Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is initiated by bacteria. Pathogens and their virulence factors alter normal cellular metabolic activity and deteriorate periodontal microconditions. Owing to the complexity of tooth structure and the limitation of conventional treatment, we may not live up to all patients’ expectations, especially those with grade C and stage Ⅲ or Ⅳ periodontitis. With the advantages of bactericidal effects, high safety, inhibition of bacterial drug resistance and promotion of tissue healing, photodynamic therapy （PDT） seems to be an ideal technology in periodontal treatment. However, it cannot remove subgingival stones and still cannot replace mechanical treatment to preliminarily control periodontal inflammation. Therefore, near-infrared low-energy light combined with traditional photosensitizers is mostly used in clinical periodontal adjuvant treatment. In periodontal maintenance treatment on a regular basis, a single application can also reduce the sensitivity of patients and effectively control plaque, but its effect will be affected by the degree of periodontal inflammation, the concentration and type of photosensitizer, the energy of the light source, etc. With the further development of material science, the performance of photosensitizers to accelerate oxides and target bacteria will be optimized. In the future, parameters of PDT need to be designed in large-scale studies in accord with different stages and grades of periodontitis.

OBJECTIVETo assess the value of color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) in monitoring vascular complications following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).

METHODSSeven hundred ninety-two patients who received OLT from April 2002 to December 2006 in the Organ Transplantation Center, General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces, Beijing, and underwent CDFI examinations in different periods after OLT were enrolled in this study. Their vascular complications were monitored by CDFI and confirmed by angiography or spiral CT.

RESULTSOf the 792 patients, 54 were diagnosed with vascular complications that occurred 1-360 days after their OLT operations. These complications occurred within 1-30 days, 31-60 days, 61-90 days, 91-180 days, 181-360 days, with the proportions of 46.30%, 22.22%, 14.81%, 9.26% and 7.41% respectively. The proportion of hepatic artery and portal vein complications and outflow occlusions were 61.11%, 35.19% and 3.70% respectively.

CONCLUSIONMost vascular complications occurred within six months after the OLT operation. The continuous and careful monitoring by CDFI is beneficial in an early diagnosis of vascular complications after OLT.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Liver Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color ; methods ; Vascular Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVESTo establish a primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) model by AMAM2 autoantigen injection into C57BL/6 mice.

METHODSMice of the model group were immunized intraperitonealy with 200 microl of purified recombinant AMAM2 autoantigen in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Mice immunized with bovine serum albumin and CFA in the same way were used as negative controls. Sixty-six weeks later, mice were sacrificed and their sera were collected. Sera samples were assayed for AMAM2 autoantibody, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), ALT and total bilirubin (TBil). Their liver, stomach, muscle and kidney tissues were sectioned and stained using HE to observe the pathological changes.

RESULTSAntibodies to AMAM2 autoantigen were readily induced in the model group. The mice in the model group had no significant changes in the level of serum ALT and TBil but had an obvious increase of ALP (P<0.05). The stomach, muscle and kidney tissues showed no evident damage while the livers had obvious pathological changes, including bile duct degeneration or proliferation, and mononuclear cell infiltration.

CONCLUSIONThe AMAM2 autoantigen-induced PBC animal model was successfully established in C57BL/6 mice in our experiment and its characteristic biochemical and pathology are quite similar to that in the early stage of human PBC. This model may provide a useful experimental approach for further study of the pathogenesis and clinical treatment of human PBC.

Animals ; Autoantigens ; immunology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary ; etiology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mitochondria ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the potential genetic mode of aggressive periodontitis (AgP) in Chinese Han nationality.

METHODSA total of 233 subjects from 73 nuclear families were recruited. All probands were diagnosed according to the criteria of AgP in 1999 classification of periodontal diseases. Ninety parents, 35 siblings and three grandparents and two offspring were examined based on full-mouth periodontal chartings (including parameter of probing depths, attachment loss, bleeding on probing at six sites per tooth) and full-mouth periapical radiographs. The genetic ratio was calculated and analyzed by the methods of Edwards and simple segregation.

RESULTSThe prevalence of AgP in probands' siblings was close to the square root of the prevalence of general population. The segregation ratio was 0.2419, which was close to the theoretical ratio for autosomal recessive inheritance. However, autosomal dominant inheritance could not be rejected in families whose parent(s) suffered from severe chronic periodontitis.

CONCLUSIONSThe genetic heterogeneity of AgP existed in Chinese Han nationality. The genetic mode was autosomal recessive inheritance in general, and autosomal dominant inheritance could not be excluded in families whose parent(s) suffered from severe chronical periodontitis. The results imply the genetic heterogeneity of AgP, and further demonstrate that AgP was a multifactorial disease with major genetic component in the disease etiology.

Aggressive Periodontitis ; epidemiology ; genetics ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Chronic Periodontitis ; epidemiology ; genetics ; Female ; Genes, Dominant ; Genes, Recessive ; Genetic Heterogeneity ; Humans ; Male ; Pedigree ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires

China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Infusions, Intravenous ; statistics & numerical data ; Male

OBJECTIVESTo explore the diagnostic value of color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) in monitoring portal vein complications (PVC) following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).

METHODSFive hundred and four patients received OLT and had CDFI examinations before and after their transplantations. CDFI monitoring parameters before the operation included portal vein diameter, blood flow velocity and the presence of thrombi within the portal vein. Monitoring parameters after the operation included portal vein diameters of donor and receiver sides, and the diameter of the mouth of anastomosis, inner side of blood vessel echo, the direction of blood flow and its speed.

