Objective To study the species and drug resistance of Mycobacterium isolated from patients with spu-tum smear positive for acid-fast bacillus in Wuj iang city,and provide reference for the prevention and control of tu-berculosis. Methods Sputum specimens with positive smear were cultured,isolated bacteria were identified and performed drug susceptibility testing,drug resistance among different species of strains and between patients with initial and repeated treatment were compared.Results A total of 1 03 Mycobacterium isolates were included in the study,13 of which were nontuberculous Mycobacterium,drug resistance rate was 100.00% ,multidrug resistance (MDR)rate was 84.62% ;90 isolates were Mycobacteriumtuberculosis,81(90.00% )of which were Mycobacteri-umhominis. Drug resistance rate of Mycobacteriumtuberculosiswas 35.56% ,MDR rate was 14.44% . Of 70 ini-tially treated tuberculosis patients with positive sputum smear,14(20.00% )were resistant to drugs,MDR rate was 4.28% (3/70);Of 20 repeatedly treated tuberculosis patients with positive sputum smear,18(90.00% )were resist-ant to drugs,MDR rate was 50.00% (10/20).Conclusion Mycobacteriumtuberculosisis the major isolated strain from patients with positive sputum smear. Drug resistance and MDR rates of nontuberculous Mycobacterium are very high. Drug resistance and MDR rates of Mycobacteriumtuberculosisin repeatedly treated patients are higher than initially treated patients.

Objective To explore the value of FIB-4 and APRI index on evaluating the severity of liver fibrosis among patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB).Methods A total of 218 CHB were enrolled in the study.Based on the staging of liver fibrosis,the patients were divided into 2 groups as S0-S2 group(n=120) and S3-S4 group(n=98).Differences in clinical data,laboratory indexes,FIB-4 and APRI index were compared between two groups.The correlation between FIB-4 index,APRI index and liver fibrosis were analyzed by Spearman correlation test.Receiver operator curve(ROC) test was used to determine the evaluating value of FIB-4 index and APRI index for the severity of liver fibrosis.Results To evaluate the staging≥S2 of liver fibrosis,the value of FIB-4 index was better than APRI index(Z=1.998,P=0.046).And to evaluate the staging≥S3 and S4 of liver fibrosis,the value of FIB-4 index for evaluating the staging≥S3(Z=1.177,P=0.239) or S4(Z=0.267,P=0.789) was the same as APRI index.Conclusion FIB-4 index and APRI index are both effective on evaluating the severity of liver fibrosis among patients with CHB,but the value of FIB-4 index is better than APRI index for evaluating early liver fibrosis.

Objective To explore the relationship between red blood cell volume distribution width (RDW) and degree of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods One hundred and sixty-four patients with CHB were consecutively selected. According to the fibrosis index based on the 4 factors (FIB-4) index, the patients were divided into 3 groups: low-FIB group (FIB-4 <1.45, 116 cases), mid-FIB group (FIB-4 1.45-3.25, 31 cases) and high-FIB group (FIB-4 > 3.25, 17 cases), and the clinical data and laboratory indexes (including RDW) were compared. The patients were divided into Ⅰ group (RDW<0.113, 43 cases), Ⅱ groups (RDW 0.113-0.119, 40 cases), Ⅲ group (RDW 0.120-0.127, 43 cases) andⅣgroup (RDW>0.127, 38 cases) according to the RDW, and the FIB-4 were compared. The correlation between RDW and FIB-4 was analyzed by Spearman correlation test. Results The RDW and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in low-FIB group, mid-FIB group and high- FIB group were gradually increased: 0.117 ± 0.011, 0.122 ± 0.010, 0.134 ± 0.018 and (18.9 ± 7.3), (28.2 ± 10.4), (44.1 ± 13.3) U/L, but the platelet was gradually decreased:(211.3 ± 48.8), (159.3 ± 40.0) and (150.4 ± 31.2) ×109/L, and there were statistical differences (P<0.05). The FIB-4 inⅠgroup,Ⅱgroup,Ⅲgroup andⅣgroup was gradually increased:1.07 ± 0.74, 1.11 ± 0.56, 1.35 ± 0.70 and 2.03 ± 1.06, and there was statistical difference (P<0.05). Spearman correlation test result showed that FIB-4 and RDW was positively correlated (r=0.447, P<0.01). Conclusions The level of RDW is closely related with the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with CHB. RDW has a potential value in assessing the progress of liver fibrosis.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of total flavones of Artemisia capillaris Thunb.on acute hepat-ic injury in rats. Methods Rats were randomly divided into blank control group,model control group, Yinzhihuang group,and groups of total flavones of Artemisia capillaris Thunb.(low,medium and high dose) in terms of 7-day different treatments.All rats except those in the blank control group were administrated with D-galactosamine hydrochloride ( 500 mg?g-1 , ip ) once at the sixth day.Then,concentrations of ALT and AST were detected 48 h later,and the liver samples were collected from each group for pathological examination. Results The serum ALT and AST in high-dose group of total flavones of Artemisia capillaris Thunb. was [(189.2±112.9) and (231.7±149.9) U?L-1],respectively,significantly lower than those in model control group ALT [(391.9±181.3) U?L-1] and AST [(403.9±133.8) U?L-1].Fragmented necrosis,fatty degeneration,inflammatory cells infil-tration and acidophilic degeneration of hepatic cells were improved to varying degrees in groups of total flavones of Artemisia capil-laris Thunb.compared with model control group.Fragmented necrosis of liver cells and steatosis occurred in 20 and 19 rats,respec-tively,in the model control group,while those appeared in 1 and 2 rats,respectively,in high-dose group of total flavones of Artemi-sia capillaris Thunb.. Conclusion Total flavones of Artemisia capillaris Thunb. are effective in protecting D-galactosamine hydrochloride-induced acute hepatic injury in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To prepare gynecological Jiekang lotion and to establish its quality standard. METHODS: The Caffeotannic acid in Flos Lonicerae, the Berberine in Cortex Phellodendri and the Ammothamnine in Radix Sophorae Flavescentis were identified by TLC; HPLC was adopted to determine the content of Osthole with Hypersil DOS C18 as chromatograpic column. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-water (54∶46) with a flow rate of 1.1mL? min-1. The detection wavelength was set at 321nm. RESULTS: Both the chief components in Jiekang lotion and the corresponding reference substances showed the identical discrimination reactions. The linear range of Osthole was 13～130?g?mL-1. CONCLUSION: The method is sensitive in qualitative reaction, specific in TLC identification, accurate in HPLC quantitation and recurrent. The established standard is applicable for the quality control of Jeikang lotion.

BACKGROUNDTo investigate gene diagnosis of micrometastasis in lymph nodes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the feasibility of mucin 1 (MUC1) mRNA and cytokeratin 19 (CK19) mRNA as molecular marker to detect micrometastasis of lung cancer.

METHODSExpression of MUC1 mRNA and CK19 mRNA was detected in 119 lymph nodes taken from 31 patients with NSCLC, 35 lymph nodes from 10 patients with pulmonary benign diseases as controls by nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSIn the 119 lymph nodes from lung cancer patients, CK19 mRNA expression was detected in 66 lymph nodes (55.5%) and MUC1 mRNA expression was detected in 65 lymph nodes (54.5%) by RT-PCR. Neither CK19 mRNA nor MUC1 mRNA expression was observed in all the 35 lymph nodes in the benign pulmonary lesion group.

CONCLUSIONSThe results suggest that the detection of both MUC1 and CK19 mRNA might be helpful to diagnose NSCLC micrometastasis in lymph nodes. The establishment of this method may lead to an earlier diagnosis of metastasis for lung cancer.