Rapid pulse is often seen clinically. The majority of physicians believe that it is a manifestation of disease caused exogenous fire or excess-heat accelerating the flow of blood in vessels. Thus rapid pulse is usually seen as a symbol of heat syndrome. But actually, rapid pulse is not only resulted from hyperfunctioning or preponderance of Yang or exposure to pathogenic heat, it can also be seen in cold syndrome, deficient syndrome and blood stasis. Therefore, doctors should make a comprehensive study of patient with four diagnostic methods in order to avoid mistreating.

Objective:To better understand the changes of the NKT like cells after HIV infection and HAART treatment.Methods: Peripheral blood from HIV-infected individuals, HAART-treatment AIDS patients and healthy controls were collected, the expression of CD57 and the proliferation ability of NKT like cells before and after HAART were analyzed by flow cytometry.Results:We found that the percentage of NKT like cells before HAART was significantly lower than the healthy controls ( P<0.01 ) , and recovered after HAART treatment ( P<0.05 );the aging of NKT like cells was significantly higher before HAART compared with health individuals (P<0.01),and recovered after HAART treatment(P<0.05)the proliferation was significantly lower in vitro before HAART compared with healthy controls,and partial recovered after HAART.Conclusion: After HAART treatment,the number of NKT like cells,CD57 expression and the proliferation ability of HIV infected patients were restored.

Objective:To study the changes of the NKT like cells after HIV infected. Methods:We collected peripheral blood from 47 untreated HIV infected individuals and 31 healthy controls,and analyzed the expression of Annexin-V,Ki-67,HLA-DR and other surface molecules in NKT like cells by flow cytometry. Results:The NKT like cell percentage of untreated HIV infected group was (3. 03±1. 61)%,the NKT like cell percentage of normal control group was (8. 30±7. 42)%,the percentage of NKT like cells in HIV infected individuals was significantly lower than the healthy controls ( P<0. 05 );the NKT like cell HLA-DR expression of untreated HIV infected group and normal control group were (5. 40±4. 10)% and (0. 89±0. 83)%,the NKT like cell Annexin-V expression of untreated HIV infected group and normal control group were (30. 21±13. 15)% and (5. 40±8. 05)% ,and the activation and apoptosis of NKT like cells was significantly higher after HIV infection compared with health individuals (P<0. 001,P<0. 01),the degree of activation was negatively correlated with CD4 count (r=-0. 885 7,P<0. 05);and the NKT like cell Ki-67 expression of untreated HIV infected group and normal control group were (11. 15±4. 76)% and (27. 63±18. 31)%,the proliferation ability was significantly lower after HIV infection compared with healthy controls(P<0. 05). Conclusion:HIV infection can significantly reduce the number of NKT like cells and its ability to proliferate,and increase its ability to activation and apoptosis.

Objective To investigate the level of B7-H1 and its counter-receptor PD-1 expression in mDC and different subsets of T lymphocytes in HIV infected individuals in China and to analyze the correlation between the level of B7-H1/PD-1 and disease progression, and to demonstrate that PD-1/PD-L1-dependent inhibition is operating in HIV infected patients.Methods Percentage of B7-H1 and PD-1 expression in mDC, CD+4 T cells and CD+8 T cells from thirty-six untreated HIV infected patients and 20 health controls were selected and detected by flow-cytometry, its correlations with CD+4 T cell absolute counts and plasma viral loads were analyzed.Results The percentage of B7-H1 expression in mDC, CD+4 T cells and CD+8 T cells (mean 15.21, mean 20.63, mean 13.5)were higher than that of health controls (all P<0.05).The percentage of PD-1 expression in CD+4 T cells and CD+8 T cells (mean 17.91, mean 19.21)were higher than that of health controls (P<0.05, P<0.05). The level of B7-H1 and PD-1 expression were inversely correlated with CD+4 T-cell counts(mDC+B7-H1+:r=-0.647, P<0.01;CD+4B7-H1+:r=-0.489, P=0.002;CD+8B7-H1+:r=-0.372, P=0.026;CD+4PD-1+:r=-0.374, P=0.025;CD+8PD-1+:r=-0.455, P=0.005) and positively correlated with HIV viral load(mDC+B7-H1+:r=0.662, P<0.01;CD+4B7-H1+: r=0.426, P=0.01;CD+8B7-H1+:r=0.531, P=0.001;CD+4PD-1+:r=0.362, P=0.03;CD+8PD-1+:r=0.380, P=0.022).Conclusion The level of B7-H1 and PD-1 expression was associated with HIV disease progression, which provides a useful marker to define disease progression of HIV infection.

