Objective To compare selenium content in hair samples of children in Kashin-Beck Disease (KBD) areas and control areas,and to provide academic data for KBD control and prevention.Methods In 2011,Longnan,Qingyang,Dingxi City of KDB areas in Gansu Provines were selected as survey point,meanwhile,colleagues of Tianshui City and Lanzhou City were selected as control.Hair samples of children aged between 6 and 12 years were taken from each survey point to determine the hair selenium.After using the nitricperchloric mixed acid to digest the sample,the concentrations of selenium were determined by hydride generator atomic fluorescence spectrometry.Results Two hundred and fifty-four samples from KBD areas and 102 samples from control areas were collected.The hair selenium of KBD areas[(0.22 ± 0.07),(0.22 ± 0.00),(0.20 ± 0.07)mg/kg],were higher than the control areas[(0.32 ± 0.08),(0.42 ±0.11)mg/kg].After comparation of selenium content in every sampling point,we found the range of children's selenium content was relatively narrow in KBD areas (0.08-0.46 mg/kg).The minimum value and the maximum value in KBD areas were lower than that of control areas (0.15-0.51 mg/kg).A totle of 51.1％ (182/356) of children was seriously lack of selenium,the hair selenium content was ＜ 0.25 mg/kg.It was also found that Se content was not significantly different between boys and girls.Conclusions Children's selenium is deficient in KBD areas in Gansu.It is important to ensure salt supplement with selenium for a long period of time and through other ways to increase Selenium intake to control KBD.

OBJECTIVETo study on the association of M235T polymorphism of the angiotensinogen gene extron 2 (AGT/M235T) and essential hypertension (EH) in Chinese population by means of Meta-analysis.

METHODSOdds ratios (OR) of AGT M235T genotype distributions in EH patients against healthy controls were analyzed. All the relevant studies were identified, poor-qualified studies eliminated, and the risk of publication bias excluded. The Meta-analysis software, REVMAN4.1, was applied for investigating heterogeneity among individual studies and summarizing the effects across studies.

RESULTSA total of 853 cases and 835 controls from 10 studies were included. No heterogeneity among the studies was noticed. The frequencies of the AGT TT, MT and MM genotypes were 65%, 30%, and 4.9% in cases and 50.6%, 41.8% and 7.5% in controls respectively. The frequencies of the AGT T allele were 80% in cases and 72% in controls. The pooled OR (with 95% CI) of TT vs MT + MM was 1.76 (1.44 - 2.16) (P < 0.000 01) with T vs M 1.54 (1.31 - 1.81). The pooled OR of MM vs MT + TT was 0.67 (0.45 - 1.00) (P = 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn Chinese population (mainly the Hans), TT genotype might be associated with the increased risk of EH while MM genotype be associated with low risk of EH.

Alleles ; Angiotensinogen ; genetics ; Blood Pressure ; China ; epidemiology ; Exons ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Hypertension ; epidemiology ; genetics ; Odds Ratio ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Renin-Angiotensin System ; genetics

Objective To determine the effect of photochemotherapy on the expression of gelatinases. Methods Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and gelatine zymography were employed to detect the effect of photochemotherapy on the expression and bioactivity of gelatinases at mRNA and protein levels respectively. Results Combination of ultraviolet A(UVA,0.8-2.0 J/cm2) and 8-methoxypsoralen(8-MOP,100 ng/mL) resulted in a decrease in the expression and bioactivity of gelatinases. Conclusion Photochemotherapy can inhibit the angiogenesis of endothelial cells through downregulating the expression and bioactivity of gelatinases.

