OBJECTIVETo study the possible relationship between tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-238G/A gene polymorphism and the susceptibility to intrauterine HBV infection.

METHODSTwo hundred and fifty-six children, including 130 infants born to HBsAg positive mothers were divided into two groups: forty-five children with intrauterine HBV infection (group I) and 85 children without intrauterine HBV infection (group II), with a control group of 126. TNF-alpha-238G/A gene polymorphism was examined in all 256 children, by means of real-time quantitative fluorescent PCR.

RESULTSA significant difference of TNF-alpha-238A allele frequency was found between group I and group II (x2=6.797, P=0.009), and between group I and the controls group (x2=0.047, P=0.002), but there was no significant difference between group II and the control groups (x2=0.047, p=0.828).

CONCLUSIONThis study found that genetic polymorphism of tumor necrosis factor-a was associated with intrauterine HBV infection

Adult ; Child ; Disease Susceptibility ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; transmission ; Humans ; Infant ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Tumor Necrosis Factors ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo explore the susceptibility of children to develop intrauterine hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection through studying the association between interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) + 874 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and intrauterine HBV infection.

METHODSThe subjects were selected from outpatients who were in our hepatitis B (HB) vaccine following-up clinics. The subjects whose mothers were HBV carriers were inoculated with HB vaccine or HB vaccine and hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIg). Intrauterine HBV infection was defined as peripheral blood HBsAg and/or HBV-DNA positive at birth and lasting for six months (group I). Normal immune children were defined as peripheral blood negative for HBV marker since birth and afterwards HBsAb titers were above protective level (group II). The subjects were composed of the following two groups. Group I consisted of 46 children with intrauterine HBV infection. Group II was composed of 73 normal children. A Taqman fluorescence polymerase chain reaction for the IFN-gamma + 874 SNP was performed for both groups.

RESULTSIFN-gamma + 874 SNP was tested successfully for every subject. Frequencies of AA, AT and TT genotype were 67.4%, 19.6% and 13.0% in the intrauterine HBV infection group, and 45.2%, 30.1% and 24.7% in the normal immune children group. A significant difference was found in the frequency distribution of IFN-gamma + 874 genotype between the two groups (chi(2) = 5.102, P = 0.02389). In the intrauterine HBV infection group the AA genotype was more common than in normal immune group.

CONCLUSIONThere is an association between IFN-gamma + 874 SNP and intrauterine HBV infection. This study suggested the possibility that IFN-gamma + 874 SNP might be important in determining an individual's susceptibility to development of intrauterine HBV infection.

Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Hepatitis B ; genetics ; transmission ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical ; Interferon-gamma ; genetics ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of chemical compounds extracted from Galla chinensis on enamel surface rehardening in vitro.

METHODSSixty bovine enamel blocks with early carious lesions were randomly divided into six groups: group1 treated NaF (positive control); group2 with GCE; group3 with GCE-B; group4 with GCE-B1; group5 with GCE-B2 and group6 with deionized water (negative control). The lesions were subjected to a pH-cycling regime for 12 days. Surface enamel microhardness was measured on the enamel blocks before and after demineralization. After pH-cycling, and the percentage of surface microhardness recovery (SMHR) was calculated.

RESULTSObvious increase of the surface hardness of the enamel was observed in all the treatments except GCE-B2 and deionized water (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe present study demonstrates the potential of the three GCEs (GCE, GCE-B and GCE-B1) to effect net rehardening of artificial carious lesions under dynamic pH-cyclic conditions.

