Pregnancy and fetal outcomes of chronic hepatitis C mothers with viremia in China.

BACKGROUND: Data that assess maternal and infant outcomes in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected mothers are limited. AIM: To investigate the frequency of complications and the associated risk factors. METHODS: We performed a cohort study to compare pregnancy and fetal outcomes of HCV-viremic mothers with those of healthy mothers. Risk factors were analyzed with logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 112 consecutive HCV antibody-positive mothers screened, we enrolled 79 viremic mothers. We randomly selected 115 healthy mothers from the birth registry as the control. Compared to healthy mothers, HCV mothers had a significantly higher frequency of anemia [2.6% (3/115) vs 19.0% (15/79), P < 0.001] during pregnancy, medical conditions that required caesarian section [27.8% (32/115) vs 48.1% (38/79), P = 0.004], and nuchal cords [9.6% (11/115) vs 34.2% (27/79), P < 0.001]. In addition, the mean neonatal weight in the HCV group was significantly lower (3278.3 ± 462.0 vs 3105.1 ± 459.4 gms; P = 0.006), and the mean head circumference was smaller (33.3 ± 0.6 vs 33.1 ± 0.7 cm; P = 0.03). In a multivariate model, HCV-infected mothers were more likely to suffer anemia [adjusted odds ratio (OR): 18.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.3-76.6], require caesarian sections (adjusted OR: 2.6, 95%CI: 1.4-4.9), and have nuchal cords (adjusted OR: 5.6, 95%CI: 2.4-13.0). Their neonates were also more likely to have smaller head circumferences (adjusted OR: 2.1, 95%CI: 1.1-4.3) and lower birth weights than the average (≤ 3250 gms) with an adjusted OR of 2.2 (95%CI: 1.2-4.0). The vertical transmission rate was 1% in HCV-infected mothers. CONCLUSION: Maternal HCV infections may associate with pregnancy and obstetric complications. We demonstrated a previously unreported association between maternal HCV viremia and a smaller neonatal head circumference, suggesting fetal growth restriction.

2-Phenyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium hydrogen fumarate-fumaric acid (2/1).

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(9)H(9)N(2) (+)·C(4)H(3)O(4) (-)·0.5C(4)H(4)O(4), consists of one 2-phenyl-imidazolium cation, one hydrogen fumarate anion and half a fumaric acid mol-ecule, which lies on an inversion center. N-H⋯O and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds connect the cations, anions and fumaric acid mol-ecules into sheets parallel to the (102) plane.

Effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on proliferation and apoptosis of human colon cancer cell / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids(n-3PUFA) on human colorectal cancer cell line HT-29 and associated mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the proliferation and apoptosis on HT-29 human colorectal cancer cells were evaluated by MTT assay, cell morphology (Hoechst33258 dyeing), DNA gel electrophoresis, and flow cytometry. The content of n-6PUFA and n-3PUFA of the treated cells and the ratio of n-6/n-3PUFA were analyzed by chromatography.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>DHA effectively inhibited HT-29 cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The proliferative inhibition rates of HT-29 cells treated with 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg/L DHA for 24 hours were 16.8%, 24.7%, 50.0%, and 60.1%, respectively, while the inhibition rates were 50.0%, 69.9%, and 77.0% respectively when HT-29 cells were treated with 40 mg/L DHA for 24, 48, and 72 hours. The typical apoptotic morphologic changes of HT-29 cells could be observed, including chromatin margination, nuclear condensation and apoptotic bodies. Gel electrophoresis of DNA degradation displayed typical DNA ladder fragments. HT-29 cells treated with DHA were arrested in G1 phase and the proportion of HT-29 cells in Gl phase increased compared with that of the control group (72.1% vs. 51.3%) while the proportion of the cells in S phase decreased significantly (19.9% vs. 38.9%). The content of n-6PUFA decreased, n-3PUFA content increased and the ratio of n-6/n-3PUFA lowered significantly in colorectal cancer cells treated with DHA (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>n-3PUFA can inhibit the growth of human colorectal cancer cells via inhibition of the proliferation and induction of apoptosis. These effects may be associated with decrease in n-6/n-3PUFA ratio.</p>

