Objective To characterize clinical features and prognosis of pediatric cutaneous mastocytosis. Methods Clinical data on 183 cases of pediatric cutaneous mastocytosis were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Some patients were followed up. Results Of the 183 patients, 136 (74.3%)had urticaria pigmentosa, 43 (23.5%) mastocytoma, 4 (2.2%)diffuse mastocytosis. The first attack of mastocytosis occurred at birth in 21 (48.8%)patients with mastocytoma and 35(25.7%)patients with urticaria pigmentosa, within 6 months after birth in 17(39.5%)patients with mastocytoma and 78(57.3%)patients with urticaria pigmentosa, and within 2 years after birth in 179(97.8%)out of the 183 patients. Of 33 patients with detailed description of symptoms, 10 had concomitant symptoms, which were flushing in 9 patients. Forty-five patients were followed up for 3 - 6 years (average, 4 years). The follow-up showed that skin lesions completely regressed in 1 patient with urticaria pigmentosa at 11 years of age, partially regressed in 18 patients. Lesions regressed completely at 8 years of age in 1 patient with mastocytoma, and subsided within 1 year after skin biopsy in 7 patients. Oral antihistamines could control the symptoms of mastocytosis, such as flushing, whealing and blistering, and oral glucocorticoids could effectively control the recurrence of generalized blisters and bullae in patients with diffuse mastocytosis. Conclusions Urticaria pigmentosa appears to be the most common type of cutaneous mastocytosis in children, followed by mastocytoma. Mastocytoma occurs most frequently at birth, while urticaria pigmentosa within 6 months after birth. Oral antihistamines may control inflammatory mediator-related symptoms. Serious diffuse mastocytosis may be controlled by systemic glucocorticoids.

Objective To explore the molecular characteristics of community-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) from children with skin and soft tissue infection (SSTIs) in China.Methods CA-MRSA was collected from the outpatients in Department of Dermatology in 13 Children's Hospitals of China.Genotypic characteristics of CA-MRSA isolates were tested by adopting mnltilocus sequence typing (MLST),staphylococcal protein A (spa) typing and Staphyloccoccal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing.And the presence of Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes(pvl) was determined also.Results Overall,1 705 strains of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from SSTIs children,and CA-MRSA accounted for 2.6％ (44/1 705 strains).Two types of SCCmec were detected in all the CA-MRSA strains,and the main types were SCCmec Ⅳ and SCCmec Ⅴ,accounting for 45.5 ％ (20/44 strains) and 54.5 ％ (24/44 strains),respectively.Thirteen MLST types (STs) and 15 spa types were detected among CA-MRSA.The most prevalent MLST was ST121 (18/44 strains,40.9％),followed by ST59 (9/44 strains,20.5％).Additionally,t437 was predominant,accounting for 40.9％ (18/44 strains).ST121 strain had 8 spa types,and t2086 was the most common type (6/18 strains,33.3％);while ST59 had only 1 spa type,t437.No ST121,ST59 and t437 strains were found in Central and Eastern region of China.Only 4 (9.1％) of the 44 CA-MRSA strains harbored pvl genes which were all from Southern region.Conclusions The most common clone of SSTIs CA-MRSA in children is MRSA-ST121-SCCmec Ⅳ/Ⅴ,as the molecular epidemiology of CA-MRSA strain has changed,ST121 has replaced ST59 to become the main epidemic strains.

Objective To observe the influence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNFα) on skeletal muscle protein catabolism in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the effects of indomethacin (IND) on it. Methods Duplicated COPD model rats were divided into two groups: the malnutrition group and the normal nutrition group. The malnutrition group were further divided by randomized block design into four groups. Isotonic physiologic saline was administered to group A, the control and the normal nutrition group, and different doses of oral IND were administered to groups B, C, and D weight, concentrations of TNFα, contents of 3-methyl-histidine ( 3- M H ) and tyrosine (Tyr) in the diaphragm and extensor digitorum longus muscle homogenates were measured before and after the intervention. Results Before the intervention, the concentrations of TNFα in the serum of malnutrition groups were all significantly higher than those of normal nutrition group and the control group. After the intervention: (1) The concentrations of TNFα in the serum of the rats of group B, C and D were significantly lower than the group A, especially in group C. The levels of TNFα in serum and body weight of model group rats were negatively correlated ( r = -0. 846, P ＜0. 01 ), as well as the diaphragm and extensor digitorum longus muscle weights ( r = - 0. 778, P ＜ 0. 01; r = - 0. 772, P ＜ 0. 01 ). (2) The levels of 3-methyl-histidine in the diaphragm and extensor digitorum longus muscles of the intervention group C was lower than the COPD normal nutrition group, as well as the intervention groups B and D. The contents of tyrosine in the diaphragm and extensor digitorum longus muscles of the intervention group C was lower than that of the COPD normal nutrition group,as well as the groups B and D. The body weight growth value of the intervention group B were slightly higher than the group A, without significant difference( P ＞ 0. 05 ), while the group C was significantly higher than the group A ( P ＜ 0. 01 ). Conclusions TNFα is involved in the occurrence of COPD malnutrition and skeletal muscle amyotrophy. IND can reduce the TNFα levels in the serum and the catabolic rates of the skeletal muscle proteins in malnutrition rats with COPD, so as to improve partly the skeletal muscle atrophy.

