Objective To investigate the relationship of obesity with metabolic syndrome.Methods Six hundred and ninety-seven patients were chosen from the routine physical check-up from 2003 to 2005.These cases were divided into three groups according to body mass index(BMI).The detection rate of high triglyceride(TG) and low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C) were compared among groups of different BMI levels.The detection rate of hyperglycemia,hyperuricemia and high blood pressure among groups of different BMI levels was compared.Results With BMI increasing,the detection rate of high TG and low HDL-C also increased.The difference among three groups was statistically significant(P

Objective To investigate the awareness of non-respiratory physicians to the diagnosis and medical treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 370 non-respiratory physicians from 9 hospitals of Beijing.All the subjects were required to complete a self-administrated questionnaire.Chi-square test and analysis of variance were used for data analysis.Results The physicians in the first-grade hospitals had lower awareness of COPD than those in the second-or third-grade hospitals (57.5 ± 17.1,67.1 ± 15.0 and 68.9± 13.6,respectively; F=18.75,P＜0.05).Moreover,the residency and attending physicians were found to have lower awareness of COPD than chief physicians (61.4± 12.9,61.4± 15.0 and 79.3± 13.2,respectively; F=34.82,P＜0.05).Conclusion The medical knowledge on the management of COPD might be poor among non-respiratory physicians in Beijing.Primary healthcare workers and non-respiratory physicians should pursue intensive COPD training in the furture.

OBJECTIVETo explore the association of 8-hydroxyguanine glycosidase OGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism with semen quality and the risk of male infertility.

METHODSThis case-control study included 620 idiopathic infertile patients and 385 normal fertile controls. We determined their genotypes by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and analyzed their semen quality by computer-aided semen analysis (CASA).

RESULTSThe individuals with OGG1 326 Cys/Cys showed significantly lower sperm motility and concentration ([52.1 +/- 26.7]% and (3.75 +/- 0.91) x 10(6)/ml, ln transformed value) than the Ser/Ser carriers ([59.0 +/- 21.8] % and (4.12 +/- 0.88) x 10(6)/ml, ln transformed value) (P < 0.05). The risk of male infertility increased 69% in the OGG1 326Cys allele carriers as compared with the Ser carriers (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.24 -2.31).

CONCLUSIONOGG1 326 Ser/Cys polymorphism might contribute to the risk of male infertility in the southern Chinese population.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; DNA Glycosylases ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Semen Analysis ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the properties of orthodontic rectangular arch wires in torsion.

METHODSBy using the torsion measurement apparatus, torsion moments and angles of four kinds of orthodontic wires (0.46 mm x 0.63 mm and 0.48 mm x 0.63 mm stainless steel wires, and the same size nickel-titanium wires) were tested respectively in a 0.56 mm-slot first maxillary incisor bracket. According to the torsion moments and angles, scatter graphs were drawn to fit the load-deflection curves of four kinds of wires and their linear equations were calculated. According to the equations, the torsion stiffness and the play angles of the wires at 20 N mm correspondingly were calculated.

RESULTSThe torsion stiffness of four kinds of wires were 4.909, 6.417, 1.325 and 1.363 N mn/degrees, the torsion angles of different wires were 19.14 degrees, 15.33 degrees, 36.83 degrees and 35.07 degrees at 20 N mm respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe torsion stiffness of stainless steel wires was bigger than that of the same cross-section dimensional nickel-titanium wires. The difference of torsion stiffness between two dimensional nickel-titanium wires is smaller, while the difference of torsion stiffness between two stainless steel wires is larger.

