Objective To understand human rhinovirus (HRV) etiology of acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) in children in Shanghai area and establish a nested reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (nested RT-PCR) assay.Methods Three hundred and forty-two naso- pharyngeal secretion (NPS) samples from ALRTI cases who were hospitalized were collected during January 2005—December 2005.Nested RT-PCR techniques were used to detect HRV-specific RNA.The PCR products were sequenced and data of nucleotides were analyzed.The proportion of HRV infection in children with ALRTI,the distribution of gender,age and season,and clinical char- acteristics were also investigated.Results Forty-six (13.5%) of 342 samples were HRV positive detected by nested RT-PCR.The sequences of 15 positive samples shared high homology of 83%- 97% with HRV sequence in GenBank.Within the 15 positive samples,nucleotide homology varied from 64.4% to 98.4%,and the ratio of genetic variation was from 1.6% to 48.3%./00.These 15 ampli- cons attribute to the two branches of HRV cladogram.The sequences of 15 amplieons were highly varied,in which single nucleotide mutation and several nearby nueleotides mutations were found. Ribonucleotide deletion and insertion in the nucleotide sequence was also found.HRV positive sam- ples were detected in 33 boys and 13 girls,respectively.The ratio of infection cases between boys and girls was 2.5:1.Of 46 HRV infected cases,27 (58.7%) were less than 12 months of age and 38 (82.6%) were less than 3 years old.HRV infected ALRTI occured all the year round and peaked from March to May.Of the patients whose NPS samples were HRV positive detected by nested RT-PCR,45 patients were diagnosed with bronchopneumonia and 1 was diagnosed with asthmatic bronchitis.Fever of most patients was moderate.The peripheral blood leukocyte counts in thirty-nine (84.8%) patients were less than 10?10~9/L.Neutrophil percentages in thirty-seven (80.4%) patients were less than 0.50.C-reactive protein of thirty-six (78.3%) patients were less than 8 mg/L. All of these features were the characteristics of viral pneumonia.The complications were not common and conditions of most patients were not severe.All the children were cured.Conclusions This nes- ted RT-PCR technique is highly specific,rapid and convenient for the detection of HRV RNA in NPS of patients with ALRTI and the genome of HRV viruses is highly variable.The incidence of HRV infection predominates in children in Shanghai area.ALRTI of HRV is short of specificity and condi- tions of most patients are not severe and their prognoses are fine.

The present is aimed at identifying the activation of TRAFs in n asopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in vitro. The differential expression of TRAF2\,TRAF3 was not detected in RN A and protein level, whereas the expression of TRAF1 in HNE2-LMP1 cell lines wa s much more abundant than that in HNE2 cell lines, suggesting that TRAF1 may be an inducible molecule; More importantly, TRAF1, TRAF2 or TRAF3 were activated in the HNE2-LMP1 cells, whereas TRAF1, TRAF2 or TRAF3 were not activated in HNE2 cells as detected by the immunoprecipitation-Western blotting assay. These data provide an experimental basis for our study beginning from the signal transduca tion pathway for the eluccidation of the mechanism of LMP1 carcinogenesis in NP C.

BACKGROUNDTendon adhesion is one of the most common causes of disability following tendon surgery. Therefore, prevention of peritendinous adhesion after surgical repair of tendon is a major challenge. The aim of this study was to explore the possible application of a collagen membrane for the prevention or attenuation of peritendinous adhesions.

METHODSSprague-Dawley (SD) rat Achilles tendon was cut and sutured by a modified Kessler's technique with or without the collagen membrane wrapped. Macroscopic, morphological and biomechanical evaluations were applied to examine the recovery of the injured tendon at 4 and 8 weeks after surgery.

RESULTSThe surgery group wrapped by collagen membranes had a better outcome than the group with surgery repair only. In the collagen membrane-treated group, less adhesion appeared, stronger tensile strength was detected, and more tendon fibers and collagen I expression were observed morphologically.

CONCLUSIONWrapping the tendon with a collagen membrane may be an efficient approach for tendon repair and preventing tendon adhesion after its ruptures.

Achilles Tendon ; injuries ; Animals ; Collagen ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tendon Injuries ; surgery ; Tissue Adhesions ; prevention & control ; Wound Healing

OBJECTIVETo explore the possible relationship between cytokines (TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-4 and IL-10), which were expressed abnormal quantity in the peripheral blood to intrauterine HBV infectious children, gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and susceptibility to HBV intrauterine infection.

