OBJECTIVEThe study was to describe the breastfeeding status of children under the age of three in counties of western China and to provide evidence to the government for decision-making on intervention.

METHODSA cross-sectional study with probability-proportional-to-size (PPS) sampling method was used. The information on breastfeeding was obtained through memory of the mothers. Fourteen thousand and seventy-seven children were studied. Data on breastfed status in counties of western China was compared with those of the children from the survey of the counties of western China in 2001.

RESULTSThe breastfeeding rate of children under 3 years old in western China was 96.5%. However, the overall breastfed rate of children under 6 months were only 33.4%, with rates of 11.4% and 22.0% on exclusively and predominantly breastfed groups respectively. Timely first-suckling rate was 43.5% with the continued breastfeeding rate (1 year) as 64.9%, but the continued breastfeeding rate (2 year) was only 9.7%. Reasons causing mothers to wean would include according to her own intention and to be able to attend the physical labor while exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months was for the growth and development of children, which might reduce the two-week prevalence of diarrhea. Major risks of exclusive breastfeeding of children under 6 months were seen as: level of education of the mothers, economic depression of the counties and mother's nationality (if as minority).

CONCLUSIONMost of the children were ever or being breastfed at the time of interview with timely first-suckling took place earlier than in 2001. However continued breastfeeding did not last long. During these five years, the exclusive breastfeeding rate had been at low level, especially at the economic depression and the minority area.

Breast Feeding ; epidemiology ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Weaning

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prognostic predictors of nasal NK/T cell lymphoma.

METHODSThe clinicopathologic feature data of 61 patients with nasal NK/T cell lymphoma proven by pathological examination from Jan. 1997 to Jan. 2005 were collected. Expression of survivin, CD44, nm23, p53, Ki-67, MDR-1 and CD95 was detected by immunohistochemical staining in 30 patients with available histologic specimens. The correlation between these factors and prognosis were analyzed.

RESULTSIn univariate analysis, performance status, LDH level, clinical stage, initial treatment response, CD56, Ki-67 and CD95 were found to be the prognostic factors associated with time to progression (TTP) in nasal NK/T cell lymphoma, while the performance status, B symptoms, LDH level, initial treatment response, Ki-67 and CD95 were demonstrated as prognostic factors related to overall survival. In multivariate analysis, clinical stage, initial treatment response and performance status were independent prognostic factors for TTP, while the latter two factors were independent prognostic factors of overall survival.

CONCLUSIONClinical stage and initial treatment response, and performance status are found to be independent prognostic factors for TTP, whereas the latter two factors are demonstrated as independent prognostic factors of the overall survival. Overexpression of Ki-67 may be an unfavorable prognostic factor, but overexpression of CD95 may be a favorable one.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Analysis of Variance ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; analysis ; Cyclophosphamide ; therapeutic use ; Doxorubicin ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; analysis ; Immunohistochemistry ; statistics & numerical data ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; Ki-67 Antigen ; analysis ; Killer Cells, Natural ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; analysis ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Proteins ; analysis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Nose Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Prednisone ; therapeutic use ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Vincristine ; therapeutic use ; fas Receptor ; analysis

This study was aimed to explore the frequency of PTPN11 mutation in children with leukemia and its clinical significance. Genomic DNAs were extracted from peripheral leukocytes of 131 patients with leukemia, including 101 cases of ALL, 26 cases of AML, 3 cases of CML and 1 case of juvenil myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML). The sequences of PTPN11 exons 3, 8, 13 were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the clinical characteristics of positive patients were analyzed. The results indicated that the PTPN11 mutation was found in 10 cases (9.9%) from newly diagnosed 101 cases of ALL. Grouping the newly diagnosed ALL children by various clinical features, it was found that the PTPN11 mutation did not show associations with sex, age, white blood cell (WBC) count, prednisone test sensitivity, clinical risk and disease recurrences at the first visit (P > 0.05). PTPN11 mutations were found in 2 cases out of 26 AML patients, including one AML-M(2) and one AML-M(4). No PTPN11 mutation in 3 CML patients was found. Exon 13 mutation of PTPN11 gene was found in 1 case of JMML. It is concluded that the E76 of exon 3 is the hot spot of PTPN11 mutation in children leukemia. The novel G503E (1508G > A) mutation is detected in one JMML patient. The PTPN11 mutation does not associate with the sex, age, WBC count, prednisone sensitive test and early recurrence.
Adolescent ; Base Sequence ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia ; genetics ; Male ; Mutation ; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 11 ; genetics

