Antifungal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; pathogenicity ; Brain Abscess ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Neuroaspergillosis ; complications ; pathology ; Occipital Lobe ; pathology ; Pulmonary Aspergillosis ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

Purpose:To study reproductive function and disease outcome in women with borderline ovarian tumors (BOT) who were treated with primary conservative surgery. Methods:From January 1990 to May 2000, the clinical data eligible according to criterions in our hospital , which had been statistically managed by SAS software package, were retrospectively reviewed and questionnaires were accepted in all cases with BOT. Results:41 of the 43 patients with a median follow up time of 63 months, finished our questionnaires. Of the 43 selected patients, 26(60.5%) were classified as serous borderline ovarian tumors (SBOT), 17(39.5%) mucous borderline ovarian tumors(MBOT) . 29 patients were free after primary conservative surgery and 14 cases with recurrence including one patient who died of tumor recurrence and the other died of intercurrent disease .The median recurrence time after conservative surgery was 39.3 months and the recurrence was more frequent in patients treated with ovarian cystectomy than in those treated with oophorectomy alone (58% compared with 22%, Fisher exact probability =0.0351). The death rate due to conservative surgery was not higher than that seen in hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy (Fisher exact probability=0.64)?Moreover, twelve of the 24 patients attempting pregnancy(50%) had conceived of which the median age was 25 years, with a range of 23-34 years. Conclusions: Conservative surgery remains a therapeutic option in selected patients with BOT. Although the rate of recurrence is relatively high especially in those treated with ovarian cystectomy, mortality from cancer remains about the same in patients with conservative surgery or radical operations. Many patients who desire pregnancy are able to conceive and deliver healthy offspring.

Nerve growth factor is one of the most important factors playing an important role in regulating the growth, development and survival of the neuron. The purified NGF from human placenta has been reported, the tissue from which can be isolated the NGF is very limited. It is important for basic research and clinic application to expression hNGF by genetic engineering. By polymerase chain reaction,gene fragment encoding the mature part of ?-NGF was amplified using the DNA of human placenta as template. The fragment was sequenced and inserted into expression vector pET-15b, and the recombinant expression vector pET15b-NGF was transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3)pLysS. After inducing with IPTG the NGF was higher expressed up to 25% of the total cell proteins. The expression product was purified with metal chelate affinity chromatography on Ni-IDA agarose under denaturing condition. The purity of rNGF was higher than 90% and yield of rNGF was 4.56mg/L expressing bacteria. SDS-PAGE revealed the NGF expression product had a Mr 16kDa. Western-blot displayed the recombinant product had strong immunological activity with rabbit anti-human ?-NGF polyclonic antibodies. The expression products were dealed with solubilizing inclusion bodies and refolding protein. The test of nerve fiber growth of chicken embryo DRG neurons displayed rNGF had biological activity.

Objective To evaluate a new system,Vitek 2 Compact,for identification of bacteria and yeasts.Methods 185 clinical isolates of Peking Union Medical College Hospital,including 69 gram- positive strains,66 gram-negative strains and 50 yeasts,and 50 reference strains in our laboratory,including 25 gram-positive and gram-negative strains respectively,were studied.All the strains were identified by Vitek 2 Compact with GP,GN or YST identification cards.The API method was used as the reference method.Results Among the 93 gram-positive strains,85 strains(91.40%)were correctly identified, including 5 low discrimination identified strains,and 8 strains(8.60%)were correctly identified to the genus level,but misidentified to the species level.About 90% of gram-positive strains were identified within 7 h.Out of 91 gram-negative strains,90 strains(98.90%)were correctly identified,with 5 low discrimination identified strains,only 1 strain(1.1%)was correctly identified to the genus level,but misidentified to the species level.Above 90% of Enterobacteriaceae were identified within 5 h,and over 90% of nonfermenting bacteria were identified within 10 h.In the 50 strains of yeasts,46 strains(92%) were correctly identified,including 8 low discrimination identified strains,and 4 strains(8%)were correctly identified to the genus level,but misidentified to the species level.In all the yeasts,45 strains (90%)were identified in 18.25 h,and another 5 strains(10%)were identified in 18.50 h.Conclusions As Vitek 2 Compact system can give us reliable identification results of clinically relevant bacteria and yeasts,together with its significant reduction of handling time,it will definitely become a powerful tool in clinical microbiology laboratory.

