Objective To study the features and risk factors of ischemic leukoaraiosis (LA) progression in elderly patients aged 80 years and over. Methods The 56 elderly patients with ischemic LA confirmed by MRI were enrolled in this study. The characteristics and risk factors of ischemic LA were comparatively analyzed between baseline and 3 years later by single and multi-variable logistic regression analysis. Results Ischemic LA progressed mostly in the subcortical white matter in elderly patients, especially the frontal lobes (progression of white matter lesion was present in 40% in the frontal lobes at baseline and 52% after 3 years), followed by the parietal lobes (35% at baseline and 36% after 3 years); Furthermore, previous high homocysteine (Hcy) and chronic bronchitis were risk factors of ischemic LA progression. Conclusions Ischemic LA progresses mostly in the subcortical white matter in the elderly, especially the frontal lobes; High Hcy and chronic bronchitis are risk factors of ischemic LA progression in elderly patients.

Objective To investigate the impact of smoking on the level of urinary 8-iso prostaglandin (PG) F2? (8-iso-PGF2?) of patients with acute cerebral infarction. 8-iso-PGF2? is a product of arachidonic acid catalyzed by free-radical, and it has been identified as an indicator of oxidative stress in vivo during reperfusion. Methods Plasma and urine samples were obtained from 28 patients with acute cerebral infarction. Among them 14 patients with no smoking habit were chosen as control group according to the selection criterion, and the other 14 patients with smoking habit were chosen as investigation group according to the same criterion. There was no significant difference between the two groups in age, gender ratio, blood pressure, lipids level, blood glucose, focus location, and degree of the cerebral focus of infaration. The concentration of urinary 8-iso PGF2? and levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), total cholesterol, LDL-triglyceride (TG) and LDL-free cholesterol in plasma were measured by enzyme immunoassay. The quantification of urinary 8-iso PGF2? and LDL levels in plasma were performed for each sample respectively. Results The concentration of urinary 8-epi PGF2? of the patients with smoking habit was significantly higher than that in the patients of control group (75.79?10.76 vs 67.36?9.18 ng/mmol creatinine, P0.05, respectively) between the two groups. Conclusions Cigarette smoking may raise the urinary 8-iso-PGF2? level of patients with acute cerebral infarction, suggesting an increase in the level of oxidative stress in vivo in these subjects.

Objective To investigate the effect of vitamin E administration on the urinary level of 8-iso prostaglandin F_(2?)(8-iso- PGF_(2?))in the patients with cerebral infarction.Methods 28 patiems with acute cerebral infarction were involved in this study according to the selection criteria.They were divided into two groups:patients in test group(n=14)were treated with vitamin E,and those in control group(n=14)were not treated with vitamin E.No significant differences existed in age,gender ratio,blood pressure,lipids level and lo- cation and level of the cerebral infarct focus between two groups.The contents of urinary 8-iso-PGF_(2?) were measured in each urinary speci- men,meanwhile the levels of vitamin E and low density lipoprotein(LDL)were determined in each plasma specimen within 24 hours after onset of cerebral infarct and two weeks later.Results The concentration of urinary 8-iso-PGF_(2?) collected at two weeks after onset from pa- tients of test group was significantly lower than that of the control group(85.20?9.17 vs 91.36?4.24ng/mmol creatinine,P0.05).Conclusions The content of urinary 8-iso-PGF_(2?) and the level of oxidative stress in vivo could be decreased in the patients with acute cerebral infarction after being treated with vitamin E.

Objectives To explore the effects of hypertension on the oxidative susceptibility of plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in patients with cerebral infarction. Methods A total of 79 patients, 39 males and 40 females with mean age of 67?7, with hypertension accompanied by similar size of cerebral infarction in the perfusion domain of middle cerebral artery, were involved in this study. The hypertension was graded as follows: grade Ⅰ (n=27), the systolic blood pressure (SBP)/diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 140-159mmHg/90-99mmHg; grade Ⅱ (n=29) with SBP/DBP of 160-179mmHg/100-109mmHg; grade Ⅲ (n=23) with SBP/DBP exceeding 180mmHg/110mmHg. Serum concentrations of LDL were determined with enzymatic colorimetry employing an automated multianalyzer. The lag time (ox-LDL lag-time) in conjugated diene production at 234nm was determined by copper-stimulated oxidation. Results No statistical difference was found in LDL-total cholesterol, LDL-triglyceride, LDL-free cholesterol among grade Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ groups (6.1?0.4, 0.87?0.08, 1.6?0.7mmol/L; 5.7?0.6, 0.86?0.05, 1.8?0.9mmol/L; and 5.6?0.7, 0.87?0.1, 1.7?0.8mmol/L, respectively). Correlation analysis showed the lag time in conjugated diene production in patients with cerebral infarction was negatively related to the grade of hypertension in all the subjects, and the lag time in grade Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ groups was 84.26?8.491, 69.84?7.748 and 61.95?8.482 min, respectively (r=0.673 3, P

