Clinical diagnosis and treatment of alpha-fetoprotein-negative small hepatic lesions.

Objective: We examined 103 cases over the last five years and discussed diagnosis and treatment of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-negative small hepatic lesions.

Background: Small hepatic lesions (less than 2 cm in diameter) usually have no typical imaging characteristics and therefore are difficult to diagnose, especially when AFP tests provide a negative result.

Methods: A total of 103 patients with AFP-negative small hepatic lesions from January 2003 to December 2008 were retrospectively reviewed.

Individualized managing strategies of aggressive angiomyxoma of female genital tract and pelvis.

Aims: To investigate and evaluate the clinical management strategies of aggressive angiomyxoma (AA) in female genital tract and pelvis.

Methods: A cohort of 13 patients with AA diagnosed and treated in Peking Union Medical College Hospital in the last 12 years was reported focusing on the results of the managements and prognosis.

Results: The mean age at initial presentation was 36.

A novel liver function evaluation system using radiopharmacokinetic modeling of technetium-99m-DTPA-galactosyl human serum albumin.

Background: A new kinetic model of technetium-99m-labeled diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-galactosyl human serum albumin (Tc-GSA) was developed to show the speed of asialoglycoprotein receptor-mediated endocytosis.

Materials And Methods: Ten healthy volunteers and 17 patients with liver cirrhosis were intravenously injected with 185 MBq of Tc-GSA, and dynamic planar images were acquired. The absolute amounts of Tc-GSA in the liver and extrahepatic blood were estimated from the time-activity curves for the liver, heart, and lungs.

Vault prolapse of sigmoid neovagina 26 years after vaginoplasty in Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome: a case report.

Various operative methods have been devised to create a neovagina for patients with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome. Sigmoid vaginoplasty, a common modality for vaginal reconstruction, is believed to have satisfactory long-term anatomical and functional results. We herein report a patient with MRKH syndrome and vault prolapse of a sigmoid neovagina 26 years after vaginoplasty.

Valsartan and telmisartan abrogate angiotensin II-induced downregulation of ABCA1 expression via AT1 receptor, rather than AT2 receptor or PPARγ activation.

The possible pharmacological mechanism by which partial PPARγ-activating angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 receptor blocker (ARB) telmisartan and non-PPARγ-activating ARB valsartan reverse Ang II-suppressed ABCA1 expression is still unclear. In this study, human monocyte-derived THP-1 cells were differentiated into macrophages. Cells were treated with various concentrations of Ang II alone or with Ang II and various drugs including highly selective ARB valsartan, partial PPARγ-activating ARB telmisartan, angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptor blocker PD123319, full PPARγ agonist pioglitazone, and PPARγ antagonist GW9662, respectively.

Increased Golgi protein 73 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma tissue correlates with tumor aggression but not survival.

Background And Aim: Serum Golgi protein 73 (sGP73) is a novel and promising biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, there are few reports on the pattern of GP73 expression in HCC and the relationship of this expression to clinicopathologic features of patients. This study aimed to investigate the expression of GP73 and it correlation with clinical parameters.

Spontaneous rupture of a giant hepatobiliary serous cystadenoma: report of a case and literature review.

Hepatobiliary cystadenomas are rare cystic neoplasms that often occur in middle age women, and spontaneous rupture is extremely rare. The exact etiology of these tumors is unknown. Diagnosis is often delayed, while misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment may result in unfavorable outcome.

Sjogren's syndrome-onset lupus patients have distinctive clinical manifestations and benign prognosis: a case-control study.

The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of Sjögren's syndrome-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SS/SLE) patients. Medical charts of 41 consecutive SS/SLE inpatients admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) from February 1998 to February 2008 were systematically reviewed, including demographic data, clinical features, laboratory findings, treatment as well as outcomes. Two hundred and fourteen cases were randomly selected as controls from 2331 SLE-only inpatients treated in PUMCH at the same time period.

[Clinical analysis of nosocomial infection in neonatal intensive care units].

