Objective To analyze the characteristic of some important clinical indicators, including carotid artery intima-middle thickness ( IMT) , peripheral blood Fib levels, serum IL-18 concentrations and serum MMP-9 con-centrations of acute coronary syndrome ( ACS) patients. On the other hand, to investigate the correlation among those indicators and major adverse cardiac events ( MACE) , and further to evaluate the value of those indicators in early prediction and prognosis judgement of ACS patients with diabetes( DM) in clinic. Methods This study en-rolled 120 ACS patients who had received coronary arteriography( CAG) examination. Among them, 60 cases had DM. Meanwhile, 60 cases who had DM were selected as DM group,60 cases of healthy people who received physi-cal health examination were selected as the control group. Carotid artery IMT was determined by color doppler ultra-sonography. The levels of Fib in peripheral blood were detected by solidification method. Immune turbidimetric method and ELISA were used to measure the concentrations of serum IL-18 and MMP-9 respectively. The CAG re-sults, complications and in-hospital mortality of ACS patients were also collected and analyzed. Results Carotid artery IMT, peripheral blood Fib levels, serum IL-18 concentrations and serum MMP-9 concentrations of ACS pa-tients were significantly increased compared with healthy control(P<0. 01). A comparison of those clinical indica-tors of ACS patients between with DM group and without 2 diabetes group showed a significant increase in ACS pa-tients with DM group. Carotid artery IMT, plasma Fib, serum IL-18, MMP-9 and Gensini score in ACS patients were positively correlated. The incidence of multi-vessel diseases of coronary artery was more frequent in ACS pa-tients with DM versus without DM ( 61. 7%) , while one or two vessel diseases of coronary artery was much more common in ACS patients without DM (61. 7%) . The Gensini score of ACS patients with DM group was much high-er than that of ACS patients without DM group ( P<0. 01 );severe and extremely severe lesions occurred more fre-quently in ACS patients with DM group (73. 3%) ,while mild-to-moderate lesions occurred more frequently in ACS patients without DM group (56. 7%) . Peripheral blood Fib levels, serum IL-18 and MMP-9 concentrations were significantly higher in ACS patients with MACEs compared to ACS patients without MACEs. Peripheral blood Fib levels, serum IL-18 concentrations and serum MMP-9 concentrations of ACS diabetes mellitus extended the down-ward trend with the treatment time after standardized treatment show time-effect relationship. Conclusion Carotid artery IMT, peripheral blood Fib levels, serum IL-18 concentration and serum MMP-9 concentrations have great po-tential to become effective clinical indicators, which could be used to quantitatively predict coronary atherosclero-sis,and further to determine the risk degree and short-term prognosis of ACS patients with DM.

Objective To investigate the variation and clinical significance of serum levels of inflammatory cyto-kines after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)treatment in acute myocardial infarction (AMI)patients. Methods 118 incipient AMI patients with successful underwent PCI (Defined as treatment group,blood samples were collected from pre-operation,12 h after operation,24 h after operation,48 h after operation and 90 d postop-erative follow-up period)and 52 AMI patients with diagnostic coronary angiography (CAG)(Defined as control group,blood samples were collected prior to CAG,12 h after CAG,24 h after CAG,48 h after CAG and 90 d fol-low-up period)were enrolled in this study.Serum levels of IL-6,IL-18,hs-CRP,TNF-αand MMP-9 were detec-ted in all the subjects by enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay(ELISA)and major adverse cardiac events(MACE) occurrence rate was analyzed in 90 days followed-up cases.Results No significant differences in baseline levels of IL-6,IL-18,hs-CRP,TNF-αand MMP-9 were found in the two study groups(P >0.05).No significant differences of levels of IL-6,IL-18,hs-CRP,TNF-αand MMP-9 were found after CAG in control group (P >0.05).The serum levels of IL-6,IL-18,hs-CRP and TNF-αafter PCI were significantly increased (P <0.01 )while no significant differences were found in level of MMP-9 (P >0.05)in PCI group.There were significant differences of levels of IL-6,IL-18,hs-CRP and TNF-αbetween MACE group and without MACE group after PCI.The multivariable lo-gistic analysis showed that IL-6,IL-18,hs-CRP and TNF-αwere risk factors of MACE after 90 days follow-up. Conclusion The concentrations of serum IL-6,IL-18,hs-CRP and TNF-αare significantly increased in AMI pa-tients treated with PCI.PCI operation may induce inflammatory reaction.High serum levels of peripheral inflamma-tory cytokines IL-6,IL-18,hs-CRP and TNF-αhave an important role in major adverse cardiac events(MACE)and short-term prognosis in the first AMI patients treated with successful primary PCI.