Objective To evaluate a new system,Vitek 2 Compact,for antimicrobial susceptibility testing(AST)of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria.Methods Eighty-nine clinical isolates of Peking Union Medical College Hospital,including 48 gram-negative strains and 41 gram-positive strains,and 66 reference strains kept in our laboratory,including 41 gram-negative strains and 25 gram-positive strains, were studied.The antimicrobial susceptibility of these strains were tested by Vitek 2 Compact with AST- GN09(for gram-negative bacteria),AST-P536(for Staphylococci),AST-P534(for Enterococci and S.agalactiae),and AST-P533(for S.pneumoniae)susceptibility cards.The Etest was used as the reference method for comparision.Thirty-two ESBL-producing strains assessed with the confirmatory tests for ESBLs of CLSI(16 strains of them had been confirmed by PCR amplified and sequencing)were detected for ESBLs by Vitek 2 Compact.Results According to the breakpoints of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI),for the 1 626 microorganism-antibiotic combinations,Vitek 2 Compact gave 90.83% strains with category agreement(CA),4.91% strains with very major errors(VME),2.09% strains with major errors (ME),6.40% minor errors(MIE).The AST for more than 90% of Enterobacteriaceae,nonfermenting bacteria,micrococci and streptococci were completed within 11h,13h,11h and 12h,respectively.The ESBLs tests for thirty-two strains by V-itek 2 Compact are all positive.Conclusions Vitek 2 Compact system can give rapid,reliable and reproducible result with high sensitivity and specificity in assessment of antimicrobial susceptibility testing for clinically relevant gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria,and would become a powerful tool in clinical microbiology laboratory.

0.05). ConclusionThe expression of VOCC mRNA and BKCa mRNA in kidney tissues of IgA nephropathy patients are abnormal.There is positive correlation between the abnormal expression of VOCC mRNA and BKCa mRNA and total glomerular pathological lesions integrals.The expression of VOCC mRNA and BKCa mRNA in kidney tissues of IgA nephropathy may serve as the indictor for the disease progression.

Objective To perform a molecular epideminlogical investigation on the types of Leptospira interrogans isolates from leptospirosis patients and animal hosts in Jiangxi province,using a pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).Methods The extracted chromosomal DNA from leptospiral isolates were digested with restriction endonuclease Not Ⅰ and the DNA segments were separated by using PFGE.By BiOnurerics V4.0 software and 75% similarity as the standard,the obtained PFGE images from leptospiral isolates were managed to establish a digitization database and then the PFGE maps of leptospiral isolates were compared with those of reference standard strains belonging to 15 serovars in 15 serogroups of L.interrogans,for cluster analysis.Results 139 strains of L.interrogans isolated from different areas of Jiangxi province were classified into 46 PFGE types.Among the PFGE types,LepNot Ⅰ.0071,LepNotⅠ.0072 and LepNot Ⅰ .0043 were the predominant types that accounting for 28.06%,15.11% and 7.19% of all the leptospiral isolates,respectively.The PFGE maps from 84.89% (118/139) of the 139 leptospiral isolates were found to basically match those of 6 reference standard strains belonging to 6 serovar in 6 serogroups of L.interrogans.In the 118 matched ieptospiral isolates,32.37% (45 strains),15.83% (22 strains) and 15.11% (21 strains)belonged to sero-groups Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar Lai,sero-groups Australis serovar Australis and sero-group Javanica serovar Javanica,respectively.Conclusion PFGE seemed a fast,accurate and effective method for typing of L.interrogans isolates.Serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar Lai and followed by serogroup Australis serovar Australis as well as serogroup Javanica serovar Javanica were the predominant L.interrogans species in humans and animal hosts in Jiangxi province.

OBJECTIVETo study the fingerprint of dragon's blood resina draconis by high performance liquid chromatography.

METHODThe samples are extracted with methanol and separated on a Eclipse XDB-C18 column (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 5 microm) with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-H2O in gradient mode, and the flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1), the detection wavelength was 275 nm and the temperature of column was 40 degrees C. Loureirin B was used as the reference compound.

RESULTHPLC fingerprint of dragon's blood was established and the similarity of the fingerprint was compared.

CONCLUSIONThe method is simple, accurate, and can be used to control the quality of dragon's blood.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Dracaena ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; standards ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results ; Resins, Plant ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; standards

UNLABELLEDProminent eosinophil airway inflammation is important in the pathogenesis of asthma. There is increasing evidence that the disorder of eosinophil apoptosis contributes to the mechanism. But most of the studies have been done in vitro or on animal models, very few were done among the adult asthmatics in vivo.

