 2005 to December 2013 and who also underwent PEG insertion for feeding due to persistent dysphagia.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 102 patients were included in the study. There were 22 deaths in 6 months after insertion of PEG tubes and 20 deaths of those occurred within 3 months post PEG. Those who survived beyond 6 months showed significantly lower mean age (75.9 ± 9.0 years vs. 83.0 ± 4.9 years, P < 0.001), a lower mean American Society of Anesthesia (ASA) score (3.04 ± 0.63 vs. 3.64 ± 0.58, P < 0.001) compared to nonsurvivors. In multiple Logistic, age (P = 0.004, odds ratio [OR] = 1.144; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.044-1.255); ASA (P = 0.002, OR = 5.065; 95% CI: 1.815-14.133) and albumin level pre-PEG insertion (P = 0.033, OR = 0.869; 95% CI: 0.764-0.988) were the independent determinants of mortality respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>We propose that age, ASA score and albumin level pre-PEG insertion to be included as factors to assist in the selection of patients who are likely to survive more than 3 months post PEG insertion.</p>

Effects of mechanical stress on the formation and expression of Cbfalpha1 in vitro / 华西口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effects of mechanical stress on the formation and expression of core binding factor alpha1 (Cbfalpha1) in MG-63 cells cultured on titanium in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MG-63 cells cultured on the titanium were subjected to a centrifugal force (2.205 N) 15 min per 4 hours and collected after 4, 8 and 12 hours. The formation and expression of Cbfalpha1 were examined by immunofluorescence staining and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both the cells with or without centrifugal force created the fluorescence in the nucleus and the immunofluorescence intensity of Cbfalpha1 in MG-63 cells with centrifugal force were higher than those without centrifugal force (P<0.05). Meanwhile, both the cells with or without centrifugal force expressed the mRNA of Cbfalpha1 and the relative mRNA level of Cbfalpha1 in MG-63 cells with centrifugal force were higher than those without centrifugal force, and the differences were great significant (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Mechanical stress are beneficial to the formation and expression of Cbfalpha1.</p>

Effect of GMCSF-absence on neovascularization during wound healing / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of GMCSF-absence on the rate of wound healing and neovascularization during wound repair.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>30 wild type (WT) mice and 30 GMCSF- absence mice (GMCSF-KO) were obtained. They were received full thickness skin wound (0.8 cm x 0.8 cm) in each side of midline after deeply anesthesia. In the different post-injury time points, the wound sites were digitally photographed to calculate the percentage of wound closure by using computer image analyses software. The wound specimens were also obtained dynamically for immunohistological analysis of CD31 at wound site.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The analysis of the wound closure showed that wound healing in GMCSF-KO mice was delayed significantly comparing with that in WT mice from the day 3 post-wounding. At days 7 and 10 after wounding significantly more numbers of blood vessels were formed in the WT controls compared to the GMCSF-KO mice.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>GMCSF-absence inhibits neovascularization during wound repair and leads to the delay of wound healing.</p>