Objective To compare the differences of clinical characteristics between genotype B and C chronic hepatitis B(CHB)patients and to summarize clinical factors related to genotype C hepa- titis B virus(HBV)infection.Methods Seventy eight CHB patients who were diagnosed with genotype B or C infection by liver puncture biopsy and genotyping were enrolled.Their serum HBV DNA levels were detected.Severe hepatitis,liver cirrhosis,hepatocellular carcinoma and HBeAg positive rate were analyzed to determine the pathologic inflammation and fibrosis degree of liver tissue.Chi square test and Logistic multiple regression analysis were employed for the statistical analysis.Results The serum albumin and pre-protein were lower in genotype C CHB patients than that in genotype B.The alanine aminotrans- ferase,total bilirubin and prothrombin time were higher in genotype C CHB patients than that in genotype B.The rates of genotype C patients increased significantly with the grade of liver necroin- flammation progressing from GO to G4(1.8%,11.1%,20.4%,33.3%,33.3%) and the stage of liver fibrosis progressing from SO to S4(5.6%,5.6%,14.8%,33.3%,40.7%),but the rates of genotype B patients did not change significantly with the grade of liver necroinflammation(16.7%, 25.0%,25.0%,20.8%,12.5%)and stage of liver fibrosis progressing(16.7%,29.2%%,20.8%, 16.7%,16.7%).There was statistical significance in grades of liver necroinflammation(X~2= 11.49,P=0.022)and stages of liver fibrosis(X~2=13.56,P=0.006)between genotype B and gen- otype C patients.The rates of genotype C CHB patients were higher than,similar with and lower than the rates of genotype B patients of HBV DNA level above 1.0?10~6 copy/mL,between 5.0?10~2-1.0?10~6 copy/mL and under 5.0?10~2 copy/mL,respectively(51.8% vs 12.5%,35.2% vs 45.8% and 13.0% vs 41.7%).There was statistical significance of HBV loads between genotype B and genotype C patients(X~2=13.25,P=0.001).HBeAg positive rate in genotype C patients was significantly higher than that in genotype B patients(61.1% vs 25.0%,X~2=8.67,P=0.003).The rates of decompensated cirrhosis,compensated cirrhosis and no-cirrhosis in genotype C patients were higher than,similiar with and lower than the rates in genotype B patients,respectively(40.7% vs 4.2%,22.2% vs 20.8% and 37.0% vs 75.0%).There was statistical significance of the rate of cirrhosis between genotype B and genotype C patients (X~2=12.47,P=0.002).Conclusions The degree of liver necroinflammation and fibrosis,the HBeAg positive rate and the incidence of cirrhosis are all related with genotype C HBV infection.

OBJECTIVETo study the contribution of executive function to abnormal recognition of facial expressions of emotion in schizophrenia patients.

METHODSAbnormal recognition of facial expressions of emotion was assayed according to Japanese and Caucasian facial expressions of emotion (JACFEE), Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST), positive and negative symptom scale, and Hamilton anxiety and depression scale, respectively, in 88 paranoid schizophrenia patients and 75 healthy volunteers.

RESULTSPatients scored higher on the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale and the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scales, displayed lower JACFEE recognition accuracies and poorer WCST performances. The JACFEE recognition accuracy of contempt and disgust was negatively correlated with the negative symptom scale score while the recognition accuracy of fear was positively with the positive symptom scale score and the recognition accuracy of surprise was negatively with the general psychopathology score in patients. Moreover, the WCST could predict the JACFEE recognition accuracy of contempt, disgust, and sadness in patients, and the perseverative errors negatively predicted the recognition accuracy of sadness in healthy volunteers. The JACFEE recognition accuracy of sadness could predict the WCST categories in paranoid schizophrenia patients.

CONCLUSIONRecognition accuracy of social-/moral emotions, such as contempt, disgust and sadness is related to the executive function in paranoid schizophrenia patients, especially when regarding sadness.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; European Continental Ancestry Group ; Executive Function ; Facial Expression ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Schizophrenia, Paranoid ; psychology ; Young Adult

Antiviral Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; complications ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Mental Disorders ; complications ; Middle Aged

