Severe lumbar spinal stenosis combined with Guillain-Barré syndrome: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder that typically presents with ascending weakness, pain, paraesthesias, and numbness, which mimic the findings in lumbar spinal stenosis. Here, we report a case of severe lumbar spinal stenosis combined with GBS. CASE SUMMARY: A 70-year-old man with a history of lumbar spinal stenosis presented to our emergency department with severe lower back pain and lower extremity numbness. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis of severe lumbar spinal stenosis. However, his symptoms did not improve postoperatively and he developed dysphagia and upper extremity numbness. An electromyogram was performed. Based on his symptoms, physical examination, and electromyogram, he was diagnosed with GBS. After 5 d of intravenous immunoglobulin (0.4 g/kg/d for 5 d) therapy, he gained 4/5 of strength in his upper and lower extremities and denied paraesthesias. He had regained 5/5 of strength in his extremities when he was discharged and had no symptoms during follow-up. CONCLUSION: GBS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of spinal disorder, even though magnetic resonance imaging shows severe lumbar spinal stenosis. This case highlights the importance of a careful diagnosis when a patient has a history of a disease and comes to the hospital with the same or similar symptoms.

Two-Way Shape Memory Effect Induced by Tensile Deformation in Columnar-Grained Cu71.7Al18.1Mn10.2 Alloy.

Columnar-grained Cu71.7Al18.1Mn10.2 shape memory alloy (SMA) was prepared by a directional solidification method and exhibited a high superelasticity of 8.18% and excellent ductility at room temperature, which provided the possibility of obtaining high shape memory. However, proper pre-deformation is an essential part of repeatedly obtaining large and stable shape change. In this paper, one-time uniaxial tensile pre-deformation was carried out at the temperature range -70⁻-80 °C. Then, the two-way shape memory effect (TWSME) of the alloy was evaluated by the martensitic transformation strain (εM) which was measured by a thermal expansion test to investigate the relationship between the pre-deformation strain (εT) and the TWSME. The results showed that εM of the columnar-grained Cu71.7Al18.1Mn10.2 alloy increased at first and then decreased with the increase of εT. The maximum value 2.91% of the εM could be reached when εT was 6%. The effects of the εT on transformation temperatures were also measured by differential scanning calorimetry. Based on the variations of transformation temperatures, the relationship between the internal stress induced by the pre-deformation process and the εM, and the influence mechanism of the pre-deformation strain on the TWSME in columnar-grained Cu71.7Al18.1Mn10.2 alloy, were discussed. The results obtained from this work may provide reference for potential applications of Cu-based SMAs, such as self-control components, fasteners, etc.

[Identification of Planting Area and Varieties of Rapeseeds by Infrared Spectroscopy Combing with Stepwise Discriminatory Analysis].

The planting area and varieties of rapeseeds were studied based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) combining with stepwise discriminatory analysis. The FTIR of 188 rapeseed skin samples of 17 varieties from 5 planting areas was obtained and processed by OMINC 8.0 software. In order to distinguish their planting area and variety, 5 spectra in the range of 1 800～950 cm-1 for each variety from each producing area were selected as training samples arbitrarily with Fisher linear discriminatory criterion which was used to build model by means of stepwise discriminatory analysis by SPSS20.0 software. All the five discriminatory models based on Wilks'Lambda, Unexplained variance, Mahalanobis distance, Smallest F value and Rao's v can distinguish variety and planting area well, and the best one for identifying variety was on the base of Wilks'Lambda, which yielded correct rate of 97.9%, and the best one for distinguishing planting area was on the base of Unexplained variance with a correct rate of 98.4%. The results showed that discriminatory analysis based on the infrared spectrum of rapeseed skin is an efficient method for identification of rapeseed variety and planting area.

[Anterior slip phenomenon of the vertebrae after corpectomy surgery and its clinical significance].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anterior slip phenomenon of the vertebrae after corpectomy surgery and its clinical significance. METHODS: The clinical data of 164 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy treated from January 2010 to April 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 88 males and 76 females, aged from 38 to 74 years old with the mean of 56.2 years. Among them, 31 cases for C4 corpectomy, 87 cases for C5 corpectomy, 46 cases for C6 corpectomy. Preoperative and postoperative distance of posterior wall of vertebral canal to the line of adjacent upper vertebral bodies anterosuperior border and lower vertebral bodies anteroinferior border was measured by CT in cervical sagittal middle layer scanning as the center, anterior slip degree of the vertebrae after operation was evaluated. The fast clustering method was used, the vertebral shift distance as variable, according to the size of the forward distance, 90 cases classified as group 1(forward greatly group), and the 74 cases classified as group 2(forwad short group). The relationships on the anterior slip of the vertebrae and cervical curvature, surgical segment were analyzed. Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores and its improvement rate were observed before and after operation, and the relationships on the anterior slip of the vertebrae and sagittal plane diagonal diameter of spinal canal, clinical effect were analyzed. RESULTS: All the patients were followed up from 12 to 48 months with an average of 29.5 months. All operative vertebrae occurred anterior slip with different degree after corpectomy surgery, the maximum was 3.52 mm and minimum was 1.12 mm, with an average of (2.14±1.02) mm. According to the clustering method, the anterior slip distance with (3.07±0.21) mm classified as forward greatly group(90 cases, 54.9%) and the anterior slip distance with (1.55±0.32) mm classified as forwad short group(74 cases, 45.1%). There was no significant difference between anterior slip distance and operation segments(χ²=0.01, P=0.996). Cervical curvature index and anterior slip distance of operated vertebra had a positive correlation (r=0.724). The incidence of reduction of the diagonal diameter of cervical spinal canal in forward greatly group was higher than that of forwad short group(χ²=4.45, P=0.035). The patients with unsatisfactory efficacy appeared obvious anterior slip of the vertebrae after corpectomy than the patients with satisfactory efficacy(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Corpectomy of the cervical spine can result in vertebral forward displacement trend, and obvious displacement may cause the secondary compression of the spinal cord.

