OBJECTIVETo provide evidence for Chinese medical treatment of children with EB virus infection by exploring its clinical efficacy from multiple angles.

METHODSTotally 81 children patients were randomly assigned to the treatment group (46 cases) and the control group (35 cases). Patients in the treatment group took Chinese medical decoction, while those in the control received intravenous dripping of Ganciclovir and oral administration of pidotimod. The treatment period for the two groups was 2 weeks. Patients were followed-up till the 12th week. Clinical symptoms such as fever, lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly, as well as lab indices such as abnormal lymphocyte percentage, EB virus antibody, virus DNA load, T cell subsets, immunoglobulin, and so on were observed before and after treatment, at week 4 and 12 of follow-ups.

RESULTS(1) The total effective rate at week 2 was 95.6% in the treatment group, higher than that of the control group (94.3%), but there was no statistical difference between the two groups. (2) The time for defervescence, duration of pharyngeal hyperemia, duration of swollen tonsils was shorter in the treatment group than in the control group (P<0.05). The subsidence of lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, and abnormal lymphocytes was better in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). (3) The positive cases of peripheral blood hetero-lymphocyte was significantly reduced after treatment, at week 4 and 12 of follow-ups both in the treatment group and the control group (P < 0.01). The expression of IgA and IgM decreased after treatment in the two groups when compared with before treatment in the same group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). IgG in the treatment group also obviously decreased after treatment, at week 4 and 12 of follow-ups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), while it decreased only after treatment in the control group (P < 0.05). Activities of AST and ALT in the treatment group and the AST activity in the control group were markedly improved when compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the abnormal lymphocyte positive case number obviously decreased in the treatment group after treatment, at week 4 and 12 of follow-ups (P < 0.05). (4) After treatment, at week 4 and 12 of follow-ups, CD3+ and CD8+ significantly decreased; CD4+, CD4/CD8, and B cells significantly increased in the two groups, when compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). NK cells significantly increased more in the treatment group after treatment, at week 4 and 12 of follow-ups, higher than before treatment as well as the control group (P < 0.05). (5) EB viral DNA and EB viral CA-IgM negative conversion case numbers significantly increased in the two groups after treatment, at week 4 and 12 of follow-ups (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, EB viral DNA and EB viral CA-IgM negative conversion case numbers significantly increased in the treatment group after treatment and at week 4 of follow-ups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSTreatment of EB virus infection by Chinese medical treatment was effective. It could promote the recovery of EB viral infection, and reduce the risk of vicious disease after EB viral infection.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Female ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology

Human kerotinocyte growth factor (hKGF) gene amplified by PCR was inserted into the shuttle vector pAdTrack-CMV to get the recombinant plasmid pAdTrack-CMV-hKGF, which was linearized with Pme I and transferred into Escherichia coli BJ5183 containing the adenoviral bone plasmid pAdEasy-1 to obtain the recombinant adenoviral plasmid pAdEasy-hKGF. The recombinant adenoviral plasmid was then transfected into HEK-293 cell lines via Lipofectamine 2000 to package and amplify the recombinant adenovirus containing hKGF gene detected by PCR. The recombinant adenovirus produced could effectively infect HaCat cells. The result of Western blotting showed that HaCat cells infected with the recombinant adenovirus expressed and secreted hKGF protein.

In this paper, the effect of 5% (V/V) n-alkanes (e.g, n-Heptane, n-Octane, n-Decane, n-Dodecanen-Tetradecane and n-Hexadecane) on the growth and protease production of organic-solvent-tolerant- bacte-rium Bacillus licheniformis YP1 was studied. 5%(V/V) n-alkanes had no effect on the stability of YP1 prote-ase. 5% (V/V) n-alkanes had no notable influence on the yield of strain YP1 but dramatically affected theprotease production. The presence of n-Heptane, n-Octane and n-Decane deeply repressed the protease pro-duction; however n-Dodecane, n-Tetradecane and n-Hexadecane enhanced the protease production promi-nencely. The concentration of n-Tetradecane (1%-8%, V/V) had a direct ration with the protease production.The detailed experiments showed that the notable increase of protease activity appeared at the late logarithmof cultivation compared with the blank. The cell shape of YP1 strain remarkably decreased when grown inthe presence of n-Tetradecane. This is the first report about the effect of n-alkanes on the protease productionby the solvent tolerant bacterium.

