Current Chinese-medicine News Results

An LC-MS method for simultaneous determination of nine ginsenosides in rat plasma and its application in pharmacokinetic study.

Biomed Chromatogr. 2010 Sep 1;
Zhou D, Tong L, Wan M, Wang G, Ye Z, Wang Z, Lin R

A sensitive and reliable LC-ESI-MS method for simultaneous determination of nine ginsenosides (Rh(1), Rg(2), Rg(1), Rf, Re, Rd, Rc, Rb(2) and Rb(1)) in rat plasma was developed and validated using saikosaponin A as an internal standard. The samples were extracted by solid-phase extraction. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a Hypersil Gold C(18) column (100 x 2.1 mm, 5 microm) by stepwise gradient elution with water (0.1% formic acid, v/v) and acetonitrile as the mobile phase. Detection was determined by selective ion monitoring mode using electrospray ionization in the negative ion mode. Good linearity over the investigated concentration ranges was observed with the values of r higher than 0.9900. The intra- and inter-day precisions were all no more than 15% and the average recoveries varied from 71.8 to 91.7%. This quantitative measurement was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of Yi-Qi-Fu-Mai injection. Copyright (c) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Genetic variants in the renin-angiotensin system and blood pressure reactions to the cold pressor test.

J Hypertens. 2010 Sep 1;
Wang L, Hou L, Li H, Chen J, Kelly TN, Jaquish CE, Rao DC, Hixson JE, Hu D, Chen CS, Gu C, Chen S, Lu X, Whelton PK, He J, Lu F, Huang J, Liu DP, Gu D,

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between genetic variants in the renin-angiotensin system and blood pressure (BP) responses to the cold pressor test (CPT). METHODS: The CPT was conducted among 1998 Han Chinese participants. BP measurements were obtained before and after the CPT using a standard sphygmomanometer according to a standard protocol. The association between SNP genotypes and BP responses to the CPT was assessed using a mixed linear model. RESULTS: Of 68 SNPs genotyped in six renin-angiotensin system genes, two were strongly associated with DBP responses to CPT (P

Growing Trend of China's Contribution to the Field of Rheumatology 2000-2009: A Survey of Chinese Rheumatology Research.

J Rheumatol. 2010 Sep 1;
Cheng T, Zhang X

OBJECTIVE: In the past decade, rheumatology in China has achieved great advances. However, scientific publications on rheumatology in the 3 major regions of China - Mainland (ML), Hong Kong (HK), and Taiwan (TW)-are unknown. We assessed the performance of rheumatology research in China from 2000 to 2009. METHODS: Twenty-two journals included in the rheumatology category of the Journal Citation Reports database were selected. We analyzed the following measures for 2000-2009: (1) total number of articles originating from ML, HK, and TW; (2) impact factor (IF) of those articles; (3) total number of citations and average number of citations per article; and (4) number of articles about clinical trials, randomized controlled trials (RCT), and case reports. We also noted the total number of articles from the 3 regions published in 10 top-ranking journals. RESULTS: There were 788 articles for the 3 regions of China, including 259 from ML, 372 from TW, and 157 from HK, with a positive trend between the years 2000 to 2009. From 2006 on, published articles from ML exceeded those from HK, and in 2008, published articles from ML exceeded those from TW. HK had the highest average IF and highest average citations of each article compared with articles from ML and TW. TW published the most RCT, clinical trials, and case reports, as well as the most articles in the 10 top-ranking journals in the last decade, followed by ML and HK. CONCLUSION: Chinese contributions to the field of rheumatology have increased rapidly since 2000, particularly from ML. HK had the highest quality research output according to average IF and average citations per article.

Characterized Polysaccharides from Black Soybean Induce Granulocyte Colony-Stimulated Factor Gene Expression in a Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase-dependent Manner.

