Background: Research of pH and specific gravity of urine in healhty children is nessecary in order to evaluate urine in children with neurology. Objectives:This study aims to estimate pH and specific gravity in healthy children aged from 2 months to 6 years old. Subjects and method: 3724 healthy children ( boy: 52,6% and girl: 47.4%) aged from 2 months to 6 years old located in 3 districts: Kien Thuy, Thuy Nguyen, Kien An of Hai Phong were enrolled in the descriptive and cross-sectional study using urianalysis of midstream urine samples in the morning by analyzer Model 101-Teco from USA. The data was collected and analysed bysocial statistic SPSS software. Results: - pH mean in boys was 5.38\xb10.62, in girls: 5.40\xb10.61, and both sexes: 5.39\xb10.62. In general, urine pH decreased according to age groups but there were no sex differences significantly. - Specific gravity mean of healthy boys was 1.018\xb10.007, of girls: 1.018\xb10.006 and both sexes: 1.018\xb10.007. Conclusion: In general, specific gravity increased according to age groups but no sex differences may significantly be found.
Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase/ analysis ; Child

The present study was designed to measure the activity of purine nucleosiae phosphorylase(PNPase) in sera and lymphocytes af peripheral blood from patients with allergie contact dermstitis and drug eruption since PNPase activities are known to be decreased in cell-mediated immune deficieney diseases. The PNPase activities in sera and lymphocytes of normal subjects were (7.2 +1.05) * 105 unit/L of sera and (1.85+0.38) unit/102 lymphocytes, respectively. In allergic contact dermatitis, the PNPase activities in sera and lymphocytes of patients were (3.9+0.78) *105 unit/L of aera and (0.69+0.23) uoit/102 lymphocyteis, which were signifieantly lower than those of normal subjects. There were no differences in PNPase activities of sera and lymphocytes between drug eruption patients and normal subjects. From these results, it is suggested that the lowered PNPase aetivity in allergie contact dermatitis might be associated with abnormal lymphocytes differentiation or activation or some other unknown mechanism, since lowered PNPase activity in allergic contact dermatitis is in contrast to the generally accepted concept that enhanced status of CMI in ACD will lead to the increase in PWPase activity.
Dermatitis, Allergic Contact* ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Drug Eruptions* ; Humans ; Lymphocytes* ; Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase*

The present study was designed to measure the activity of purine nucleoside phosphorylalse (PNPase) in sera, erythrocytes and lymphocytes of blood from patients with various dermatoses as it's activities are known to be decreased in cell-mediated immune deficiency diseases. The PNPase activities in sera, erythrocytes and lymphocytes of normal subjects were (3. 9+1. 03) x 104 unit/L, 5.04+1. 06 unit/107rbc, l. 74+0. 35 unit/103 lymphocytes respectively. In urticaria, leukocytoclastic vasculitis and purpura, there were no differences in PNPase antivities between patients groups and normal subjects. In atopic dermatitis, there were no differences in PNPase activities of sera and erythrocytes between patients group and normal subjects. But, lymphocyte PNPase activities of atopic patients were lowered than those of normal subjects(1.41 +0. 52 unit/10 lymphocytes). In tuberculoid leprosy, there were no differences in lymphocyte PNPase activities between patients group and normal subjects. But, the PNPase activities in sera and erythrocytes of patients group were lowered than those of normal subjects (3. 20. 76) x 104 unit/L, 3. 8n+1.96 unit/107rbc). The PNPase activities in sera((l. 87+/-0. 62) x 104 unit/L), erythrocytes(2. 08+0. 98 unit/107rbc) and lymphocytes (0.51+0. 26 unit/103 lymphocytes) of lepromatous leprosy patients were significantly lowered than those of normal subjects.
Deficiency Diseases ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Erythrocytes* ; Humans ; Leprosy, Lepromatous ; Leprosy, Tuberculoid ; Lymphocytes* ; Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase* ; Purpura ; Skin Diseases* ; Urticaria ; Vasculitis

BACKGROUNDPancreatic cancer is one of the most common tumors and has a 5-year survival for all stages of less than 5%. Most patients with pancreatic cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage and therefore are not candidates for surgical resection. In recent years, investigation into alternative treatment strategies for this aggressive disease has led to advances in the field of gene therapy for pancreatic cancer. E. coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase/6-methylpurine deoxyribose (ePNP/MePdR) is a suicide gene/prodrug system where PNP enzyme cleaves nontoxic MePdR into cytotoxic membrane-permeable compounds 6-methylpurine (MeP) with high bystander activity. hTERT is expressed in cell lines and tissues for telomerase activity. In this study we examined the efficacy of ePNP under the control of hTERT promoter sequences and assessed the selective killing effects of the ePNP/prodrug MePdR system on pancreatic tumors.

METHODSRecombinant pET-PNP was established. The protein of E. coli PNPase was expressed and an antibody to E. coli PNPase was prepared. Transcriptional activities of hTERT promoter sequences were analyzed using a luciferase reporter gene. A recombinant phTERT-ePNP vector was constructed. The ePNP/MePdR system affects SW1990 human pancreatic cancer cell lines in vitro.

RESULTSThe hTERT promoter had high transcriptional activity and conferred specificity on cancer cell lines. The antibody to E. coli PNPase was demonstrated to be specific for the ePNP protein. The MePdR treatment induced a high in vitro cytotoxicity on the sole hTERT-ePNP-producing cell lines and affected SW1990 cells in a dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONSThe hTERT promoter control of the ePNP/MePdR system can provide a beneficial anti-tumor treatment in pancreatic cancer cell lines including a good bystander killing effect.

Cell Line, Tumor ; Escherichia coli ; enzymology ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; therapy ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Purine Nucleosides ; therapeutic use ; Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase ; genetics ; Telomerase ; genetics