Objective To investigate the carrying status and characteristics of Clostridium difficile isolated from infants.Methods Two hundred and thirty-eight stool specimens were collected from infant younger than 1 year old,that were hospitalized or outpatient from August to November 2015.Immunochromatography targeted GDH and toxin A&B of C.difficile was used for C.difficile screening,and those positive specimens were inoculated in CDIF and anaerobic culture.C.difficile isolates were genotyped by using slpA sequence typing (slpA ST),and tcdA,tcdB,cdtA and cdtB of C.difficile isolates were detected by PCR.Results Fifty C.difficile strains were isolated from 238 stool samples,and the isolated rates of C.difficile from <3 months,3 months to <6 months,and 6 months to 1 years old groups were 9.3%,17.6% and 27.3%(χ2=6.940,P=0.031<0.05),respectively.52.0%(26/50) of the C.difficile isolates were toxigenic,and 69.2% (18/26) toxigenic isolates harbored tcdA+tcdB+cdtA-cdtB-.Fifty C.difficile isolates were genotyped as 11 slpA STs,slpA ST fr-02 and kr-02 were the commonest genotypes in toxigenic C.difficile isolates;however,that was slpA ST xr-03 in non-toxigenic isolates.Conclusion High C.difficile carriage is found in infants younger than 1 year old,and more than half of C.difficile isolates are toxigenic.Most of toxigenic isolates harbored toxin A and B.The genotype of C.difficile isolates is different between toxigenic isolates and non-toxigenic isolates.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation of the changes in CD8(+)CD28(-) T cell percentage with platelet (PLT) and D-dimer (D-D) levels in patients with multiple injuries (MI).

METHODSTwenty-six patients with MI, 31 with a single injury (SI group) and 26 healthy individuals were examined for peripheral blood CD8(+)CD28(-) T cells and intracellular transformation growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) contents using flow cytometry at 24, 48, and 72 h after the injuries. PLT and D-dimer levels were compared among the 3 groups.

RESULTSCD8(+)CD28(-) T cells, TGF-β1 and IL-10 were significantly higher in MI group than in SI group and healthy control group (P<0.05) without significant differences between the latter 2 groups. The levels of PLT and D-D differed significantly among the 3 groups, the highest in MI group and the lowest in the control group. In MI group, CD8(+)CD28(-) T cells, TGF-β1 and IL-10 significantly increased at 48 h after the injury (P<0.05) but decreased significantly at 72 h (P<0.05) compared with the measurements at 24 h. The levels of PLT and D-D trended to decrease with time after the injuries and showed significant differences among the 3 groups at any of the 3 time points (P<0.05). CD8(+)CD28(-) T cells, TGF-β1 and IL-10 were all positively correlated with the levels of PLT and D-D in MI patients (r>0.70, P<0.05 for all comparisons).

CONCLUSIONIn MI patients, CD8(+)CD28(-) T cell percentage and their cytokines tend to increase early after the injury but decrease significantly at 72 h in close relation with the changes of the coagulation function following the injuries.

CD28 Antigens ; metabolism ; CD8 Antigens ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Interleukin-10 ; metabolism ; Multiple Trauma ; immunology ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; cytology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study is designed to explore the anti-tumor effect of lipoteichoic acid (LTA) of Bifidobacterium on the expression of survivin in colon cancer LoVo cells and its possible regulatory mechanism.

METHODSThe changes of survivin mRNA and protein in LoVo cells treated with LTA of Bifidobacterium were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. Meanwhile, the expressions of pAKT (the key protein kinase in P13K/AKT signal transduction pathway), p53 and PTEN were measured by Western blot.

RESULTSThere were overexpressions of survivin mRNA and protein in LoVo cells. After treated with different dose of LTA of Bifidobacterium, the expressions of survivin mRNA and protein were markedly decreased in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.01). Besides, the activity of pAKT was decreased significantly (P < 0.01) and the expression of p53 and PTEN was increased (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONLTA of Bifidobacterium can down-regulate the expression of survivin in LoVo cells through inhibiting the activity of PI3K/AKT signal transduction pathway and up-regulate the expression of p53. Accordingly, the activity of caspases is increased, and apoptosis of LoVo cells occurs ultimately.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Bifidobacterium ; chemistry ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Colonic Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Down-Regulation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; Lipopolysaccharides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; PTEN Phosphohydrolase ; metabolism ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Teichoic Acids ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the characters of lung injury induced by tin dusts and to provide the diagnosis evidence of tin pneumoconiosis.

METHODSForty SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: the group exposed to tin dusts from smelting workshop, the group exposed to tin dusts from tin refining workshop, the positive control group exposed to standard quartz dusts and the negative control group exposed to saline. The pathological changes of rat lungs were observed dynamically.