METHODSA cross sectional study on molecular epidemiology was carried out. The subjects were selected from outpatients of the hepatitis B vaccine special clinics of our hospital. According to intrant criteria, children under high risk of HBV intrauterine infection were divided into immuno-failure group (group I) and immuno-effective group (group II) while children without high risk were included in the control group. Four gene SNP sites of TNF-alpha-238, IFN-gamma + 874, IL-4-590 and IL-10-1082 region were determined by real-time quantitative fluorescent PCR.

RESULTSSignificant differences of TNF-alpha-238 A allele frequency were found between group I and group II (chi(2) = 6.797, P < 0.05) as well as between group I and control group (chi(2) = 9.513, P < 0.05). No evident difference of TNF-alpha-238 A was found between group II and control group (chi(2) = 0.047, P > 0.05). Significant differences of IFN-gamma + 874 A allele frequency were found between group I and group II (chi(2) = 7.238, P < 0.05), and between group I and the controls (chi(2) = 5.199, P < 0.05) but no significant difference was found between group II and control group (chi(2) = 0.602, P > 0.05). Significant differences of IL-4-590 C/T allele frequency were not found between group I and group II (chi(2) = 0.632, P > 0.05), group I and control group (chi(2) = 0.584, P > 0.05), or between group II and control group (chi(2) = 0.004, P > 0.05) respectively. Significant differences of IL-10-1082 G allele frequency were found between group II and group I (chi(2) = 10.359, P < 0.001), and between group II and the controls (chi(2) = 35.418, P < 0.001), but not found between group I and control group (chi(2) = 1.759, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThis study suggested the possibility that TNF-alpha-238 A allele and IFN-gamma + 874 A allele were associated with HBV intrauterine infection. There was no evident relationship between IL-4-590 C/T allele SNP and susceptibility to HBV intrauterine infection, but the IL-10-1082 G allele seemed to be associated with preventive efficacy to HBV intrauterine infection.

Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cytokines ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Hepatitis B ; transmission ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical ; Interferon-gamma ; genetics ; Interleukin-4 ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics

BACKGROUNDThe influences of genomic background are confirmed in more diseases. Immunologic tolerance after intrauterine infection of hepatitis B virus is considered to occur in T cells. Cytokines work effectively in eliminating virus by immune system after hepatitis B virus infection. To explore the relationship between cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, interleukin-4 and interleukin-10), which expressed abnormal quantity in the peripheral blood to intrauterine hepatitis B virus infectious children, gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and susceptibility to hepatitis B virus intrauterine infection.

METHODSThis is a cross sectional study of molecular clinical epidemiology. The subjects in this study were selected from outpatients of hepatitis B vaccine follow-up special clinics of our hospital in the period. According to intrant criteria, the high risk children of hepatitis B virus (HBV) intrauterine infection were divided into immune failure group (group I); and immune effective group (group II) and non high risk children belonged to the control group. Four gene SNP sites of TNF-alpha -238, IFN-gamma +874, IL-4 -590 and IL-10 -1082 were determined by real-time quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTSThe significant differences of TNF-alpha -238 A allele frequency were found between group I and group II (chi(2) = 6.797, P < 0.05) and between group I and the control group (chi(2) = 9.513, P < 0.05). No evident differences of TNF-alpha -238 A were found between group II and control group (chi(2) = 0.047, P > 0.05); the significant differences of IFN-gamma +874 A allele frequency were found between group I and group II (chi(2) = 7.238, P < 0.05), and between group I and the control group (chi(2) = 5.199, P < 0.05). No evident differences were found between group II and the control group (chi(2) = 0.602, P > 0.05); the significant differences of IL-4 -590 C/T allele frequency were not found between group I and group II (chi(2) = 0.632, P > 0.05), also group I and the control group (chi(2) = 0.584, P > 0.05), and the group II and the control group (chi(2) = 0.004, P > 0.05) respectively; The significant differences of IL-10 -1082 G allele frequency were found between group II and group I (chi(2) = 10.359, P < 0.001), and between group II and the controls (chi(2) = 35.418, P < 0.001), but the significant differences were not found between group I and the control group (chi(2) = 1.759, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThis study suggested the possibility that the TNF-alpha -238 A allele and IFN-gamma +874 A allele were associated with HBV intrauterine infection. There was no evident relationship between IL-4 -590 C/T allele SNP and susceptibility to HBV intrauterine infection, but the IL-10 -1082 G allele was associated with preventive efficacy to HBV intrauterine infection.

