Assessment of hepatic fat content in using quantitative ultrasound measurement of hepatic/renal ratio and hepatic echo-intensity attenuation rate.

Aims: This study aims to evaluate and validate a simple quantitative ultrasound (US) method for determining the hepatic fat content (HFC) based on the combination of quantitative US hepatic/renal ratio (US-HRR) and quantitative US hepatic echo-intensity attenuation rate (US-HAR) as compared with [1H]-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS).

Material And Methods: There were a total of 242 subjects recruited in the present study. All subjects were examined for HFC by quantitative US and 1H-MRS methods.

[Association of TNF-α gene polymorphisms with Graves disease susceptibility and early course thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibody level in Chinese Han population in Anhui region].

Objective: To assess the association of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) gene polymorphisms at positions -863C/A, -857C/T, -238G/A and Graves disease (GD) susceptibility in Chinese Han population in Anhui region.

Methods: The polymorphisms of TNF-α gene were determined by polymerase chain reaction with specific primers in 254 patients affected with GD and 212 healthy controls. Allelic and genotypic frequencies in GD group and normal controls as well as in different genders were compared.

Emodin promoted pancreatic claudin-5 and occludin expression in experimental acute pancreatitis rats.

Aim: To investigate the effect of emodin on pancreatic claudin-5 and occludin expression, and pancreatic paracellular permeability in acute pancreatitis (AP).

Methods: Experimental pancreatitis was induced by retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate into the biliopancreatic duct. Emodin was injected via the external jugular vein 0 or 6 h after induction of AP.