BACKGROUND: There is no accepted treatment for liver fibrosis recently. Bone marrow meaenchymal stern cells (BMSCs) used in the treatment of liver fibrosis has been reported as an effectively treatment, but the mechanism is unclear.OBJECTIVE: To study the regulation of hepatic stellate cells mediated by human BMSCs in vitro.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: The cytological in vitro study was performed at the Center for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering of Sun Yat-sen University and the Central Laboratory of Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from June to December 2008.MATERIALS: Human bone marrow masenchymal stem cells were collected from normal youth volunteers; Human hepatic stellate cells and normal liver call line L-O2 were supplied by the Animal Experimental Center of Sun Yat-sen University.METHODS: The purified human BMSCs and hepatic stellate calls were set up in Transwell co-culture system. The incubation density was 2×104cells/well. L-O2 was set up instead of human BMSCs as negative control. Hepatic stellate cells cultured alone served as blank control group. The culture was performed for 72 hours.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Morphology of hepatic stellate cells and results of immunocytochemical staining. Apoptosis of hepatic stellte calls was determined by flow cytometry. Western blot were used to assay the expression of α-actin.RESULTS: Activated hepatic stellate cells presented fiat and thin shape under an inverted microscope. Fat drop was lack in cytoplasm, a -actin located in hepatic stellate calls, with the presence of high tension fibers. Compared with the L-O2 + hepatic stellate cell and hepatic stellate call groups, the apoptotic rate of hepatic stellate cells was significantly increased in the BMSC + hepatic stellate cell group (P < 0.05). α -actin expression was significantly down-regulated.CONCLUSION: Human BMSCs can inhibit activation of hepatic stellate ceils and promote them apoptosis, which may be the anti-hepatic fibrosis mechanism of BMSCs.

Objective To evaluate the effect of combination splenectomy and endoscopic varices ligation in comparison with Hassab procedure in the treatment of portal hypertension. A prospective, controlled study was carried out on Splenectomy with EVL in comparision with portoazygous disconnection--the Hassab procedure to assess whether SEVL can achieve better results in the treatment of portal hypertension. Methods From Jan 1999 to June 2002, 103 cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension were admitted. These patients were randomized into two groups. Group A were treated by splenectomy combined with EVL(53 cases) , and group B were treated with Hassab procedure(50 cases). Results In both groups, there was a significant postoperative decrease in free portal pressure, the velocity and volume of portal flow (all P0.05). Portal vein thrombosis developed in 7 cases (13%) in group A, and in 14 cases (28%) in group B, P

Third-grade class A hospitals undertake three tasks-medical service,scientific research and teaching.scientific research is the motivation for third-grade class A hospitals' continuous development and also an important symbol of their medical and academic level.On the purpose of evaluating overall scientific level of such hospitals this thesis analyze the scientific projects and the outcomes of 34 hospitals by using the method of literature research and questionnaire,extracting advantages for scientific research,seeking their problems and coming up with corresponding strategy.have analyzed the achievements we acquired as well as the problems still existing.According to the reality of Fujian Province,some suggestions are coming up with so as to improve the scientific research.

