ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical value of high-frequency ultrasonagraphy in testing carpal canal structure in the diagnosis of patients with occupational hand-arm vibration disease( HAVD). METHODS: Eighteen patients with occupational mild HAVD( 36 wrists) were selected as the case group and 20 healthy volunteers( 40 wrists) were enrolled as the control group by using convenience sampling method. The color doppler ultrasound was used to measure the crosssectional areas( CSA) of median nerve at the level of pisiform bone,the thickness of transverse carpal ligament,and the internal diameter of median nerve and the CSA of median nerve at the level of hamate hook of the 2 groups. Fisher discriminant analysis and receiver operating characteristic( ROC) curve were performed to assess the effect of diagnosing HAVD with the CSA of median nerve at the level of pisiform bone in patients with HAVD. RESULTS: The CSA of median nerve at the level of pisiform bone in both hands was smaller than that of the control group( P < 0. 01). However,there was no statistical significance in the thickness of transverse carpal ligament of both hands,the internal diameter of median nerve and the CSA of median nerve at the level of hamate hook in the case and control groups( P > 0. 05). Through the Fisher discriminant analysis which was carried on and the distinction equation which was established meanwhile by using the CSA of median nerve at the level of pisiform bone in both hands as HAVD diagnostic criterion,the HAVD predictive accuracy rate was 78. 9%. The ROC curve was underway with the discriminant score as an indicator for distinguishing HAVD,and the result showed that the area under the curve was 0. 842,with sensitivity of 75. 00% and specificity of 88. 90%. CONCLUSION: High-frequency ultrasonography can be used to observe and quantify the imaging changes of carpal canal structure in patients with HAVD,which can provide objective and scientific diagnostic basis for the diagnosis of HAVD.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Study blood vessel injury and gene expression indicating vascular endothelial cell apoptosis induced by mannitol with and without administration of anti-oxidative vitamins.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Healthy rabbits were randomly divided into four groups. Mannitol was injected into the vein of the rabbit ear in each animal. Pre-treatment prior to mannitol injection was performed with normal saline (group B), vitamin C (group C) and vitamin E (group D). Blood vessel injury was assessed under electron and light microscopy. In a second experiment, cell culture specimen of human umbilical vein endothelial cells were treated with mannitol. Pre-treatment was done with normal saline (sample B), vitamin C (sample C) and vitamin E (sample D). Total RNA was extracted with the original single step procedure, followed by hybridisation and analysis of gene expression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the animal experiment, serious blood vessel injury was seen in group A and group B. Group D showed light injury only, and normal tissue without pathological changes was seen in group C. Of all 330 apoptosis-related genes analysed in human cell culture specimen, no significant difference was seen after pre-treatment with normal saline, compared with the gene chip without pre-treatment. On the gene chip pre-treated with vitamin C, 45 apoptosis genes were down-regulated and 34 anti-apoptosis genes were up-regulated. Pre-treatment with vitamin E resulted in the down-regulation of 3 apoptosis genes.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Vitamin C can protect vascular endothelial cells from mannitol-induced injury.</p>