Objective To assess the effectiveness of different concentration of iodized salt for preventing iodine deficiency disorders. Methods Using the principle and method of systematic review, we searched Cochrane Library(from 1994 to Mar. 2007), Medline(from 1966 to Mar. 2007), BA(from 1969 to Mar. 2007), PubMed(from 1950 to Mar. 2007), OC1D(from 1950 to Mar. 2007), ISI Web of Knowledge(from 1966 to Mar. 2007), Vip (from 1989 to Mar. 2007), Wanfang(from 1997 to Mar. 2007), CBMDisc(from 1978 to Mar. 2007) and CNKI(1994 to Mar. 2007) and hand searched 6 relevant Chinese journals, including Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine, Chinese Journal of Endemiology, Chinese Journal of Epidemiology, Chinese Journal of Control of Endemic Disease, Endemic Diseases Bulletin and Modern Preventive Medicine. We screened the for eligible studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria to be rigorously evealuatecl descriptly and qualitatively. Results Thirteen studies were included, of which, the first six were intervention trials with comparison, including two community intervention trials, which classified all objects into different groups, using iodized salt at different concentration as intervention, four were RCTs with different intervention methods, compare the iodized salt with other intervention measures. Seven were cross-sectional studies, which analyzed the iodine nutrition of people after the concentration of iodized salt was lowered down. Because of different interventions in control groups and different outcome measures, it was difficult to perform recta-analysis, a descriptive analysis of the results was presented. Most studies showed that urinary iodine level decreased as the concentration of iodized salt went down gradually. When the concentration of iodized salt went down to the best level recommended, goiter rate decreased obviously. Conclusions Iodized salt was considered as the hest method of iodine supply to prevent iodine deficiency disorders. But effectiveness of preventing iodine deficiency disorders with various concentration of iodized salt is different. To lower the concentration of iodized salt properly can not only prevent iodine deficiency disorders but also reduce the side effect of excess iodine intake to the minimum. And it can also save a lot of iodine resource. Well-designed community-based intervention trials with large sample size are needed to confirm the effect of different concentration of iodized salt on preventing iodine deficiency disorder.

Coptidis Rhizoma-Euodiae Fructus has been widely used for the treatment of digestive diseases since Song Dynasty, and therapeutic efficacy is very obvious. Modern research found that alkaloids are the main bio-active constituents, and some of their contents have striking difference after compatibility of the two herbs. The Chinese medicine pair (CMP) has extensive biological activities, such as the effect of gastrointestinal effect, anti-tumor, lowering the blood pressure and blood fat and so on. And some action mechanism of CMP also got partial demonstration. This paper mainly summarized the bio-active constituents, compatibility effects, action mechanism and clinical applications of the CMP, which can provide a basis for further research and development of the CMP.
Animals ; Drug Interactions ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Evodia ; chemistry ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods

AIM:To be one of the primary cause injury to multiple sites of ocular of glaucoma which affects over 70 million people worldwide. We applied data mining techniques, linear and the matrix operations, efficiently calculated the network and estimated the possible function of the“node” genes of the retina and optic of glaucoma, in order to provide new thought and method on the pathogenesis of glaucoma.
METHODS: The data in this study is from Gene Expression Omnibus ( GEO ) which belong to Nation Center for Biotechnology Information ( NCBI) , the quality of the raw data CEL files was processed and analyzed by the Expression software which belong to Affymetrix Inc. , Santa Clare, CA, USA. Significant analysis method ( SAM) which base on the T test was used to identified the significant genes. Based on GRNInfer and Gvedit soft we set up gene networks of optic and retina of mice and further more enriched analysis which based on DAVID and MAS3. 0 online software were processed.
RESULTS:The analysis between the group of the optic nerve heads and retinas in different stage of glaucoma showed that the amount of significant different expressed genes in the optic never head group increased significantly comparing with the group of retina in the early stage of glaucoma, the analysis of the genes network construction show that:the node genes of optic nerve heads included Unc13c、Kif5a、TRPM1、PANX; and the node genes of retina include POU4F1, NEFL, BC03870, CALB2. Metabolic pathways enrichment analysis which based on MAS3. 0 online platform show that there was mainly the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, tyrosine metabolism, melanogenesis, Nitrogen metabolism, Gap junction, Leukocyte transendothelial migration metabolism pathway enriched out in optic nerve head; and there was mainly amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, neurodegenerative disorders, prostate cancer, leukocyte transendothelial migration metabolism pathway enriched out in retina.
CONCLUSION:By understanding bioinformatics result, it seems optic were more sensitive than the retina to high intraocular pressure, and weather high expression of TYrp1 gene can be as a sensitive diagnostic item require more evidence back up. Functional enrich analysis of node gene showed that cytoskeleton reconstructed, molecular motor and nutrients transport function improve in optic; and in retina, the most prominent finding in retina was enrichment function modules were focus on regeneration, repairing and differentiation of cells, which remind that we should reinforce research on reparation of retina of primary glaucoma. Metabolic pathways enrichment analysis show that inflammatory response plays prominent place in optic and retina of primary glaucoma, because of the optic narrow and crowed anatomic shape, nutrient metabolism and substances transfer enrichment modules play an important role in optics of primary glaucoma.

OBJECTIVETo establish a method for studying efficacious materials of traditional Chinese medicines from an overall perspective.

METHODCarthamus tinctorius was taken the example. Its major components were depleted by preparing liquid chromatography. Afterwards, the samples with major components depleted were evaluated for their antioxidant effect, so as to compare and analyze the major efficacious materials of C. tinctorius with antioxidant activity and the contributions.

RESULTSeven major components were depleted from C. tinctorius samples, and six of them were identified with MS data and control comparison. After all of the samples including depleted materials are compared and evaluated for their antioxidant effect, the findings showed that hydroxysafflor yellow A, anhydrosafflor yellow B and 6-hydroxykaempferol-3, 6-di-O-glucoside-7-O-glucuronide were the major efficacious materials.

CONCLUSIONThis study explored a novel and effective method for studying efficacious materials of traditional Chinese medicines. Through this method, we could explain the direct and indirect contributions of different components to the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicines, and make the efficacious material expression of traditional Chinese medicines clearer.

Alkalies ; chemistry ; Antioxidants ; chemistry ; Carthamus tinctorius ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; Mass Spectrometry

BACKGROUNDThis study was to assess certain epidemiological and clinical characteristics of astrovirus infection in children with diarrhea below 5 years old hospitalized at the Beijing Children's Hospital.

METHODSFrom September 1999 to August 2001, a total of 288 children with diarrhea below 5 years old hospitalized at Beijing Children's Hospital were studied. Fecal specimens collected from each patient were tested for astrovirus by using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and further serotyped by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using serotype-specific primers.

RESULTSAstrovirus antigen was positive in 9.0% of the patients, and the rate of coinfection with rotavirus was 19.2% among the astrovirus positive patients. The patients with astrovirus infection were at the age of 7 days to 17 months, most (92.3%) of them were less than 12 months. Astrovirus infection occurred mainly between October and March of the following year. Main symptoms included watery stool, vomiting, fever, and dehydration. Increased activity of myocardial enzyme was seen in 4 patients. Of the 22 astrovirus positive specimens, 14 were successfully serotyped by RT-PCR and they were all serotype 1.

CONCLUSIONSThe overall incidence of astrovirus infection in young children with diarrhea hospitalized at the Beijing Children's Hospital was 9.0%. The predominant serotype was type 1. Astrovirus may play an important role in viral diarrhea in young children in Beijing, China.

Astroviridae Infections ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Diarrhea ; virology ; Feces ; virology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Mamastrovirus ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Serotyping

OBJECTIVETo project the future impacts of climate change on heat-related mortality in shanghai.

