OBJECTIVETo study the effect of bifidobacterium genomic DNA on umbilical cord blood mononuclear cell (CBMC), and investigate the immunoregulation of bifidobacterium DNA and explore possible mechanisms by which bifidobacterium acts against allergic reaction.

METHODSBifidobacterium genomic DNA (bDNA) and human DNA (hDNA) were extracted with phenol/chloroform/isoamyl alcohol and stored at -20 degrees C for later use. Parts of bDNA were completely digested with DNaseI (d-bDNA) at 37 degrees C. CBMCs were isolated with Ficoll from umbilical cord blood and incubated at 37 degrees C in a 5% CO2 humidified incubator. These cells were divided into four groups, control group: without any stimulant; bDNA group: stimulated with 25 microg/ml bDNA; d-bDNA group: stimulated with 25 microg/ml d-bDNA; hDNA group: stimulated with 25 microg/ml hDNA. The cells were stimulated with different stimulants in vitro, at the end of incubation culture supernatant and cells were collected. IL-12 and IL-10 levels in the culture supernatant were measured by enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA); cells secreting IL-4 and IFN-gamma were counted by enzyme linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay; and total RNA was isolated from the cells to assay T-bet and GATA3 mRNA expression levels by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSSix hours after stimulation there was no significant difference in IL-12 level in supernatant among the four groups; 12 hours after stimulation, IL-12 level in supernatant of bDNA treated group was significantly higher than that of each of the other groups, so were the results obtained at 24 hours and 48 hours after stimulation (P < 0.05). No significant difference could be detected in IL-12 level in supernatant among the other 3 groups. On the other hand, 6 hours after stimulation there was no significant difference in IL-10 level in supernatant among the four groups. But 12 and 24 hours after stimulation IL-10 level in supernatant of bDNA treated group was lower than that of each of the other groups, but the difference was not statistically significant. The count of IFN-gamma secreting cells of bDNA treated group was higher than that of the other groups, while IL-4 secteting cells of bDNA treated group were lower than that of the other groups. After bDNA stimulation, nuclear factor T-box expressed in T cells (T-bet) mRNA expression was conspicuously enhanced as compared to the other three groups (P < 0.05). GATA3 mRNA transcription in CBMC had no significant change after bDNA stimulation.

CONCLUSIONbDNA could promote secretion of Th1 type cytokine IL-12, while Th2 type cytokine IL-10 level of cell supernatant was decreased. bDNA could stimulate secretion of IFN-gamma by CBMC and inhibit secretion of IL-4. T-bet mRNA expression was highly enhanced after bDNA stimulation. bDNA could upregulate Th1 type response, which may be one of important mechanisms by which bifidobacterium inhibit allergic response.

Bifidobacterium ; cytology ; genetics ; Cell Culture Techniques ; DNA, Bacterial ; biosynthesis ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; immunology ; GATA3 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Interferon-gamma ; immunology ; secretion ; Interleukin-10 ; immunology ; secretion ; Interleukin-12 ; immunology ; secretion ; Interleukin-4 ; immunology ; secretion ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; immunology ; secretion ; RNA, Messenger ; isolation & purification ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; T-Box Domain Proteins ; genetics ; Th1 Cells ; drug effects ; immunology ; secretion

Objective To investigate the causes,consequences and management of injuries to the draining veins after embolization of brain arteriovenous malformations(BAVMs)with ?-n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA).Methods The angiographic imaging data of 189 BAVMs patients who underwent NBCA embolization were studied retrospectively.The status of the draining veins before and after NBCA embolization was observed and compared.The intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH)complications and their relation to their angiographic features were analyzed.Results Twenty-three patients out of 189 patients showed injuries to the draining venous system,including 10 low-grade injury,6 moderate injury,and 7 high- grade injury.Six patients suffered from ICH after embolization,of whom 4 patients were due to injuries of the draining veins(2 moderate and 2 high-grade).In the 3 months follow-up evaluation of 4 patients with ICH, one died,one was in vegetative state,and the other two patients suffered from residual severe or minor (1 patient for each)permanent neurological deficits.Conclusion Our findings suggest that injury of the draining veins is the major cause of ICH and may lead to serious consequences after embolization of BAVMs with NBCA.

