Alzheimer′s disease ( AD) is a type of neurodegener-ative disease. Recent studies indicate that neuronal degeneration and loss triggered by tau, APP and Aβare the probable risks for AD. Neurofibrillary tangles are formed after tau truncated by ac-tivated caspases and subsequently induced tau aggregates, which causes neuronal degeneration and loss. In addition, caspases are crucial components in the biological functioning in the apoptosis pathways. Apoptosis pathway involves activation of upstream ini-tiator caspase-8 and downstream executor caspase-3/-6/-7. After the actions of β- and γ-secretase, APP transforms into sAPPβand Aβ40/42 . Aggregated Aβ42 can activate apoptosis pathway through DR4/5 interaction. C-APP is truncated into C31 frag-ments by caspases and cell apoptosis is facilitated. N-APP, a product of sAPPβhydrolysis, can promote the abnormal develop-ment of neurons mediated by DR6. Caspase activates γ-secre-tase-activating protein to regulate activity ofγ-secretase, and the production of C31 and Aβ40/42 , which, then, causes the occur-rence of AD. This brief review summarizes the specific roles of caspases and the concerning apoptosis pathways on the mecha-nisms of neuronal degeneration and loss, and how they impact the occurrence of AD in the hope of uncovering additional poten-tial therapeutic targets that can be employed in drug development and clinical therapy for AD.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safty of antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B ( CHB ) patients in second trimester of pregnancy.Methods Seventy-nine CHB patients in second trimester of pregnancy were collected from Hangzhou First People’ s Hospital and Xixi Hospital of Hangzhou during January 2010 to December 2013.Patients were divided into antiviral treatment group ( n=47) and the control group (n=32) according to their own wishes.Patients in antiviral treatment group were given lamivudine or telbivudine treatment plus hepatoprotective medication, while those in control group were only given hepatoprotective medication.All pregnant women were observed for 12 weeks after childbirth and the neonates were followed-up for 6 months after birth.The liver function, HBV DNA loads, HBV serological markers were measured;adverse effects during pregnancy, blocking rates of mother-to-child transmission and the growth of neonates were documented.t test or Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.Results Alanine aminotransferase ( ALT) normalization rate and HBV DNA negative rate in antiviral treatment group before childbirth were 88.6%(39/44) and 84.1%(37/44) , while those in the control group were 60.0%(18/30) and 0 (χ2 =8.27 and 50.46, P<0.05).After 12 weeks of childbirth, ALT normalization rate and HBV DNA negative rate in antiviral treatment group were both 100.0% (44/44), which were higher than those in control group (90.0%and 0) (χ2 =4.59 and 74.00, P<0.05).HBeAg seroconversion was observed in 1 (2.8%) and 4 (11.1%) patients in antiviral treatment group before and 12 weeks after childbirth, but it was not observed in the control group.The difference in HBeAg seroconversion rate bwteen two groups was not of statistical significance (P>0.05).No patient in antiviral treatment group terminated pregnancy due to abnormal liver function or adverse effect of drugs, while 2 out of 30 patients (6.7%) in the control group terminated the pregnancy, but the difference between two groups was not of statistical significance (χ2 =1.01, P >0.05).Mother-to-child transmission of HBV was successfully blocked in antiviral treatment group, while 3 cases (11.5%) in control group were failed (χ2 =5.19, P<0.05).No significant differences in gestational age, body mass, body length, Apgar score between two groups were observed (t=0.65, 0.84, 0.25 and 0.77, P>0.05).Conclusion Antiviral treatment can improve liver function, inhibit HBV replication and reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission, and is safe for CHB patients in second trimester of pregnancy.

Objective To detect the positive rates of antibodies against avian influenza virus (AIV) subtypes H5, H6, H7 and H9 among people in poultry occupations in Guangdong province and to analyze the transmission of various subtypes of AIV from poultry to human contacts for the prevention and control of novel AIV infection in human beings.Methods Serum specimens were collected from 1066 peo-ple in poultry occupations ( occupational group) and 205 people not in poultry occupations ( non-occupational group) in 10 cities of Guangdong province.The inactivated AIV strains, isolated from poultry or environment of Guangdong province, were used as antigens to detect antibodies against AIV subtypes H5, H6, H7 and H9 by using the hemagglutination inhibition ( HI) assay.Results The positive rates of antibodies against AIV subtypes H5, H6, H7 and H9 carried by people from the occupational group were respectively 0.44%, 0%, 0.30%and 0.30%in 2013 and 1.08%, 0.0%, 0.0%and 0.27%in 2014.Only the anti-H9 anti-bodies were detected in serum samples collected form people in the non-occupational group in 2013 with a positive rate of 0.95%.No significant differences with the positive rates of anti-AIV antibodies were found between the occupational group and the non-occupational group.However, the geometric mean titer ( GMT) of anti-AVI antibodies in people from the occupational group was higher than that of the non-occupational group.Conclusion Although a grand spread of AIV from avian to human is not likely to happen yet, con-tacting with poultry is the risk factor for AIV infection in Guangdong population.A long-term surveillance of anti-AIV antibodies in serum should be strengthened among people in poultry occupations for the timely pre-vention and control of novel AIV outbreak.

Animals ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Chickens ; China ; epidemiology ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype ; classification ; genetics ; pathogenicity ; Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype ; genetics ; Influenza in Birds ; transmission ; virology ; Influenza, Human ; ethnology ; transmission ; virology ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Orthomyxoviridae Infections ; metabolism ; mortality ; virology ; Phylogeny ; Seasons ; Survival Rate ; Virulence ; genetics