Preliminary Investigation and Imaging Analysis of Early Lung Cancer Screening Among Petroleum Workers in North China.

BACKGROUND: The detection rate of lung nodules has increased significantly among petroleum workers in North China since the low-dose CT (LDCT) screening has been widely carried out. What's more, the number of confirmed early lung cancers is increasing continuously. Therefore, a great deal of concern for the high risk of lung cancer has been shown among petroleum workers. PURPOSE: To improve the screening efficiency and maximize the benefits of the subjects, the current situation of LDCT lung cancer screening should be understood and the imaging characteristics of early lung cancer should be analyzed for petroleum workers in North China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Firstly, the dynamic changes of LDCT early lung cancer screening for petroleum workers in North China were analyzed in recent years. Then, the survey data of 3121 petroleum workers was compared with that of 1868 non-petroleum workers, which was analyzed. Finally, 91 patients (129 nodular lung cancer) confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed, and the data of which was compared with the clinical features obtained from survey data above. The imaging characteristics and related factors of different subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma were discussed and analyzed. RESULTS: Lung nodules were found in 810 cases (25.95%) out of 3121 petroleum workers; and the surgery was chosen by 42 patients, 38 of whom were confirmed as lung cancer. Compared with the data of screened petroleum workers, there were more older people and more females as well as a higher proportion of people with family malignancy history, and a lower proportion of smoking people in 91 patients with lung cancer. As the pathological grade of tumor nodules increased, the volume and diameter of nodules gradually increased, and the mean density, maximum density and standard deviation of density also increased (p < 0.001). The volume and diameter of nodules were positively correlated with ages (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The occurrence of lung adenocarcinoma is closely related to the family history of malignant tumors, and the constituent ratio of young women without a history of smoking increased significantly. At the same time, the quantitative information obtained by using CT images has important value in predicting its pathological subtypes.

Contribution of Histologic Chorioamnionitis and Fetal Inflammatory Response Syndrome to Increased Risk of Brain Injury in Infants With Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes.

BACKGROUND: To determine the association of histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA) and fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) with brain injuries in infants born to mothers with preterm premature rupture of membranes. METHODS: A total of 103 singleton infants born to mothers with preterm premature rupture of membranes were enrolled. The placental inflammation was confirmed by HCA, and FIRS was defined in fetuses with preterm labor and an elevation of the fetal plasma interleukin-6 concentration. Examination of brain images was conducted to confirm the existence of brain injuries. Based on placental HCA and umbilical cord blood interleukin-6 level, all patients were divided into three groups: HCA(-)FIRS(+), HCA(+)FIRS(-), and HCA(+)FIRS(+). RESULTS: Among all infants with preterm premature rupture of membranes, 53.40% were exposed to HCA, 20.38% experienced FIRS, and the overall incidence of brain injuries was 38.83%. The incidence of brain injury in HCA(-)FIRS(+), HCA(+)FIRS(-), and HCA(+)FIRS(+) groups were 20.83%, 41.18%, and 76.19%, respectively. HCA at the advanced grades and stages was associated with increased risk of brain injury. Umbilical cord blood levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) in premature infants with brain injuries were significantly higher than in those without brain injuries. Infants diagnosed with both HCA and FIRS showed significantly higher levels of IL-8, TNF-α, and G-CSF than those with HCA alone. CONCLUSIONS: Preterm infants exposed to severe chorioamnionitis had an increased risk of brain injury. IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and G-CSF in cord blood were associated with brain injuries in preterm infants and may be used as extradiagnostic criteria.