Cross-Sectional Studies ; Cytokines ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Hepatitis B ; genetics ; transmission ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical ; Interferon-gamma ; genetics ; Interleukin-10 ; genetics ; Interleukin-4 ; genetics ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of activation of specific anti-tumor cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and the ability of cross-presentation in vitro by fusion of HLA-A2+ human dendritic cells (DCs) with HLA-A2- melanoma cells. METHODS: The HLA-A2+ human dendritic cells and HLA-A2- melanoma cells were fused by PEG and were cultivated in complete RPMI1640 media containing FCS (10%) and GM-CSF for 24-48 h, and then co-cultured fusion cells with Melan-A specific T cells. HLA-A2- melanoma cells were negative control,While T2 cells and DC+Pts were positive control. The activation of anti-tumor CTL elicited by the fusion cells was detected by intracellular cytokine staining. RESULTS: The immature DC could express CD80, CD83, CD86, HLA-DR, and HLA-ABC,but the mature DC induced by TNF-alpha, PGE-2, and CD40L further highly expressed above molecules. The rate of specific CTL cells primed by the fusion cells was 16.72%+/-4.26%, negative control was 0.21%+/-1.84%,and positive control was 28.60%+/-5.67%. The CTL from vaccine by fusing DC and LAR6 induced lysis of HLA-A2+ LAR1 cells. CONCLUSION The HLA-A2 restricted specific anti-tumor CTL can be induced in vitro by fusion of HLA-A2+ human dendritic cells with HLA-A2- melanoma cells.
Antigen Presentation ; immunology ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; immunology ; Cancer Vaccines ; immunology ; Cell Fusion ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; HLA-A2 Antigen ; immunology ; Humans ; MART-1 Antigen ; immunology ; Melanoma ; immunology ; pathology ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo explore the feasibility of establishing and applying of autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model to predict the incidence rate of dysentery in Shanghai, so as to provide the theoretical basis for prevention and control of dysentery.

METHODSARIMA model was established based on the monthly incidence rate of dysentery of Shanghai from 1990 to 2007. The parameters of model were estimated through unconditional least squares method, the structure was determined according to criteria of residual un-correlation and conclusion, and the model goodness-of-fit was determined through Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Schwarz Bayesian criterion (SBC). The constructed optimal model was applied to predict the incidence rate of dysentery of Shanghai in 2008 and evaluate the validity of model through comparing the difference of predicted incidence rate and actual one. The incidence rate of dysentery in 2010 was predicted by ARIMA model based on the incidence rate from January 1990 to June 2009.

RESULTSThe model ARIMA (1, 1, 1) (0, 1, 2)(12) had a good fitness to the incidence rate with both autoregressive coefficient (AR1 = 0.443) during the past time series, moving average coefficient (MA1 = 0.806) and seasonal moving average coefficient (SMA1 = 0.543, SMA2 = 0.321) being statistically significant (P < 0.01). AIC and SBC were 2.878 and 16.131 respectively and predicting error was white noise. The mathematic function was (1-0.443B) (1-B) (1-B(12))Z(t) = (1-0.806B) (1-0.543B(12)) (1-0.321B(2) x 12) micro(t). The predicted incidence rate in 2008 was consistent with the actual one, with the relative error of 6.78%. The predicted incidence rate of dysentery in 2010 based on the incidence rate from January 1990 to June 2009 would be 9.390 per 100 thousand.

CONCLUSIONARIMA model can be used to fit the changes of incidence rate of dysentery and to forecast the future incidence rate in Shanghai. It is a predicted model of high precision for short-time forecast.

China ; epidemiology ; Dysentery ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Forecasting ; Humans ; Incidence ; Models, Statistical

OBJECTIVEIn order to explore the existence of SARS coronavirus (Co-V) and/or its RNA in sewage of hospitals administered SARS patients.

