OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) superinfection on the short-term and long-term hepatic pathological changes in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

METHODSHCV-RNA of twice corresponding period serum samples was detected via reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay from 230 patients with CHB for whom liver biopsy was performed at an interval of 0.5-15 years, respectively. The hepatic pathological changes of the patients with CHB who were serum HCV-RNA positive at the beginning of observation and persistently positive between the starting and ending of observation were respectively compared with those of serum HCV-RNA negative and persistently negative patients.

RESULTS41 patients (17.83%) were positive for serum HCV-RNA at the beginning of observation. There were significant differences in the severity of hepatic inflammatory activity grade and fibrosis stage between serum HCV-RNA positive and negative patients with CHB (P < 0.05). Twenty-nine patients were persistently positive for serum HCV-RNA in the beginning and end of observation. Compared with persistently negative patients who were 116 patients selected from the above-mentioned 230 patients and they were comparable with HCV-RNA persistently positive patients in mean follow-up time, age and sex, the long-term progression of hepatic inflammatory activity grade and fibrosis stage in persistently positive patients were more speedy (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONHCV superinfection worsens the hepatic pathological changes of patients with CHB and speeds up its progression.

Adult ; Female ; Hepacivirus ; physiology ; Hepatitis B virus ; physiology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; pathology ; virology ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; virology ; Male ; RNA, Viral ; genetics ; Retrospective Studies ; Superinfection ; virology ; Time Factors ; Viral Load

Aim To establish a new model of skin damage by u-sing vincristine to transgenic zebrafish (krt4:NTR-hKikGR).Methods Skin fluorescent transgenic zebrafish embryos after 24 h fertilization were treated with the 0.01~0.04 mmol·L-1 vincristine,and zebrafish skin cell ablation was investigated un-der fluorescence microscope after 24 h,at same time skin death cells were detected with TUNEL assay and image processed, then the protein expressions of KRT4, caspase-3 and p53 were assessed with Western blot. Results 0.02 mmol·L-1and 0.04 mmol·L-1vincristine could obviously induce zebrafish skin cell apoptosis(P<0.01) with statistically significant differ-ence compared with the control, and the same result could be accomplished in TUNEL assay. Results of Western bolt showed that vincristine could increase the embryos caspase-3 and p53 expression(P <0.01), while vincristine in high concentration might decrease KRT4 markedly(P<0.01). Conclusion Vin-cristine can induce damage on zebrafish skin with suppression KTR4,which can be used as a new skin damage model.

OBJECTIVETo retrospectively analysis the treatment characteristics of the systemic situation in patients with crush syndrome after Wenchuan earthquake happened in May 12th, 2008.

METHODSForty-nine patients with crush syndrome and subsequent acute renal failure (ARF) due to the earthquake were treated in West China Hospital. All of patients had been rescued from buildings that collapsed in Wenchuan earthquake. The major associated injuries were in the low extremities and upper extremities. 49 patients developed ARF with increased concentrations of serum creatinine (mean 64 022 U/L) had underwent haemodialysis. Hyperkalaemia was seen in 9 patients and four of them underwent haemodialysis. 49 patients were administered hemodialysis.

RESULTSNo patient died. All patients who suffered from the ARF were weaned from hemodialysis after admitted 7 to 35 days. Forty-five extremities underwent amputations and 52 extremities had fasciotomy.

CONCLUSIONSCrush syndrome requires urgent recognition and prompt surgical treatment with simultaneous measures to control hyperkalemia and ARF. The authors believe that immediate intensive care therapy and multi-subjective coordination would have improved the survival rate.

Acute Kidney Injury ; etiology ; surgery ; therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Amputation ; Child ; Crush Syndrome ; etiology ; surgery ; therapy ; Decompression, Surgical ; Earthquakes ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Renal Replacement Therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Wounds and Injuries ; complications

OBJECTIVETo establish the method of cytological examination and the normal reference values for hypertonic saline solution-induced sputum of healthy children (age range from 5 to 15 years) with physical examination in Guangzhou.

METHODA total of 352 children, 5 to 15 years old, were enrolled from primary school and middle school in Guangzhou from January to December, 2010. All subjects completed a standardized questionnaire on the presence of respiratory, allergic symptoms and family history, the medical history and the physical examination was performed by doctors, lung function (forced expiratory volume at 1 s in predicted normal, FEV(1)%) was determined. There were 266 healthy children (137 males, 129 females) who were selected and undergone hypertonic saline solution induction of sputum, and cytological examination was performed. Hypertonic saline (5%) was nebulized and inhaled for 15 - 30 min. No expectoration within 30 min was defined as failure, and the procedure was terminated. The part of opaque and higher density sputum samples was detected by cytology. The proportion of neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, macrophages and monocytes was calculated. This study was approved by the institutional Ethics Review Committee of First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College. Informed consent was obtained from the legal guardians of all participants following a detailed description of the purpose and potential benefits of the study.

RESULTThere were 175 subjects' induced sputum specimens (175/266, 65.8%), non-qualified sputum samples were obtained from 16 of the subjects. The proportions of median (IQR) of lymphocytes were 0.012 (0.020), 95%CI were ranged from 0.015 to 0.022; neutrophils 0.207 (0.330), 95%CI 0.266 - 0.356 macrophages 0.761 (0.327), 95%CI 0.607 - 0.699; eosinophils 0.004 (0.019), 95%CI 0.013 - 0.022. There were no significant differences in proportions of cytological findings of female or male, different age groups and second-hand smoking or not (all P > 0.05). The incidence of adverse event was 4.40% (7/159).

CONCLUSIONThe method and the preliminary data may be used for research, diagnosis and treatment of patients with chronic cough and airway inflammation.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Cough ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Eosinophils ; cytology ; Female ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Lymphocyte Count ; Lymphocytes ; cytology ; Male ; Monocytes ; cytology ; Neutrophils ; cytology ; Reference Values ; Saline Solution, Hypertonic ; chemistry ; Sputum ; cytology ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDHuman bocavirus (HBoV) is a parvovirus recently found to possibly cause respiratory tract disease in children and adults. This study investigated HBoV infection and its clinical characteristics in children younger than five years of age suffering from acute lower respiratory tract infection in Beijing Children's Hospital.

METHODSNasopharyngeal aspirates were collected from children suffering from acute lower respiratory tract infection during the winters of 2004 to 2006 (from November through the following February). HBoV was detected by polymerase chain reaction amplification and virus isolation and the amplification products were sequenced for identification.

RESULTSHBoV infection was detected in 16 of 333 study subjects. Coinfections with respiratory syncytial virus were detected in 3 of 16 HBoV positive patients with acute lower respiratory tract infection. The median age for HBoV positive children was 8 months (mean age, 17 months; range, 3 to 57 months). Among the HBoV positive children, 14 were younger than 3 years old, 9 were younger than 1 year old and 7 were younger than 6 months. These 16 positive HBoV children exhibited coughing and abnormal chest radiography findings and more than 60% of these children had wheezing and fever. Ten children were clinically diagnosed with pneumonia, 2 bronchiolitis, 2 acute bronchitis and 2 asthma. One child died.

CONCLUSIONSHBoV was detected in about 5% of children with acute lower respiratory infection seen in Beijing Children's Hospital. Further investigations regarding clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of HBoV infection are needed.

Bocavirus ; isolation & purification ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Parvoviridae Infections ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; diagnosis ; etiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates from Chinese children in seven cities.

METHODA total of 134 MRSA isolates were collected from nine hospitals. Multilocus sequence typing and spa typing were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec (SCCmec) type was analyzed by multiplex PCR. The Panton-Valentine leukocidin (pvl) gene was also detected.

RESULTMost MRSA strains were isolated from pneumonia and skin and soft tissue infection (SSTIs) patients, accounting for 82.1%. Overall, 16 sequence types (STs) were obtained, and CC59 (51.7%) was found to be the most prevalent, which included ST 59 and ST 338, followed by ST239 (16.4%). SCCmec types II, III, IV, and V were also identified in the current study. SCCmec type IV was the most predominant type at 50.0%, followed by SCCmec type V at 23.9% and III at 23.9%. SCCmec subtypes IVa, IVc, and IVg were found among SCCmec type IV strains, whereas IVa was the main subtype at 77.6%. Twenty-six spa types were also identified, among which the predominant type was t437 (47.8%). The prevalence of pvl genes and the SCCmec type of strain was relevant, and the pvl gene positive rate was higher in SCCmec type IV and V-type strains than in SCCmec type II and III strains (58.6% vs. 14.3%, P < 0.05); there was a significant difference between them. In the strains isolated from pneumonia and SSTIs, ST59-MRSA-IVa(t437) was the predominant clone. There were five clones detected from the strains isolated from septicemia, with ST59-MRSA-IVa(t437) and ST59-MRSA-V(t437) as the main clones (57.1%). Various predominant clones existed in different regions. ST59-MRSA-IVa(t437) was the prevalent clone in the Guangzhou, Beijing, Chongqing, and Shenzhen areas, whereas ST239-MRSA-III(t037) was the prevalent clone in the Shanghai area. Fifty percent of the isolates from the Wenzhou area belonged to ST910-MRSA-V(t318), whereas three clinical strains isolated from the Shenyang region belonged to three different types.

