Objective To study the relationship between the levels of serum IL-6, TNF-? and L-carnitine and atherosclerosis in hemodialysis patients. Methods 43 cases of hemodialysis patients and 33 cases of healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. The serum levels of IL-6, TNF-? and free L-carnitine were measured. Carotid artery atherosclerosis plague was detected by type B echocardiogaphy. Results Serum IL-6 and TNF-? levels significantly increased in hemodialysis patients than those in healthy subjects. Frequency of serum free L-carnitine deficiency(

10.3969/j.issn.1000-3606.2013.06.013

Objective To generate a comD gene knock-out mutant of Streptococcus pneumoniae,and determine the correlation of comD gene and the bacterial resistance against β-lactam antibiotics and understand the effect of closantel down-regulating comD, comE and comC mRNA levels. Methods A suicide plasmid pEVP3comD was constructed for comD gene knock-out and a comD gene knock-out mutant (comD-)was generated through homologous recombination and insertion inactivation. PCR and immunofluorescence method were used to identify the comD- mutant and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was applied to detect the changes of comD, comE and comC mRNA levels before and after closantel treatment in comD-mutant and wild-type strain. Double agar dilution method was performed to determine the sensitivity of comD- mutant and wild-type strain to penicillin G and cefotaxime. Results The comD gene in genome DNA of the generated comD- mutant was inactivated by sequencing and immunofluorescence detection. 50 μ mol/L or 100 μmol/L closantel had a function to down-regulate the comD, comE and comC mRNA levels ( P ＜ 0. 05) whereas 25 μmol/L closantel did not. Both the MIC values of penicillin G and cefotaxime inhibiting comD- mutant were 32 μg/ml which was significantly higher than that of wild-type strain (0.06 μg/ml and 1 μg/ml). Conclusion In this study a comD gene knock-out mutant of S. pneumoniae was successfully generated. There is a close correlation between comD gene and β-lactam antibiotics resistance of S. pneumoniae. Closantel has a function to inhibit the competence formation of S. pneumoniae through down-regulating the transcription levels of comD, comE and comC genes.

To explore the effects of exercise and Danzhi Jiangtang Capsule (DJC), a compound traditional herbal medicine, on the JNK signaling pathway in pancreatic tissues of diabetic rats and to investigate the possible mechanisms of exercise and DJC in treating diabetes.

Objective To investigate the relationship of B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP),Creactive protein(CRP)and left ventricular diastolic function with cardio-and cerebrovascular disease (CVD)in the elderly patients with hemodialysis.Methods 96 elderly patients with hemodialysis were divided into CVD group(n =35)and non CVD control group(n =61).The patients were followed up once a month for 24 to 30 months.The baseline anthropometric and laboratory parameters were measured.The ratio of mitral peak flow velocity(E)and peak velocities at mitral annuluses (Em)during early diastole of left ventricular was recorded by doppler echocardiography.The time and cause of hospitalization and mortality by CVD were documented.Results The levels of CRP and BNP were significantly higher in CVD group than in control group[(3.1 ± 6.7)mg/L vs.(1.8 ± 1.2)mg/L,(1345.2±1427.8)pmol/L vs.(719.8±1073.8)pmol/L](t=2.14 and-2.82,P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).The ratio of E/ Em was increased in CVD group as compared with control group(t=5.23,P＜0.01).Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the morbidity of CVD events was enhanced(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01)at BNP≥500 pmol/L,CRP≥1.5 mg/L and E/Em≥17 which were the independent risk factors of CVD events for the elderly patients with hemodialysis by COX regression model.There was positive correlation between LogBNP and E /Em(r =0.23,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Higher levels of BNP,CRP and E/Em may predict the increasing risks of CVD in the elderly patients with hemodialysis.

Objective To investigate the application and clinical significance of 24-hour multichannel intraaluminal impedance-pH (MII-pH) monitoring in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).Methods Fiftythree patients with GERD were enrolled in this study according to the Montreal consensus (consulting for twice reflux a week or above) from July 2011 to June 2012.Patients were divided into erosive esophagitis (EE,n =25)group and non-erosive reflux disease (NERD,n =28) group after endoscopy and MII-pH monitoring.Fifteen healthy volunteers were recruited as the normal controls.The change of pH and MII-pH parameters were compared among the three groups and the significance of the change was investigated.Results Twenty-four-hour pH monitoring showed that all the acid reflux events in the EE and the NERD groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (P ＜ 0.05).MII-pH monitoring showed that the frequencies of total reflux,acid reflux,weakly acidic reflux and percentage of acid reflux in the GERD group were higher than in the control group (total reflux:83 (54,118) vs.62 (44,111) vs.42 (20,70),P =0.003 ; acid reflux:45 (25,79) vs.22 (11,45) vs.3(1,10),P =0.000 ;weakly acidic reflux:36(18,47) vs.43(21,82) vs.23(11,43),P =0.001 ;percentage of acid reflux:53％ (37％,81％) vs.32％ (13％,48％) vs.11％ (1％,23％),P =0.002).The frequency and percentage of acid reflux in the EE group were higher than those in the NERD group (P =0.000)The percentage of weakly acidic reflux in the NERD group was higher than in the EE group (66％ (43％,79％) vs.46％ (21％,57％),P ＜0.01).The frequencies of liquid reflux and mixed reflux in the GERD groups were higher than those in the control group (22 (12,40) vs.18 (12,26) vs.9 (4,18) ; 54 (39,79) vs.42 (25,77) vs.29(14,48) ;P ＜0.01).The frequency of gas reflux in the control group was higher than in the GERD group (86(56,207) vs.31 (14,62) vs.34 (15,119),P ＜ 0.01).The frequency and percentage of proximal reflux in the GERD group were significantly higher than in the control group (28(18,41) vs.16(12,34) vs.3 (2,9) ; 33％ (22％,49％) vs.29％ (22％,35％) vs.11％ (6％,22％),P ＜ 0.001).The percentage of symptom positive index in patients with acid reflux,non-acidic reflux and total reflux in the EE group were 36.0％ (9/25),20.0％ (5/25) and 56.0％ (14/25) respectively which were higher than in the NERD group (21.4％ (6/28),14.3％ (4/28) and 35.7％ (10/28)).Conclusion MII-pH monitoring can detect more reflux events.Acid reflux plays an important role in GERD.The detective rate of GERD will be elevated when combined with MII-pH monitoring in the diagnosis.MII-pH monitoring has a distinct advantage in diagnosing GERD.

ObjectiveTo establish a novel rapid detection method based on PCR-single-strand-conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) to determine mutation of streptomycin-resistance associated rpsL and rrs genes in isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).MethodsStreptomycin-resistance of 112 MTB isolates was detected using the routine drug susceptibility test,and a special PCR-SSCP assay was established.The mutations of rpsL and rrs genes in streptomycin-resistant MTB isolates were detected by PCR-SSCP and PCR direct sequencing (PCR-DS) ; the results from two techniques were compared.Results All isolates had both rpsL and rrs genes.Fifty-two isolates (46.4％) were streptomycin susceptible,in which only 1 isolate showed abnormal PCR-SSCP fragments from rrs gene,and the specificity of PCR-SSCP was 98.1％ (51/52).Sixty isolates (53.6％) were streptomycin-resistant,in which 46 (76.6％) and 11 ( 18.3％ ) isolates presented the abnormal PCR-SSCP fragments of rpsL and rrs gene,respectively.One streptomycin-resistant isolate showed abnormal PCR-SSCP fragments from both rpsL and rrs genes.The sensitivity of PCR-SSCP was 93.3％ (56/60).ConclusionThe PCR-SSCP that established in this study is a specific and sensitive method for rapid detection of the streptomycin-resistance associated mutations in rpsL and rrs genes of MTB.

Objective To observe the expression of MMP-1, TNF-a in cholesteatoma and to determine their roles in the destruction of bone and their correlation. Methods Immunohistochemical method and the computer image quantitative analysis were used to examine the expression of TNF-α and MMP-1 in 22 cases of chotesteatomamiddle ear and 20 cases of normal external acoustic meatus skin. Results Positive stainings of MMP-1 and TNF-α were both localized in cytoplasm. The MMP-1 positive cells were found in all strata of cholesteatoma epithelium and active multiplication stromal cell. TNF-α was expressed in both epithlium and stromal cells. The results of the computer image quantitative analysis showed that the mean optical density of MMP-1 (0. 2013±0. 0106) and TNF-α (0.3852±0.0318) in cholesteatoma were higher than that in normal skin epithelial tissue( P＜0.05 ). Conclusion (1)MMP-1 and TNF-α are overexpressed in cholesteatoma. (2)MMP-1 and TNF-α have a correlation in their expression. (3)MMP-1 and TNF-α are both observed in stromal cells which indicates that stromal cells play an irnportant role in bone destruction.

OBJECTIVE To explore the changes in gene expression in patients with allergic rhinitis(AR). METHODS 14500 gene DNA microarray(Affymetrix) was used to examine the gene expression in 6 AR nasal mucosal samples and 6 normal nasal mucosal samples.The differentially expressed genes were identified and subjected to real time RT-PCR analysis. RESULTS Compared with normal sinus tissues,161 genes were found to be differentially expressed in AR samples.Forty-seven genes were upregulated,114 genes were downregulated.The differentially expressed genes mostly involved in immune transcription regulatory molecules,signal transduction.Real-time RT-PCR results of CCL20,GPK4 were consistent with that of gene chip analysis.CONCLUSION Microarray expression profile of AR samples is differential.GPK4 and CCL20 may play an important role in cell signal transduction in mechanisms of AR.

Objective To investigate whether there is any difference in aortic stiffness among different hypertension subtypes in patients with chronic kidney disease.Methods Six hundred and twenty-six patients with chronic kidney disease were included in the present analysis.They were classified into four groups:normotension (n =391) with systolic blood pressure (SBP) ＜ 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ＜ 90 mmHg; isolated systolic hypertension (ISH,n =141) with SBP≥ 140mmHg and DBP ＜ 90 mmHg; isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH,n =25) with SBP ＜ 140 mmHg and DBP≥ 90 mmHg; systolic-diastolic hypertension (SDH,n =69) with SBP≥ 140 mmHg and DBP≥ 90mmHg.Aortic stiffness was assessed by pulse pressure and pulse wave velocity.Results The IDH group had lower mean age than the other groups(P ＜ 0.01).The percentage of diabetes in the ISH group was higher than that in the other groups.The comparison of aortic stiffness showed that the ISH and SDH groups had higher aortic stiffness than the normotension and IDH groups (P ＜ 0.01),but no significant difference in aortic stiffness was observed neither between the normotension and IDH groups nor between ISH and SDH groups.Conclusion Aortic stiffness is significantly different among different hypertension subtypes,which may be an underlying cause for the different cardiovascular mortality among the hypertension subtypes.