ObjectiveTo explore the roles of procalcitonin in differentiating bacterial infection from other inlfammatory processes and identifying bacterial species.MethodsThe blood culture results of 253 hospitalized children diagnosed with sepsis from January 2010 to June 2014 were analyzed retrospectively and its relationship with PCT was also analyzed. ResultsIn 253 children with sepsis, the blood culture results of 124 children showed positive (49.01%). There were 71 (28.06%) cases of Gram-positive infection and 53 (20.95%) cases of Gram-negative infection. The median level of PCT in 253 patients was 1.6 (0.4-4.5) ng/ml. According to the PCT levels, all patients were divided into low level group (0.05-0.5 ng/ml,n=86), middle level group (0.5-2.0 ng/ml,n=55), high level group (2.0-10 ng/ml,n=75) and extremely high level group (10-300 ng/ml,n=37). The positive rates of bacterial culture were signiifcantly different among different levels of PCT (χ2=69.14,P<0.01). In low lev-el group the positive rate of bacterial culture was the lowest and in other three groups the positive rate was all above 60%. The detection rate of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was signiifcantly different among different levels of PCT (P<0.01). In high level group the detection rate of Gram-positive bacteria was the highest while in extremely high level group the rate of Gram-negative bacteria was the highest.ConclusionsThe level of PCT is helpful for the differentiation of bacterial infection from other inlfammatory processes in children with sepsis and abnormally elevated PCT level may indicates Gram-negative infection.

OBJECTIVE: To study the distribution of α- and β -thalassemia-related mutations in Pingxiang area of Jiangxi Province, China. METHODS: PCR and reverse dot blotting (PCR-RDB) were carried out to detect common mutations of α and β globin genes among 2558 individuals with positive results of primary screening. RESULTS: The PCR-RDB assay has identified 1222 carriers of thalassemia-related mutations, which yielded a detection rate of 47.8%. Among these, 645 individuals (including homozygous patients) have carried α globin gene mutations, with the common types including -αSEA/αα, -α/αα and -α/αα. 539 individuals have carried β globin gene mutations, with the common types including IVS-Ⅱ-654, CD41-42, CD17, CD28, CD27-28, βE, and CD71-72. Thirty eight individuals (1.5%) have carried α and β globin gene mutations simultaneously. CONCLUSION The carrier rate for α and β globin gene mutations in Jiangxi is high. Attention should be paid to newborn screening as part of the birth defect prevention and control program in order to reduce the birth rate of thalassemia in this region.