OBJECTIVEIn order to fully understand hepatitis c virus (HCV) genotype 3b, 1a, 2b and 6a infection in China, We built HCV 5'-noncoding region (5'-NCR) of different genotypes and subtypes.

METHODSThe classification HCV into variable genotypes (subtypes) was carried on by programs A, B and C A. Using a combination of three restriction endonuclease BHH' (BsrB I, Hae II, Hinf I) digestions at the same time. The distinct genotypes were classified into 5 groups: genotype 1 (1a, 1b), 6a, 2 (2a, 2b), genotype 3 (3a, 3b), genotype4 (4a). B. With regard to genotype 1, we could distinguish subtype 1a from 1b using BstU I digestion. C. Using restriction endonuclease Hae III, genotype 2a, 2b, 3b, 4a, 6a are differentiated respectively.

RESULTS(1) HCV genotype 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 6a are fully discriminated by comparison with the genotypes regular samples. (2) Of the 93 patients, HCV genotype distribution in China was 66.67% for 1b, 18.28% for 2a, 3.23% for 1b/2b, 3b, 2b respectively. 2.15% for 2a/2b, 1b/2a respectively. 1.08% for 1a.

CONCLUSIONThis research indicated that adoption of HCV 5'-NCR A B C restriction endonuclease digestions techniques, might be sensitive and efficient to detect HCV and discriminate HCV genotype (subtypes) 1a to 6a.

5' Untranslated Regions ; chemistry ; DNA Restriction Enzymes ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; classification ; genetics ; RNA, Viral ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the kinesis of cellular and humoral immune responses to different kinds of recombinant hepatitis B(rHB) vaccines in the immunized mice.

METHODSAt serial time points, the levels of IFN-gamma and IL-2 secreted by spleens mononuclear cells (MNC) of the vaccinated mice were detected by enzyme-linked immunospot methods (ELISPOT) after stimulation in vitro with HBsAg MHC class I peptide S28-39 or HBsAg. The lymphocytotoxicity of the immunized mice were also detected (CTL) by a specific lysis assay and the levels of anti-HBs were measured by the Abbott IMX kit.

RESULTSThe peak values of IFN-gamma and IL-2 in vaccinated mice were detected by ELISPOT, 10 - 14 days after immunization. The CTL and the level of IFN-gamma induced by rHB vaccine derived from yeast cells (Hansenula polymorpha) (rHP vaccine) were significantly higher than the other two vaccines (P < 0.05). The maximum lysis of CTL appeared in the vaccinated mice on day 10 after immunization, with the percentage of 39.8%. The levels of IL-2 induced by rHP vaccine were significantly higher than the other two vaccines (P < 0.05). However, the IL-2 levels in the rSC (saccharomyces cerevisiae) vaccine group were higher as compared with the rCHO vaccine group at day 7 and day 14 (7 d t = 4.595, P = 0.001 < 0.05; 14 d t = 5.721, P = 0.000 < 0.05) after immunization. The cellular immune response to the rHP vaccine was the strongest while it was the lowest to the rCHO vaccine at day 7 after immunization. The sero-positive rates and the titers of anti-HBs in the vaccinated mice increased with time after vaccination. The titers of anti-HBs in the rCHO vaccine group at day 7 were similar to the rSC vaccine group, but significantly higher than that of the rHP vaccine group (P = 0.044 < 0.05). The anti-HBs titers of the rCHO vaccine group at day 14 were significantly higher as compared to the rSC (P = 0.012 < 0.05) and rHP (P = 0.009 < 0.05) vaccine groups.

CONCLUSIONThe immune responses induced by the three kinds of rHB vaccines were different in their patterns and levels. According to the intensity of early cellular immune response, the two yeast HB vaccines were superior to the rCHO vaccine, especially to the rHP vaccine. In contrast, the rCHO vaccine induced early seroconversion and high levels of anti-HBs.

Animals ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic ; immunology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; methods ; Female ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; classification ; immunology ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunity, Humoral ; Interferon-gamma ; immunology ; Interleukin-2 ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology ; Vaccines, Synthetic ; classification ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of transurethral resection of ejaculatory ducts (TURED) for azoospermia with ejaculatory duct obstruction (EDO).

METHODSFrom June 2003 to December 2004, 20 azoospermia with EDO were diagnosed, diagnostic criteria included a history, physical examination, semen analyses, semen fructose measurement, endocrine assessment, testicular biopsy and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS); All 20 cases were treated by TURED. Fifteen of them were followed up more than 3 months after the treatment. The semen samples of them were analysed at 3-month intervals in post-therapy.

RESULTSSemen analyses in all 20 cases showed the typical characteristics of EDO, low semen volume (0.4-1.6 ml), azoospermia, low pH, absent or low semen fructose. TRUS showed the main etiology factor of EDO was a midline cyst in 11, lateral cystic lesions in 2, the remaining 7 cases had dilated ejaculatory duct with or without dilated seminal vesicles. Among 15 cases followed up more than 3 months after TURED, 10/15 (67%) had an improvement in semen parameters and 3/15 (20%) had pregnancies. Semen analyses had not been done in anther 5 cases.

CONCLUSIONTransurethral resection of ejaculatory ducts may be a safe and effective method for the treatment of azoospermia with EDO.

Adult ; Azoospermia ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Ejaculatory Ducts ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Electrosurgery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oligospermia ; diagnosis ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment of localized Castleman's disease (CD), and review the literatures to improve the diagnosis and management of this disease.

METHODSThe clinical symptoms, histopathology, CT, MRI findings and results of surgery in 20 patients with localized CD were evaluated retrospectively.

RESULTSThe average age of the patients was 37.7 years. The lesions were located in the retroperitoneal space (9 cases), mediastinum (7 cases), pelvic cavity (1 case), neck (1 case), upper arm (1 case), and axillary (1 case). All patients underwent surgical resection, including 9 cases for retroperitoneal resection (6 cases had open operation and 3 cases laparoscopic resection) and 7 cases for mediastinal resection (open operation in 5 cases and thoracoscopic resection in 2 cases). The Castleman's disease was confirmed by histopathology. There were hyaline vascular type of CD in 17 cases, plasma cell type of CD in 1 case, and mixed cellularity type of CD in 2 cases. The duration of follow-up ranged from 12 to 165 months for 16 cases. Among them 15 patients were alive without recurrence, and 1 case had recurrence in the primary site at 47 months after the operation.

CONCLUSIONSPatients with Castleman's disease have no typical clinical symptoms and have normal laboratory results. The majority of patients are of hyaline vascular type of the disease. Imaging examination is helpful to diagnosis, and the final diagnosis depends on pathologic examination. Complete surgical resection of the tumor is the best treatment for localized Castleman's disease.

Adult ; Castleman Disease ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mediastinum ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Objective To examine the association between self-assessed somatotypes and depression related symptoms.Methods The study sample included 5555 students aged 9 to 18 years who had attended the Physical Fitness and Health Surveillance of Chinese School Students(2010)in Chizhou city,Anhui province.Association between self-assessed somatotypes,body mass index(BMI)and depression symptom were examined.Results There was a slight consistency between self-assessed somatotypes and BMI in both boys and girls(Kappa=0.217,P=0.000; Kappa=0.203,P=0.000).Significant difference in the prevalence of depression was found among weight misperception groups in both genders(x2=145.223,P=0.000).The prevalence of umderestimation of somatotypes was significantly higher in boys than in girls,while the result was reversive on the prevalence of overestimation.Additionally,the prevalence of depression was higher in girls than in boys(x2=5.199,P=0.023).Through logistic regression,data showed that self-assessed somatotypes and miscalculated groups were significantly associated with depressive symptoms.Compared to the group that self-assessment as being normal,those students when self-assessed as being slim,overweight or obesity were more likely to be depressive,with odds ratio(ORs)as 1.255(95％CI:1.066-1.478),1.538(95％CI:1.275-1.856)and 1.713(95％ CI:1.035-2.834),respectively.Overestimated and underestimated somatotypes appeared to be risk factors causing symptoms of depression(OR=1.705,95％CI:1.382-2.105; OR=1.241,95％CI:1.059-1.454).Conclusion Slight consistency was found between self-assessed somatotypes and BMI,while the misjudged somatotypes were the risk factor related to depressive symptoms.It was suggested that life skills education should be carried out as preventive intervention approach,to improve the physical and mental health well-being of children and adolescents.

