Hepatitis B is a serious infectious disease worldwide, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the direct cause of this disease. In recent years, as an essential part of its evolutionary process, HBV mutation has been extensively studied domestically and globally. However, the study on the conserved sequences in HBV sequences is still in its infancy. In this study, we applied multiple EM for motif elicitation (MEME) algorithm to discover HBV motif and proposed a new metric, conservative index (CI), to carry out phylogenetic analysis based on HBV sequences. Then, the constructed phylogenetic tree was subjected to reliability assessment. The results demonstrated that the new metric CI combined with the MEME algorithm can effectively help to discover motifs in HBV sequences and construct a phylogenetic tree based on them and to analyze the evolutionary relationship between HBV sequences; in addition, the possible ancestral sequences of samples may be obtained by conservative analysis. The proposed method is valuable for the exploratory study on large HBV sequence data sets.
Computational Biology ; Conserved Sequence ; Evolution, Molecular ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; Humans ; Nucleotide Motifs ; Phylogeny ; Reproducibility of Results

Adult ; Endoscopy ; Epistaxis ; etiology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Nasal Cavity ; surgery ; Telangiectasia, Hereditary Hemorrhagic ; complications ; surgery

OBJECTIVE To realize the status and the impact factors of nosocomial infection among Jizheng patients.METHODS To investigate 562 former inpatients suffered from Jizheng in hospital from Jan 2004 to Dec 2005.RESULTS The incidence rates of nosocomial infection that calculated by the patients and the cases were 14.59% and 16.55%,respectively.Infection mostly occurred on the 22nd day in hospital on average.The main infection sites were lower respiratory tract(48.78%),urinary tract(15.85%),and alimentary tract(12.20%).The most risk factor was aging.CONCLUSIONS The high incidence of nosocomial infection is due to various factors.We should take measures respectively aiming at different factors to reduce the occurrence of nosocomial infection.

Hepatitis B is one of the most serious global threats to human health. Phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) can reveal the evolutionary relationship between HBV sequences and thus provide a basis for the prediction and treatment of hepatitis B and other aspects. In this study, we performed sequence analyses on the HBV sequences of five clinical HBV samples and the HBV sequences retrieved from the GenBank, EMBL, and DDBJ to construct a phylogenetic tree and analyze sequence structures. The experimental results revealed that the C gene of one cloned sequence had a recombinant structure of HBV B/ C subtype. Moreover, the phylogenetic results proved the existence of a newly found subtype HBV/B6 in Xishuangbanna of Yunnan Province, China. The experimental conclusion represents certain value for phylogenetic studies of HBV in Yunnan ethnic minority groups.
DNA, Recombinant ; genetics ; Genes, Viral ; genetics ; Genotyping Techniques ; Hepatitis B virus ; classification ; genetics ; Humans ; Phylogeny

