This study was aimed to evaluate the relationship between the changes of plasma intermedin (IMD) and atrial fibrosis in hypertensive patients with atrial fibrillation. During the period from 2010 to 2011, appropriate 150 subjects of out-patients (female 50%, male 50%) were selected in West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and were divided into three groups: the hypertension-only group, the hypertension combined with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation group and the hypertension combined with persistent atrial fibrillation group. Firstly, we collected the Physical examination results and medical history records of the patients. We then performed ultrasound cardiogram and blood biochemical tests on the patients. We also detected the plasma IMD and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) using ELISA. The results showed that compared with the hypertensive group, the plasma level of IMD, TGF-β1 and left atrium director (LAD) in the hypertensive combined with atrial fibrillation group were higher significantly. Compared with the paroxymal atrial fibrillation group, the levels of IMD, TGF-β1 and LAD were higher significantly in persistent atrial fibrillation group. Analysis of correlation and partial correlation showed that IMD was positively correlated with TGF-p1 (r=0.51, P<0. 001), IMD was positively correlated with LAD(r=0.59, P< 0.001), and TGF-β1 was positively correlated with LAD (r = 0.57, P < 0.001). The results suggest that IMD might suppress the pathophysiological process of atrial fibrillation.
Atrial Fibrillation ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Male ; Peptide Hormones ; blood ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; blood

Objective To understand the genotypic characteristics and the neutralizing antibody levels of Japanese encephalitis virus(JEV)and Japanese encephalitis(JE)in both vector mosquitoes and in healthy people of Zhejiang province. Methods Virus was isolated from mosquitos sampled from the Monitoring Stations located in Xianju county during 2012 to 2013. Phylogenetic and homological studies were carried out on the E gene. A total of 1 263 blood specimens from 642 healthy people were collected before and after the seasons of JE epidemics. JEV neutralizing antibody was detected by the micro-neutralization test. Results Twenty-five JEV strains were isolated from a total of 11 650 mosquitoes. The identity of nucleotide appeared as 87.8%-99.7% both from 2012 to 2013 and from 1982 to 2010 while as 87.7%-88.0%with vaccine strain SA14-14-2,in Zhejiang. The phylogeny tree of E gene indicated that the newly isolated virus belonged to genotypeⅠ but no mutation of amino acid sequence coding conformational epitope was identified in the envelop protein. Both positive rates and the geometric mean titer(GMT)of neutralizing antibody in healthy people were 31.5%-42.0%and 1∶2.56-1∶3.53 in Xianju county,during 2012 and 2013,respectively. Both of the two positive rates(χ2≤1.76,P>0.05)and the two GMTs(u≤0.64,P>0.5)for antibodies pre or post the epidemic season did not show significant differences. Conclusion JEV isolated in Xianju during 2012 and 2013 belonged to genotypeⅠ. The positive rates of JEV neutralizing antibody from healthy people in Xianju were less than 42.0%,which showed no significant differendes pre or post JE epidemic season.

Objective To explore the value of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with choledocholithiasis after Billroth Ⅱ gastrointestinal anastomosis.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted to retrospective review the data of 189 patients with choledocholithiasis treated by ERCP from December 2015 to November 2017 in Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery,Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University.According to the history of Billroth Ⅱ gastrointestinal anastomosis,the patients who have not undergone digestive surgery were divided into the normal group(n =167) and patients who have undergone digestive surgery were divided into reconstruction group (n =22).The operation time,the success rate of stone extraction,complications,the hospitalization time,total hospitalization expenses were compared between the two groups.Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as (Mean ± SD) and comparison between groups was analyzed using the t test.Measurement data with skewed distribution were described as M (range).Comparisons of count data were analyzed using the x2 test or Fisher exact probability.Results The operation time of the normal group was (40.18 ± 11.80) min,and the success rate of ERCP was 97.60％ (163/167),the operation time of reconstruction group was(61.81 ± 13.21) min,and the success rate of ERCP was 81.82％ (18/22),There were significant differences between the two groups (t =0.105,x2 =10.400,P ＜ 0.05).The complications,the hospitalization time and the total hospitalization expense of the normal group were 16.17％ (27/167),(3.47 ± 1.55) d,(20 620.69 ± 3 117.88) yuan,the reconstruction group were 18.18％ (4/22),(4.18 ± 2.08) d,(22 426.41 ±5 916.30) yuan,with no statistically significant difference (x2 =0.000,t =4.204),t =10.828,P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions ERCP is safe and feasible for patients with choledocholithiasis after Billroth Ⅱ gastrointestinal anastomosis.It also has a high success rate of stone removal and small trauma,which is worthy of promotion.