METHODSThe statistical downscaling techniques were applied to simulate the daily mean temperatures of Shanghai in the middle and farther future under the changing climate. Based on the published exposure-reaction relationship of temperature and mortality in Shanghai, we projected the heat-related mortality in the middle and farther future under the circumstance of high speed increase of carbon e mission (A2) and low speed increase of carbon emission (B2). The data of 1961 to 1990 was used to establish the model, and the data of 1991 - 2001 was used to testify the model, and then the daily mean temperature from 2030 to 2059 and from 2070 to 2099 were simulated and the heat-related mortality was projected. The data resources were from U.S. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction Reanalysis Data in SDSM Website and UK Hadley Centre Coupled Model Data in SDSM Website.

RESULTSThe explained variance and the standard error of the established model was separately 98.1% and 1.24°C. The R(2) value of the simulated trend line equaled to 0.978 in Shanghai, as testified by the model. Therefore, the temperature prediction model simulated daily mean temperatures well. Under A2 scenario, the daily mean temperature in 2030 - 2059 and 2070 - 2099 were projected to be 17.9°C and 20.4°C, respectively, increasing by 1.1°C and 3.6°C when compared to baseline period (16.8°C). Under B2 scenario, the daily mean temperature in 2030 - 2059 and 2070 - 2099 were projected to be 17.8°C and 19.1°C, respectively, increasing by 1.0°C and 2.3°C when compared to baseline period (16.8°C). Under A2 scenario, annual average heat-related mortality were projected to be 516 cases and 1191 cases in 2030 - 2059 and 2070 - 2099, respectively, increasing 53.6% and 254.5% when compared with baseline period (336 cases). Under B2 scenario, annual average heat-related mortality were projected to be 498 cases and 832 cases in 2030 - 2059 and 2070 - 2099, respectively, increasing 48.2% and 147.6% when compared with baseline period (336 cases).

CONCLUSIONUnder the changing climate, heat-related mortality is projected to increase in the future;and the increase will be more obvious in year 2070 - 2099 than in year 2030 - 2059.

China ; Climate Change ; Greenhouse Effect ; Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; Mortality ; Risk Assessment

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between plasma levels of fibrinogen, the-beta455 G/A fibrinogen gene polymorphism and the severity of periodontal inflammation and to explore the possible role of fibrinogen in the association of periodontitis with coronary heart disease (CHD).

METHODSA total of 121 patients with moderate to severe periodontitis and periodontally healthy and gingivitis controls were enrolled in the study. Peripheral blood samples were collected and the plasma fibrinogen levels were determined by the clotting method of Clauss. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis with Hae III were used to examine the -beta455 G/A fibrinogen gene polymorphism.

RESULTSFibrinogen levels were significantly higher in moderately or severely chronic periodontitis patients [(3.45 +/- 0.68) g/L] than periodontally healthy and gingivitis controls [(2.47 +/- 0.42) g/L, P < 0.001]. The carrier status of the A allele at position -455 in the beta fibrinogen gene was associated with elevated fibrinogen levels and the frequency of the-A455 allele in the beta fibrinogen gene in the patient group was significantly higher than in the control group (P = 0.032). Carriers of the -A455 allele were about 3-fold more likely to have moderate or severe periodontitis as compare to individuals without the -A455 allele( OR = 3. =135, P= 0.008).

CONCLUSIONSFg-beta455 G/A polymorphism may contribute to the elevated plasma fibrinogen levels and put individuals at higher risk of having severe periodontitis. As the independent risk factor of CHD, fibrinogen levels and Fg-beta455 G/A polymorphism may play a role in the pathogenesis of periodontitis.

Adult ; Alleles ; Case-Control Studies ; Chronic Periodontitis ; genetics ; Coronary Disease ; genetics ; Female ; Fibrinogen ; analysis ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of one of the acute-phase proteins, fibrinogen, on the release of IL-1beta and -8 by human peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and the possible role of fibrinogen during the destruction of periodontium.