Immunol Invest. 2010 Sep 1;
Wu MH, Lee YC, Tsai WJ, Yang WB, Chen YC, Chuang KA, Liao JF, Wang CC, Kuo YC

Black soybean (Glycine max L. merr.) is an edible Chinese medicine for nourishment spleen. In the present study, effects of characterized polysaccharides from black soybean (PGM) on granulocyte colony-stimulated factor (G-CSF) production in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were determined and their action mechanisms were examined. The results indicated that PGM concentration-dependently enhanced G-CSF production in PBMC through modulation of mRNA expression. Data from Western blotting showed that PGM significantly induced the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) activation in PBMC. The nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activation in PBMC was increased with PGM by modulation of IkappaB degradation and PKC theta activation. The levels of G-CSF mRNA in PGM-treated PBMC could be reduced by ERK inhibitor U0126 and NF-kappaB inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, respectively. Furthermore, the data showed that PGM stimulated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-regulated Akt phosphorylation. The PI3K inhibitor, Ly294002, blocked ERK, NF-kappaB, and PKC theta activation and G-CSF mRNA expression in PBMC induced by PGM. Thus, we first proved that the enhancement mechanisms of PGM on G-CSF production, appeared to be mediated, at least in part, through activation of PI3K, ERK, PKC theta, and NF-kappaB signaling pathways in PBMC. We suggest that PGM from black soybean is a potential G-CSF stimulator.

Characterization of Nucleosides and Nucleobases in Fruits of Ziziphus jujuba by UPLC-DAD-MS.

J Agric Food Chem. 2010 Sep 1;
Guo S, Duan JA, Tang YP, Zhu ZH, Qian YF, Yang NY, Shang EX, Qian DW

The fruit of Ziziphus jujuba , named dazao in Chinese, has been utilized as food as well as crude drugs in China for thousands of years. To explore the profiles of the nucleosides and nucleobases in this fruit, an ultraperformance liquid chromatograph coupled with a photodiode array detector and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometer method (UPLC-DAD-MS) has been established and validated in this paper. The validated method was successfully applied for the simultaneous characterization and quantitation of 9 nucleosides and nucleobases in 49 dazao samples, which comprised 43 cultivars from 26 cultivation regions. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to classify the samples on the basis of the contents of the nine analyzed compounds. The results showed that almost all of these dazao samples were rich in nucleosides and nucleobases, although their contents were obviously various, and the proposed method could serve as a prerequisite for quality control of jujube products.

Expression of Nur77 induced by an n-butylidenephthalide derivative promotes apoptosis and inhibits cell growth in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Invest New Drugs. 2010 Sep 1;
Liu PY, Sheu JJ, Lin PC, Lin CT, Liu YJ, Ho LI, Chang LF, Wu WC, Chen SR, Chen J, Harn YC, Lin SZ, Tsai CH, Chiou TW, Harn HJ

In spite of numerous advances, the 5-year survival rate for head and neck squamous cell cancer has remained largely stagnant and few new anti-tumor drugs have been developed. PCH4, a derivative of n-butylidenephthalide, has been investigated for its anti-tumor effects on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-tumor mechanism of a potential target gene, Nur77, in OSCC cells, which can be induced by PCH4 treatment. Data show that PCH4 promoted Nur77 translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and induced cell apoptosis in OSCC cells. When Nur77 translocation was blocked, the degree of tumor apoptosis caused by PCH4 was significantly inhibited (p < 0.05). Within the MAPK pathway, PCH4 only induced JNK phosphorylation. Furthermore, treatment with a JNK inhibitor significantly reduced PCH4-induced apoptosis (p < 0.05) and decreased PCH4-induced Nur77 expression (p < 0.05). In a xenograft animal model, administration of PCH4 also showed anti-tumor effects. We have demonstrated that OSCC cells are sensitive to PCH4 and that Nur77 protein translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm might be associated with the induction of apoptosis by PCH4. These results indicate that PCH4 may serve as a potential anti-tumor drug for OSCC therapy.

Novel association strategy with copy number variation for identifying new risk Loci of human diseases.

PLoS One. 2010; 5(8):
Chen X, Li X, Wang P, Liu Y, Zhang Z, Zhao G, Xu H, Zhu J, Qin X, Chen S, Hu L, Kong X

BACKGROUND: Copy number variations (CNV) are important causal genetic variations for human disease; however, the lack of a statistical model has impeded the systematic testing of CNVs associated with disease in large-scale cohort. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we developed a novel integrated strategy to test CNV-association in genome-wide case-control studies. We converted the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) signal to copy number states using a well-trained hidden Markov model. We mapped the susceptible CNV-loci through SNP site-specific testing to cope with the physiological complexity of CNVs. We also ensured the credibility of the associated CNVs through further window-based CNV-pattern clustering. Genome-wide data with seven diseases were used to test our strategy and, in total, we identified 36 new susceptible loci that are associated with CNVs for the seven diseases: 5 with bipolar disorder, 4 with coronary artery disease, 1 with Crohn's disease, 7 with hypertension, 9 with rheumatoid arthritis, 7 with type 1 diabetes and 3 with type 2 diabetes. Fifteen of these identified loci were validated through genotype-association and physiological function from previous studies, which provide further confidence for our results. Notably, the genes associated with bipolar disorder converged in the phosphoinositide/calcium signaling, a well-known affected pathway in bipolar disorder, which further supports that CNVs have impact on bipolar disorder. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results demonstrated the effectiveness and robustness of our CNV-association analysis and provided an alternative avenue for discovering new associated loci of human diseases.

