OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical features and rate of natural viral clearance in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection acquired by blood transfusion from a single donor.

METHODSNinety-six patients who acquired HCV infection between January 1998 and December 2002, upon receipt of donated blood from a single infected individual in Guizhou,were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Patients were clinically assessed to determine levels of anti-HCV antibodies, HCV RNA and biochemical indicators of liver function,as well as features of liver structure (by abdominal B ultrasonography and elastography). HCV genetic testing was used to determine the virus genotype. Measurement data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Count data were analyzed by the x² test,with P less than 0.05 indicating statistical significance.

RESULTSAll 96 patients tested positive for antiHCV antibodies. The majority of patients (70%; 34:33 male:female) had HCV RNA more than or equal to 1.0 * 103 copies/ml. All patients carried the same HCV genotype as the single blood donor:genotype lb. The overall rate of natural HCV clearance was 30.2%. but males had a significantly lower rate (19.0% (8/42) vs. females:38.9% (21/54);x²=4.41,P=0.023) as did older patients (more than 40 years-old:16.1% (5/31) vs .less than or equal to 40 years-old:36.9% (24/65);x²=4.30,P=0.028). The overall rate of chronic HCV infection (CHC) was 69.8%,but the rate was significantly lower in younger patients (less than or equal to 40 years-old:63.1% (41/65) vs. more than 40 years-old:83.9% (26/31);x²=6.67,P=0.028). Among the 67 patients with CHC,12 had symptoms of mild weakness,anorexia and abdominal distention,11 had elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (116.25 +/- 24.65 U/L) and stage 3 or 4 fibrosis (liver elasticity values more than or equal to 5.1 kPa),and three had mildly abnormal serum bilirubin (32.56 ± 5.28 mumol/L). Fifteen patients showed signs of chronic hepatitis and one patient showed signs of cirrhosis by abdominal B ultrasonography. None of the patients showed signs of hepatocellular carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONThe course of blood transfusion acquired HCV infection is largely unknown and natural viral clearance rate may be associated with sex-and age-related factors.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Blood Donors ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; genetics ; physiology ; Hepatitis C ; epidemiology ; virology ; Hepatitis C Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; epidemiology ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Viral ; blood ; Remission, Spontaneous ; Retrospective Studies ; Transfusion Reaction ; Young Adult

Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hair Diseases ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; complications ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Recombinant Proteins ; therapeutic use

To investigate the efficacy of interferon alpha 2 b plus ribavirin combination therapy in sixty-two patients with chronic hepatitis c (CHC) infection originating from a single blood donor. The 62 patients who developed CHC following blood transfusion from a known single infected donor were treated with interferon and ribavirin combination therapy for 48 weeks and followed-up for 96 weeks. The therapy regimen consisted of subcutaneous administration of 3-500 MIU interferon alpha 2 b every other day and daily oral administration of 0.6-1.0 g of ribavirin. Patients were monitored during treatment and in follow-up for sustained virological response (SVR), early virology response (EVR), treatment end virology response (ETVR), biochemical response of withdrawals, and side effects. The SVR rate was 83.9% (52/62). The EVR rate was 95.2% (59/62). The ETVR rate was 87.1% (54/62). The biochemical response rate after withdrawal of treatment was 100.0%. Eight patients developed mildly abnormal thyroid function as a result of the interferon therapy, but all were able to complete the antiviral treatment regimen under the care of endocrinologists. Younger age, relatively short course of disease, low viral load, and better compliance, but not sex, were correlated to curative effect of the combination therapy. Interferon alpha 2 b plus ribavirin combination therapy had a significant curative effect on a group of 62 CHC patients originating from a single case, with 52 of the patients showing SVR out to 96 weeks after therapy. Antiviral treatment is recommended for hepatitis C virus-positive patients to eradicate the virus and prevent disease progression.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Blood Donors ; Child ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepacivirus ; drug effects ; genetics ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Viral ; blood ; Recombinant Proteins ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Ribavirin ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Transfusion Reaction ; Treatment Outcome ; Viral Load ; Young Adult