Objective To find out the importance of human bocavirus (HBoV) as an infectious agent for population in Beijing, China. Seroprevalence study was conducted by using expressed recombinant major capsid VP2 protein as an antigen.Methods Serum specimens collected from infants and children who visited the Children's Hospital Affiliated to the Capital Institute of Pediatrics for health check-up and adults visiting the Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing for diseases other than respiratory infections from April 1996 to March 1997 were used for the investigation. The major capsid protein VP2 from HBoV was expressed in E. coli strain BL21 (DE3) with the transformed PET30b vector inserted with full-length VP2 gene of HBoV and the specific antigenicity of this expressed protein was validated by previous study. Western blotting was used to detect specific IgG antibody against HBoV in collected serum specimens diluted to 1:200. Mock expressed protein was E. coli cells strain BL21 (DE3) with the transformed PET30b vector without insert. Anti-His monoclonal antibody and rabbit anti-HBoV VP2 polypeptides hyper-immune serum were used as positive control for antibody detection.Results Out of 677 serum specimens tested, 400 (59.1% ) were positive for HBoV by Western blotting. About 45.3% (34/75) of the newborns under 1 month of age had anti-HBoV antibodies, and antibody positive rates were decreased in age groups of 1 and 2 months (41.4% and 31.3%, respectively) then increased in the following ages from 6 months to 7 years old ( from 45.6% to 69.7% ). The antibody positive rates were maintained at a relatively constant level ( about 70% ) in the age groups from 7 years to 40 years of age and became lower ( 61.8% - 62. 8% ) in those over 50 years.Conclusions The high seroprevalence of antibody against recombinant HBoV VP2 protein and early age antibody acquisition indicate that HBoV has been circulating in population of Beijing, China as early as in 1996 and most of children had been exposed to HBoV by the age of 7 years. Infants under the age of 6 months were susceptible to this virus.

BACKGROUND:Previous studies have confirmed that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vitro can promote hepatic stel ate cellapoptosis and inhibit its activity, in which the mechanism of action remains unknown. OBJECTIVE:To screen out apoptosis-related genes during hepatic stel ate cellapoptosis regulated by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells using gene chip technology. METHODS:Purified human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were seeded in 6-wel Transwel plate and cocultured with hepatic stel ate cells. Cultured human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells alone served as control group, and cultured for 72 hours. The alterations in apoptosis-related genes were analyzed between culture alone group and coculture group using gene chip technology. The genes strongly associated with regulation of hepatic stel ate cells were selected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:By the functional classification of second-generation SABiosciences Gene chips, apoptotic gene screening found that after coculture, significantly upregulated genes in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells contained:AKT1, PIK3R2, DAPK1, DHCR24, NOTCH2 and BDNF. Combined with previous findings, we hypothesized that NOTCH may play a key role in the regulation of hepatic stel ate cells by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

OBJECTIVESTo develop techniques which can be used to detect genetic material of measles virus from clinical samples to make diagnosis and differentiate atypical measles from other exanthematous infections early in clinical course.

METHODSA nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was developed to amplify gene fragment with the size of 301 bps from N gene of measles virus in throat swabs and urine samples collected from infants and children who were suspected measles cases. Before the test was used for clinical samples, preliminary tests were performed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the test. The sensitivity of the test was determined by plaque assay using measles virus strain Edmonton and the specificity of the test was determined by cross-reaction with rubella virus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A and B viruses, enterovirus, adenovirus, human cytomegalovirus (hCMV), EB virus, and herpes simplex virus I. Serum specific IgM antibody against measles virus was also tested by ELISA.

RESULTSMeasles virus with the titer of 0.53 pfu could be detected by using the nested RT-PCR developed in this study. No amplification was found with the nested RT-PCR when rubella virus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A and B virus, enterovirus, adenovirus, hCMV, EB virus, and herpes simplex virus I were used as templates. Out of 116 throat swabs collected from suspected measles cases, 70 (60.3%) were measles RNA positive. For urine samples, 48 out of 74 (64.9%) were positive. Both throat swab and urine samples were collected simultaneously from 73 patients. Among those, 71 (97.3%) showed consistent results. Serum specimens were collected from 110 suspected patients. Among those, 65 (59.1%) and 61 (55.5%) were measles virus specific IgM antibody positive detected with ELISA kits from two different sources, respectively. Out of 110 sera samples, 106 (96.4%) showed consistent results. The consistency of the gene amplification and specific IgM antibody detection was 80.8% as shown by 84 out of 104 patients from whom throat swab and sera were collected at the same time.

CONCLUSIONThe data indicate that the nested RT-PCR developed in this study is sensitive and specific for detection of gene fragment of measles virus from clinical samples. The test is superior to the commonly used specific IgM antibody detection because of identifying gene material in early clinical stage, and even single clinical sample can be tested.

