[Clinical analysis of 6 cases with cerebral sparganosis mansoni].

A retrospective study was carried out to analyze 6 cases of cerebral sparganosis mansoni in Huashan Hospital from August 2005 to August 2009. The epidemiological features, clinical characteristics, therapeutic approaches and outcome of this disease were investigated. Among the patients, 4 cases had a history of eating raw frogs or snakes.

[The serum levels of cytokines in patients with rheumatoid arthritis associated interstitial lung disease and their clinical significance].

Objective: To study the clinical significance of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta1) in the serum of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associated interstitial lung disease (ILD).

Methods: Twenty-nine patients with RA only (the RA group) and 28 patients with RA associated ILD (the RA-ILD group) were included in the study. Patients in the RA-ILD group were divided into 2 subgroups, 16 in the early RA-ILD group and 12 in the late RA-ILD group.