Objective To investigate the health condition of swimmers who swim in a river in Guangzhou city and to know the influencing factors in order to provide the scientific data for making the diseases control guide for swimmers swimming in the river.Methods The swimmers who swam in a river in Guangzhou city were selected and the cluster sampling survey was conducted by telephone interview and questionnaires in 2006.The statistic analysis of the data was done with the chi-square and Logistic regression.Results 17.9% of the investigated swimmers felt disconffortable in the first time to swim in the river,the main symptoms were eye and skin symptoms,12.2% had the same symptoms in second time to swim in the river,there was a significant difference between the prevalence rates of the eye symptoms.The Logistic regression analysis showed that the following factors were associated with the prevalence of discomfortable symptoms:age,gender,swimming with any kinds of tampon in unclean river water,in the first time to swim in the river and in the second time to swim in the river,the related OR values were 0.95 and 0.97,3.55 and 2.32,14.83 and 6.7.Other factors associated with the prevalence of discomfortable symptoms were as follows:swimming period in unclean fiver water,swimming stroke,chokes the water,times of choking water,using earplugs,head position in water,the related OR values were 1.06,0.50,2.1,1.22,0.44,1.65.Concousion To swim in the natural unclean river may cause the discomfort,the main problems are eye and skin symptoms.

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical characteristics of Streptococcus pneumonia-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (SP-HUS) in children.

METHODClinical and laboratory data of a pediatric case of SP-HUS were retrospectively analyzed and the key points of diagnosis and therapy were reviewed.

RESULTAn 18-month old girl was admitted with chief complaint of fever and cough for 5 days combined with mild labored breath. Breath sound was found weakened in right lung with lower lobe dullness on percussion. Laboratory tests revealed: WBC 3.7×10(9)/L, Hb 83 g/L, PLT 11×10(9)/L, C-reactive protein (CRP) > 180 mg/L. Morphological study of the RBCs showed marked anisocytosis and schistocytosis. Urinalysis showed 42.66 RBCs per high-power field, occult blood (+++), proteinura (++++). Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from blood, pleural fluid and sputum. Serotyping with simplified chessboard system was 3. The direct Coombs test was positive. Serum complement levels (C3 and C4) were depressed at 0.699 g/L, 0.064 g/L, respectively. Chest X-ray showed pleural effusion and infection of the right hemothorax. The computerized tomographic scan of the chest revealed pneumatoceles in the right lower lobe. The diagnosis on admission we considered was SP-HUS. Intravenous antibiotic therapy (vancomycin + cefoperazone/sulbactam) was administered. The renal replacement theraphy was administered to maintain electrolyte and fluid balances and adequate nutrition. Transfusions of washed red blood cells were administered to correct the anemia. One month after admission the patient was good with recovery. Liver and renal function recovered and the pneumonia was resolving, anemia and platelets were corrected. The direct Coombs test turned to be negative. Serum complement levels (C3 and C4) were normal. After 3-month follow-up, no clinical anomalies were detected.

CONCLUSIONSP-HUS should be suspected when the following occurs in the context of pneumococcal infections: microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, acute renal failure and a positive Coombs test result. Serotype 3 of SP was associated with HUS.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Biomarkers ; analysis ; Coombs Test ; Female ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome ; diagnosis ; etiology ; microbiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Infant ; Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Pleural Effusion ; etiology ; Pneumococcal Infections ; complications ; Radiography ; Retrospective Studies ; Serotyping ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; classification ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression features of glypican-3 (GPC-3) and its diagnostic and differential values in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSRat hepatoma models were made and the dynamic expression features of GPC-3 protein and its gene were investigated by Western blotting and RT-PCR respectively. Liver specimens from 36 HCC patients were collected by self-control method and the expression and clinicopathological features of GPC-3 were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Serum GPC-3 levels were quantitatively detected by ELISA and its efficiency for HCC diagnosis was evaluated in patients with liver diseases.

RESULTSThe incidence of GPC-3 was 0% in control, 83.3% in degeneration, 100% in precancerosis and 100% in canceration during dynamic formation of rat hepatoma, respectively. The positive GPC-3 was brown granule- like staining localized in membrane and cytoplasm in human HCC.

CONCLUSIONSThe GPC-3 positive rates were 80.6% in HCC, 41.7% in surrounding tissues and none in distal tissues (P < 0.01), respectively. No positive relationship presented between GPC-3 and differentiation grade or the number of tumor except of tumor size (Z = 2.941, P < 0.01). The incidence of serum GPC-3 was 52.8% in HCC patients except of one patient with cirrhosis. No significant differences were found between GPC-3 and sex, age, AFP, tumor number, Child classification or extrahepatic metastasis except of tumor size (χ² = 6.318, P < 0.05) and HBV infection (χ² = 23.362, P < 0.01). Combined detection of GPC-3 and AFP could rise up diagnosis of HCC. GPC-3 expression closely associated with HCC and might be useful for early diagnosis of HCC.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Glypicans ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the reversible effect of nilotinib, BrTet (5-bromotetrandrine) and their combination on multidrug resistance cell line K562/A02 and its mechanism.