Humans ; Measles ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Measles virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; RNA, Viral ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo characterize the HA1 regions of hemagglutinin gene of influenza viruses (H3N2) isolated from children in Beijing from 1998 - 2004.

METHODSThe HA1 regions of hemagglutinin gene were amplified by RT-PCR from the viruses isolated and identified as A3 (H3N2) from clinical samples collected from infants and children during the peak seasons of influenza between 1998 and 2004. PCR products were sequenced or cloned into T-A vector and were analyzed after being sequenced.

RESULTSThe HA1 regions of hemagglutinin genes amplified from those isolates were 987 bp in length, encoding a protein of 329 amino acids in length. The identities of nucleotides and amino acids among these H3N2 isolates in Beijing and vaccines strains from 1998 - 2004 were 95.5% - 100.0% and 93.0% - 100.0%, respectively. The homology of the HA1 regions were related to the date of virus isolation, meaning the homology was higher among those strains isolated in nearer dates than others. Seven potential N-linked glycosylation sites in the HA1 regions located at amino acid positions 8, 22, 38, 63, 126, 165 and 285 were conserved in all the viruses analyzed. Two sites at 122 and 133 were inserted in those virus isolated after 1997, and another site at 144 appeared in those isolated after 1999. More amino acid substitutions located in the five putative antigenic sites or receptor binding sites were found more in the isolates than the isolates from previous year. Phylogenetic analysis showed new branches appeared continuously during 1998 - 2004. The strains isolated during winter in 2004 belonged to different branches, suggesting the appearance of new variants.

CONCLUSIONAmino acid substitutions continuously occurred in the HA1 regions of hemagglutinin genes in influenza virus (H3N2) isolated from children in Beijing from 1998 - 2004, which might have resulted in antigenic drift and led to the appearance of new variants.

Amino Acid Substitution ; China ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; Gene Amplification ; Hemagglutinins ; genetics ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype ; genetics ; Influenza, Human ; virology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association of MK2 gene with low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-Α) between different gender in Xinjiang Uygur population.

METHODSA total of 350 Uygur males and 595 females were recruited randomly from Hetian area. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (44890c/t, rs 45514798) in MK2 gene were selected and genotyped by Taqman-PCR in these subjects. All subjects underwent questionnaire-based survey, physical examination, measurement of lipid profiles and plasma TNF-Α determination.

RESULTSAmong the male subjects, the concentration of total cholesterol (TC) [TT vs. CT vs. CC: (4.35±1.20) mmol/L vs. (4.69±1.34) mmol/L vs. (4.83±1.44) mmol/L, P=0.033]and TNF-Α [TT vs.CT vs.CC: (106.63±62.39) ng/dL vs. (128.44±86.15) ng/dL vs. (153.06±82.99) ng/dL, P=0.001]were significantly different in 3 genotypes of 44890c/t. However, the LDL-C levels in TT, CT, and CC genotypes of 44890c/t were not different neither in males nor in females [males: (2.64±1.16) mmol/L vs. (2.81±1.28) mmol/L vs. (3.04±1.32) mmol/L, P>0.05; females: (2.42±1.11) mmol/L vs. (2.36±0.99) mmol/L vs. (2.43±1.05) mmol/L, P>0.05]. None of the allele and genotype frequencies of 44890c/tand rs 45514798 were different between high LDL-C group and control group. Linear regression analysis indicated that body mass index (BMI) (beta=0.089) and TNF-Α (beta=0.092) were significantly associated with LDL-C levels in males (P<0.05), while the age, BMI, and waist/hip ratio with LDL-C levels in females (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe nucleotide polymorphisms (44890c/t and rs 45514798) in MK2 gene may not be associated with LDL-C in both males and females in the Uygur population in Hetian, Xinjiang.