Objective To investigate the long-term prognosis an d recorery of children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis(JRA).Methods The cases diagnosed JRA in our hospital over the period of 1988～1992 we re followed up for the conditions of disease,the deteriorated joints,the treatme nt and the living conditions of patients.Results Ninty-six ca ses were followed up(involving male 66 cases,female 29 cases,the mean age of on set 8.21?3.17 years )except for a case who died of lymphoma.There were 44 cases with systemic JRA ,2 cases of them died after 7-years onset and 23 cases developed severe destructive arthritis.There were 38 oligoarthritis cases,27 cases of them stiu had active disease during 10-year following-up and 9 cases were diagnosed sacroiliitis.There were 13 polyarthritis and 3 cases of them were RF positive, who had developed severe destructive arthritis.Conclusions The prognosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is not desirable,especially in systemic JRA,whose prognostic factors are related to age of onset,the lasting of fever,the markers of phlegmasia activity and the condition of systemic involvement and treatment.Oligoarthritis about 30 % may develop into ankylosing spondylitis.The probability of destructive arthritis is hi gher in polyarthritis with more RF positive and poor prognosis.

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of Zheng's Jin Gou Diao Yu (gold-hook-fishing) acupuncture method versus ordinary acupuncture on superficial fascia for treating neck type cervical spondylopathy in Kyrgyz. Methods:A total of 64 Kyrgyz patients conforming to the diagnostic criteria of neck type cervical spondylopathy were included. The patients were randomized into a Zheng's Jin Gou Diao Yu (gold-hook-fishing) acupuncture group and a conventional acupuncture group, with 32 cases in each group. Patients in the Zheng's Jin Gou Diao Yu (gold-hook-fishing) acupuncture group were treated with Zheng's Jin Gou Diao Yu (gold-hook-fishing) acupuncture method to stimulate the superficial fascia, the stimulation sites were primarily located at bilateral sides of the cervical vertebra as well as the trigger points in shoulder-neck region; patients in the conventional acupuncture group were punctured at the same acupoints, with twirling reducing method, and the depth of insertion was determined by the treated region. Patients in both groups received treatment every day for a succession of 5 d as a course, with a 2-day interval between 2 courses, and the whole treatment lasted for 3 courses. After 3 courses of treatment, the McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ) and neck disability index (NDI) were measured to compare the clinical effect between the two groups. Results: After treatment, scores of MPQ and NDI scale dropped when compared with those before treatment, and the differences showed statistical significance (allP<0.05); scores of MPQ and NDI in the Jin Gou Diao Yu (gold-hook-fishing) acupuncture group were substantially lower than those in the conventional acupuncture group, and the differences showed statistical significance (allP<0.05). The total effective rate was 96.9％ in the Jin Gou Diao Yu (gold-hook-fishing) acupuncture group and the cured rate was 78.1％, which were higher than 81.3％ and 40.6％ in the conventional acupuncture group, and the differences showed statistical significance (bothP<0.05). Conclusion: Zheng's Jin Gou Diao Yu (gold-hook-fishing) acupuncture method by stimulating superficial fascia to treat cervical spondylopathy in Kyrgyz can produce a better clinical effect than conventional acupuncture treatment, and is effective in improving pain and stiffness in patients, and thus is worth clinical popularization.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of long non-coding RNA-HOTAIR in prostate cancer cells and its effects on the growth and metastasis of the cells.

METHODSUsing quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), we determined the relative expression of HOTAIR in the normal human prostate epithelial cell line RWPE-I and prostate cancer cell lines PC-3 and DU145. We detected the effects of HOTAIR on the cell cycle and invasiveness of prostate cancer cells by RNA interference, flow cytometry, and Transwell mitration assay.

RESULTSThe expressions of HOTAIR in the PC3 and DU145 cells were increased 3.2 and 5.7 times, respectively, as compared with that in the normal RWPE-1 cells. After si-HOTAIR interference, the prostate cancer cells were arrested in the G2 phase and downregulated in the G1 phase. The invasive ability of the prostate cancer cells was evidently inhibited, with the inhibition rates of 32% and 44% of the PC3 cells and 43% and 34% of the DU145 cells for si-HOTAIR1 and si-HOTAIR2, respectively.

CONCLUSIONIncRNA HOTAIR is highly expressed in prostate cancer, which is associated with the growth and invasiveness of prostate cancer cells. HOTAIR is potentially a novel marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer.

