Objectives To investigate the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and risk factors in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods The biochemical indices, blood pressure and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in pa-tients with CKD were retrospectively analyzed. The risk factors of LVH were analyzed using Logistic regression. Results In 125 CKD patients, 32.00%were at 4th stage and 68.00%were at 5th stage. The estimate glomerular ifltration rate (eGFR) and hemo-globin (Hb) level were signiifcantly higher in CKD patients at 4th stage than in those at 5th stage. The intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), serum phosphorus and LVMI were signiifcantly lower in CKD patients at 4th stage than in those at 5th stage (P<0.01). LVH was detected in 33.60%CKD patients. The eGFR and Hb level were signiifcantly lower in CKD patients with LVH than in those without LVH. The iPTH, serum phosphorus, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were signiifcantly higher in CKD patients with LVH than in those without LVH (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis indicated that only hypertension, hyperphosphatemia, moderate and severe anemia were the risk factors of LVH. Conclusion Control of hypertension, hyperphos-phatemia and anemia is the key to prevent LVH in CKD patients.

Medicinal plants of the Fructus Amomi containing three species (A momum villosum, A momum longiligu-lare, Amomum villosum var. xanthioides)are well-known, which are widely used as traditional medicines. The mor-phological characteristics of the three origins are very similar, especially in the form of seed. In this study, 60 sam-ples of Fructus Amomi were co llected, and 34 sequences of the Fructus Amomi and their adulterants from GenBank were analyzed. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected. All the ITS2 sequences here (including our ex-periments and GenBank data)were examined for SNPs at the interspecies level. Results from the study revealed that two stable bases at position 135 bp and 199 bp were found, which could be used as a unique marker to distinguish the three origins of Fructus Amomi. The two SNPs in the ITS2 were found to exist stably between the three species, and all the GenBank sequences of the Fructus Amomi. Our findings indicated that SNP-based DNA barcoding could be used as an efficient method for the rapid and accurate identification of the three origins of Fructus Amomi.

AIM: To investigate the effects of EPA and DHA on oxidative stress of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rat mesangial cells. METHODS: The glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) were stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and incubated with EPA (10 μmol/L or 100 μmol/L) and DHA (10 μmol/L or 100 μmol/L) for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h. The activity of SOD, GSH-Px and the level of MDA was measured. The protein and mRNA expressions of MCP-1 and TGF-β_1 were detected by immunocytochemistry and real-time PCR method, respectively. RESULTS: The activities of SOD and GSH-Px were decreased and the concentration of MDA was increased when stimulated with LPS. EPA and DHA increased the activities of SOD and GSH-Px and decreased the concentration of MDA significantly. Meanwhile, the protein and mRNA expressions of MCP-1 and TGF-β_1 stimulated by LPS were decreased. DHA was more effective than EPA at the same concentration. CONCLUSION: EPA and DHA enhance the activities of antioxidant enzymes, decrease the concentration of MDA and inhibit the expression of TGF-β_1 and MCP-1, suggesting that the protective effect of EPA and DHA on kidney is related to the antioxidation and the inhibition of TGF-β_1 and MCP-1 expression.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare disease clinically, and at present no western medicine can effectively cure the disease. After the analysis of literatures related to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for treatment of the disease in the China National Knowledge Internet Database, it was discovered that the syndrome differentiation showed the disease closely associated with phlegm, blood stasis and yin deficiency. In this study, from view point of pulmonary gangrene TCM theory and treatment combined with PAP pathophysiological characteristics, it is emphasized that phlegm accumulation, blood stasis and yang deficiency are the key pathological manifestations of PAP, thus Yanghe decoction, Tounong powder, Kongxian pellet were used for treatment of one such case, the rational thinking in diagnosis and treatment of this patient being consistent with the idea learning western medicine for China use.

Objective To find an ideal method of DNA isolation from blood and especially from clotted blood and to minimize the volume of blood collected for laboratory and clinical tests.Methods DNAs were isolated from antiagglutinated and agglutinated blood samples from auricular veins of 30 healthy subjects. The DNAs of these samples were obtained by a nonenzymatic, nontoxic procedure optimized by us and determinated by agarose gel electrophoesis and PCR. Results The yields of DNA isolated from clotted blood and antiagglutinated blood were (40.2?8.86)mg DNA/L and (39.1?10.2)mg DNA/L, and purities were 1.87?0.11 and 1.92? 0.12. The DNAs that we isolated from all samples had high molecular weight and by PCR the dimorphism of ALU alleles of the 8th intron of t-PA was easy to be obtained, so they were complete and reliable. Conclusion This method is rapid, easy, efficient and nontoxic for isolation of DNA from clotted and fresh blood and meets requirements for clinical testing and molecular biology study.

Objective To explore the mechanism of immunomodulatory activity of triptolide on healthy volunteers peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)-derived plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). Methods Healthy volunteers-derived pDCs were sorted by flow cytometry, then incubated with triptolide (0, 5, 10, 30 μg/L). After 24 hours, we detected the concentration of IFN-α, IL-6, TNF-α using ELISA. After 5 days, the cultrural cells were collected and analyzed by flow cytometry, light microscope and electron microscope scanning. Results Triptolide-treated pDCs secreted lower level of IFN-α,IL-6 ,TNF-α, triptolide could inhibit pDCs differentiation to DCs which displayed more immature morphology and immunophenotypes than untreated-pDCs. Conclusion Triptolide could decrease the immune function of pDCs, inhibit differentiation and maturation of pDCs.

