OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of composite salvia injection (CSI) on platelet parameters in children with anaphylactoid purpura (AP) and its clinical significance.

METHODSOne hundred and fifty children with AP were assigned to two groups, 80 in Group A and 70 in Group B. They were treated, respectively, with conventional therapy only or conventional therapy combined with CSI. Their platelet parameters, including blood platelet count (BPC), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW) and plateletcrit (PCT) were determined at the acute stage and convalescent stage, respectively.

RESULTSAt the acute stage, the BPC in AP children of both groups was in the normal range, but significant abnormality was shown in the levels of MPV, PDW and PCT. As for comparisons of these parameters at the convalescent stage, significant difference between the two groups was also shown in terms of MPV, PDW and PCT (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONAlthough platelet shows no quantitative change in the pathogenic process of AP, important functional changes are surely existent. CSI could promote the normalization of platelet function.

Adolescent ; Blood Platelets ; drug effects ; pathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Injections ; Male ; Platelet Function Tests ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch ; blood ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo determine the frequency distribution and antibiotic resistance of pathogens isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid samples of children with bacterial meningitis (BM) and to provide a basis for the timely and effective treatment of childhood BM.

METHODSRetrospective analysis was performed on pathogens isolated from 5097 cerebrospinal fluid samples collected from children in Kunming Children's Hospital between January 2008 and June 2012, as well as drug sensitivity test results. Kirby-Bauer antibiotic testing was used to analyze the sensitivity of these pathogens to commonly used antibiotics.

RESULTSA total of 116 pathogen strains were detected from the 5097 cerebrospinal fluid samples, including 77 (66.4%) Gram-positive strains, 30 (25.9%) Gram-negative strains, and 9 (7.8%) fungal strains, with a positive rate of 2.28%. The six most frequently isolated pathogens were Staphylococcus epidermidis (32 strains, 27.6%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (15 strains, 12.9%), Escherichia coli (15 strains, 12.9%), Staphylococcus haemolyticus (9 strains, 7.8%), Cryptococcus neoformans (8 strains, 6.9%) and Staphylococcus aureus (6 strains, 5.2%). Coagulase-negative staphylococci was the predominant pathogen in neonates and young infants with BM, and its sensitivity rates to penicillin, erythromycin and clindamycin were lower than 40%. Streptococcus pneumoniae had a penicillin sensitivity rate of 13.4%, while sensitivity rates to erythromycin and clindamycin reached 60.0%. No Staphylococcus and Streptococcus pneumoniae pathogens resistant to vancomycin were found. Gram-negative bacilli had relatively high sensitivity rates to imipenem, meropenem, cefoperazone/sulbactam and cefepime.

CONCLUSIONSGram-positive cocci are the predominant pathogens for childhood BM over the past five years. The detected pathogens develop high resistance to commonly used antibiotics. To prevent misdiagnosis, careful attention should be paid to BM caused by Cryptococcus neoformans.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Female ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Gram-Positive Cocci ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; cerebrospinal fluid ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignant tumors, affecting a significant number of women worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to play important roles in tumorigenesis. The aim of this study was to determine the roles of miR-182-5p in BC progression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expressions of miR-182-5p and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) were measured in BC tissues and cells by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction or Western blot. Cell proliferation and invasion were detected by cell counting kit-8 assay and trans-well assay, respectively. The interaction between miR-182-5p and PTEN was probed by bioinformatics analysis, luciferase activity, and RNA immunoprecipitation. A murine xenograft model was established to investigate the role of miR-182-5p in BC progression in vivo. RESULTS: An abundance of miR-182-5p was noted in BC tissues and cells. High expression of miR-182-5p was associated with poor survival. Abrogation of miR-182-5p inhibited cell proliferation and invasion in BC cells. Interestingly, PTEN was indicated as a target of miR-182-5p, and its restoration reversed miR-182-5p-mediated promotion of proliferation and invasion of BC cells. Moreover, depletion of miR-182-5p suppressed tumor growth via up-regulating PTEN expression in the murine xenograft model. CONCLUSION: MiR-182-5p exhaustion blocked cell proliferation and invasion by regulating PTEN expression, providing a novel therapeutic avenue for treatment of BC.
Blotting, Western ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Count ; Cell Proliferation ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 10 ; Computational Biology ; Female ; Heterografts ; Humans ; Immunoprecipitation ; Luciferases ; MicroRNAs ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA

OBJECTIVETo investigate the accuracy, consistency and related affecting factors in pathological results of breast lesions diagnosed by ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) and conventional excision histopathology.

