The T helper cell 17 (Th17) has important relationship with liver failure caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV).Some studies found that mature,differentiation and proliferation of Th17 cells have a close relationship with interleukin 23,newly discovered in recent years,which function of immune and regulatory mechanism in chronic hepatitis B patients is still unclear.In our country,the main cause of liver failure is hepatitis viruses (mainly HBV),thus the study of immune pathogenesis that why acute exacerbation or liver failure happens in chronic hepatitis B patients has a realistic meaning for improving the prognosis of chronic hepatitis B.

To explore the effect of products of nan A gene on the changes of cell surface carbohydrates of the chinchilla eustachian tube after infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Methods Using lectin histochemical techique to compare the changes of the cell surface carbohydrates in the chinchilla eustachian tube after infection with S.pneumoniae D39 or ?NA1 mutant. Results The labeling pattern revealed that the staining with Limax flavus agglutinin (LFA) and Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA) was decreased in epithelium of the eustachian tube in the D39 cohort compared to the uninfected control, which indicated that the normal terminal sialic acid residue were removed. Concurrently, the increased staining with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), succinylated wheat germ agglutinin (Succ WGA), Bandeiraea simplicfolia lectin II (BSL II), peanut agglutinin (PNA) and Erythrina cristagalli lectin (ECL) was observed in the lumen surface of eustachian tube subsequent to intranasal inoculation with D39. However, the ?NA1 neuraminidase deficient mutant did not show any significant changes in the lectin labeling patterns as compared with those of the control cohort. Conclusions The products of the nan A gene play an important role in the changes of cell surface carbohydrates and thus may be responsible for the colonization in the chinchilla eustachian tube after infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Objective In order to evaluate the efficacy of Diammonium Glycyrrhizinate in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Methods The randomized clinical trials(RCTs) that compared the efficacy of Diammonium Glycyrrhizinate and other kind of treatment in chronic hepatitis-B were chosen from CBM disks from 1995 to 2004 and CNKI from 1995 to 2004.A meta-analysis was employed to evaluate the results of these therapies. Results Twenty-four RCTs including 3201 cases were analyzed.Compared with control group,the total RR of efficiency rate of Diammonium Glycyrrhizinate group were 1.378(95%CI 1.243～1.529),showing significant difference(P

Objective To detect the expression of type Ⅰ interferon in monocyte-derived dendritic cells(MoDCs)after Toll like receptor(TLR)3 triggered in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB),and to evaluate immune responses of CHB patients and its roles in the mechanisms of persistent infection of hepatitis B virus(HBV)and chronicity of hepatitis.Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)were isolated and purified using magnetic beads(plasma was saved simultaneously)from 26 CHB patients and 18 healthy volunteers(HV).Dendritic cells(DCs)were induced and proliferated in a culture medium with recombinant human granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor(rhGM-CSF)and recombinant human interleukin(rhIL-4).EX3s were stimulated with Poly Ⅰ:C and the supernatants were collected at 0 h and 24 h after stimulation.Type Ⅰ interferon(IFN-α and IFN-β)in plasma and supernatants were examined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results The levels of type Ⅰ interferon in plasma were not significantly different in groups of HV and CH B.IFN-α and IFN-β expressions in supernatants before Poly Ⅰ:C stimulation were(80.00±16.15)ng/L,(36.39±13.90)ng/L in CHB group and(76.76±15.90)ng/L,(37.14±13.68)ng/L in HV group,respectively.And there were no statistical differences between two groups(t=1.651,t=0.178;both P＞0.05).IFN-α expressions in supernatants at 24 h after stimulation in two groups were both higher than those before stimulation(at 0 h),but there were no statistical differences(t=1.534,t=1.243;both P＞0.05).IFN-β expressions in supernatants at 24 h after stimulation in HV group was(54.57±16.80)ng/L,which was significantly higher than that at 0 h(37.14±13.68)ng/L(t=4.061,P＜0.05).However,there was no significant difference at 24 h than tht at 0 h in CHB group(t=1.796,P＞0.05).At 24 h after stimulation.IFN-β level was(54.57±16.80)ng/L in HV group,which was significantly higher than that[(41.64±12.57)ng/L]in CHB group(t=2.921,P＜0.05).Conclusions Functions of MoDCs from CHB patients are impaired and MoDCs could not express type Ⅰ interferon normally.Expression of type Ⅰ interferon after TLR3 triggered in CHB patients is mainly IFN-β.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of lamivudine combined with thymosin α1 therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis B.Methods Sixty-eight eligible patients with chronic hepatitis B were enrolled in this multi-center randomized controlled rlinical trial.Patients were randomized into the trial group and the control group(n=34 for each).Patients in trial group received thymosin α1 for 6 months and lamivudine for 12 menths:patients in control group received lamivudine for 12 months only.The rates of serum HBV DNA clearance.HBeAg loss,HBeAg seroconversion,ALT normalization and the safety of thymosin α1 were observed at 3rd.6th,12th and 18th month during and after the treatment.Results At 12th month of the treatment,there were significant differences in the rates of serum HBV DNA clearance,HBeAg loss and ALT normalization between two groups(χ2=31.17,7.17 and 5.92,P＜0.05);at 6th month after the treatment.there were significant differences in the rates of sernm HBV DNA clearance and HBeAg loss between two groups(χ2=4.53 and 7.17,P＜0.05).HBV DNA was not detected in 2 patients during 6-month follow-up study and no sever side effect was observed throughout the study.Conclusion The conlbination of lamivudine and thymosin α1 is safe and has better effect than the monotherapy of lamivudine in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Objective To elucidate the expression of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) on dendritic cells(DCs) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and to explore the correlation between hepatitis B virus (HBV) persistent infection and TLR3 expression. Methods Sixty CHB patients (CHB group) and 20 healthy controls (control group) were enrolled. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated and CD14~+ monocytes were sorted by immunomagnetic beads. Immature DCs (imDC) were induced and proliferated in vitro and mature DCs (mDC) were obtained after the poly I:C stimulation. The expression of intracellular TLR3 mRNA was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and surface markers [CD80 and human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-DR] were determined by flow cytometry after 48 h of stimulation. The comparison of quantitative data was done using t test. The qualitative data were compared using chi-square test.Results The mean fluorescence intensities (MFI) of intracellular TLR3 of imDC before poly I:C stimulation in CHB group and control group were 1212.05 ± 250.80 and 1192.95 ± 301.40,respectively, which were not significantly different (t = 0. 280, P>0. 05). While after stimulation,those were 1352.98± 313.67 and 1593. 00± 349. 65, respectively, the latter was significantly higher than the former (t = 2. 880, P<0. 05). The levels of TLR3 mRNA inside mDCs in both groups were increased after poly I:C stimulation, which were 0. 1204 ±0.0267 and 0. 1780 ± 0.0664, respectively in CHB group and control group, and that in control group was significantly higher (t = 3. 909, P<0.05). Furtherly, patients in CHB group were divided into HBeAg(+ ) and HBeAg( -) subgroups.After stimulation, the MFI and mRNA of TLR3 inside mDC were greatly elevated in both subgroups,but there were no difference between these two subgroups (t = 0. 366, P>0. 05). Conclusions The intracellular expressions of TLR3 in mDC in CHB group and control group are obviously increased after the poly I:C stimulation, but the increased level in CHB group is lower than that in control group. The results suggest that the insufficiency of TLR3 synthesis may be related to the HBVpersistent infection.

