Background Cytomegalovirus （CMV） remains a significant clinical problem among immunosuppressed renal transplant patients. Quantitative PCR assays have become the most common methods in the determination of CMV infec...Background Cytomegalovirus （CMV） remains a significant clinical problem among immunosuppressed renal transplant patients. Quantitative PCR assays have become the most common methods in the determination of CMV infections in transplant patients. This study was to determine the relationship between CMV infection and the acute rejection of the transplanted kidney. Methods Plasma samples from 77 renal transplant patients that were pre-transplant negative for CMV infection were tested using reaD-time quantitative PCR and CMV gene-specific primers. The detected viral loads were retrospectively compared with the acute rejection rate and the chronic or mild rejection rates of the renal transplant. Results CMV-DNA was detected in 29 of 77 recipients, yielding a positive rate of detection of 37.7% for this procedure. Twelve of the 21 recipients （57.1%） who suffered acute rejection had positive CMV-DNA. Among the 56 recipients suffered from chronic or mild rejection, 17 （30.4%） had positive CMV-DNA plasma. Moreover, of the 29 recipients who had detectable CMV-DNA after transplant, 12 （41.4%） suffered from acute rejection; of the 48 recipients with undetectable CMV-DNA, only nine （18.8%） developed acute rejection. Post-transplant patients with acute rejection had a higher rate （57.1% vs. 30.4%, P=0.03） of post-transplant CMV infection than those with chronic or mild rejection. Conclusion CMV infection is a risk factor of acute renal transplant rejection and CMV infection should be prevented and treated in renal transplant recipients.展开更多
Constraint-induced movement therapy is an effective rehabilitative training technique used to improve the restoration of impaired upper extremity movement after stroke. However, whether constraint-induced movement the...Constraint-induced movement therapy is an effective rehabilitative training technique used to improve the restoration of impaired upper extremity movement after stroke. However, whether constraint-induced movement therapy is more effective than conventional rehabilitation in acute or sub-acute stroke remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to identify the optimal time to start constraint-induced movement therapy after ischemic stroke and to explore the mechanisms by which constraint-induced movement therapy leads to post-stroke recovery. Sixty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham-surgery group, cerebral ischemia/reperfusion group, early constraint-induced movement therapy group, and late constraint-induced movement therapy group. Rat models of left middle cerebral artery occlusion were established according to the Zea Longa line embolism method. Constraint-induced movement therapy was conducted starting on day 1 or day 14 in the early constraint-induced movement therapy and late constraint-induced movement therapy groups, respectively. To explore the effect of each intervention time on neuromotor function, behavioral function was assessed using a balance beam walking test before surgery and at 8 and 21 days after surgery. The expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor and Nogo receptor were evaluated using real time-polymerase chain reaction and western blot assay to assess the effect of each intervention time. The results showed that the behavioral score was significantly lower in the early constraint-induced movement therapy group than in the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion and late constraint-induced movement therapy groups at 8 days. At 21 days, the scores had significantly decreased in the early constraint-induced movement therapy and late constraint-induced movement therapy groups. At 8 days, only mild pyknosis appeared in neurons of the ischemic penumbra in the early constraint-induced movement therapy group, which was distinctly better than in the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion group. At 21 days, only a few vacuolated cells were observed and no obvious inflammatory cells were visible in late constraint-induced movement therapy group, which was much better than at 8 days. The mRNA and protein expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor were significantly higher, but expression levels of Nogo receptor were significantly lower in the early constraint-induced movement therapy group compared with the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion and late constraint-induced movement therapy groups at 8 days. The changes in expression levels at 21 days were larger but similar in both the early constraint-induced movement therapy and late constraint-induced movement therapy groups. Besides, the protein nerve growth factor level was higher in the late constraint-induced movement therapy group than in the early constraint-induced movement therapy group at 21 days. These results suggest that both early(1 day) and late(14 days) constraint-induced movement therapy induces molecular plasticity and facilitates functional recovery after ischemic stroke, as illustrated by the histology. The mechanism may be associated with downregulation of Nogo receptor expression and upregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor expression.展开更多
Transitional cell carcinoma （TCC） of bladder is the most common malignant tumor in uropoiesis system. Up to date, there is still lack of an ideal marker for the diagnosis of TCC except CT and MRI imaging and cystosc...Transitional cell carcinoma （TCC） of bladder is the most common malignant tumor in uropoiesis system. Up to date, there is still lack of an ideal marker for the diagnosis of TCC except CT and MRI imaging and cystoscopy. Cystoscopy is an invasive examination, which increases the possibility of urinary tract infection. Urine cytology has low sensitivity （21%--40%） in diagnosis of bladder cancer, especially for those with medium or high differentiation. The specificity is often affected by factors such as specimen collection, urinary tract infection, etc. Detecting the expression of survivin mRNA in urine by real time-PCR is simple in specimen collection and is sensitive and relatively specific, which provides a simple and noninvasive diagnostic method for TCC. Moreover it allows comparing the gene expression levels at different stages and grades of TCC, which can help define malignancy degree of TCC.展开更多
基金This work was supported in part by grants from the National Science Foundation of China （No. 81071431）, and from the Municipal New Star of Science and Technology of Beijing （No. 2010B054）.