Objective To explore the biological exposure limit of liver dysfunction induced by arsenic-coal burning, and screen sensitive biornarkers for its' liver dysfunction monitoring. Methods One hundred and eighteen subjects from the exposed area and 50 control from non-pollution area were studied. Their urinary and hair contents of arsenic were tested as exposure biomarkers by Ag-DDC assay. Total bile acid(TBA, detected by enzymatic cycling method), glutathione S-transferase (GSTs, detected by chemical colorimetry) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT, detected by colorimetry of diazotization reagent) were used as biomarkers indicating liver cell damage. were used as liver fibrosis biomarkers. The benchmark dose (BMD) and the lower confidence limit of benchmark dose(BMDL) of urinary and hair arsenic were calculated. Sensitivity of each biomarker was estimated according to the BMD and BMDL value. Results The geometric mean of urinary and hair arsenic(98.50 mg/kg Cr, 7.42 mg/kg) μg/L) in the exposed group were significantly higher than urinary and hair arsenic (22.98 mg/kg Cr, 1.28 mg/kg) and each biomarker in the control group(4.63 μmol/L, 13.76 U/L,36.45 U/L,54.62 μg/L,74.45 μg/L,54.81 μg/L, P<0.01). Significant dose-effect relationship existed between urinary and hair arsenic contents and each biomarker. BMD and BMDL value of urinary arsenic was 49.53-101.96 mg/kg Cr and 39.02-70.15 mg/kg Cr, respectively. Those of hair arsenic were 3.04-5.02 mg/kg and 2.36-3.25 mg/kg, respectively. According to BMD and BMDL value of urinary and hair arsenic, the sensitivity of biomarkers decreased in the order of GSTs, TBA and Conclusions According to the lowest BMD and BMDL of urinary and hair arsenic, averaged reference value of urinary and hair arsenic in the local normal population, we suggest urinary 35.0 mg/kg Cr and hair 2.5 mg/kg as their biological exposure limits for those with liver dysfunction induced by arsenic-coal burning. GSTs, TBA, γ-GT and HA, Ⅳ. C, PC-Ⅲ can respectively reflect liver cell damage and liver fibrosis caused by arsenic-coal burning in different degrees, among which, GSTs and HA are the most sensitive biomarkers respectively for liver cell damage and liver fibrosis.

OBJECTIVETo determine the potential urinary biomarkers of metabolic syndrome (MS) with early renal injury and establish diagnostic models by magnetic bead-based separation and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS).

METHODSParticipants were selected from the epidemiologic study on MS and renal involvement among residents in Pinggu district, Beijing. Eight-hour overnight urine samples were fractionated by means of magnetic bead-based weak cation exchange chromatography and subsequently analyzed with MALDI-TOF-MS. Wilcoxon test and random forests were used to screen differential protein peaks of MS patients with early renal injury, then combined with genetic algorithm and support vector machine, respectively, to establish diagnostic models.

RESULTSTotally 54 cases of MS without renal injury and 46 cases of MS with early renal injury were enrolled. Totally twenty protein peaks were up-regulated in the urine of MS patients with early renal injury by Wilcoxon test (P < 0.05); random forests algorithm revealed twelve protein peaks up-regulated in the urine of MS patients with early renal injury (importance value of mean decrease in accuracy > 0.005). Genetic algorithm based model showed 82.6% sensitivity, 84.3% specificity, and 83.5% accuracy by a 10-fold cross-validation in identifying MS patients with early renal injury; correspondingly, the support vector machine based model reported 89.2% sensitivity, 81.1% specificity and 85.5% accuracy. Four protein peaks were included in two diagnostic models with mass-to-charge ratios of 2756.98, 3019.11, 9077.04, and 10 054.26.

