Toll-like receptors are an important pattern recognition receptors that recognize specific components of microbes and certain host molecules.Through initiated cell signaling pathway,they can induce immunocyte.Their activation triggers the innate immune response,and is crucial to the successful induction of Th1/Th2-phenotyped adaptive immunity.This review will give a brief overview of our current knowledge of TLRs as key components in immune responses and their regulation in respiratory tract diseases such as asthma.

Objective To study the efficiency of large dose intravenous immunoglobulin(IVIG) in decreasing incidence of asthma following bronchiolitis.Methods One hundred and sixty-eight children with bronchiolitis were chosen to use different treatment plans,81 children receiving large dose of IVIG[ 0.4 g/(kg?d)] daily,on the basis of routine treatment for 5 days,while other 87 children were reserved as control group receiving routine treatment only,which were followed up 5 to 10 years.Results After following up 5 to 10 years,only 17 cases in 81 patients with bronchiolitis receiving large dose IVIG developed into asthma.However,46 cases in control group developed into asthma.The incidence of asthma was 20.99% and(52.87%) in two groups,respectively,showing significant(differe-)nce between them(P

Objective To observe the incidence of bronchial asthma thereafter by 3 to 10 years′ follow-up of 280 children with bronchio-litis and analyze the correlation factors affecting the development of asthma.Methods Two hundred and eighty children with bronchitis were chosen and treated from Jan.1995 to Dec.2002,220 males,and 60 females.The review research and clinical revisits were carried out to investigate and analyze the subjects in terms of whether receiving large dose of intravenous injection immunoglobulin(IVIG) treatment or not,whether getting vaccinated with bacille calmette guerin(BCG)as planed or not,whether having asthma family history and the allergic physique or not,the way of feeding,and so on.Results The rate of asthma was 29.29%(82/280),and the incidence of asthma was significantly lower in children with administering the large dose of IVIG,vaccinating BCG vaccine as planed,having no allergic physique,having no asthma family history or breast feeding than those without administering the large dose of IVIG,vaccinating BCG vaccine as planed,brest feeding,with allergic physique,asthma family history(Pa

Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most common cause of invasive disease,such as bacteremia,meningitis,and empyema,et al.But there has significant difference on the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease among different regions and differernt groups of people.In addition the severity and mortality of invasive pneumococcal disease are closely related to the changes of serotypes,virulence of streptococcus pneumoniae and also the human immune response.The pneumococcal vaccination is an important measure to prevent streptococcus pneumoniae infection,providing good protection to vaccinees and createing herd immunity effect.This article briefly describes the pathogenesis,risk factors and preventive strategies of invasive pneumococcal disease.

Background There still is no a uniform diagnostic criteria for increasing population of dry eye.Studies showed that high tear osmotic pressure is one of causes of a variety of ocular surface discomfort,and the change of tear osmolality has been included in the definition of dry eye syndrome by Dry Eye World Study Group (DEWS) in 2007.It is very clinically significant to study the relationship of tear osmolality with dry eye.Objective This clinical trial was to study the correlation between tear osmolarity and dry eye severity based on Preferred Practice Pattern(PPP)of DEWS.Methods A descriptive study was performed.Fifty-four eyes of 54 patients with dry eye disease were asked to complete an evaluation of dry eye signs and symptoms questionnaire based on PPP.The ocular anterior segment was examined under the slit lamp biomicroscope.Cornealfluorescein staining,tear-film breakup time (BUT),Schirmer test Ⅰ (S Ⅰ t)without anesthesia were performed,and tear sample was collected for tear imageology and tear osmolarity admeasurement.The correlation between dry eye score with tear osmolarity was evaluated using Pearson linear correlation analysis.Written informed consent as obtained prior to any relevant medical procedure.Results The ratio of male and female patients was 1: 2 in this study.The negative correlations were found between tear osmolarity with S Ⅰ t or BUT(r =-0.456,-0.699,P＜0.01),and significantly positive correlations were found between tear osmolarity with tear imaging examination,corneal fluorescein staining,conjunctival hyperemia or dry eye symptom score(r=0.545,0.686,0.691,0.803,P＜0.01).Conclusions As a diagnostic method,tear osmolarity can objectively reflects dry eye severity.It can be a biomarker in dry eye severity grade when combined with clinical symptom.

Objective To study pathogensand diagnostic value of beta2-microglobulin(?2-MG) in cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) in children with aseptic meningitis(AM).Methods Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assay,enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and passive particle agglutination were employed respectively to detect herpes simplex virus type-1(HSV-1) DNA,enterovirus(EV) RNA in CSF and the specific antibodies of HSV-1 and mycoplasma pneumonia(MP) in blood and CSF from 80 children with AM (AM group) and 20 cases of complete remission acute leukaemia(control group).Children with AM were divided into the EV meningitis group,HSV-1 meningitis group and MP meningitis group according to respective diagnostic criteria.The levels of ?2-MG in CSF from all groups were detected by radio immunoassay.SPSS 13.0 software was used to analyze the data.Results The infection rate of EV,HSV-1 and MP were 52.5%,11.25%and 5.0%,respectively in children with AM.The infection rate of EV was highest.The sensitivity of PCR was higher than ELISA.There could be false negative PCR results in bloody CSF specimens with HSV-1 DNA.The levels of ?2-MG in CSF was significantly higher in children with AM than that in control group(P