0.05).Conclusion Long-term inhaled glucocorticosteroids has no obvious effect on GH and height growth of asthmatic children.

AIM: To study the effect of ligustrazine on the cardiacmyocyte lesion in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus.METHODS: Male Wistar rats were injected with STZ via tail vein under high-glucose and high-fat feeding for 4 weeks to establish the animal model of type 2 diabetes mellitus.Ligustrazine at different doses was used to treat the diabetic rats.The body weight, blood glucose and the morphology of heart tissues were observed.The myocardial levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were detected by ELISA, and the protein expression of IKKβ and NF-κB in the myocardium was determined by Westeren blotting.RESULTS: Ligustrazine at high dose alleviated the body weight reduction and blood glucose elevation cause by diabetes, and reduced pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6.Moreover, the protein expression of IKKβ and NF-κB was significant decreased by ligustrazine.CONCLUSION: Ligustrazine inhibits the myocardial inflammation caused by diabetes through anti-inflammatory pathway.

Objective: To analyze the uncertainty of quercetin concentration determination in Sicao Tongmai capsules by HPLC. Methods: The source of uncertainty was confirmed by analyzing the HPLC determination process. The uncertainty components were quantified by statistics, and the extended uncertainty and confidence level were finally obtained. Results: The extended uncertainty of the measurement results was 0. 19 μg · g-1 . Quercetin concentration in Sicao Tongmai capsules was (353. 65 ± 0. 19)μg·g-1 . Conclusion: The uncertainty analysis method is suitable for the standard limit formulation for Sicao Tongmai capsules, and it is important to establish uncertainty analysis methods for traditional Chinese medicines.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence rate of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency (CIRCI) and the effect of low-dose glucocorticoid on prognosis of CIRCI in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). METHODS: Since January 2010 to December 2012, 385 patients, who met the criteria of AECOPD, were enrolled in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the First People's Hospital and Municipal Central Hospital of Xiangtan City. The AECOPD patients complicated with CIRCI screened by an adrenalcorticotrophic hormone test within 12 hours after admission to ICU were divided into a treatment group (n=32) and a control group (n=31) for a prospective, randomized and controlled clinical trial. Hydrocortisone (150 mg/d) or normal saline was injected intravenously for 7 days. The patients were followed up for 28 days after injection. The endpoint included 28-day survival time, non-shock time, ICU stay and the period of non-mechanical ventilation. The markers of inflammation C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin 6 and procalcitonin were measured at baseline and 7 days after treatment. The variables were analyzed by Student's t test, the non-parametric statistical test, the Chi-square test or the Kaplan-Meier method with SPSS18.0 statistic software. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Totally 63 patients were diagnosed with CIRCI by an adrenalcorticotrophic hormone test and the prevalence rate was 16.4％. The shock rate of the AECOPD patients complicated with CIRCI was higher than that of the AECOPD patients without CIRCI (23.8％ vs. 8.7％, P<0.01). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the 28-day survival time of the treatment group was obviously longer than that of the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, shock-free days within 28 days was longer in the treatment group (18.2±9.5 vs. 25.8±4.1, P<0.05). Treatment with low-dose glucocorticoid obviously decreased the markers of infection and inflammation (P<0.01), such as C-reactive protein (13.2±5.5 mg/L vs. 8.3±3.1 mg/L for the control group; 13.5±5.9 mg/L vs. 5.1±2.3 mg/L for the treatment group), tumor necrosis factor-α (26.1±16.2 g/L vs. 17.5±11.7 g/L for the control group; 25.0±14.8 g/L vs. 10.4±7.8 g/L for the treatment group) and procalcitonin (3.88 g/L vs. 2.03 g/L for the control group; 3.77 g/L vs. 1.26 g/L for the treatment group). Furthermore, the markers in the treatment group decreased more obviously than those in the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The prevalence rate of CIRCI was higher in the patients with AECOPD in the department of critical medicine, and low-dose glucocorticoid treatment for one week reduced the 28-day mortality, shock time and markers of infection and inflammation.