METHODSCell proliferation inhibition was assessed by MTT method and cell apoptosis by flow cytometry (FCM). The expression of mdr1 mRNA was determined by RT-PCR, and the expression of P-gp was assessed by Western blot.

RESULTSAfter 48 h 5 nmol/L nilotinib or 0.5 µmol/L BrTet treatment, IC(50) of daunorubicin (DNR) to K562/A02 was 4.52 mg/L or 5.41 mg/L respectively; While on combinative treatment, its IC(50) decreased to 2.98 mg/L. Nilotinib or BrTet alone was not able to increase the DNR induced apoptosis rate of K562/A02 cell (P > 0.05), while on combination treatment the apoptosis rate increased remarkably. After 48 h 5 nmol/L nilotinib or 0.5 µmol/L BrTet treatment alone, gray-scale value of mdr1 mRNA was 0.48 ± 0.04 or 0.64 ± 0.01, respectively; while on combinative treatment the value decreased to 0.35 ± 0.04. The P-gp expression level in K562/A02 cells was 0.61 ± 0.05, or 0.52 ± 0.02 when treated with 5 nmol/L nilotinib or 0.5 µmol/L BrTet alone for 48 h, but on combination treatment, the level decreased to 0.44 ± 0.03.

CONCLUSIONNilotinib or BrTet alone can partially reverse drug resistance of K562/A02 cells. The mechanism may be associated with the decrease of mdr1 mRNA and P-gp expression and increase of the apoptosis rate. And there is a synergistic action with these two agants in combination.

ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family B, Member 1 ; metabolism ; Daunorubicin ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; drug effects ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; drug effects ; Humans ; K562 Cells

Throat swabs collected from patients whose serum was measles IgM negative and rubella IgM positive during 2001-2011 were used to conduct cell culture for rubella virus. After identification of cell culture with RT-PCR, nucleotide of gene E1 of rubella virus was amplified and sequenced, followed by molecular epidemiological analysis. A total of 31 rubella viruses were isolated from 60 throat swabs. Compared 27 isolates with the WHO reference strains of all genotypes, phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the amplified 739 nucleotide fragment. These isolates belonged to two different genotypes respectively. Isolates 11009, 11052 and 11106 in 2011 belonged to genotype 2B, and others belonged to genotype 1E. Most of mutations were nonsense mutation, and sequence of amino acid was highly conserved. Amino acid sequence of most isolates of genotype 1E was identical, which suggested rubella viruses from same transmission chain might be transmitted continually since 2001. Rubella virus genotype 2B was found to be popular for the first time in Shanghai in 2011. The nucleotide sequences of these genotype 2B isolates showed 99% identity compared with that of isolates recently from Vietnam, Japan and Argentina. The resources of these strains were not confirmed due to the absence of rubella virus surveillance before.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Rubella ; epidemiology ; virology ; Rubella virus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Sequence Alignment ; Viral Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVEA mouse model of orthotopic bladder cancer simulating its human counterpart is of great importance in preclinical evaluation of new treatment modalities such as immunotxin therapy. The aim of the present study is to establish a novel nude mouse model with xenografted human bladder cancer.

METHODSSingle cell suspension of an established human bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) cell line BIU-87 was instilled into nude mouse bladders which were pretreated with mild acid washing. The tumor growth in mouse bladder was assessed weekly by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). At intervals following implantation and MRI tumor detection, the animals were sacrificed for necropsy, histological examination and immunocytochemical studies.

RESULTSThe overall tumor establishment was 92.9% (52/56 mice) at 7 - 36 days, while in the subgroup of animals sacrificed at 12 - 13 days, 40 out of 42 animals (95.2%) developed TCC, the majority of which was superficial. The tumor stages were assessed by gross and histopathology. Histological examination confirmed the presence of grade II - III TCC. Immunocytochemistry confirmed that the tumor model maintained the biological and immunological features of BIU-87 cells. The changes seen on MRI images well correlated with the extent of tumor invasion identified by histology. Carcinoma in situ could be detected histologically at 7 - 9 days post-inoculation and progressed into papillary or invasive tumors thereafter.

CONCLUSIONThe orthotopic BIU-87 TCC model in nude mice is highly reproducible and is ideal for preclinical studies on experimental intravesical therapies.

Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; analysis ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; immunology ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Neoplasms, Experimental ; pathology ; Transplantation, Heterologous ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; immunology ; pathology