Lymphocytes Accelerate Epithelial Tight Junction Assembly: Role of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK).

PLoS One. 2010; 5(8):
Tang XX, Chen H, Yu S, Zhang L, Caplan MJ, Chan HC

The tight junctions (TJs), characteristically located at the apicolateral borders of adjacent epithelial cells, are required for the proper formation of epithelial cell polarity as well as for sustaining the mucosal barrier to the external environment. The observation that lymphocytes are recruited by epithelial cells to the sites of infection [1] suggests that they may play a role in the modulation of epithelial barrier function and thus contribute to host defense. To test the ability of lymphocytes to modulate tight junction assembly in epithelial cells, we set up a lymphocyte-epithelial cell co-culture system, in which Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, a well-established model cell line for studying epithelial TJ assembly [2], were co-cultured with mouse lymphocytes to mimic an infection state. In a typical calcium switch experiment, the TJ assembly in co-culture was found to be accelerated compared to that in MDCK cells alone. This accelaration was found to be mediated by AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK activation was independent of changes in cellular ATP levels but it was found to be activated by the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha. Forced suppression of AMPK, either with a chemical inhibitor or by knockdown, abrogated the accelerating effect of lymphocytes on TJ formation. Similar results were also observed in a co-culture with lymphocytes and Calu-3 human airway epithelial cells, suggesting that the activation of AMPK may be a general mechanism underlying lymphocyte-accelerated TJ assembly in different epithelia. These results suggest that signals from lymphocytes, such as cytokines, facilitate TJ assembly in epithelial cells via the activation of AMPK.

Myocardial ischemia in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Nucl Med Commun. 2010 Aug 30;
Fang W, Zhang J, He ZX

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by ventricular chamber enlargement and systolic dysfunction with normal ventricular wall thickness. More recent studies have shown that the coronary microcirculation may be directly affected in cardiomyopathies. Left ventricular regional myocardial perfusion, wall motion, and metabolism abnormalities are often present in patients with DCM. These data support the possibility that myocardial ischemia may play an important role in the development of DCM and have important prognostic value in patients with DCM. We need to pay attention to the assessment of myocardial blood flow and myocardial ischemia in patients with DCM. Furthermore, anti-ischemic therapy may improve left ventricular function and clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure resulted from DCM.

Age-related bone mineral density, osteoporosis rate and risk of vertebral fracture in mainland Chinese women with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

J Endocrinol Invest. 2010 Aug 31;
Shan PF, Wu XP, Zhang H, Cao XZ, Yuan LQ, Liao EY

Few data are available regarding bone mineral density (BMD) and the risk of vertebral fracture among mainland Chinese women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A decrease in the bone projective area (BPA) can be an indirect marker reflecting compressed vertebral fracture. We investigated age-related BMD, BPA, and the prevalence of osteoporosis in women with T2DM in mainland China. BMD and BPA of the posteroanterior lumbar spine (L1-L4) and hip were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 1253 women with T2DM and 1194 control subjects without diabetes aged 40-80 years. BMD of the lumbar spine and hip decreased with age. BMD of the lumbar spine was higher in T2DM than controls (p<0.05-0.001), as was the same to BPA at some vertebral bodies (p<0.05-0.001), whereas, no significant intergroup differences in BPA were observed at the hip. The prevalence of osteoporosis in the women with T2DM increased with age: 0-2.58% at age 40-49 years; 6.94-28.4% at age 50-59 years; 32.7-76.7% at age 70-80 years, with the range reflecting differences between skeletal sites. In subjects over 60 years, the rates of osteoporosis at posteroanterior spine were significantly lower in T2DM than in controls (p<0.05-0.001). In conclusion, women with T2DM had higher BMD and lower risk of osteoporosis. Higher BPA of the vertebrae indicated that women with T2DM in mainland China would have a lower risk of vertebral fracture than non-diabetic women.