Incisor ; Nickel ; Orthodontic Wires ; Stainless Steel ; Titanium

Background:Epilepsy is a chronic disorder characterized by recurrent seizures and has significant psychological and social consequence for everyday living.Epilepsy affects various aspects of ones' social life.The present study aimed to investigate the influence of marital status on the quality of life of adult Chinese patients with epilepsy.Methods:This study surveyed 805 Chinese adults who have been clinically diagnosed with epilepsy for longer than 1 year in 11 hospitals in Beijing.In this survey,532 (66.1％) participants were married.All of them completed the case report form with enquiries on demographic data,social factors,and illness.The marriage status of adult epileptic quality of life was the dependent variable,and demographic data and clinical data were independent variables,analyzed through the multiple linear regression analysis methods.The patients' quality of life was assessed using the Quality of Life in patients with Epilepsy-31 items (QOLIE-31) questionnaire,the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items (PHQ-9),and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 items (GAD-7).Results:The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores in the unmarried group (PHQ-9 =6.0 and GAD-7 =5.0) were significantly higher than that of the married group (PHQ-9 =4.0 and GAD-7 =3.0).The scores of married adult patients with epilepsy on QOLIE (61.8 ± 15.3) and social function (70.9 ± 22.7) were higher than the scores of the unmarried patients aged between 20 and 44 years.The scores of married adult epileptics on the QOLIE (58.4 ± 14.6) and the energy/fatigue (62.1 ± 20.4) were higher than the scores of the unmarried patients (QOLIE =58.4 ± 14.6 and the energy/fatigue =62.1 ± 20.4) aged between 45 and 59 years.For the adult epilepsy patients,depression,anxiety,seizures within the last year,disease course,medical expense category,and marriage* age are negatively correlated with the quality of life.Occupation,educational level,and average monthly income are closely related to the quality of life.Conclusions:Married adult epileptic patients have better quality of life than that of unmarried adult patients in young and middle-aged age groups.Unmarried adult patients with epilepsy are more anxious and depressed than married adult patients.

The glucoamylase gene (glaA) of Aspergillus niger CICIM F0410 was cloned, sequenced and expressed. The integrated plasmid pBC-Hygro-glaA carrying the glaA was constructed and transformed into A. niger F0410. Transformants with multiple copies of glaA integrated in the chromosome were selected by 150 microg/mL hygromycin B and identified by real-time PCR. Two to three multiples of glaA in the chromosome were found to be optimal for higher expression of glucoamylase. Shake-flask fermentation under optimal conditions showed that glucoamylase secreted by the transformant GB0506 was 17.5% higher than parental strain F0410 at the end of fermentation. In conclusion, increasing copy number of glaA by chromosomal integration significantly improves the yield of glucoamylase in the industrial strain of A. niger.
Aspergillus niger ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; Glucan 1,4-alpha-Glucosidase ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Plasmids ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis

OBJECTIVES: DNA polymerase (pol) of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) includes 3 different domains such as terminal protein (TP), reverse transcriptase (RT) and RNase H. Humoral immune responses to each of these proteins have not been well documented previously, although antibody to pol was detected in serum of patients with chronic hepatitis B. We have constructed TP (amino acids 1-182), RT (amino acids 346-685) and RNase H (amino acids 690-832). METHODS: By ELISA using each protein expressed in E. coli as antigens, the corresponding antibodies were tested in serum from 40 patients with type B viral chronic liver diseases. (20 HBeAg-positive and 20 HBeAg-negative). As negative controls, sera from 3 healthy young men were used. With the mean values of the OD, which were tested 4 times per each test sample and 3 times per each control sample, we considered to be positive if the mean OD of each test sample is 2-fold or higher than that of controls. RESULTS: Five of 40 sera (12.5%) contained one or two different antibodies detectable by this method: 4 of 20 HbeAg-positive sera (20%) and 1 of 20 HbeAg-negative sera (5%). Anti-TP, anti-RT and anti-RNase H antibodies were detected in 2.5% (1/40), 10% (4/40) and 7.5% (3/40), respectively. Among 4/20 HbeAg-positive ELISA-positive sera, anti-TP, anti-RT and anti-RNase H were positive in 5% (1/20), 20% (4/20) and 10% (2/20), respectively, while 1 HBeAg-negative ELISA-positive sera were positive only for anti-RNase H. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the corresponding antibody responses to individual recombinant peptides derived from 3 domains of DNA polymerase may tend to be detected more frequently in HBeAg-positive sera than in HBeAg-negative sera from various patients with type B viral chronic liver diseases.
Adult ; Antibodies, Antinuclear/analysis* ; Biological Markers/analysis ; DNA Polymerase II/immunology* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/analysis* ; Hepatitis B Virus/immunology* ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/immunology* ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Odds Ratio ; Reference Values ; Substances: DNA Polymerase II ; Substances: Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Substances: Biological Markers ; Substances: Antibodies, Antinuclear