ObjectiveTo study the morphology, normal values and lateral asymmetry of Chinese calcarine sulcus on MRI. Methods High-resolution and transverse MRI were obtained from 40 female volunteers. Brainvisa software was used to reconstruct the calcarine sulcus and measure its average length, depth and width automatically. Results The posterior branch of calcarine sulcus showed six types in the median sagittal plane: bifurcation(32.50%), single peak(25.00%), flat (16.25%), S-shaped (15.00%), double peak(7.50%) and other shape (3.75%); its location had three types: inferior(72.50%), middle(21.25%)and superior(6.25%). The depth of left calcarine sulcus was (15.24±2.67)mm, and the right one was (16.97±3.25)mm, which revealed great statistical significance (P＜0.000 1). The width of left calcarine sulcus was (3.14±0.91)mm, and it was (3.19± 0.83)mm in the right side. The bottom length of calcarine sulcus: the left was (86.47±16.85)mm, the right was (83.62±17.10)mm. The top length of calcarine sulcus: the left was (70.52±12.40)mm, the right was (64.90±15.17)mm. There were not statistical significance in width, bottom length and top length between left and right calcarine sulci. More than half of the end part of calcarine sulci turned to the lateral surface of cerebral hemisphere.Totally 63 cases (78.75%) were found with prominent calcar avis. Conclusion Significant difference of depth between left and right calcarine sulcus of female was found. Three-dimensional reconstruction is an effective method to study the anatomy of calcarine sulcus.

OBJECTIVE:To optimize the formulation of Roxatidine acetate hydrochloride(ROX)sustained-release tablets. METHODS:ROX sustained-release tablets were prepared by direct powder compression method. Central composite design-response surface methodology was used to optimize the formulation with composite index of 1,4,8 h in vitro accumulative release rate as index,using mass ratio of lactose/microcrystalline cellulose(MCC)(m/m),ethyl cellulose(EC)amount and HPMC amount as factors. Validation test was also conducted. RESULTS:The optimal formulation was as follows as ROX 75 mg,lactose 45 mg, MCC 91 mg,EC 65 mg,HPMC 124 mg,micropowder silica gel 2 mg. 1,4,8 h in vitro accumulative release rates of prepared sustained-release tablets were(30.7 ± 0.5)%,(65.8 ± 0.7)%,(89.4 ± 0.6)%,respectively. Related errors of them to predicted value were 0.6%,0.8%,1.2%,respectively. CONCLUSIONS:ROX sustained-release tablets are prepared successfully,and sustained-release effect is consisted with the expected effect.

Objective To construct eukaryotic enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) expressing recombinant plasmid, pEGFP-C1-hnRNP A1, which contains coding sequence of human hnRNP A1 (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleo-protein A1), and to perform cellular localization analysis of EGFP tagged hnRNP A1 under stress. Methods Total RNA was isolated from HeLa cell used for synthesis of first-strand cDNAs using reverse primers that are specific for the 3′-un-translated region of hnRNP A1. hnRNP A1 gene fragments were then amplified by touch-down PCR from those cDNAs and inserted into pEGFP-C1 fluorescent bearing vector through EcoRⅠ/BamHⅡdouble enzyme digestion and T4 DNA Ligase connection. The recombinant pEGFP-C1-hnRNP A1 plasmid was transfected into HeLa cells and green fluorescent tagged fusion proteins was examined by Western blot and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Co-localization of EGFP-hnRNP A 1 with poly (A)+mRNA (the marker of the stress granules), or DCP1a (the marker of processome) were detected by RNA fluores-cence in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence. Results The pEGFP-C1-hnRNP A1 was sequenced and digested cor-rectly by restriction single/double enzyme. The green fluorescent fusion protein was also detected in transfected HeLa cell by Western blot and confocal fluorescence microscopy. EGFP-hnRNP A1 co-localizes with poly(A)+mRNA, but not DCP1a. Conclusion Recombinant eukaryotic plasmid of pEGFP-C1-hnRNP A1 was constructed successfully and expressed effec-tively. EGFP tagged hnRNP A1 takes part in forming stress granules.