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between the apoptotic eosinophils and Bcl-2 in asthmatic children in vivo.

METHODSEleven mild to moderate asthmatic patients were recruited and the range of age was 7 - 14 years (9 males, 2 females), meanwhile 7 patients with lower respiratory infection were recruited as control and the range of age was 9 - 14 years (5 males, 2 females). Before and after inhaled glucocorticoid (GC) induced sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), bronchial mucosa specimens and peripheral blood were obtained for measuring and comparing the changes of apoptotic EG(2)(+) cell by combining the techniques of TUNEL and immunohistochemistry, meanwhile the expression of Bcl-2 in bronchial mucosa specimens was measured by using the immunohistochemical assay.

RESULTSBefore the inhalation of GC, the apoptotic EG(2)(+) cells in asthmatics were significantly lower than that in control group (P < 0.01), and the numbers of EG(2)(+) cell in asthmatics group were significantly higher than that in control group (P < 0.001). After the treatment apoptotic EG(2)(+) cells in asthmatics were increased (P < 0.01), and the numbers of EG(2)(+)cell were decreased (P < 0.01, P < 0.05 and P < 0.05, respectively), FEV(1)% was increased (P < 0.05). Before the inhalation of GC, the numbers of Bcl-2(+) cell in asthmatic airway submucosa were higher than that in control group (P < 0.05) but after the treatment the number of Bcl-2(+) cell did not change significantly. (4) Before and after GC treatment the percentages of apoptotic eosinophils of peripheral blood in vivo had no significant changes compared with those of control subjects (P > 0.05). There was a positive correlation between apoptosis of EG(2)(+) cell in sputum, BAL, airway submucosa and FEV(1)% (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONApoptosis of EG(2)(+) cell decreased in the airway of asthmatic children and inducing EOS apoptosis is one of the important mechanism of inhaled GC therapy for asthma.

Adolescent ; Apoptosis ; Asthma ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; cytology ; Child ; Eosinophils ; cytology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Male ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; analysis ; Respiratory Mucosa ; chemistry ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes of neutrophils in airway inflammation in children with severe asthma.

METHODChildren with mild to moderate asthma (n=23), severe asthma (n=16) and healthy control subjects (n=16) underwent lung function tests and sputum induction. The sputum specimens were assayed for cellular differential count, the supernatant and peripheral blood were assayed for the concentrations of IL-8 by "sandwich" enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Sputum supernatant, IL-8 and mifepristone were assessed for their abilities to prolong the in vitro survival of blood-derived neutrophils.

RESULTThe percentage of sputum neutrophils was significantly higher in severe asthmatics [59.54 (41.99-74.65)%] than mild-moderate asthmatics [30.03 (15.94-47.71)%] and healthy control subjects [29.72(16.53-45.74)%] (P < 0. 01); the level of IL-8 in sputum was significantly higher in severe asthmatics [2907.78 (331.67 - 3457.93) ng/L] than mild-moderate asthmatics [287.58 (130.75-656.84) ng/L] and healthy control subjects [179.2 (58.55-346.59) ng/L] (P < 0.01); the percentages of neutrophilic apoptosis respectively cultured with LPS [(10.57 +/- 1.97)%], severe asthmatics supernatant [(11.82 +/- 2.96)%], IL-8 [(10.47 +/- 1.93)%], dexamethasone [(9.93 +/- 1.95)%], severe asthma supernatant + mifepristone [(12.15 +/- 2.86)%] in vitro were lower than that cultured with PBS [(17.98 +/- 2.27)%], healthy control supernatant [(17.37 +/- 2.50)%], mild-moderate asthmatics supernatant [(16.35 +/- 3.26)%], mifepristone [(17.89 +/- 2.38)%], and dexamethasone + mifepristone [(17.06 +/- 2.59)%] (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSuppression of neutrophilic apoptosis seems to play a potential role in airway neutrophilic inflammation in severe asthmatics, and the level of IL-8 in sputum was significantly higher in patients with severe asthmatics.

Adolescent ; Apoptosis ; Asthma ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-8 ; metabolism ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Neutrophils ; cytology ; Respiratory System ; metabolism ; pathology ; Sputum ; metabolism