Objective A retrospective analysis was conducted to review the distribution and antibiotic resistance in the Staphy-lococcus aureus strains isolated from sputum and provide evidence for effective prevention and control of infections.Methods The 276 strains of S .aureus isolated during the period from January to September of 2009 were included in this analysis.The isolates were identified and tested for susceptibility using VITEK 2 Compact Automatic Culture and Identification System. Results The prevalence of methicillin-resistant S .aureus (MRSA)was 79.0% (218/276).The S .aureus strains were mainly isolated from Department of Neurology (27.5%,76/276),ICU (25.4%,70/276),Neurosurgery (18.1 %,50/276),and Re-spiratory Medicine (9.1 %,25/276).Vancomycin,teicoplanin and quinupristin-dalfopristin were the most active agents against these S .aureus .The resistant strains were less than 0.5%.MRSA showed lower resistance rate to trimethoprim-sulfamethox-azole than MSSA.MRSA strains were more resistant than MSSA to most other antibacterial agents.Conclusions The MRSA i-solates from sputum are highly prevalent and resistant to antibiotics.Antimicrobial agents should be selected appropriately ac-cording to the results of susceptibility testing.

Objective To investigate the correlation between neural tube defects (NTDs) and DACT1 gene, and provide the basic data for disease diagnosis and genetic counseling. Methods Blood samples were obtained from 163 NTDs patients and 480 unrelated healthy individuals. Mutation detection of DACT1 gene and DNA direct sequencing was carried out by PCR amplification. Bioinformatics analysis of these mutated loci was performed. Results Six mutations were found in NTDs patients, including 4 missense mutations (p.R45W, p.D142G, p.N356K and p.V702G). But these mutations were not found in 480 healthy individuals. Three mutated amino acid residues (p.45R, p.142D and p.356N) were highly conservative in evolution, and the mutated carriers were female patients, and suffered from anencephaly. Conclusion DACT1 gene mutation may be a risk factor of NTDs in Han population of northern China.

Objective To assess lipid status of pregnant women with GDM based on the lipid reference intervals for pregnant women .Methods Maternal blood and venous cord blood samples were collected in 81 well-controlled GDM mothers and 86 control subjects .The total cholesterol (CHOL) ,trigalloyl glycerol (TRIG) ,high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) ,low-density lipo-protein cholesterol (LDL) ,apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA) ,apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and lipoprotein (a) levels were measured by auto-matic biochemical analyzer .We used a normal pregnancy specific lipid reference interval (PSR) and normal non-pregnant reference intervals (NPR) respectively to assess the lipid status of pregnant women with GDM .Results Compared with normal control group ,the Apo A ,HDL and LDL levels in GDM group were significantly lower (P<0 .05) .The HDL ,LDL and Lp(a) levels of GDM cord blood were significantly lower (P<0 .05) .The weight of offspring birth of GDM pregnant women with low level HDL was significantly higher (P<0 .05) ,and that of GDM pregnant women with high level LDL offspring birth weight was significantly lower (P<0 .05) .Maternal HDL was not correlated with birth weight (r= -0 .190 ,P=0 .103) .Parent LDH and birth weight was negatively correlated (r= -0 .252 ,P=0 .029) .Conclusion The reference range of normal pregnancy-specific lipid we had estab-lished is more scientific for assessment of blood lipids .

To explore the relationship between maternal insulin levels and fetal insulin resistance.Maternal blood and venous cord blood samples were collected in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) mothers and control subjects.The glucose and insulin levels were measured and insulin resistance levels estimated.Maternal levels of insulin and homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance index (HOMAIR) were significantly higher in the GDM group than those in the control group (P ＜ 0.05) ; fetal levels of insulin and HOMA-IR were significantly higher in the GDM group than in the control group (P ＜ 0.05).Maternal insulin level positively correlated with fetal insulin (r =0.326,P ＜ 0.05) and HOMA-IR levels (r =0.378,P ＜0.05).In this study,a higher level of fetal insulin resistance was reported in the GDM group.And maternal hyperinsulinemia might affect fetal insulin resistance in pregnant women with GDM.

