Objective To detect point mutations of TAC1 gene in fluconazole-resistant Candida albi-cans isolates with rolling circle amplification (RCA), develop an accurate, rapid and specific assay to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and to estimate the relationship between mutations of TAC1 gene and resistance to fluconazole. Methods A total of 33 fluconazole-resistant Candida albicana isolates, including 8 strains from America and 25 from Australia, were collected. Four TAC1-specific padlock probes were designed according to previously reported mutations. DNA was extracted from these tested strains, subjected to amplification of three targeted fragments of TAC1 gene with PCR. Then, RCA was performed to detect point mutations of TAC1 gene in resistant Candida albicans strains. At the same time, the target fragments underwent sequencing analysis, and the results of RCA were compared with those of sequencing. Results Two types of resistance-associated mutations were found in 5 out of the 33 fluconazole-resistant strains. Among the 5 strains, 4 were from America, 1 harbored T225A mutation and 4 carried A736V mutation. No related mutation was found in TAC1 gene of 4 fluconazole-sensitive isolates. Conclusions RCA assay could accurately and rapidly detect point mutations of genes. Further studies are required to clarify the relationship between TAC1 point mutations and fluconazole resistance.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of widely used antibiotics for urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis infection in recent 5 years.Methods A total of 2 809 cases of Chlamydia trachomatis urogenital infected patients who visited STD clinics of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from 2006 to 2010 were collected.All the patients had accomplished a course of treatment of azithromycin, minocycline, moxifloxacin or clarithromycin and followed up for 3 months (once every month).Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to analyzed the antibiotics effect changing trends overtime.Results From 2006 to 2010, the etiology clearance rates of azithromycin were 76.70% (79/103), 74.19% (92/124), 74.13% (106/143), 71.43% (100/140) and 70.77% (92/130), respectively;those of minocycline were 75.31% (61/81), 64.67% (97/150), 66.53% (159/239), 65.05% (188/289) and 63.03% (104/165), respectively;those of moxifloxacin were 88.82% (167/188), 86.23% (119/138), 82.96% (185/223), 81.19% (233/287) and 81.03% (158/37), respectively;those of clarithromycin were 82.93% (34/41), 80.49% (33/41), 79.25% (42/53), 78.18% (43/55) and 75.00% (18/24), respectively.Ochran-Armitage trend test showed that antimicrobial efficacy of moxifloxacin for urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis infection rates declined year by year (P<0.05), while those of azithromycin, clarithromycin and minocycline did not decline significantly (all P>0.05).Conclusions The etiology clearance rate of moxifloxacin is the highest but gradually declines by years, and that of azithromycin takes the second place, while the treatment efficacy of minocycline is lower but quite stable.The number of cases treated with clarithromycin is too small to draw a conclusion.

Objective To establish the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of serum alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) antibody and evaluate its role in its diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis( AIH ). Methods The reactivity between yeast ADH and human anti-ADH serum antibody was tested by Western blot analysis. ELISA was established using yeast ADH. The method was applied in serums of 67 AIH patients,94 primary biliary cirrhosis(PBC) patients, 199 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, 132 chronic hepatitis(CHC) patients, 24 alcohol hepatitis disease(ALD) patients, 99 connective tissue disease(CTD) patients and 31 healthy individuals. The positive rate of ADH antibody in the patients and healthy individuals was measured. The χ2 test was used to compare the positive rates. Results The ELISA method for detecting human anti-ADH serum antibody was established successfully and the optimum reaction conditions were defined. Western blot showed that yeast ADH has cross reactivity with human anti-ADH antibody. The positive rate of anti-ADH antibody in the AIH group [59. 7% ,40/67 ] was higher than that in the normal control group(0,χ2 = 31. 271 ,P <0. 05), PBC group (6. 4% ,χ2 =54. 492,P <0. 05), CHB group( 14. 1% ,χ2 =54. 848,P <0. 05) ,CHC group(21.2% ,χ2 = 29.269,P<0.05), ALl) group ( 25. 0% ,χ2 =8.512,P <0.05)and CTD group ( 43. 4% ,χ2 =4.229, P <0. 05). Conclusions Compared with the PBC, CHB, CHC, ALD and CTD group, the anti-ADH antibody positive rate in the serums of AIH was significantly increased. The antibody may be helpful to the diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis.