A geldanamycin (GDM) producing strain, Streptomyces hygroscopicus 17997, was isolated from Yunnan China soil by our institute researchers. GDM is an ansamycin antibiotic, which has the ability to bind with Hsp90 (Heat Shock Protein 90) and alter its function. Hsp90 is a chaperone protein involved in the regulation of the cell cycle, cell growth, cell survival, apoptosis, and oncogenesis. So it plays a key role in regulating the physiology of cells exposed to environmental stress and in maintaining the malignant phenotype of tumor cells. As an inhibitor of Hsp90, GDM possesses potent antitumor and antivirus bioactivity, but the hypato-toxicity and poor solubility in water limits its clinical use. Two GDM derivatives, 17-(Allylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) and 17-dimethylamino-ethylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-DMAG), both showing lesser hepato-toxicity, are now in Phase II and Phase I clinic trials. In order to accomplish the structure modification of GDM by genetic means, an attempt to obtain the biosynthetic gene cluster of GDM from S. hygroscopicus 17997 was made. In this study, a pair of primers was designed according to a conserved sequence of one of possible post-PKS (polyketides synthase) modification genes, the carbamoyltransferase (CT) gene (gdmN) in GDM biosynthesis. The 732 bp PCR product was obtained from the S. hygroscopicus 17997 genomic DNA. Through the colony-PCR Binary Search Method, using the CT gene primers, six positive cosmid clones, CT1-6, were identified from the S. hygroscopicus 17997 cosmid genomic library. The CT gene containing fragments were verified and localized by Southern blot. The CT-4 positive cosmid was then sub-cloned and sequenced. Approximately 28.356kb of foreign gene sequence from CT-4 cosmid and by further PCR extension reaction was obtained. Based on BLAST analysis, this sequence contains 13 possible ORFs and their deduced functions are believed to be involved in GDM production. The ORF1 encoding products show homology (87%) with incomplete sixth module and complete seventh module of PKS, gdmA3, in S. hygroscopicus NRRL 3602. The ORF2-13 gene products are similar to gdmF(9 5%), gdmM(8 8%), gdmN (92%), gdmH (92%), I (93%), J (90%), K (93%), G (96%), gdmO (91%), gdmP (93%) and two transcription regulation genes gdmRI (83%) and gdmRII (90%). The obtained possible GDM biosynthetic gene cluster in S. hygroscopicus 17997 will facilitate the further functional analysis of the genes and to modify the structure of GDM through combinatorial biosynthesis.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; metabolism ; Benzoquinones ; metabolism ; Carboxyl and Carbamoyl Transferases ; genetics ; Chromosome Mapping ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA Primers ; genetics ; Lactams, Macrocyclic ; metabolism ; Multigene Family ; Streptomyces ; genetics ; metabolism

Animals ; Carcinogens ; toxicity ; Female ; Lung Neoplasms ; chemically induced ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Urethane ; toxicity

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Jiawei Yupingfeng Powder (JYP) on T-lymphocyte subsets in patients with senile chronic bronchitis in acute onset stage (SCB-AOS).

METHODSPatients were divided, according to the randomized controlled principle, into two groups, the 44 patients in the treated group and the 40 in the control group. The conventional western medicinal therapy was given to both groups, but to the treated group, JYP was administered additionally. The therapeutic course to them was 14 days. Changes of CD3, CD4, CD8 and the ratio of them were observed.

RESULTSIncrease of CD3, CD4 and CD4/CD8 (P < 0.05) and decrease of CD8 (P < 0.01) were significantly shown in the treated group after treatment, but no change in the control group. Besides, comparison of the total effective rate in the two groups also showed significant difference (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCellular immune function disturbance exists in patients with SCB-AOS, JYP could enhance the efficacy by way of modulating cellular immune function.

Adjuvants, Immunologic ; therapeutic use ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bronchitis, Chronic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; CD3 Complex ; blood ; CD4-CD8 Ratio ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Powders ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlationship between platelet count and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) or Western medicine (WM) in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

METHODSA total of 356 patients with confirmed diagnosis of active RA from 9 clinical centers were randomly assigned to the TCM group (184 cases) and the WM group (172 cases). The TCM group was treated with basic therapy (administration of glucosidorum tripterygll totorum and Yishen Juanbi Pill) and TCM syndrome differentiation dependent treatment, while the WM group was treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs. The therapeutic efficacy was assessed with ACR20, the joint damage degree of both hands was evaluated by X-ray.

RESULTSThe platelet count was positively correlated to the X- ray grading of joint damage, namely, patients with a more severe joint damage often presented a higher platelet count. After treatment, in patients with joint damage of X-ray grade II or III and effectively treated with TCM, also in patients with joint damage of grade III and effectively treated with WM, the platelet count was lower than that in those treated ineffectively.

CONCLUSIONPlatelet count is closely correlated to the efficacy of drug therapy, therefore, it may be taken as an important index for judging the curative effect of therapeutic approach in treating RA patients.

