[Clinical application of percutaneous spinal endoscopy debridement and lavage in sacroiliac joint tuberculosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and clinical efficacy of percutaneous spinal endoscopic debridement and lavage for the treatment of sacroiliac joint tuberculosis. METHODS: The clinical data of 7 patients with sacroiliac joint tuberculosis treated with percutaneous spinal endoscopic debridement and lavage from January 2007 to April 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 2 males and 5 females, aged from 29 to 69 years old, 4 cases on the right side of the lesion and 3 cases on the left side. The course ranged from 8 to 144 months. According to Kim classification, 5 cases were type Ⅲ and 2 cases were type Ⅳ. All patients were treated with HRZE quadruple anti tuberculosis drugs for 2 to 6 weeks beforeoperation. VAS, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were compared before and after surgery. RESULTS: All the operations were successful, the intraoperative blood loss was less than 50 ml on average, and no complications such as hematoma and infection were occurred. The follow-up time of 7 cases ranged from 18 to 40 months. Pain relief was obvious, and there was a statistical result in the VAS, ESR, and ODI of the patients at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 months after operation compared with before treatment. At the final follow-up, the patient's clinical, imaging and laboratory examinations showed that the infection had disappeared, and the patient returned to normal life and work. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous spine endoscopic debridement and lavage has less tissue trauma, targeted operation, definite curative effects, and quick postoperative recovery, which has explored new options for minimally invasive treatment of sacroiliac joint tuberculosis.

Comparison of Image Quality, Diagnostic Accuracy and Radiation Dose Between Flash Model and Retrospective ECG-Triggered Protocols in Dual Source Computed Tomography (DSCT) in Congenital Heart Diseases.

BACKGROUND: Dual source computed tomography (DSCT) plays an important role in the diagnosis of congenital heart diseases (CHD). However, the issue of radiation-related side effects constitutes a wide public concern. The aim of the study was to explore the differences in diagnostic accuracy, radiation dose and image quality between a prospectively ECG - triggered high - pitch spiral acquisition (flash model) and a retrospective ECG-gated protocol of DSCT used for the detection of CHD. MATERIAL/METHODS: The study included 58 patients with CHD who underwent a DSCT examination, including two groups of 29 patients in each protocol. Then, both subjective and objective image quality, diagnostic accuracy and radiation dose were compared between the two protocols. RESULTS: The image quality and the total as well as partial diagnostic accuracy did not differ significantly between the protocols. The radiation dose in the flash model was obviously lower than that in the retrospective model (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the retrospective protocol, the flash model can significantly reduce the dose of radiation, while maintaining both diagnostic accuracy and image quality.

Therapeutic effects of C-28 methyl ester of 2-cyano-3,12-dioxoolean-1,9-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO-Me; bardoxolone methyl) on radiation-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis in mice.

The C-28 methyl ester of 2-cyano-3,12-dioxoolean-1,9-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO-Me), one of the synthetic triterpenoids, has been found to have potent anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties in vitro and in vivo. However, its usefulness in mitigating radiation-induced lung injury (RILI), including radiation-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis, has not been tested. The aim of this study was to explore the therapeutic effect of CDDO-Me on RILI in mice and the underlying mechanisms. Herein, we found that administration of CDDO-Me improved the histopathological score, reduced the number of inflammatory cells and concentrations of total protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, suppressed secretion and expression of proinflammatory cytokines, including transforming growth factor-ß and interleukin-6, elevated expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10, and downregulated the mRNA level of profibrotic genes, including for fibronectin, α-smooth muscle actin, and collagen I. CDDO-Me attenuated radiation-induced lung inflammation. CDDO-Me also decreased the Masson's trichrome stain score, hydroxyproline content, and mRNA level of profibrotic genes, and blocked radiation-induced collagen accumulation and fibrosis. Collectively, these findings suggest that CDDO-Me ameliorates radiation-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis, and this synthetic triterpenoid is a promising novel therapeutic agent for RILI. Further mechanistic, efficacy, and safety studies are warranted to elucidate the role of CDDO-Me in the management of RILI.

Proteomic analysis of the effect of triterpenes from Patrinia heterophylla on leukemia K562 cells.

For centuries, Patrinia heterophylla had been used in China to treat many diseases including tumor. Triterpenes has been identified as the major active constituents in Patrinia heterophylla. To elucidate the antitumor mechanism of triterpenes from Patrinia heterophylla1 (TPH), a proteomic analysis is carried out with TPH treatment in K562 cells. The total proteins extracted from TPH treated K562 cells are analyzed by two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and compared with those untreated K562 cells. Mass spectrometry is applied to identify the differentially expressed proteins. Twenty-three differentially expressed significant proteins are discovered. Eight proteins are later identified by mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and Mascot software. Among them, four proteins are up-regulated (Aldolase A, Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, Flavin reductase and Hemoglobin subunit) and four proteins were down-regulated (Heat-shock protein 90 〈Alpha〉 (HSP90-〈Alpha〉), Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A, Moesin, tublin) by TPH treatment in K562 cells. The identified proteins are associated with energy metabolism, oxidative stress, apoptosis, signal transduction, differential induction, and protein biosynthesis. These findings might provide valuable insights into the antitumor mechanism of TPH in K562 cells.