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between ceruloplasmin expression and Down syndrome (DS). MethodsDifferential protein expression in serum of six mothers with DS fetuses and six mothers with healthy fetuses was detected by two-dimensional electrophoresis and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrum,the results were confirmed by Western blot.The levels of serum ceruloplasmin in 11 mothers with DS fetuses,10 mothers with healthy fetuses,11 DS newborns and 10 healthy babies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The difference between the two groups was compared by two-independent samples t test. ResultsTwenty-nine differential proteins were found in the serum of the mothers with DS fetuses; among which ceruloplasmin increased significantly compared with that in mothers with healthy fetuese with density ratio of 5.43 (t=2.7102,P＜0.05).Western blot results showed that the expression of ceruloplasmin in maternal serum with DS fetuses (0.95 ± 0.24) was higher than that of normal mothers (0.37±0.14) (t=2.9521,P＜0.05) ; while the expression of ceruloplasmin in DS babies' serum (0.74±0.03) was lower than that of normal newborns (0.89±0.06)(t=-2.9515,P＜0.05).The expression of ceruloplasmin in serum of mothers with DS fetuses [(346.5± 111.8) ng/ml] was higher than that of normal mothers [(248.6478.3) ng/ml] (t=2.301,P＜0.05) ; while the expression of ceruloplasmin in DS babies' serum [(166.1 ±55.0) ng/ml] was lower than that of normal newborns [(244.0±36.0) ng/ml] (t=-3.873,P＜0.01). ConclusionsAbnormal maternal and neonatal serum ceruloplasmin level might relate to DS.

A total of 166 women with intrahepatic cholestasis in pregnancy (ICP) participated in the study. Serum levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine 4 (FT4) and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) were quantified for all of them with electrochemiluminescence (ECL) technique, and compared with those in normal pregnant women. Results showed that serum TSH and TPOAb [22. 9%(38/166)] increased significantly, but no significant change in serum level of FT4 was observed in women with ICP, as compared to those in normal pregnant women. Overall prevalence of thyroid diseases in ICP women was 35.5% (59/166), significantly higher than that in normal population screened for thyroid disease (17. 1%, 143/837) at the same time period. It suggests that thyroid dysfunction may be involved in pathogenesis of ICP.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of monitoring serum complement C1q/tumor necrosis factors-associated protein 3 (CTRP3) and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2(Lp-PLA2) levels in patients with coronary heart disease, especially patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).Methods:This case-control study included 99 patients with angina pectoris aged (60.4±10.4) years, 105 patients with AMI aged (61.7±14.3) years, and 60 healthy individuals aged (43.6±9.5) years. Serum CTRP3 was detected by ELISA, and Lp-PLA2 was detected by automatic biochemical analyzer. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the correlation between CTRP3, Lp-PLA2 in angina pectoris and AMI patients. The diagnostic efficiency of each index was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:Serum Lp-PLA2 was significantly higher in AMI group than in angina pectoris group ([313.1±68.1] U/L vs [205.8±71.4] U/L, P<0.001), while CTRP3 was significantly lower in AMI group than in angina pectoris group ([64.2±18.5] μg/L vs [84.8±25.0] μg/L, P<0.001). Logistic regression showed that serum CTRP3 was negatively correlated with AMI ( OR=0.964, 95% CI 0.935-0.993, P=0.019), and Lp-PLA2 was positively correlated with AMI ( OR=1.020, 95% CI 1.008-1.032, P=0.001). ROC analysis showed that the AUC (95% CI) of AMI diagnosed by CTRP3 was 0.753 (0.685-0.821), P<0.001; the AUC (95% CI) of AMI diagnosed by Lp-PLA2 was 0.884 (0.833-0.935), P<0.001; the AUC (95% CI) of diagnosis efficacy by combined indices was 0.910 (0.870-0.950), P<0.001. Conclusions:Lower serum CTRP3 and higher serum Lp-PLA2 levels are associated with increased risk for AMI. Combined detection of both indices can improve the diagnostic efficacy of AMI.

