1 英文结构式摘要的构成及内容要求医学论文摘要主要为结构式摘要(structured abstract) ，它由加拿大Mc Master大学临床流行病学和生物统计学教授Haynes博士[3]于1990年首先提出。同年，被美国《内科学纪事》(Ann Intern Med)率先采用[4]。据统计，目前世界上60%以上的生物医学期刊采用结构式摘要，我国大多数医学期刊都采用了4段式结构式摘要，即目的、方法、结果和结论[ 5，6 ]。
1.1 目的(Objective)：文献[7]指出，摘要的“目的”不能简单地重复文章题名;应该提供研究背景，这也是国际医学期刊编辑委员会的要求[8]。在摘要的“目的”中应简要说明提出问题的缘由，表明研究的国内外研究背景，特别是一些国内或世界首次报道的研究，阐明这些内容就更为重要。例如，《豚鼠听力衰退模型的AFLP分子标记筛选》(Screening of AFLP markers on the hearing-loss model of guinea pig)，其英文摘要的“目的”部分原译为: To screen amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers by whole genome scanning on the hearing-loss model of guinea pig and to reveal the molecular mechanism of presbycusis. 除了重复题名外，尚缺乏研究背景的阐明。宜修改为: The long fragment deletion of mitochondria DNA has important relation to hearing decline. But the effect of factors including karyogene should not be neglected. This study was designed to screen amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers by whole genome scanning on the hearing-loss model of guinea pig and to reveal the molecular mechanism of presbycusis. (国外研究显示了线粒体DNA的大片段缺失与听力衰退具有重要关系，但是，不能排除核基因等因素对听力衰退的作用。该研究获取了扩增片段长度多态性(AFLP)标记，以揭示老年性耳聋的分子发病机制。)修改后读者能清晰地了解到该项工作的研究背景，其研究目的亦非常明了。
1.2 方法(Methods)：简要说明研究课题的基本设计，使用材料和方法，如何分组对照，研究范围及精确程度，数据是如何取得的，经何种统计学方法处理。例如，原摘要中未进行分组介绍，修改后方法较详实，Methods: The vascular dementia (VD) rat model was established by permanent bilateral occlusion of both common carotid arteries. The rats were divided into 4 groups randomly as control， VD model (0.9% sodium chloride)， edaravone (3 mg/kg per day) and duxil groups (gastric perfusion， 20 mg/kg per day) after place navigation training. The treatment was from the 7th day after operation and lasted for 20 d. At the 1st and 2nd month the heads of rats were cut down for brain to measure the activity of COX and the change of genetic expression.
1.3 结果(Results)：简要列出研究的主要结果和数据及置信值、统计学显著性检验的确切值。只有列出了有意义的数据，让读者有个客观的比较，研究结果才让人可信，才更具说服力[8]。例如，Results 3 and 7 d after MCAO， the neurological deficiency score in FNs group (2.25±0.46 and 1.0±0.82 respectively) had no significant difference from those (2.33±0.82 and 1.43±0.79) at same time point in MCAO group. It was decreased to 0.50±0.55 at 14 d after MCAO in FNs group ，which was significantly different from 1.25±0.71 in MCAO group (P<0.05). The level of of GAP-43 mRNA expression in FNs group at 12 h and 3 d posterior of MCAO (0.70±0.23 and 1.44±0.62，respectively) had no significant difference from those (0.57±0.25 and 1.18±0.42) in MCAO group(P>0.05). At 7 d and 14 d time point， they reached the height of 3.03±1.45 and 1.82±0.9 respectively in FNs group， significantly higher than 1.55±0.72 and 0.92±0.52 in MCAO group(P<0.05)。原文未提供具体的有统计学意义的数据，修改后更具有说服力。
