Objective To determine whether mutation of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) X gene is associated with hepatitis B virus-associated glomerulonephritis (HBV-GN).Methods The venous blood was collected from 50 patients with HBV-GN and 60 patients with asymptomatic HBV carriers (control group).Serum HBV DNA was extracted to determine the serum titer of HBV-DNA and then polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect the HBV X gene mutation.Results (1)There were not statistical significance between age and gender in HBV-GN group and control group (P ＞0.05).There were not statistical significance of serum replication level of HBV DNA in HBV-GN with X gene mutation and control group (P ＞ 0.05).Urine protein excretion in HBV-GN group with or without X gene mutation was found with statistical significance (P ＜ 0.05).(2)Nucleotide mutations [84％ (42/50)] resulted in amino acid substitution in HBV-GN.Nucleotide mutations changed in transfunction control region of X gene,including position nt1653,nt1726,nt1727,nt1730,nt1753,nt1762 and nt1764.(3)Nucleotide mutations [8％(5/60)] resulted in amino acid substitution in control group.Nucleotide mutations changed in position nt1632 and nt1635,located in non-functional region.Conclusions HBV X gene mutations and the subsequent amino acid substitutions are found in HBV-GN.The urine protein excretion level increases in patients with X mutation,suggesting that these mutations may play an important role in the pathogenesis of HBV-GN.

OBJECTIVETo study the therapeutic effects of posterolateral depression fractures of the tibial plateau through a modified anterolateral approach.

METHODSFrom February 2011 to January 2012,13 patients with posterolateral depression fractures of the tibial plateau were treated through a modified anterolateral approach. There were 8 males and 5 females, ranging in age from 28 to 59 years old (49.2 years old on average). Data from patients were collected retrospectively as follows: X-ray, time of fracture healing and the complications of fracture healing. The patients were evaluated both clinically and radiologically according to the Rasmussen score system.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 6 to 18 months (mean 13.7 months). All the patients got bony union. The average radiographic bony union time was 15.1 weeks (ranged, 11 to 17 weeks). No case of secondary articular depression was found. No complications such as malunion or joint stiffness were found. But 1 patient had superficial infection and 1 patient had common peroneal nerve injury. According to the Rasmussen score system,the mean radiological score was 16.50 ± 0.67 (ranged, 13 to 18), and the mean functional score was 25.20 ± 2.21 (ranged, 13 to 30). The mean range of knee motion was (125.3 ± 9.3)° (ranged, 0° to 135°).

CONCLUSIONTreatment of depression fractures of posterolateral tibial plateau with a modified anterolateral approach is a safe method with effective exposure, due to its stable fixation and relatively good outcome with minimal soft-tissue complications. It is regarded as an ideal procedure for depression fractures of posterolateral tibial plateau.

Adult ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; methods ; Fracture Healing ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Tibial Fractures ; surgery

Bacillus anthracis collagen-like protein(BclA) is a structural component of the exosporium filaments,as well as the immunodominant antigen on the spore surface.The genes encoding BclA proteins were cloned and sequenced from three Bacillus anthracis strains separated from China.It was founded that the BclA proteins of strain A16R and 40048,containing 388 and 322 amino acids,72 and 50 copies of GXX repeat,5 and 3 copies of 21-amino-acid sequence(GPT)_(5)GDTGTT(BclA repeat) respectively,are different from those reported by foreign scholars;while the BclA protein of strain 40022,containing 370 amino acids,66 copies of GXX repeat,and 5 copies of BclA repeat,is identical with that of strain 53169 reported by others.The results are helpful for the molecular typing of B.anthracis strains,and provide a basis for the elucidation of the pathogenesis and immunogenicity of B.anthracis spore.