To investigate the effects of lanosterol (1), inotodiol (2) and trametenolic acid (3) from Inonotus obliquus against oxidative damage induced by CCl4 in mice, 1, 2 and 3 (20, 10 and 5 mg x kg(-1)) were respectively administered to mice, once a day for 3 days. Then the mice were induced to oxidative damage by CCl4 on the third day 30 min after the administration. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reductive glutathione (GSH) in serum and liver homogenate were determined. And the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration in serum were detected. The results showed that treatment with compound 1, 2 and 3 could significantly increase the activities of SOD, CAT and GSH-PX in serum and liver homogenate. Furthermore, the content of GSH in serum and liver homogenate increased and MDA content decreased markedly. In addition, compound 1, 2 and 3 could significantly inhibit the activities of ALT and AST in serum, and decrease the IL-6 concentration in serum remarkably. So, compound 1, 2 and 3 can protect mice against oxidative stress injury induced by CCl4. Furthermore, compound 1, 2 and 3 can protect cells from damage through inhibition on ALT, AST and the expression of IL-6.
Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; Catalase ; blood ; metabolism ; Female ; Glutathione ; blood ; metabolism ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; blood ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Lanosterol ; analogs & derivatives ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; metabolism ; Mice ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Polyporaceae ; chemistry ; Protective Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood ; metabolism ; Triterpenes ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

Objective To investigate whether the combination of 4-E9 immunomagnetic beads and epithelial adhesion mole-cules(Epacm)beads can enhance the enrichment efficiency of MCF-7,BEL-7402 and BGC-823 cells.Methods A mono-clonal antibody was prepared and ligated with magnetic bead by a biotin and a streptavidin to prepare an immunomagnetic beads.The enrichment rate of MCF-7,BEL-7402 and BGC-823 cells was detected by the combination of two kinds of immu-nomagnetic beads and two kinds of immunomagnetic beads.Results The encapsulation rate of 4-E9 immunomagnetic beads was 57.8%,and the encapsulation rate of Epcam immunomagnetic beads was 65.8%.4-E9 immunomagnetic beads on MCF-7,BGC-823 and BEL-7402 cell capture rate was(44±5.33)%,(71±11.33)% and(78.3±8.46)% respectively.Epcam immunomagnetic beads on BGC-823,BEL-7402 and MCF-7 cell capture rate was(55.5±8.67)%,(78.88±13.11)% and (84.31±6.83)% respectively.The combination of two kinds of immunomagnetic beads on BGC-823,BEL-7402 and MCF-7cell capture rate was(80.4±8.33)%,(85.125±6.77)% and(93.23±4.33)% respectively.Joint beads group compared with 4-E9 immunomagnetic beads on BGC-823,BEL-7402 and MCF-7 cell enrichment rate were statistically significant(P=0.03,0.03,0.04),and joint beads group compared with 4-E9 immunomagnetic beads on BGC-823,BEL-7402 and MCF-7 cell enrichment rate were statistically signific(P=0.04,0.03,0.04).Conclusion The combination of two kinds of immunomag-netic beads can significantly improve the enrichment efficiency of Epcam immunomagnetic beads on BEL-7402,BGC-823 and MCF-7 cells.4-E9 antibody enrichment of circulating tumor cells may have some clinical value.

BACKGROUNDTuberous sclerosis (TS) is an autosomal dominant disorder with a significant range of clinical expressions. The involvement of vital organs, such as the brain, kidney, heart and lung is the main cause of death in patients with TS. The aim of this study is to summarize the characteristic cutaneous features and common extracutaneous involvement of TS, which are helpful to the early detection of visceral involvement.

METHODSThe analyzed clinical data from 78 patients with TS included those from detailed history, physical and dermatological examination, cranial computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), abdominal ultrasonography, chest roentgenography, hand and foot X-ray and ophthalmologic examination.

RESULTSThe skin, brain and kidney were involved frequently in TS patients. Hypomelanotic macules were the most common and earliest cutaneous lesions. Their number was more than 3 in 81.5% of the patients. They were followed by facial angiofibromas and Shangreen's patch in a decreasing frequency. Forehead plaque, facial angiofibromas and Shagreen's patch appeared in patients at mean age of 2.6, 6.0 and 8.1 years respectively. Cranial CT showed a high positive rate in TS patients.

