"Leverage pry-off method" for effective prevention of thermal injury during microwave ablation of benign thyroid nodules / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the safety and efficacy of"leverage pry-off method"for preventing thermal injury during microwave ablation of benign thyroid nodules.@*METHODS@#From July, 2017 to September, 2019, a total of 348 patients with benign thyroid nodules underwent ultrasound-guided microwave ablation. For protecting from thermal injury during the ablation, "hydrodissection technique" was used in 174 of the patients (admitted from July, 2017 to August, 2018) and "leverage pry-off method" in the other 174 patients (admitted from September, 2018 to September, 2019). All the patients were followed up for 1 to 12 months after the operation for observation of severe complications and nodular residues.@*RESULTS@#Ultrasound-guided microwave ablation was completed in all the 348 patients. The most common severe complication associated with the ablation was voice change, occurring in 3 cases (1.7%) in "hydrodissection technique" group and in 4 (2.3%) in the "leverage pry-off method" group, showing no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). During the follow-up, no significant difference was found in the rate of nodular residues between the "hydrodissection technique" group and "hydrodissection technique" group (9.8% vs 10.9% (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The "leverage pry-off method" is simple and effective for preventing thermal injury during microwave ablation of benign thyroid nodules.

Evaluation of renal tissue ischemia-reperfusion injury with ultrasound radiation force and targeted microbubbles / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the sensitivity and feasibility of detecting microvascular inflammation in renal ischemia- reperfusion injury using microbubbles (MB) targeted to the intercellular adhesion molecule ICAM-1 and ultrasound radiation force (USRF).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Mouse models of kidney ischemia-reperfusion were randomized into 5 groups with reperfusion time of 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h (IRlh, IR3h, IR6h, IR12h, and IR24h group, respectively). Each group was subdivided into targeted MB group (MBgroup) and targeted MB +USRF group (MBgroup). Kidney enhancement and the video intensity (VI) of the kidneys were compared among the groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In normal mice in either Mor MBgroup, no obvious enhancement of the kidney or significant increase in VI of the kidneys was observed (P=0.923). The kidneys were enhanced in all the mice with renal ischemia-reperfusion injury, and with the passage of time, the enhancement increased progressively. VI in the kidneys of mice with renal ischemia-reperfusion injury in MBgroup increased more significantly compared with the MBgroup. Significant difference in the VI was noted among the groups with different perfusion time but not between IR12h and IR24h groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Microbubbles targeted to ICAM-1 combined with USRF can effectively evaluate renal ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice and can be used for early evaluation of microvascular inflammation and other endothelial responses.</p>

Preliminary study of an intracavitary convex array probe for detecting distal extracranial internal carotid artery by transoral carotid ultrasonography / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the feasibility of using an intracavitary convex array probe for detecting the distal extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) by transoral carotid ultrasonography (TOCU).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty patients underwent examinations with bilateral ICA inspected with an intracavitary convex array probe by TOCU to observe the internal diameter, visible length, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV) and resistance index (RI).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Eight of the 40 patients were excluded from the observation for the presence of carotid plaques. The examination was terminated in two patients due to sensitive throat and severe pharyngeal reflex. The rest of the patients completed the examination of the internal diameter, visible length, PSV, EDV and RI, which showed no statistically significant differences among them (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Using intracavitary convex array probe, the distal extracranial ICA disease can be diagnosed with higher accuracy.</p>

Left versus right ventricular Tei index for evaluating third-trimester fetal cardiac function in pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the value of Tei index and the sensitivity of left versus right ventricular Tei index in evaluating the fetal cardiac function in pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome in the third trimester.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fetal echocardiograms were performed in 30 women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) syndrome and 55 with normal pregnancy of the third trimester. Tei index was obtained by calculating the ratio of the isovolumic time (isovolumic contraction and relaxation time) to the ejection time of the left and right ventricle. Comparisons of the Tei index were made between the PIH group and control group, and also between the left and right ventricles in each group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Significant difference was found in the left and right ventricular Tei index between PIH group and control group. No difference was noted between the left and right ventricular Tei index in the PIH group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Tei index is a useful indicator in evaluating fetal global cardiac function, for which purpose the left ventricular Tei index can be as sensitive as the right ventricular Tei index.</p>

Value of ultrasonographic grading with high-frequency probes in distinguishing breast tumors / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the value of ultrasonographic grading with high-frequency probes in differentiating benign and malignant breast tumors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-four women (mean age 44.5-/+13.7 years) with 79 breast tumors underwent high-frequency ultrasonography to examine the tumor number, size, aspect ratio, shape, boundaries, encapsulation, pseudopod, internal and rear echoes, calcifications, blood perfusion, abnormality lymph nodes in the axilla. The tumors were graded based on these findings using a 10-point grading system.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Between the 46 women with benign tumors and 18 with malignant tumors, no significant differences were found in the mean tumor number (1.5-/+1.3 vs 1.1-/+0.3, P>0.05) or size (55.0-/+19.2 mm vs 19.8-/+8.3 mm, P>0.05), but the mean age (41.4-/+12.4 years vs 52.4-/+14.1 years) and ultrasonographic grade (2.8-/+2.2 vs 7.3-/+1.7, P<0.05) differed significantly. The ultrasonographic grade of the breast tumors showed an obvious correlation to the nature of the tumors (r=0.695, P<0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Grading of breast tumors with high-frequency ultrasonography helps evaluate the nature of the tumors, and a higher score suggests increased probability of malignancy.</p>