Objective To investigate the association between psychological sub-healthy status and risks on injuries and related predictors among adolescents in China,in order to develop reasonable intervention programs.Methods Adolescents were selected from middle schools and colleges in eight cities.Baseline status on sub-healthy that related to psycho-pathology was measured using the Multidimensional Sub-health Questionnaire of Adolescents (MSQA).Data on Self- or unintentional injuries were collected using a standardized injury surveillance questionnaire every 3 months,for three times (T0,T1,T2 and T3).Results A total of 12 113 students completed the study.Prevalence rates related to self-injury among boys and girls were 19.4％ and 19.9％,respectively.The rates of having more than 4 types of self-injuries in boys and girls were 4.7％ and 4.2％,respectively.Boys had a significantly higher unintentional injury rate than that of girls (62.2％ vs.57.3％ ).The differences in the rates of having more than 4 types of unintentional injury between boys (3.8％) and girls (3.4％) were also statistically significant.Rates on self- and unintentional-injuries increased in T1,T2 and T3 when the psychological symptoms had an increase.Data from Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the baseline psychological sub-healthy status was a predictive factor for higher risk of self- and unintentional- injuries at each of the follow-up waves.Conclusion Sub-healthy status of psycho-pathology was associated with an increased risk on self-and unintentional injuries among adolescents.Integrative psycho-pathological and behavioralintervention programs might help in reducing the risk of injuries among the Chinese adolescents.

Objective To explore the effects of Cigu Xiaozhi Pills on lipotoxicity and oxidative stress in rats with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); To discuss relevant mechanism of action. Methods SD rats were divided into six groups randomly:normal control group,model group,positive medicine group,Cigu Xiaozhi Pills high-,medium-, and low-dose groups. NASH model was established by feeding rats with high fat diet for 12 weeks. At the same time, the model rats were given medicine intervention. At the end of 12 weeks, all the experimental animals were killed and the liver and serum were taken. Serum samples were taken for detection of ALT, AST, TG, TC, T-SOD, LDL-C, MDA, GSH-Px and FFA. Liver tissues were taken for detection of T-SOD, MDA, GSH-Px and FFA. The liver histopathological changes were observed under microscope with HE staining. The ultrastructure of liver cells was observed by transmission electron microscope. The fatty degeneration of liver cells was observed by oil red O staining. Results Liver histopathological examination showed that the liver tissue of model group showed moderate to severe steatosis and inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with normal control group, rat liver wet weight, liver index, ALT, AST, TG, TC, LDL-C, MDA and FFA in serum, and FFA and MDA in liver homogenate in model group significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01), while T-SOD and GSH-Px activity in serum and liver homogenate significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with model group, Cigu Xiaozhi Pills high-dose group could significantly decrease the elevation of serum ALT, AST, TG, TC, LDL-C, MDA and FFA (P<0.05, P<0.01), but increase T-SOD and GSH-Px activity in serum and liver tissue (P<0.01). The pathological section showed that:compared with model group, the hepatic lobule vacuolar degeneration and fatty degeneration were significantly reduced in Cigu Xiaozhi Pills high-, medium- and low-dose groups, and the inflammatory cell infiltration was improved. Conclusion Cigu Xiaozhi Pills can obviously improve liver function and blood lipid of NASH rat model induced by high-fat diet, enhance antioxidant capacity, reduce lipid peroxidation and achieve the purpose of prevention and treatment of NASH.

