ABSTRACT
The present study compared and analyzed the diagnostic values of B-mode ultrasound and elasticity imaging technology for the identification of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Ninety-four patients who were diagnosed with thyroid nodules by ultrasound were chosen. All patients were checked with B-mode ultrasound and ultrasound elasticity imaging technology before surgeries. Further, the post-operative outcomes were compared with operation pathology. The pathological examination results were taken as the gold standard. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive values of combined ultrasound diagnosis were all obviously higher than those by the B-mode ultrasound and the ultrasound elastography method (P<0.05). In conclusion, as a new technology, ultrasound elasticity imaging technology has relatively high diagnositic value in identifying benign and malignant thyroid nodules. With its own advantages and limitations, the ultrasound elasticity imaging technology could effectively complement B-mode ultrasound, and improve the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of ultrasound diagnosis for thyroid nodules.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of the T cell-specific transcription factors T-bet/GATA-3 in recurrent aphthous ulcerations (RAU).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated by density gradient centrifugation from RAU patients and healthy controls. Expressions of T-bet and GATA-3 mRNA and protein in the PBMCs were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot respectively. The concentrations of gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in the serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expressions of T-bet mRNA were 0.73 +/- 0.14 in the control group and 0.12 +/- 0.04 in the recurrent aphthous ulcerations group, the levels of T-bet protein expressions were 0.73 +/- 0.18 in the control group and 0.24 +/- 0.09 in the recurrent aphthous ulcerations group, there was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01). The levels of GATA-3 mRNA expressions were 0.89 +/- 0.11 in the control group and 1.30 +/- 0.13 in the recurrent aphthous ulcerations group; GATA-3 protein expressions were 1.09 +/- 0.16 in the control group and 1.80 +/- 0.16 in the recurrent aphthous ulcerations group, there was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01). In the control group, the concentration of gamma-interferon in the serum was (22.15 +/- 1.52) ng/L, which was significantly elevated compared with that in the recurrent aphthous ulcerations group (16.32 +/- 0.22) ng/L (P < 0.01), in the control group, the concentration of IL-4 in the serum was (25.58 +/- 2.59) ng/L, which was significantly lower than that of the recurrent aphthous ulcerations group (43.60 +/- 3.15) ng/L (P < 0.01). The ratio of gamma-IFN and IL-4 was positively correlated with the ratio of T-bet and GATA-3 mRNA and protein expression (r = 0.96, 0.94, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Imbalance of transcription factors T-bet and GATA-3 may be one of the key factors in immune dysregulation of recurrent aphthous ulcerations.</p>
