[Application Value of CT Metal Artifact Correction Technology (MAC TM) in CT Review after Total Hip Replacement].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the application value of CT metal artifact correction technology (MAC TM) in CT review after total hip replacement. METHODS: A total of 72 patients who underwent CT re-examination after total hip replacement from December 2018 to March 2020 were enrolled, and the original data were reconstructed by filter backup projection （FBP） and MAC. Select three identical levels in the two sets of reconstructed images and place the same ROI. The selected levels were the initial level, central level, and lower edge of acetabulum. Measure the CT and noise (SD) of metal high and low density artifacts of the three levels area, as well as metal hip joint space, metal para-bone tissue, muscle, bladder and subcutaneous fat, and calculate the average value. Subcutaneous fat value was used as a reference to calculate the SNR and CNR of metal implant para-bone tissue, muscle and bladder. Two radiologists scored the two groups of reconstructed images using blinded method, Kappa's test was used to compare the homogeneity. RESULTS: There were differences between the two groups of reconstructed images in high- and low-density artifact areas, joint gap CT values, and image noise. Compared with the FBP group, the CT value of the high-density area and the joint space of the MAC group decreased, the CT value of the low-density area increased, and the noise value of each area decreased. The SNR and CNR of metal adjacent bone tissue, muscle and bladder were higher in the MAC group than those in the FBP group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The difference in subjective scores between the two groups was statistically significant ( Z=-6.564, P<0.05). 2 radiologists had moderate consistency with Kappa value of 0.72 on FBP group, and good consistency with Kappa value of 0.85 on MAC group. CONCLUSION: MAC TM in CT review after total hip replacement can reduce metal artifacts, make the joint space more clear, and improve the quality of CT images.

[Etiological Study of Late Onset Hemorrhagic Cystitis after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Children].

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively study the correlation BKV with the occurrence and development of late onset hemorrhagic cystitis (LOHC) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT). METHODS: The clinical data of a total of 276 patients with allo-HSCT in our department between January 1998 and March 2016 were analyzed ratrospectvely. Quantitative Real-time PCR assay was used to prospectively monitor the BKV DNA load of the urine and plasma for 23 patients accepting allo-HSCT from August 2015 to March 2016. RESULTS: LOHC(24.28%) occurred in 67 of 276 cases with allo-HSCT. Univariate analysis showed that age older than 6 years, different diseases, unrelated donor, pretreatment with BU, Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD significantly correlated with LOHC. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age older than 6 years (P<0.01), pretreatment with BU(P<0.05), and aGVHD of grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ （P= 0.011） were the independent risk factors for LOHC. Among 23 patients after allo-HSTC, 10 of which were positive of urine BKV, and LOHC occurred in 6 cases. The positive rate of urine BKV (85.7%)in group LOHC+ was significantly higher than that in the group LOHC-(25.0%）(χ2=5.043, P<0.01). The incidence of LOHC positively correlated with the positive rate of BKV (r=0.564, P<0.01), and the severity of LOHC positively correlated with urinary BKV load (r = 0.502, P<0.01). And 5 of 6 petriatic patients with LOHC had aGVHD. All of them were subject to the strengthened antiviral treatment, and 4 of them accepted intensive immunosuppression therapy. CONCLUSION: Age ≥6 years old, precenditioning regieme with BU and aGVHD of grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ are independent risk factors for LOHC after allo-HSCT, the positive rate of urine BKV load positively correlates with the severity of LOHC after allo-HSCT.

Activation of JNKs is essential for BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.

Although BMP9 is highly capable of promoting osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs), the molecular mechanism involved remains to be fully elucidated. Here, we explore the possible involvement and detail role of JNKs (c-Jun N-terminal kinases) in BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. It was found that BMP9 stimulated the activation of JNKs in MSCs. BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs was dramatically inhibited by JNKs inhibitor SP600125. Moreover, BMP9-activated Smads signaling was decreased by SP600125 treatment in MSCs. The effects of inhibitor are reproduced with adenoviruses expressing siRNA targeted JNKs. Taken together, our results revealed that JNKs was activated in BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. What is most noteworthy, however, is that inhibition of JNKs activity resulted in reduction of BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs, implying that activation of JNKs is essential for BMP9 osteoinductive activity.

[LUTS in BPH patients with histological prostatitis before and after transurethral resection of the prostate].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) complicated by histological prostatitis. METHODS: This study included 432 cases of BPH pathologically confirmed after TURP. Excluding those with LUTS-related factors before and after surgery and based on the international prostatitis histological classification of diagnostic criteria, the remaining 144 cases were divided into groups A (pure BPH, n = 30), B (mild inflammation, n = 55), C (moderate inflammation, n = 31), and D (severe inflammation, n = 28). Each group was evaluated for LUTS by IPSS before and a month after surgery. RESULTS: A total of 399 cases (92.4%) were diagnosed as BPH with histological prostatitis, 269 (67.4%) mild, 86 (21.6%) moderate and 44 (11.0%) severe. The preoperative IPSS was 21.43 +/- 6.09 in group A, 21.75 +/- 5.97 in B, 27.84 +/- 4.18 in C and 31.00 +/- 2.92 in D, with statistically significant differences among different groups (P < 0.001) except between A and B (P = 1.000); the postoperative IPSS was 5.60 +/- 2.16 in A, 7.36 +/- 2.77 in B, 11.55 +/- 3.39 in C and 16.89 +/- 3.37 in D, with statistically significant differences among different groups (P < 0.01), and remarkably lower than the preoperative one (P < 0.001). Almost all the infiltrating inflammatory cells in BPH with histological prostatitis were lymphocytes. CONCLUSION: BPH is mostly complicated with histological chronic prostatitis. The severity of LUTS is higher in BPH patients with histological prostatitis than in those without before and after TURP, and positively correlated with the grade of inflammation. Those complicated with moderate or severe histological prostatitis should take medication for the management of LUTS.

[Toxicity of cationic liposome Lipofectamine 2000 in human pancreatic cancer Capan-2 cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the toxicity of cationic liposome Lipofectamine 2000 (Lipo) in human pancreatic cancer Capan-2 cells. METHODS: Capan-2 cells were cultured in the presence of Lipo at toxic concentrations, and the cell growth, apoptosis and cell cycle changes were evaluated by cell counting and flow cytometry. RESULTS: The concentrations of both Lipo and siRNA affected the transfection efficiency. In a transfection volume of 2 ml, the presence of 5 microl Lipo resulted in slowed growth of Capan-2 cells, which was especially obvious after 3 days (P<0.001). Prolonged culture of the transfected cells caused significant increases in early apoptotic cells (P<0.05) and in the damaged or necrotic cells (P<0.001), and resulted in reduced viable cells (P<0.01); these changes became obvious after a 48-hour culture, which also increased the ratio of G(0)/G(1) phase cells (P<0.05) and decreased those of G(2)/M phase cells (P<0.01), S phase cells (P<0.01), and the late apoptotic cells (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Toxic concentrations of Lipo can affect the growth, apoptosis and cell cycles of Capan-2 cells in vitro, and this urges careful concentration selection when using Lipo for gene transfer into different cells.