Puerarin (PUE), as an isoflavone component, has a wide range of pharmacological activities, while its poorly aqueous solubility limits the development of solid oral dosage forms. In this study, PUE along with nicotinamide (NIC) were prepared into the coamorphous system by solvent-evaporation method and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). In addition, its dissolution behavior and solubilization mechanism were also investigated. PUE-NIC coamorphous was a single homogeneous binary system, with a single glass transition temperature at 35.1 ℃. In comparison to crystalline PUE, during the dissolution process, coamorphous PUE-NIC not only exhibited the "liquid-liquid phase separation" (LLPS) phenomenon, but the formation of A_p type complexation (1∶1 and 1∶2) between PUE and NIC molecules was also verified, which significantly improved the solubility of PUE and prolonged the supersaturation time, and would benefit its absorption.

Objective:To study the expression of IL-21/BCL-6/Blimp-1 in CE patients and discusse the mechanism of the pathogenesis of the echinococcosis.Methods:27 patients and 30 health persons were collected from the first affiliated hospital of Xinjiang medical university in the same period.IL-21 was detected by ELISA and the expression of IL-21/BCL-6 /Blimp-1 mRNA was detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) in CE patients.At the same time,17 patients were followed up in the group of patients,and the expression of IL-21/BCL-6/Blimp-1 was detected before and after treatment.Results:(1) The results of PCR showed that the levels of IL-21/BCL-6 mRNA were significantly increased in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the CE patients compared with the healthy control group (P<0.05).The expression of IL-21/BCL-6 /Blimp-1 mRNA in patients before the treatment was higher than that of patients after treatment(P<0.05).(2)The level of IL-21 in peripheral blood of CE patients was sig-nificantly higher than that in the healthy control group and basically returned to normal after the cure (P<0.05).IL-21 was positively correlated with BCL-6(r=0.733, P<0.01).Conclusion:BCL-6 and Blimp-1 May promote the human immune system to resist parasitic infection in the course of the development of the disease.IL-21, BCL-6 and Blimp-1 are significantly reduced after effective treatment,indicating that these factors are involved in the immune mechanism of the development of the disease.

OBJECTIVETo study the potential risk factors of human infecting with Streptococcus suis.

METHODS1: M matched case-control study was conducted. 29 human cases of Streptococcus suis infection in the early phase were included in the case group, Patients' family members, neighbors and peoples who had worked together with patients to handle deceased or sick pigs in the last week were recruited as matched controls. There were 147 controls in total. Both cases and controls received questionnaire investigation including the ways to contact sick/dead pigs. Conditional logistic regression was employed to analyze matching data.

RESULTSAccording to the results of multivariate analysis, slaughtering (OR = 11.978, 95% CI: 3.355-42.756), carcasses cutting and processing (OR = 3.008, 95% CI: 1.022-8.849) sick/dead pigs were associated with cases related to human Streptococcus suis infection. The attributable risk proportion were 91.65% and 66.76% respectively. The other types of exposures to sick/ dead pigs, including feeding, selling, burying and eating, were not associated with the human Streptococcus suis infection in our study population.

CONCLUSIONSlaughtering, carcasses cutting and processing sick/dead pigs were important risky behavior for humans to be infected by Streptococcus suis.

Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; statistics & numerical data ; Risk Factors ; Streptococcal Infections ; epidemiology ; etiology ; microbiology ; Streptococcus suis ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo describe the clinical and epidemiological features of dead cases with human Streptococcus suis infections, and to find the target population for preventing death and the related indicators.

METHODSEpidemiological investigation on human Streptococcus suis infections was implemented used unified questionnaires. Analysis on dead cases and survival cases (as contrast) was done.

RESULTSThe population with highest fatality rate was in 40-49 age group. 97.37% of dead cases had toxic shock syndrome. The mean interval from onset to admission was 0.76 days, and the mean course was 2.11 days. The progression among dead cases was faster than that among survival cases. Chief clinical manifestations of dead cases that are more frequent than survival cases are purpura (73.68%), diarrhea (50.0%), dyspnea (21.05%), conjunctival congestion (34.21%), etc. Renal impairment and liver involvement in dead cases were more significant than that in survival cases. No significant difference between mean incubation period, exposure rates of main risk factors in dead cases and in survival cases was found.

CONCLUSIONPreventing toxic shock syndrome might reduce the fatality rate. The target population for preventing death is aged > or = 40. Liver function and renal function testing might be indicators for monitoring the progression of human Streptococcus suis infections.

Adult ; Aged ; China ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Streptococcal Infections ; blood ; microbiology ; mortality ; pathology ; Streptococcus suis ; physiology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVEIn mid-July 2005, five patients presented with septic shock to a hospital in Ziyang city in Sichuan, China, to identify the etiology of the unknown reason disease, an epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory study were conducted.

METHODSAn enhanced surveillance program were established in Sichuan, the following activities were introduced: active case finding in Sichuan of (a) laboratory diagnosed Streptococcus suis infection and (b) clinically diagnosed probable cases with exposure history; supplemented by (c) monitoring reports on meningococcal meningitis. Streptococcus suis serotype 2 infection was confirmed by culture and biochemical reactions, followed by sequencing for specific genes for serotype and virulence factors.