Objective To explore neurocognitive characteristics of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients ,and to compare the efficacy of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART ) among patients with different cognitive functions .Methods Cognitive function was evaluated using the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) Chinese version in 118 HIV-positive patients and 62 HIV-negative controls .Among 59 patients on HAART ,CD4 + T cell count and viral load were assessed at enrollment and one-year follow-up .The mean of measurement data was compared using t test ,and enumeration data was analyzed using chi-squared or Fisher exact test when appropriate .Univariate and multivariate analysis were examined using bivariate Logistic regression models .Results Compared with control group ,HIV-infected group was characterized by higher rate of neurocognitive impairment (46 .6% vs 12 .9% , t =20 .30 ,P< 0 .05) ,and generally lower MoCA subscores for visuospatial abilities ,the clock drawing test , naming ,attention ,abstraction and delayed recall (t= - 3 .761 , - 2 .638 , - 4 .263 , - 3 .769 , - 3 .858 and- 3 .111 ,respectively ,all P< 0 .05) .Among patients on HAART ,subjects who scored < 26 showed no significant differences in viral load at three time points (pre-HAART ,post-HAART at enrollment and one-year follow-up) with those who scored ≥ 26 (t = 0 .557 ,0 .737 and - 0 .758 ,respectively ,all P >0 .05) .The former group had lower CD4 + T cell counts both at enrollment ([286 ± 127]/μL vs [363 ± 160]/μL) and one-year follow-up ([334 ± 122]/μL vs [411 ± 152]/μL) than the latter group (t= - 2 .027 and - 2 .067 ,respectively ,both P < 0 .05 ) ,while there were no obvious differences of pretreatment CD4 + T cell counts ([135 ± 77]/μL vs [155 ± 80]/μL) and HAART duration ([22 .29 ± 21 .20] months vs [18 .74 ± 16 .63] months) between these two groups (t= - 0 .968 and 0 .702 ,respectively ,both P>0 .05) .Multivariate analysis revealed that age (OR = 1 .044 ,95% CI :1 .008 - 1 .081 , P < 0 .05) and education time (OR = 0 .820 ,95% CI :0 .723 - 0 .930 , P < 0 .05 ) were independent predictors for neurocognitive impairment among HIV-infected patients . Conclusions Neurocognitive impairment is common among HIV-infected patients ,which is characterized by poor performance in multiple domains , and patients with neurocognitive impairment performed poorly in immune recovery .MoCA could be a useful screening tool of cognitive function in HIV-infected patients . Neurocognitive function has no relationship with pre- and post-treatment viral levels .

Objective:To study the changes of NKG2C/NKG2A expressed on T cells in HIV chronically infected individuals and HAART-treatment AIDS patients and the relationship with disease progression of HIV. Methods: We collected peripheral blood from HIV chronically infected individuals,HAART-treatment AIDS patients and healthy human and used the flow cytometry by staining fluorescent antibody to detect the NKG2C/NKG2A receptors expressed on T cells. Results:NKG2C+,NKG2A+ and NKG2C+NKG2A-expressed on T cells in HIV chronically infected individuals were significantly higher than the healthy control group ( P=0. 025,P=0. 032,P=0. 029),while in HAART-treatment AIDS patients were significantly lower than that in HIV chronically infected individuals (P=0. 033,P=0. 037,P=0. 018),returned to the normal levels with no significant difference compared with the healthy control group. The absolute number of peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes in HIV chronically infected individuals was negative correlation with T cells which expressing NKG2A+,NKG2C+NKG2A+ and NKG2C-NKG2A+( r=-0. 697,P<0. 000 1;r=-0. 463,P=0. 015;r=-0. 693,P<0. 000 1). What was more,the absolute number of peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes had positive correlation with the ratio of NKG2C and NKG2A expressed on T cells receptor in HIV chronically infected individuals(r=0. 476,P=0. 012). Conclusion:Studying the expression of NKG2C and NKG2A receptors on T cell has great significance in HIV infected individuals, which may provide a scientific basis for clinical prognosis of HIV infection.