An intracavitary convex array probe for detecting internal carotid artery disease / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the value of an intracavitary convex array probe in detecting internal carotid artery (ICA) disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty-six carotid arteries in 43 cases were examined with intracavitary convex array probe, low-frequency convex array probe and high-frequency linear probe to collect the data including the ICA visible length, peak systolic velocity (PSV), internal diameter, blood vessel shape; common carotid artery (CCA) intimae-medial thickness (IMT), PSV, and internal diameter.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Significant differences were noted in the visible length, PSV of ICA, and internal diameter detected by different frequency ultrasound probes. Intracavitary probe and high-frequency probe produced significantly different findings of the blood vessel shape.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Intracavitary convex array probe has important clinical value in detecting of ICA disease.</p>

Tumor-specific T cell recptor gene transfection promotes memory T cell differentiation in vitro / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate effect of tumor-specific T cell receptor gene transfection on memory T cell differentiation in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>TCRVbeta7.1 gene was transferred into peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from healthy adults, and the expression of Vbeta7.1 was detected by flow cytometry before and after the transfection. Memory T cell differentiation was induced by stimulation with the hepatocarcinoma cell line BEL-7402 in vitro. The expression of surface molecules CD45RO, CD45RA and CCR7 was analyzed by flow cytometry to identify the phenotype and subsets of the memory T cells. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting was performed to detect the apoptosis of the tumor cells, and enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay was used to determine the production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) for assessing the immune function of the memory T cells.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Flow cytometry showed that TCRVbeta7.1 gene was efficiently expressed after transfection. After stimulation by the tumor cells in vitro, the expression of CD45RO in TCRVbeta7.1 gene-modified T cells increased gradually, and analysis of the coexpression of CD45RA and CCR7 revealed that the effector memory T cells constituted the majority of the differentiated memory T cells. The apoptotic rate of the tumor cells induced by the T cells increased significantly with also obviously increased INF-gamma secretion in the memory T cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Tumor-specific TCRVbeta7.1 gene transfection can promote the differentiation of the memory T cells, the majority of which belongs to effector memory T cells that perform immune functions by inducing apoptosis and cytokine secretion.</p>

Preliminary study of the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound with high-frequency linear-array transducer in the diagnosis of carotid stenosis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound with high-frequency linear-array transducer in the diagnosis of carotid stenosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The carotid arteries of 31 patients was examined with color Doppler ultrasound (CDU), harmonic contrast ultrasound (HCU) and digital subtractive angiography (DSA), respectively. The result of DSA was used as the golden standard for evaluating the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of CDU and HCU in the diagnosis of carotid stenosis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Satisfactory images of 62 carotid arteries were obtained from the patients using HCU with high-frequency linear-array transducer. After intravenous injection of contrast agent, densely dotted hyperechogenic signals were found in the vascular lumen, with stronger intensity than that of the vascular walls. The filling defect areas in the lumen indicated vascular stenosis. Thirty carotid stenoses were detected by DSA, and 25 by CDU. The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of CDU was 83.3%, 82.0% and 84.9%, respectively. HCU identified 29 carotid stenoses with accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 96.7%, 96.7% and 97.0%, respectively, significantly higher than those of CDU (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HCU with high frequency linear-array transducer has better the accuracy than CDU and may serve as a good alternative for diagnosis of carotid stenosis.</p>

Glycodelin in IVF-ET cycles: its association with endometrial receptivity and impact on the outcome of pregnancy / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the correlation between glycodelin and endometrial receptivity and the value of serum glycodelin detection in in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles for evaluation of the outcome of pregnancy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serum glycodelin level in women receiving IVF-ET on the day of oocyte retrieval and embryo transfer was measured by ELISA, and the condition of the endometrium was examined by transvaginal ultrasonography.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no difference in serum glycodelin level on the day of oocyte retrieval or embryo transfer between the pregnant group and nonpregnant group, but the ratio and difference of serum glycodelin levels on the days of embryo transfer and retrieval were both higher in pregnant group than in the nonpregnant group (2.54-/+2.14 vs 0.96-/+0.51, and 0.91-/+1.22 vs -0.30-/+1.14, respectively). No correlation was found between serum glycodelin levels and endometrial thickness or echo patterns.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Serum glycodelin levels on the days of retrieval and embryo transfer are not correlated to endometrial thickness or echo patterns, but their dynamic changes reflect endometrial receptivity to a certain extent, which might have prognostic value for pregnancy following IVF-ET.</p>

Effect of Paraformaldehyde Fixation on the FRET Efficiency Calculation between Fluorescent Proteins / 中国生物工程杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of paraformaldehyde fixation on measuring the protein-protein interaction by fluorescence resonance energy transfer(FRET)to resolve the problem of FRET efficiency calculation in excess-movement cells.Methods:The C terminals of TCR ? chain(TRA)and TCR ? chain(TRB)genes,which were ideal for protein-protein interaction research,were fused with ECFP and EYFP gene respectively by fusion PCR and transferred into target cell.A grou Pcells were fixed in paraformaldehyde(0.5%)for 0.5~1h and another left alive,then these cells were subject to ECFP/EYFP FRET calculation with confocal laser scanning microscope.The ECFP/EYFP FRET efficiencies in live and fixed cell were analyzed and compared.Results:There is no significant statistical difference between the ECFP/EYFP FRET efficiencies of live cell and cell fixed with lower paraformaldehyde concentration and shorter incubation time.Conclusion:fixation with low-concentration paraformaldehyde and short-time incubation has no distinct influence on measuring protein-protein interaction,and facilitated the FRET calculation in excess-movement cells.