RESULTSFrom June 10 to August 21, 2005, 68 laboratory confirmed cases of human Streptococcus suis infections were reported. All were villagers who gave a history of direct exposure to deceased or sick pigs in their backyards where slaughtering was performed. Twenty six (38%) presented with toxic shock syndrome of which 15 (58%) died. Other presentations were septicaemia or meningitis. All isolates were tested positive for genes for tuf, species-specific 16S rRNA, cps2J, mrp, ef and sly. There were 136 clinically diagnosed probable cases with similar exposure history but incomplete laboratory investigations.

CONCLUSIONAn outbreak of human Streptococcus suis serotype 2 infections occurred in villagers after direct exposure to deceased or sick pigs in Sichuan. Prohibition of slaughtering in backyards brought the outbreak to a halt. A virulent strain of the bacteria is speculated to be in circulation, and is responsible for the unusual presentation of toxic shock syndrome with high case fatality.

Animals ; Bacteremia ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Disease Outbreaks ; Humans ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Shock, Septic ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Streptococcal Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; veterinary ; Streptococcus suis ; isolation & purification ; Swine ; Swine Diseases ; microbiology

ObjectivecircRNAs play an important role in tumor development, but the relationship between circRNAs and hepatocellular carcinoma remains to be further explored. The present study aimed to bioinformatically analyze the target gene of microRNA-1. Another aim was to screen circRNAs that are associated with target genes and differentially expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, as well as provide theoretical basis for clinical screening of molecular markers and targeted therapies related to hepatocellular carcinoma.MethodsThe miRNA related database used for the prediction of microRNA-1 target genes, and the bioinformatic analysis of the target genes of microRNA-1 involved functional enrichment analysis and signal transduction pathway enrichment. Then, the circRNAs, which are related to the downstream target genes of microRNA-1, are screened through the circRNA database.ResultsThe number of microRNA-1 target genes was 230 in miRNA related database. Through GO analysis, it was found that the target genes of microRNA-1 had a strong tendency in regulation, and were mainly enriched in three aspects: biological function, biological process and cell localization.The target genes of microRNA-1 are involved in the function of proteins, regulation of biosynthesis, cofactor binding, enzyme regulation and other biological processes. Predicted target genes of miRNA-1 were significantly enriched in cancer signaling pathways, hepatitis B occurrence, endocytosis and splicing pathways. Further, 21 circRNAs related to the target gene of microRNA-1 were found in three circRNA databases, wherein hsa_circ_0004651 was highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 and its pavent gene was hnRNPD.ConclusionMicroRNA-1 influence the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma development through the regulation of protein and enzyme. Hsa_circ_0004651 may affect the development of hepatocellular carcinoma with microRNA-1 and its parental gene hnRNPD.

By using the drug metabolizing enzyme inhibitors, the effects of metabolic factors on potential liver injury induced by the main component, trans-2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside(trans-SG), in Polygonum multiflorum was investigated. The main metabolic enzyme isoforms involved in trans-SG metabolism were also screened. The results showed that trans-SG at the dosage 31 mg·kg^-1 did not cause liver injury; and the combination of trans-SG with the phase I metabolic enzyme inhibitor, 1-benzylimidazole (10 mg·kg^-1), did not change the degree of liver injury(compared with LPS + trans-SG group, P > 0.05). However, the combination of trans-SG with phase II metabolic enzyme inhibitor, ketoconazole(35 mg·kg^-1), significantly increased the degree of liver injury(compared with LPS + trans-SG group, P < 0.05). The phase I metabolites of trans-SG were not detected in human liver microsomes phase I metabolism system, while the phase II trans-SG metabolites were detected in recombinant human UGT isozymes phase II metabolism system. Six isoforms of uridine diphosphate glucuronate transferase(UGT)exhibited abilities to metabolize trans-SG and the order of metabolic ability was: UGT1A1 > UGT1A9 > UGT1A7 > UGT1A10 > UGT2B7 > UGT1A8. The results showed that trans-SG was mainly metabolized by UGT in phase II metabolism. The inhibition of drug metabolizing enzymes of phase II can increase the liver injury susceptibility of trans-SG, which provides a reference to the evaluation of susceptible factors and drug incompatibility research of Polygonum multiflorum.