Background The rapid diagnosis can win more treating opportunities for patients with fungal keratitis.Even though the fungal culture is the gold standard for the diagnosis of fungal keratitis,it is difficult in early diagnosis due to the long duration of cultivation and false-negative rate.Objective This trial was to explore the clinical value in the rapid diagnosis of fungal keratitis by the combination of corneal scraping with laser scanning confocal microscopy.Methods Corneal scraping and laser scanning confocal microscopy were separately performed in 167 eyes of 167 patients with fungal keratitis.All the eyes were examined by the slit lamp,followed by laser scanning confocal microscope,and then the 10％ KOH corneal smear was examined under the optical microscope.Results The positive rate of diagnosis was 75％ (125/167) by corneal scraping,and that by laser scanning confocal microscopy was 91％ (152/167).The positive rate of examining outcome was significantly higher in laser scanning confocal microscopy than that of corneal scraping (x2 =14.88,P =0.00).The positive results were 114 cases and negative results were 4 cases by two methods,with the concordance rate 70.7％ (118/167).The hyphae or spore were seen in 32 cases by laser scanning confocal microscopy in 42 negative cases by corneal scraping,and in 15 negative cases by confocal laser scanning microscopy,11 positive outcomes were offered by corneal scraping.Conclusions The combined application of corneal scraping with confocal laser scanning microscopy can improve and speed up the diagnosis positive rate of fungal keratitis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the risk factors for the prognosis in patients with gastric cancer undergoing surgery.

METHODSClinical data of 1031 cases who underwent gastric cancer resection from January 2003 to December 2007 were studied using univariable analysis and multivariable regression analysis.

RESULTSIn 1031 cases,95 (9.2%) cases were early-stage gastric cancer. The other 936 (90.8%) cases were advanced gastric cancer. The tumor was resectable in 980 (95.1%) cases, of which 874 (84.8%) were curative resection,106 (10.3%) were palliative, and 51 (4.9%) were bypass procedures or laparotomy alone. The stage-specific 5-year survival rates were 93.2% (stage IA), 65.1%(stage IB), 52.3% (stage II), 41.4% (stage IIIA), 16.6% (stage IIIB) and 10.6% (stage IV), respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 80.2%, 58.0% and 48.2%, respectively. The independent risk factors associated with the prognosis of these patients were tumor size, serum albumin, curative resection, TNM staging and multidisciplinary treatment in both univariable and multivariable analyses.

CONCLUSIONSEarly curative resection is the most important treatment for the patients with gastric cancer. Individualized surgical procedure combined with multidisciplinary treatment can improve the outcome. Tumor size, serum albumin level and TNM staging are important predictors of survival in patients with gastric cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Causality ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Stomach Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; mortality ; surgery ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo determine the susceptibilities of M. tuberculosis H37Ra and M. chelonei subsp. absecessus to several frequently-used disinfectants and to evaluate the practicability of surrogating M. tuberculosis by the latter.

METHODSA suspension quantitative bactericidal test was set up in accordance with Chinese Technique Standard for Disinfection to evaluate the susceptibility of each mycobacteria strain to each selected disinfectant. Killing log value was used as criterion in comparing the susceptibility to disinfectants between the two strains.

RESULTSM. chelonei subsp. abscessus was more resistant to chlorine disinfectant than M. tuberculosis while the two strains were similarly resistant to iodophor disinfectant, peracetic acid, alcohol and glutaraldehyde disinfectant.

CONCLUSIONM. chelonei subsp. abscessus has the potential to surrogate M. tuberculosis in evaluating mycobactericidal efficacies of disinfectants.

Alcohols ; pharmacology ; Bacteriological Techniques ; Chlorine Compounds ; pharmacology ; Disease Outbreaks ; Disinfectants ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Glutaral ; pharmacology ; Iodophors ; pharmacology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Mycobacterium Infections ; Mycobacterium chelonae ; drug effects ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; drug effects ; Peracetic Acid ; pharmacology ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo quantitatively assess the effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients with advanced congestive heart failure by real-time 3-dimensional(3D) echocardiography (RT-3DE).

METHODSEighteen patients with advanced congestive heart failure underwent CRT with New York Heart association(NYHA) class III and IV and wide QRS complex (>120 ms) were included (17 dilated cardiomyopathy and 1 ischemic cardiomyopathy). Before CRT and 8 months after CRT, the clinical and RT-3DE parameters and outcome were analyzed.