Objective To investigate the expression level of immunoglobulin G (IgG)4 cells in patients previously diagnosed as unexplained liver injuries,and to analyze whether these patients could be diagnosed as immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD).The clinical characteristics of patients with IgG4 positive cells infiltration in liver tissues who did not met IgG4-RD diagnosis criteria were also analyzed.Methods From August 2010 to July 2016,33 patients with unexplained liver injuries even after liver biopsy were enrolled.Immunostaining of IgG and IgG4 in liver tissue slices was performed.Whether the patients met the IgG4-RD diagnosis criteria was analyzed.Also,the relation between IgG4 positive cell infiltration in liver tissues and serum parameters (alanine aminotransferase (ALT),aspartate transaminase (AST),alkaline phosphatase (ALP),γ-glutamyl transpeptadase (GGT),IgG),the classification of liver inflammation and stage of liver fibrosis were analyzed.Chi-square,Fisher exact probability method,t test and Wilcoxon rank and inspection were used for statistical analysis.Results Among 33 patients with unexplained liver injuries,average age of onset of the disease was (50.48 ± 14.52) years old.Ten patients (30.3 ％) presented with different degree of IgG4 positive cells infiltration in liver.In one patient,the IgG4 positive cell number in liver tissue was over 10/high-powered field (HPF),IgG4+ / IgG+ ratio was over 40％,the serum IgG4 increased and low density nodules in the left hepatic lobe level,which met the diagnostic criteria of IgG4-RD.Serum parameters of liver function of this patient were as follows:ALT 948 U/L,AST 658 U/L,ALP 176 U/L,GGT 197 U/L,TBil 21.5 μmol/L,DBil 10.0 μmol/L.According to whether there were IgG4 positive cells infiltration in liver tissues,33 patients were divided into IgG4 positive cells infiltration group (IgG4 positive group,10 cases) and no IgG4 positive cells infiltration group (IgG4 negative group,23 cases).The medium levels of ALT,AST,ALP and GGT in the IgG4 positive group and the IgG4 negative group were 26.0 U/L vs 31.0 U/L,28.5 U/L vs 32.0 U/L,114.0 U/L vs 77.0 U/L,65.0 U/L vs 36.0 U/L,respectively and there were no statistically significant differences (Z=-0.098,-0.216,-0.862,-0.705;all P＞0.05).The serum IgG level of the IgG4 positive group was higher than that of the IgG4 negative group (17.15 g/L vs 13.65 g/L),and the difference was statistically significant (Z=-1.776,P =0.035).Conclusions IgG4-RD may be the reason of liver injury.There are no significant differences in clinical charateristics,serum parameters and inflammation degree in liver tissue between patients with or without IgG4 positive cells infiltration.

In order to verify the sstability and accuracy of DNA barcode technique, we chose Rosa laevigata Michx as study object. Genomic DNAs of 10 samples were extracted by modified CTAB method. ITS2 sequences were obtained by direct PCR sequencing; the other 6 sequences were obtained from GenBank. The sequences were assembled using the CodonCode Aligner. All of the 16 ITS2 sequences were aligned through Clustal-W and the genetic distances were computed using MEGA 5.0 in accordance with the Kimura 2-parameter (K-2-P) model. Results indicated that the lengths of ITS2 regions of R. laevigata ranged from 219 to 221 bp with two Poly C structure in it. The intra-specific genetic distances were smaller than inter-specific ones in ITS2 regions of R. laevigata. The NJ tree showed that R. laevigata and adulterants were divided into two clades, with 99%bootstrap value, showing good monophyly. So, ITS2 was considered a good marker to identify R. laevigata and its adulterants.

Objective To explore the mechanism of immunomodulatory activity of triptolide on systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) patients peripheral blood mononuclear cells( PBMC)-derived dendritic cells (DCs).Methods SLE -derived DCs were sorted by flow cytometry from peripheral blood mononuclear cells,then incubated with triptolide (0,5,10,30 μg/L ).After 24 h,we collected the supernatants and then detected the concentration of IFN-α,IL-6,TNF-α using ELISA.After 5 d,the cultrural cells were collected and CD11c,CD80,CD86 expression of DCs were analyzed by flow cytometry,we observed the morphology of DC by light microscope and electron microscope scanning.Results Triptolide -treated DCs from SLE patients with active and stable disease secreted lower level of IFN-α,IL-6,TNF-α,triptolide could inhibit DCs differentiation,which displayed more immature morphology and immunophenotypes than untreatedDCs.Conclusion Triptolide could decrease the immune function of DCs from SLE,inhibit differentiation and maturation of DCs.

With the development of the diagnosis and treatment for rare diseases and the promotion of the construction of ′Double First-Class′ Universities in China, the libraries of medical schools have to make full use of their strengths to better face new challenges in discipline construction proactively. This article refers to resource and information service practices related to the rare disease carried out by medical libraries in China and in other countries; explores the possibilities of building up the resource and information in the future, aiming at improving the awareness of rare diseases among medical students, researchers, and the general public. The article also focuses on the need for strengthening the support for teaching and research into rare diseases, hoping to contribute to the overall improvement of the diagnosis, treatment, and educational research in rare diseases in China.