文摘Background Cytomegalovirus （CMV） remains a significant clinical problem among immunosuppressed renal transplant patients. Quantitative PCR assays have become the most common methods in the determination of CMV infections in transplant patients. This study was to determine the relationship between CMV infection and the acute rejection of the transplanted kidney. Methods Plasma samples from 77 renal transplant patients that were pre-transplant negative for CMV infection were tested using reaD-time quantitative PCR and CMV gene-specific primers. The detected viral loads were retrospectively compared with the acute rejection rate and the chronic or mild rejection rates of the renal transplant. Results CMV-DNA was detected in 29 of 77 recipients, yielding a positive rate of detection of 37.7% for this procedure. Twelve of the 21 recipients （57.1%） who suffered acute rejection had positive CMV-DNA. Among the 56 recipients suffered from chronic or mild rejection, 17 （30.4%） had positive CMV-DNA plasma. Moreover, of the 29 recipients who had detectable CMV-DNA after transplant, 12 （41.4%） suffered from acute rejection; of the 48 recipients with undetectable CMV-DNA, only nine （18.8%） developed acute rejection. Post-transplant patients with acute rejection had a higher rate （57.1% vs. 30.4%, P=0.03） of post-transplant CMV infection than those with chronic or mild rejection. Conclusion CMV infection is a risk factor of acute renal transplant rejection and CMV infection should be prevented and treated in renal transplant recipients.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province of China,No.2014ZRB14502(to XHL)
文摘Constraint-induced movement therapy is an effective rehabilitative training technique used to improve the restoration of impaired upper extremity movement after stroke. However, whether constraint-induced movement therapy is more effective than conventional rehabilitation in acute or sub-acute stroke remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to identify the optimal time to start constraint-induced movement therapy after ischemic stroke and to explore the mechanisms by which constraint-induced movement therapy leads to post-stroke recovery. Sixty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham-surgery group, cerebral ischemia/reperfusion group, early constraint-induced movement therapy group, and late constraint-induced movement therapy group. Rat models of left middle cerebral artery occlusion were established according to the Zea Longa line embolism method. Constraint-induced movement therapy was conducted starting on day 1 or day 14 in the early constraint-induced movement therapy and late constraint-induced movement therapy groups, respectively. To explore the effect of each intervention time on neuromotor function, behavioral function was assessed using a balance beam walking test before surgery and at 8 and 21 days after surgery. The expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor and Nogo receptor were evaluated using real time-polymerase chain reaction and western blot assay to assess the effect of each intervention time. The results showed that the behavioral score was significantly lower in the early constraint-induced movement therapy group than in the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion and late constraint-induced movement therapy groups at 8 days. At 21 days, the scores had significantly decreased in the early constraint-induced movement therapy and late constraint-induced movement therapy groups. At 8 days, only mild pyknosis appeared in neurons of the ischemic penumbra in the early constraint-induced movement therapy group, which was distinctly better than in the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion group. At 21 days, only a few vacuolated cells were observed and no obvious inflammatory cells were visible in late constraint-induced movement therapy group, which was much better than at 8 days. The mRNA and protein expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor were significantly higher, but expression levels of Nogo receptor were significantly lower in the early constraint-induced movement therapy group compared with the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion and late constraint-induced movement therapy groups at 8 days. The changes in expression levels at 21 days were larger but similar in both the early constraint-induced movement therapy and late constraint-induced movement therapy groups. Besides, the protein nerve growth factor level was higher in the late constraint-induced movement therapy group than in the early constraint-induced movement therapy group at 21 days. These results suggest that both early(1 day) and late(14 days) constraint-induced movement therapy induces molecular plasticity and facilitates functional recovery after ischemic stroke, as illustrated by the histology. The mechanism may be associated with downregulation of Nogo receptor expression and upregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor expression.
基金This work was supported by grants from the Talent Man Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No.RC2003094) as well as the Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No.H200517).
文摘Transitional cell carcinoma （TCC） of bladder is the most common malignant tumor in uropoiesis system. Up to date, there is still lack of an ideal marker for the diagnosis of TCC except CT and MRI imaging and cystoscopy. Cystoscopy is an invasive examination, which increases the possibility of urinary tract infection. Urine cytology has low sensitivity （21%--40%） in diagnosis of bladder cancer, especially for those with medium or high differentiation. The specificity is often affected by factors such as specimen collection, urinary tract infection, etc. Detecting the expression of survivin mRNA in urine by real time-PCR is simple in specimen collection and is sensitive and relatively specific, which provides a simple and noninvasive diagnostic method for TCC. Moreover it allows comparing the gene expression levels at different stages and grades of TCC, which can help define malignancy degree of TCC.
