Objective:To evaluate the possible roles of IL-18 in HBV infection, and to clarify the immune state during IFN? therapy. Methods:Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 2 groups of HBV infectors(including 15 asymptomatic carriers,26 patients with chronic hepatitis B) and 10 healthy individuals (as normal controls) were analyzed by flow cytometry. The levels of IL-18 were also detected before, during, and at the end of IFNa therapy,Results: (1)The level of IL-18 was the lowest in asymptomatic carrier group. However there was no significant difference between chronic hepatitis and normal control. (2)The patients with chronic hepatitis were further divided into 4 subgroups according to the inflammation degree of liver. Results showed that the severity degree of liver inflammation was accompanied with the elevation of IL-18 production. (3)IL-18 in chronic hepatitis B correlated with serum ALT positively ( r = 0.61,P

Objective To study tissue tropism of TT virus in experimentally infected Rhesus monkey. Methods Various tissues were collected from 5 experimentally infected monkeys during the viremic period. Total DNA was extracted from tissues of 5 experimentally infected Rhesus monkeys. A dot hybridization was done with virus double DNA strand probe or single antisense strand probe. Results The double strand probe was hybridized with DNA of liver, bone marrow, spleen, stomach, small intestine and colon. The single strand antisense probe was hybridized only with DNA of liver, small intestine and bone marrow of all 5 monkeys, but not with that of other tissues.Conclusions As the viral genome is of negative polarity, the plus stranded fragment identified in our study might be a replicative intermediate, and is only demonstrated in liver, small intestine, and bone marrow by dot blot hybridization with single stranded antisense probe. It suggests that TT virus might be, tropism of liver, small intestine, and bone marrow, and replicate in tissue mentioned.

Objective To investigate the liver function of patients with chronic liver diseases undergoing gynecologic laparoscopic operations.Methods Twenty-six asymptomatic HBV carriers,28 mild chronic hepatitis,21 compensatory cirrhosis were assigned to undergo gynecologic laparoscopic operations.Liver function were tested and compared in these three groups before operation and on the 1st、3rd、7th day after operation.Results 1st day after operation,ALT and AST in asymptomatic carriers and mild chronic hepatitis groups were significantly higher than preoperation ( asymptomatic carriers:ALT P ＜ 0.05,AST P ＜ 0.05 ; mild chronic hepatitis:ALT P ＜ 0.05,AST P ＜ 0.05 ).Then they recovered on the 3rd day after operation ( asymptomatic carriers:ALT P ＞ 0.05,AST P ＞ 0.05 ; mild chronic hepatitis:ALT P ＞ 0.05,AST P ＞ 0.05 ).ALB,total bilirubin (Tbil) after operation were not significantly different from those before operation on every tested day in these two groups ( asymptomatic carriers:ALB P ＞ 0.05,Tbil P ＞ 0.05 ; mild chronic hepatitis:ALB P ＞ 0.05,Tbil P ＞ 0.05 ).In compensatory cirrhosis group,ALT,AST,Tbil were significantly higher on the 1st day,3rd day after operation than preoperation ( 1st day:ALT P ＜0.01,AST P ＜0.01,Tbil P ＜0.01 ;3rd day:ALT P ＜ 0.05,AST P ＜ 0.05,Tbil P ＜ 0.05 ).ALB levels were significantly lower on the 1st day,3rd day after operation than preoperation ( 1st day:P ＜0.01 ;3rd day:P ＜0.05 ).All the indexes recovered to the levels of preoperation on the 7th day after operation( ALT P ＞ 0.05,AST P ＞ 0.05,Tbil P ＞ 0.05,ALB P ＞0.05).Conclusions To some extent,gynecologic laparoscopic operations have some adverse effects on short-term liver function after operation in patients with chronic liver diseases.Compensatory cirrhosis patients present delayed recovery compared with asymptomatic carriers and mild chronic hepatitis patients.

Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Guanine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B ; immunology ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; immunology ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; immunology ; Humans ; Reproducibility of Results ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Stem Cells ; Tissue Donors

Objective To clone and express surface antigen SAG4 gene of Toxoplasma gondii, and analyze its immunoreactivity. Methods Specific primers were designed based on the reported SAG4 gene of T. gondii RH strain (GenBank Accession No: AF340224.1). Using genomic DNA from T. gondii as templates, SAG4 gene was amplified by PCR. The PCR product was cloned into pMD19-T vector and identified by digestion with restriction enzyme and PCR. Then the target fragment was subcloned into pET28a(+) vector, transformed into E. coli BL21 and followed by expression of the protein induced by IPTG. The protein was identified by Western blotting. Results The target gene was amplified with the length of 537 bp. Sequence analysis showed that the predicted amino acid sequence was identical with that of SAG4 as a membrane protein in T. gondii. After induced by IPTG, the recombinant SAG4 protein existed in an inclusion body form. The recombinant SAG4 (Mr 18 740) was recognized by serum of infected mice. Conclusion SAG4 has been expressed and shows certain immuno-response activity.