CONCLUSIONSThe urinary proteome patterns of MS with early renal injury were successfully established with magnetic bead-based separation and MALDI-TOF-MS technology. A series of urinary differential expressing protein peaks were identified with bioinformatics tools. Diagnostic models combining cluster of protein peaks are capable of differentiating MS patients with early renal injury from those without renal injury. The different urine protein excretion patterns revealed in this study provide urinary candidate biomarkers of MS patients with early renal injury for future identification and biological roles investigation.

Adult ; Biomarkers ; urine ; Chromatography, Ion Exchange ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; etiology ; urine ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; complications ; urine ; Middle Aged ; Proteome ; analysis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ; methods ; Urine ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo explore the effective methods for the correction of lower eyelid retraction at different degree.

METHODS258 patients with lower eyelid retraction were treated in our department since 1999. The lower eyelid retraction could be divided into mild, moderate and severe degree. The lateral canthal anchoring (n = 150), Hamra's lower eyelid blepharoplasty (n = 80) and translid cheek lifting (n = 28) were adopted according to the severity. The therapeutic effect for different degree of lower eyelid retraction was compared.

RESULTS98 patients were followed up for 3-12 months, including 51 patients of mild degree, 29 patients of moderate degree, and 18 patients of severe degree. The retraction were corrected completely in 91 patients. The lower eyelid was repositioned to the level of inferior limbus without inferior scleral show when eyes opened. The palpebral fissure could close completely. The blunt lateral canthus turned to be acute and the scar was inconspicious. The retraction was improved, but not corrected completely in 3 patients of moderate degree and 4 patients of severe degree. The complications included petechiae, chemosis, and so on.

CONCLUSIONSThe lower eyelid retraction can be corrected effectively if the appropriate techniques are performed according to the degree of retraction.

Adult ; Aged ; Blepharoplasty ; methods ; Eyelid Diseases ; surgery ; Eyelids ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

To establish a detection method of oncolytic adenovirus/p53 and standard of quality control, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter, CMV fusion promoter containing hypoxia reaction element (HRE) and p53 gene were identified by vector DNA restriction enzyme digestion and PCR analysis. The result conformed that all modified regions were in consistent with theoretical ones. Particle number was 2.0 x 10(11) mL(-1) determined by UV (A260). Infectious titer was 5.0 x 10(10) IU mL(-1) analyzed by TCID50. In vitro p53 gene expression in human lung cancer cell H1299 was determined by ELISA, and A450 ratio of nucleoprotein in virus infection group to control group was 5.2. Antitumor potency was evaluated by cytotoxicity assay using human lung cancer cell A549, and the MOI(IC50) of this gene therapy preparation was 1.0. The tumor cells targeted replication ability of recombinant virus was determined by TCID50 titer ratio of filial generation virus between human lung cancer cell A549 and human diploid epidermal fibrolast BJ cells after infected by virus with same MOI. TCID50 titer ratio of tumor cell infection group to normal cell infection control group was 398. The IE-HPLC purity of virus was 99.5%. There was less than 1 copy of wild type adenovirus within 1 x 10(7) VP recombinant virus. Other quality control items were complied with corresponding requirements in the guidance for human somatic cell therapy and gene therapy and Chinese pharmacopeia volume III. The detection method of oncolytic adenovirus/p53 was successfully established for quality control standard. The study also provided reference for quality control of other oncolytic viral vector products.
Adenoviridae ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Genes, p53 ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; virology ; Oncolytic Viruses ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Quality Control ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection ; Virus Replication