Objective To study the effects of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy on coma patients with severe brain injury in preventing the pulmonary infection and supporting the nutritional therapy. Methods Forty coma patients with severe brain injury and 2 dysphgia patients with brain stem infarction, admitted to our hospital from January 2006 to December 2009 were chosen as experimental group and given nutritional therapy after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. The other 42 coma patients with severe brain injury admitted to our hospital at the same period were chosen as control group and given nasal-feeding nutrition. The degree of lung infection and the contents of serum total protein, serum albumin and hemoglobin 1 w before, and 1 and 2 w after the surgery in the 2 groups were detected. Results All of the patients (40 in coma and 2 not being able to eat) benefited from percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: the pulmonary infection caused by esophageal back flow was prevented; the infection rate of G+ pathogenic bacteria and the G-pathogenic bacteria in the experimental group was 0significantly decreased as compared with that in the control group (P<0.05). No significant differences of the contents of serum total protein, serum albumin and hemoglobin at each time points between the 2 groups were noted (P>0.05). Conclusion Nutritional therapy after adopting the percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, preventing pulmonary infection caused by esophageal back flow, is a safe method and worth to be generalized.

OBJECTIVESTo study the impact of asymptomatic prostatitis on semen parameters.

METHODBased on the count of WBC in EPS, we assigned 152 patients with asymptomatic (type IV) prostatitis to Groups A (WBC + to + +) and B (WBC + + + to + + + +), and included 68 normal healthy men controls in Group C. All the patients were examined for the volume, pH value and liquefaction time of the semen, sperm concentration, sperm survival rate, grade a sperm percentage, morphologically normal sperm percentage, WBC count, and accompanying inflammatory cytokines.

RESULTSThe semen liquefaction time, grade a sperm percentage and morphologically normal sperm percentage were (24.5 +/- 5.2) min, 20.0 +/- 4.1 and 10.5 +/- 4.8 in Group A, (30.4 +/- 5.0) min, 10.0 +/- 3.8 and 7.5 +/- 4.2 in Group B, and (18.5 +/- 5.3) min, 32.3 +/- 4.5 and 17.8 +/- 3.6 in Group C, with statistically significant differences between A and B (P < 0.01). The pH value, semen volume, sperm survival rate and sperm concentration were 7.6 +/- 0.3, (3.0 +/- 1.1) ml, 56.0 +/- 6.0 and (65.9 +/- 11.3) x 10(6)/ml in Group A, 7.7 +/- 0.3, (2.8 +/- 1.2) ml, 52.3 +/- 6.3 and (62.5 +/- 10.3) x 10(6)/ml in Group B, and 7.5 +/- 0.2, (2.9 +/- 1.2) ml, 62.1.0 +/- 5.3 and (87.7 +/- 10.1) x 10(6)/ml in Group C, with no significant differences among the three groups (P > 0.05). The contents of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the semen were (58.64 +/- 30.82) pg/ml and (50.57 +/- 27.48) pg/ml in Group B, significantly increased as compared with (17.68 +/- 5.65) pg/ml and (23.50 +/- 4.80) pg/ml in Group C (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAsymptomatic prostatitis effects significant changes in the major parameters of the patient's semen quality.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Cytokines ; analysis ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatitis ; physiopathology ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the killing effect of human herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (HSV-TK/GCV) system combined with allitride and the possible apoptosis mechanism in BIU87 cells.

METHODSThe cytotoxicity after combination were estimated by theamine blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT). The morphological changes were observed with inverted microscope and in-situ cell apoptosis detection kit. Changes of apoptosis rate and cell cycle were assessed by flow cytometry. B-cell lymphoma-2 (bcl-2), bax, caspase-3 (cysteine aspartate specific proteinase) mRNA changes were detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and caspase-3 activity was estimated with colorimetry.

RESULTSFor combination group, the cell killing rate was raised to 72.50% to compare with 35.00% of GCV and 37.00% of allitride separately and there was a synergistic effect between these two drugs. The cell apoptosis was induced in all three groups and for the combination group the time of S-phase and G(2)-phase arrest were earlier than other two groups. Both drugs could inhibit the expression of bcl-2 and promote the expression and activity of caspase-3.

CONCLUSIONSThe combination of HSV-TK/GCV system with allitride can inhibit the proliferation of BIU87 cells congenerously through apoptosis, which may be correlated with S- and G(2)-phase arrest, down-regulation of bcl-2 and increased caspase-3 expression and its activity.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Drug Synergism ; Ganciclovir ; pharmacology ; Genetic Therapy ; Herpesvirus 1, Human ; enzymology ; genetics ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Sulfinic Acids ; pharmacology ; Thymidine Kinase ; genetics ; Transfection ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; pathology ; therapy