Objective　 To investigated the possible roles of IL-18 in HBV infection, and the expression of IL-18 in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of chronic hepatitis B. Methods 　In 15 cases of asymptomatic carriers, 30 cases of active and remissive phases of chronic hepatitis and 10 healthy individuals (as normal controls), IL-18 expression in PBMC were quantitatively analyzed with flow cytometric immunological method. The PBMC were separated routinely and stimulated with LPS (SIGMA) and Monensin (SIGMA) for 6 hours. Then the cells were harvested and fixed by PBS/4% paraformaldehyde. The treated cells were stored in liquid nitrogen for detection later. After immunologic stain, the expression of IL-18 in PBMC were examined by flow cytometry. Results　 ① IL-18 was the lowest in asymptomatic carriers. It was fewer in remissive phase than in normal controls (P＜0.01).There was no difference between active phase and normal controls(P=0.25).②Within the group of active phase, IL-18 was significantly different between each grade of inflammatory activity(P＜0.01),and correlated with serum ALT positively(r=0.63,P＜0.01). Conclusion　 IL-18 may relate to disease activity and the inflammation of liver.

Objective To study the influence of survivin targetedly inhibited with antisense oligonucleotide (ASODN)technique on the apoptosis of hepatoma carcinoma cells SMMC-7221,and to clarify the mechanism of promotion effect of survivin-ASODN on the apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cells.Methods The ASODN sequence of survivin marked by FAM fluorescein was designed and synthized. The SMMC-7721 cells were transfected by different concentrations (100,200,300,400,and 600 nmol· L-1 )of survivin-ASODN (ASODN transfection groups),at the same time blank control group and blank liposome control group and sense oligonucleotide (SODN) control group were set up.The apoptotic rates and the changes of cell cycle of the SMMC-7721 cells 24,48,and 72 h after transfected with different concentrations of survivin-ASODN were detected by FCM. The expression levels of survivin were measured by Western blotting method.Results Compared with each control group,24 h after transfection,the apoptotic rates of survivin-ASODN transfected SMMC-7221 cells were increased,the growth of cells was inhibited (P<0.05),and the effects had time-dose dependent tendency.48 h after transfection,the hypodiploid apoptotic peak appeared in ASODN transfection groups before G1 phase, the number of the cells at G0/G1 phase was decreased (P<0.05)and the number of the cells at G2/M phase wsa increased (P<0.05). Compared with each control group,the survivin expression levels in the SMMC-7721 cells in ASODN transfection groups were decreased (P<0.05 ), and the effects of survivin-ASODN was time-dose dependent (P<0.05 ). Conclusion Survivin-ASODN can block the expression of survivin in SMMC-7721 cells and inhibit the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells by changing the cell cycle and increasing apoptosis in a time-dose dependent manner.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of artificial liver support therapy on the short-term (28- and 90-day) mortality rate of patients with liver failure in the plateau stage through a stratified analysis based on Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 187 patients with liver failure who were admitted to Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, from January 2015 to April 2019, with 73 patients in the artificial liver group and 114 in the non-artificial liver group. The stratified analysis based on MELD score in the plateau stage was performed to investigate the differences in 28- and 90-day mortality rates, hospital costs and length of hospital stay of surviving patients, and incidence rate of adverse reactions of artificial liver support therapy between the two groups. The t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between the two groups, and the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between the two groups. ResultsCompared with the non-artificial liver group, the artificial liver group had a significant reduction in the 28-day mortality rate of the patients with an MELD score of 30-39 (5.9% vs 39.6%, P＜0.001) or those with an MELD score of 40 (25.0% vs 72.7%, P＜0.05). Compared with the non-artificial liver group, the artificial liver group had a significant reduction in the 90-day mortality rate of the patients with an MELD score of 30-39 (23.5% vs 623%, P＜0.001). Artificial liver support therapy did not significantly shorten the mean hospital stay of the surviving patients (P＞0.05) and had no significant influence on the total hospital costs of the surviving patients within 90 days (P＞0.05). The incidence rate of adverse reactions related to artificial liver support therapy was 29.1%, but the symptoms were mild and were relieved after symptomatic treatment. ConclusionPatients with an MELD score of ＜30 in the plateau stage tend to have low 28- and 90-day mortality rates, and artificial liver support therapy can be reasonably selected according to the patient’s economic conditions and willingness. Artificial liver support therapy is recommended for patients with an MELD score of 30-39 in the plateau stage if there is no obvious contraindication. For patients with an MELD score of 40 in the plateau stage, artificial liver support therapy is recommended within 28 days if there is no obvious contraindication, and liver transplantation is recommended as soon as possible. Artificial liver support therapy has no significant influence on the total hospital costs and mean hospital stay of the surviving patients within 90 days and does not increase the economic burden of patients.

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