Hypertension is a common cardiovascular disease and can induce many complications, such as stroke and coronary heart disease. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of ischemia/hypoxia on mesenteric artery vasomotor function in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Rat mesenteric arterial rings were cultured in modified ischemia-mimetic solution in a hypoxia incubator for a certain time period. Isometric tension changes of isolated mesenteric arterial rings were recorded continuously by a myograph system. The results obtained were as follows: In SHR group, the maximum contractions to KCl and phenylephrine (PE) were increased, and the maximum relaxation to acetylcholine (ACh) was decreased, compared to those in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats group. Compared with SHR group and WKY with acute ischemia/hypoxia (WKY+H) group, SHR with acute ischemia/hypoxia (SHR+H) increased the maximum contractions induced by KCl and PE and inhibited the maximum relaxations by ACh. In SHR+H and SHR groups, the vasodilation induced by ACh was unaffected by N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME), whereas in WKY group, the relaxation to ACh was attenuated by L-NAME. CaCl2-induced contraction in depolarized rings in SHR+H group significantly shifted to the left compared with SHR group. In Ca(2+)-free K-H solution, the maximum contractions induced by PE and caffeine were increased in SHR+H group compared to those in WKY+H group; the PE- and caffeine-induced contractions were also enhanced in SHR group versus WKY group; the maximum contraction induced by PE was significantly increased in SHR+H group versus SHR group. These findings suggest that acute ischemia/hypoxia aggravates mesenteric artery dysfunction in SHR. The mechanism may be related to the decreased NO generation and increased sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) release.
Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Endothelium, Vascular ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia ; physiopathology ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Mesenteric Arteries ; physiopathology ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; physiopathology ; Nitric Oxide ; biosynthesis ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Rats, Inbred WKY ; Vasomotor System ; physiopathology

Objectives: To plot and analyze ECG three-dimensional (3D) RR scatter plots in patients with various diseases in order to find the correlation between the graphic features and various diseases. Methods: According to ECG data provided by Physio Bank website, 3D RR scatter plots were constructed and analyzed by means of Matlab platform programming and clustering algorithm in following clinical settings: normal sinus rhythm,?arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation (AF), sudden cardiac death and chronic heart failure (CHF). Results: 3D RR scatter plots of normal sinus rhythm, arrhythmia, AF, sudden cardiac death and CHF were converged into several categories, all had the features of ultimate, stability and attraction. Significant differences on the number of clusters, clustering degrees and distribution ranges were observed among subjects with normal sinus rhythm, arrhythmia, AF, sudden cardiac death and CHF. Conclusions: 3D RR scatter plots had diversified distributions in different diseases, it can be divided into multiple categories with multi-distribution features. 3D RR scatter plots can clearly define the overlapping parts of 2D scatter diagram and are helpful to distinguish different diseases in a more accurate mode, future studies are warranted to explore the underlying clinical implications of the multiple parameters derived from the 3D RR scatter plots.

Objective To investigate the effects of Longdan Xiegan Decoction on the expression of Notch signaling-related genes in rats with experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU).Methods Totally 24 Lewis rats were randomly divided into normal control group,EAU model group and Longdan Xiegan Decoction treatment group.A rat model of EAU was established in the EAU model group and Longdan Xiegan Decoction treatment group,followed by intragastrical administration of Longdan Xiegan Decoction in the latter group after successful modeling.On day 12 after different treatments,the spleen and lymph nodes were isolated from rats of all the three groups for the collection of CD4 + T ceils,and the levels of both Th17 and Treg cells were analyzed by flow cytometry to calculate the ratio of Th17 to Treg cells.Meanwhile the levels of Notch1,Notch2,Notch3,Notch4 mRNAs expression were monitored by qRT-PCR.Moreover,the expressions of Notch signaling-related proteins were further detected using ELISA technique.Results Flow cytometry showed increased Th17 cell level but decreased Treg cell level in the EAU model group when compared with the normal control group.However,after treatment with Longdan Xiegan Decoction,the Th17 level was decreased,whereas the Treg level was increased,and the ratio of Th17 to Treg gradually restored to equilibrium when compared to EAU model group.qRT-PCR results showed that the expression levels of Notch1,Notch2 and Notch4 mRNAs in Longdan Xiegan Decoction treatment group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group (all P ＜ 0.01),but lower than those in EAU model group on day 12 after treatment (all P ＜ 0.01),without Notch 3 expression in the spleen and lymph nodes.In addition,Notch 1,Notch 2 and Notch 4 protein levels of the spleen and lymph nodes in Longdan Xiegan Decoction treatment group showed the similar tendency as compared to those of Notch 1,Notch 2 and Notch 4 mRNAs (all P ＜ 0.01),and the expression of Notch 3 protein was still not observed.Conclusion Longdan Xiegan Decoction can effectively relieve the imbalance of Th17/Treg cells in EAU rats,and its mechanism may involve the differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells into Th17 and Treg cells,which is regulated by Notch signaling.