[Relationship between placental inflammation and fetal inflammatory response syndrome and brain injury in preterm infants].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) and fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) and brain injury in preterm infants. METHODS: One hundred and three singleton infants with premature rupture of membranes (PROM) (gestation ages of less than 34 weeks) were enrolled. All the placentas were submitted for pathological evaluation. Umbilical cord blood interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) levels were measured with liquid chip. All preterm infants accepted brain imaging examinations. Based on the placental pathological examination and umbilical cord blood level of IL-6, the 103 infants were classified into HCA⁻ FIRS⁻, HCA⁺ FIRS⁻, and HCA⁺ FIRS⁺ groups. RESULTS: The incidences of HCA, FIRS, and brain injury were 53.4%, 20.4% and 38.8% respectively. The prevalence of brain injury in HCA⁻ FIRS⁻, HCA⁺ FIRS⁻, and HCA⁺ FIRS⁺ cases was 21%, 41%, and 76% respectively (P<0.01). The grade 2 and grade 3 of placental inflammation and the inflammation at stage 2 and stage 3 increased the risk of brain injury. The cord blood levels of IL-8, TNF-α, and G-CSF in the HCA⁺ FIRS⁺ group were significantly higher than in the other two groups, and the levels of the above parameters in the HCA⁺ FIRS⁻ were higher than in the HCA⁻ FIRS⁻ group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Placental inflammation and FIRS are associated with brain injury in preterm infants. Preterm infants exposed to severe placental inflammation have an increased risk of brain injury. Cord blood IL-8, TNF-α and G-CSF may be involved in the process of brain injury in preterm infants with placental inflammation and FIRS.

Correlation of computed tomography angiography parameters and shock index to assess the transportation risk in aortic dissection patients.

BACKGROUND: Aortic dissection (AD) is a serious, life-threatening disease. It is currently crucial for AD patients to be transferred to a specialised hospital in a safe and timely manner. For this reason, the search for clinical and imaging changes related to transportation risk is becoming increasingly important. PURPOSE: The transportation risks of AD patients were assessed by studying the correlation between computed tomography angiography (CTA) parameters and shock index. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six cases of AD confirmed with 64-slice volumetric CT (VCT) (18 cases of Stanford type A and 18 cases of type B) were divided into a high-risk group (14 cases, six Stanford type A and eight type B) and a low-risk group (22 cases, 12 Stanford type A and 10 type B) according to the modified Early Warning Score. The shock index (ratio of heart rate to systolic blood pressure) and measured CTA parameters were compared between the high-risk group and the low-risk group, and the correlation between the measured CTA parameters and shock index was analysed. RESULTS: The shock index and ratio of false/true lumen were compared between Stanford type A and type B, and no statistically significant differences were found. The shock index and ratio of false/true lumen were compared between the high-risk group and low-risk group, revealing a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). Moreover, a significant linear correlation was found between the ratio of false/true lumen and the shock index (r = 0.691; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The higher the shock index and the ratio of false/true lumen are, the greater the transportation risk for AD patients. The shock index and the ratio of false/true lumen proved to be essential clinical and radiological indices for assessing the transportation risk of AD patients.

The preliminary exploration of 64-slice volume computed tomography in the accurate measurement of pleural effusion.

BACKGROUND: Using computed tomography (CT) to rapidly and accurately quantify pleural effusion volume benefits medical and scientific research. However, the precise volume of pleural effusions still involves many challenges and currently does not have a recognized accurate measuring. PURPOSE: To explore the feasibility of using 64-slice CT volume-rendering technology to accurately measure pleural fluid volume and to then analyze the correlation between the volume of the free pleural effusion and the different diameters of the pleural effusion. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The 64-slice CT volume-rendering technique was used to measure and analyze three parts. First, the fluid volume of a self-made thoracic model was measured and compared with the actual injected volume. Second, the pleural effusion volume was measured before and after pleural fluid drainage in 25 patients, and the volume reduction was compared with the actual volume of the liquid extract. Finally, the free pleural effusion volume was measured in 26 patients to analyze the correlation between it and the diameter of the effusion, which was then used to calculate the regression equation. RESULTS: After using the 64-slice CT volume-rendering technique to measure the fluid volume of the self-made thoracic model, the results were compared with the actual injection volume. No significant differences were found, P = 0.836. For the 25 patients with drained pleural effusions, the comparison of the reduction volume with the actual volume of the liquid extract revealed no significant differences, P = 0.989. The following linear regression equation was used to compare the pleural effusion volume (V) (measured by the CT volume-rendering technique) with the pleural effusion greatest depth (d): V = 158.16 × d - 116.01 (r = 0.91, P = 0.000). The following linear regression was used to compare the volume with the product of the pleural effusion diameters (l × h × d): V = 0.56 × (l × h × d) + 39.44 (r = 0.92, P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: The 64-slice CT volume-rendering technique can accurately measure the volume in pleural effusion patients, and a linear regression equation can be used to estimate the volume of the free pleural effusion.