[Correlation between type 2 diabetes and DNA methylation and mRNA expression of APN in abdominal adipose tissues in Xinjiang Uygur population].

To investigate the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) onset and development and mRNA expression and promoter methylation of adiponectin (APN) gene in abdominal adipose tissues of Xinjiang Uygur population, abdominal adipose tissues of omentum were collected and divided into control, obesity and T2DM groups. The status of APN promoter methylation was detected by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC), while the mRNA expression level of APN was detected by RT-PCR. Results show that methylation positive rate of APN was at the lowest level in control, middel in obesity and highest in T2DM groups, and the differences are statistically significant. Comparing the APN mRNA relative copy number of adipose tissue in each group, we found that the relative copy number of APN in control group is significantly higher than that of obesity and T2DM groups. There is a negative correlation between the mRNA expression level of APN in abdominal adipose tissue and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and triglyceride (TG) level. There is a negative correlation in DNA promoter methylation and mRNA expression of APN gene. Relative copy number of APN in DNA methylation positive group is significantly lower than that of the negative group. In conclusion, increased APN promoter methylation results in decreased mRNA expression, which induces glucose and lipid metabolic disorder, thus contributing to the initiation and development of T2DM in Xinjiang Uygur population.

Neogenin inhibits HJV secretion and regulates BMP-induced hepcidin expression and iron homeostasis.

Neogenin, a deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) family member, has been identified as a receptor for the neuronal axon guidance cues netrins and repulsive guidance molecules repulsive guidance molecules (RGM). RGMc, also called hemojuvelin (HJV), is essential for iron homeostasis. Here we provide evidence that neogenin plays a critical role in iron homeostasis by regulation of HJV secretion and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. Livers of neogenin mutant mice exhibit iron overload, low levels of hepcidin, and reduced BMP signaling. Mutant hepatocytes in vitro show impaired BMP2 induction of Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation and hepcidin expression. Neogenin is expressed in liver cells in a reciprocal pattern to that of hepcidin, suggesting that neogenin functions in a cell nonautonomous manner. Further studies demonstrate that neogenin may stabilize HJV, a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein that interacts with neogenin and suppresses its secretion. Taken together, our results lead the hypothesis that neogenin regulates iron homeostasis via inhibiting secretion of HJV, an inhibitor of BMP signaling, to enhance BMP signaling and hepcidin expression. These results reveal a novel mechanism underlying neogenin regulation of HJV-BMP signaling.

HMGB1 regulates RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in a manner dependent on RAGE.

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a nonhistone nuclear protein, is released by macrophages into the extracellular milieu consequent to cellular activation. Extracellular HMGB1 has properties of a pro-inflammatory cytokine through its interaction with receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) and/or toll-like receptors (TLR2 and TLR4). Although HMGB1 is highly expressed in macrophages and differentiating osteoclasts, its role in osteoclastogenesis remains largely unknown. In this report, we present evidence for a function of HMGB1 in this event. HMGB1 is released from macrophages in response to RANKL stimulation and is required for RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in vitro and in vivo. In addition, HMGB1, like other osteoclastogenic cytokines (e.g., TNFalpha), enhances RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in vivo and in vitro at subthreshold concentrations of RANKL, which alone would be insufficient. The role of HMGB1 in osteoclastogenesis is mediated, in large part, by its interaction with RAGE, an immunoglobin domain containing family receptor that plays an important role in osteoclast terminal differentiation and activation. HMGB1-RAGE signaling seems to be important in regulating actin cytoskeleton reorganization, thereby participating in RANKL-induced and integrin-dependent osteoclastogenesis. Taken together, these observations show a novel function of HMGB1 in osteoclastogenesis and provide a new link between inflammatory mechanisms and bone resorption.

[Determination of water-soluble antimony (III) and antimony (V) in leigongteng using ultrasound-assisted extraction by HG-ICP-AES].

A method for the determination of water-soluble antimony (III) and antimony (V) in Leigongteng using ultrasound-assisted extraction by hydride generation inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry was developed in the present paper. Affecting parameters of ultrasound extraction, the pH of antimony species, the operation condition of hydride generation and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry were investigated and optimized. The effect of coexisting ions on the determination of antimony was also investigated. The detection limits are 0.3 and 2.4 ng x mL(-1) for antimony (and antimony (V), respectively, and with RSD 3.9% for antimony (III) and 4.5% for antimony (V). The recovery is in the range of 93% to 105%.

[A case-control study on risk factor of Kaposi's sarcoma in Xinjiang].

OBJECTIVE: To analyse related risk factors of classic Kaposi' s sarcoma in Xinjiang. METHODS: A 1:4 case-control study was used and the conditional logistic regression model was performed in this study. Cases were followed up in Xinjiang while controls were selected by the same sex, nation and age within 5 years with cases. RESULTS: Interleukin-6,vascular endothelial growth factor, beta-MG, neopterin, human herpevirus 8, were found to be associated with Kaposi's sarcoma risk in one-way variance model while beta2 -MG and human herpevirus 8 entered the multiple conditional logistic regression model, and their ORs were 1.002(95%CI: 1.000-1.003), 81.041 (95%CI: 1.790-3669.620). CONCLUSION: There was a correlate relationship between beta2 -MG and classic Kaposi's sarcoma being found that human herpevirus 8 exposure related factors seemed to have played important roles on classic Kaposi's sarcoma in Xinjiang.