Objective To determine the serum levels of macrophage migration inhibition factor (MIF) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in patients with vitiligo,and to investigate their clinical significance.Methods The serum concentrations of MIF and TNF-α were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay respectively in 66 patients with vitiligo and 30 healthy controls.Results The patients with vitiligo vulgaris showed a significant higher serum level of MIF and TNF-α compared with the healthy controls ((9.56 ± 1.65) vs.(5.18 ± 0.81 ) μg/L,(2.38 ± 0.37) vs.(1.78 ± 0.21 ) μg/L,both P ＜ 0.01 ).There was a positive correlation between the serum level of MIF and TNF-α (r =0.89,P ＜ 0.05).No statistical difference was observed in the serum levels of MIF or TNF-α between the healthy controls and patients with segmental vitiligo (both P ＞ 0.05).The serum level of MIF was significantly higher in patients with progressive vitiligo than in those with stable vitiligo (P ＜ 0.01 ).Conclusions MIF and TNF-α might play a certain role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo,and MIF may be related to the activity of vitiligo vulgaris.

Objective To explore the change in heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) level in cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)and serum in patients with mild cognitive impairment(MCI),and the correlation between HO-1 and the rating scale,to provide a new marker for the diagnosis of MCI.Methods The HO-1 levels in CSF and serum in 45 MCI patients (MCI group) and 85 normal cases (control group) were analyzed with sensitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).MMSE and MoCA scores were evaluated.Results The level of HO-1 was higher in MCI group than in control group both in CSF [(631.38±32.17)vs(480.75±17.98)ng/ L,P＜0.05],and in serum [(612.52±111.48)vs.(384.16±56.86)ng/ L,P＜0.05].The MCI and normal people HO-1 level had no significant difference between CSF group and serum group (P＞0.05).In MCI group,the levels of serum and CSF HO-1 had a positive correlation with MMSE scores (P＜0.05),but had no obvious correlation with MoCA scores (P＞0.05).In the normal group,the level of HO-1 was negatively related with MMSE scores in serum and CSF,and with MoCA scores in CSF (P＜0.05),but no obvious correlation in serum (P＞0.05).The levels of serum and CSF HO-1 had no obvious correlation with age in both groups (P＞0.05).Conclusions HO-1 concentration in both CSF and serum is significantly higher in MCI group than in normal group,and positively related with MMSE score.Thus the increase of HO-1concentration in both CSF and/or serum might be a new marker for the diagnosis of MCI.

Female ; Human papillomavirus 18 ; physiology ; Humans ; Papillomavirus Infections ; complications ; Risk Factors ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; etiology ; pathology ; virology ; Virus Integration ; genetics ; physiology

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics and treatment of Caroli′s disease in children.Methods The clinical data,laboratory examination and radiological feature of 8 children with Caroli′s disease between Feb.1998 and Dec.2007 were analyzed retrospectively.All children underwent CT and abdominal ultrasonogram.Results Five cases of the 8 children were male and 3 cases were female.The mean age was 6.3 years old.The cases′ history were from 5 days to 4 months.The clinical symptoms showed that 3 cases had hematemesis,5 cases had hepatosplenomegaly,and 1 case had fever and turbid urine.Of the total 8 cases,5 cases were hepatic fibrosis and liver cirrhosis and hepatosplenomegaly,3 cases were portal hypertension,and 1 case had cholangitis.The other 3 cases were simple types.One case had infantile polycystic kidney disease.Laboratory analysis revealed 2 cases had dysfunction of liver and 1 dysfunction of renal.The imaging characteristics showed multiplied irregular dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts in enlarged liver,with central dot sign on CT scan.One case presented enlarged gastroesophageal vein.The 8 cases undertook conservative treatment,with no surgery.Conclusions The symptoms of Caroli′s disease are highly variable.Caroli′s disease should be focused especially on children with abdominal pain and hepatomegaly.CT is important for diagnosis of Caroli′s disease at earlier stage.The disease can be conservatively treated,and(or) surgically operated.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is main regulatory enzyme for pentose phosphate pathway. To amplify the core sequence of G6PDH gene from Chimonanthus praecox, the primers were synthesized, based on the conserved nucleotide sequence of other reported plant G6PDH genes. The specific primers were designed according to the major fragment. The full length cDNA of the G6PDH1 gene was isolated by the 3' and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends approach. Transcript levels of G6PDH1 isoform was measured by real-time quantitative RT-PCR in different tissues and in responds to cold treatment. The G6PDH1 subcellular localization, transmembrane domain, three-dimensional structure, and phylogenetic analysis were predicted by different software to analysis the bioinformatics of G6PDH1 protein. The G6PDH1 cDNA sequence was 2 011 bp in length and consisted of 1 551 bp Open Reading Frame (ORF) , encoding a protein of 516 amino acids. Expression analysis results in different tissues showed that G6PDH1 was primarily observed in flowers and roots, as opposed to the leaves and stems. Cold treatment experiments indicated that cold treatment caused a rapid increase in G6PDH1 expression in flowers within 12 h. The full-length cDNA of G6PDH1 and its expression analysis will play an important role for further study on cold stress responses in Ch. praecox.
Calycanthaceae ; chemistry ; classification ; enzymology ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; Enzyme Stability ; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Models, Molecular ; Open Reading Frames ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism

To observe the effects of total flavones of Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu et Cheng (TFM) on volume-overload cardiac hypertrophy and the expression of c-Fos protein in rat. Methods　Volume-overload cardiac hypertrophy of rat was induced by aortocaval shunts. The rats were given ig TFM (400, 40 and 4 mg/kg/d). c-Fos protein in the ventricles were measured by immunocytochemical study. Results　TFM at the above dosage decreased heart weight and contents of RNA and protein in the myocardium, inhibited the expression of c-Fos protein in the ventricles. Conclusion　TFM can prevent volume-overload cardiac hypertrophy in rats. The inhibitory effects on the expression of c-Fos protein may be its mechanism in the molecular level.

OBJECTIVETo construct a lentiviral vector of repressor element-1/neuron-restrictive silencer element (RE-1/NRSE) double-stranded RNA (dsRNA).

METHODSThe RE-1/NRSE cDNA containing both sense and antisense oligo DNA fragments of the targeting sequence was synthesized and cloned into the pGC-LV vector. The obtained lentiviral vector containing RE-1/NRSE dsRNA was confirmed by PCR and sequencing. A total of 293T cells were cotransfected with lentiviral vector of L-smNRSE/RE-1, pHelper 1.0, and pHelper 2.0. The titer of virus was measured based on the expression level of green fluorescent protein. The transfection efficiency of green fluorescent protein into rat mesenchymal stem cells was calculated.

RESULTSPCR and DNA sequencing demonstrated that the constructed lentivirus vector of L-smNRSE/RE-1 produced RE-1/NRSE dsRNA.The titer of the concentrated virus was 4x108 TU/m1. The virus was stably transfected into rat mesenchymal stem cells, and the infection efficiency reached 100% when the multiplicity of infection was 80.

CONCLUSIONThe lentivirus vector of RE-1/NRSE dsRNA is successfully constructed.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; Cells, Cultured ; Genetic Vectors ; Lentivirus ; genetics ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Plasmids ; genetics ; RNA, Double-Stranded ; genetics ; Rats ; Repressor Proteins ; genetics ; Silencer Elements, Transcriptional ; genetics ; Transfection

Objective To evaluate the effect of the Parasep? feces centrifuge tube method on detecting schistosome eggs. Methods A total of 803 residents aged from 6-65 years were selected in 2 schistosomiasis endemic villages Jiangling Coun-ty Hubei Province and their stool samples were collected and detected parallelly by the Kato-Katz technique nylon silk egg hatching method and Parasep? feces centrifuge tube method at the same time. Results Among the 803 people 15 cases were found of schistosome egg positive and the positive rate was 1.87%. The positive rates of the Kato-Katz technique nylon silk egg hatching method and Parasep? feces centrifuge tube method were 0.75% 1.49% and 1.12% respectively. The schistosome eggs got with the Parasep? feces centrifuge tube method were clear and easy to identify. Conclusion In low endemic areas of schistosomiasis the Parasep? feces centrifuge tube method can be used as schistosomiasis japonica etiology diagnosis method.

Objective To study the distribution of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) variants and their clinical significance in Han women with Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN). Methods Randomly making a collection of DNA samples of cervical cells from 77 Han out-patients infected with HPV16, PCR amplification of HPV16 DNA fragments containing E6 and E7 genes and sequenced. To study the HPV16 variants types in these out-patients and explore the relationship between the HPV16 variants and CIN by comparing the E6 genes sequenced with the reference strains downloaded from the GenBank. Results Among 77 patients, the minimum age is 21 years old, the maximum age is 56 years old, and the average age is 36.39±6.86 years old. 61 patients (accounting for 79.2% ) were diagnosed as CIN Ⅱ and higher grade lesions while 16 patients (accounting for 20.8% ) as CIN Ⅰ. In this research, only European variant and Asian variant were found by Parsimony analyses of the sequences. There are 38 Asian variants and 39 European variants. With χ~2 test, χ~2=0.0034, P=0.9535 > 0.05, it suggested that there was no enough evidence to support Asian- and European- variants had the different risk in the cause of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer. Conclusion It was not found Asian- and European- variants of HPV16 had different effect on the cervical cancer, but found only two major variants-Asian- and European-variants in Han people in this research. So we have reason to speculate that there are two major HPV16 variants(Asian- and European- variants) in China's Han women, while other variants, especially high cancer-causing Asian/American variant are not common.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the human papillomavirus (HPV) and esophageal carcinoma in Baoding City of Hebei Province. Methods We detected HPV DNA in 42 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues from surgically resected esophageal carcinomas from Baoding City of Hebei Province, by PCR with the general primer set of GP5 +/6 + for HPV L1 gene and type-specific primer sets for HPV16 and 18 as well. Results 37 from 42 esophageal carcinoma samples were HPV positive and the rate was 88.1% . Among the samples detected, 19 were HPV16 E6 positive and rate was 45.2%, eight were HPV18 E6 positive and rate was 19.0%. Conclusion The high rate of HPV in the esophageal carcinoma samples suggested that HPV plays an etiologic role in the development of esophageal cancer in Baoding City of Hebei Province.