METHODSPeripheral PMN were isolated by discontinuous density gradient centrifuging technique. The freshly isolated PMN were suspended in Hank's balanced saline solution (1 x 10(9)/L) supplemented with 0.5% BSA and 0.1% glucose. The levels of IL-1beta and -8 in the supernatants produced by cultured cells upon the addition of human fibrinogen at different concentrations were measured by ELISA technique.

RESULTSIncubated with human fibrinogen at 2 g/L or 10 g/L for different time periods, human peripheral PMN released significantly greater amount of IL-1beta [(10.41 +/- 0.37) - (35.86 +/- 0.30) ng/L or (22.81 +/- 0.45) - (57.77 +/- 2.08) ng/L] and IL-8 [(93.90 +/- 13.95) - (2045.66 +/- 53.03) ng/L or (115.02 +/- 10.61) - (3858.69 +/- 25.65) ng/L] than PMN without the stimulation of fibrinogen (IL-1beta, P < 0.001, and IL-8, P < or = 0.016). The higher concentration of fibrinogen or the longer treatment time, the higher levels of IL-1beta and -8 were released by PMN (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSFibrinogen induced the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and -8 by PMN and may be involved in magnification of the inflammatory response of periodontium and bone resorption.

Cells, Cultured ; Fibrinogen ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Interleukin-1beta ; metabolism ; Interleukin-8 ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Neutrophils ; drug effects ; secretion

Objective To summarize the diagnostic and therapeutic experiences for multiple insulinoma. Methods Clinical data of 34 cKsefl of multiple insulinoma treated in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 1984 and 2007 were analyzed retrospectively. Results Multiple insulinoma was identified in these 34 cases for 37 instances.Malignant insulinoma was found in 2 cases.Three cases suffered from postoperative recurrent multipie tumors.35.3% cases belonged to MEN1;13.5% cases were of insulinoma combined with islet hyperplasia;43.2% cases had 3 or more than 3 insulinomas;Fifteen cases (40.5%)had had a misdiagnosis.45.2%tumors were smaller than 1 cm in diameter:88.9%multiple insulinonla located at the body and tail of the pancreas.Enucleation of multiple tumors was performed for 48.7 percent of cases. Conclusions Most multiple insulinomas were small,it was difficult for preoperative examination to locate all the tumors therefore.Being on the alert against multiple insulinoma and such measures as careful exploration,intraoperative blood glucose determination.fine needle aspiration biopsy,frozen sections helps to avoid missing multiple imuhnoma.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between moderate to severe periodontitis and coronary heart disease (CHD) and to examine the serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in subjects with CHD and/or moderate to severe periodontitis.

METHODSSerum CRP levels, serum lipids [low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG)] and clinical periodontal parameters [clinical attachment loss (CAL), probing depth (PD), and bleeding on probing (BOP)] were measured and analyzed in coexistent moderate to severe periodontitis and CHD patients (n = 47), CHD patients (n = 28), moderate to severe periodontitis patients (n = 40), and healthy subjects (n = 40).

RESULTSThe serum CRP levels in control group, moderate to severe periodontitis patients, CHD patients and patients with both diseases were (1.30 +/- 0.15), (2.44 +/- 0.18), (5.99 +/- 0.82) and (6.88 +/- 0.71) mg/L, respectively. The differences among these four groups were significant (P < 0.001). The multivariate logistic regression revealed that moderate to severe periodontitis patients exhibited markedly elevated odds of having CHD (OR = 2.417, 95% CI: 1.126 - 6.659). The total cholesterol levels were also significantly different among the four groups (P = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONSThe moderate to severe periodontitis was associated with elevated serum CRP levels which may in turn affect the initiation and progression of CHD, and may be a risk factor for CHD.

Adult ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Coronary Disease ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Periodontitis ; blood