PURPOSE: Little is known about combination of the circulating Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) DNA and tumor volume in prognosis of stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients in the intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) era. We conducted this cohort study to evaluate the prognostic values of combining these two factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: By Kaplan-Meier, we compare the differences of survival curves between 385 patients with different EBV DNA or tumor volume levels, or with the combination of two biomarkers mentioned above. RESULTS: Gross tumor volume of cervical lymph nodes (GTVnd, p < 0.001) and total tumor volume (GTVtotal, p < 0.001) were both closely related to pretreatment EBV DNA, while gross tumor volume of nasopharynx (GTVnx, p=0.047) was weakly related to EBV DNA. EBV DNA was significantly correlated with progress-free survival (PFS, p=0.005), locoregional-free survival (LRFS, p=0.039), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS, p=0.017), while GTVtotal, regardless of GTVnx and GTVnd, had a significant correlation with PFS and LRFS. The p-values of GTVtotal for PFS and LRFS were 0.008 and 0.001, respectively. According to GTVtotal and pretreatment EBV DNA level, patients were divided into a low-risk group (EBV DNA 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal < 30 cm³; EBV DNA 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal ≥ 30 cm³; or EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal < 30 cm³) and a high-risk group (EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal ≥ 30 cm³). When patients in the low-risk group were compared with those in the high-risk group, 3-year PFS (p=0.003), LRFS (p=0.010), and DMFS (p=0.031) rates were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment plasma EBV DNA and tumor volume were both closely correlated with prognosis of stage II NPC patients in the IMRT era. Combination of EBV DNA and tumor volume can refine prognosis and indicate for clinical therapy.
Biomarkers ; Cohort Studies* ; DNA* ; Herpesvirus 4, Human* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Nasopharynx ; Plasma ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy* ; Tumor Burden*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical outcome and toxicity of induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) compared with CCRT alone for the treatment of children and adolescent locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LACANPC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 194 locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients youngerthan 21 years who received CCRT with or without IC before were included in the study population. Overall survival (OS) rate, progression-free survival (PFS) rate, locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) rate, and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rate were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method and a log-rank test. Treatment toxicities were clarified and compared between two groups. RESULTS: One hundred and thiry of 194 patients received IC+CCRT. Patients who were younger and with more advanced TNM stage were more likely to receive IC+CCRT and intensive modulated radiotherapy. The addition of IC before CCRT failed to improve survival significantly. The matched analysis identified 43 well-balanced patients in both two groups. With a median follow-up of 51.5 months, no differences were found between the IC+CCRT group and the CCRT group in 5-year OS (83.7% vs. 74.6%, p=0.153), PFS (79.2% vs. 73.4%, p=0.355), LRFS (97.7% vs. 88.2%, p=0.083), and DMFS (81.6% vs. 81.6%, p=0.860). N3 was an independent prognostic factor predicting poorer OS, PFS, and DMFS. The addition of IC was associated with increased rates of grade 3 to 4 neutropenia. CONCLUSION: This study failed to demonstrate that adding IC before CCRT could provide a significant additional survival benefit for LACANPC patients. Further investigations are warranted.
Adolescent* ; Chemoradiotherapy* ; Child* ; Cohort Studies* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Induction Chemotherapy* ; Methods ; Neutropenia ; Radiotherapy

Background and Objective: As an index of inflammation,neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)is regarded as one of prognostic factors of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study was to evaluate the correlation of preoperative NLR to the prognosis of young HCC patients after radical resection. Methods: Clinical data of 91 HCC patients with age of younger than 35 years who underwent radical resection from 2000 to 2005 were analyzed. According to preoperative NLR, the patients were divided into the low NLR group (NLR≤2) and the high NLR group (NLR＞2). The overall and disease-free survival rates of the two groups were compared.Results. The 1-and 3-year overall survival rates were 92.9% and 85.6% in the low NLR group,89.8% and 57.1% in the high NLR group;the 1-and 3-year disease-free survival rates were 85.3% and 80.0% in the low NLR group,69.1% and 43.5% in the high NLR group. The difference between the two groups was significant (P＜0.05). Cox multivariate analysis showed that preoperative NLR and tumor size were independent prognostic factors of disease-free survival and overall survival for young HCC patients after radical resection. Conclusion: Preoperative NLR＞2 was a negative prognostic factor of disease-free and overall survival for young HCC patients after radical resection.

OBJECTIVETo explore whether the vitamin D receptor gene (VDR) polymorphisms are associated with the outcomes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Chinese Han population.

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to detect the polymorphisms of Fok I locus in exon 2 and Taq I locus in exon 9 of VDR gene. One hundred and eighty-four chronic hepatitis B patients and 205 asymptomatic HBV carriers were recruited to make the comparison of frequencies of genotype and haplotype of the VDR gene between the patients and the carriers.

RESULTSThe univariate analysis showed a significant difference in Fok I polymorphism between chronic hepatitis B patients group and asymptomatic HBV carriers group. The FF genotype frequency in chronic hepatitis B patients group was 44.6%,higher than 31.7% in asymptomatic HBV carriers group (P<0.05). After adjusting the confounders by multiple logistic regression analysis, the result still showed a significant difference in Fok I site polymorphism between chronic hepatitis B patients group and asymptomatic HBV carriers group (OR=1.95, P<0.05). The FT haplotype frequency in chronic hepatitis B patients group was higher than that in asymptomatic HBV carriers group (OR=1.45, P<0.05). The fT haplotype frequency in chronic hepatitis B patients group was lower than that in asymptomatic HBV carriers group (OR=0.72, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONVDR gene polymorphism may be an influence factor of genetic susceptibility to HBV infection.

Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Hepatitis B ; genetics ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Receptors, Calcitriol ; genetics