Further Investigation on the Role of Selenium Deficiency in the Aetiology and Pathogenesis of Keshan Disease

Selenium supplements were not able to restore the ultrastructural changes in the myocardiurn of latent Keshan disease patients taken by using cardiac catheter endomyocardial biopsy. Observations on the changes of seleniurn status and the incidence of Keshan disease showed that new latent and naturally-occurring chronic cases were found in the endemic area even after selenium levels had been elevated in the residents to the levels typical in the non-endemic area. These results indicate that although selenium deficiency might be a primary pathogenetic geogen in the occurrence of Keshan disease, it is rather a conditional predisposing factor than a specific or initiative aetiologic factor for the occurrence of Keshan disease. Selenium supplmentation could apparently alleviate the higher platelet responsiveness of residents in the endemic area, which might contribute to eliminating the basis for the occurrence of the multifocal perivascular necroses in myocardium of acute and subacute Keshan disease

Study on Mitochondrial Ultrastructure, Traco Elementsand Their Correlative Factore in Cells ot Gastric Mucosa ot theGastropathic Patienta with Spleen Deficiency Syndrome

Atfer examining 88 gastropathic patieiits with Spleen deficiency syndrome by iJsing transmis-sion electron microscope, X-ray energy disperse analysis system, histochemical staining and radioimmunomethods, the authors found that the gastric mucosa cyclic adenosine monophosphate, superoxide dismutaselevel, quantity of mitochondria and its crista, the ratio of diameter between ventricle and cavity of mitochon-dria aiid the conteiit ot zinc (Zn) , copper (Cu) of mitochondria were decreasing to certain extent which tendsto get lower and lower with different groups in the order of health coritrol group, Spleen Qi deficiency groupaiid SPIeen deficiency with Qi stagnation group; chronic superficial gastritis group, chronic atrophic gastritisgroup and gastric cancor group , complete small intestinal metaplasia (IM) group, incomplete small iM group,complete colonic iM groiJp and incomplete colonic iM group (P< 0 . 05￣0 . 001 ) . While tlie degeiieratiori rateof mitochondria, Cu/Zn ratio, metaplasia rate of gastric mucosa, rate of incomplete colonic IM and content ofIipid peroxide were increasing in the above order (P < 0 . 05 ￣0 . 001 ) . It is suggested that tlie comprehensiveeffect ot the degeneration of mitochoridria and the quantitative changes of its correlative factors is the phys-iopathologic base for indecing SPIeen deficiency disease, gastric mucosa iM and canceration.

Relationship between Two Blood Stasis Syndromes and Inflammatory Factors in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Objective： To investigate the relationship between inflammatory factors and two Chinese medicine（CM） syndrome types of qi stagnation and blood stasis（QSBS） and qi deficiency and blood stasis（QDBS） in patients with acute coronary syndrome（ACS）. Methods： Sixty subjects with ACS, whose pathogenesis changes belongs to qi disturbance blood stasis syndrome, were divided into 2 groups： 30 in the QSBS group and 30 in the QDBS group. The comparative analysis on them was carried out through comparing general information, coronary angiography and inflammatory factors including intracellular adhesion molecule-1（ICAM-1）, chitinase-3-like protein 1（YKL-40） and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2（Lp-PLA2）. Results： Compared with the QSBS group, Lp-PLA2 and YKL-40 levels in the QDBS group showed no-significant difference（P〉0.05）; ICAM-1 was significantly higher in the QDBS group than in the QSBS group in the pathological processes of qi disturbance and blood stasis syndrome of ACS（P〈0.05）. Conclusion： Inflammatory factor ICAM-1 may be an objective basis for syndrome typing of QSBS and QDBS, which provides a research direction for standardization research of CM syndrome types.

Effect of universal salt iodization on antithyroid drugs

Iodine deficiency disease （IDD） is common in China. An universal salt iodization （USl） program has been implemented by the Chinese government since 1996. As a result, the goiter rate in 8- to 10-year old children decreased from 20.4% in 1995 to 5.8% in 2002.1 But the adverse effects of iodine excess such as iodine-induced hyperthyroidism, iodine-induced goiters, iodine-induced hypothyroidism, etc. have become a great concern to healthcare professionals as well as the general population. The impact of USI on antithyroid drugs （ATDs） might become a potential challenge to address. With a special grant from the Department of Disease Control, the Health Ministry of China, we conducted a prospective study on the effects of USI on ATDs at the thyroid section of the Endocrinology Clinic of Peking Union Medical College Hospital （PUMCH）, Beijing.