Adult ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; Dimethylformamide ; poisoning ; Humans ; Male

Adult ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; Dimethylformamide ; adverse effects ; Formamides ; analysis ; Humans ; Kidney ; physiopathology ; Kidney Diseases ; chemically induced ; physiopathology ; urine ; Kidney Function Tests ; Liver ; physiopathology ; Liver Diseases ; physiopathology ; urine ; Liver Function Tests ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure

Objective: To explore the determinants for health-seeking behavior of the residents after cough for more than 3 weeks in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, in order to provide reference for prevention and control of respiratory diseases. Methods: A multi-stage cluster random sampling method was used to recruit the community residents aged 5 years and above in Yiwu. A face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted to collect demographic information, features of cough and health-seeking behaviors in the past month. The multivariate logistic regression model was employed to analyze the associated factors for health-seeking behavior after a cough for more than 3 weeks. Results: Among 6 374 residents investigated, 152 cases had a cough for more than 3 weeks in the past month, accounting for 2.48%. They were( 45.00±21.15 ) years old, including 70 ( 46.05% ) males and 82 ( 53.95% ) females. About 58.55% ( 89 ) of them sought medical treatment. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that females ( OR=2.100, 95%CI: 1.005-4.391 ), middle school education level ( OR=0.406, 95%CI: 0.168-0.983 ), family annual income of 100 000 to 199 999 yuan ( OR=2.993, 95%CI: 1.215-7.373 ) were associated factors for health-seeking behavior after a cough for more than 3 weeks. Conclusion The rate of health-seeking behavior after a cough for more than 3 weeks among the residents in Yiwu is 58.55%, which is associated with gender, education level and income.

OBJECTIVETo summarize and analyze the epidemic situation of human rabies from 1984 to 2002 in China, and to explore the possible factors causing the increase of cases so as to provide evidence for preventive and control measures.

METHODNational and some provincial data on the prevalence of rabies during 1984 to 2002 were collected and analyzed.

RESULTSFrom 1984 to 1989, the annual reported cases were between 4 000 and 6 000 but decreased after 1990. In 1996, the reported cases decreased to the lowest level from 3 520 in 1990 to 159. However, number of reported cases has been continuously increasing since 1998 which reached 1 122 in 2002, a 7.06 times increase as compared to the number in 1996. The epidemic areas were mainly located in the southeast and southwest parts of the country, such as Sichuan, Hunan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Anhui, Fujian, etc. Furthermore, there was no significant seasonal distribution as it showed before.

CONCLUSIONSuch facts as the increasing numbers of dogs, low inoculation rate to dogs, poor control on the quality of rabies vaccine, mistreatment to the wounds, and lacking good cooperation between different official departments regarding rabies control might serve as important factors responsible for the recurrence of rabies. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the above mentioned points and to take comprehensive preventive measures to bring down the prevalence of rabies in China.

Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; Dogs ; Humans ; Rabies ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Rabies Vaccines ; standards ; Seasons ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of phospholamban antisense RNA (asPLB) on sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase activity and cardiac function in rats with diabetes mellitus (DM) mediated by recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector.

METHODSSix weeks after the induction of DM by streptozotocin injected intraperitoneally, the rats were divided into three groups, namely: DM-rAAV-asPLB group, DM-saline group and DM group (control group). The rats in the DM-rAAV-asPLB group were intramyocardially injected with rAAV-asPLB, the rats in the DM-saline group were injected with saline, and those in the control group did not receive any treatment. Six weeks after gene transfer, the expressions of PLB protein and PLB phosphorylation were detected by Western-blot, while the activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-ATPase and left ventricular function were measured.

RESULTSThe PLB protein expression level was significantly higher whereas the PLB phosphorylation, SR Ca2+-ATPase activity and left ventricular function were significantly lower in the DM-saline group than in the control group. No significant difference was found in PLB protein expression level, PLB phosphorylation or SR Ca2+-ATPase activity between the DM-rAAV-asPLB group and the control group. The left ventricular function in the DM-rAAV-asPLB group was poorer than in the control group and was better than in the DM-saline group.