Skin aging principles play important roles in skin disease diagnosis, the evaluation of skin cosmetic effect, forensic identification and age identification in sports competition, etc. This paper proposes a new method to evaluate the skin aging objectively and quantitatively by skin texture area. Firstly, the enlarged skin image was acquired. Then, the skin texture image was segmented by using the iterative threshold method, and the skin ridge image was extracted according to the watershed algorithm. Finally, the skin ridge areas of the skin texture were extracted. The experiment data showed that the average areas of skin ridges, of both men and women, had a good correlation with age (the correlation coefficient r of male was 0.938, and the correlation coefficient r of female was 0.922), and skin texture area and age regression curve showed that the skin texture area increased with age. Therefore, it is effective to evaluate skin aging objectively by the new method presented in this paper.
Algorithms ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Skin ; Skin Aging

OBJECTIVETo study the antipyretic effect of baicalin in inhibiting yeast-induced fever in rats and the influence on inflammatory cytokine, then explore the possible mechanism of baicalin in inhibiting yeast-induced fever in rats.

METHODSRat modles of pyrexia were established by subcutaneous injection of yeast (2 g x kg(-1)); the rats of were divided into the normal control, model, baicalin high, medium and low-dose group and the effect of baicalin on the changes of the rats' temperature were observed. Dual antibody ELISA method was used to test the changes of IL-6, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha contents in in serum , hypothalamus and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). Then analyze the correlation between the inhibition ratio of temperature heighten on three different dose of baicalin and the inhibition ratio of the contents heighten on IL-6, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha.

RESULTThe high dose of baicalin significantly inhibited the yeast-induced fever of rats, and decresesed IL-6, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha contents in serum, hypothalamus and CSF. The inhibition ratio of temperature heighten of baicalin had direct correlation with the inhibition ratio of the heighten on IL-1beta content in serum, hypothalamus and CSF (r = 0.873, P < 0.05), also dose TNF-alpha (r = 0.862, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONBaicalin may have obvious antipyretic effect by decreasing the increasing contents of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in rats.

Animals ; Body Temperature ; drug effects ; Cytokines ; blood ; cerebrospinal fluid ; metabolism ; Fever ; blood ; cerebrospinal fluid ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Hypothalamus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of Huoxue Jieyu decoction (HJD) on patients with depression after craniotomy.

METHODSNinety patients were randomly divided into 2 groups according to the sequence of their consultation. The 45 patients in the treated group were treated with conventional symptomatic treatment plus oral administration of HJD, and the 38 patients in the control group were treated in the same way but with chlorimipramine (anafranil) instead of HJD. Hamilton depression (HAMD) scores before and after treatment, occurrence of adverse effects and long-term therapeutic effect of treatment were observed.

RESULTSThe score of HAMD was insignificantly different in 2 groups before and after treatment (P >0.05), but the occurrence of adverse effects between them was significantly different (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe therapeutic effect of HJD on depression was similar to that of anafranil, but HJD has less adverse effect and more stabilized long-term effect.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Craniotomy ; adverse effects ; Depressive Disorder ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Postoperative Complications ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo assess the association of polymorphisms of human leukocyte antigen DRB1 gene (HLA-DRB1) with susceptibility to unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA).

METHODSThe HLA-DRB1 gene was typed with polymerase chain reaction-specific sequence primers (PCR-SSP) method in 200 couples with URSA and 200 couples with a normal pregnancy history.

RESULTSThe frequencies of DRB1*09 and DRB1*13 alleles were significantly greater in the URSA group compared with the control group (14.50% vs. 9.50%, and 7.00% vs. 4.38%, both P<0.05), whilst the frequencies of DRB1*04 and DRB1*12 alleles were significantly lower (7.13% vs. 10.75%, and 8.63% vs. 14.38%, both P<0.05). For females from the URSA group, the frequency of DRB1*09 allele (14.00%) was significantly higher compared with the controls (9.25%) (P=0.036), whilst the frequency of DRB1*12(8.50%) allele was significantly lower (14.00%) (P=0.014). For males in the URSA group, the frequencies of DRB1*09 and DRB1*13 alleles were significantly higher than those of the controls (15.00% vs. 9.75%, and 9.25% vs. 4.00%, both P<0.05), whilst the frequencies of DRB1*04 and DRB1*12 alleles were significantly lower (5.75% vs. 12.25%, and 8.75% vs. 14.75%, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe DRB1*09 and DRB1*13 alleles may contribute to the susceptibility of URSA, while DRB1*04 and DRB1*12 alleles may confer a protective effect factors. For females, however, no significant association of DRB1*13 and DRB1*04 alleles with URSA was found.