Objective: Nosocomial infections (NIs) have become a matter of major concern in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). The objectives of this study were to investigate the incidence of nosocomial infections of newborn infants in NICU and to explore the risk factors and strategies of infection control.

Methods: The study enrolled 638 hospitalized newborn infants from Apr 2003 to Dec 2004.

Study of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1)-mediated cellular cholesterol efflux in diabetic golden hamsters.

The effects of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and atorvastatin on macrophage adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1)-mediated cholesterol efflux were investigated in a diabetic animal model. Golden hamsters were fed a high-fat diet which resulted in insulin resistance. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (30 mg/kg).

Glomerulosclerosis in adriamycin-induced nephrosis is accelerated by a lipid-rich diet.

The present study was performed to determine quantitatively the effect of hypercholesterolemia induced by a lipid-rich diet on glomerulosclerosis in an animal model of nephrotic syndrome (NS) induced by Adriamycin (ADR). Twenty NS Wistar rats administered ADR with a single intravenous dose of 5 mg/kg body weight were divided into standard and lipid-rich chow groups. Another 20 weight-matched non-NS rats that received a vehicle alone were grouped as controls.

Penetration kinetics of 5-fluorouracil into pancreatic fluid in post-pancreatoduodenectomy patients.

Our aim was to investigate the pharmacokinetic behavior of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in pancreatic fluid and to evaluate its penetration characteristics in post-pancreatoduodenectomy patients. After completing the external drainage of the pancreatic duct during pancreatoduodenectomy surgery, eight patients were administered 1.0 g 5-FU i.

Polymorphisms of vitamin D receptor gene and its association with bone mineral density and osteocalcin in Chinese.

Objective: To explore the distribution frequencies of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms in Chinese and the relationship between VDR genotypes and bone mineral density (BMD) or serum osteocalcin level in Chinese women.

Methods: Polymorphisms of VDR gene were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the DNA sequence and three restriction enzymes (namely BsmI, ApaI and TaqI) to digest the PCR products in 223 subjects. Some of the VDR genotypes were also confirmed by Southern hybridization analysis.

Immunoreactive growth hormone in human peripheral T lymphocytes: encoding sequence of cDNA identical to that of the pituitary human growth hormone.

Objective: To detect the cDNA sequence of immunoreactive growth hormone (irGH) in human lymphocytes and to compare it with that of human growth hormone (hGH) in the pituitary.

Methods: The mRNA of irGH in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was detected by Northern blot analysis. The cDNA of irGH was obtained by reverse-transcriptase and polymerase chain reaction amplification and obtained by screening from a cDNA library of human T lymphocytes.

The role of human leukocyte antigen in susceptibility and clinical manifestations of sarcoidosis.

Objective: To investigate the correlation of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) with susceptibility and clinical manifestations of sarcoidosis.

Material And Methods: Fifty-five patients with sarcoidosis and one hundred and six normal subjects were investigated. Genomic DNAs were purified using the proteinase K-phenol extraction method.

Management of ovarian endodermal sinus tumor.

Objective: To evaluate the role of combination chemotherapy and the optimal cycles of treatment in improving the prognosis of ovarian endodermal sinus tumor, and to study the relationship between the type of surgical management and the outcome of the disease.

Patients And Method: Sixty-three patients with ovarian endodermal sinus tumor were divided into 3 groups according to the postoperative chemotherapy they had received. Group 1 (37 patients) patients were treated with at least 6 cycles of VAC (vincristine, actinomycin-D and cytoxan) or 4 cycles of PVB (cysplatin, vincristine and bleomycin).

Histopathological and ultrastructural changes of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus on the vulva.

Studies of 82 skin specimens from 81 cases of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA) are reported. Typical LSA pathological changes showed atrophy of the epidermis, hydropic degeneration at the basal layer, and homogenization of the collagen fibers in the superficial dermis with inflammatory cell infiltration underneath. Ultrastructural changes showed intercellular spaces enlarged, particularly near basal cells.