Objective To investigate the effect of adenosine disodium triphosphate(ADT) on myocardial infarction in rats.Methods The a-cute myocardial infarction rat model was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery.The model rats were divided into five groups randomly:model group, ADT 1, 2, 4 mg· (kg· d) -1 and enal-aprilat 10 mg· ( kg· d) -1 , and the other 8 rats received sham surgery.The effect of ADT on myocardial infarction rats included left ventricular of configuration , the degree of myocardial hypertrophy and pulmonary ede-ma, scope of myocardial infarction and myocardial remodeling were deter-mined by color Doppler echocardiography , hemodynamic , heart weight , lung water content and the content of collagen type ⅠandⅢafter contin-uous dosing for 30 days.Results Compared with model , ADT can im-prove left ventricular function of myocardial infarction rats , improve sig-nificantly left ventricular ejection fraction significantly , reduce left ven-tricular end-diastolic pressure and cavity size , the lung water content and the range of myocardial infarction , inhibit ventricular remodeling , etc.Conclusion ADT can improve the cardiac function after myocardial infarction in rats.

Objective To investigate the characteristic of delirium symptom in patients with severe cardiovascular disorders and provide the underlie for treating and nursing.Methods Forty-four delirium patients with severe cardiovascular disorders were reviewed.The information of patients and disease data including onset time, symptoms and signs, changes of illness, treatment, and prognosis were analyzed.Results The major symptoms of patients were dysphoria and imparity (52.27% ).The evolvement rate of delirium was 63.64% in 24 hour and the major treatment was sedation (90.91% ).Conclusions Nurses should know and recognize the delirium symptoms and signs, treatment, application of sedation medicine and enhance the foreseeing nursing in patients with severe cardiovascular disorders.

The present study aimed at investigating the effects of chronic multiple stress on learning and memory functions of rats. Adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into stressed and control groups. Rats in the stressed group were irregularly and alternately exposed to the situation of vertical revolution, sleep deprivation, noise stimulation, and night illumination 6 h per day for 6 weeks to prepare a chronic multiple stressed model. Learning and memory performance of rats was measured by using Morris water maze first and Y-maze afterwards. Neurons in the dentate gyrus(DG), CA3 and CA1 regions of the hippocampus were stained by using Cresyl violet method and counted. The results showed that: (1) After chronic multiple stress, compared with the control rats, the escape latency to the hidden platform in Morris water maze was significantly shortened in stressed rats. In stressed and control groups, the escape latency periods were (15.89+/-9.15) s and (27.30+/-12.51) s, respectively, indicating that spatial memory of the stressed rats was stronger than that of the control ones. In brightness-darkness discrimination learning in the Y- maze, the correct trials and correct percentage of entering safe arm was remarkably increased in the stressed rats, the correct rates of stressed and control groups were (79.01+/-1.23)% and (66.12+/-1.61)%, respectively, indicating that brightness-darkness discrimination learning ability of the stressed rats was better than that of the control ones. (2) After chronic multiple stress, nerve cell density in DG, CA1 and CA3 of the hippocampus in stressed rats was higher than that of the control group, the cell densities in DG, CA1 and CA3 of the stressed and the control group were (223.78+/-26.52), (112.07+/-14.23) and (105.55+/-18.12) as well as (199.13+/-15.36), (92.89+/-13.69), and (89.02+/-15.77) respectively. These results suggest that the chronic multiple stress may enhance the capability of spatial memory and brightness-darkness discrimination learning of rats. Possible reasons for the chronic multiple stress-induced learning and memory enhancement of rats were also discussed.
Animals ; Hippocampus ; physiology ; Learning ; physiology ; Male ; Maze Learning ; Memory ; physiology ; Neuronal Plasticity ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spatial Behavior ; physiology ; Stress, Physiological ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate whether the phosphorylation (functionally inhibitive) of eukaryotic initiation factor 2-alpha (eIF2-a) affects the molecular mechanism of cisplatin-induced cellular apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSThe human HCC cultured cell lines SMMC-7221 and HepG2 were treated with cisplatin alone (controls; 24 h) or in combination with pre-transfection of a dominant-negative eIF2-a mutant (eIF2aS51A) or pre-exposure to an eIF2-a-specific phosphatase inhibitor (salubrinal) to decrease or increase the phosphorylation level, respectively. Changes in expression of apoptosis markers were quantitatively and qualitatively assessed by flow cytometry and western blot analysis. The significance of differences among groups was assessed by analysis of variance testing and of differences between groups was assessed by t-test.

