Objective To investigate the association between peripheral white blood cell count including its subtypes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and one-year all-cause mortality in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients.Methods A total of 371 MHD patients at Zhongshan Hospital,Fudan University between March 2009 and February,2011 were enrolled.Demographic,hematological,nutritional and inflammatory markers were obtained.All patients were followed for one year to investigate the risks for CVD event and mortality.Spearman correlation and linear regression were used to assess the relationship between white blood cell count and other laboratory parameters.Difference in categorical factors between two groups were determined with Chi-square test,Difference in continuous values between two groups were assessed with t test.Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards model were applied to assess one-year mortality predictors.Results Patients with CVD event had lower lymphocyte count level (1.17±0.38 vs 1.34±0.51,P＜ 0.05) and higher monocyte count level (0.44 ± 0.15 vs 0.37 ± 0.15,P＜0.01) than those without CVD event.Cox proportional hazard regression showed that an increased lymphocyte count was associated with reduced mortality risk,95％CI:0.136-0.719,P ＜ 0.01) and that an increased monocyte count was associated with increased mortality risk,95％ CI:2.657-74.396,P＜0.01) after adjustment for hsCRP.Conclusion Decreased lymphocyte level and increased monocyte level are significantly related to CVD event and are independent predictors of increased one-year all-cause mortality risk in MHD patients.

The spores suspension of Streptomyces roseosporus D-38 irritated with 20mW He-Ne laser for 20 min were incubated on G1 medium plates containing 1. 9?g/mL of streptomycin. Ten percent of mutants increased the potency of daptomycin by streptomycin-resistance method, including the mutant LC-54, which could produce daptomycin 81. 2 mg/L, which was 39% higher than that of the beginning strain by flask fermentation.

Adult ; Aortic Rupture ; surgery ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Septal Occluder Device ; Sinus of Valsalva ; surgery ; Young Adult

AIMTo investigate the transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) expressions in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and the effect of beta-radiation.

METHODSTGF-beta1 and bFGF expression was studied by means of an immunohistochemical method in nine normal prostatic (NP) tissues, 15 hyperplastic prostatic tissues and 35 hyperplastic prostatic tissues treated with 90Sr/90Y.

RESULTSThe TGF-beta1 expression in the epithelium and stroma of normal prostatic tissues was 68.2 % +/- 10.5 % and 29.7 % +/- 4.6 %, respectively, while it was 64.8 % +/- 9.3 % and 28.6 % +/- 4.1 %, respectively, in hyperplastic prostatic tissues. Compared with the controls, TGF-beta1 expression in the epithelia and stroma of BPH treated with 90Sr/90Y increased significantly (P <0.01). The bFGF expression in epithelia and stroma of normal prostatic tissues was 17.4 % +/- 3.7 % and 42.5 % +/- 6.8 %, respectively, and was 46.3 % +/- 8.2 % and 73.2 % +/- 12.1 %, respectively, in hyperplastic prostatic tissues. Compared with the controls, expressions of bFGF in the epithelia and stroma of BPH treated with a 90Sr/90Y prostatic hyperplasia applicator decreased significantly (P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONExposure of beta-rays had noticeable effects on BPH tissues, enhancing TGF-beta1 expression and inhibiting bFGF expression.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Beta Particles ; Case-Control Studies ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; metabolism ; radiation effects ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostate ; metabolism ; radiation effects ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; metabolism ; radiotherapy ; Strontium Radioisotopes ; therapeutic use ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; metabolism ; radiation effects ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Yttrium Radioisotopes ; therapeutic use

Objective:To methodologically establish the lentivirus granule packaging, concentration and infection against CD34~+ cells from umbilical blood. Methods:The lentivirus system of the 3~(rd) generation was used to produce the virus. Ultrafiltration and ultracentrifugation were employed to concentrate virus. Several treatments were used to improve virus infection including in vitro amplification culture, facilitation of rest cells into cell cycle, promotion of cell adhesion and immobilization during infection, and repeat infection methods. Results:CD34~+ cells were not obviously changed by checking the expression level of CD34 marker on the cell surface after 48 h culture. After two-step concentration, virus titer was increased up to 5.06×10~7/ml, and the infection rate against CD34~+ cells from umbilical blood was increased up to 37.7%.Conclusion:Lentivirus supernatant with over 10~7/ml titer can be obtained using the above methods. Efficient infection against CD34~+ cells from umbilical blood can be achieved.

