Calcifying epithelioma is one kind of benign tumour,which rarely happens in the neck. The clinical diagnosis of calcifying epithelioma is difficult and misdiagnosis is common. This paper reported one case of calcifying epithelioma in the neck, and discussed its clinical features and therapy based on literature review.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the status on visual disability and the leading causes in residents in Henan Province. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study and a part of the National Epidemiological Study on the disability in 2006. Sample size 120 000 was assigned to Henan study by the protocol of the National epidemiological study on the disability. Stratified, equal interval, proportional probability; four-stage sampling was adopted. Survey teams were organized, and survey personnel was trained in the sampled counties and cities. Visual disabled persons were screened by home to home visit and confirmed by ophthalmologists. RESULTS: 130 415 persons in 36 923 households were studied. 1973 persons were confirmed to have the visual disability, the prevalence was 1.51%. Among them, 1376 persons just suffer from the visual disability (simple visual disability), 579 persons had multiple disability including the visual disability (multiple disability). Among them, 643 persons (0.49%) were blindness, 1330 persons (1.02%) were low vision. The age of the most of the persons with visual disability was more than 50 years old. The prevalence of the simple visual disability in male and female was 0.77% and 1.36% respectively and had significant statistical difference (chi(2)= 105.687, P < 0.01). The prevalence of the simple visual disability in urban and rural area was 0.58% and 1.15% respectively and also had significant statistical difference (chi(2)= 56.047, P < 0.01). The first five leading causes of the visual disability were cataract (54.69%), retinal and choroidal diseases (8.21%), corneal diseases (5.83%), genetic and congenital eye diseases (5.07%) and glaucoma (4.56%). CONCLUSION: Government and health organizations should pay more attention to the prevention and treatment the visual disability in Henan province, especially the prevention and treatment of cataract, retinal and choroidal diseases, corneal diseases, genetic and congenital eye diseases and glaucoma.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristics of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in patients with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 198 RA patients with or without IPF. Characteristics of RA-IPF in clinical and lab data were analyzed. Age, duration of disease, clinical and laboratory parameters, history of smoking and medicine were compared between the patients with and without IPF. RESULTS:(1) Among the 198 RA patients, 15.2%(30/198) were found with IPF. 100% RA-IPF patients had HRCT findings. However, 63.3%(19/30) had positive findings in chest X-ray, and only 46.7%(14/30) had the complaints of cough and short breath. Velcro rales were found in 50.0%(15/30) patients with IPF and no acropachy occurred. Only one patient suffered from hypoxemia. IPF presented after the joint symptoms in most patients.(2) RA-IPF patients were older than those without IPF [(65.50 +/- 9.71) vs (55.22 +/- 12.98) years, P<0.01]; Higher positivity of anti-keratin antibodies (AKA) were found in RA-IPF compared to patients without IPF (61.5% vs 35.9%, P=0.014). Furthermore, the levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody were significantly higher in RA-IPF [(4.38 +/- 2.08) vs (3.20 +/- 2.12), P=0.01]. No differentiation of duration of disease, history of smoking and medicine, IgM rheumatoid factor, IgG rheumatoid factor, anti-nuclear antibody, anti-SSA antibody and levels of immunoglobins and complements were found between the two groups of RA patients with and without IPF. CONCLUSION: The clinical symptoms of IPF in RA patients are mild and more common in older patients. AKA and anti-CCP antibody might be important antibodies associated with RA-IPF.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are persistent pollutants in soil environments where they continue to present considerable human health risks. Successful strategies to remediate contaminated soils are needed that are effective and of low cost. Bioremediation approaches that include the use of plants and microbial communities to promote degradation of PCB have significant potential but need further assessment under field conditions. The effects of growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and inoculation with a symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacterium (Rhizobium meliloti) on the removal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) from rhizosphere soil were evaluated in a field experiment. The initial PCB content of the soil ranged from 414 to 498microgkg(-)(1). PCB removal for the rhizosphere soil was enhanced in the planted treatments, an average of 36% decrease in PCB levels compared to a 5.4% decrease in the unplanted soil, and further enhanced when plants were inoculated with the symbiotic Rhizobium (an average of 43% decrease) when evaluated at 90days after planting. Plant biomass production was higher in the inoculated treatment. The total PCB content was increased from 3.30microgkg(-)(1) to 26.72microgkg(-)(1) in plant shoots, and from 115.07microgkg(-)(1) to 142.23microgkg(-)(1) in roots in the inoculated treatment compared to the planted treatment. Increased colony forming units (cfu) of total heterotrophic bacteria, biphenyl-degrading bacteria and fungi were observed in the rhizosphere of inoculated plants. PCB removal from the rhizosphere soil was not significantly correlated with the direct PCB uptake by the plants in any of the treatments but was significantly correlated with the stimulation of rhizosphere microflora. Changes in the soil microbial community structure in the planted and inoculated treatment were observed by profiling of bacterial ribosomal sequences. Some bacteria, such as Flavobacterium sp., may have contributed to the effective degradation of PCB and deserve further investigation.

OBJECTIVE: To identify interleukin-17 (IL-17 )-producing CD8 positive T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and investigate its cytokines as well as their correlations. METHODS: Peripheral blood got from 39 RA patients and 40 healthy donors. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the subsets of T cells in peripheral blood from these 39 RA patients and 27 healthy donors. 11-17, IL-6, and IL-23 levels in sera of all these people were tested by ELISA. RESULTS: The median of CD8 IL-17+ T cells from RA patients was 2.7%(95% confidence internal was 1.55%-3.74%); the median of these cells from healthy controls was 1.61%(95% confidence internal was 1.25%-2.61%). CD8+ IL-17+ T cells elevated significantly in RA(P < 0.05). As the production of CD8+ IL-17+ T cells, the IL-17 levels in sera of RA patients and healthy controls were (429 +/- 502) ng/L and (13 +/- 30) ng/L respectively. The IL-17 level in RA is higher than that in healthy people (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, to constitute CD8+ IL-17+ T cell polarizing condition, IL-23 and IL-6 in sera of RA were (157.83 +/- 27.07) ng/L and (32.67 +/- 34.50) x ng/L individually. These two cytokines in healthy controls were (21.97 +/- 3.52) ng/L and (1.82 +/- 1.51) ng/L severally. IL-6 and IL-23 increased clearly in peripheral blood of RA patients as compared with healthy donors (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that elevated CD8+ IL-17+ T cells which involved in IL-17 secretion may depend on increased IL-6 and IL-23 in peripheral blood of rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of Infliximab (IFX) plus methotrexate (MTX) combination therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Prospectively observe refractory RA patients who were treated with combination therapy of MTX and IFX. IFX was infused at the dosage of 3 mg/kg, in week 0, 2, 6, and then every 8 weeks. During treatment, clinical variables, disease activity and adverse effects were evaluated. RESULTS: After treatment, 69.8%, 52.4%, 29.5% and 7.2% RA patients achieved ACR20, ACR50, ACR70 and ACR90 respectively. There were significant statistical differences in the changes of swollen joint counts, tender joint counts, VAS scale, patient' s global assessment, and physician's global assessment before and after therapy. CONCLUSION: Infliximab plus MTX achieved significant efficacy and safety in refractory RA patients.