Forensic analysis of death caused by fat embolism: A study of 20 autopsy cases / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the general and forensic pathological characteristics of death due to fat embolism syndrome (FES) and to provide reference data for forensic identification.@*METHODS@#Twenty autopsy cases due to FES were selected from the forensic center of a medical college from 1999 to 2012. The general and forensic pathological characteristics such as the ways and types of injuries, clinical manifestation and the pathological changes were summarized.@*RESULTS@#Fat embolism mainly occurred after long bone fracture or a large area of soft tissue injury with the majority of cases being fat embolism of lung and occasional cases being combined embolisms of lung and brain as well. The onset of symptoms appeared shortly after the injury or surgery. Lipid droplets could be observed within small pulmonary vessels and verified by special staining.@*CONCLUSION@#There are particular characteristics in death due to FES in concern with types of injuries, onset of symptoms and pathological findings. In order to find out the direct evidence of FES, special staining (oil red O staining) can be used in the forensic identification.

Expression of androgen receptor in breast carcinoma and its relationship with estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HER2 status / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>to investigate the expression of androgen receptor (AR) in breast carcinoma and its relationship with estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2 status, and to discuss its potential as treatment target.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>immunohistochemical method was used to detect AR, ER, PR and HER2 expression in 175 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma of breast, which were divided into four groups: luminal A, luminal B, HER2(-) overexpression and triple negative group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>eighty-eight cases (50.3%) were AR positive in 175 cases, the expression of AR was positively correlated with ER, PR and HER2 status. All the cases were grouped as follows: 53 cases (30.3%) were luminal A, 33 cases (18.9%) were luminal B, 23 cases (13.1%) were HER2(-) overexpression and 66 cases (37.7%) were triple negative, the AR expression rate was 56.6% (30/53), 75.8% (25/33), 47.8% (11/23), 33.3% (22/66), respectively. There was significant difference among the four groups' AR expression rates. With respect to the clinico-pathological features, AR positive cases were younger in luminal A and had lower mitosis rate in triple negative subgroups than the negative cases (χ(2) = 4.567, P = 0.033; χ(2) = 5.140, P = 0.023, respectively).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>AR has a high positive rate in breast carcinoma, and may be an ideal therapeutic target for breast carcinoma, especially for the triple negative subtype.</p>

Beneficial effects of probucol on endothelial function in patients with acute coronary syndrome / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The study investigate the antioxidant probucol on endothelial function in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 49 ACS patients randomly received standard therapy plus probucol (P, n = 24) or standard therapy (C, n = 25). Plasma oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), nitric oxide (NO) and circulating endothelial cells (CEC) were measured. The brachial arterial hyperemia-induced flow mediated dilation (FMD) and sublingual nitroglycerin (NTG) mediated vasodilatations were measured by high resolution ultrasound. These variables were analyzed before and after 3 months therapy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Plasma NO and FMD was significantly increased after 3 months therapy than before therapy [(80.46 +/- 10.24) micromol/Lvs (48.46 +/- 12.24) micromol/L, P < 0.01; (13.46 +/- 1.20)% vs (7.45 +/- 1.02)%, P < 0.05, respectively], while the number of CEC and ox-LDL were significantly decreased (P < 0.01) in P group. These values were similar before and after 3 months in C group. The linear correlation analysis showed that plasma ox-LDL negatively correlated with NO (r = -0.574, P < 0.01) and FMD (r = -0.517, P < 0.01) and positively correlated with CEC (r = 0.385, P < 0.01) in patients received 3 months probucol therapy.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Chronic antioxidant probucol therapy could improve endothelial function in patients with ACS.</p>