RESULTSCisplatin treatment induced the appropriate functional-inhibitive phosphorylation of eIF2-a on serine 51. Cisplatin treatment (10 mg/ml) induced significant apoptosis in the eIF2aS51A pre-transfected SMMC-7721 (control: 21.7 +/- 1.5% vs. 50.7 +/- 2.1%, t = 19.454, P less than 0.05) and HepG2 (21.0 +/- 1.0% vs. 57.3 +/- 2.1%, t = 27.250, P less than 0.05). Salubrinal pre-treatment significantly inhibited the cisplatin (15 mg/ml)-induced apoptosis in SMMC-7721 (control: 50.3 +/- 2.5% vs. 16.3 +/- 2.1%, t = 18.031, P less than 0.05) and HepG2 (42.0 +/- 2.6% vs. 12.0 +/- 2.0%, t = 15.667, P less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPhosphorylation of eIF2-a may act to inhibit cisplatin-induced apoptosis of HCC.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cisplatin ; pharmacology ; Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; Phosphorylation

OBJECTIVETo study the response of specific antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV in patients infected with SARS.

METHODSIgM-capture, indirect and antigen-sandwiched enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect the SARS-CoV specific IgM, IgG and total antibodies in sera of clinical SARS patients or non-SARS individuals.

RESULTSThe positive rates of IgM, IgG and total antibodies to SARS-CoV in 146 sera of SARS patients collected in different phases of the disease were 61.64%, 53.43% and 69.86%, respectively. The earliest detectable days after onset of the disease for IgM and IgG to SRAS-CoV were 7 and 12 days, respectively. The specific IgM disappeared as early as 42 days after the onset of SARS. Of 70 sera from hepatitis A patients, 2 showed false positive results, while 127 sera from other patients were all negative, detected by the 3 methods. Serum from one medical worker who had been close contact to SARS patients was positive for anti-SARS-CoV IgG and total antibodies. These 3 methods used for detection were all not influenced by rheumatoid factor (RF).

CONCLUSIONAll of the three methods were specific and sensitive for the detection of specific antibodies to SARS-CoV, and useful for epidemiological research and clinical diagnosis, but not for early diagnosis of SARS.

Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Male ; SARS Virus ; immunology ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; immunology ; virology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of integrin beta 1 in hepatic cirrhosis (HC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSThe expression of integrin beta 1 in HCC, HC and normal liver tissues was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). The association between the integrin beta 1 expression and clinical pathological features were analyzed.

RESULTS(1) The levels of integrin beta 1 mRNA and protein in the HCC (1.30+/-0.24, 90.50+/-33.50) and HC (1.58+/-0.31, 123.10+/-38.90) were much higher than that in the normal hepatic tissue (0.37+/-0.08, 11.90+/-6.00) (P less than 0.05). (2) The expression of integrin beta 1 was associated with HC (r = 0.692), Edmondson pathologic grade (F = 13.618), encapsulation (F = 17.857) and metastasis (F = 38.857) (P less than 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSIntegrin beta 1 may play an important role in the development of hepatic fibrosis, hepatic cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Integrin beta1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Liver Cirrhosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the cross-talk between the PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK pathways and its role in cell cycle regulation under endoplasmic reticulum stress in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

METHODSPI3K inhibitor LY294002 and MEK inhibitor U0126 were used to block the PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK pathways respectively, and constitutively activated Akt mutant construct was used to activate the PI3K/Akt pathway. Western blot was used to study the potential cross-talk between the PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK pathways under endoplasmic reticulum stress in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. the role of the cross-talk between the PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK pathways in cell cycle regulation was investigated by using propidium iodide staining.

RESULTSLY294002 not only blocked Akt activation efficiently but also increased ERK phosphorylation markedly under endoplasmic reticulum stress in SMMC-7721 and Hep3B cells. Furthermore, myr-Akt inhibited endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated ERK phosphorylation. In contrast, MEK inhibitor U0126 had no effect on endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced Akt activation. It is notable that both myr-Akt overexpression and MEK inhibitor U0126 inhibited endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced G0/G1 phase arrest in SMMC-7721 cells.

CONCLUSIONEndoplasmic reticulum stress-induced Akt activation is mediated through PI3K and the PI3K/Akt pathway inactivation is involved in increased ERK activity in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The cross-talk between the PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK cascades plays an important role in endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced human hepatocellular carcinoma cell cycle arrest.

Butadienes ; pharmacology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Chromones ; pharmacology ; Endoplasmic Reticulum ; metabolism ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases ; metabolism ; Humans ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Morpholines ; pharmacology ; Nitriles ; pharmacology ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction