[The clinicopathological analysis of 88 patients with abnormal liver function test of unknown etiology].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and histological features of patients with abnormal liver tests of unknown etiology, and then to investigate the diagnosis and differential diagnosis. METHODS: Patients with abnormal liver function test hospitalized and had liver biopsies during 2008 - 2009 constituted this retrospective study cohort. After excluding those patients diagnosed with hepatotropic viral hepatitis, space occupying lesions of the liver, alcoholic liver disease and obstruction of bile duct caused by stone or malignancy and AMA/AMA-M(2) positive of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), the clinical and histological characteristics were evaluated. RESULTS: Out of the 180 patients who underwent liver biopsy, 88 patients were included in the present analysis. The final diagnosis involved 15 categories of diseases, with drug-induced liver injury (DILI) [34.09% (30/88)], autoimmune liver diseases [22.73% (20/88)], and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) [12.50% (11/88)] being the most common causes, following by genetic and other rare diseases. CONCLUSION: DILI, autoimmune liver disease and NAFLD were the most common causes of abnormal liver tests in these non-viral liver diseases. Some rare diseases such as hereditary metabolic liver disease also represent a considerable proportion in patients with abnormal liver function test.

[Comparison of two methods of isolation and culture of osteoclasts and the dynamic observation of bone resorption].

OBJECTIVE: To study the origin, morphological structure, and functional regulation of osteoclast (OC) for further investigation on the mechanism and regulation of bone resorption. METHODS: The OCs were isolated by two kinds of traditional method. Osteoclasts were isoclated from neonatal rat long bones. The cytochemistry was observed. The osteoclast-like cells (OLC) were derived from the mouse bone marrow cells in the presence of 1,25(OH)2VitD3 in vitro. RESULTS: Both morphological and functional studies showed that the isolated cells shared some of the typical characteristics of osteoclasts, that is A. multinuclearity; B. developing spreading and pseudopodial activity when cultured on glass; C. high tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP); D. resorption lacunae could be found when the cells were cocultured with devitalized bone slices and the number was increased as the time followed. OLC had the same histological and structural traits as the OCs by the former method. The concentration of Ca(2+) and acid phosphatase (ACP) increased gradually. CONCLUSION: Different kinds of method fit different experiments. The OC obtained by the first method has more activity of bone resorption. The OLC by the second method has more in quantity and can be used in the study of cell differentiation.

[Effect of genistein on the proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of the osteoblasts].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of genistein on the proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of the osteoblasts in vitro. METHODS: The primary osteoblasts (OBs) were obtained from the rat calvaria and the cell line of osteosarcoma-UMR-106 served as control. The cells in the experiment group were grown in 10% (volume fraction) fetal calf serum (FCS) + alphaMEM + various concentrations of genistein. The control groups were grown in 10% FCS + alphaMEM. The growth of OBs was assessed by flow cytometry and MTT method. The differentiation of OBs was examined by the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. RESULTS: Flow cytometry analysis and MTT showed that genistein could prompt primary OB from stage G(0) (G(1)) to stage S, G(2) or M. By contrast, genistein had no effect on the cell cycle of UMR-106, but could induce its apoptosis. Additionally, the results of ALP activity showed that genistein stimulated the differentiation of primary OB. CONCLUSIONS: Genistein can stimulate the proliferation and differentiation of the primary osteoblasts in some degree, and induce the apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells.

[Central giant cell lesions of the jaws: a clinicopathological study of 31 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinicopathologic features of central giant cell granuloma (CGCG) of the jaws and the relationship between the pathologic features and its clinical behavior. METHODS: Histologic, radiographic and follow-up information for 31 cases of central giant cell granuloma were reviewed. The histopathologic patterns were analyzed between nonrecurrent and recurrent cases for which the following-up information was available. RESULTS: The majority of the giant cell granuloma of the jaws occurred in patients under 30 with a predilection of females and mostly were involved in the mandible. The radiographic features of CGCG non-specific. The multinucleated giant cell scattered unevenly, the numbers of the nuclei were few and mostly 10-19. The marked fibrosis, the multiple area of hemorrhage, abundant hemosiderin and newly formed bone were always present in the lesions. No significant difference exited between the recurrence and nonrecurrence groups in the pathologic features. The patients with aggressive behavior showed more consistent with the recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: CGCG was a non-neoplastic lesion of the jaws which was different from the giant cell tumor. It was difficult to distinguish between the CGCG and giant cell tumor (GCT), and to predict its clinical behavior only by the histopathological patterns. It was helpful to combine the clinical presentation of CGCG with its treatment.

[Genistein inhibits the promotive effect of IL-1beta on osteoclastic bone resorption].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of genistein, a soybean-derived isoflavone, on the stimulating effect on bone resorption of IL-1beta. METHODS: The osteoclasts (OCs) were isolated with the methods of Yu Shifeng. The rat calvaria were cultured as an organ. The cells in the experiment were grown in four respectively: Control (without genistein or IL-1beta), 10(-6) mol/L genistein,10 microg/L IL-1beta and 10(-6)mol/L genisteine + 10 microg/L IL-1beta. The area of bone resorption, the concentration of Ca(2+) in the supernatant liquid of OCs cultures and mice calvaria were tested. The contents of acid phosphatase(ACP) were also examined by biochemistry method. The index of bone resorption was counted as the ratio of the experiment average and control ones, which indicated the increase in bone resorption when it was above 1.0. RESULTS: The area of bone resorption of 10(-6) mol/L genisteine + 10 microg//L IL-1beta increased compared with that of 10(-6) mol/L genistein, while the concentration of Ca(2+) in the supernatant liquid of OCs cultures decreased significantly. The index of bone resorption of 10(-6) mol/L genisteine + 10 microg//L IL-1beta lied between 10(-6) mol/L genistein and 10 mug/L IL-1beta. In the organ culture, there was no difference in the content of ACP among all the groups. The index of bone resorption of 10(-6) mol/L genisteine + 10 microg//L IL-1beta was below that of 10 mug/L IL-1beta, but both were above 1.0. The index of bone resorption was below 1.0 in the group of 10(-6) mol/L genistein. CONCLUSION: Genistein can suppress obviously the bone resorption simulated by single IL-1beta.