Aim To investigate the possible mecha-nisms of the levels of NO decrease induced apoptosis in human placental trophoblast cells. Methods Human placental trophoblast cells ( HTR-8 ) were cultured in 5 ml DMEM-F12 culture medium with 37℃ 5% CO2 . Then, the old culture medium was discarded and re-placed with 10,100,500,1 000 μmol·L-1 L-NAME, and the group without L-NAME was set as the control group, cultured for 48h. The effects of L-NAME on the survival of cells were detected by methylthiazolyldiphe-nyl tetrazolium bromide ( MTT); the content of NO in cells was tested by nitrate reductive enzymatic;trans-mission electron microscopy, flow cytometry analysis and Annexin-V FITC dyeing were used to test the effects of L-NAME on apoptosis in HTR-8 cells;restore Fe3+ colorimetric assay was applied for detection of to-tal antioxidant capacity ( T-AOC ) , xanthine oxidase for detection of superoxide dismutase ( SOD) activity, and thiobarbituric acid colorimetry for determination of content of MDA. Results Compared with the control group, the survival rate of HTR-8 cells and the levels of NO in 100,500,1 000 μmol·L-1 L-NAME group were significantly reduced(P<0.05,P<0.01). Flow analysis and Annexin-V FITC staining showed that L-NAME could induce cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. The number of cell apoptosis was negatively correlated with the content of NO ( r = -0.5210 ) in HTR-8 cells. Transmission electron microscopy results showed that compared with the control group, the ex-perimental group's cell nucleus shape was irregular, nuclear pyknosis in irregular shape, the chromatin ag-glutination or side the collection, mitochondrial swell-ing or enrichment, crest fracture or dissolved, even vanished, forming the vacuole, especially in 100 μmol ·L-1 L-NAME group, the apoptotic bodies obviously appeared. At the same time, T-AOC, SOD levels in HTR-8 cells decreased ( P <0.05 ) , and the MDA content increased ( P<0.05 ) . The number of cell ap-optosis was negatively correlated with the level of T-AOC ( r= -0.3212 ) , SOD ( r= -0.2779 ) in HTR-8 cells , while positively correlated with the content of MDA(r=0.2807). Conclusion Oxidative stress may play an important role in the levels of NO decrease in-duced apoptosis in human placental trophoblast cells.

With the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic across the world, numerous variants have emerged.As a high-risk group for COVID-19, the elderly are prone to acute kidney injury(AKI), with atypical clinical features and high proportions of patients with critical illness.Its pathogenesis mainly includes direct damage to the kidney via the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2(ACE2)pathway, the extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer(CD147)pathway, and age-related renal dysfunction, inflammatory aging, immune aging and other non-specific mechanisms, which significantly increase the risk of adverse prognosis.Therefore, the establishment of an early warning system for AKI, increasing vaccination coverage, nutritional support, treatment of primary diseases, extracorporeal supportive therapy and other control measures are particularly important to prognosis improvement.This review summarized the pathogenesis, early prevention and treatment of AKI in elderly patients with COVID-19.

Objective To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and the expression of related molecular markers of heterotopic pancreas for better understanding and avoiding overtreatment of this disease.Methods From 24th March 2009 to 10th November 2016,92 patients with heterotopic pancreas in upper digestive tract diagnosed after endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD),were collected. Tissues were sectioned and pathologically classified by Heinrich classification.The expressions of seven different molecular markers including cytokeratin(CK)19,insulin,trypsin,Ki-67,p53,CD133 and CD56 were detected by immunohistochemistry staining. Clinical features, pathological features and immunohistochemical results were retrospectively analyzed.Analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis test were used.Results According to Heinrich classification,the percentages of type Ⅰ,Ⅱ,and Ⅲ of heterotopic pancreas were 27.2%(25/92),63.0%(58/92)and 9.8%(9/92),respectively.There was no type Ⅳ patients.The heterotopic pancreas mainly located in stomach with proportion being about 91.3%(84/92)of the total heterotopic pancreas.CK19(the marker of pancreas ducts),insulin(as marker of endocrine function)and trypsin(as the marker of exocrine function)were all expressed in heterotopic pancreas.The positive rate of CD56,a pancreatic neuroendocrine marker,was 66.3%(61/92).The umbilicus like depression was the typical endoscopic appearance of heterotopic pancreas,which only found in 29 patients(31.5%).The average rate of Ki-67,cell proliferation index,was(2.08 ± 1.41)%.The expression of mutant p53 was negative in all 92 cases of heterotopic pancreas.The average staining area of CD133,a marker of pancreatic cancer stem cell,was(2.53 ± 2.43)%.The average follow-up period of 92 patients was(43.6 ± 27.5)months.No relapse and malignant change were found and all patients survived after ESD.Conclusions Heterotopic pancreas has normal pancreatic construction and function.The cell proliferation index is low in heterotopic pancreas and no mutant p53 expression is found.The expression of CD133 is also low.Heterotopic pancreas is a congenital benign disease which requires a long-term follow-up rather than overtreatment.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of penciclovir combined with foscarnet sodium in the treatment of herpes zoster. Methods: The clinical datas of 135 herpes zoster patients from the ward of Department of Dermatology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital were collected. Among them 64 patients received penciclovir and foscarnet sodium, and the remaining 71 patients only received penciclovir alone.Their general information, the time for vesicle stopped emerging, rash began to scab, pain to relief obviously, the adverse reaction and if they got the postherpetic neuralgia were recorded and included into statistical analysis. Results: The general information showed no significant differences between the 2 groups(all P>0.05). The time for vesicle stopped emerging, rash began to scab, pain to relief obviously in combination group was shorter than the penciclovir group (all P<0.001). The number of patients who developed postherpetic neuralgia of combination group was fewer than that of penciclovir group(P=0.013). There was no statistical significance between the 2 groups the adverse reaction(P=0.928). Conclusions The penciclovir and foscarnet sodium combination therapy showed rapid therapeutic effects on herpes zoster patients, the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia was low, and there was no more side effects than penciclovir alone therapy. The combined therapy may be a reliable way to treat herpes zoster.