BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to measure the concentration of adiponectin (APN) in serum and induced sputum in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD during acute exacerbation (AECOPD) and at stable stage and to determine the role of APN as a marker of inflammation in the pathogenesis of COPD. METHODS: All the patients in this prospective study were enrolled from October 2008 to October 2009, including 30 male AECOPD patients from the emergency department, 30 male stable COPD patients from the department of respiratory diseases, and 30 healthy non-smoking male controls from the department of medical examination. The serum and induced sputum were collected from each patient. All of the patients had normal weight (BMI range 18.5-24.9 kg/m2). Patients with severe bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis or autoimmune disease were excluded. Cell count and classification was performed for the induced sputum. The concentrations of APN, IL-8, IL-6 and TNF-α were measured by ELISA. Pulmonary function was tested among the three groups. Comparisons between the groups were conducted by Student's t test, ANOVA analysis or nonparametric test. Correlation analysis was carried out by Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient test or Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient test. RESULTS: The concentrations of APN in the serum or induced sputum in AECOPD patients were significantly higher than those in stable COPD patients or healthy non-smoking controls (P<0.01). The concentration of APN in stable COPD patients was significantly higher than that in healthy non-smoking controls (P<0.01). For the AECOPD patients, APN was positively correlated with IL-8 and TNF-α in the serum and induced sputum (r=0.739, 0.734, 0.852, 0.857 respectively, P<0.05). For the stable COPD patients, APN was also positively correlated with IL-8 and TNF-α in the serum and induced sputum (r=0.751, 0.659, 0.707, 0.867 respectively, P<0.05). In addition, for the AECOPD patients, APN was positively correlated with the percentage of neutrophils in the induced sputum (r=0.439, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: APN is involved in the process of systematic and airway inflammation of COPD. This process is related to neutrophils in the airway, IL-8 and TNF-α. APN could be used as a new marker for inflammation of COPD.

BACKGROUND: As a cytokine highly expressed in internal organs, visfatin could be used as a biomarker of systemic inflammation response for chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, but few studies have reported the use of visfatin in severe pneumonia. The present study was undertaken to determine the plasma levels of visfatin in patients with severe pneumonia. METHODS: A total of 70 patients, including 40 patients with severe pneumonia (group A) and 30 patients with non severe pneumonia (group B) who had been admitted to the ICU from June 2009 to June 2010, were enrolled in this prospective study. And another 30 healthy physical examinees served as healthy controls (group C). Patients were excluded if they suffered from severe diseases of the heart, brain and kidney, cancers, autoimmune diseases, or received special treatment in the latest month. The plasma levels of visfatin, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α were measured by ELISA, while the level of CRP was determined by immuneturbidimetry, and the routine blood test was performed. Blood gas analysis and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) were performed in patients with pneumonia. Comparisons between the groups were conducted by Student's t test, ANOVA or nonparametric test. Correlation analysis was carried out by Pearson's correlation test or Spearman's rank-order correlation test. RESULTS: The plasma level of visfatin in group A was significantly higher than that in groups B and C (P<0.001), and the level of visfatin in group B was significantly higher than that in group C (P<0.001). The plasma level of visfatin was positively correlated with CRP, TNF-α, APACHE II and PMN％ in patients with severe pneumonia (rho=0.653, r=0.554, r=0.558, r=0.484, respectively, P<0.05 for all), while it was negatively correlated with PaO2 and PaO2/FiO2 (rho=?0.422, r=?0.543, respectively, P<0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: Visfatin may be involved in the systematic inflammation response in patients with severe pneumonia as a pro-inflammatory cytokine, and it is valuable in assessing the severity of pneumonia..

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the association between susceptibility to aflatoxin B1(AFB1)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the polymorphism of detoxication gene GSTM1.

METHODSThe peripheral white blood cell DNA samples were obtained from all the subjects including 140 HCC cases and 536 controls from an AFB1 high risk area in Guangxi province. The GSTM1 polymorphism was detected using PCR technique.

RESULTS(1) The GSTM1-present was associated with a decreased HCC risk. The GSTM1-null was associated with an increased HCC risk [adjusted OR (95% CI)= 2.07 (1.20-3.57)]. (2) In the cohorts of both low/median and high exposure levels of AFB1, GSTM1-null genotype was associated with a conspicuous significantly increased risk for HCC [adjusted OR (95% CI) = 1.92 (0.92-4.00) and 1.80 (0.77-4.17)].

CONCLUSIONThe results suggest that genetic polymorphism of GSTM1 was susceptible to HCC and individuals who are GSTM1-null have an increased risk of developing HCC. There is evidence of interaction between GSTM1 polymorphism and AFB1 exposure, especially with low/median degrees of AFB1 exposure.