Development of Cephradine-Induced Acquired Factor V Inhibitors: A Case Report (October).

Ann Pharmacother. 2010 Aug 31;
Wu MT, Pei SN

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of cephalosporin-induced factor V inhibitor development, an uncommon but potentially fatal condition characterized by severe hemorrhage. CASE SUMMARY: A 71-year-old Chinese man presented with factor V inhibitors after a 7-day cephradine course for a urinary tract infection, characterized by abnormal prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), gross hematuria, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and left groin hematoma. Systemic corticosteroid administration restored his factor V activity levels, PT, and aPTT to within normal limits, and hemorrhagic symptoms resolved. Three weeks after successful treatment of bleeding diathesis, he received another 8-day cephradine course for cellulitis. After another 4 weeks, he suffered from recurrent factor V inhibitors presented with abnormal PT, aPTT, and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The patient eventually died due to hemorrhagic shock despite a second course of corticosteroids. DISCUSSION: Cephalosporins are known to cause coagulopathy via hypoprothrombinemia. Another pathway seldom mentioned in the literature is factor V inhibitor induction, which may result in factor V deficiency. In our patient, factor V deficiency due to inhibitors developed each time that the patient received repeated cephradine treatment. According to the Naranjo probability scale, the relation between the formation of factor V inhibitors and cephradine treatment was probable. CONCLUSIONS: Because cephalosporins are commonly used for their wide therapeutic index and few adverse effects, iatrogenic complications associated with these drugs may be neglected or underdiagnosed. On the basis of our patient's report, careful review of medical records to avoid reexposure to the offending drug cannot be overemphasized.

Efficacy of Acupuncture in Preventing Atrial Fibrillation Recurrences After Electrical Cardioversion.

J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2010 Aug 30;
Lomuscio A, Belletti S, Battezzati PM, Lombardi F

Antiarrhythmic Effect of Acupuncture. Introduction: In traditional Chinese medicine, stimulation of the Neiguan spot has been utilized to treat palpitations. We evaluated whether acupuncture might prevent or reduce the rate of arrhythmia recurrences in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and Results: We studied 80 patients with persistent AF after restoring sinus rhythm with electrical cardioversion. Twenty-six subjects who were already on amiodarone treatment constituted the AMIO reference group. The remaining patients were randomly allocated to receive acupuncture (ACU group, n = 17), sham acupuncture (ACU-sham group, n = 13), or neither acupuncture nor antiarrhythmic therapy (CONTROL group, n = 24). Patients in the ACU and ACU-sham groups attended 10 acupuncture sessions on a once-a-week basis. Only in the former group the Neiguan, Shenmen, and Xinshu spots were punctured. During a 12-month follow-up, AF recurred in 35 patients. Cumulative AF recurrence rates in the AMIO, ACU, ACU-sham, and CONTROL patients were 27%, 35%, 69%, and 54%, respectively (P = 0.0075, log-rank test). Ejection fraction (P = 0.0005), hypertension (0.0293), and left atrial diameter (P = 0.0361) were also significantly associated with AF recurrence. Compared with AMIO group, recurrence rate was similar in ACU patients (hazard ratio: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.38-3.49; P = 0.801) but significantly higher in ACU-sham and CONTROL patients (3.77, 1.39-10; P = 0.009 and 3.15, 1.23-8.06; P = 0.017, respectively) after adjustment for ejection fraction, hypertension, and left atrial diameter using Cox modeling. Conclusion: Our data indicate that acupuncture treatment prevents arrhythmic recurrences after cardioversion in patients with persistent AF. This minimally invasive procedure was safe and well tolerated. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. pp. 1-7).

Quantitative morphometry of the orbit in Chinese adults based on a three-dimensional reconstruction method.