Abstract: As the scale and volume of China-African cooperation continue to expand, the opportunities inherent in China-African public health cooperation are also on the rise. Malaria prevention and control is one of the primary domains of China-African public health cooperation. Especially after China's elimination of malaria, incorporating China's experience into the local context to accelerate the control and elimination of malaria in Africa, is a critical scientific problem. This article retrospectively analyses the historical China-African cooperative projects on malaria prevention and control such as the artemisinin compound project for rapid clearance of malaria, the China-UK-Tanzania pilot project, and the institution-based network of China-Africa cooperation on malaria elimination (INCAM), cooperation with the World Health Organization, and the contribution of domestic non-governmental organizations. The article also examines the challenges faced in the China-African cooperation for controlling and eliminating malaria and envisions future cooperation directions.

Kruppel-like factor 6 (KLF6) was reported as tumor suppressor in multiple cancers. However, loss of chromosomal locus spanning KLF6 is relatively infrequent in previous published studies. To explore the role of KLF6 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we examined the gene for expression change, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and mutation in 26 HCC samples. The expression levels of KLF6 were significantly down-regulated in HCCs, as detected by qRT-PCR. LOH occurred in 11 (52%) of 21 tumors, and all the samples with LOH showed KLF6 down-regulation. The mutational frequency was 24%, and sequence changes located in activation domain of KLF6. Furthermore, MTT assay showed a significant antiproliferative effect of the wt KLF6 transfected in HepG2 hepatoblastoma cells. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis revealed that KLF6 could induce apoptosis. These findings indicate that deregulation of KLF6, together with genetic abnormalities of allelic imbalance and mutations, may play a role in HCC pathogenesis.

Objective To evaluate the clinical significance of intercellular space diameters (ISD)of squamous epithelium by light microscopy (LM) in lower esophagus of erosive reflux esophagitis (ERD),non-erosive reflux disease ( NERD), Barrett esophagus (BE) and healthy controls. Methods A total of 21 ERD and 21 NERD patients with reflux symptoms and confirmed with 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring, 13 BE patients diagnosed by gastroscopy and biopsy, and 20 other healthy controls were enrolled in the study.Samples of ERD, NERD and control group were collected at 2 cm above dentate line, and made HE slides in the conventional way. Images for measurement of ICS were acquired with oil lens ( × 1000). ICS of squamous epithelium was quantitatively measured by computer-assisted morphometry. Ten cells were taken for each sample, 10 consecutive ISD for each cell, i.e. 100 ISD for each subject. Mean ISD was calculated.Results Mean ISDs by LM in control, BE, ERD, and NERD groups were 0. 59, 0. 99, 1.29 and 1.06 μm, respectively. The mean ISDs in BE, ERD, and NERD group were much greater than that in control (P＜0. 05). The mean, maximal and minimal ISDs of group ERD were greater than those of NERD and BE (P = 0. 000). However, the ISDs of NERD and BE are of no significant difference ( P ＞ 0. 05 ). The cut-off value of mean ISD for diagnosis of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) was 0. 85 μm. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for ERD, NERD and BE were 89. 1% and 100. 0%, with reference to clinical symptoms, endoscopy and ISDs above the cut-off value. Conclusion Larger ISDs in lower esophagus by using LM will be found in all subgroups of GERD, including ERD, NERD and BE. Increased ISDs may be one of the markers for diagnosis of ERD, NERD and BE.

Objective To analyze the phenotypes of lymphocytes in cerebrospinal fluid derived from the patients with neurosyphilis. Methods Samples of cerebrospinal fluid from 12 patients with neurosyphilis and 20 patients with latent syphilis were collected and analyzed by flow cytometry for CD4 and CD25 expression. Results There was a significant increase in the number of white blood cells in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurosyphilis. FACS analysis showed that most leukocytes were lymphocytes predominated with CD4 + T cells in neurosyphilis patients which were almost 4 times more than that in latent syphilis. However, there was a significant decrease in the proportion of CD4+ CD25high regulatory T cells (Tr) in neurosyphilis patients compared with that in latent syphilis patients. Conclusion A dramatic increase in CD4+ T cell frequency suggested its pathogenic role in neurosyphilis, whereas a decrease in CD25high Tr frequency indicated that CD4 + CD25high Tr cells might play an important role in immune homeostasis of central nervous system.