METHODSThe clinical data of 177 consecutive cases of breast lesions examined by ultrasound-guided CNB and subsequently excised were reviewed from Jan. 2003 to Nov. 2009. The agreement of pathological diagnosis between the CNB and subsequent excision pathology was analyzed.

RESULTSThere were 136 cancers in the final diagnosis after surgical excision among 386 breast lesions and 129 of them were diagnosed by CNB. The sensitivity (true positive) of CNB was 94.9%, false negative rate was 5.1%, specificity (true negative) was 100%, false positive rate 0, Youden's index was 0.949, and positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 100% and 85.4%, respectively. Condensation rate was 96.0% and Kappa value was 0.895.

CONCLUSIONUltrasound-guided CNB with histopathological assessment is accurate in diagnosis of breast lesions and has a great consistency with conventional excision pathology. It is a reliable method for the diagnosis of breast lesions to avoid an over-reliance on excision pathological examination.

Adenoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy, Needle ; methods ; Breast ; pathology ; Breast Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Carcinoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography, Mammary ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDAsthma is a complex disease involving genetic and environment interactions. Atopy is a strong risk factor for asthma. The airway epithelium not only forms a physical barrier but also provides immune defense against harmful materials. To explore the effects of airway epithelium on asthma, we hypothesized that environmental injuries could act on bronchial epithelial cells and damage the physical barrier, which might facilitate allergens to stimulate immunoreactions and play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma.

METHODSThirty eight-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups with six rats in each group: control group, asthma group, ovalbumin (OVA) + OVA group, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group and LPS + OVA group. In the control group, 0.9% saline was injected intraperitoneally on day 1. Fourteen days later, the rats were exposed to aerosolized 0.9% saline. In the asthma group, the rats were sensitized with an injection of 10 mg of OVA, followed by an aerosolized 2% OVA challenge 14 days later. The OVA + OVA group was sensitized by an inhalation 2% OVA, 20 minutes a day, from day 1 to day 7, and then OVA challenged in the same way as the asthma group. In the LPS group, LPS (200 µl, 1 µg/µl) was given by airway on day 1 and day 3, with a simultaneous aerosol inhalation of 2% OVA for 20 minutes a day from day 1 to day 7. Fourteen days later, the rats were challenged with saline as in the control group. While in the LPS + OVA group, LPS (200 µl, 1 µg/µl) was given by airway on day 1 and day 3, with a simultaneous aerosol inhalation of 2% OVA for 20 minutes a day from day 1 to day 7. Fourteen days later, the rats were challenged with OVA as in the asthma group. The expression of interleukin (IL)-4, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in the lungs was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the pulmonary pathological changes were also observed. The level of IL-4, IFN-γ and IgE in plasma was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected to conduct differential cell counts. Flow cytometry analysis was also used to count Th1 and Th2 cells.

RESULTSThe pathological changes in the LPS + OVA group were similar to the asthma group, while in other groups, the pathological changes were not obvious. The ratio of lymphocytes in BALF, IL-4/IFN-γ in plasma and the expression of the TSLP and IL-4 in the asthma and LPS + OVA groups were higher than in the control group and the OVA + OVA group (P < 0.05). The level of IgE was higher in the asthma, LPS and LPS + OVA groups than in the control group and the OVA + OVA group (P < 0.05). By flow cytometry analysis, the Th1/Th2 ratio was lower in the LPS + OVA and asthma groups than in other groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe experiment results show that the injury to the bronchial epithelial layer may be the initial event of allergic responses. This finding implies that a rational approach to therapeutics would be to increase the resistance of the airways to environmental injuries rather than concentrating on suppressing inflammation.

Animals ; Bronchi ; pathology ; Cell Count ; Cytokines ; physiology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Epithelial Cells ; pathology ; Hypersensitivity ; etiology ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Lipopolysaccharides ; toxicity ; Male ; Ovalbumin ; immunology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo describe the brief survey of alcohol intake and the incidence of alcohol liver disease in Zhejiang province.

METHODS18,237 requested persons aged over 18 years were selected by multi-stage stratified cluster sampling in Zhejiang province. Questionnaire about alcohol consumption, hepatic ultrasonic scan and detection of hepatic enzymes and markers of HBV and HCV were carried out. Daily alcohol intake more than 40g (including equal to 40g/d) was essential for the diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease.

RESULTSAmong the 18,237 persons (male 12,042, female 6195), the average daily alcohol intake was (17.7 +/- 27.2) g. The incidence of alcoholic liver disease in Zhejiang province was 4.34% (male 6.36%, female 0.36%) in the whole population. Four subtypes were separated as alcoholic cirrhosis, alcoholic fat liver, alcoholic hepatitis and mild alcoholic injury in liver with the corresponding incidence of 0.68%, 0.94%, 1.51% and 1.21% separately.

CONCLUSIONAlcoholic liver disease is found to be a common disease in Zhejiang province, indicating an urgent need for the public education on alcohol abuse and the treatment on related health problems

Adult ; Age Distribution ; Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Data Collection ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic ; epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged

Pruni Semen,the seed of several unique Prunus plants,is a traditional purgative herbal material.To determine the authentic sources of Pruni Semen,46 samples from four species were collected and analyzed.Ten compounds including multiflorin A(Mul A),a notable purative compound,were isolated and identified by chemical separation and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.Seventy-six communal components were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with linear ion trap-quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry,and acetyl flavonoid glycosides were recognized as characteristic constituents.The flavonoids were distributed in the seed coat and cyanogenic glycosides in the kernel.Based on this,methods for identifying Pruni Semen from different sources were established using chemical fingerprinting,quantitative analysis of the eight principal compounds,hierarchical cluster analysis,principal component analysis,and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis.The results showed that the samples were divided into two categories:one is the small seeds from Prunus humilis(Ph)and Prunus japonica(Pj),and the other is the big seeds from Prunus pedunculata(Pp)and Prunus triloba(Pt).The average content of Mul A was 3.02.6.93,0.40,and 0.29 mg/g,while the average content of amygdalin was 18.5,17.7,31.5,and 30.9 mg/g in Ph,Pj,Pp,and Pt,respectively.All the above information suggests that small seeds might be superior sources of Pruni Semen.This is the first comprehensive report on the identification of chemical components in Pruni Semen from different species.

OBJECTIVESTo study the biological function and its possible underlying mechanism of peroxiredoxin II (PrxII) in liver cancer cell line Hep3B.

METHODSTwo pairs of double-stranded small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeted on PrxII gene were transfected into Hep3B cells using LipofectamineTM 2000. After confirming the inhibited effects of these siRNAs through Quant SYBR Green polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, the biological characters of Hep3B cell were analyzed by flow cytometry analysis, MTT and colony formation assays. Furthermore, dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assays, for measuring the products of oxidative reaction, such as the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), were applied to explore whether the antioxidant mechanism was involved in the effects of PrxII functioning on Hep3B cell.

RESULTSThe two pairs of siRNA significantly inhibited PrxII mRNA and protein expression. Compared to the mock and blank control groups, the two PrxII-silent groups showed decreased rates of cell growth and clone formation and increased rates of cell apoptosis. The numbers of the formed colonies were 42.0+/-2.8 and 40.5+/-0.7 respectively in the two PrxII-silent groups, while they were 121.5+/-2.1 and 130.0+/-1.4 in the mock and blank control groups (P less than 0.05). The levels of endogenous ROS and MDA were significantly higher in the two PrxII-silent groups than those in the mock and blank control groups (P less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPrxII might play an important role in the hepatocarcinogenesis, possibly through an antioxidant function which may provide a favorable microenvironment for cancer cell survival and progression.

Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Oxidative Stress ; Peroxiredoxins ; genetics ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Signal Transduction ; Transfection

Objective As primary Sj?gren's syndrome(pSS)primarily affects the salivary glands,saliva can serve as an indicator of the glands'pathophysiology and the disease's status.This study aims to illustrate the salivary proteomic profiles of pSS patients and identify potential candidate biomarkers for diagnosis. Methods The discovery set contained 49 samples(24 from pSS and 25 from age-and gender-matched healthy controls[HCs])and the validation set included 25 samples(12 from pSS and 13 from HCs).Totally 36 pSS patients and 38 HCs were centrally randomized into the discovery set or to the validation set at a 2:1 ratio.Unstimulated whole saliva samples from pSS patients and HCs were analyzed using a data-independent acquisition(DIA)strategy on a 2D LC-HRMS/MS platform to reveal differential proteins.The crucial proteins were verified using DIA analysis and annotated using gene ontology(GO)and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts(IPA)analysis.A prediction model for SS was established using random forests. Results A total of 1,963 proteins were discovered,and 136 proteins exhibited differential representation in pSS patients.The bioinformatic research indicated that these proteins were primarily linked to immunological functions,metabolism,and inflammation.A panel of 19 protein biomarkers was identified by ranking order based on P-value and random forest algorichm,and was validated as the predictive biomarkers exhibiting good performance with area under the curve(AUC)of 0.817 for discovery set and 0.882 for validation set. Conclusions The candidate protein panel discovered may aid in pSS diagnosis.Salivary proteomic analysis is a promising non-invasive method for prognostic evaluation and early and precise treatments for pSS patients.DIA offers the best time efficiency and data dependability and may be a suitable option for future research on the salivary proteome.

Objective:To investigate the count of circulating tumor cells(CTC)as well as the mutation of TP53 and PI3K gene in patients with early breast cancer, and to analyze the relationship between the gene mutation and clinicopathological features.Methods:A total of 30 patients diagnosed with breast cancer and benign breast masses were collected during January to February 2015.CellSearch method was used to detect CTCs in blood.The mutations of TP53 (p.R248Q,p.R273H,p.R175H)and PI3K(p.E545K,p.H1047R)in patients' blood,CTC,and urine were detected by droplet digital PCR techniques(ddPCR).Meanwhile,the clinical data of all patients were collected including age of onset, tumor size,histological grade,molecular typing,axillary lymph node status,and Ki-67.The relationship between the mutations and clinicopathological features was analyzed.Results:A total of 82(18.9%)were found positive mutations in 435 samples from 29 patients with blood,CTC,and urine samples.The mutation rate of each gene was different,the highest was TP53(p.R175H)with 29 samples(6.7%),the lowest was PI3K(p.E545K)having only 1 sample(0.2%).The mutation rates of five genes were statistically different(χ2 = 50.133,P< 0.001).There were significant differences in the mutation rates among five genes of CTC,blood,and urine(likelihood ratio = 14.204,P= 0.007;χ2 = 25.172,P< 0.001;χ2 =16.681,P=0.002).The highest mutation rate was TP53(p.R175H)in the three types of specimens.There was a correlation between TP53 gene mutation and the clinicopathological features of some patients with breast cancer.The molecular type of breast cancer and the degree of Ki-67 were correlated with the mutation of TP53(p.R248Q)in CTC specimen(Fisher's Exact Test = 10.839,P=0.003;P=0.028).The axillary lymph node metastasis was related to the mutation of TP 53(p.R175H) gene in CTC specimens(P=0.058).Conclusions:The molecular classification of breast cancer and the degree of tumor marker Ki-67 are associated with TP53(p.R248Q)mutation in CTC specimens from patients with early breast cancer.Axillary lymph node metastasis may also be associated with TP53(p.R175H)mutation in CTC specimens.It is suggested that the mutation of TP53 gene in CTC specimens may be a potential indicator for the selection of treatment regimen and prognosis of early breast cancer.