METHODSA novel electropositive filter was used to concentrate the SARS-CoV from the sewage of two hospitals administered SARS patients in Beijing, including twelve 2,500 ml sewage samples from the hospitals before disinfection, and ten 25,000 ml samples after disinfection; as well as cell culture, RT-PCR and sequencing of gene to detect and identify the viruses from sewage.

RESULTSThere was no live SARS-CoV detected in the sewage in this study. The nucleic acid of SARS-CoV had been found in the 12 sewage samples before disinfection from both hospitals by semi-nested PCR. After disinfection, SARS-CoV RNA could only be detected from the samples from the 309th Hospital, and the others were negative.

CONCLUSIONIt provides evidence that there is no live SARS-Cov in the sewage from hospitals with SARS patients though SARS-CoV RNA can be detected.

Hospitals ; Humans ; Nucleocapsid ; analysis ; RNA, Viral ; analysis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; virology ; Sewage ; virology

OBJECTIVE: To study and measure the anatomic structure of lumbar vertebral endplate structure in healthy adults by computed tomography(CT) technique in order to provide a useful guidance for the optimal design and clinical application of lumbar prostheses. METHODS: Sixty healthy adults (male and female equals) were recruited for full-waist CT scan after signing the informed consent form in the imaging department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. The scanning data was imported into the computer aided software Mimics 16.0 for 3D reconstruction and measurement. The acquisition indexes included median sagittal diameter, maximum coronal diameter, concavity depth, median sagittal depression angle, coronal depression angle and so on. Finally, the collected data were statistically analyzed by the statistical software. RESULTS: The median sagittal diameter and the maximum coronal diameter of the upper and lower endplates were not only different between the different sexes(<0.05), but also were increased with the increase of the lumbar spine sequence. The concavity depth of upper and lower endplates had no gender differences(>0.05), but had a little change from L₁ to L₅, fluctuating from 1.5 to 2.0 mm and from 2.2 to 3.9 mm, respectively. In the same sequence, the concavity depth of lower endplate in males was greater than that of upper endplate, and the difference was statistically significant(<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the concavity depth of upper and lower endplate in females(>0.05). Sagittal concavity angle and coronal concavity angle of upper and lower endplates changed slightly with the increase of vertebral order, and there was no gender difference in sagittal and coronal concavity angle of most vertebral sequences (>0.05). Statistics showed that the largest concavity near the caudal lumbar endplate was located on the dorsal side of the endplate plane. CONCLUSIONS The anatomical structure of the lumbar endplate is very complicated. It is important to master the anatomical parameters of the endplate and make full use of CT before operation for the development and clinical application of the lumbar prosthesis.
Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Lumbosacral Region ; Male ; Prostheses and Implants ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture-moxibustion on negative emotions and plasma tryptophan (Trip)-kynurenine (Kyn) metabolism in the patients with Crohn's disease (CD) at the mild and moderate active stage. METHODS: A total of 66 CD patients were randomized into an observation group (33 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (33 cases, 2 cases dropped off). In the observation group, acupuncture was applied in combination with moxibustion. In the control group, the sham-acupuncture was used in combination with sham-moxibustion. In both of the observation group and the control group, acupuncture was applied to Zhongwan (CV 12), Shangjuxu (ST 37), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Gongsun (SP 4), Hegu (LI 4), Quchi (LI 11), Taixi (KI 3) and Taichong (LR 3), and moxibustion was applied to Tianshu (ST 25) and Zusanli (ST 36). The treatment was given once every two days, 3 times a week, totally for 12 weeks. Separately, before and after treatment, the score of the hospital anxiety-depression scale (HADS) and the score of intestinal core symptoms (degree of abdominal pain and frequency of diarrhea) were observed in the patients of the two groups. The concentration of plasma indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and the ratios of Kyn/Trp, QuinA/Kyn, KynA/Kyn and KynA/QuinA were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Compared with before treatment, the scores of HADS-A and HADS-D in the observation group and the score of HADS-A in the control group were all reduced after treatment ( CONCLUSION Acupuncture and moxibustion relieve the negative emotions of anxiety and depression in CD patients at mild and moderate active stage, which is probably related to the regulation of plasma Trp-Kyn metabolic pathway.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Crohn Disease/therapy* ; Emotions ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Plasma ; Treatment Outcome ; Tryptophan