RESULTSOf the 504 patients examined, the median velocity of the portal blood flow was 46.27 cm/s (range: 15.8 to 110.8) on the day of the operation. The blood flow speed of 358 cases (71.03%) was higher than 40 cm/s. Of the 358 patients, 347 (68.85%) had a blood flow speed lower than 40 cm/s one month after the operation. Sixty-four patients (12.70%) showed hepatofugal blood flow once, and only one case had a total hepatofugal blood flow. Thirteen patients (2.58%) had portal vein complications, including 4 cases with portal vein thrombosis and 9 with portal vein stenosis.

CONCLUSIONNot all abnormal portal vein blood flow signals will lead to complications. It is worthwhile to monitor the portal blood flows. CDFI plays an important role in the diagnosis of portal vein complications after orthotopic liver transplantation.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Blood Flow Velocity ; physiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Liver Cirrhosis ; surgery ; Liver Neoplasms ; surgery ; Liver Transplantation ; adverse effects ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Portal Vein ; diagnostic imaging ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex ; methods ; Ultrasonography, Interventional ; Venous Thrombosis ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology

AIMTo report the preliminary result of the HIV inhibitor screening based on cheminformatics tools and the traditional Chinese medicine database.

METHODSDatabase search was carried out with saquinavir molecule as a template, further screening was made with docking. Detailed studies using molecular dynamics simulation of 50 ps and 200 ps were made with respect to a potential leading compound, leucovorin.

RESULTSThe leucovorin molecule distinguished from other molecules as a potential drug candidate and is subject to extensive studies. The bonding profile and energy were calculated with MD simulations.

CONCLUSIONOur results could be very helpful when we modify leucovorin or design new inhibitors against HIV.

Anti-HIV Agents ; chemistry ; Databases, Factual ; Drug Design ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; methods ; HIV Protease ; chemistry ; HIV Protease Inhibitors ; chemistry ; Leucovorin ; chemistry ; Ligands ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Models, Molecular ; Molecular Conformation ; Saquinavir ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo probe into the situation and significance of p16 gene CPG island methylation in patients with arseniasis caused by coal-burning pollution.

METHODSDNA was extracted using the Phenol-Chloroform method from leukocytes of 51 patients suffered from coal-burnt arsenism and 52 healthy volunteers. The quantity of the DNA was determined by UV spectrophotometry. Target DNA was denatured by NaOH, then the single strand DNA was modified by sodium bisulfite, converting all unmethylated (but not the methylated) cytosines to uracil. Subsequently a nested amplification with primers specific for methylated versus unmethylated DNA was performed, and PCR products were detected by gel electrophoresis.

RESULTSHypermethylation of the p16 CPG island was presented in 94.1% of the patients suffering from coal-burnt arsenism and in 73.1% of the healthy volunteers. There was statistical difference (P < 0.05) between them.

CONCLUSIONSMethylation of p16 gene CPG island should have important pertinence in the metabolism of coal-burnt arsenism.

Arsenic Poisoning ; blood ; genetics ; China ; Coal ; CpG Islands ; DNA Methylation ; Genes, p16 ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo detect Bartonella henselae IgG antibody among healthy people in Changping, Beijing.

METHODSUsing indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence antibody assay (IFA) to detect IgG antibody of Bartonella henselae among human beings.

RESULTSThe sensitivity and specificity of ELISA were 70.6% and 91.6% respectively, with the positive predictive value of serological test as 82.2%, and the negative predictive value as 84.9%, based on results of IFA. The positive rate was 34.5% among 357 healthy people on indirect ELISA but was 35.6% among 239 people with IFA.

CONCLUSIONThe results indicated that the indirect ELISA was a very quick, sensitive and available method for detecting Bartonella henselae in human beings, as well as a high positive percent age of Bartonella henselae among the healthy people of Changping Beijing.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antibodies, Bacterial ; immunology ; Bartonella henselae ; immunology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; methods ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; methods ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the reliability of the birth defects surveillance system in four counties with high prevalence of birth defects (Pingding, Xiyang, Taigu and Zezhou counties) in Shanxi province, China.

METHODSOne township was selected from each county as study site. The health workers chosen from township or village level were trained to visit families on the outcomes of each pregnancy who gave birth during year 2003 in the study site. The number of births and cases collected in the study were compared with that from the surveillance system. The number of births reported by surveillance system in four counties was also compared with the data from the local government. The criteria of evaluation were: 1) number of the missing report of births should < or = 5%, 2) the number of missing report on major external birth defects cases should < or = 10%. Researchers from the Peking University were responsible for examining the quality of surveillance in some terminal units of surveillance system.

RESULTSThe numbers of births reported in the study and from the surveillance system for four-township were 1043 and 997, respectively. 46 births were missing and the rate of misreporting for births was 4.4%. The numbers of birth defects cases reported in the study and from the surveillance system were 30 and 29, respectively. 1 case of birth defect as missed, and rate of misreporting for birth defects cases was 3.3%. The total number of births reported from surveillance was similar to that in the study in four counties, with a difference of 1.2%. Birth registry data was rather readable and special health workers responsible for surveillance work were present in all the terminal units of the surveillance system.

CONCLUSIONThe misreporting of births and cases existed in the birth defects surveillance system of the four counties in Shanxi province, but were lower than the allowable criteria. The surveillance units had better registration, reporting and administration of births and birth defect cases. Hence, the quality of the data from the surveillance system in these four counties was reliable.

Birth Certificates ; China ; epidemiology ; Congenital Abnormalities ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Population Surveillance ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Registries ; Reproducibility of Results