CONCLUSIONSCutaneous features of TS are helpful in the early diagnosis of the disease. Hypomelanotic macules are especially important for patients with epilepsy or babies whose number of hypomelanotic macules is more than 3. Cranial CT is of great value in the diagnosis of TS. The involvement of visceral organs such as the brain and kidney should be examined in TS patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Angiomyolipoma ; etiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Kidney Neoplasms ; etiology ; Male ; Radiography ; Skin ; pathology ; Tuberous Sclerosis ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of citicoline on spatial learning and memory of rats after focal cerebral ischemia.

METHODSThe rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group, ischemia control group and citicoline group. In the later two groups, focal cerebral ischemia model was established by introducing an intraluminal filament into the left middle cerebral artery, and citicoline (500 mg/kg) or 0.9% NaCl was administered intraperitoneally once a day for 2 weeks after the operation. The rats in the sham-operation group were not subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) with intraluminal filament. The spatial learning and memory functions of the rats were evaluated by Morris water maze test 15 days after MCAO for 5 days.

RESULTSThe rats in ischemia control group exhibited serious spatial learning and memory deficits in both place navigation test and spatial probe test. In the former test, the mean escape latency of citicoline-treated rats were significantly shorter than that of ischemia control rats (P<0.01), and in the latter test significant diffidence was noted between citicoline and ischemia control groups in the percentage time spent in the former platform quadrant and frequency of crossing the former platform (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONCiticoline can improve the spatial learning and memory function of rats after focal cerebral ischemia.

Animals ; Avoidance Learning ; drug effects ; Cytidine Diphosphate Choline ; pharmacology ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; physiopathology ; Male ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Nootropic Agents ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spatial Behavior ; drug effects

BACKGROUNDThe epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) maybe changed by strict infection control measures, and the impact of empirical antibiotic therapy on the outcomes of MRSA infection was not clear. We aimed to investigate the present epidemiological status of MRSA infection and empirical antibiotic therapy for MRSA infection in university teaching hospitals in mainland China.

METHODSThe present study was a multicenter prospective observational study conducted in five university teaching hospitals. Patients who were consecutively admitted to the intensive care unit and signed a consent form from March 3, 2011 to May 31, 2011 were included. Patients with age <18 years or with a length of hospital stay <48 hours were excluded from this study. The following variables were collected or recorded: demographic data, general status, APACHE II score of the patient at the time of admission, infections, and the use of antibiotics during a stay. Primary outcomes and prognostic indicators included length of hospital stay and 28-day and 90-day mortality. The differences between the patients with appropriate empirical therapy and patients with inappropriate therapy were analyzed to detect the influences of antibiotic therapy on the prognosis of MRSA infection.

RESULTSA total of 682 cases were enrolled. Thirty (66.2%) of 88 MRSA cases were treated with effective antibiotics for MRSA infection; only 20% received appropriate empirical antibiotic treatment. The empirical therapy group compared with the target therapy group had a shorter length of stay, but there were no significant differences in mortality rates. There were no significant differences in the length of hospital stay, length of stay, and 28-day and 90-day mortality between MRSA-infected patients who received or not received effective antibiotics. Two hundred and eighteen cases received sensitive antibiotics for MRSA.

CONCLUSIONSThe MRSA infection rates are at relatively low levels in university teaching hospitals in China. The empirical use of sensitive antibiotics for MRSA infection was at relatively high rate, and there is a tendency of overusing in patients without MRSA infection. On the other hand, the rate of appropriate empirical antibiotic therapy for patients with MRSA infection is relatively low.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Staphylococcal Infections ; drug therapy ; epidemiology