Objective: To assess the level and trend of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) antibody among healthy population in Beijing in 2017, after the five-year implementation of the two doses varicella vaccination strategy in 2012, and to provide evidence for scientific evaluation of immunization strategy. Methods: A total of 2 144 subjects in ten age groups from 8 districts of Beijing city were recruited in this study using cross-sectional survey based on multi-stage cluster random sampling method. Serum samples were collected and VZV antibody was detected by ELISA. The influencing factors of antibody concentration and positive rate were analyzed and compared with the study in 2012. The antibody concentration and antibody positive rate were analyzed by nonparametric test and χ² test respectively. Results: The ratio of subjects with registered residence in Beijing city to other provinces was 1∶1. The ratio of male to female was 1∶1.08. The median concentration of VZV antibody was 341.4 (78.6, 1 497.8) mIU/ml, and the total antibody positive rate was 71.1% (1 524/2 144). There were significant differences in antibody positive rate (χ²=736.39, P<0.01) and antibody concentration (χ²=740.34, P<0.01) among different age groups. The antibody positive rate generally increased with age (χ²_trend=7.32, P_trend<0.01). Among 862 children under 14 years old, the antibody positive rate of two doses vaccination 72.8% (182/250) was significantly higher than that of one dose vaccination 51.9% (154/297) (χ²=25.14, P<0.01). There was significant difference between 1-4 years old group (χ²=11.71, P<0.01) and 10-14 years old group (χ²=5.95, P=0.02), but not in 5-9 years old group (χ²=3.00, P=0.07). Compared with the study in 2012, the antibody positive rate increased in 5-9 years old group (χ²=14.35, P<0.01) and decreased in 1-4 years old group (χ²=11.51, P=0.01) in 2017. Conclusion: The recommended varicella booster vaccination has significantly improved the VZV antibody level of children in Beijing city. In the future, it is necessary to explore a more optimized two doses varicella vaccination schedule for children in combination with epidemiological evidence.
Adolescent ; Antibodies, Viral ; Chickenpox/prevention & control* ; Chickenpox Vaccine ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Herpesvirus 3, Human ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Vaccination

Objective: To analyze the clinical epidemiological characteristics including composition of pathogens , clinical characteristics, and disease prognosis acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in Chinese children. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical and laboratory data of 1 610 children <15 years of age with ABM in 33 tertiary hospitals in China from January 2019 to December 2020. Patients were divided into different groups according to age,<28 days group, 28 days to <3 months group, 3 months to <1 year group, 1-<5 years of age group, 5-<15 years of age group; etiology confirmed group and clinically diagnosed group according to etiology diagnosis. Non-numeric variables were analyzed with the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, while non-normal distrituction numeric variables were compared with nonparametric test. Results: Among 1 610 children with ABM, 955 were male and 650 were female (5 cases were not provided with gender information), and the age of onset was 1.5 (0.5, 5.5) months. There were 588 cases age from <28 days, 462 cases age from 28 days to <3 months, 302 cases age from 3 months to <1 year of age group, 156 cases in the 1-<5 years of age and 101 cases in the 5-<15 years of age. The detection rates were 38.8% (95/245) and 31.5% (70/222) of Escherichia coli and 27.8% (68/245) and 35.1% (78/222) of Streptococcus agalactiae in infants younger than 28 days of age and 28 days to 3 months of age; the detection rates of Streptococcus pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae were 34.3% (61/178), 14.0% (25/178) and 13.5% (24/178) in the 3 months of age to <1 year of age group; the dominant pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae and the detection rate were 67.9% (74/109) and 44.4% (16/36) in the 1-<5 years of age and 5-<15 years of age . There were 9.7% (19/195) strains of Escherichia coli producing ultra-broad-spectrum β-lactamases. The positive rates of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and blood culture were 32.2% (515/1 598) and 25.0% (400/1 598), while 38.2% (126/330)and 25.3% (21/83) in CSF metagenomics next generation sequencing and Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen detection. There were 4.3% (32/790) cases of which CSF white blood cell counts were normal in etiology confirmed group. Among 1 610 children with ABM, main intracranial imaging complications were subdural effusion and (or) empyema in 349 cases (21.7%), hydrocephalus in 233 cases (14.5%), brain abscess in 178 cases (11.1%), and other cerebrovascular diseases, including encephalomalacia, cerebral infarction, and encephalatrophy, in 174 cases (10.8%). Among the 166 cases (10.3%) with unfavorable outcome, 32 cases (2.0%) died among whom 24 cases died before 1 year of age, and 37 cases (2.3%) had recurrence among whom 25 cases had recurrence within 3 weeks. The incidences of subdural effusion and (or) empyema, brain abscess and ependymitis in the etiology confirmed group were significantly higher than those in the clinically diagnosed group (26.2% (207/790) vs. 17.3% (142/820), 13.0% (103/790) vs. 9.1% (75/820), 4.6% (36/790) vs. 2.7% (22/820), χ²=18.71, 6.20, 4.07, all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the unfavorable outcomes, mortility, and recurrence between these 2 groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The onset age of ABM in children is usually within 1 year of age, especially <3 months. The common pathogens in infants <3 months of age are Escherichia coli and Streptococcus agalactiae, and the dominant pathogen in infant ≥3 months is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Subdural effusion and (or) empyema and hydrocephalus are common complications. ABM should not be excluded even if CSF white blood cell counts is within normal range. Standardized bacteriological examination should be paid more attention to increase the pathogenic detection rate. Non-culture CSF detection methods may facilitate the pathogenic diagnosis.
Adolescent ; Brain Abscess ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Escherichia coli ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Streptococcus agalactiae ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Subdural Effusion ; beta-Lactamases