Animals ; Cattle ; Dental Caries ; drug therapy ; Dental Enamel ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Gallic Acid ; pharmacology ; In Vitro Techniques ; Tooth Remineralization

Objectives:To describe the early and long-term survival of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting(OPCAB)and to analyze the impact and risk factors of peri-operative events on mortality and long-term survival in OPCAB patients aged over 75 years old. Methods:From January 2001 to December 2012,233 patients aged over 75 underwent OPCAB in our hospital, 173 cases (74.25%) were male,the average age was (77.1±2.3) years.The perioperative data was retrospectively collected.Binary Logistic regression was used to define the risk factors related to the perioperative events and mortality.Follow-up was performed regularly post-surgery. Univariate analysis and Cox regression model were used to find out factors affecting the long-term outcomes. Results:Fifteen out of 233 patients died during the perioperative period. Binary Logistic regression showed that preoperative arrhythmia (OR=6.767, P=0.002),IABP ( intraoperative, post-operative) (OR=4.292, P=0.040;OR=19.455, P＜0.001), ICU stay time (OR=1.500, P=0.001), mechanical ventilation time (OR=1.004, P=0.002), reintubation or tracheotomy (OR=30.000, P＜0.001), re-thoracotomy (OR=26.750, P＜0.001), postoperative cerebral infarction (OR=5.889, P=0.041) were risk factors of perioperative mortality. The remaining 218 patients were followed up for a mean of (92.84±45.52) months, 121 patients died during follow-up. The survival rate at l, 3, 5, 8 and 10 years was 90.99%, 87.55%, 85.31%, 68.93% and 56.70%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that sex(male), hypertension, preoperative arrhythmia, reintubation or tracheotomy were risk factors of the long-term mortality (P＜0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that reintubation or tracheotomy (HR 4.387, 95%CI=1.876-10.259,P＜0.010) was the independent risk factor affecting the long-term survival. Conclusions:Preoperative arrhythmia, IABP (intraoperative, postoperative), ICU stay time, mechanical ventilation time, reintubation and tracheotomy, re-thoracotomy, postoperative cerebral infarction are risk factors of perioperative mortality. Reintubation or tracheotomy is the independent risk factor affecting the long-term survival.Taken together, OPCAB in patients aged over 75 is associated with favorable perioperative and long-term outcome,and it serves a safe and effective operative strategy for coronary artery revascularization in patients aged over 75.

A 62-year-old woman with frequent occurrence of symptomatic atrial tachycardia with a foci located at the root of the upper crista terminalis was found to have right diaphragm paresis after receiving a total of 8 radiofrequency energy deliveries (40-60 W, 50-60ºC) and a total duration of 540 seconds of ablation therapy (7Fr 8 mm deflectable ablation catheter). The right diaphragm paresis remained resolved up to 14 months after the procedure as confirmed by repeated chest X-rays.
Catheter Ablation ; adverse effects ; Diaphragm ; injuries ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Tachycardia, Supraventricular ; therapy

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Adult ; Bone Marrow Examination ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycoses ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Penicillium ; isolation & purification ; Prognosis ; Radiography

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype and therapeutic efficacy during the early phase of lamivudine treatment.

METHODSTotally 595 patients with chronic hepatitis B were treated with lamivudine 100 mg/day for 12 months. HBV genotypes, contents of HBV DNA, HBeAg/anti-HBe and YMDD mutation after lamivudine treatment for 12 months were determined. The data were analyzed with SPSS software.

RESULTSIn 595 patients, 8 (1.4%) were genotype A; 53 (8.9%) genotype B; 360 (60.5%) genotype C; 112 (18.8%) were coinfection of genotype B and C; 14 (2.4%) of A and C; 15 (2.5%) A and B; 6 (1.0%) of A, B, and C, and remaining 27 (4.5%) were unspecified. Patients were treated with lamivudine 100 mg/day for 12 months. Genotype B with HBV DNA levels turned to be negative (HBV DNA < 0.1 ng/L) was 87.2%, genotype C was 89.51%, coinfection of genotype B and C was 93.04% (P > 0.05). HBeAg seroconversion of genotype B was 11.65%, of genotype C was 20.64%, and of coinfection of genotype B and C was 18.57% (P > 0.05). All 69 strains of YMDD mutation were detected after lamivudine treatment for 12 months, in which genotype B was in 16.98%, genotype C in 15.38%, and coinfection of genotype B and C was in 13.86% (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThere was no difference in HBV genotypes and the rate of development of YMDD mutations, HBeAg seroconversion, descending of HBV DNA level in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B.