Outcomes after transanal endoscopic microsurgery for early rectal cancer and risk factors associated with recurrence / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate outcomes after transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) for early rectal cancer, identify risk factors associated with recurrence, and explore the indication of TEM for rectal cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty patients with rectal cancer undergoing TEM between June 2006 and June 2009 in the Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital of Shandong University were included in this study and data were retrospectively analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were 12 patients with pTis rectal cancer, 38 with pT1 and 10 with pT2. All the lesions were excised en bloc by full-thickness TEM. No positive resection margins were reported. The operative time was(65.0 ± 36.5) min. Estimated blood loss was (10.5 ± 5.8) ml and hospital stay was(4.5 ± 2.7) d. No perioperative mortality and complications occurred. The median follow-up was 28.5(range, 12-48) months. No recurrence developed in pTis lesions. There was significant difference in local recurrence rate between pT1 and pT2(2.6% vs. 40.0%, P<0.05). The recurrence rate in lesions larger than 3 cm in diameter(19.0%, 4/21) was significantly higher than that in lesions smaller than 3 cm in diameter (2.6%, 1/39) (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that depth of tumour invasion(T stage) and tumour size were independently associated with recurrence after TEM.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Local excision by TEM is oncologically safe and effective for pTis and pT1 rectal cancers and early lesions smaller than 3 cm in diameter.</p>

[Characteristics of the condylar movement traces during lateral excursion of the unilateral posterior buccal crossbite].

PURPOSE: To investigate the characteristics of the condylar movement traces during lateral excursion of the unilateral posterior buccal crossbite and to compare the difference with the individual ideal occlusion. METHODS: Twenty-six subjects with normal occlusion and 26 subjects with unilateral posterior buccal crossbite were tested by CADIAX for the condylar movement. The lateral excursion traces were recorded. The data were analyzed using SPSS 10.0 software package, group t test,paired t test or rank sum test were used to compare the difference between the two groups. RESULTS: The condylar traces of the experiment subjects were rugged and asymmetrical. The sagittal,vertical and space shift of the non-buccal crossbite side were larger than those of the buccal crossbite side and the normal subjects, but the horizontal shift was significantly smaller(P<0.05). The sagittal condylar inclination of the non-buccal crossbite side was significantly larger than that of the buccal crossbite side and the normal subjects, but the transversal condylar inclination was significantly smaller(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The bilateral condylar movement traces during lateral excursion of the unilateral posterior buccal crossbite are asymmetrical.

[Fast image denoising based on mathematical morphology].

There is a contradiction between image denoising and protection of the useful information in the image. To deal with this contradiction, we use the approach of mathematical morphology. In this paper, we expound the method and effectivity of mathmatical morphology in image processing. Based on it, an improved and fast image denoising algorithm is proposed and some experiments have been made to show that this algorithm is simple, effective and feasible.

[Study on the changes of T-lymphocyte subsets in the patients with endometriosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the function of T-lymphocyte subsets in patients with endometriosis. METHODS: The levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the serum, and peritoneal fluid of 30 cases with endometriosis were detected using enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay and compared with those of 20 non-endometriosis cases. The expression of IL-2 and IL-6 in ectopic endometrial tissue from the patients with endometriosis and the endometrial tissues of 10 normal women was investigated by immunohistochemistry method. RESULTS: Significantly elevated levels of IL-6 (cytokines of T help cell 2) were found in the serum and peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis (Median: 5.3 ng/L, 2.1 ng/L, P < 0.05) compared with that of non-endometriosis patients median: 2.5 ng/L, 0.9 ng/L). The level of IL-6 in the serum and peritoneal fluid of endometriosis patients in early stages (stages I, II) was 3.7 ng/L, 1.6 ng/L, significantly lower than those in advanced stages (stages III, IV) (13.6 ng/L, 4.1 ng/L) (P < 0.05). The ratio of IL-2/IL-6 in the serum and peritoneal fluid in patients with endometriosis (0.7, 1.1) was significantly lower than those in the control non-endometriosis group (0.8, 6.2, P < 0.05). The levels of IL-6 detected in the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis had a positive correlation with those in the serum (r = 0.745, P < 0.01). The levels of IL-6 in serum and peritoneal fluid in the patients with endometriosis had a negative correlation with the IL-2/IL-6 ratios in the serum and peritoneal fluid respectively (r = -0.406, r = -0.480, P < 0.05). IL-2 and IL-6 were expressed in the interstitial cells of ectopic endometrial tissue, with an expression rate of 56.7%, and 60.0% respectively. There was significant difference in the expression of IL-2 and IL-6 between the ectopic endometrial tissue and normal endometrial tissue. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of IL-6 in the serum and peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis are increased, implying that IL-6 might play a role in the pathophysiology of endometriosis. The ratio of IL-2/IL-6 in the serum and peritoneal fluid was decreased in patients with endometriosis compared with the control group, suggesting shift of Th1 cell toward Th2 cell in patients with endometriosis. Stronger expression of IL-2 and IL-6 in the ectopic endometrial tissues may contribute to the disturbed immune regulation in patients with endometriosis.