J Anat. 2010 Aug 30;
Ji Y, Qian Z, Dong Y, Zhou H, Fan X

Abstract The three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction technique serves as a practical tool in diagnosis, surgical planning, and outcome prediction of plastic and reconstructive surgery. In our study, the morphologic features of the Chinese adult orbit were described by 11 anatomic parameters using a 3D reconstruction technique. Sixty-four Chinese adults were selected randomly from patients who had undergone craniofacial computed tomography (CT) scans to diagnose conditions other than craniofacial or orbital deformations. The morphologic parameters of orbit such as bony orbital volume, orbital foramen area and orbital rim perimeter were measured on 3D models using this technique. Differences between the two orbits and between the two sexes were investigated. The method of measurement showed high reproducibility of results. No difference between the two orbits was found. There were significant differences between men and women in all anatomic parameters other than orbital height. In men and women, respectively, mean bony orbital volume was 26.02 and 23.32 mL, mean orbital foramen area 11.80 and 11.10 cm(2), mean orbital rim perimeter 12.65 and 12.20 cm, mean orbital height 33.35 and 33.22 mm, mean orbital width 40.02 and 38.00 mm; mean orbital floor length 47.93 and 46.18 mm, mean orbital roof length 52.93 and 50.89 mm, mean medial orbital wall length 46.43 and 44.41 mm, mean lateral orbital wall length 48.38 and 46.91 mm, mean intraorbital distance 27.18 and 25.11 mm, mean extra-orbital distance 98.77 and 93.69 mm. It is concluded that the measurements of these orbital parameters could be obtained from a 3D reconstruction method. The two orbits were symmetric based on orbital volume and other anatomic parameters. Orbital size was significantly smaller in women than in men; orbital height, however, was similar. The findings of the present study allow for quantification of the orbital features of Chinese adults and provide parameters for preoperative planning and prediction of postoperative outcome.

Meta-analysis: reduction in hepatic events following interferon-alfa therapy of chronic hepatitis B.

Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2010 Aug 29;
Wong GL, Yiu KK, Wong VW, Tsoi KK, Chan HL

Background The long-term benefit of interferon-alfa (IFN-alpha) treatment in preventing various hepatic complications is not certain. Aim To study the effects of IFN-alpha on reducing the risk of developing overall hepatic events (hepatocellular carcinoma, cirrhotic complications and liver-related mortality) in chronic hepatitis B patients. Methods Randomized controlled trials, case-control studies and cohort studies were retrieved from electronic databases and conference abstracts. Relative risks (RRs) of different hepatic complications among patients treated by IFN-alpha vs. no treatment or placebo were studied. Results Eleven studies were identified totalling 975 patients treated by IFN-alpha vs. 1147 untreated controls for analysis. Patients were treated by IFN-alpha for 1-24 months with a post-treatment follow-up of 1-13 years. Treatment by IFN-alpha reduced the risk of overall hepatic events (RR 0.55, 95% confident interval or CI 0.43-0.70, P < 0.001) and cirrhotic complications (RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.32-0.67, P < 0.001) by 45% and 54% respectively. Patients who responded to IFN-alpha had more profound reduction in overall hepatic events (RR 0.20, 95% CI 0.05-0.87, P = 0.03) and cirrhotic complications (RR 0.19, 95% CI 0.09-0.38, P < 0.001) vs. the untreated controls. Conclusion Interferon-alfa treatment reduces the risk of hepatic events particularly among responders to treatment.

[The accessibility for anthelmintic administration by different supply patterns in mass deworming]

Zhongguo Ji Sheng Chong Xue Yu Ji Sheng Chong Bing Za Zhi. 2010 Jun 30; 28(3): 234-6
Zhang Q, Li HZ

Questionnairing was performed in selected fields. Data were collected including the number of people who were getting/taking medicines, reasons for not getting/taking medicines, and a comparison was made on the rates of getting/taking drugs among three patterns of medicine supply. In the mode of drug-receiving at public expense, the rates of getting drugs and taking drugs were 98.4% and 94.1% respectively in Hainan province, 93.2% and 90.9% in Guizhou province. In the mode of drug-delivery at public expense, the rates of getting drugs and taking drugs were 97.5% and 96.4% in Hainan province, 98.8% and 96.5% in Hunan province. In the mode of drug-purchase at people' s own expense, the rates of getting drugs and taking drugs were 96.8% and 95.6% in Guizhou province, 94.4% and 91.5% in Sichuan province. The reasons for not taking drugs included forgetting, drug-losing or unwell condition. Three patterns of drug supply can get satisfactory results through careful arrangement. The government can choose an appropriate pattern suited to local conditions.

Poly(N-vinylimidazole)-grafted capillary for electrophoresis prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization.