Objective:To investigate any change in the effective connectivity between the bilateral anterior central gyruses after transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).Methods:Twenty-one healthy subjects were examined using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) before and after receiving continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS). The brain atlas of the Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was used for fine partitioning of the bilateral anterior central gyruses. Granger causality analysis was used to compare any changes in the effective connectivity between them.Results:After the cTBS inhibited the right M1 area, significant changes in effective connectivity among the sub-regions of the bilateral M1 area were observed. The effective connectivity of the right upper limb to the left upper limb and the left head to face were weakened, while that of the left upper limb to the right head, as well as of the face to the right upper limb was enhanced.Conclusion:For people whose right M1 area has been inhibited by cTBS, the effective connectivity changes in both upper limb functional areas of the M1 region reflect inter-hemispheric inhibition. Opposite changes were found in the trunk and upper limbs.

Objective To investigate the methylation alteration of genomic DNA (gDNA) and its significance in pedigree neural tube defects (NTDs).Methods Twelve subjects from 3 NTDs pedigrees were enrolled in this study.NTDs patients were served as the case group,and their family members with normal phenotype were served as the control group.Peripheral vein blood was extracted,then gDNA was extracted.The extracted gDNA was treated with sodium bisulfite propagated as DNA segments in the way of whole genome amplification,which was put in I11umina Infinium human methylation 450k bead chip to perform hybridization,elution,extension,and imaging.The chip was scanned by iScan.Genome Studio was used to read the outcome.Illumina methylation analyzer software was used to analyze the methylation data.Results Gene differential methylation analysis showed that differential methylation sites only accounted for 0.2％ of the detected CpG sites and there were 617 differential hypermethylation sites (P ＜ 0.05),and 63 of them represented significant difference(P ＜ 1 × 10-4),including zinc finger E-box binding homebox 2,5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 1 etc;there were 104 differential hypomethylation sites (P ＜ 0.05),and 65 of them represented significant difference (P ＜ 0.01),including Homeobox B7 and runt-related transcription factor 3 etc.Clustering analysis indicated that the tendency of DNA hypermethylation was consistent with NTDs patients,but the tendency of DNA hypomethylation was consistent with the controls.Conclusion In NTDs pedigree,the abnormal DNA methylation alterations may be the risk factor for NTDs occurrence.

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of varicella epidemic situation at schools and kindergartens in Fengxian district of Shanghai during 2012-2018, and to provide evidence for developing control and prevention strategies. Methods: Data of varicella epidemic situation at schools and kindergartens and varicella cases were analyzed by descriptive methods. The rates were compared with chi-square test. Results: A total of 6 727 varicella cases were reported in Fengxian during 2012-2018, for an incidence of 85.34 per 100 000 population. Totally 66 varicella epidemic outbreaks and public health emergencies caused by varicella were reported, which involved 741 varicella cases. Among them, 426 were breakthrough cases (57.49%). The average interval time of breakthrough cases were (6.78±2.79)years, and the incidence was more concentrated in the 3-9 years after vaccination with varicella vaccine. Most breakthrough cases appeared 5 years past vaccination. The peak time of varicella was from April to June and from October to December. Most of cases were in the 5-11 year-old group and 15-17 year-old group. The cases in males was higher than in females. Kindergarten childcare and primary school children were at high risk of varicella. Timeliness of reporting was positively correlated with the duration of the varicella epidemic situation( r =0.52， P <0.05). Conclusion Most varicella epidemic situation in Fengxian district of Shanghai occued in primary schools during autumn and winter, and most of the varicella cases were breakthrough cases. Emergency vaccination of varicella vaccine can effectively control the spread of the epidemic. It is suggested to increase the publicity of the immunization program of 2 doses of varicella vaccine and raise the awareness of varicella vaccination of children’s parents.