Adult ; Aged ; China ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Minority Groups ; statistics & numerical data ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; genetics ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is associated with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) in all age groups. However, there is limited information of genetic analysis of hMPV circulating in Beijing. To learn the characteristics of structural protein genes of human metapneumovirus circulating in children in Beijing, sequence analysis of matrix (M), small hydrophobic (SH) and attachment (G) proteins of hMPV from 2006 to 2010 was performed. Phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences of 42 full length M genes, 49 SH gene and 55 G gene revealed that the hMPVs from pediatric patients were divided into sub-genotypes A2, B1 and B. There were highly conserved identities among M gene, with 7 conserved mutations of amino acids between A and B genotypes which were fairly conserved in the same genotype A or B. The amino acid identities of SH were 60.7% to 64.4% between different genotypes, 93.3% - 100% among same sub-genotype and 84.7% - 88.7% between different sub-genotypes. Use of alternative transcription-termination codon, nucleotide deletion and insertion resulted in variable length of nucleotide and deduced amino acid of G protein. Amino acid identities within same genotype ranged from 81.5% - 100%, whereas sequence identities between two genotypes ranged from 34.0% - 38.6% at the amino acid level. A new cluster of G genes in sub-genotype B2 appeared due to the same mutations and insertion of two amino acids in G protein encoding genes amplified from specimens collected from 2008 to 2010. Prediction of antigen sites of SH and G protein indicated that the variation of antigen sites between different sub-genotypes existed.
Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Humans ; Metapneumovirus ; genetics ; Paramyxoviridae Infections ; blood ; epidemiology ; virology ; Phylogeny ; Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic ; blood ; genetics ; Viral Envelope Proteins ; blood ; genetics ; Viral Matrix Proteins ; blood ; genetics

OBJECTIVEHuman respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is the leading cause of acute upper and lower respiratory tract infections in infants and young children worldwide. Pediatric RSV disease claims more than 1 million lives annually. With the rapid development of specific anti-RSV agents and the spread of respiratory infections, RSV detection techniques with higher sensitivity, specificity and quicker performance are badly needed. This study was designed to develop a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of RSV in nasopharyngeal aspirates.

METHODS(1) The TaqMan probe and primers of real-time PCR for RSV subgroup A and subgroup B detection were designed from the conserved region in N protein encoding gene, respectively. The sensitivity of real-time PCR was evaluated by using the virus with known amount of PFU. The specificity of real-time PCR for RSV detection was assessed by cross testing 10 isolates of strains A, 10 isolates of strains B, and by testing a variety of other respiratory viruses positive samples. (2) Sixty-one stored RSV positive respiratory samples and 103 nasopharyngeal aspirates were detected by real-time PCR, virus isolation, immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and nested-PCR.

RESULTS(1) The sensitivity of the real-time PCR developed in this study for RSV subgroup A detection was 5.25 pfu, and for subgroup B was 3.75 pfu, the same as that of nested-PCR. (2) No positive results were found in cross testing of other viruses positive specimens. (3) Twenty-seven out of 30 (90%) of RSV A stored samples and 27 out of 31 (87.1%) of RSV B stored samples were positive by the real-time PCR. (4) Thirty-five (34.0%) out of the 103 specimens were found RSV positive by real-time PCR (7 of them were subgroup A and 28 subgroup B); 31 (30.1%) specimens were positive by nested-PCR (6 of them were subgroup A and 25 subgroup B); 22 (21.4%) were found positive for RSV with IFA (5 of them were subgroup A and 17 subgroup B); RSV was isolated from 9 (8.7%) specimens (6 of them were subgroup A and 3 subgroup B). All the specimens found to be negative by real-time PCR were negative by rest of the methods used in this study.

CONCLUSIONThe real time PCR method developed in this project with the TaqMan probe and primers is sensitive and specific for detecting RSV subgroup A and B in nasopharyngeal aspirates.

Child ; DNA, Complementary ; isolation & purification ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Nasopharynx ; secretion ; virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; RNA, Viral ; isolation & purification ; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections ; genetics ; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human ; genetics ; isolation & purification