RESULTSThe biventricular pacemaker was successfully implanted in 17 patients (94.4%). Compared with before CRT, NYHA class of patients decreased by 1.5 class (P < 0.01), left ventricular ejection fraction increased by 25% (P < 0.01), left ventricular end systolic volume decreased by 38% (P < 0.01), left ventricular systolic dyssynchrony index (SDI) improved significantly (14.2% before CRT vs. 9.8% after CRT, P < 0.01 ) post CRT. Change in SDI and change in LVEF was positively correlated (r = 0.62, P < 0.01) . The procedure complications and outcome during and after CRT included coronary sinus dissection (n = 1), left ventricular lead dislodgement (n = 1), phrenic nerve stimulation (n = 1), sudden cardiac death (n = 1). Three non-response patients were complicated with atrial fibrillation, nonspecific intraventricular block and dilated cardiomyopathy with postero-lateral scar tissue.

CONCLUSIONSCRT could improve the cardiac function, correct the mechanical desynchronization and reverse left ventricular remodeling in patients with congestive heart failure, and SDI quantification by RT-3DE could predict increase of LVEF after CRT, however, there were complications related to the implantation procedure and possibilities of non-response.

Adult ; Aged ; Cardiac Pacing, Artificial ; methods ; Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; Female ; Heart Failure ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expressions of glypican-3 (GPC3) mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and peripheral blood cells (PBCs), and to determine the values of GPC3 mRNA in the diagnosis of HCC and HCC micrometastasis.

METHODSUsing semi-quantitative and nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR), we detected the expressions of AFP and GPC3 genes in the tissues of 41 HCC, 41 paracancer and 52 non-HCC liver samples (41 far from HCC tissues and 11 normal liver tissues), and in the PBCs of 67 specimens from subjects.

RESULTSThe semi-quantitative RT-PCR displayed GPC3 mRNA was expressed in all samples of tissues and PBCs, and the relative intensities of its expressions in HCC, paracancer, non-HCC liver tissues were 78.9 +/- 35.5, 30.6 +/- 21.6, 23.8 +/- 15.5 respectively. The AFP mRNA expression values were 61.2 +/- 32.6, 31.5 +/- 23.6, and 21.2 +/- 15.9 respectively. The expression of each gene in HCC differed significantly from those in other two kinds of tissue samples (P < 0.01). The expressions of GPC3 mRNA and AFP mRNA, accounting for 80.5% and 63.4% in all the HCC tissues, were higher than their respective peak values in the tissues of non-HCC liver (+1.96s), but the expressions of at least one of the two genes was elevated in 92.7% of all the HCC tissues. There was a significant difference between combined detection of two genes and single AFP mRNA detection in HCC tissues (P < 0.01). Clinicopathologically, AFP mRNA was related with the grade of HCC and serum AFP, while GPC3 mRNA was related with not only the grade of HCC but also the invasion of HCC. The relative intensities of GPC3 mRNA expressions in PBCs of 67 specimens was 15.9 +/- 9.0, and GPC3 mRNA expressed in three kinds of tissue samples were all stronger than its counterparts in PBCs (P < 0.01). The GPC3 mRNA expression values in PBCs of the HCC group and the non-HCC group were respectively 16.1 +/- 8.3, 15.6 +/- 10.2, there was no significant difference between the two groups. Of the HCC metastasis group and the HCC non-metastasis group, the respective GPC3 mRNA expression values in PBCs were 16.0 +/- 9.0 and 16.3 +/- 7.7, there was also no significant difference between the two groups. The nested RT-PCR showed that the positive rates of AFP mRNA expressions in PBCs from the HCC group and the non-HCC group were 56.1% and 23.1%, and the difference between the two groups was significant (P = 0.011). The positive rates of AFP mRNA expressions in PBCs from the HCC metastasis group and the HCC non-metastasis group were 80.9% and 30.0%, and there was also a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONSAlthough GPC3 mRNA is expressed broadly, it still may serve as a potential tissue biomarker in the diagnosis of HCC. Detecting the expression of the two genes in the tissues will improve the screening and diagnosis of HCC. GPC3 is prevalently transcribed in the PBCs, but we have not found any relationship between the GPC3 expression in PBCs and the metastasis or recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma, thus we can not identify HCC micrometastasis with GPC3 mRNA.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Glypicans ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical components from dried roots of Zanthoxylum dimorphophyllum var. spinifoliun.

METHODThe chemical components were isolated by low pressure column chromatography and their structures were identified by spectroscopic methods.