Aflatoxin B1 ; genetics ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Glutathione Transferase ; genetics ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic

In this paper, based on the special influence of supramolecular chemistry on the basic theory of Chinese medicines ( CM) , the authors further analyzed the history of meridian tropism and natural origins of CM organisms and explained CM ingredients and the universal regularity of the automatic action of the supramolecular "imprinting templates" hole channel structure. After entering human bodies, CMs, as the aggregation of supramolecular "imprinting templates" , automatically seek supramolecular subjects that are matched with their "imprinting templates" in human meridians and organs for the purpose of self-recognition, self-organization, self-assembly and self-replication, so as to generate specific efficacy in meridians and organs, which is reflected as the meridian tropism phenomena at macro level. This regularity can be studied by in vitro and in vivo experimental studies. In vitro methods are mostly supra molecular structure analysis and kinetic and thermodynamic parameter calculation; Whereas in vivo methods are dominated by the analysis on object component distribution, chromatopharmacodynamic parameters and network chromatopharmacodynamic parameters; Particularly, the acupoint-medicine method can simplify to study the supramolecular subject-object relations. Consequently, CM's'meridian tropism reveals the universal regularity for interactions of macromolecular and micromolecular "imprinting templates" of subjects and objects in natural organisms. As the first barrier for the material base of the CM theory and breakthrough in the modernization of the basic CM theory, meridian tropism plays an important role in studies on basic theories of the basic CM theory.
Acupuncture Points ; Drug Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Meridians

OBJECTIVETo study the association between susceptibility to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-related hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and the null genotypes of detoxication gene gstM1 and gstT1.

METHODSPeripheral blood white blood cells DNA samples were obtained from all the subjects including 140 HCC cases and 536 controls from AFB1 high risk area Guangxi. gstM1 and gstT1 polymorphisms were detected by polymerase chain reaction technique.

RESULTS(1) gstM1- and gstT1-present were associated with decreasing risk of HCC. gstM1- and gstT1-null were associated with the increasing risk of HCC [adjusted OR (95 % CI) = 2.07 (1.20-3.57) and 1.44 (0.85-2.45), respectively]; (2) The appearance of both gstM1- and gstT1-null genotypes were more susceptible to HCC than either one of them(adjusted OR and 95% CI are 2.43 and (1.19-4.97); (3) From low/median to high level of AFB1 exposure, both gstM1- and gstTl-null genotypes were associated with significantly conspicuous increasing risk of HCC [adjusted OR(95% CI) = 12.76(5.38-30.24) and 7.82(3.61-16.90) respectively].

CONCLUSIONIt was suggested that: genetic polymorphisms of gstM1 and gstT1 were susceptible to HCC; individuals who were gstM1- or gstT1-null would have an increasing risk of developing HCC while individuals with both nulls were more susceptible. There was evidence of interaction between gstM1- and gstT1-null and the level of AFB1 exposure which was associated with the increasing risk of HCC.

Adult ; Aflatoxin B1 ; toxicity ; Aged ; Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; complications ; etiology ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Glutathione Transferase ; genetics ; Hepatitis B ; complications ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; complications ; etiology ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic

Objective To study the SCN1A gene in a family with partial epilepsy with febrile seizures plus ( PEFS+ ) and its characteristics of inheritance. Methods The clinical features of the 2 patients and their father were summarized. All 26 exons of SCN1A gene were screened with denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC), and direct sequence analysis was pedormed on those with abnormal elution peak. Pyrosequencing was subsequently performed in those without abnormality in direct sequence analysis. Results The proband and his sister had the phenotype of PEFS+ . The same heterozygous mutations (AS768G) on exon 26 which caused the related amino acid change (Q1923R) were found among them. Their father had frequent febrile seizures (FS) in childhood, and seizures stopped spontaneously. No abnormality was found in direct sequence but mosaic mutation in the same site was discovered with pyrosequencing (mutation quantity was 25% ). Conclusions The mutatin of SCN1A could cause partial epilepsy. PEFS+ could be inherited, the relatives carrying the affected gene may have mild clinical symptoms, possibly resulting from the low concentration of the mutated gene due to mosaic mutation.

Objective To study the sodium channel α1-subunit (SCN1A) gene in a pair of monozygotic twins with borderland severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (SMEB) and its characteristic of clinical manifestations. Methods The clinical features of 2 monozygotic twins were summarized. All 26 exons of SCNIA genes were screened with denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC), and direct sequence analysis was performed on those with abnormal elution peak. Results The proband and her sister showed typical clinical features of SMEB. The same heterozygous mutations on exon 26 which caused the related amino acid change were found among them (c. 5348C > T, A1783E). Conclusion Monozygotic twins with similar clinical phenotype of SMEB have same SCN1A gene mutation.

Objective To test the expression level of CD69+CD4+CD25-T cells in peripheral blood from patients with autoimmune pancreatitis,and further analyze its clinical significance.Methods Peripheral blood samples from 32 patients with AIP diagnosed in hematological department,Changhai Hospital and 32 health individuals examined at the same time were collected from September 2014 to December 2016,they were classified as experimental and control groups,separately.Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was acquired by density gradient centrifugation,CD69+ CD4 + CD25-T cells in PBMCs were tested by flow cytometry,and the expression level of cytokines in plasm was by ELISA.The comparison of varies between the two groups was measured by two independent samples' t test.The relationship between the two measurement data was measured by pearson correlation coefficient.Results The expression levels of CD69 + CD4 + CD25-T in experimental and control groups were 10.36％±3.68％ vs 3.99％±1.45％ (t=9.110,P＜0.0001).The expression level of TGF-β was 399.86±121.88 vs 143.87±56.22 pg/ml (t=10.79,P＜0.000 1),both with statistical significance.The levels of CD69+CD4+CD25-T in experimental was positively correlated with TGF-β (r=0.653,P＜0.001) and negatively with IL-4,IFN-γ,IL-2 (r=-0.442,-0.567,-0.351,P＜0.05) and there was statistical significance.Conclusion CD69+CD4 +CD25-T cells might involve the immunopathology of AIP and could be the potential biomarker for clinical diagnosis and therapy.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of distal radioulnar ligament reconstruction by autologous tendon pal‐maris longus transplantation under arthroscopic assistance in treating chronic instability of the distal radioulnar joint .Methods Seven patients with chronic instability of the distal radioulnar joint after failure of conservation therapy were definitely diagnosed by the wrist joint exploration .Then the autologous tendon palmaris longus was taken for conducting the anatomical reconstruction of distal radioulnar ligament ;the average follow up was 12 months .The preoperative and postoperative grip strength and the motion of wrist joint were recorded ;the pain status of the wrist joint was evaluated by using the visual analogue scale (VAS) ,and the wrist function status was evaluated by using the Disabilities of the Arm ,Shoulder and Hand(DASH) and the Modified Mayo Wrist Score (MMWS) .Results The average VAS score of the rist joint motion was recovered from (7 ± 2) points before operation to (3 ± 3) points after operation ,the MMWS score was improved from preoperative (50 ± 9) points to postoperative (83 ± 11) points ,the DASH score was decreased significantly from preoperative (37 ± 15) points to postoperative (16 ± 10) points ,the grip strength was improved from preoperative 84 .5 ± 16 .0 to postoperative 93 .4 ± 11 .0 ,the differences were statistically significant .The mean range of motion(ROM ) in flexion/extension of the wrist was increased from preoperative 93 .5% ± 6 .0% to postoperative 96 .4% ± 3 .0% ,the ROM in pronation/supination of the forearm was increased from preoperative 92 .6% ± 7 .0% to postoperative 97 .2% ± 5 .0% ,but the differences were not statistically significant .Conclusion Under arthroscopic assistance ,the anatomical reconstruc‐tion of the distal radioulnar ligaments is an effective treatment method for treating chronic distal radioulnar joint instability ,its short term follow up has satisfactory effect .

Objective To study the present situation of thalassemia among people at reproductive age in Guilin city.Methods A complete red blood eell mean cell volume(RBCMCV)was detected as well as hemoglobin electrophoresis analysis were done for all samples.Suspected αorβ thalassemia cases,wcTe screened out and a and β thalassemia genes were detected by PCR-RDB.Results Among 1580 cases,79 Cases were detected α thalassemia gene positive.with the detection rateas 5.00%.The detection rates on α thalassemia were 5.32%.4.68%in males and females,but no significant difference(X2=3.04,X2＜X0.05(1)=3.84,P＞0.05).114 cases were detected carrying β thalassemia gene with the detection rate as 7.22%.The detection rates on β thalassemia were 7.85%,6.58%in males and females,with no significant difference(X2=0.95,X2＜X0.05(1)=3.84,P＞0.05).The overall detection rate of thalassemia was 12.22%(193/1580).α halassemia were found to have had ten genotypes.with-α3.7/αα the most common one and the detection rate was 3.54%.--SEA/αα appeared the majority in the static α thalassemia and --SEA/αα took the majority in the light α thalassemia,while--SEA/-αCS was the major one in the intermedia α thalassemia,with gene conwibutions of 7.59%,70.88%and 2.53%.β halassemia was detected having seven genotypes,with CD41-42(-TTCT)the most commoll one in B thalassemia,and the detection rate was 3.1 6%.11he commonly seen three mutations,CD41-42(-TTCT),CDl7(A→T)and IVS-Ⅱ-654(C→T)were accounted for 87.71%of β thalassemia.The detection rate on thalassemia α and β combination was 0.63%.Conclusion The detection rate of thalassemia among people at productive age in Guilin city was relatively high.