Objective To investigate the correlation of HBV DNA level with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of HBV-associated glomerulonephritis ( HBV-GN ) .Methods One hundred and two patients with HBV-GN admitted in Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University during January 2009 and October 2012 were successively enrolled.Fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the serum titer of HBV DNA.According to HBV DNA levels the patients were divided into three groups:low-replication group (HBV DNA <103 copies/mL), moderate-replication group (103 copies/mL ≤HBV DNA≤105 copies/mL) and high-replication group ( HBV DNA >105 copies/mL) .Renal biopsy was performed to determine the pathological type, and immunofluorescence assay was used for quantitative detection of HBV related antigens ( HBsAg, HBcAg and HBeAg ) in kidney. All patients received lamivudine (100 mg/d) plus adefovir dipivoxil (10 mg/d) combination therapy and followed up for 18 months.The renal function, biochemical and immunological indexes before and after the treatment were measured.One-way ANOVA was used to analyze the differences of above parameters among patients in three groups.Spearman correlation coefficient was used for correlation analysis between HBV DNA level and pathological stages in kidney.Results There were 20 patients in low-replication group, 51 in moderate-replication group and 31 in high-replication group.With the increase of serum level of HBV DNA, 24-h urine protein excretion, plasma cholesterol, and triglycerides increased (F=34.64, 40.10 and 31.72, P<0.01), plasma level of albumin decreased (F=24.04, P<0.01), and the immune complexes of HBV related antigens ( HBsAg, HBcAg and HBeAg) in kidney increased ( F=41.49, 15.64 and 10.41, P<0.01).For 78 patients with HBV-membranous nephropathy ( HBV-MN), the pathological injury was aggravated with the increase of serum level of HBV DNA (r=0.38, P<0.01).The level of 24-h urine protein excretion declined after treatment in three groups ( t =7.86, 19.28 and 16.74, P <0.01 );complement C3 increased, but no statistical significance was observed ( t =1.05, 1.04 and 1.94, P >0.05);no change in creatinine was found (t =0.14, 0.52 and 0.57, P >0.05).After 18-month treatment, clinical remission rates in three groups were 95.0% ( 19/20 ) , 70.6% ( 36/51 ) and 54.8%(17/31), respectively.The clinical remission rate was significantly lower in the high-replication group as compared with that in low-replication group (χ2 =9.44, P<0.01).Conclusion Serum level of HBV DNA is closely correlated with renal function, renal pathology and clinical remission rate in HBV-GN patients, which may be used for the evaluation of kidney biopsy, treatment and prognosis in patients with HBV-GN.

ABSTRACT:In the present study ,we aimed to identify differentially expressed proteins between induced worms (the infec‐ted mice were treated intragastrically with ED50 PZQ) and uninduced worms (control group) for clarifying the mechanism of PZQ .ED50 PZQ was used to administrate mice that were infected with S .japonicum via intragastric incubation for consecutive‐ly 30 days .Twenty‐one days later ,mice were sacrificed after treatment with 200 mg/kg PZQ for continuously five days ,and the male worms were obtained and some of them were subjected in DMEM medium with different concentrations of PZQ in vitro for 16 hours .Then the worms were washed twice and incubated in PZQ‐free medium for 72 hours .Compared with control group ,the induced worms had lesser sensitivity to PZQ .The survival rate of induced worms was 75 .6% in vitro when the con‐centration of PZQ was 112 mol/L (the concentration was 8 times of uninduced worms Lethal Concentration ) ,significantly higher than that in the uninduced worms (11 .1% ,P<0 .05) ,showing obviously tolerance .The other induced and uninduced worms were acquired and collected for 2D‐DIGE and MALDI‐TOF‐MS ,and combined with bioinformatics to analyse the func‐tion of the identified protein .Thirty differential expression proteins were confirmed between induced and uninduced worms ,in‐cluding 12 proteins up‐regulated and 18 proteins down‐regulated .These proteins respectively ascribed to cytoskeleton‐associat‐ed protein ,glucose and energy metabolism enzymes ,stress proteins ,thioredoxin peroxidase enzymes ,and other protease .Up‐or down‐regulation of these differential proteins indicated that PZQ promote or inhibit the expression of some specific genes . These findings may help to clarify the mechanism of PZQ ,simultaneously ,providing a scientific basis for exploring new vaccine candidate antigens and targets for drug therapy .

