Value of serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase combined with direct bilirubin in the diagnosis of biliary atresia in infants / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the value of serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) combined with direct bilirubin (DB) in the diagnosis of biliary atresia.@*METHODS@#A total of 667 infants with cholestasis who were hospitalized and treated from July 2010 to December 2018 were enrolled as subjects. According to the results of intraoperative cholangiography and follow-up, they were divided into biliary atresia group with 234 infants and cholestasis group with 433 infants. The two groups were compared in terms of age of onset, sex, and serum levels of total bilirubin (TB), DB, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bile acid (TBA), and GGT. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed for indices with statistical significance, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) and the optimal cut-off value for diagnosis were calculated.@*RESULTS@#The biliary atresia group had a significantly younger age of onset than the cholestasis group (P0.05), while the biliary atresia group had significantly higher serum levels of TB, DB, TBA, and GGT than the cholestasis group (P<0.05). GGT combined with DB had the highest AUC of 0.892 (95% confidence interval: 0.868-0.916) in the diagnosis of biliary atresia. At the optimal cut-off values of 324.0 U/L for GGT and 115.1 μmmol/L for DB, GGT combined with DB had a sensitivity of 79.8% and a specificity of 83.2% in the diagnosis of biliary atresia.@*CONCLUSIONS@#GGT combined with DB has high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of biliary atresia and can be used as an effective indicator for diagnosis of biliary atresia in infants.

Epidemiological analysis for Quzhou pesticide poisoning of year 2008 to 2010 / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To provide scientific evidence of making measures for prevention of pesticide poisoning, the investigation on the condition of pesticide poisoning was carried out in Quzhou.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Registration data of pesticide poisoning from 2008 to 2010 in Quzhou were collected and statistically analyzed by SPSS 12.0.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>During the three years, there were 1222 cases reported for pesticide poisoning. Among them, the number of occupational poisoning was 225 (1 case died), with fatality rate of 0.44%. The number of non-occupational poisoning was 997 (77 cases died), and its fatality rate was 7.72% . The incidence of occupational poisoning and non-occupational poisoning accounted for 18.4% and 81.6% respectively. Male patients were in the majority in occupational pesticides poisoning (accounting for 76.4%), female patients in non-occupational poisoning (accounting for 52.1%). The pesticide poisoning mainly occurred from July to September. Occupational poisoning and non-occupational poisoning cases mainly concentrated in over 65 age group, accounting for 36.0% (81 cases) and 26.3% (262 cases) respectively. Insecticide ranks the first in the terms of total poisoning cases caused by pesticide, and organophosphate poisoning ranks the first in all insecticides.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Pesticides poisoning has badly threatened the public health in Quzhou, attention should be paid to non-occupational poisoning. The pesticides poisoning was mainly caused by organophosphate insecticides.</p>

Atorvastatin ameliorates cerebral vasospasm and early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage and inhibits caspase-dependent apoptosis pathway.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral vasospasm (CVS) and early brain injury remain major causes of morbidity and mortality after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, also known as statins, has the neuroprotective effects and ameliorating CVS after SAH. This study was designed to explore apoptosis inhibiting effects of atorvastatin and its potential apoptotic signal pathway after SAH. RESULTS: Preserving blood-brain-barrier permeability, decreasing brain edema, increasing neurological scores and ameliorating cerebral vasospasm were obtained after prophylactic use of atorvastatin. TUNEL-positive cells were reduced markedly both in basilar artery and in brain cortex by atorvastatin. Apoptosis-related proteins P53, AIF and Cytochrome C were up-regulated after SAH, while they were not affected by atorvastatin. In addition, up-regulation of caspase-3 and caspase-8 after SAH was decreased by atorvastatin treatment both in mRNA and in protein levels. CONCLUSION: The neuroprotective effects of atorvastatin after SAH may be related to its inhibition of caspase-dependent proapoptotic pathway based on the present results.

Human neural stem cells promote corticospinal axons regeneration and synapse reformation in injured spinal cord of rats / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Axonal regeneration in lesioned mammalian central nervous system is abortive, and this causes permanent disabilities in individuals with spinal cord injuries. This paper studied the action of neural stem cell (NSC) in promoting corticospinal axons regeneration and synapse reformation in rats with injured spinal cord.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>NSCs were isolated from the cortical tissue of spontaneous aborted human fetuses in accordance with the ethical request. The cells were discarded from the NSC culture to acquire NSC-conditioned medium. Sixty adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 15 in each): NSC graft, NSC medium, graft control and medium control groups. Microsurgical transection of the spinal cord was performed in all the rats at the T11. The NSC graft group received stereotaxic injections of NSCs suspension into both the spinal cord stumps immediately after transection; graft control group received DMEM injection. In NSC medium group, NSC-conditioned medium was administered into the spinal cord every week; NSC culture medium was administered to the medium control group. Hindlimb motor function was assessed using the BBB Locomotor Rating Scale. Regeneration of biotin dextran amine (BDA) labeled corticospinal tract was assessed. Differentiation of NSCs and the expression of synaptophysin at the distal end of the injured spinal cord were observed under a confocal microscope. Group comparisons of behavioral data were analyzed with ANOVA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>NSCs transplantation resulted in extensive growth of corticospinal axons and locomotor recovery in adult rats after complete spinal cord transection, the mean BBB scores reached 12.5 in NSC graft group and 2.5 in graft control group (P < 0.05). There was also significant difference in BBB score between the NSC medium (11.7) and medium control groups (3.7, P < 0.05). BDA traces regenerated fibers sprouted across the lesion site and entered the caudal part of the spinal cord. Synaptophysin expression colocalized with BDA positive axons and neurons distal to the injury site. Transplanted cells were found to migrate into the lesion, but not scatter along the route of axon grows. The cells differentiated into astrocytes or oligodendrocytes, but not into the neurons after transplantation. Furthermore, NSC medium administration did not limit the degree of axon sprouting and functional recovery of the injured rats compared to the NSC graft group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Human embryonic neural stem cells can promote functional corticospinal axons regeneration and synapse reformation in the injured spinal cord of rats. The action is mainly through the nutritional effect of the stem cells on the spinal cord.</p>