CONCLUSIONrAAV-asPLB can down-regulate PLB protein expression and up-regulate PLB phosphorylation and SR Ca2+-ATPase activity, thus contributing to the improvement of in vivo left ventricular function.

Animals ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; Male ; Phosphorylation ; RNA, Antisense ; administration & dosage ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases ; metabolism ; Ventricular Function, Left ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of decoction for invigorating the kidney and improving blood circulation to thrombosis on rabbits blood stasis model.

METHODThirty rabbits were randomly divided into normal group, model group, heavy dose group, slight dose group and xue shuan ning group. Tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI), fibrinogen (Fbg) and D-dimer (DD) were investigated after those rabbits had been treated. One was selected randomly from each group to observe pathological changes.

RESULTThere was significant difference in t-PA, PAI, Fbg and DD between normal group and other groups (P < 0.01). Among groups of heavy dose, slight dose, xue shuan ning and model, the statistical differences were significant, as well as among groups of heavy dose, slight dose and xue shuan ning (P < 0.05). However, there was no statistical difference between heavy dose group and slight dose group (P > 0.05). The pathological changes in model group were most serious, and those in xue shuan ning were less serious. There were slight pathological change in heavy dose group and light dose group.

CONCLUSIONModels were made successfully. Heavy dose group and slight dose group have stronger effect on thrombosis than xue shuan ning group.

Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ; metabolism ; Fibrinogen ; metabolism ; Kidney ; pathology ; Liver ; pathology ; Lung ; pathology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Plasminogen Inactivators ; blood ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Thrombosis ; blood ; pathology ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator ; blood

OBJECTIVETo summarize and analyze the epidemic situation of hantaviruses including geographic distribution, types and prevalent intensity of epidemic areas of hantavirus for the last 30 years in China, and to discuss relative preventive measures.

METHODSCollecting and analyzing the data of hantaviruses epidemics in China.

RESULTSThe annual number of cases of hantavirus disease rapidly increased from 3295 in 1970 to 115,804 in 1986 then sustained between 40,000 and 60,000 cases annually in the 1990's, and then decreased thereafter. The epidemic areas existed in all provinces except Qinhai and Xinjiang and there were the hospitalized cases of hantavirus disease reported in other provinces. In recent years, the prevalence of hantavirus infection had increased in some cities, and the seasonal distribution of the cases changed as well.

CONCLUSIONData suggested that the new epidemic characteristics of hantaviruses had emerged in China suggesting that it was necessary to strengthen surveillance programs and to take comprehensive preventive measures for the control and prevention of hantaviruses in China.

Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; Disease Reservoirs ; Female ; Hantaan virus ; immunology ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; transmission ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Population Surveillance ; Prevalence ; Rats ; Rodent Control ; Vaccination ; Vaccines, Inactivated ; immunology

BACKGROUNDDiabetes management could be improved by diabetes education, through influencing attitudes towards diabetes, knowledge and behaviors of patients. The purpose of this study was to characterize the impact of diabetes education on glycemic control, and to assess the attitude, knowledge and self-care behavior in patients with type 2 diabetes in China.

METHODSThis questionnaire-based survey was conducted in 50 medical centers across China from April to July of 2010. The patients with type 2 diabetes were eligible for the study. The information of glycemic control and diabetes education was collected. The diabetes attitude scale-3 formulae, a questionnaire of diabetes knowledge and Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activities scale were used to assess attitude, knowledge and the self-care of patients, respectively.

RESULTSAmong the 5961 eligible respondents (3233 males; mean age (59.50 ± 12.48) years; mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (8.27 ± 2.23)%), most patients (79.8%) considered themselves educated on diabetes. Compared with patients without diabetes education, their educated counterparts showed significant lower value of HbA1c, after controlling for age, gender, body mass index and duration of diabetes (P < 0.01). The patients who received diabetes education also performed significant higher scores on attitude, knowledge and self-care than their uneducated counterparts. Patients with lower income or education level tended to have higher glucose levels, and showed lower percentage of patients received diabetic education.