China ; Genotype ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the impacts of three different surgical approaches to urethral stricture on the erectile function of the patients.

METHODSThis study included 126 male patients with urethral stricture, 35 treated by substitution urethroplasty (group A), 52 by anastomotic urethroplasty (group B), and 39 by internal urethroplasty (group C). We evaluated the pre- and postoperative erectile function of the patients using IIEF-5 scores by telephone calls and interviews. We also monitored their nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT).

RESULTSThe IIEF-5 scores in groups A, B and C were 13.5 +/- 4.5, 11.1 +/- 4.8 and 14.5 +/- 4.41 respectively after surgery, all significantly decreased as compared with 17.1 +/- 2.6, 17.1 +/- 3.0 and 17.6 +/- 2.2 preoperatively (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAll the three surgical approaches can reduce IIEF-5 scores in patients with urethral stricture, but anastomotic urethroplasty may induce a higher incidence of erectile dysfunction than the other two approaches.

Adult ; Aged ; Humans ; Intraoperative Period ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Penile Erection ; physiology ; Urethral Stricture ; surgery ; Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male ; methods ; Young Adult

Castleman's disease is a slowly progressive and rare lymphoproliferative disorder. Here, we report a 55-year-old woman with superior mediastinal Castleman's disease being misdiagnosed for a long term. We found a 4.3 cm mass localized in the superior mediastinum accompanied with severe clinical symptoms. The patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy, but the mass failed to be totally excised. Pathologic examination revealed a mediastinal mass of Castleman's disease. After radiotherapy of 30 Gy by 15 fractions, the patient no longer presented previous symptoms. At 3 months after radiotherapy of 60 Gy by 30 fractions, Computed tomography of the chest showed significantly smaller mass, indicating partial remission. Upon a 10-month follow-up, the patient was alive and free of symptoms.
Antigens, CD20 ; metabolism ; Castleman Disease ; diagnosis ; immunology ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mediastinal Diseases ; diagnosis ; immunology ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Mediastinum ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Multimodal Imaging ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

ObjectiveGut microbiota plays an important role in Parkinson′s disease, but the mechanisms behind this remain unknown. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of intestinal microbiota in patients with Parkinson′s disease, and to study the changes of intestinal Prevotella_copri and their role in this disease.Methods The study was carried out in 46 patients with Parkinson′s disease and their spouses. The spouse has been living with the patient for a long time, not suffering from any disease. Fecal samples from all subjects were collected using sterile containers. The bacterial DNA was extracted on ice following the Kit protocol. We used the BGISEQ-500 high-throughput sequencing platform to conduct metagenomic shotgun sequencing, to explore the changes of patients′ intestinal microbiota through bioinformatics, and to analyze the function and role of differential microorganisms in disease.ResultsCompared to healthy spouse, the gut microbiota of patients with Parkinson′s disease was significantly changed, which was characterized by decreased Prevotellaceae and Prevotella_copri, but by significantly elevated Bacteroides_stercoris and Escherichia_coli. Prevotella_copri was decreased with age increasing. The correlation analysis showed a significantly negative correlation between the abundance of Prevotella_copri and age, H-Ystage, UPDR total score, and UPDRS Ⅲ score. Results of the random forest model indicated five items including Prevotella_copri had good predictive value for the disease. The functional analysis stated pathways associated with super-pathway of thiamin diphosphate biosynthesis, 4-aminobutanoate degradation. The glucose-1-phosphate degradation and methyl phosphonate degradation significantly increased in patients, while pathways associated with aromatic amino acid biosynthesis, chorismate biosynthesis, thiamin formation, and pyrimidine deoxyribonucleosides salvage significantly decreased. Pathways of Prevotella_copri were mainly concentrated in UMP biosynthesis, S-adenosyl-L-methionine cycle, and guanosine ribonucleotides de novo biosynthesis.ConclusionStructural composition and metabolic functions of gut microbiota were significantly changed in patients with Parkinson′s disease. Prevotella_copri plays an important role in the occurrence and progression of the disease and can be used as a potential biomarker for Parkinson′s disease.