High volume hemofiltration(HVHF) is an important development in the field of blood purification,which has a significant effect on the stability of hemodynamics,clearance of inflammatory factors and metabolic toxins in the body. HVHF also has some drawbacks in the treatment. At present,HVHF has an increasingly wide application in pediatric critical diseases,such as systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis or septic shock,multiple organ dysfunction syndrome,acute kidney injury,acute poisoning,etc. It has become an important treatment in pediatric emergency medicine.

Objective To explore the change of serum procalcitonin (PCT)in infectious diseases and the relationship between PCT and the severity of illness in children.Methods This was a single-center prospective study of serum procalcitonin concentration in children with infectious diseases.Ninty-five children with infectious diseases (mycoplasma infection 30 cases,viral infection 30 cases,bacterial infection 35 cases),hospitalized in PICU of Shengjing Hospital from April 2011 to April 2013,were divided into three groups:non-serious group(64 cases),serious group(20 cases)and very serious group(11 cases)according to pediatric critical illness score(PCIS).Bacterial infectious patients were divided into two groups:gram positive bacterial group(20cases),gram negative bacterial group(15 cases).Twenty children of non-infectious diseases during the same period were selected as the control group.Serum PCT levels were detected by using VIDAS BRAHMS PCT detection system(rapid semi-quantitative PCT test).Laboratory detection was conducted in Department of Laboratory Medicine,Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University.Results The serum PCT levels of the control,the bacterial infection,virus infection,and mycoplasma infection group were (0.41 ± 0.34) μg/L,(2.56 ± 0.38)μg/L,(0.52 ±0.44) μg/L and(0.21 ±0.10) μg/L.The serun PCT levels higher than or equal to 0.5 μg/L were defirned as positive.There was significant difference in PCT positive rate between bacterial infection group and the control grouP(x2 =28.05,P ＜0.05).The serum PCT levels of children with infectious diseases were higher than those of non-infection group,mycoplasma infection group and virus infection group(P ＜ 0.05).Besides,the PCT value of gram negative bacillus infection group was also obvious higher than gram positive infection group.There was no significant difference among the non-infection group,mycoplasma infection group and virus infection group(P ＞ 0.05).There was significant negative correlation between the serum PCT concentration and the PCIS score in children with infectious diseases (r =-0.579 ～-0.793,P ＜ 0.05).The higher concentration of PCT in children with the infectious diseases indicated higher severity illness scores,more complications,and longer length of hospital stay.Conclusions PCT may provide an informative and sensitive molecular marker for pathogen identification (bacterial infection,pneumonia mycoplasma infection or viral infection).In the early diagnosis of infectious disease,PCT assay can help predict the severity of the disease.

Objective To reduce the incidence rate of sepsis caused by multidrug-resistant acinetobacter baumanni and provide the basis for clinical antibiotics use.Methods It is one retrospective case-controled study.Thirty-six patients with multidrug-resistant acinetobacter baumanni infection(case group) and 42 patients with non-multidrug-resistant acinetobacter baumanni infection(control group) admitted in PICU during 2009 to 2013 were enrolled in the study.Seven high risk factors including the irrational antibiotics use,the length of hospital stay,tracheal intubation,the length of mechanical ventilation,the basic diseases (hematologic malignancies,congenital heart disease,inherited metabolic diseases),use of central venous catheters and the length of using central venous catheters were analyzed.The drug sensitivity of multidrug resistant acinetobacter baumanni was detected.Results There were significantly differences in 7 high risk factors between case group and control group,including irrational antibiotics using (29 cases vs.18 cases),the length of hospital stay ＞7 d(35 cases vs.12 cases),tracheal intubation(22 cases vs.8 cases),mechanical ventilation ＞ 7 d (19 cases vs.2 cases),basic diseases (9 cases vs.3 cases),using of central venous catheters (18 cases vs.2 cases) and central venous catheters using ＞ 7 d(9 cases vs.1 cases) ;multidrug resistant acinetobacter baumanni had high resistance against penicillins,cephalosporins,aminoglycesides,quinolones,sulfonamides (94.87％,74.36％,76.92％,65.38％ and 56.41％),but had high sensitivity to carbapenems and tetracyclines (55.56％ and 77.78 ％).Sixteen cases infected with pandrug resistant acinetobacter baumanni infection (44.44％),4 cases infected with whole drugresistant acinetobacter baumanni (11.11％).Conclusion The irrational antibiotics use,the length of hospital stay,tracheal intubation,the length of mechanical ventilation,the basic diseases,central venous catheters and the length of using central venous catheters are the high risk factors of spesis caused by multidrug resistant acinetobacter baumanni; only carbapenems and tetracyclines can keep high sensitivity rate to multidrug resistant acinetobacter baumanni among clinical antibiotics.