CONCLUSIONThe results indicate that MRSA isolates from Chinese children are largely associated with the ST59-MRSA-IV(t437) and ST239-MRSA-III(t037) clones. These two may belong to community-acquired MRSA and hospital-acquired ones, respectively. Different prevalent clones were detected in different diseases and different regions. Therefore, there is a need to conduct further research on clinical isolates, which can guide the choice of antibiotic treatment and the examination of MRSA prevalence.

Adolescent ; Bacterial Typing Techniques ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Prevalence ; Staphylococcal Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology

Objective:To explore the correlation between sarcopenia and balance in old women. Methods:From September to November, 2017, 224 women aged 60 to 70 were recruited. They were divided into normal group (n = 198) and sarcopenia group (n = 26) according to the results of muscle volume, grip strength and 6-meter walking speed (6MWS), and tested with single foot standing with eyes close (SSEC) and the five times of sit-to-stand (5STS). The correlation of the time of SSEC and 5STS to muscle volume, grip strength and 6MWS were analyzed with Pearson's Correlation Analysis in both groups, respectively. Results:The incidence of simple decrease in muscle volume, grip strength and 6MWS was 20.5%, 14.3% and 2.2%, respectively, and the incidence of sarcopenia was 11.6%. The time of SSEC was shorter in the sarcopenia group than in the normal group (t = 4.072, P < 0.001), and the time of 5STS was longer (t = -5.461, P < 0.001). The time of SSEC correlated with 6MWS in normal group (r = 0.675, P < 0.01), and it correlated with 6MWS (r = 0.492) and grip strength (r = 0.286) in the sarcopenia group (P < 0.001). The time of 5STS correlated with muscle volume (r = 0.258, r = 0.321), grip strength (r = 0.351, r = 0.462) and 6MWS (r = 0.337, r = 0.396) in both groups (P < 0.001). Conclusion:Compared with muscle mass and strength, the muscle activities remain well in the old women in the process of aging. Both static and dynamic balance reduce in the old women with sarcopenia. The static balance mainly relates with muscle activities, while the dynamic balance relates with all the muscle mass, strength and activities.

Humans ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell/pathology* ; Kidney Neoplasms/pathology* ; Thinking ; World Health Organization

OBJECTIVETo study clinical effects of fibular osteotomy for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

METHODSFrom January 2015, 12 patients (15 knees) with knee osteoarthritis were treated with fibular osteotomy. The main symptom was interval inside pain. All the patients were female with an average age of 61.3 years old. Early postoperative ambulation of joints was carried out after surgery, and the corresponding radiographic assessment before and after operations were performed with record. Finally, the following indicators were analyzed:VAS, KSS, HSS, respectively before, 2 days and 2 months after the operation.

RESULTSThe average hospitalization time was (6.0±2.4) days, and the time of unilateral operation was (33.3±8.4) minutes without significant bleeding. There were no obvious complications such as wound infection, delayed healing and nerve damage. All the patients could walk around 1 day after operations with a chief complaint of the obvious reduction or disappear of the interval medial knee pain. The VAS score, HSS score and KSS clinical score were significantly improved 2 days after surgery compared to the scores before operation. These above scores and functional score were significantly improved 2 months after operation compared to the scores before operation. X ray films of the weight bearing knees were taken 2 days after surgery, showing increased height of medial joint space to some extent compared to that before operation.

CONCLUSIONSA fibular osteotomy has been proved to significantly reduce the postoperative pain and facilitate the good recovery of joint function with the advantages of simple surgical procedures and slighttrauma. Therefore, it is an effective method for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis with varus deformity.

Adult ; Brain ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Female ; Hallucinations ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; White Matter ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Young Adult