Screening and detection of antimicrobials from Dai pharmaceuticals against clinical diseases by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Oroxylum indicum is one of the valuable Dai pharmaceuticals; the dry seeds and bark of O. indicum were used to treat acute cough, sore throat and so on. Of the seven compounds from O. indicum were determined and obtained using the bioassay-guided method. Among them, compound 7 was obtained from the plant for the first time. Eight bacterial strains and one yeast fungi were exposed to the compounds. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) or minimum fungicidal concentrations were determined according to the standard broth microdilution method. Baicalein (2) exhibited relative strong antibacterial activities with MIC of 8 µg ml-1 and MBC of 16 µg ml-1 against three MRSA strains of Staphylococcus aureus of SCCmec III type, whereas flavonoids 3, 5 and 7 showed some degree of activities against methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA, ATCC 25923). The findings may offer new evidence that why O. indicum was used widely in Dai peoples' life.

[Analysis of sonographic characteristics of thyroid nodules diagnosed as false positive or negative results in shear wave elastography].

Objective:In order to improve diagnostic accuracy, we study the characteristics of two dimensional ultrasound and shear wave elastography in the diagnosis of false negative or false positive thyroid nodules by shear wave elastography.Method:One hundred and eighty-nine nodules in 189 consecutive patients who had been determined by surgical operation and pathology. Conventional ultrasound features and SWE elasticity imaging characteristics and properties of the final postoperative pathology were recorded. A comparative study between true and false results of quantitative SWE elasticity imaging, and the corresponding conventional ultrasound nodule characteristics were compared.Result:Postoperative pathology showed 189 nodules, 74(39.2%) were benign and 115(60.8%) were malignant. The sensitivity, specificity of conventional ultrasound in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules were 56.5% and 81.1% respectively, and those of SWE were 60.9% and 85.1%. The false positive rate of shear wave elastography in diagnosing benign nodules and the false negative rate of malignant nodules were 14.9% and 39.1%, respectively. The false negative rate was higher than the false positive rate. A vertical growth (P< 0.01) and smaller diameter of the masses were significantly associated with false SWE findings (P< 0.01).Conclusion:The SWE imaging has important significance for differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules, but false results are inevitable, which requires clinicians conjunction with other test results to prevent errors judgment when reviewing the SWE imaging.

Detection of NOTCH1 c.7541_7542delCT mutation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia using conventional and real-time polymerase chain reaction.

UNLABELLED: To evaluate real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay system for detection of NOTCH1 c.7541_754delCT mutation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 325 CLL patients were included in the study. Screening for NOTCH1 c.7544_7545delCT was performed using conventional PCR-based amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) method. All 33 samples harboring c.7544_7545delCT allele and 5 negative cases as control were submitted to real-time PCR. RESULTS: Specificity and sensitivity of two PCR techniques were comparable. NOTCH1 c.7544_7545delCT mutation was found by ARMS in 10.1% of CLL patients, which is consistent with the data of other studies. However, the results of ARMS PCR in a minority of cases (2.15%) were doubtful and required reinvestigation. Real-time PCR, being less time-consuming, showed advantage in the assessment of the amplification's specificity (using the melting curve analysis). It also allows the quantitative assessment of NOTCH1-mutated clone. CONCLUSION: NOTCH1 c.7544_7545delCT mutation resulting in removal of the C-terminal PEST domain, deregulation of NOTCH1-dependent signaling pathways, has negative influence on prognosis of CLL and efficiency of therapy with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies. Real-time PCR allows the fast and reliable detection of c.7544_7545delCT mutation and can be used for the screening of this molecular lesion in CLL patients.

