The levels of serum fibrosis marks and morphometric quantitative measurement of hepatic fibrosis

Objective: To study the relationship between the ser- um levels of hyaluronic acid (HA), procollagen type Ⅲ (PCⅢ), collagen type Ⅳ (CIV) and the histologi- cal degree of hepatic fibrosis evaluated by image analysis, and the clinical significance of serum HA, PC Ⅲ, C Ⅳ in the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis in pa- tients with chronic viral hepatitis. Methods: The concentrations of serum HA, PC Ⅲ, C Ⅳ in 151 patients with chronic viral hepatitis were measured by radioimmunoassay. Liver biopsies were performed in all the patients. Histological sections of 4 μm thickness were stained with Masson's trichrome for fibrosis assessment. Morphometric quantitative measurements for hepatic fibrosis assessment in the 4 μm sections were performed using a fully automated image analysis system. Serum levels of HA, PC Ⅲ, and C Ⅳ were analyzed at different stages of liver pa- thology and compared with the morphometric quanti- tative measurements of hepatic fibrosis. Results: The serum levels of HA, PC Ⅲ, C Ⅳ all ele- vated gradually with the progression of the disease, and all reached the highest in patients with liver cir- rhosis. There was a significant difference in the levels of these 3 components between liver cirrhosis group and the other groups (P<0.05). They all increased steadily with the histological stages of hepatic fibrosis, and reached the highest levels in stage Ⅳ. The serum levels of HA, PC Ⅲ, C Ⅳ were all positive- ly correlated with the histological stages of liver sec- tions and the morphometric measurement (P< 0.001). The coefficients with stages were 0.694, 0.493, 0.552 (P<0.001), respectively and with sur- face density of total collagen on liver biopsy sections by image analysis were 0. 715, 0. 595, 0. 573 (P< 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: The serum levels of HA, PC Ⅲ, C Ⅳ were in consistent with the degree of hepatic fibrosis, and the determination of these marks is valuable for detecting hepatic fibrosis.

Contribution of Chamaerops humilis L. (Arecaceae) in Conservation in Situ of Soil Resources in the Tlemcen Region (Western Algeria)

In recent years, the anthropic action on scrubs in the region of Tlemcen (a province in western Algeria) has represented a threat to the groups of Chamaerops humilis L. (Arecaceae). The main purpose of the present investigation is to highlight the relationship between Chamaerops humilis and its biotope. Taking advantage of the refurbishment works in the study area, clumps of Chamaerops humilis, freshly dug by machinery, were collected and used to conduct some measurements. A total of 34 clusters were considered. The main parameters to be studied are: 1. The height of the tangle of roots and the number of roots in each cluster;2. The weight of soil trapped between roots;3. Physico-chemical properties of soil in which taxa grow. The results obtained showed that the average weight of soil retained by the clumps was important (70.3 kg);the average height of the tangle was 68.4 cm and the average number of roots was 382. The tangle of roots, of various stocks of Chamaerops humilis, creates a root network, very tangled in its upper part, thereby trapping a significant amount of soil. The statistical analyses of pairs of parameters, considered in the present work (height of the tangle, mass of soil trapped by roots and number of roots), were found to be highly correlated. These analyses allowed identifying the relationships existing between the studied parameters. They also helped to deduce the role of the taxon in the in situ conservation of edaphic potential.

Morphometric measurement of the patella on 3D model reconstructed from CT scan images for the southern Chinese population

Background Due to racial differences in the morphology of the knee joint and due to most prostheses available in the market being designed using measurements from Caucasians,the objective of this study was to provide the morphometric data of the patella for the southern Chinese population for total knee arthroplasty （TKA）,patellar resurfacing,and prostheses design.Methods The CT slices of the knee joint were obtained from both knees of 40 Chinese volunteers （20 females,20 males,and age from 20-25 years） by performing a computer tomographic scan.A 3D model was reconstructed by Mimics software based on the computed tomography images.Six metrical characteristics were measured by digital ruler.Statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS statistical program.Results The mean,standard deviation and P values of measurements and ratios were calculated using SPSS.All dimensions showed a significant gender difference with P＜0.05,but the six variables of the left and right knees had no statistical significance with P＞0.05.In addition,we studied the relationship between six couples （H-W,H-T,H-HAF,W-T,W-HAF,T-HAF） of the four variables （H：height,W：width,T：thickness and HAF：height of articulating facet） that were measured,which showed a significant correlation.Conclusions Examination of the southern Chinese population revealed that males have larger patellae than women.In both genders,comparing data between left and right knees shows no statistically significant difference.Compared with Westerners in previous studies,the patella in our study was thin and small.There was a good linear regression correlation between measurements of the patella.The indirect measurement method on 3D models makes it easy to obtain anatomical data,and the results can provide a region and gender specific database for morphometric measurements of the oatella,and can be helpful for designing implants suited for southern Chinese patients.