Objective To explore the risk factors of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and the its relationship with T cell subsets to provide a foundation for the prevention and treatment of PAH.Methods 154 maintained hemodialysis (MHD) patients in our dialysis center were recruited according to the criterion and divided into two groups subsequently:PAH group (pulmonary artery systolic pressure,PASP ＞ 35 mmHg) and non-PAH group (PASP≤35 mmHg).The related clinical,biochemical and ultrasonic cardiogram data were collected and peripheral blood was acquired to detect the expressions of the surface antigen CD3,CD4,CD8 and CD69 with flow cytometry.Logistic regression analysis was used to find out the relationship between PAH and T cell subsets.Results There was no significant difference between 56 cases of PAH and 98 cases of non-PAH as regards gender,age,mean systolic and diastolic pressure,dialysis durations,morbidities of hypertension and diabetes,smoking rate,and left ventricular diameter.Compared with the non-PAH group,the PAH group demonstrated a lower percent of CD8 T cells and CD8 CD69 T cells,but a much higher left atrial diameter (LAD),Interventricular septum thickness,left ventricular posterior wall thickness,and NT-proBNP.The percentage of T cells,CD4 T cells and CD4 CD69 T cells showed no difference between the two groups.Multivariate analysis confirmed that PAH was negatively independently associated with the percentage of CD8 T cells and CD8CD69 T cells.Conclusions The decreased percentage of CD8 T cells and CD8CD69 T cells in the peripheral blood is a risk factor of PAH in maintained hemodialysis patients,and CD8 T cells may play an important role in the genesis of PAH.

AIMTo study the mechanism of the therapeutic angiogenesis effect of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) implantation on rat acute myocardial infarction models.

METHODSThe rat acute myocardial infarction models were made by coronary artery ligation and divided into 2 groups at random. In the experiment group, twice passaged BMSCs were labeled with BrdU and then implanted into the infarction region of the recipients in 4 weeks. The control group was the model rats received only DMEM injection. In control group, the hearts were harvested on the day 3, 7, 14, 28, 42 and 56. The infarction regions were examined to identify the angiogenesis and the expression of the VEGF and bFGF. In experiment group, the hearts were examined on the day 42 and 56 after AMI (the day 14 and 28 after cells implantation).

RESULTSViable cells labeled with BrdU could be identified in host hearts. Histologic examination found most donor cells within the infarction region expressed fibroblastic and endothelial phenotype. The transplantation regions had a greater capillary density than the control regions did (14 +/- 4.7/HPF vs 6 +/- 2.4/HPF, P < 0.05). In the control group, the expression of VEGF and bFGF within the infarction regions peaked on day 7, and then decreased over time. In the experiment groups, the expression of bFGF and VEGF on the day 42 and 56 had a higher level than the control group did.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of VEGF and bFGF is significantly increased after cells therapy during the late phase of AMI. It indicates that BMSCs implantation promoted the angiogenesis is mediated by its differentiation into endothelium and the increased release of VEGF and bFGF.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Female ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; metabolism ; Myocardial Infarction ; surgery ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Stromal Cells ; transplantation ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

Objective:To classify the symptom characteristics of young and middle-aged peritoneal dialysis patients and to explore the differences of demographic functional status and social function of patients with different symptom categories.Methods:A total of 179 peritoneal dialysis patients from 3 peritoneal dialysis centers in Shanghai were investigated from December 2019 to August 2020 by General Information Questionnaire, Peritoneal Dialysis Symptom Distress Scale. Latent class analysis was used to classify young and middle-aged peritoneal dialysis patients according to symptom characteristics. Multiple Logistic regression was used to explore the differences of demographic and disease characteristics of different categories of patients.Results:Peritoneal dialysis patients could be divided into three potential categories according to symptom characteristics ( P<0.05). According to the conditional probability of each category, they were named "low symptom group" (111 cases,62.0%), "high psychological-moderate physical symptom group" (22 cases, 12.3%), "high symptom group" (46 cases,25.7%). There were differences in working status ( OR=0.029, P<0.01), education level ( OR=152.799, P<0.01), duration ( OR=81.307, P<0.05), diabetic nephropathy ( OR=80.619, P<0.01) and CCI score ( OR=91.188, P<0.01) distribution among different potential categories of young and middle-aged peritoneal dialysis patients. Conclusions:There are three types of potential symptoms in young and middle-aged patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. In clinical practice, medical staff should focus on the psychological status of young and middle-aged patients with low educational background and early stage of dialysis, and encourage them to return to work; at the same time, they should regularly evaluate the symptom burden of patients with diabetic nephropathy and high complication index peritoneal dialysis patients, in order to provide targeted intervention measures to prevent the progression of the disease.