OBJECTIVETo examine the antagonization of phentolamine against the effects of norepinephrine (NE) on the activity of pain-related neurons in the parafascicular nucleus of morphine-dependent rats.

METHODSElectric impulses were applied as nociceptive stimulus to the right sciatic nerve of morphine-dependent rats, and the discharges of the pain-related neurons in the parafascicular nucleus were recorded by extracellular recording method with glass microelectrodes.

RESULTSIntracerebroventricular injection of norepinephrine resulted in the inhibition of evoked response of the pain-excited neurons as well as the excitation of evoked response of the pain-inhibiting neurons. Both the inhibitory effect on the electric discharges of the pain-excited neurons and the excitatory effect on the pain-inhibiting neurons of norepinephrine were almost completely blocked by intracerebroventricular administration of phentolamine.

CONCLUSIONPhentolamine antagonizes the inhibitory effect of norepinephrine on the activity of pain-related neurons in the parafascicular nucleus in morphine-dependent rats, and norepinephrine may play an important role in the integration of the pain signal through the alpha-receptors.

Animals ; Drug Antagonism ; Electrophysiology ; Intralaminar Thalamic Nuclei ; cytology ; drug effects ; Neurons ; drug effects ; Norepinephrine ; antagonists & inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Pain ; physiopathology ; Phentolamine ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene Ser447Ter polymorphism and atherosclerotic cerebral infarction (CI), and to investigate the effect of Ser447Ter polymorphism on plasma lipids, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid artery plaque (CAP) in patients with CI.

METHODSPCR-restriction fragment lengh polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique was used to detect LPL gene Ser447Ter polymorphism in 166 patients with CI (CI group) and 72 healthy subjects (control group). Carotid IMT and CAP were measured with carotid color ultrasonographic doppler for the patients and the controls.

RESULTSCG+GG carriers had lower plasma triglyceride (TG) levels and higher high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels than CC carriers in CI group (P=0.001 and P=0.007 respectively). CG+GG carriers had lower plasma TG levels than CC carriers in control group (P=0.041). The frequency of G allele in CI patients was significantly lower than that in control subjects (P= 0.014). There was no statistical correlation between LPL Ser447Ter gene polymorphism and carotid IMT and CAP.

CONCLUSIONThe Ser447Terls polymorphism of LPL gene is significantly associated with plasma lipids and CI. G allele genotype may lead to decrease of plasma TG and increase of plasma HDL-C. G allele may be a protective genotype of CI.

Adult ; Aged ; Alleles ; Cerebral Infarction ; blood ; genetics ; pathology ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Lipoprotein Lipase ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Triglycerides ; blood

OBJECTIVETo study changes of left ventricular remodeling (LVR) in hypertension patients with carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) of phlegm-dampness syndrome (PDS).

METHODSDoppler ultrasonography data of CAS were observed in 223 hypertension patients with CAS (as the hypertension group, including 119 patients of the PDS group and 104 of the non-PDS group), 81 CAS patients with non-hypertension, and 19 non-hypertension non-CAS patients (as the control group). The difference in the degree of LVR was compared among the above groups.

RESULTSThe left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT), inter ventricular septum thickness (IVS), E/A were higher in the hypertension group than in the non-hypertension group (P < 0.05). The left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), stroke volume (SV) were higher in the soft plaque hypertension group and the soft plaque non-hypertension group than in the hard plaque group, the thickening intimal group, and the normal intimal group (P < 0.01 , P < 0.05). The LVEDD, LVESD, and SV were higher, and the ejection fraction (EF) was lower in the PDS hypertension group than in the non-PDS hypertension group (all P < 0.05). Of them, LVEDD, LVESD, and SV were higher in the soft plaque group than in the hard plaque group (P < 0.01), the thickening intimal group (P < 0.01) and the normal intimal group (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in PDS hypertension between the soft plaque group and the hard plaque group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe hypertension patients with CAS of PDS might be correlated to LVR, and LVR was more obviously in the soft plaque patients.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carotid Artery Diseases ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Ultrasonography ; Ventricular Remodeling