Objective To study the alternations of regulatory T cells in early HIV infected patients and its association with disease progression.Methods Fifty-one untreated HIV infected patients were enrolled and divided into 3 groups according to their infection time and CD+4 T cell levels(30 early HIV infected patients,15 typical progressors,6 AIDS patients).Twenty normal controls were enrolled.There were no significant differences between the age and sex among four groups.Blood was drawn by venipuncture from each subject in EDTA tubes and the levels of CD+4 CD+25 Foxp3 + regulatory T cells were detected by FACSAria flow-cytometry.Spearman correlation was used to detect association between CD+4 CD+25 Foxp3 + regulatory T cells and the absolute CD+4 T cells,viral load and activation of T cells.Results The levels of CD+4 CD+25Foxp3+ regulatory T cells showed the tendency of increasing tendency from normal control to early HIV infected patients,asymptomatic HIV infected patients and AIDS patients.Early HIV infected patients was significantly lower than that in AIDS group [3.79(2.11 - 5.43) % vs 8.09(4.90 - 8.90) %,Z = - 2.29,P = 0.022].The levels of CD+4 CD+25 Foxp3 + Treg cells were associated with viral set point(r = 0.479,P =0.038) and inversely associated with CD+4 T cells(r = -0.455,P =0.011) and closely associated with HLA-DR expression on CD+3 T cells(r = 0.533,P = 0.002).Conclusions The ratio of CD+4 CD+25 Foxp3 +regulatory T cells of early HIV infected patients was significantly increased and associated with viral set point and CD+4 T cell counts,which indicate that alternation of regulatory T cell may be an important factor contributing to the disease progression in early HIV infection.

Objective To study the association of CD4+CD8+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells with the HIV long term non-progressors(LTNP) in China. Methods Seventy-four HIV-1 infected patients (LTNP group, HIV group and AIDS group)and 16 normal controls were enrolled and the frequency of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells were detected by flow cytometry. To study the correlation between CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and disease progression, the absolute CD4+ T cells, viral load, apoptosis and activation of T cells were also examined. Results The frequency of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in LTNP group was significantly lower than that in HIV and AIDS group (P<0.05). The frequency of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells was inversely related to CD4+ T cells and closely related to viral load and CD38, CD95 expression on CD4, CD8+ T cells (P<0.05). Conclusion The frequency of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells of HIV infected LTNP is significantly lower than typical progressors, which indicates that alternation of regulatory T cells may play a protective role in LTNP.

Objective To detect the alternation of the level of CTLA-4 expression in T cells and regulatory T cells, and to study the relationship between CTLA-4 expression in T cells and regulatory T cells and disease progression of HIV infected Chinese. Methods Fifty-eight untreated HIV-1 infected patients were enrolled and the level of CTLA-4 expression in T cells and regulatory T cells were detected by flowcytometry. CD4+T cell numbers, viral load, level of CD95, HLA-DR, CD38 expression on T cells were measured to study the relationship between the level of CTLA-4 expression and disease progression of HIV infected patients. Results We found that the level of CTLA-4 expression in CD4+T cells continuously increased in long term nonprogressors (LTNP), asymptomatic HIV infected patients (HIV) and AIDS patients (P<0.05). The level of CTLA-4 expression in CD4+T cells was significantly correlated with CD4+T cell counts, the frequency of CD8+ CD38+T cells, CD4+CD95+T cells and CD8+CD95+T cells (P<0.05). There had no difference in the level of CTLA-4 expression in CD8+T cells among all groups and neither did we find the relationship between the level of CTLA-4 expression on CD8+ T cells and the CD4 counts, viral load, activation or apoptosis of T cells. The level of CTLA-4 expression in regulatory T cells of LTNP group was significantly lower than that of HIV and AIDS group (P<0.05). The level of CTLA-4 expression in regulatory T cells was significantly correlated with CD4 counts, the frequency of CD4+HLA-DR+T cells and CD8+HLA-DR+T cells (P<0.05). Conclusion The level of CTLA-4 expression in CD4+T cells and regulatory T cells is correlated with disease progression and the level of the activation of immune system of HIV infected Chinese and may play a role in the immune balance in HIV infection.

Objective To investigate the impact of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA levels on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 disease progression in Chinese HIV/HCV co-infected individuals. Methods Cross-sectional analysis was performed among 391 HIV-infected patients for assessment of HCV-IgG, HCV-RNA, HIV-RNA, CD4 cell counts and cell surface markers of immune activation, to compare the difference of viral and immune indexes between HCV-RNA high group and HCV-RNA low group, and to elucidate the association between HCV-RNA, HIV-RNA and CD4 cell counts in HIV/HCV co-infected patients. Results (1) The percentage of anti HCV-IgG positive of former plasma donor group (93%) and drug-injection group (97.5%) were significantly higher than that of sexual transmission group (20.1%). The percentage of HCV-RNA positive of drug-injection group (89.9%) was significantly higher than that of former plasma donor group (48.3%) and sexual transmission group (62.5%), P<0.01, respectively. (2) HCV-RNA levels were positively correlated to HIV-RNA levels (r=0.237,P