CONCLUSIONSChinese patients with diabetes education achieved better glycemic control than un-educated patients. Our study indicates effort is required to provide professional education to patients, with emphasis on lower income and lower education level populations.

Aged ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; China ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Data Collection ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Self Care ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo investigate the hematological characteristics of co-inheritance of α-thalassemia (α-thal) and β-thalassemia (β-thal) and to survey the incidence of co-inheritance of α-thal and β-thal in Guangxi.

METHODSDNA samples from 370 primary and middle school students who were β-thal carriers in Guangxi were further processed for the α-goblin gene mutation screening, and were grouped based on the genotype of β- and α-goblin gene. The hematological indexes to the different groups were compared by One-way ANOVA.

RESULTSOf the total 370 β-thal carriers, 79 were found to carry α-thal, which gave a frequency of 21.35% for β-thal carriers and 1.36% for coincidence of these two common disorders in the local population. As expected, the 79 patients presented very variable α-globin alterations in combination with β-globin mutations, showing 31 genotype combined with the coincidence of both Hb disorders. Except the genotypes of 3 β-thal heterozygotes combined with ααα(anti3.7) triplication and 2 β-thal carriers with IVS-II-654(C→T)/N combined-α(3.7)/αα presented the phenotype of thalassemia intermedia, and other 74 carriers with co-inheritance of α-thal and β-thal all presented the phenotype of β-thal trait. There were significant differences between β-thal heterozygotes and the carriers with a co-inheritance of both β+α(0) thal in MCH, MCV and Hb. In addition, there existed significant difference between the carriers with a co-inheritance of both β+α(+) thal and a co-inheritance of both β+α(0) thal in MCV, MCH and Hb.

CONCLUSIONCompared to that of β-thal heterozygotes, the carriers with a co-inheritance of α-thal and β-thal had slighter phenotype with hematological characteristics. It's difficult to distinguish the double heterozygotes with the co-inheritance of α-thal and β-thal from β-thal heterozygotes by hematological indexes, the molecular diagnosis should be performed.

Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; alpha-Thalassemia ; blood ; epidemiology ; genetics ; beta-Thalassemia ; blood ; epidemiology ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo understand the epidemiologic characters of influenza in China from 2001 to 2003.

METHODSData of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) each week and outbreaks of influenza were collected through National Influenza Surveillance Network, which includes 11 northern and 12 southern provinces of China. Samples were collected in the outpatients of ILI from 2001 to 2003 and influenza viruses were isolated and identified.

RESULTSEpidemiological and laboratory surveillance data showed that the annual seasonality of influenza epidemic was clear. The peak of epidemic of influenza in northern areas was in winter season, during December to January. However, there were three peaks distributed to Spring (Apr.-May.), Summer (Jun.-Aug.) and Winter (Dec.-Jan.) seasons in the southern areas. In the peak months, the number of ILI visits per day and per surveillance hospital had increased two-fold in northern and by 37% in southern China. The baseline of percentages for ILI visits, which calculated with 75th percentiles (P75), was 13.68% in the north and 13.08% in southern China. The age distribution of ILI was related to seasonal types of influenza. When the predominated strain of the season was influenza B virus, the ratio of the ILI visits younger than 15 year-old, increased obviously. When the predominated stains became influenza A virus, the ratio of patient visits for ILI aged over 25 year-old increased. Of 63 outbreaks of influenza, 92% of them occurred at primary and middle schools and usually occurred in May (32%). The type of strains usually changed around June.

CONCLUSIONThe quality of national influenza surveillance system is reliable since it was matched between percentages of ILI visits and rates of influenza virus isolation. The different epidemiologic characteristics in north and south of China was noticed. Peak in spring was shown in southern area and which called for more analysis. The change of the types of strains in the outbreaks during April to June in the southern China could provide data for better understanding on the trend of epidemics in the next season.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Influenza A virus ; Influenza B virus ; Influenza Vaccines ; administration & dosage ; Influenza, Human ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Population Surveillance ; Seasons ; Vaccination