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The article presents a study which examines the synergistic effect of Lactobacillus and Taishan pine pollen polysaccharides on improving the immunity of subunit vaccine of Bordetella avium. The study used the modified method of alcohol precipitation and water extraction of Ma Rongchi Etc. to extract high-dose pine pollen polysaccharide. Results showed that systemic antibody level was detected by indirect enzyme-linked immonosorbent assay (ELISA).

Objective: To analyze the characteristic of the radioactive lymph node with metastatic disease and to explore the method of the localization of sentinel lymph node (SLN) with radionuclide in N0 clinically laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer., Methods: Fourty-five patients with T1-T4 and clinically N0 laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer were recruited. For each patient a peritumoral submucosal injection of 99mTc-labeled sulfur colloid (99mTc-SC) was performed and lymph node mapping was performed by lymphoscintigraphy two hours afterward. The SLN was localized by a handheld gamma probe intraoperatively 10-12 hours after the injection. All hot lymph nodes accumulating activity were harvested and initially termed sentinel nodes. Selective neck dissections were performed for all patients. The specimen of SLN was sent to the pathologist for the following analysis: formal paraffin embedded section, consecutive section and immunohistochemistry assay. The results was compared to the remaining lymphadenectomy specimen. Resection of the primary tumour depended on the location and the T classification., Results: SLNs were identified in 41 of 45 patients with 51 necks, SLNs had occult metastases in 13 cases, 15 necks with SLN-positive of these 13 cases, there was one false negative case, they were found in non-SLNs of neck specimens. Each neck side was considered a single case. SLN identification rate was 92.7%, sensitivity was 93.7%, false-negative rate was 6.3%, and accuracy was 98.0%. In 11 (73.3%) of these SLN-positive necks, the SLN with the highest counts contained tumor; harvesting the first-three nodes with the highest radioactive counts, which could all patients with occult metastatic disease., Conclusions: Excision of the first-three SLNs with the highest radioactive counts can accurately judge the presence or absence of the cervical lymph nodes metastases in patients with the clinically N0 laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer.

Objective: To investigate the distribution and role of alpha, beta and gamma subunits of epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) in the cochlea and endolymphatic sac of guinea pig., Methods: The expression of alpha-, beta- and gamma-ENaC subunits proteins was studied by immunohistochemistry with the specific polyclonal rabbit antibodies against the alpha, beta and gamma subunits of rat ENaC. Alpha-ENaC mRNA was detected by in situ hybridization with digoxin labeled cDNA probe., Results: All three subunits of ENaC, alpha-, beta- and gamma-, were widely distributed in the labyrinth. In the cochlea, strong labeling of alpha-ENaC protein was found in the spiral limbus, and to a less extent, in the spiral ligament, organ of Corti and Reissner's membrane. The immunoreactivity of beta-ENaC was observed in the spiral ligament, spiral limbus, spiral ganglion, organ of Corti and Reissner's membrane with a less intensity than that of alpha-ENaC. Gamma-ENaC was presented primarily in the superior part of the spiral ligament, spiral limbus, spiral ganglion, and weakly in the organ of Corti and Reissner's membrane. In the endolymphatic sac, intensive immunoreactivities of all three subunits were seen in the epithelial cells and the subepithelial cells at similar intensity. Alpha-ENaC mRNA was localized in the spiral limbus, the inferior part of spiral ligament, stria vascularis, and epithelial cells and subepithelial cells of endolymphatic sac., Conclusion: Different subunits of the ENaC expressed in various cell regions of the cochlea and endolymphatic sac in distinct patterns may form the functional sodium channel to regulate the endolymph, thus serve to maintain homeostasis in inner ear.

Objective: To evaluate the postoperative long-term hearing results of small fenestra stapedectomy versus large fenestra techniques., Methods: A retrospective review of 102 ears of 94 patients who had stapedectomy (small fenestra technique) performed by the same surgeon between 1972-1990 was conducted. Patients undergoing stapedectomy and stapedotomy were followed for 6.4 +/- 2.2 and 6.6 +/- 3.0 month in initial postoperative and 14.5 +/- 3.0 and 7.4 +/- 2.2 years in late postoperative, respectively., Results: There were no statistically significant differences in initial or late postoperative pure-tone (PTA), PTA air-bone gap, speech reception threshold (SRT) between the two groups. Ears treated by stapedotomy showed statistically better initial postoperative air-conduction threshold and initial 4-KHz air-bone gap closure, but the gap difference was not significant with late follow-up. The successful outcomes in both groups were stable over long-term follow-up. Results were the same when comparing the two procedures in the patients having undergone both., Conclusions: These results show that, in the operation of an experienced surgeon for otosclerosis, either large or small fenestra technique provides satisfactory and stable long-term results.