Objective To analyze the effect of malaria surveillance and evaluate the surveillance measure in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 1995 to 2004 so as to provide scientific basis for formulating control strategy at the late-stage of malaria control. Methods The data on blood smear examination of febrile patients among local residents, focus residents and mobile population in 92 counties from 1995 to 2004 were collected,described and analyzed. Results The totals of 10920395,427600,246159 and 253530 slides in local residents,focus residents, returned population and endemic population were examined. The average positive rates of blood examination were 0.009%,0.079%,1.386% and 0.324%,respectively. The indigenous cases and imported cases accounted for 23.29% (1285/5517) and 76.71% (4232/5517) of the total malaria cases respectively. Conclusions The malaria incidence in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has been under 1/10000 for 17 years. There is less indigenous malaria in Guangxi. The imported malaria cases are dominated and scattered in whole Region. The secondary cases of imported malaria is very low. The results show that the present surveillance system and control programs are effective for monitoring the epidemic situation of malaria.

In order to investigate the influence of silencing soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) with double-stranded small interfering RNA (siRNA) on cardiomyocytes apoptosis induced by doxorubicin (DOX), two plasmids containing siRNA sequences specific to sEH were constructed and transfected into the primary cultured cardiomyocytes by using FuGENE HD transfection agents. The mRNA and protein expression levels of sEH were detected by semiquantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting respectively, and the plasmids that silenced sEH most significantly were selected, and renamed EH-R. The plasmids carrying a nonspecific siRNA coding sequence (PCN) served as the negative control. Cardiomyocytes were divided into four groups: control group, DOX group, PCN+DOX group, and EH-R+DOX group. Apoptosis of cardiomyocytes was induced by DOX at a concentration of 1 μmol/L. Apoptosis rate of cardiomyocytes was determined by flow cytometery. The protein expression levels of Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by Western blotting. The results showed that the expression of sEH was down-regulated by EH-R plasmid. The expression levels of sEH mRNA and protein in the EH-R+DOX group were significantly decreased as compared with other groups (P<0.01). As compared with the control group, the apoptosis rate of cardiomyocytes in three DOX-treated groups was obviously increased, the expression levels of Bax increased, and those of Bcl-2 decreased (P<0.01). However, the expression levels of Bax were decreased, those of Bcl-2 increased and the apoptosis rate of cardiomyocytes obviously decreased in EH-R+DOX group when compared with those in the DOX group and the PCN+DOX group (P<0.01 for each). It was concluded that the recombinant plasmids could be successfully constructed, and transfected into the primary cultured cardiomyocytes. They could ameliorate the DOX-induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis by selectively inhibiting the expression of sEH with RNAi and increasing the expression of Bcl-2.

Objective To analyze the overall developmental stages of traditional Chinese materia medica patent technology in China and abroad and the causes of the differences. Methods In this study, the Shanghai Intellectual Property Information Platform, Thomson Innovation, Derwent Innovations Index were utilized and graphic illustration method for patent technology life cycles was used to determine the overall developmental stages of traditional Chinese materia medica patent technology in China and abroad. Results The numbers of applications for patent traditional Chinese materia medica and their applicants were obtained. With information of the two parameters, the text made a preliminary prediction of overall trend for the number of applications. Conclusion The patent technology of traditional Chinese materia medica progressed into developing stages in China and appeared the feature of mature or recession stage abroad.