Adult ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; therapeutic use ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; blood ; drug therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Platelet Count ; Treatment Outcome ; Tripterygium ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlations between diagnostic information and therapeutic efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with decision tree model analysis.

METHODSThree hundred and ninety seven patients came from 9 clinical centers were randomly divided into the Western medicine (WM) group (n=194) treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and slow-acting antirheumatic drug and the Chinese medicine (CM) group (n=203) with basic therapy and syndrome-differentiation dependant TCM treatment. TCM and WM diagnostic information were collected. The ACR 20 was used for efficacy evaluation and the information of patients before treatment was analyzed by SAS 8.2 statistical package. Through single-factor exploratory analysis, odds ratio of efficacy and variable was calculated taken P < 0.2 as the including criteria for data mining analysis with decision tree model. All data were classified into the training set (75%) and verifying set (25%) with efficacy as the variable for layering to make further verification of the data-mining analysis.

RESULTSTwenty variables were included in the CM group and 26 in the WM group in the data-mining model. In the former, 9 variables were positively correlated to the efficacy, including degree of arthralgia, tenderness and morning stiffness, number of swollen joint, and joint with tenderness, levels of IgM, rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), and total assessment from doctor; and disease duration and degree of nocturnal polyuria were negatively correlated to that. While in the latter, 8 were positively correlated to the efficacy, including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), sour and weak waist and knees, white fur in tongue, joint ache and stiffness, swollen joint, and total assessment from doctor and patient, and red tongue with yellow fur and leucocyte count negatively correlated to it. Data mining with decision tree analysis revealed that different combinations of morning stiffness, slight red tongue, joint tenderness and nocturnal polyuria in the CM group, and those of white fur in tongue, CRP level, leucocyte count and morning stiffness in the WM group showed different efficacy, which were also verified in the randomly chosen verifying set.

CONCLUSIONTo analyze the correlations between diagnostic information and therapeutic efficacy with decision tree analysis is conformed to the theory of TCM in applying treatment according to syndrome differentiation individually, thus it would contribute to elevate the accuracy of therapy.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; therapeutic use ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Decision Trees ; Diterpenes ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Epoxy Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Phenanthrenes ; therapeutic use ; Phytotherapy ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To investigate the effect of type ⅡNKT cells activated by sulfatide on airway inflammation in a murine model of asthma.Methods:Thirty-two BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups:normal control group ( n=8 ) , asthma group (n=8),sulfatide treatment group (n=8) and adoptive transfer group (n=8).The murine model of asthma was established by sensitization with intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin ( OVA) and intranasal challenge in all animals except for the normal control group where PBS was used instead.Intraperitoneal injection of sulfatide in a sulfatide treatment group, adoptive transfer of sulfatide-activated typeⅡNKT cells in adoptive transfer group and PBS in asthma group were carried out 1 hour before the first challenge.PBS was used for intraperitoneal administration in the normal control group.Lung histology and goblet cell hyperplasia were analyzed by HE or PAS staining.Differential cell count in bronchial alveolar lavage ( BALF) was measured by May-Gruenwald Giemsa;levels of OVA-specific IgE in serum and L-4,IL-5 in BALF were measured by ELISA.The percentages of lung type Ⅱ NKT cells,IL-4+and IFN-γ+typeⅡNKT cells were detected by flow cytometry.Results:Inflammatory cell infiltration in lung tissue and goblet cell hyperplasia in the airway were decreased in sulfatide treatment group and adoptive transfer group.Percentages of eosinophil in BALF,level of OVA-specific IgE in serum,and levels of IL-4,IL-5 in BALF in sulfatide treatment group and adoptive transfer group were significantly lower than those in asthma group (all P<0.05).The percentages of lung IL-4+and IFN-γ+typeⅡNKT cells in sulfatide treatment group was significantly higher than those in asthma group ( P<0.01 ).Conclusion: Type Ⅱ NKT cells activated by sulfatide may inhibit airway inflammation in a murine model of asthma.