The development status of acupuncture and moxibustion in Tunisia is introduced in this article. Although acupuncture and moxibustion only has a history of more than 30 years in Tunisia, it is very popular among the local people. Until now, there is one acupuncture and moxibustion center aided and built with the help of the Chinese government. Acupuncture and moxibustion clinical department has been set in some of the hospitals, and acupuncture and moxibustion clinical practice is also carried out in some private clinics. Cost of acupuncture and moxibustion in public hospitals has already been covered by medical insurance. As for education of acupuncture and moxibustion, training courses were set up in medical colleges of Tunisia by Tunisian government which is lectured by Chinese acupuncture experts. Acupuncture and moxibustion has been used to treat many diseases in Tunisia and is warmly welcomed by Tunisian.
Acupuncture ; economics ; education ; history ; Acupuncture Therapy ; economics ; history ; trends ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; economics ; history ; trends ; Tunisia

Liver failure is a threat to human health. The survival of patients has been increased with the improvement in both diagnosis and treatment. Several major advances in the diagnosis and treatment of liver failure have been made in recent years, as follows: the EASL-defined diagnostic criteria for acute-on-chronic liver failure have been validated in the Eastern population, defining more accurately those who need liver transplantation; the diagnostic criteria for acute kidney injury in patients with liver dysfunction have been updated, and the new criteria are able to discover patients with kidney injury earlier; the neurohumoral regulation mechanism and factors predicting the efficacy of vasoactive agents in hepatorenal syndrome have been gradually determined; the concepts of use of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor and β-receptor blocker in liver failure are undergoing fundamental changes.

Interleukin 23 (IL-23) is a recently discovered cytokine, and growing evidence suggests that IL-23 plays an important role in the development and progression of autoimmune diseases and inflammatory diseases. In recent years, certain research advances in association between IL-23 and liver diseases have been achieved at home and abroad. General features and biological characteristics of IL-23 are described, and its role in the development and progression of diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and hepatocellular carcinoma is reviewed here, so that clinicians will have a deeper understanding of the effect of IL-23 in liver diseases and provide optimized therapies for patients with liver diseases.

Objective To investigate the inlfuence of overexpression of miR-26b on the secretion of adipokines dur-ing human adipocyte differentiation. Methods Human preadipocytes were infected with the hsa-miR-26b over-expressing lentivirus and were induced to differentiate, and then the levels of adipokines (IL-6, leptin, resistin, TNF-α) at different time points during differentiation were measured by ELISA. Results Compared with control group, decreased secretions of both IL-6 and leptin, and increased secretion of resistin were found during the differentiation of human adipocytes in miR-26b overexpressed group. However, the secretion of TNF-αwas not measured in both groups. Conclusion The miR-26b can improve the inlfammation and insulin resistance of human adipocytes, which will provide potential targets for obesity treat-ment.