Objective To explore the correlation between myeloperoxidase (MPO) genetic variation and coal-burning endemic fluorosis, and to understand the influence of integrated intervention including stove changes and health education on people’s health in the area. Methods In 2007, coal-burning endemic fluorosis disease areas were selected in Bijie City, Guizhou Province. No stove changes in Yachi Town, 150 patients with dental fluorosis were selected as fluorosis non-intervention group, and the intervention group was 150 patients in Changchun Town where the stoves were changed 2 years ago. The population in control group was selected in an area with non-endemic fluorosis in Changshun County. The mRNA expressions of MPO in leukoxytes were detected by real-time PCR. HepG2 cells were cultured in vitro and divided into four groups: pGL3-A group, pGL3-G group, pGL3-Control group and pGL3-Basic group. pGL3-A and pGL3-G were recombinant plasmid, while pGL3-Basic as a blank control and pGL3-Control as a positive one. The internal reference plasmid pRL-TK co-transfected the HepG2 cells with pGL3-G, pGL3-A, pGL3-Basic and pGL3-Control, respectively. The influence of sudden change of MPO gene promoter on the gene transfection activity was evaluated by a dual luciferasereporter gene system. Results The expression level of MPO mRNA in peripheral blood leukocytes in non-intervention group(0.054 ± 0 . 003 ) were higher than control and intervention groups (0.019 ± 0.004,0.019 ± 0.003, all P<0.05), and no significant change was found between intervention group and control group(P>0.05). After the MPO-463G/A locus genetic variation occured, the luciferase reporter gene expression level of the recombinant plasmid pGL3-G(0.753 4 ± 0.086 6) was higher than that of the pGL3-A(0.490 0 ± 0.022 3, P < 0.05). Conclusions The study on MPO gene promoter-463G/A locus has prompted that MPO gene allele may be a protective factor to coal-burning fluorosis. The integrated interventions have a role in the prevention and treatment of endemic fluorosis.

AIM:To investigate the effects of 1.8mm coaxial micro incision phacoemulsification on corneal endothelial injury and postoperative visual acuity.METHODS: Totally 145 eyes in 120 patients underwent phacoemulsification from July 2013 to July 2015 were randomly divided into observation group 60 cases (73 eyes) and control group 60 cases (72 eyes).The observation group 60 cases were given 1.8mm coaxial micro incision cataract phacoemulsification operation,while the control group were given traditional 3.2mm coaxial micro incision cataract surgery.The uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA),best corrected visual acuity (BCVA),corneal thickness of incision area,incision width,incision length,macular retinal thickness,surgically induced astigmatism,corneal endothelial cell counts and complications of the two groups were compared.RESULTS: The UCVA and BCVA on 1wk after surgery of the observation group were significantly higher than the control group (t=3.604,7.109;P<0.05);the width of incision on 1wk and 1mo after surgery of the observation group were significantly less than the control group (t=205.3,225.2;P<0.05).The length of incision in observation group was significantly greater than the control group (t=3.926,5.009;P<0.05).Macular retinal thickness 1wk after surgery of the observation group was significantly less than the control group (t=2.817,P<0.05).The surgically induced astigmatism was significantly less than the control group (t=19.43,22.16;P<0.01);the difference of corneal edema between the two groups was not significant (8.22% vs 11.11%) (x2=0.348,P>0.05).CONCLUSION: The 1.8mm micro incision phacoemulsification is helpful to improve the visual acuity of patients with cataract phacoemulsification,which may be related to the reduction of corneal cell injury,enhancement of corneal closure and decrease post-operation corneal original astigmatism.