J Sep Sci. 2010 Aug 30;
Li J, Han H, Wang Q, Liu X, Jiang S

A CE method for poly(N-vinylimidazole) (PVI)-grafted capillaries by the surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization has been developed. The coating was prepared with N-vinylimidazole as the monomer, 2-bromo-2-methyl-N-[3-(triethoxysilyl) propyl] propanamide (BTPAm) as the initiator and CuCl/CuCl(2)/2,2'-bipyridine as the catalyst and ligand. The direction and magnitude of EOF in the PVI-grafted capillary were investigated in a pH range of 3.0-9.0. The results indicated that the EOF could be modulated by varying the pH value of the buffer and an anodic EOF was obtained at pH values below 6.5. A significant improvement in reproducibility and reduction of EOF appeared on the PVI-grafted capillary when compared with the uncoated capillary. Furthermore, the polymer coated capillaries were applied to the separations of the inorganic anions, organic acids and basic proteins and baseline separations were achieved with short analysis time and high reproducibility.

Gelatinous drop-like corneal dystrophy with a novel mutation of TACSTD2 manifested in combination with spheroidal degeneration in a Chinese patient.

Mol Vis. 2010; 16: 1570-5
Zhang B, Yao YF

PURPOSE: To report the clinicopathological findings of a Chinese patient with an unusual phenotype of gelatinous drop-like corneal dystrophy (GDLD) combined with spheroidal degeneration and to detect molecular defect in the tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 2 (TACSTD2) gene. METHODS: Extensive physical and ophthalmologic examination of the patient was performed. Initially superficial keratectomy was performed for both eyes. Due to recurrence of the corneal opacity, penetrating keratoplasty for the right eye and deep lamellar keratoplasty for the left eye were performed. The obtained corneal tissues were examined by light microscopy. Molecular genetic analysis consisted of PCR amplification and direct automated sequencing of the complete coding region of TACSTD2. RESULTS: Slit-lamp biomicroscopy of the patient revealed bilateral band-like corneal opacities composed of brown-yellow, oily appearing droplets at the first visit. Two years after superficial keratectomy, elevated mulberry-like gelatinous lesions companied with brown-yellow droplets in the superficial cornea in both eyes were found. Histological analysis of corneal tissue revealed subepithelial amorphous deposits stained positively with Congo red, typical of GDLD. Meanwhile, eosinophilic globular deposits with irregular peripheral margins and various sizes, which were characteristics of spheroidal degeneration, were found. Sequencing of TACSTD2 from the patient revealed a novel homozygous missense mutation c.354G>C, leading to amino acid substitution Q118H in the patient. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report indicating a new type of gelatinous drop-like corneal dystrophy (GDLD) combined with spheroidal degeneration. Molecular analysis demonstrated a novel mutation in TACSTD2, which may expand the spectrum of mutations in TACSTD2.

European Journal of Emergency Medicine: state of the union.

Eur J Emerg Med. 2010 Oct; 17(5): 245
Graham CA

Developmental profiles and mentality in preschool children with prader-willi syndrome: a preliminary study.

Chang Gung Med J. 2010 Jul-Aug; 33(4): 436-42
Chen CM, Chen CL, Hou JW, Hsu HC, Chung CY, Chou SW, Lin CH, Chen KH

Background: A majority of the children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) have global developmental delay and mental delay. The aim of this study was to investigate the developmental profiles and mental assessments among preschool children with PWS. Methods: Ten children with PWS between the ages of 15 months to 6 years, and 11 children with typical development were enrolled. Developmental profiles in terms of their developmental quotient (DQ) for the eight domains of the Chinese Children Developmental Inventory (CCDI) and mental assessments in terms of intelligence quotient (IQ) and developmental index (DI) were carried out for all children. Results: The DQs of all eight domains, including gross motor, fine motor, expressive language, concept comprehension, situation comprehension, self help, personal- social and general development, in the PWS group were lower than the DQs of the children from the typical development group (p < 0.01). Children with PWS had better DQs in the fine motor domain than in the gross motor domain and in the receptive language domain than in the expressive language domain. Furthermore, their verbal IQ were better than their performance IQ and their mental DI was better than their psychomotor DI. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the children with PWS show an uneven global developmental delay together with an uneven mental delay. The results of this study should allow clinicians to better understand the developmental functioning of children with PWS and this will help with the planning of treatment strategies.

[Point-of-care testing in Emergency Medicine.]

Zhongguo Wei Zhong Bing Ji Jiu Yi Xue. 2010 Aug; 22(8): 510-2
Zhang JS, Li L