Objective To analyze the phenotypes of lymphocytes in cerebrospinal fluid derived from the patients with neurosyphilis. Methods Samples of cerebrospinal fluid from 12 patients with neurosyphilis and 20 patients with latent syphilis were collected and analyzed by flow cytometry for CD4 and CD25 expression. Results There was a significant increase in the number of white blood cells in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurosyphilis. FACS analysis showed that most leukocytes were lymphocytes predominated with CD4 + T cells in neurosyphilis patients which were almost 4 times more than that in latent syphilis. However, there was a significant decrease in the proportion of CD4+ CD25high regulatory T cells (Tr) in neurosyphilis patients compared with that in latent syphilis patients. Conclusion A dramatic increase in CD4+ T cell frequency suggested its pathogenic role in neurosyphilis, whereas a decrease in CD25high Tr frequency indicated that CD4 + CD25high Tr cells might play an important role in immune homeostasis of central nervous system.

Objective To analyze the clinical manifestations and treatment of acquired syphilis in children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted.The clinical data on 14 patients with acquired syphilis collected from July 2007 to December 2010 were assessed.Results Among the 14 cases,10 were secondary syphilis,2 early latent syphilis,and 2 late latent syphilis.Seven of the patients had been misdiagnosed as other diseases.All the patients had a history of close contact with syphilis patients or having mouth-to-mouth feeding history after chewing food by adult patients with syphilis.Both rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test and Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) were positive in all the patients.The skin lesions were mainly located in the oral cavity mucosa and rarely in the trunk,which included leukoplakia,mucosal wet papules,and pustules.Conclusions Acquired syphilis in children is often clinically misdiagnosed or ignored.For children presenting with atypical skin rashes,especially for those having close contact with active syphilis patients,acquired syphilis should be suspected.

Objective To assess the clinical presentations and treatment of neurosyphilis with mania as the first manifestation. Methods A retrospective study was performed. Clinical data on neurosyphilis patients with mania as the first manifestation collected from July 2009 to June 2010 were analyzed. Results Twenty cases of neurosyphilis were included in this study, which were all misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, anxiety,cerebral infarction, etc. All the patients had manic symptoms at onset, such as irritability, bad temper, impulsive behavior, disturbance in thinking, and so on. Some patients also suffered from a marked decrease in memory, calculation and cognitive ability. Rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test, Treponema pallidum hemagglutination (TPHA)test and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test were positive in all the patients. Varying degrees of symptomatic improvement was achieved after anti-syphilis and anti-psychotic treatment. CSF was retested in 13 patients 3 months after the end of treatment, and CSF VDRL titer decreased in 10 patients, remained unchanged in 2 patients, and turned negative in 1 patient. Conclusions Neurosyphilis lacks distinctive clinical characteristics. For patients with poor response to conventional antipsychotic therapy,neurosyphilis should be considered, and serology and cerebrospinal fluid tests for syphilis are warranted.

Objective To investigate the regulatory effect of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and lipid metabolism in livers in apoE knockout (apo E-/-) mice.Methods Male C57BL/6 J mice and homozygous apoE mice were fed with a western type diet and randomly divided into four groups:C57BL/6 J control group (injected intraperitoneally with normal saline),apoE group (injected intraperitoneally with normal saline),apoE-/-+NaHS group (injected intraperitoneally with an H2S donor NaHS 56μmol · kg-1 · d-1) and apoE-/-+ DL-propargylglycine (PPG) group (injected intraperitoneally with an acystathionine-γ-lyase inhibitor PPG 30 mg ·kg-1 · d-1).After 10 weeks,all mice were sacrificed and plasma lipids were detected.Lipid deposition was determined by oil red O staining.Glucose-regulated protein78 (GRP78),Thr-981 phosphorylated double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK),subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor-2α (elF-2α),low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (LDLR),sterol regulatory element binding protein-2 (SREBP-2) in the livers were detected by Western bloting.The expressions of GRP78 and SREBP-2 mRNA were analyzed by realtime polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results Compared with C57BL/6 J control group,plasma levels of total cholesterol (TC),triglyceride (TG) and low density lipoprotein (LDL),liver lipid content and expressions of GRP-78,PERK and eIF-2α were significantly increased in apoE-/-mice,but body weight did not change.Compared with apoE-/-mice,plasma LDL level was decreased,liver lipid deposition was improved,expressions of GRP-78 and PERK in livers were increased,and the ratio of p-eIF-2α/ eIF-2α was increased in apoE-/-+NaHS group,but expression levels of SREBP-2 and LDLR in liver did not change.Conclusions H2S decreases serum LDL level and liver lipid content,and up regulates GRP78 protein and mRNA expressions,promotes PERK and eIF2α phosphorylations,improves endoplasmic reticulum function,but has no effect on the expressions of SREBP-2 and LDLR in apoE-/-mice fed with a high-fat diet.