Ceftriaxone-associated renal toxicity in adults: a case report and recommendations for the management of such cases.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Ceftriaxone is a third-generation cephalosporin with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. Ceftriaxone-associated urolithiasis and post-renal acute renal failure (PARF) in adults is exceedingly rare and perhaps underappreciated. We report one such case to increase appreciation of this risk and provide recommendations for its management based on our experience and a review of other similar cases. CASE SUMMARY: A 25-year-old male suddenly developed colicky abdominal pain, anuria and bilateral renal colic during intravenous ceftriaxone administration. Investigations showed elevated serum creatinine,urinary tract ultrasound revealed bilateral mild hydronephrosis and proximal ureterectasia,abdominal enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed that bilateral ureteropyelectasia and contrast medium failed to fill bilateral pelvises and ureters. This patient failed to respond to pharmacotherapy. Symptoms were resolved and renal function normalized following double J stent insertions by cystoscopy. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Overdose administration of ceftriaxone was related to urolithiasis and PARF in adults. MDCT and MIP were efficient and effective in identifying ceftriaxone-associated urolithiasis.Treatment should be optimized, including prompt J stent insertions by cystoscopy.

TP53 codon 72 single nucleotide polymorphism in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

UNLABELLED: Defects in the tumor suppressor gene TP53 are known to be important in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and TP53 inactivation is associated with a particularly aggressive form of the disease. The single nucleotide polymorphism in the TP53 gene at codon 72 (rs1042522), results in amino acid substitution influencing apoptotic potential of TP53 protein. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of the TP53 codon 72 polymorphism and incidence of TP53 mutations in CLL patients. METHODS: 261 CLL samples were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing for TP53 mutations and single nucleotide polymorphism. RESULTS: The 72Pro/Pro genotype was associated with an increased incidence of TP53 mutations in previously treated patients (OR = 2.503; 95% CI 1.142-5.487; р = 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the TP53 codon 72 polymorphism may be used as a risk factor for incidence of TP53 mutations in CLL.

Surgical management of Parkinson's disease: update and review.

SUMMARY: Although medical therapy is still the mainstay of treatment for Parkinson's disease, the development of surgical precision and decreased morbidity have made stereotatic lesioning and deep brain stimulation more popular. Neurosurgical ablations include pallidotomy, thalamotomy, and, more recently, subthalamotomy. Because of concern over the high risk of side-effects resulting from bilateral ablative procedure, alternative approaches have been explored.With improved deep brain stimulation (DBS) technology, DBS has been successfully applied in the internal globus pallidus, ventral intermediate nucleus and subthalamic nucleus for Parkinson's disease. In addition, recent surgical approaches including biological neurorestorative technologies - surgical therapies with transplantation, gene therapy, and growth factor are all being discussed in this review. Although a great deal of work remains to be done for researchers, advances in surgical therapies for the treatment of Parkinson's disease are moving forward at an unprecedented pace, and, not surprisingly, would give PD patients more choices and hope.

Chemical constituents from Schisandra plena.

The chemical constituents of the leaves and stems of Schisandra plena are described for the first time. This investigation has resulted in the isolation of a new sesquiterpenoid, plenoxide (1). In addition, eleven known compounds, including sesquiterpenoids, coumarins, flavanones, triterpenoids and steroids have also been isolated. The structure and stereochemistry of 1 has been determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. Detailed analysis of 2D NMR data led to the conclusion that the chemical shifts of earlier compounds similar to bullatantriol need revision.

[Chronic process with Non-A and Non-B hepatitis disseminated from the intestine (appended 500 cases followed up for two years)].

At present Non-A and Non-B hepatitis disseminated from the intestine in the world is believed to have a better prognosis and has no chronicity. From 1980-1986, this hepatitis has occurred in the south of Xinjiang. It was sporadic (1980-1985) and there was an outbreak (1986). Our study indicated that the results from 500 cases followed up for two years were different from the literature reported. 1. Patients with hepatomegaly were 11.2% at 7th months, 12.8% at 19th months and 45.3% at 28th months. At the same time there were 3 cases of splenomegaly and spider in each of the 19th month and 28th month. 2. Liver function test showed that gamma-GTP, BSP and gamma-globulins rose in different degrees among the 3-7 month cases. Reexamined at 19th months, 3.6% cases of both ZTT and SGPT were high. General proteins of 8% patients dropped. In 42% of the patients the globulins rose and the album in dropped. 3. Biopsy of the liver after 28th months demonstrated that it was in agreement with the pathologic changes found in chronic lobule hepatitis of CPH under the light microscope and electron microscope.