Eight full-length genes of an avian influenza virus Chinese isolate of H9N2 subtype, A/Chicken/Guangdong/HL/2006 (H9N2) (abbreviated as Ck/GD/HL/06), were amplified by RT-PCR, including the 5' and 3' non-coding region. All the genes were cloned and sequenced. The phylogenetic analysis results showed the HA gene of Ck/GD/HL/06 was located in the same phylogenetic clade as Dk/HK/Y280/97 (H9N2), while the Dk/HK/Y280/97-like viruses had been predominately isolated from chickens in mainland China. After the analysis of glycosylation sites and receptor-binding sites in the HA, it was shown that the HA of Ck/GD/HL/06 exhibited the common feature of H9 subtype avian influenza virus isolated from China, but the leucine (Leu) residue at the amino acid position 226 indicated the potential of binding with SA alpha,2-6 receptor. The three internal genes of Ck/GD/HL/06 (PB1, PA and NP) had the highest nucleotide identity with A/Viet Nam/1203/2004 (abbreviated A/VN/1203/04) isolate, which was shown to be transmitted from chickens to human and caused lethal infection in human. No analogous H9N2 strains was reported in previous studies. Based on the high similarity of Ck/GD/HL/06 three genes to A/VN/1203/04, it was suggested that the possibility of generating new highly pathogenic H5N1 AIVs by recombination was worthy of our attention. Further studies should be needed for molecular epidemiologic surveillance of H9N2 AIV in the south China for a long time.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Chickens ; China ; Cloning, Molecular ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genes, Viral ; genetics ; Genomics ; Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Influenza in Birds ; virology ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ; Viral Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo analyze the therapeutic effect of treatment for intermediate and high-frequency sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).

METHODSA prospective clinical multicentre research was conducted using international standardized approach of clinical research. SSNHL Cases with intermediate and high-frequency hearing loss, that accepted no medication from onset of hearing loss within two weeks duration and ages ranged between 18 and 65, were collected. All patients were treated by one of four treatments plans chosen by unified random table.

RESULTS141 patients with intermediate and high-frequency SSNHL were recruited in the research. Twenty subjects were treated with lidocaine, 21 cases with lidocaine and hormone, 40 cases with Ginaton, and 60 cases with Ginaton and hormone. 42 out of 141 (29.79%) patients were total recovery, 24 (17.02%)achieved excellent recovery, 27 (19.15%)achieved partial recovery, and 48 (34.04%) were ineffective. The total effective rate was 65.96%. In lidocaine group, the total effective rate was 55.00%, 66.67% in lidocaine and hormone group, 67.50% in Ginaton group, and 68.33% in Ginaton and hormone group. Considering the total effective rate, there was no statistical difference between four groups (P > 0.05). However, the recovery rate in Ginaton group was significant difference comparing with that in lidocaine group (P = 0.0496). 119 had concomitant symptom of tinnitus, and the tinnitus was improved in patients of 81.51%. With regard to total effective rate of tinnitus in four treatment groups, it was 57.89% (11/19) in lidocaine group, 100.00% (18/18) in lidocaine and hormone group, 88.57% (31/35) in Ginaton group, 78.72% (37/47) in Ginaton and hormone group. There was significant ascendancy in lidocaine and hormone group versus that in lidocaine group (P = 0.002) and Ginaton and hormone group (P = 0.029). And the difference between lidocaine and Ginaton groups was statistical significance (χ(2) = 6.705, P < 0.05). In 43 patients with muffled symptom in aural region, 90.70% was partial recovery. There was no statistical difference between each groups (χ(2) = 5.97,P = 0.74). There were 17 with dizziness or vertigo improved in all cases. Another 10 patients accompanied other complaints all improved.

CONCLUSIONSfor the treat of intermediate and high-frequency SSNHL, the therapeutic effect in hearing has no significantly different between single and combined drug therapies. Considering the recovery rate, there is an obvious advantage in Ginaton group compared with lidocaine group. Tinnitus is the major concomitant symptom in intermediate and high-frequency SSNHL, and lidocaine and hormone therapy should be used.

Adult ; Aged ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss, High-Frequency ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; therapy ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Tinnitus ; Vertigo ; Young Adult