China is among the middle-high endemic regions of HBV infection.The pathological outcomes of chronic HBV infection have been shown to be greatly influenced by several important factors,including HBV genotype,sub-genotype and gene viability mutation.HBV genome mutation,on the one hand,could alter its replication and secretion and thus change viral pathogenicity.In addition,host immune microenvironment and host-virus interaction,disease progression and the effect of antiviral therapy could be adapted at the same time.The detection of HBV genotypes,genetic subtypes and the key hotspot mutation is helpful to clinical risk assessment and prognosis prediction of HBV-related end-stage liver diseases (cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma),it is also helpful to auxiliary predict the liver diseases recurrence and metastasis after treatment.Thus persistent care should be taken on the HBV mutation and its clinical translation so as to provide solid evidences for the personalized,standardized and fine management of HBV-related liver diseases.

The natural history of chronic HBV infection is diverse and variable, ranging from inactive carriers to progressive chronic hepatitis B ( CHB), cirrhosis and hepatocelluar carcinoma.It is estimated that 93 million people are chronically infected with HBV and 20 million cases suffering from chronic hepatitis B in China.Hepatocelluar carcinoma has been the second leading cause of death for male in China.Liver cirrhosis and HCC which have high mortality and morbidity have become the heavy burden for the limited medication resource of China.Here the current clinical applications and consensus progression based on antigen and nuclear acid detection were acknowledged.The reasonable application as well as appropriate clinical interpretation are emphasized indicating that laboratory medicine practitioners should be more actively involved in clinical diagnosis and treatment.More efforts and contributions should be made by the laboratory medicine practitioner for optimizing clinical management of HBV-related diseases in future.

Objective To investigate the oxidative mechanism of homocysteine ( Hey) -induced apoptosis in endothelial progenitor cells( EPCs). Methods Total mononuclear cells were isolated from mouse bone marrow by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation and were cultured in vitro for 7 d. Adherent cells were harvested and identified by fluorescence microscopy. EPCs were cultured with Hey (0, 50, 100 and 500 μmol/L) for 12, 24 and 48 h, or pretreated with NAC (1 mmol/L), DPI( 10 μmol/L) or SB203580 (10 μmol/L) for 30 min, then cultured with 500 μmol/L Hey for 24 h. Apoptosis was detected by Annexin-V/PI flow cytometry, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells were measured using H2DCF-DA as a fluorescence probe, NADPH oxidases were evaluated with lucigenin-enhanced chemilumine9cence, and NO in the supernatant was determined by nitrate reductase assay. Results Hey induced EPCs apoptosis, ROS accumulation, NADPH oxidase activation and decrease of NO in a time-dose dependent manner( P <0.05 or P < 0.01). Pretreatment with NAC, DPI and SB203580 could inhibit these effects (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Conclusion Hey could activate NADPH oxidase, induce ROS increase and NO decrease, and activate p38MAPK to enhance EPCs apoptosis.

Objective To observe the expression and distribution of IL 10 in local vessel after balloon injury in rat and study its significance in the response of artery injury Methods RT PCR and Western Blot as well as immunohistochemical method were used to assay the changes of IL 10′s mRNA as well as expression and distribution of protein Results There is no expression of IL 10 in vascular wall of normal rat After Balloon injury, the level of IL 10 mRNA and product of IL 10 was up regulated, and immunohistochemiscal staining showed immunoreactive IL 10 mainly in smooth muscle cells Conclusion IL 10 is expressed in balloon injured aorta and may contribute to the modulation of the local inflammatory response

To evaluate the feasibility of using polyethyleneimine (PEI) coated magnetic iron.oxide nanoparticles (polyMAG-1000) as gene vectors. The surface characteristics of the nanoparticles were observed with scanning electron microscopy. The ability of the nanoparticles to combine with and protect DNA was investigated at different PH values after polyMAG-1000 and DNA were combined in different ratios. The nanoparticles were tested as gene vectors with in vitro transfection models. Under the scanning electron microscope the nanoparticles were about 100 nm in diameter. The nanoparticles could bind and condense DNA under acid, neutral and alkaline conditions, and they could transfer genes into cells and express green fluorescent proteins (GFP). The transfection efficiency was highest (51%) when the ratio of nanoparticles to DNA was 1:1 (v:w). In that ratio, the difference in transfection efficiency was marked depending on whether a magnetic field was present or not: about 10% when it was absent but 51% when it was present. The magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles coated with PEI may potentially be used as gene vectors.
Breast Neoplasms/metabolism ; Breast Neoplasms/*pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Ferric Compounds/*chemistry ; Ferric Compounds/metabolism ; Gene Targeting ; Genetic Vectors ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; Magnetics ; Nanotechnology ; Particle Size ; Polyethyleneimine/chemistry ; Transfection/methods

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of using TRAIL gene to treat breast cancer mediated with a novel carrier - magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (poly-MAG-1000) coated with PEI. The magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were used as gene carrier to transfect TRAIL gene into MCF-7 cells. The polyMAG-1000 without TRAIL gene was transfected into the tumor cells as negative control. TRAIL gene transfection with liposome as carrier served as positive control. The apoptosis of cells was detected with TUNEL method. The apoptosis ratio of tumor cells was measured with flow cytometry (FCM). It was found that the apoptosis occurred in the tumor cells after transfection of TRAIL gene mediated by both polyMAG-1000 and liposome. The apoptosis ratio in the group with polyMAG-1000 as gene carrier was (25.11+/-2.85) %, whereas it was (5.06+/- 1.05) % in the control group with polyMAG-1000 (P<0.01). The apoptosis ratio was as low as (18.31+/-2.44) % in the group with liposome as gene carrier (P<0.05, as compared with the group with polyMAG-1000 as gene carrier). It is suggested that TRAIL gene may induce apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles coated with PEI may be a potential gene carrier with high transfection efficacy for cancer gene therapy..