RESULTFive compounds were isolated and identified as 6-(2', 3'-dihydroxy-3'-methyl-butyl)-7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (I), 6-(2',3'-dihydroxy-3'-methyl-butyl)-7-methoxy-8-(3'-methyl-but-2'-enyl)-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (II),6-(2',3'-dihydroxy-3'-methyl-butyl)-7-hydroxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (III), 6-(2', 3'-oxiranyl-3'-methyl-butyl)-7-methoxy-8- (3-methyl-but-2-enyl)-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (IV), 7-methoxy-8-(3'-methyl-but-2'-enyl)-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (V).

CONCLUSIONThese compounds were isolated from the plant for the first time.

Coumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Zanthoxylum ; chemistry

In early 2011, the serious outbreak of porcine pseudorabies virus (PRV) infection suddenly recurred in Henan and neighboring Provinces. To investigate the etiology of massive infection with PRV, 16 800 serum samples, 905 porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) back-feeding tissues, and 56 PR gene deleted live vaccines were colleted from January 2011 to May 2013 to detect PRV field infection using a PRV gE antibody test kit. The gE and TK genes of 11 new epidemic PRV strains were sequenced by PCR, and their molecular characteristics were analyzed. Moreover, virus titer determination, protective test against PRV, and vaccine potency testing were performed. The results showed that the detection rate of PRV field infection-positive pig farms was 68.06%, and the overall positive rate of PRV field infection in serum was 38.47%; the positive rates in breeding sows, breeding boars, reserve pigs, and commercial pigs were 40.12%, 30.88%, 54.67%, and 26.52%, respectively. The new epidemic strains were in the same evolutionary branch and belonged to the virulent strain group. Compared with the classical PRV strain, the virulence of new epidemic strains changed a little. The length of gE gene was 1 787 bp, and the length of TK gene was 963 bp. The nucleotide homologies of gE and TK genes to Chinese reference strains were 98.2%-99.8% and 98.90%-99.6%, respectively, and the amino acid homologies were 97.1%-99.8% and 97.5%-99.4%, respectively. Commercial vaccine had a 100% protective effect against the new epidemic strains. The positive rate of PRV field infection was 0% in vaccine and 40.44% in back-feeding tissues. The results confirmed that PRV field infection rates were rising sharply among pigs in Henan and neighboring Provinces after 2011. The main virulence genes of new epidemic PRV strains did not change significantly over the years. PR gene deleted live vaccines had no PRV field infection and could completely resist the attack of new strains. The virus carriage of breeding boars and reserve pigs and the serious PRV field infection in PEDV back-feeding tissues were the main causative factors for massive infection with PRV and epidemic outbreak in Henan and neighboring Provinces from 2011 to 2013.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animal Feed ; analysis ; virology ; Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; Epidemics ; Female ; Herpesvirus 1, Suid ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Pseudorabies ; epidemiology ; virology ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Sus scrofa ; Swine ; Swine Diseases ; epidemiology ; virology ; Viral Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics

Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) is a natural epidemic zoonotic pathogen. However, no reports have been published regarding the isolation, identification and full-length genome of EMCV from a local aardvark population. In present study, an EMCV isolate HNXX13 was isolated from aardvarks named Huainan-pig in Henan Province. The systematic identification, full-length genome sequencing and molecular characteristic analysis of the isolate HNXX13 were conducted. The result showed that the isolate was spherical with a diameter of 24-30 nm, neither heat- nor acid-resistant, sensitive to trypsin, insensitive to chloroform, not protected by bivalent cationic, and the specific fluorescence was observed in the cytoplasm of BHK-21 cells infected with the isolate by using indirect fluorescence assay. The full-length genome of EMCV HNXX13 generated a 7 725bp sequence (GenBank: F771002), with 81.0%-99.9% nucleotide identity to reference strains from different animals, and 99.5% with a Chinese reference strain isolated earlier from a commercial pig herd. The phylogenetic tree based on the full-length genome and ORF sequences identified that all EMCV strains were divided into three groups G1, G2 and G3, and strain HNXX13 belonging to the G1 group with other Chinese reference strains. The result also identified that this EMCV infection could cause severe clinical signs in a local aardvark population, and enriches the molecular epidemiological data of EMCV in China. Regional differences exist in EMCV genome and transmission is limited within a certain area. However, the cross-infection and transmission of EMCV between aardvark and mice appears most likely. Mutations have occurred in some amino acids of EMCV strain HNXX13 during the transmission in local aardvark herd and these mutations might make the virus easier to infect the aardvark.
Animals ; Animals, Wild ; virology ; Cardiovirus Infections ; veterinary ; virology ; China ; Encephalomyocarditis virus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Genome, Viral ; Mice ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Xenarthra ; virology