RESULTSIn rats exposed to tin dusts, on the 30th day after exposure to tin dusts, the scattered hoar tip size of the spots in surface and section of the lungs were observed, the scattered focal granulomatous inflammation around the small bronchi and dust particles in lung tissue were observed under microscope; on the 90th day after exposure to tin dusts, the granulomatous inflammation increase, the fibroblasts proliferation, collagen fibers formation and positive VG staining were found. There were significant differences, as compared with positive or negative controls (P < 0.05). These pathological changes were basically the characters of specific pathological changes in early tin pneumoconiosis.

CONCLUSIONNon-ferrous metal tin dusts can induce the specific lung injury (granuloma formation) in lung tissue of rats exposed to tin dusts, which fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of specific pathological changes in early tin pneumoconiosis.

Animals ; Dust ; Lung ; pathology ; Lung Injury ; chemically induced ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tin ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the predictive value of CEA and CA19-9 in tumor progression, prognosis and neoadjuvant chemotherapy of advanced gastric cancer.

METHODSClinical data of 322 patients with advanced gastric cancer(54 cases undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy) from the Affiliated Oncologic Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College were reviewed. Serum CEA and CA19-9 levels were detected by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, while the expression of CEA and CA19-9 protein in 54 pairs of tumor tissues and matched biopsies neoadjuvant chemotherapy were determined by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe expression levels of serum CEA and CA19-9 were closely related to tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage(all P<0.05). The 5-year cumulative survival rates of patients with serum CEA-positive and CA19-9-positive were 17.0% and 11.9%, compared with 34.6% and 34.8% of the patients with serum CEA-negative and CA19-9-negative respectively (both P<0.05). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy could down-regulate CEA and CA19-9 expressions in tumor tissues(P<0.05), while there was no significantly difference in serum level(P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe expressions of serum CEA and CA19-9 are closely associated with tumor progression and prognosis in advanced gastric cancer. However, further study should be done to evaluate their value in selecting patients to receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

CA-19-9 Antigen ; blood ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; blood ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Stomach Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Survival Rate

Objective To investigate the mRNA and protein expression of somatostatin receptors in hepatocellular carcinoma HCCLM3 cell lines and to explore the mechanism by which somatostatin effects on hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods RT-PCR., immunocytochemistry and MTT were used to detect mRNA and protein expression of somatostatin receptors in hepatocellular carcinoma cells and evaluate the antiproliferative effect of somatostatin. Results The effect of somatostatin on the cellular proliferation was verified. Immunocytochemistry study revealed a mainly intracellular distribution of all SSTRs with unique patterns for each of them. mRNA expression of all 5 subtypes of somatostatin receptors was different, SSTR2 and SSTR1 mRNA expressions were significantly higher than SSTR3, SSTR4 and SSTR5 ( P

OBJECTIVETo analyze the causes of injury and poisoning during construction of urbanization and industrialization and to explore proper measures.

METHODSThe data of the patients with injury and poisoning during construction of urbanization and industrialization treated in out hospital from 1998 to 2002 were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSThe number of discharged patients of injury and poisoning accounted for 29.2% of the total number (49800) of discharged patients in the corresponding period in our hospital, which was greater than that of other city and county hospitals, and accounted for 94.3% of the total number (15,411) of discharged patients of the Surgery Department in the corresponding period in our hospital. Injuries caused by motor vehicle traffic accidents, cutting and piercing instruments or objects, homicide and injury purposely inflicted by other persons and accidental falls held 78.9%. The number of the inpatients in 2002 increased by 83.3% compared with that of 1998, the number of injured and poisoned inpatients increased by 76.1% and these patients aged mainly at age of 15-39 years, holding 80.1%. In a year, the peak period of trauma patients was in summer because of hot weather; the fewest in February for the floating people went home for Spring Festival holidays.

CONCLUSIONSDuring construction of rural urbanization and industrialization, injuries and poisoning increase evidently and are the main tasks of surgical management. So to raise its treatment level and therapeutic effect is a key point.

Accident Prevention ; Accidents, Occupational ; statistics & numerical data ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Distribution ; Cause of Death ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Hospitalization ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Industry ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Trauma ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Poisoning ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Probability ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Sex Distribution ; Survival Analysis ; Urbanization

Objective　To investigate the actions of extra cellular medium in growth and differentiation of hair follicle and to look for growth adjusting factors for dermal papilla cells (DPC). Methods　Dermal papilla cells were isolated and cultivated with two steps method and the cells were identified by immunohistochemical staining for actin. Influence was examined on the adhesion and growth of dermal papilla cells by chondroitin sulfate A, chondroitin sulfate C and heparin sulfate. Results　Two steps method of enzyme digestion for isolating and cultivating dermal papilla cells was an efficient method and large amount of dermal papilla of high purity were harvested with this method. The method is very simple and easy to manege with. Increased adhesion and growth of dermal papilla cells were observed in specimen treated with chondroitin A and heparin sulfate. No significant effects was observed in the cells treated with chondroit in sulfate C. Conclusion　Some extra cellular medium can regulate the adhesion and growth of dermal papilla cells and therefore influence the growth and development of hair follicle.

OBJECTIVETo investigate a non-toxic AdCTLA4-Ig-based protocol for non-myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation to induce donor-specific tolerance to hind limb allografts in rats.

METHODSFully mismatched, 4 to 8 week old Brown Norway (RT1(n)) and Lewis (RT1(1)) rats were used as cell/organ donors and recipients, respectively. Recipients were treated with AdCTLA4-Ig (5 x 10(9) PFU, day -30, 0, 30), standard immunosuppressive therapy (MP: 10 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), MMF: 20 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), RAPA: 0.2 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1);day -33 - 100), soon after total body irradiation (3 Gy, day -30) and donor bone marrow (100 x 10(6), day -30) transplantation (BMT). Thirty days after BMT, chimeric animals received hind limb transplantations. And 100 days after hind limb transplantations, immunosuppressive therapy was changed for low-dosed CsA (8 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), day 100-), until the allografts were rejected.

RESULTSIn Group C, hematopoietic chimerism was (38.8 +/- 10.6)% at day 0, and was stable (29.3 +/- 11.9)% at 330 days post-BMT. There was no graft versus host disease in both Group C and Group D. When the standard immunosuppressive therapy was stopped and changed for low-dosed CsA, chimeric recipients (Lewis, RT1(1)) permanently accepted (> 200 days) donor specific (Brown Norway, RT1(n)) hind limb allografts in Group C, yet rapidly rejected in Group A (8 +/- 2) d, Group B (18 +/- 3) d and in Group C (20 +/- 2) d. Lymphocytes of graft tolerant animals' demonstrated hyporesponsiveness in mixed lymphocyte cultures in a donor-specific manner in Group C. Tolerant graft histology showed no obliterative arteriopathy or chronic rejection.

CONCLUSIONThe AdCTLA4-Ig based conditioning regimen with donor BMT produce stable mixed chimerism and induce donor-specific tolerance to hind limb allografts.

Abatacept ; Adenoviridae ; Animals ; Graft Survival ; Hindlimb ; transplantation ; Immune Tolerance ; Immunoconjugates ; pharmacology ; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred BN ; Rats, Inbred Lew ; Transplantation Chimera ; immunology ; Transplantation Conditioning ; methods ; Transplantation, Homologous

The purpose of the present study was to explore the expression changes of intermedin/adrenomedullin 2 (IMD/ADM2), a novel small molecular bioactive peptide, and its receptors, calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CRLR) and receptor activity modifying proteins (RAMP1, RAMP2, RAMP3) in the right ventricle of rats with chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4-week hypoxia group and normal control group (each n=10). The rats in hypoxia group were placed in an isobaric hypoxic chamber, in which O(2) content was maintained at 9%-11% by delivering N(2), and CO(2) content was maintained at <3% for 4 weeks (8 h/d, 6 d/week). The rats in the control group were housed in room air. The protein levels of IMD/ADM2 and adrenomedullin (ADM) in blood plasma and right ventricular tissue were measured by radioimmunoassay. The mRNA expressions of IMD/ADM2, ADM and their receptors CRLR, RAMP1, RAMP2, RAMP3 in right ventricular tissue were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that the ratio of right ventricle weight to left ventricle plus septum weight [RV/(LV+S)] and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) were higher in hypoxia group than those in the control group (all P<0.01), suggesting that the rat model of pulmonary hypertension was successfully established. However, the mean carotid arterial pressure (mCAP) between the two groups had no significant difference. Compared with that in the control group, ADM contents in plasma and right ventricular tissue in hypoxia group increased by 1.26 and 1.68 folds (all P<0.01), respectively. Likewise, IMD/ADM2 contents in blood plasma and right ventricular tissue in hypoxia group increased by 0.90 and 1.19 folds (P<0.01), respectively, compared with that in the control group. The data of RT-PCR showed that mRNA levels of ADM, IMD/ADM2 and RAMP2 in hypoxia group increased by 155.1% (P<0.01), 80.9% (P<0.01) and 52.9% (P<0.05), respectively, compared with those in the control group. There were no significant differences in mRNA expressions of CRLR, RAMP1 and RAMP3 between the two groups (all P>0.05). Taken together, the results show that the level of IMD/ADM2 increases in the rats with chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension.
Adrenomedullin ; metabolism ; Animals ; Calcitonin Receptor-Like Protein ; metabolism ; Heart Ventricles ; metabolism ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; etiology ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia ; complications ; Male ; Neuropeptides ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptor Activity-Modifying Proteins ; metabolism