OBJECTIVEThe severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a highly contagious infection caused by a newly discovered strain of coronavirus (SARS-CoV). During the outbreak of SARS in the first half of 2003, children appeared to be less susceptible to the SARS coronavirus and pediatric patients presented with a less aggressive clinical course than adult patients did, demonstrating the traits which were rarely observed in other viral contagious disease. The present study aimed to preliminarily examine the presence of serum specific antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus virus (SARS-CoV) in pediatric SARS patients and explore the possibility of subclinical infection in children/adults through close association with SARS cases.

METHODS(1) Clinicians and nurses visited families and collected general and epidemiological information about the subjects using a standard questionnaire and took serum specimens. (2) Specific antibodies against SARS-CoV were assayed with two methods, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for detecting IgG antibodies and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for mixed antibodies. Serum specimens tested included those from 21 clinically confirmed pediatric SARS cases (aged from 8 months to 14 years, 11 male and 10 female) and their 23 parents who had close contact with the children, 36 adult patients in convalescence stage of SARS, 24 children (aged 1.5 to 14 years) and other 34 adults who had close contact with infected adults.

RESULTS(1) The positive rates of specific IgG and mixed antibodies against SARS-CoV were 38% (8/21) and 33% (7/21) in pediatric cases; whereas the rates were 75% (27/36) and 69% (25/36) in adult patients. (2) The proportion of the patients who had close contact to SARS patients was 7/8 among the antibody-positive group vs. 1/13 for the antibody-negative group (P < 0.05). (3) The IgG antibody emerged in one of 24 children, whose mother, a nurse, had suffered from SARS (4%). (4) Among 23 parents of children with SARS, one was positive for IgG and the mixed antibodies, whose grandson and husband suffered from SARS; The IgG antibody and the mixed antibodies were also positive in another adult who had close contact with adult SARS cases (3%).

CONCLUSIONS(1) SARS-CoV infection was confirmed by serological methods in 38.1% of clinically diagnosed pediatric SARS cases, which leads to the assumption that correct diagnosis of pediatric SARS requires more accurate and efficient ways, for example, screening for antigen or gene of SARS-CoV. (2) The proportion of the patients who had close contact to SARS patients among antibody-positive cases was higher than that in antibody-negative cases. (3) It is possible that subclinical SARS CoV infection exists in children and adults, although the rate of occurrence is low. The data of the present study did not confirm that SARS had subclinical infection among adults who had close contact to pediatric SARS cases.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; immunology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; immunology ; Infant ; Male ; SARS Virus ; immunology ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; blood ; epidemiology ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the abnormal abundances of calcium regulatory proteins in rabbit myocytes with failing hearts.

METHODSSixteen rabbits were divided into two groups: 8 rabbits with heart failure induced by volume plus pressure overload and 8 sham-operated animals. The hemodynamic parameters and cardiac structure and function were detected via catheterization and echocardiography respectively. L-type calcium channel (LTCC), Ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2), Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA2a), and Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX) protein abundances were determined by Western blot analysis.

RESULTSThe ratio of left ventricular mass to body weight, heart rate and left ventricular end diastolic pressure in heart failure rabbits were significantly increased compared with sham-operated rabbits (P < 0.01), but their left ventricular shorten fraction [(21.3 +/- 4.00)% vs. (36.5 +/- 1.36)%] and ejection fraction (0.45 +/- 0.07 vs. 0.70 +/- 0.02) were decreased (P < 0.01). In heart failure rabbits, the abundances of LTCC and RyR2 were significantly decreased (R(LTCC/actin): 0.287 +/- 0.029 vs. 0.624 +/- 0.009; R(RyR2/actin): 0.106 +/- 0.001 vs. 0.203 +/- 0.011; P < 0.01), whereas the expressions of SERCA2a and NCX were markedly increased (R(NCX/actin): 0.497 +/- 0.015 vs. 0.221 +/- 0.014; R(SERCA2a/actin): 0.611 +/- 0.036 vs. 0.433 +/- 0.008; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSReductions of LTCC and RyR2 might contribute to risk factors of systolic dysfunction in failing hearts. In early stage of heart failure, upregulated SERCA2a and NCX protein levels may be helpful for maintaining cardiac performance.

Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Female ; Heart Failure ; metabolism ; Male ; Rabbits ; Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel ; metabolism ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ; chemistry ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases ; metabolism