Objective To study the effect of smoking on oxidized low-density lipoprotein ox-LDL lag time in patients with cerebral infarction. Methods Plasma samples were obtained from 67 patients with cerebral infarc-tion. 30 acute cerebral infarction patients without history of smoking were chosen to be as control group; meanwhile, 37 acute cerebral infarction patients with history of smoking were chosen to be as smoking group. There was no statis-tical difference in age,gender,blood pressure,lipid level and location and level of the cerebral focus between the two groups (P > 0.05). The ox-LDL lag time and lipid levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), including total choles-terol (TC) ,triglyceride (TG) and free cholesterol were measured. Results The ox-LDL lag time of the patients with history of smoking was significantly shorter than that in the control group[(77.21 ± 9.1) min vs. (59.95 ± 8.7)min,P <0.001]. There were no significant differences in LDL- TC,LDL- TG and LDL-free cholesterol level[(5.12±0.61) vs. (4.63±0.62) mmol/L; (0.89±0.07) mmol/L vs. (0.85±0.04) mmol/L; (1.71±0.43) vs. (1.74±0.91) mmol/L, P > 0.05 respectively] between the two groups. Conclusion Smoking shorts the ox-LDL lag time in patients with cerebral infarction, and decrease the anti-oxidization and increase the stress of oxidization.

BACKGRUND:The high prevalence of hepatitis B virus(HBV) is related with the sexual characteristics in drug abusers.How about the relationship between prevalence of HBV/hepatitis C virus(HCV) co infection and the sexual characteristics in drug abusers? OBJECTIVE:To investigate the relationship between sexual characteristics and HBV/HCV co infection in drug abusers. DESIGN:A cross sectional survey taking the drug abuser as the subjects. SETTING:A department of clinical laboratory of a municipal hospital,an epidemiological department of the college of public health of a university,a professional drug abuser treatment center. PARTICIPANTS:Totally 452 male and 320 female drug abusers were randomly selected from the Changsha Xinkaipu Drug Abusers Treatment Center and Zhuzhou Baimalong Female Drug Abusers Treatment Center as the subjects from 1st to 31st January 2001. INTERVENTIONS:A self designed questionnaire was used to investigate the sexual characteristics of drug abusers.HBV surface antigen and HCV antibody were detected in the serums of the participants with ELISA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:The relationship between HBV/HCV co infection and the sexual behavior, numbers of sexual partners,and the usage of condom in drug abusers. RESULTS:The total prevalence of HBV/HCV co infection in drug abusers was 21.24% ; the prevalence of HBV/HCV co infection in male drug abusers was 29.6% ),which was significantly higher than that in females(9.4% )(χ 2=46.016,P< 0.01).There was no significant difference in the prevalence of HBV/HCV co infection between male and female drug abuser whether they had or had not sexual behaviors(χ 2=3.775,P >0.05).The prevalence of HBV/HCV co infection was in an ascending tendency with the increase of sexual partner(χ 2=9.846,P< 0.05).The using frequency of condom was significantly higher in females than in males(U=14.80,P< 0.01). CONCLUSION:There is no correlation between sexual experience and prevalence of HBV/HCV co infection;male drug abusers have higher prevalence of co infection than females;the number of sexual partners is correlated with the prevalence of HBV/HCV co infection,the more sexual partners,the higher prevalence is.The protective effect of condom is greater in female drug abusers than in males.