Objective To confirm existence of Sarcocystis suihominis and possible transmission cycle between human and pigs. Methods Based on the human-pig-human infection cycle of Sarcocystis suihominis, feces of naturally infected pigs were collected and over 10 000 sporocysts were received by flotation technique, which were mixed with fodder to infect a normal pig. Fresh pork meat containing mature sarcocysts was chopped into pieces and swallowed by a volunteer (the first author of this paper) with about 71 000 sporocysts. Symptoms and development of the parasites after infection were observed. Results The volunteer showed abdominal distension in about 5 hours after infection, with watery diarrhea 13 times from the 8th to 36th hour, vomiting 4 times, chilling and fever with a temperature of 38.5℃, dizziness, headache, joint and muscle ache, epigastralgia, and anorexia. Un-sporized sporocysts were found in the faces 10 days after infection and sporocysts appeared on the 12th day. The average size of sporocysts was 11.9(8.8-14.5)?m?9.2(7.5-12.5) ?m. The infected pig showed a slight anorexia, fatigue, constipation, hair loosen in 5～8 days after infection, and returned normal on the 17th day. The average size of the sarcocysts was 299.2(175-575)?m?62.3(30-102.5)?m. Size of bradyzoites was 11.5(9.5-13.5)?m?4.1(2.8-5.0)?m. The volunteer was treated with acetylspiramycin for 15 days(0.2 g/time, 4 times/d) after 46 days of infection, and fecal examination turned negative 30 days later. Conclusion There is a man-pig cycle for Sarcocystis suihominis in Guangxi.

AIM: To investigate the effects of TGF-?_1 and signal protein Smad3 on rat cardiac myocyte hypertrophy.METHODS: The total protein was analyzed by flow cytometry and the ANF mRNA expression was measured by RT-PCR to judge the hypertrophy of cultured neonatal cardiac myocytes.Smad3 mRNA expression in cardiac myocytes was measured by RT-PCR,and the protein expression of Smad3 was analyzed by Western blotting.RESULTS: TGF-?_1 significantly increased the total protein in cardiac myocytes and promoted ANF mRNA expression,compared with control group.In cultured neonatal myocytes,AS-ODN of Smad3 inhibited myocyte hypertrophy induced by TGF-?_1.Smad3 mRNA and protein expression increased at 15 min after incubated with TGF-?_1,reached the peak at 1 h,and declined at 4 h.CONCLUSION: TGF-?_1 and signal protein Smad3 may participate in the progress of rat cardiac myocyte hypertrophy.

Objective To explore the changes in expression levels of nuclear factor(NF)-κB,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-e in the lungs of juvenile mice with acute lung injury(ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS).And observe the repair of lung damage after intervening with exogenous mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs).Methods Thirty male juvenile C57 mice were randomly divided into the control group,the ALI group,and the ALI + MSCs group by the random number table method.Mice from each group were euthanized at 12 h and 48 h.The ALI model of juvenile mice was established by intraperitoneal injection of LPS 10 mg/kg.MSCs from mice bone marrow were isolated,cultured and amplified in vitro,and the MSCs (1 × 106/ml) 0.1 ml were given to mice via caudal vein.MSCs marker were identificated by flow cytometry.Pathomorphological changes of mice lung were observed under light microscope after Hematoxylin-Eosin staining.The protein expression changes of NF-κB,TNF-α were observed using immunohistochemistry.Resu]ts Compared with the control group,the protein expression levels of NF-κB,TNF-α were significantly higher at 12 h and 48 h in the lungs of the ALI group(P ＜ 0.05).While those in ALI + MSCs group were markedly lower at these time points than the ALI group [NF-κB:12 h:(0.181 ± 0.008) OD vs (0.203 ±0.008) OD,48 h:(0.197 ± 0.002) OD vs (0.210 ± 0.005) OD; TNF-α:12 h:(0.185 ± 0.004) OD vs (0.201 ± 0.011) OD,48 h:(0.185 ± 0.002) OD vs (0.215 ± 0.009) OD] (P ＜ 0.05).Histopathological evalution showed that typical pathological inflammation lesions in the lung were observed in ALI group,including alveolar congestion,hemorrhage,edema,infiltration of neutrophils in the airspace or vessel wall,thickness of the alveolar wall;pathological changes were relieved obviously in ALI + MSCs group.Conclusion The expression of NF-κB and TNF-α are increased in lung tissues in the juvenile mice model of ALI induced by LPS.MSCs can alleviate injury degree of ALI induced by LPS in mice,the mechanism of action may correlate with decreasing NF-κB and TNF-α content in lung tissue.