OBJECTIVETo provide a new therapeutic approach for Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm-associated infections by the study of inhibitory effect of andrographolide (AG) on S. epidermidis biofilm.

METHODS. epidermidis biofilms were set up in vitro, erythromycin was acted as the positive control agent, XTT reduction assay was used to evaluate AG on the initial adhesion of S. epidermidis and bacterial metabolism within biofilm, microscope was applied to observe biofilm morphology, and Congo red assay was used to detect polysacchatide interc-ellular adhesion (PIA)formation when exposed to AG.

RESULTAG showed inhibitory effects against the initial adhesion of S. epidermidis at concentrations of 1 000,100, 10 mg x L(-1), respectively,and inhibited metabolism of biofilm bacteria at the concentration of 31.25 mg x L(-1), and exhibited significantly inhibition against the biofilm morphology at the concentration of 250 mg x L(-1), while did not display inhibition against PIA formation at the concentration of 10 mg x L(-1).

CONCLUSIONAG could remarkably inhibit biofilm formation of S. epidermidis, although it was less potent than erythromycin.

Bacterial Adhesion ; drug effects ; Biofilms ; drug effects ; Diterpenes ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Erythromycin ; pharmacology ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; drug effects ; physiology

Objective:To establish a disk (CD) microfluidic chip detection platform for the rapid detection of CALR-1 and CALR-2 mutations in patients with cerebral infarction, and summarize its clinical application value.Methods:Based on microfluidic technology and loop mediated isothermal amplification technology, a CD microfluidic chip detection platform for simultaneous detection of CALR-1 and CALR-2 gene mutations were established, and the sensitivity, specificity, repeatability and accuracy of the platform were verified. A total of 124 patients with cerebral infarction treated in Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University from November 2019 to March 2021 were prospectively selected into the experimental group; and 80 healthy subjects were included in the control group. The CALR-1 and CALR-2 gene mutations in anticoagulant peripheral blood samples were detected by the CD microfluidic chip. Each chip could detect 4 samples at the same time and synchronously detect 3 indexes of each sample. The detection results could be obtained after isothermal amplification for 40 min. At the same time, sequencing method was used to verify the test results, and the consistency of the results of the two detection methods was compared.Results:Using this CD microfluidic chip platform, the synchronous amplification of 3 indexes in the sample could be completed within 40 min without the need of thermal circulation, and the whole detection process of the sample could be completed within 60 min. For samples with a high concentration of target nucleic acid, typical positive signals could be visualized after amplification for 10 min, and the test results would be available within 30 minutes after receiving the samples. The detection sensitivity of CD microfluidic chip method for CALR-1 and CALR-2 mutation load concentration was 1.0% and 0.5% respectively. Nonspecific amplification was not observed for the non-target nucleic acid samples, indicating the high specificity of this method. The coincidence rates of intra and inter batch repeatability were 100% (20/20) respectively. Two samples with CALR gene mutation were found in the cerebral infarction group, both of which were CALR-1 mutations (L367fs*46). There was no CALR-1 or CALR-2 mutation in the control group. The detection results of CD microfluidic chip method were completely consistent with the sequencing verification results (100% [204/204]).Conclusions:The CD microfluidic chip method could be used for the detection of CALR-1 and CALR-2 gene mutations in clinical samples of patients with cerebral infarction. This method has the advantages of high detection sensitivity, good detection specificity, fast detection speed and high detection flux, which is helpful to clarify the etiology of patients with cerebral infarction.