Aim To observe the effects of liver cirrho-sis on the expression of transforming growth factor-β1 ( TGF-β1 ) and ColⅠin rat myocardium and interven-tion of erythropoietin ( EPO ) . Methods Thirty-six male Sprague-Dasley rats were randomly divided into three groups:control group, liver cirrhosis group and EPO group, then the cardic hemodynamic parameters in vivo and levels of serum lactate dehydrogenase ( LDH ) as well as creatine kinase isoenzyme ( CK-MB) were measured. With Masson′s trichrome stain, changes of collagen formation of myocardial tissue in different groups were observed. Also the mRNA ex-pressions of TGF-β1 and ColⅠin myocardium were de-tected by RT-PCR. Results In contrast to control group, rats in liver cirrhosis group showed a decline in systolic and diastolic function of left ventricule, rising myocardial enzyme, a distinct increase of cardiac colla-gen deposition, as well as an elevation of TGF-β1 and ColⅠmRNA expressions. In contrast to liver cirrhosis group, rats in EPO group demonstrated an improve-ment in systolic and diastolic function of left ventricule as well as in cardiac collagen deposition, and a de-crease in both myocardial enzyme and TGF-β1 and ColⅠmRNA expressions. Conclusion Liver cirrhosis can lead to the changes of myocardial structure and function in rats,and it can accelerate myocardial inter-stitial fibrosis; EPO can protect the myocardial injury in liver cirrhosis rats.

Objective To observe the change of serum ischemia modified albumin (IMA) in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients.Methods Seventy-four end stage renal disease patients undergoing CAPD more than 3 months (CAPD group) were divided into 2 groups according to clinical symptoms of cardiovascular diseases:CAPD symptoms group (29 cases) and CAPD asymptomatic group (45 cases).Seventy healthy subjects were selected as control group.The serum IMA level and abnormal rate of electrocardiogram and heart color ultrasonic were examined and compared.Results The serum IMA level in CAPD group was significantly higher than that in control group [(92.33 ± 17.17) kU/L vs.(69.63 ± 9.24)kU/L,P＜ 0.01].The serum IMA level in CAPD symptoms group was significantly higher than that in CAPD asymptomatic group [(109.37 ± 21.34) kU/L vs.(85.31 ± 8.58) kU/L,P ＜ 0.05].The elevatory rate of serum IMA level and abnormal rate of electrocardiogram and heart color ultrasonic in CAPD symptoms group were significantly higher than those in C APD asymptomatic group [37.9％ (11/29) vs.15.6％(7/45),62.1％ (18/29) vs.22.2％ (10/45),P ＜0.05].Conclusions The serum IMA level in CAPD patients is elevatory.Serum IMA level is significantly higher in CAPD patients with cardiovascular disease clinical symptoms,it can be used for diagnosis of myocardial damage in CAPD patients.

Objective To understand the endemic characteristics and regularity of cystic echinococcosis by evaluating and classifying its endemic situation in Non Tibetan Plateau regions,so as to provide the evidence for formulating effective preventive and control measures. Methods The prevalence data of cystic echinococcosis in 174 counties(cities,districts,banners)in Non Tibetan Plateau regions from a national survey were collected and analyzed by the sample cluster method in 2012. Results The 174 counties(cities,districts,banners)could be classified into 4 clusters by spatial distribution. The first cluster with human high prevalence rate,low infection rate of livestock,and positive rate of dog stool antigen included 3 counties. The second cluster with high infection rate of livestock,low prevalence rate of human,and positive rate of dog stool antigen included 20 counties(cit-ies). The third cluster with high positive rate of dog stool antigen,low prevalence rate of human,and low infection rate of livestock included 39 counties(cities,districts,banners). The fourth cluster with low rates of the above 3 indices included the rest 112 counties. Conclusions The results of the cluster analysis conform to the current epidemiological status of cystic echinococcosis in the Non Tibetan Plateau regions. The epidemiological characteristics and geographical distributions of the four area types will pro-vide a basis for the classified management and guidance of cystic echinococcosis control in these areas.

Objective To study the relationship between APOBEC3G mRNA level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and serum hepatitis C viral RNA level in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. Methods TaqMan real-time fluorescence relative quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to quantify APOBEC3G mRNA levels in PBMC from 49 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and 31 healthy subjects. The relationship between APOBEC3G mRNA level and hepatitis C virus (HCV) viral load was analyzed. SPSS11. 0 statistics software was used for t test and regression analysis. Results APOBEC3G mRNA level in CHC patients [(1.5×10-5±1.9×10-5 ) copy/mL] was significantly lower than that [( 5. 2 × 10-5 ± 5. 5 × 10-5 ) copy/mL] in the healthy control subjects (t=-3.005, P＜0.01). While APOBEC3G mRNA level was not related with HCV viral loads (r=-0.082, P＞0.05). Conclusion HCV has an inhibitive effect on APOBEC3G expression, whereas APOBEC3G doesn't affect HCV replication directly in vivo.