OBJECTIVETo assess and analyze the risk and community treatment of hypertension in rural population of Changshu city, Jiangsu province.

METHODSA stratified cluster sampling technique was conducted to select a sample of 800 people, aged 35 - 74 years old, in a rural village according to the proportion of the national population in Changshu. Weight, height, blood pressure, serum lipid, blood glucose and other related factors were examined and analyzed.

RESULTSThe prevalence rate of hypertension in the rural area was 32.01%, and significantly higher with the increase of age (P < 0.01). The average systolic blood pressure of hypertension in females was significantly positively correlated while, the average diastolic blood pressure of male and female hypertensives was significantly negatively correlated to age. The proportions of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) as senility, hyperlipemia, premature familial history of CVD and overweight of hypertension were significantly high than those without hypertension (P < 0.01). The percentage of medium-low risk on hypertension was 85.72%, but of high risk was 14.28%. The ratio of using medication, exclusive non-medication, comprehensive treatment or total cure were 42.05%, 2.84%, 14.20% and 59.09%, accordingly. The rates of blood pressure control under the above approaches were 35.14%, 40.00%, 36.00% and 39.77%.

CONCLUSIONAssessment on the risk of hypertension in the rural areas suggested that the priority should be given to medium-low risk groups, while the rate of medication and non-medicine intervention was at low level. It is necessary to strengthen a comprehensive intervention program for hypertension control.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Community Health Services ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; epidemiology ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Random Allocation ; Risk Factors ; Rural Health Services ; statistics & numerical data ; Rural Population ; statistics & numerical data ; Sex Factors

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of children with atopic dermatitis (AD) and the changes in serum levels of apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A1), 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and eosinophil derived neurotoxin (EDN).Methods:200 children with AD treated in Zhuzhou Central Hospital from January 2016 to December 2019 were selected retrospectively as AD group and 100 healthy children as control group. The clinical characteristics of children with AD were analyzed, and the differences in serum Apo A1, 25 (OH)D and EDN levels between two groups were compared. The relationships between serum Apo A1, 25(OH)D, EDN levels and severity of AD were explored.Results:The male to female composition ratio of 200 AD patients was 1.41∶1, and the age of onset <3 months was the highest (64.50%). Inhalation allergens were detected in 118 cases (59.00%) and ingestion allergens in 82 cases (41.00%). The levels of Apo A1 and EDN in AD group were significantly higher than those in control group, while the level of 25(OH)D was significantly lower than that in control group ( P<0.05). With the aggravation of the disease, the serum Apo A1 and EDN levels in AD children increased gradually, while the serum 25(OH)D level decreased significantly (all P<0.05). Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) was positively correlated with Apo A1 and EDN levels ( P<0.05), and was negatively correlated with 25(OH)D level (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Apo A1, 25 (OH)D and EDN are involved in the pathogenesis of AD in children, and their serum levels are closely related to the severity of AD.

Sepsis is a potentially fatal condition characterized by the failure of one or more organs due to a disordered host response to infection. The development of sepsis is closely linked to immune dysfunction. As a result, immunotherapy has gained traction as a promising approach to sepsis treatment, as it holds the potential to reverse immunosuppression and restore immune balance, thereby improving the prognosis of septic patients. However, due to the highly heterogeneous nature of sepsis, it is crucial to carefully select the appropriate patient population for immunotherapy. This review summarizes the current and evolved treatments for sepsis-induced immunosuppression to enhance clinicians' understanding and practical application of immunotherapy in the management of sepsis.