Plaque rupture,platelet aggregation,and thrombogenesis are the main mechanisms of acute coronary syndrome (ACS),and inflammation factors play key roles in plaque unstability.Psychological stress promotes acute inflammatory response,leading to increased circulating levels of C-reactive protein (CRP),IL-6,and serum intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM)-1.But it is not clear that whether psychological stress has a direct effect on atherosclerotic plaque stability.The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of chronic psychological stress on inflammatory marker (ICAM-1 ) in atherosclerotic plaque,and inflammatory markers in peripheral blood.Materials and methods Sixty male rabbits were randomized into 2 groups:the control group (n =10) and the atherosclerotic group (n =50).The latter were fed on high fatty diet and were given a large dose of vitamin D3 (3 600 000IU/kg) via intraperitoneal injection.After 8 weeks,the atherosclerotic model was estaslished.Then the 50 atherosclerotic model rabbits were divided into 3 subgroups:no-stress subgroup (n = 16),physiological stress subgroup (n = 16) and psychological stress subgroup (n =18).In physiological stress subgroup and psychological stress subgroup,drinking was cut from twice a day to once a day.At the same time,psychological stress subgroup was given empty bottle stress,and this process lasted for 2 weeks.One hour after the last stress,the blood samples were collected and the serum levels of CRP,IL-6 amd ICAM-1 were tested by radioimmunoassay or enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.The aorta and heart were extracted for pathology examination,and the express of ICAM-1 was tested by immunohistochemical examination.Results (1) After effective atherosclerotic animal model construction,the expression of ICAM-1 in aorta was higher in atherosclerotic group than that in control group (P＜0.01),and was notably higher in psychological stress subgroup than that in no-stress subgroup or in physiological stress subgroup (2.18±0.17 vs 1.58±0.22,1.22±0.15,P＜0.001,respectively).The expression in physiological stress subgroup was higher than that in no-stress subgroup (584±0.22 vs 1.22±0.15,P=0.001).(2) The serum level of IL-6 (51.80±4.60 pg/ml vs 27.60±4.19 pg/ml,8.01±1.39 pg/ml,7.83±1.37 pg/ml),sICAM-1 ( 1.24±0.25 vs 0.85±0.09,0.62±0.17,0.57±0.11),CRP ( 1.004±0.37 vs 0.90±0.29,1.01±0.22,0.71±0.13) in psychological stress group were significantly higher than that in other groups (All P＜0.05).There was a positive relationship between the serum level of CRP,IL-6 and ICAM-1 and the expression of ICAM-1 in aorta wall ( r =0.59,r =0.75,r =0.87,P＜0.01,respectively).Conclusions Psychological stress induces an increased expression of ICAM-1 in aortic atherosclerotic plaque,a higher serum level of CRP,IL-6,and sICAM-1 expression.Psychologial stress has a direct effect on the transition from stability to unstability through in-plaque and out-plaque inflammation.The serum level of CRP,IL-6 and ICAM-1 can reflex the inflammatory degree in atherosclerotic plaque.(J Geriatr Cardiol 2008;5:235-242)