Background: The "two-week visiting rate in those needing to visit" has been examined extensively as an important indicator of healthcare seeking behavior in China. Nevertheless, its relationship with health behaviors, such as physical activity, remains unknown. In addition, a significant difference exists between urban and rural Chinese people in terms of physical activity and healthcare seeking behavior. This study sought to investigate the relationship between physical activity and the two-week visiting rate by conducting a stratified analysis.Methods: The analysis included 5,801 participants aged above 15 years old. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to analyze the association after adjusting for possible confounding variables. Urban and rural differences were investigated using stratified analysis. Results: Adjusted estimates showed that those who were physically active were more likely to visit a healthcare facility, but only among the whole sample (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.45, 95％ confidence interval (CI): 1.26–1.66) and the rural sample (AOR = 1.56, 95％ CI: 1.21–2.01), and not among the urban sample. Conclusions: Educating people on physical activity may help in improving healthcare seeking behavior and vice versa. Additionally, health interventions may be tailored based on different settings.

OBJECTIVETo understand the genotypic characteristics and the neutralizing antibody levels of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and Japanese encephalitis (JE) in both vector mosquitoes and in healthy people of Zhejiang province.

METHODSVirus was isolated from mosquitos sampled from the Monitoring Stations located in Xianju county during 2012 to 2013. Phylogenetic and homological studies were carried out on the E gene. A total of 1 263 blood specimens from 642 healthy people were collected before and after the seasons of JE epidemics. JEV neutralizing antibody was detected by the micro-neutralization test.

RESULTSTwenty-five JEV strains were isolated from a total of 11 650 mosquitoes. The identity of nucleotide appeared as 87.8%-99.7% both from 2012 to 2013 and from 1982 to 2010 while as 87.7%-88.0% with vaccine strain SA14-14-2, in Zhejiang. The phylogeny tree of E gene indicated that the newly isolated virus belonged to genotype I but no mutation of amino acid sequence coding conformational epitope was identified in the envelop protein. Both positive rates and the geometric mean titer (GMT) of neutralizing antibody in healthy people were 31.5%-42.0% and 1 : 2.56-1 : 3.53 in Xianju county, during 2012 and 2013, respectively. Both of the two positive rates (χ(2)≤1.76, P > 0.05) and the two GMTs (u≤0.64, P > 0.5) for antibodies pre or post the epidemic season did not show significant differences.

CONCLUSIONJEV isolated in Xianju during 2012 and 2013 belonged to genotype I. The positive rates of JEV neutralizing antibody from healthy people in Xianju were less than 42.0%, which showed no significant differendes pre or post JE epidemic season.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; blood ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; China ; Culicidae ; virology ; Disease Vectors ; Encephalitis Virus, Japanese ; genetics ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Encephalitis, Japanese ; virology ; Epitopes ; Genotype ; Humans ; Neutralization Tests ; Phylogeny

Dry eye is a common ophthalmic disease caused by eye maladjustment due to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), which is often accompanied by symptoms such as increased tear film osmotic pressure and ocular surface inflammation. In the treatment of dry eye patients, dredging gland obstruction caused by meibomian gland secretion is an effective treatment method. Based on electrothermal effect and hyperelasticity of the silicone, an auxiliary treatment instrument for MGD is designed, which can improve the blood circulation of the glands through heat compress and massage to achieve the purpose of dredging the meibomian glands. The therapy device can display the temperature and pressure during the treatment in real time, so that the surgeon can grasp the progress of the treatment in real time. The therapy device constructs a user-oriented interactive interface based on parametric modeling method, which can be customized by 3D printing according to the user's eyeball geometric parameters. The designed therapeutic device was finally tested on New Zealand white rabbits. The experimental results show that the therapeutic device has significant effectiveness and safety, as well as clinical application prospects.
Animals ; Dry Eye Syndromes/therapy* ; Humans ; Meibomian Gland Dysfunction ; Meibomian Glands ; Rabbits ; Tears ; Treatment Outcome

In robot-assisted eye surgery, such as retinal vascular bypass surgery, precise positioning of operating points is required. In this study, a binocular vision-based 3D reconstruction method is proposed to locate the incision points on retinal vessels. Vessels in the image were extracted by CLAHE algorithm to remove the influence of background, then stereo matching was performed. Finally, the retinal vessel image was reconstructed by using the principle of parallax in binocular vision. Experimental results show that this method can accurately locate the incision points on retinal vessels and meet the requirements of ophthalmic surgery.
Algorithms ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures ; Retinal Vessels/diagnostic imaging* ; Robotic Surgical Procedures ; Vision, Binocular