Objective To analyze the serum polypeptide fingerprints of Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) bloodstream infection in mice at different time points using matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-FOF MS), screen differential polypeptide peaks, and create a corresponding diagnostic model and look for new markers. Methods Ninety ICR mice were used to establish E. faecium bloodstream infection model (including 10 mice as normal control group with PBS injection, and 80 mice as the infection group with 1/2 LD50 E. faecium injection in a volume of 0.1 ml/10 g by the intravenous tail). Blood samples were collected at 8 time points (1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96 and 128 h), and tested for IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-6 detection. Serum samples were then purified with weak cation magnetic beads, the serum polypeptide profiling was recognized by MALDI-TOF MS and BioExplorer software between infection group and normal control group. Amino acid sequences of the candidate polypeptides were identified by nano-liquid chromatography electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC/ESI–MS/MS). Results After infected with E. faecium, the mice showed abnormal behaviors compared with the normal control group, including listless and reduced activity; IL-1α was down-regulated, while IL-1β and IL-6 were up-regulated. A total of 102 polypeptide peaks were detected by fingerprints analysis. Screening on the basis of 5 times difference in content in both infection group and control group, 8 polypeptides were higher in infection group than those in control group (P<0.01), and 9 polypeptides were lower in infection group than those in control group (P<0.01). Combining five polypeptide peaks of m/z 1227.4, 1512.9, 4509.7, 5007.3 and 7816.7, the corresponding diagnostic model was established with accuracy rate of 80%, specificity of 76.6% and sensitivity of 83.3%. Identified by secondary mass spectrometry, polypeptide peaks m/z 1227.4 and 5007.3 were the fragment of β2microglobulin and complement C3, respectively. Conclusions MALDI-TOF MS combined with BioExplorer software, when used as a new method to study the E. faecium bloodstream infection, may find the differential polypeptides between infection group and control group, and can effectively establish a diagnostic model of bloodstream infection. β2-microglobulin and complement C3 are expected to become the new biomarkers for auxiliary diagnosis of bacterial bloodstream infection.

Objective To evaluate the laparoscopic Palomo procedure in the management of varicocele in adolescent by assessment of the postoperative testicular growth and the changes of the biggest vessel diameter of varix. Methods From July 1999 to March 2004, laparoscopic high mass - ligation of testicular vessels according to Palomo procedure was performed on 31 boys who all presented with left varicocele Before and after operation at 1 month,3 and 6 months, the biggest vessel diameter of varicocele was measured by ultrasonography, testicular blood supply was evaluated by color Doppler flow imaging(CDFI) ,and fastis was recorded in length, width and thickness by ultrasonographic measurement, which volume was calculated by the formula V =?/6 ? length ? width ? thickness. Also the ratio of left to right testicular volume was calculated, and the left testicle was thought atrophy if the ratio was below 75% The biggest vessel diameter of varix, testicular blood supply, and the postoperative testicular increasing volume were compared before and after operation. Results The biggest vessel diameter of varicocele significantly reduced 1 month after operation(P

In order to investigate the genetic basis of morphological variation of tetraploid plantlets of Atractylodes macrocephala, diploid plantlets were taken as experimental material, sterile filtration colchicine was used to soak 0.5-1.0 cm long buds. The difference between morphology and stomatal of diploid and tetraploid of A. macrocephala was compared, and genome polymorphism was explored by AFLP. The results showed that the buds dipped in 0.1% colchicine solution for 36 h was optimal conditions to induce tetraploid of A. macrocephala with induction rate of 32.0%. Morphological indexes such as leaf area index, leaf length and width, the density of stomas and the number of chloroplast of tetraploid were distinctly different from diploid. Four hundred and fifty-one bands ranging with 80-500 bp were amplified with 24 pairs of primers, the rate of polymorphism was 32.59%. These amplification sites of diploid were different from tetraploid of A. macrocephala, and the differences in morphology of them were reflected in the DNA polymorphism.
Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis ; methods ; Atractylodes ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Tetraploidy

Objective To observe changes of cognitive function and the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α),interleukin 10(IL-10) in hippocampus of diabetic rats,and assess the role of inflammation in the possible pathogenesis of diabetic encephalopathy (DE).Methods 30 male SD rats were randomly divided into control group and diabetes mellitus group.After 4 weeks of feeding high fat diet,diabetes mellitus group according to 30mg/kg injected with streptozotocin to establish type 2 diabetic rat model.At the end of the experiment,cognition were evaluated using water maze test.The concentration of beta-amyloid(Aβ) in hippocampus of diabetic rats were detected through enzyme linked immunosorbent assay,and the expression of TNF-α,IL-10 were detected by Western blotting.The expression of Aβ,TNF-α,IL-10 were observed through immunohistochemistry.Results Time spent in the target quadrant in diabetes mellitus group was shorter than that in control group ((38.21± 3.68)s vs (42.10±2.62)s,t=3.105,P＜0.01).The frequency of crossing original platform site was less than that in control group((2.62±0.77) vs(3.69±0.95),t=3.184,P＜0.01).Compared with control group the expression of Aβ,TNF-α were higher(BothP＜0.01),and IL-10 were lower(P＜0.01)in diabetes mellitus group.The positive expression of Aβ,TNF-α were obviously and IL-10 were less obviously observed in diabetes mellitus group according to immunohistochemistry.Conclusion The cognitive decline in diabetic rats is possibly related to inflammatory cytokines expressing out of balance.