Objective To assess the clinical presentations and treatment of neurosyphilis with mania as the first manifestation. Methods A retrospective study was performed. Clinical data on neurosyphilis patients with mania as the first manifestation collected from July 2009 to June 2010 were analyzed. Results Twenty cases of neurosyphilis were included in this study, which were all misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, anxiety,cerebral infarction, etc. All the patients had manic symptoms at onset, such as irritability, bad temper, impulsive behavior, disturbance in thinking, and so on. Some patients also suffered from a marked decrease in memory, calculation and cognitive ability. Rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test, Treponema pallidum hemagglutination (TPHA)test and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test were positive in all the patients. Varying degrees of symptomatic improvement was achieved after anti-syphilis and anti-psychotic treatment. CSF was retested in 13 patients 3 months after the end of treatment, and CSF VDRL titer decreased in 10 patients, remained unchanged in 2 patients, and turned negative in 1 patient. Conclusions Neurosyphilis lacks distinctive clinical characteristics. For patients with poor response to conventional antipsychotic therapy,neurosyphilis should be considered, and serology and cerebrospinal fluid tests for syphilis are warranted.

Objective To investigate the association of the expressions of Fas, FasL, Bcl-2 and Bax in thyroid tissue with the pathogenesis in Graves′ disease (GD). Methods Thyroid tissues from 54 patients with GD and 10 patients with thyroid adenoma (paraadenoma tissue as normal controls) were studied for Fas, FasL, Bcl-2 and Bax expressions in the thyrocytes and lymphocytes by immunohistochemical method. Quantitative analysis was performed by Mias 99 pathological image system. Results (1) The positive granule area, average light density and integrated light density of Fas, FasL, Bcl-2 and Bax in the thyroid tissue from patients with GD were higher than those from normal controls (P

Objective To investigate the expression and genetic alterations of KLF6 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explore their functional mechanisms in the oncogenesis and development of HCC. Methods Real-time quantitative-PCR, direct sequencing and LOH approaches were used to detect KLF6 genetic abnormalities in HCC. The experiment had 2 groups, an experimental group and a control group. In the experimental group, the transfected plasmid pcDNA3.0 was recombined with KLF6 and tranfected into HCC HepG2 cells. MTT, flow cytometry and Western blotting were used to observe the effect of anti-oncogene wild type KLF6 on HepG2 cells by transgenic method for 48 h.Results Expression levels of KLF6 were significantly downregulated in HCCs(P＜0. 01), as detected by qRT-PCR. LOH occurred in 11 (52%) of the 21 tumors, and all the samples with LOH showed KLF6 down-regulation. The mutational frequency was 29%, and sequence changes located in activation domain of KLF6. Meanwhile, MTT assay showed a significant antiproliferative effect of the transfected wtKLF6 on HepG2 cells(42.7%, P＜0.05). Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis revealed that KLF6 induced apoptosis. Conclusion The deregulation of KLF6 together with genetic abnormalities of allelic imbalance and mutations may play an important role in HCC pathogenesis.

To study the expression of DNA repair enzyme hMTH1 mRNA and protein in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues, tissues adjacent to the cancers, normal liver cells and hepatoma cell lines, and to investigate their function in the progress of HCC, semi-quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was employed to examine the expression of hMTH1 mRNA in matched HCC tissues (HT)/surrounding tissues (HST) of HCC, normal liver cell L02 and hepatoma cell lines SMMC7721, HepG2. hMTH1 protein was detected in corresponding HT as well as their HST by immunohistochemistry. Our results showed that the expression level of hMTH1 mRNA in HT was higher than that in HST (t=2.424, P <0.05). The expression level of hMTH1 mRNA in two hepatoma cell lines was higher than that in normal liver cell line (F=6.810, P <0.01). The expression of hMTH1 mRNA in SMMC7721 was similar to that in HepG2. hMTH1 protein was 88.2 % (15 of 17) positive in HT and 82.4 % (14 of 17) in HST. The protein level of hMTH1 in HT was correspondingly higher than in their HST (t=2.618,P<0.05). It is concluded that hMTH1 mRNA and protein were over-expressed in HCC and hepatoma cell lines. It may be one of the key events during the carcinogenesis,progression of HCC and may promote the malignant growth. These results suggest that hMTH1 plays a role in HCC and may be a candidate marker for the diagnosis of HCC.