Background: Carbohydrate antigen 72-4 (CA72-4) is generally recognized as a tumor marker of digestive system. However, elevated serum CA72-4 level is also evident in many benign diseases and healthy subjects, and its sensitivity in diagnosing malignant tumor is quite poor. Aims: To reassess the value of CA72-4 in tumor screening and diagnosis. Methods: Three cohorts were established in this study. Inpatients who underwent a serum CA72-4 measurement and had a definite final diagnosis were included into Cohort 1 (retrospective study). Inpatients with elevated serum CA72-4 level who had not been diagnosed as malignant tumor before admission were included into Cohort 2 (retrospective study). Individuals who underwent a serum CA72-4 measurement and willing to take a follow-up for at least 2 years were included into Cohort 3 (prospective study). Malignancies had been preliminarily excluded in all individuals in Cohort 3 before enrollment. Results: Among the 2 173 patients recruited in Cohort 1, the prevalence of positive serum CA72-4 was significantly higher in patients with malignancies than those without (16.4% vs. 7.4%, P<0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of CA72-4 for diagnosis of malignant tumor were 36.5% and 76.2%, respectively, at the cut-off value (2.955 U/mL) identified by ROC curve analysis. Among the 1 807 patients recruited in Cohort 2, most of the participants (76.5%) did not have malignancies. Serum CA72-4 level was associated with the histological classification, tumor differentiation and TNM staging of malignancies (P<0.05). Among the 376 individuals who underwent a follow-up for no less than 2 years in Cohort 3, elevated serum CA72-4 level did not increase the risk of malignant tumor (OR=1.268, 95% CI: 0.283-5.687). Conclusions: CA72-4 is not a sensitive marker for tumor screening, its value as an item in physical examination should be re-evaluated. In patients who had positive serum CA72-4 and malignant tumor was ruled out in initial examination, the necessity of long-term follow-up of serum CA72-4 needs to be discussed.

AIM: To observe the effect ofacacia honey (AH) on serum uric acid level and renal function in potassium oxonate modelrats after drinking AH aqueous solution. METHODS: Sixty male SD rats were selected and randomly divided into control group (CON group), potassium oxonate model group (OA model group), 10% fructose group (10% F group) and different concentration honey groups (25%, 12.5% and 6.25% AH groups). All rats were fed with normal diet.The rats in CON group were subcutaneously injected with 5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na) solution and drunk sterile water every day, while rats in other groups were injected with 100 mg / kg OA solution suspended with 5% CMC-Na subcutaneouslyand drunksterile water orfructose solution or AH solution of different concentrations every day. Before and during the 4-week test, rats were weighed and blood was taken once a week. At the end of test, urine and feces specimens or kidney tissues were collected and blood was taken from the abdominal aorta. The uric acid content in blood, urine, and feces and the levels of serum creatinine (Cre) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) or inflammatory factors in kidney tissues were measured. Renal function and histology were evaluated. RESULTS: Compared with CON group, AH could significantly reduce the body weight of rats (P<0.05), increase the kidney organ coefficient, the levels of serum uric acid, and uric acid in urine or feces, and reduce the level of fecal uric acid (FUA) in rats. AH can down regulate the level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) (P< 0.05) and up regulate the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and transforming growth factor β - 1 (TGF - β1) in rats kidneys; AH can cause slight to mild dilatation of renal tubules and mild to moderate basophilic lesions of renal rubules in rat kidney in a dose dependent manner. CONCLUSION: In the doses rang of present study, AH can cause hyperuricemia, renal tubular dilatation and basophilic lesions, and lead to renal function damage in rats.

OBJECTIVETo investigate pathogens and molecular-epidemiology characteristics of viral meningoencephalitis in the monitoring sites of Zhejiang province, 2013.

METHODSCerebrospinal fluid and/or stool specimens were collected from suspected patients admitted to the monitoring hospitals in southern and northern Zhejiang province. Such specimen were subject to real-time qPCR for the detection of Human enterovirus (HEV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), Mumps virus (MuV), Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Cytomegalovirus (CMV). HEVs were isolated using the RD and Hep-2 cell lines, while VP1 genes from all HEV-positive isolates or RNA-positive specimen were amplified, sequenced, for homology and evolution analysis.

RESULTS92 (38.5%) of the 239 samples collected from 229 patients were detected as virus nucleic acid positive, including 87 HEV positive samples, 1 MuV positive, 2 HSV positive, and 2 CMV positive; of the 87 HEV positive samples, 38 were further determined to be Coxsackievirus (CV) and 49 as Echovirus (E). 56 HEV strains were isolated from 239 (23.4%) samples. From the 31 cerebral fluid specimen of nucleic acid positive yet virus isolation negative, the most specimen were identified with E9 (9 specimen), followed by CVA9 (8 specimen); the viral serotype of Zhejiang province HEV were CVA9, CVB4, CVB5, E6, E7, E9, E11, E14, E16, E25 and E30, respectively. Predominant epidemic strains identified at southern and northern Zhejiang province were CVB5 and E6 respectively. The phylogenetic analysis of VP1 gene showed that all the HEV isolates in Zhejiang province were HEV-B.

CONCLUSIONThe HEV-B was the main pathogen for viral meningoencephalitis in Zhejiang province in 2013, including 11 serotypes, while E7 was the first time to be isolated in Zhejiang province. The predominant isolates were CVB5 and E6 in southern and northern Zhejiang province respectively. The positive rate of viral nucleic acid detection was significantly higher than that of viral isolation. Regular EV isolation method was exposed to the risk of missing-detection of E9 and CVA9.

Biological Evolution ; China ; epidemiology ; Cytomegalovirus ; Encephalitis Virus, Japanese ; Encephalitis, Viral ; Enterovirus ; Enterovirus B, Human ; Hepatitis E virus ; Humans ; Meningitis, Viral ; epidemiology ; genetics ; Meningoencephalitis ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Mumps virus ; Phylogeny