Cell Cycle ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Cell Division ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Down-Regulation ; G1 Phase ; G2 Phase ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Long Noncoding ; metabolism ; RNA, Untranslated ; metabolism

A rapid, sensitive and convenient LC-MS/MS method was developed for the determination of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in human plasma. d2-γ-Aminobutyric acid (d2-GABA) was synthesized as internal standard (IS). After extraction from human plasma by protein precipitation with acetonitrile, all analytes were separated on a Luna HILIC column (100 mm x 3.0 mm, 3 μm) using an isocratic mobile phase of water: acetonitrile: formic acid (20 : 80 : 0.12) with a flow rate of 0.5 mL x min(-1). Acquisition of mass spectrometric data was performed in multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM) in positive electrospray ionization using the transitions of m/z 104 --> 69 for GABA and m/z 106 --> 71 for d2-GABA. The method was linear in the concentration range of 5.00 to 1 000 ng x mL(-1). The intra- and inter-day precisions were within 9.9%, and accuracy ranged from 99.1% to 104%, within the acceptable limit across all concentrations. The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of GABA tablets in healthy Chinese volunteers.
Chromatography, Liquid ; Humans ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; blood

Objective To translate the Water Orientation Test of Alyn 1 (WOTA1) into Chinese and investigate the test-retest reliability, inter-rater reliability and validity of this Chinese Version. Methods The Water Orientation Test of Alyn 1 was translated from English into Chinese. 25 children with cerebral palsy were tested with Chinese Version of WOTA1 by 2 raters. One of the raters accessed the same children again after 2 days. While the children were assessed with Brief Assessment of Motor Function (BAMF). The scores from both raters, twice of one rater, and of WOTA1 and of BAMF were analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficient. Results The correlation coefficient of test-retest of WOTA1 total score is 0.992 (95% CI: 0.982-0.996), and it was 0.887 to 1.000 of the scores of items. The correlation coefficient of inter-rater of total score is 0.992 (95% CI: 0.980-0.998), and it was 0.748 to 1.000 of the scores of items. The correlation coefficient between scores of WOTA1 and BAMF was 0.926 (P<0.01). Conclusion The Chinese Version of WOTA1 is good reliable and valid to assess the motor function in hydrotherapy pool.

BACKGROUND: Recently biodegradable hydrogel has been extensively used to delivery anticancer drug and bioactive macromolecule. However, to protect the activity of the bioactive macromolecule, we need to obtain series of hydrogel which have milder hydrogelation conditions and shorter hydroglation time.OBJECTIVE: To prepare enantiomeric poly(L-Lactic acid) (PLLA)-poly(ethylene glycol (PEG)-PLLA/ poly(D-Lactic acid) (PDLA)-PEG-PDLA stereocomplex hydrogel which has shorter hydroglation time, to physically encapsulate a model drug-lysozyme and sustained release it from the hydrogel. METHODS: Triblock copolymers of PLLA-PEG-PLLA and PDLA-PEG-PDLA were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of L(D)-lactide using PEG as the initiator and Sn(Oct)2 as the catalyst. The triblock copolymers were characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, FT-IR and X-Ray diffractometry. A hydrogel was prepared from an aqueous mixture of PLLA20-PEG227-PLLA20 and PDLA21-PEG227-PDLA21 (10 wt% concentration) at room temperature for 12 hours. X-Ray diffractometry test was used to research the gelation mechanism. The release profile of the lysozyme as a model drug from the hydrogel was tested. The morphology of the freeze-dried hydrogel was investigated by scanning electron microscope. The cytotoxicity of the hydrogel was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Triblock copolymers of PLLA-PEG-PLLA and PDLA-PEG-PDLA were obtained. Both the PEG and PLA blocks in the copolymers could crystallize, but the crystallization of the PEG block was predominant. The stereocomplex formation between the PLLA and PDLA blocks within the hydrogel was confirmed by the X-Ray diffractometry analysis. The release profile of the lysozyme from the hydrogel exhibited a sustained-release pattern with a duration period of 7 days. The hydrogel exhibited a 3D interconnected porous structure with 50-100 μm pore size after being freeze-dried. The mouse fibroblast cell viability percentage was 99.3% after the cells contacted with the 100% extracted liquid for 72 hours.

Suppressor of cytokine signaling(SOCS) 3, a novel type of cytokine signal transduction inhibitory molecules in family of SOCS, is mainly involved in Janus protein tyrosine kinase/signal transducer andantivator of transcription signaling pathway negative feedback regulation. It is involved in inflammation, oxidative stress, cell damage, and apoptosis. Meanwhile, it is closely related to atherosclerosis, obesity, glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, leptin, cancer, asthma, and rheumatic diseases. Therefore, SOCS-3 may become a therapeutic target of these diseases.
Humans ; Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 Protein ; Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins