Objective This study sought to determine the normal ranges of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in normal children and children with symptoms of heart failure (HF) caused by dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM),and further study their clinical implications.Methods Concentrations of Serum NT-proBNP were determined in 80 normal children and 45 children with clinical symptoms of HF.Venous blood was taken in each subject,and plasma NT-pro BNP was determined by ELISA method.Of the 80 normal children,40 were boys and 40 were girls.Their age ranged from 1 to 16 years old with a mean of 10.6?4.2 years.The 45 children with HF ,caused by dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).Their age ranged from 1 to 16 years,and had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of less than 50%.The serum NT-proBNP levels were correlated to LVEF measured by echocardiography and clinical symptom score of heart failure defined by using Ross Score.Results The mean (?s) serum concentration of NT-proBNP was 223.1?76.6fmol/ml in normal children from 1 to 16 years old.NT-proBNP levels did not show a significant age-related or sex-related differences.In children with HF,the plasma NT-proBNP levels were significantly elevated (mean:1353.3 fmol/ml range: 341.6 fmol/ml～2794.1 fmol/ml) as compared to normal children.(P

Supported by Center of Laboratory Medicine of PLA,the Third Military Medical University launched teaching reform on laboratory diagnostics by integrating and optimizing teaching contents,adopting case centered teaching method,introducing thinking modes of evidence-based laboratory medicine and strengthening bilingual teaching.Abilities of students to determine the clinical stage and to evaluate the effect of treatment as well as prognosis of diseases were promoted.

Objective observe the post-radiation expression of rat mesangial cell plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and the effect of PPAR-? ligand on radiation induced PAI-1 expression. Methods After 10?Gy ?-ray radiation of cultured rat kidney mesangial cell, RT-PCR was used to observe PPAR-?expression. PAI-1 expression after 10?Gy radiation ?10?mmol/L pioglitazone (one of PPAR-? ligands) was measured by Northern blot and Western blot. Gel-shift method was used to study the effect of AP-1 of PPAR-? ligand on radiation induced PAI-1 expression. Methods Rat kidney mesangial cell expressed PPAR--? mRNA. PAI-1 over-expressed at 24 hour after 10?Gy radiation in a radiation dose dependent manner, but not at other time. When the cell was treated with 10?Gy + 10?mmol/L pioglitazone, PAI-1 upregulation was blunted at message and protein level. AP-1 activation was increased from the 2nd hour after 10?Gy radiation and reached the highest level at the 4th hour. When pioglitazone was added, the radiation induced increase in AP-1 activation was suppressed at the 4th hour. Conclusions Pioglitazone, mediated by AP-1 gene, can suppress radiation induced PAI-1 upregulation.

OBJECTIVE To analyze pathogenic bacterium distribution and antibiotic resistance of our hospital,and provide scientific basis for clinical rational using of antibiotics.METHODS The patients′ clean catch(midstream)(urine) was collected from Jan 2004 to Dec 2005 and cultivated.Antibiotic sensitivity test and adopted by Kirby-Bauer method.RESULTS The pathogenic bacteria mainly consisted of Gram-negatives,among which Escherichia coli was the most frequent,the others in turn were Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Enterobacter cloacae and(Proteus) mirabilis;Enterococcus were the most common among Gram-positives;fungal infection obviously(increased).The bacteria showed different antibiotic resistance rate and multi-drug resistance.CONCLUSIONS It′s very important for making the clinical use of antibiotic more reasonable and controlling drug resistant strains(transmission).

OBJECTIVE To study the constituent ratio of the pathogenic fungi of blood culture in recent 24 months and their resistance in our hospital.METHODS Blood culture of patients in our hospital was performed by BacT/AlerT120 and the isolated pathogenic fungi were identified by API identified tests(API Inc,France).In(addition) antibiotics sensitivity test was by K-B.RESULTS Of the specimens in 4135 cases,there were 110 strains((2.7%)) with Candida albicans(29%).C.tropicalis(21%) and C.portugal(9%).The(specimens) come from(hepatobilliary)(25%),neurosurgery(24%) and emergency(10%) departments.CONCLUSIONS It is important and necessary to monitor the circumstance of fungal(infection) and resistance of the pathogenic fungi due to its(morbidity) increased.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the distribution and resistance of non-fermenting bacteria isolated from(patients) in 2005 and offer a basis for the treatment of bacterial infection.METHODS The isolated bacteria were(identified) with API identified test(API Inc,France) and Kirby-Bauer(K-B) test used for the antibiotics(susceptivity) test.The data were analyzed by using WHONET-5 software.RESULTS Totally 604 strains of non-fermenting bacteria were isolated from the 2908 pathogenic strains.The most common bacteria were Pseudomonas aeruginosa(52.32%),followed by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia(14.07%) and Acinetobacter baumannii((13.74%)).76.32% of non-fermenting bacteria were isolated from the sputum.These bacteria had various(resistances) to all detected antibiotics.CONCLUSIONS Non-fermenting bacteria have high isolation rate and(multi-drug) resistance,so antibiotics should be used correctly under the guidance of antibiotic susceptibility testing.

Objective To map the complete methylation status of the hMLH1 promoter in sporadic colorectal carcinoma and analyze the relationship between MVPs (methylation variable positions) of hMLH1 promoter and the expression of hMLH1. Methods Methylation status of hMLH1 promoter was measured by bisulfite sequencing. hMLH1 protein expression was detected by immunohistochemistry. Results Out of the 30 sporadic colorectal carcinoma specimens, the hypermethylation of CGIs (CpG islands) 1 was in 6 and that of CGIs 2 in 4. The hMLH1 protein was detected in 15 specimens. Chi square test showed the methylation of CGIs 1 was closely related to loss of hMLH1 protein expression (P0.05). Conclusion In CGIs 1, CpG positions from 1 to 28 are the critical region that could influence the expression of hMLH1.

OBJECTIVE To explore the changes in foot fungus mobility and its drug resistance for further etiology investigation and clinical treatment. METHODS Sabourand′s agar culture medium was used to culture fungi, ID identification strip was employed to identify the fungi and drug sensitive test was performed by disk diffusion test. RESULTS The incidence of Trichophyton rubrum infection was the highest (79.1%). The isolated fungi were relatively sensitive to amphotericin B (AMB, 98.9%) and itraconazole (ITC, 98.0%), and resistant to 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC, 22.1%). CONCLUSIONS Detection technique of fungal infection should be improved and anti-fungal medicine should be used reasonably according to the results of drug sensitive test so that the fungal infection, especially fungi-resistant infection could be reduced.

OBJECTIVE To monitor the characteristics of distribution and drug resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii in our hospital. METHODS A. baumannii isolates were collected in our hospital from Jan 2004 to Dec 2005. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by disk-diffusion method,according to the standards of NCCLS 2004. RESULTS Totally 177 strains of A. baumannii were distributed clinically in the respiratory unit as the most ones (47 strains, 26.6%), and in ICU as the next (38 strains, 21.5%); the older the age, the higher the appearing rate; the highest appearing rate was from the sputum, up to 78.1%; more than 60% of isolates were resistant to all antimicrobial agents tested except imipenem, meropenem and cefoperazone/sulbactam. However,10 pan-resistant strains were found. CONCLUSIONS With the increasing isolation rate of A. baumannii, its drug resistance increases simultaneously.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the methylation status and mRNA expression of the estrogen receptors(ERs) gene promoter in acute leukemic patients and detect the protein expression in leukemia cell lines with or without treatment of 5'-aza-Dc.And to find out the possibility of promoters methylation profile of estrogen receptor gene as an early diagnosis biomarker in leukemia.METHODS With RT-PCR and MSP,evaluating ERs mRNA expression and status of methylation in 40 acute leukemia patients without treatment.With Western-blot,detecting protein expression in leukemic cell lines with or without treatment of 5-azaDc.RESULTS The protein expression was significantly enhanced in all of leukemic cell lines with 5'-Aza-Dc.ER?-A was inactivated and specifically methylated(97.5%;39/40) in most of the acute leukemic patients.CONCLUSIONS The promoter ER?-A is inactivated and specifically methylated(97.5%;39/40) in most of the acute leukemic patients.This study may provide a new direction method to study the pathogenic mechanism of leukemia,and indicates that ER?-A methylation could be a potential reference marker for leukemia diagnosis.