Abortion, Spontaneous ; ethnology ; genetics ; Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; ethnology ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Association Studies ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; HLA-DRB1 Chains ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Pregnancy ; Young Adult

To investigated Shui nationality folk medicine's awareness to orthopedics & traumatology, the history of orthopedics & traumatology treatment, Shui nationality folk doctors' practicing medicine, heritage, diagnosis and treatment methods and tools, etc, through investigated drug resources category and distribution characteristics of Shui nationality medicine to orthopedics & traumatology treatment, explored and finished Shui nationality medicine orthopedics & traumatology treatment theoretical system. After more than 5 years' exploration and finishing, preliminarily formed the theoretical system framework and medicine application characteristics of Shui nationality medicine treating orthopedics & traumatology. Shui nationality medicine treatment orthopedics & traumatology has distinctive national style, and worthy to further exploration and research.
Bone Diseases ; ethnology ; history ; therapy ; China ; ethnology ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Orthopedics ; history ; methods ; Religion and Medicine ; Traumatology ; history ; methods

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of MTHFR and MTRR genes polymorphisms on chromosomes 18 and 21 non-disjunction through investigation of Henan Han Chinese young females with a gestational history of trisomy 21 (Down syndrome, DS) or trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome, ES).

METHODSPolymorphisms of MTHFR 677C/T, MTHFR 1298A/C and MTRR 66A/G were analyzed in 73 healthy females (controls group), 78 females with a gestational history of DS (DS group) and 54 females with a gestational history of ES (ES group) by direct sequencing of PCR products from amplification of peripheral blood lymphocyte DNA.

RESULTSThe frequency of MTHFR 677T allele was significantly different among the DS group, ES group and the control group (P<0.05). The frequency of MTRR 66G allele was significantly different only between the DS group and the control group (P<0.05). MTHFR 1298A/C polymorphisms were not associated with either ES or DS. Compared with the wild genotype MTHFR 677CC or MTRR 66AA, carriers of the MTHFR 677CT, 677TT, or MTRR 66GG genotypes had respectively 2.694 times (95%CI: 1.204-6.025, P<0.05), 5.451 times (95%CI: 2.211-13.435, P<0.05) and 9.618 times (95%CI: 2.085-44.365, P<0.05) risk of bearing a DS baby. Compared with the wild genotype MTHFR 677CC, carriers of the MTHFR 677CT and 677TT genotype had respectively 2.701 times (95%CI: 1.133-6.438, P<0.05) and 3.804 times (95%CI: 1.406-10.293, P<0.05) risk of bearing a ES baby. Neither MTRR 66AG or 66GG genotype was associated with the occurrence of ES.

CONCLUSIONThe MTHFR 677T and MTRR 66G may represent a risk factor for DS gestation, while MTHFR 677T may represent a risk factor for ES gestation for Chinese Han females.

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; ethnology ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 ; genetics ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21 ; genetics ; Down Syndrome ; ethnology ; genetics ; Female ; Ferredoxin-NADP Reductase ; genetics ; Humans ; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Trisomy ; genetics ; Trisomy 18 Syndrome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the value of HLA-DRB1 gene in predicting the outcome of unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) treated with paternal lymphocyte alloimmunization therapy (PLAT) in Henan Hans.

METHODSThree hundred URSA patients were recruited. Following PLAT treatment, they were divided into two groups according to the outcome of pregnancy. Polymerase chain reaction sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP) were conducted to analyze the HLA-DRB1 gene.

RESULTSFor those who have received PLAT treatment, the frequency of HLA-DRB1*11 was significantly lower in successfully treated cases than those with abortion (0.052 vs. 0.110, P < 0.05, OR=0448), whilst the frequency of HLA-DRB1*15 was significantly greater in the former (0.207 vs. 0.100, P < 0.05, OR=2.352).

CONCLUSIONFor patients who have received PLAT treatment, those with HLA-DRB1*15 are more likely to conceive that those with HLA-DRB1*11.

Abortion, Spontaneous ; ethnology ; genetics ; immunology ; therapy ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; ethnology ; genetics ; China ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; ethnology ; HLA-DRB1 Chains ; genetics ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Isoantigens ; immunology ; Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Treatment Outcome