Objective To investigate the expression of astrocyte elevated gene 1(AEG-1) in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) and its clinicalpathological significance .Methods The expression of AEG-1 in NSCLC tissues and adjacent normal lung tissues was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot .The expression of AEG-1 in 87 NSCLC samples and 54 non-cancerous lung tissues was ex-amined with immunohistochemistry .Results RT-PCR and Western blot indicated that AEG-1 was more expressed in NSCLC tis-sues compared with adjacent normal lung tissues .The positive rate of AEG-1 in NSCLC tissues was 52 .9% ,which was significantly higher than that in non-cancerous lung tissues .The difference between the two groups was significant (P=0 .007) .Relevance was analyzed between the expression of AEG-1 and clinicalpathological characteristic .The expression of AEG-1 was positively correlated with T stage and N stage(P<0 .05) .Conclusion AEG-1 was specifically up-regulated in NSCLC tissues compared with non-can-cerous lung tissues ,suggesting that AEG-1 may play an important role in tumor development and progression ,and could be identi-fied as a biomarker for diagnosis of NSCLC .

Objective To explore the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and thyroid diseases by analyzing the abnormal status of thyroid hormone and antibodies in T2DM patients and the healthy control group.Methods The serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH),free triiodothyronine (FT3),free thyroxine (FT4),anti-thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb)and anti -thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb)were measured in 396 patients with T2DM and 411 healthy persons.Results In the healthy group,the incidence rate of abnormal thyroid hormone was 7.5%,in which the male was 5.5% and female was 9.4%,the incidence rate of subclinical hypothyroidism in females was 4.7%,which was higher than 1.5% in males,there was statistically significant difference between them(P <0.05);the positive rate of TPOAb in the healthy control group was 10.2% and the positive rate of TGAb was 6.6%;in T2DM patients,the incidence rate of thyroid hormone abnormalities was 16.2%,which in males and females were 12.3% and 20.5% respectively,among them the incidence rate of subclinical hypothyroidism in females was 9.2%,which was significantly higher than 4.3% in males,the difference had statistical significance (P <0.01),T2DM patients with subclinical hypo-thyroidism accounted for 40.6% of thyroid dysfunction incidence rate;the positive rate of TPOAb was 15.2% and the positive rate of TGAb was 7.1 %.Conclusion The incidence rate of thyroid diseases in T2DM patients is significantly increased compared with the healthy control group,subclinical hypothyroidism in females is predominant;screening thyroid autoantibodies and monitoring FT3,FT4 and TSH at regular intervals in T2DM have the important clinical significance for evaluating the disease condition,jud-ging prognosis and guiding treatment.

AIM:To investigate the effect of trichostatin A(TSA)on p27kip1 gene expression in vascular smooth muscle cells.METHODS:Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)was used to measure the level of p27kip1 mRNA.The protein levels of p27kip1 and S-phase kinase-associated protein-2(skp2)were determined by Western blotting.20S proteasome activity was quantified by using a fluorogenic proteasome-specific substrate.RESULTS:TSA did not affect mRNA level of p27kip1 in VSMCs,but attenuated serum-induced downregulation of p27kip1 through stabilizing p27kip1 turnover.In addition,TSA decreased the expression of skp2,an F-box protein that targets p27kip1 for degradation,but had no effect on proteasome activity.CONCLUSION:TSA regulates p27kip1 expression at the post-translational level in VSMCs.

BACKGROUND:As a neurotrophic factor, basic fibroblast growth factors extensively distribute in the central nervoussystem,andplay an important physiological roleby combinationwith their relative receptors.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of basic fibroblast growth factors on the learning ability and proliferation of nestin-positive hippocampal neural stem cels in rats with vascular dementia.
METHODS:Totaly 30 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into vascular dementia, sham operation and treatment groups. The vascular dementia and treatment groups were for preparing vascular dementia model, and the treatment group was given subcutaneous injection of basic fibroblast growth factors. Subsequently, at 4 weeks, the learning ability of rats and the number of nestin-positive hippocampal neural stem cels was detected by the Morris water maze test and immunohistochemical staining, respectively.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with thevascular dementia groupthe latency period was significantlyshorterin thesham operation and treatment groups, and the number oftimes crossing the target quadrant was significantlyhigher in thesham operation and treatment groups (P< 0.05). But there was no significant difference between the sham operation and treatment groups(P> 0.05). Under fluorescence microscope, yelow-green fluorescence stained neuronspositive forbasic fibroblast growth factorcould be found in the CA1, CA2 and CA3 of the treatment group. Additionaly, the number of nestin-positive neurons in the CA1 area of the hippocampus was the most inthetreatment group, folowed by the sham operation group, andthe leastin the vascular dementia group. These results suggest that the subcutaneous injection of basic fibroblast growth factors can migrate to the hippocampus,, andimprove the learning ability of rats by inducing proliferation of nestin-positive hippocampal neural stem cels.