Construction and evaluation of normalized cDNA libraries enriched with full-length sequences for rapid discovery of new genes from Sisal (Agave sisalana Perr.) different developmental stages.

To provide a resource of sisal-specific expressed sequence data and facilitate this powerful approach in new gene research, the preparation of normalized cDNA libraries enriched with full-length sequences is necessary. Four libraries were produced with RNA pooled from Agave sisalana multiple tissues to increase efficiency of normalization and maximize the number of independent genes by SMART™ method and the duplex-specific nuclease (DSN). This procedure kept the proportion of full-length cDNAs in the subtracted/normalized libraries and dramatically enhanced the discovery of new genes. Sequencing of 3875 cDNA clones of libraries revealed 3320 unigenes with an average insert length about 1.2 kb, indicating that the non-redundancy of libraries was about 85.7%. These unigene functions were predicted by comparing their sequences to functional domain databases and extensively annotated with Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Comparative analysis of sisal unigenes and other plant genomes revealed that four putative MADS-box genes and knotted-like homeobox (knox) gene were obtained from a total of 1162 full-length transcripts. Furthermore, real-time PCR showed that the characteristics of their transcripts mainly depended on the tight expression regulation of a number of genes during the leaf and flower development. Analysis of individual library sequence data indicated that the pooled-tissue approach was highly effective in discovering new genes and preparing libraries for efficient deep sequencing.

[Effect of modified huopo xialing decoction in treating pi-wei dampness-heat syndrome and its impact on the tongue epithelial cell apoptosis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of modified Huopo Xialing Decoction (HXD) in treating patients of Pi-Wei dampness-heat syndrome (PWDHS) and its impact on epithelial cell apoptosis of tongue. METHODS: Fifty patients with PWDHD were randomized depending on their visiting sequence into two groups, the 30 patients in the treatment group treated with HXD and the 20 in the control group treated with Domperidone. The therapeutic course for both groups was 2 weeks. Besides, a normal control group consisting of 30 healthy volunteers was set up. The changes of tongue fur, grade of major syndromes in different groups were observed and scored before and after treatment to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness, and the apoptotic index (AI) was estimated using TUNEL technique. RESULTS: AI in the two patient groups before treatment was obviously lower than that in the normal group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05); after treatment, AI in the treatment group increased significantly (P < 0.01), with no difference from that in the normal group (P > 0.05), while in the control group, it only showed a slight trend of increasing. Similar outcome of tongue fur grades was seen in the two groups, it was improved significantly (P < 0.01) in the treatment group but insignificantly in the control group (P > 0.05). After treatment, syndrome scores were both lower in the two groups (P < 0.01), but the decrement in the treatment group was more significant than that in the control group (P < 0.01). Comparison between groups showed that the total effective rate in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group (90% vs 65%, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: HXD has good clinical efficacy in treating PWDHS, and has good effect in alleviating the greasy yellow tongue fur in patients with PWDHS by accelerating the tongue epithelial cell apoptosis.

CT virtual endoscopy of the ampulla of Vater: preliminary report.

AIM: To explore multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) virtual endoscopy (CTVE) in the detection of Vater's ampulla lesions. METHODS: In addition to 30 healthy volunteers, 18 cases of common bile duct stones, and 7 cases of ampullary carcinoma were scanned with MSCT including virtual endoscopy (VE) reconstruction. Patterns of the duodenal papilla were then observed, and its size was measured. RESULTS: Reconstructed images of CTVE in the volunteers showed that the normal type of the duodenal papilla was nodular in 16 cases, V-shaped in 8 cases, and Y-shaped in 6 cases. Its mean diameter was 0.84 ± 0.17 cm in the healthy volunteers; in patients with common bile duct stones of nodular type, mean diameter was 1.72 ± 0.32 cm. In ampullary cancer patients with an irregular protruded type, its diameter was 2.30 ± 0.85 cm, Overall the mean differences between the groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: CTVE is a convenience, no-wound, and precise clinical examination mode utilizing which the shape of duodenal papilla can be observed, and size of the latter can be measured.