Objective To evaluate effects of acitretin and interferon?α(INF?α)alone or in combination on the proliferative activity of and interleukin?15 expression in human cutaneous T?cell lymphoma Hut78 cells. Methods Cultured Hut78 cells were divided into several groups, including blank control group, negative control group, dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) group and experimental groups. Cells in experimental groups were additionally classified into several subgroups to be treated with acitretin(0.1-10μmol/L, acitretin groups)or INF?α(5 000-20 000 IU/ml, INF?αgroups) alone, or the combination of 1.0 μmol/L acitretin and IFN?α at concentrations of 5 000- 20 000 IU/ml (combination groups), for 24, 48 and 72 hours. Subsequently, cell counting kit 8(CCK8)assay was performed to assess the proliferative activity of Hut78 cells, and enzyme?linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)to measure the expression of IL?15 in these cells. Results The proliferative activity of and IL?15 expression in Hut78 cells were both obviously suppressed in the acitretin groups and combination groups compared with the DMSO group, as well as in the INF?αgroups compared with the negative control group, and the inhibitory effects gradually increased with the increase in acitretin or INF?αconcentrations and treatment durations. As repeated measures analysis of variance revealed, there was a significant difference in both proliferation inhibition rates and IL?15 expression among different treatment durations and among different concentrations of acitretin or INF?α(all P<0.05), and there was an interaction effect between treatment durations and drug concentrations(all P<0.05). A significant difference was observed in both proliferation inhibition rates and IL?15 expression at 24, 48 and 72 hours when the 1.0?μmol/L acitretin+ 10 000/20 000?IU/ml IFN?αgroup was compared with the 1.0?μmol/L acitretin group and 10 000/20 000 IU/ml IFN?αgroup(all P<0.05). There was also a significant difference in IL?15 expression at 24, 48 and 72 hours between the 1.0?μmol/L acitretin+50 000?IU/ml IFN?αgroup and 5 000?IU/ml IFN?αgroup(all P<0.05). Conclusions Acitretin and IFN?αboth can inhibit the proliferation of and IL?15 expression in Hut78 cells, the inhibitory effects are enhanced with the increase in drug concentrations and treatment durations, and the combination of acitretin and IFN?α appears to have stronger inhibitory effects than acitretin or IFN?αalone.

OBJECTIVEA component-knockout approach was established to discover active components from traditional Chinese medicine.

METHODAccording to the principle of gene knockout technique, an experiment workflow for component-knockout method was developed, which is distinct from the bio-guided screening method. The differences of therapeutic efficacies between different combinations of individual components were analyzed by some statistical methods including Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), whilst a set of criterias were established to assess active components. By comparing the difference of drug efficacy between the original formulae and the mixture being knockout certain component, the active components can be identified.

RESULTThe presented component-knockout method was applied to discover the active components of Shenmai formulae for the synergistic effects on the cyclophosphamide chemotherapy for S180 tumor-bearing mice. The results indicated that panoxadiol, a type of ginsenosides, were the effective components of Shenmai formulae.

CONCLUSIONA new method for identifying effective components from Chinese medicinal formulae was developed and successfully applied to discover the active components of Shenmai Formulae, which possesses the synergistic actions towards chemotherapy process.

Algorithms ; Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; Ginsenosides ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; Phytotherapy ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Objective To establish a set of scientific and standardized quality control indicator system for occupational pneumoconiosis (hereinafter referred to as "pneumoconiosis") medical care. Methods A research group was set up to establish an indicator pool of quality control indicator system for pneumoconiosis, including three first-level indicators and 48 second-level indicators, based on literature review, analysis and sorting, and the current national quality control indicators of respiratory diseases in disease-specific quality monitoring. Two rounds of consultation were conducted with 15 experts through Delphi method to establish the quality control indicator system for pneumoconiosis medical care. Results The questionnaire recovery rates of the two rounds of expert consultations were 100%, and the effective questionnaire recovery rates of both consultations were 100%. The expert authority coefficient was 0.91, and the expert coordination coefficients were 0.208 and 0.209, respectively (both P<0.001). The coefficient of variation ranged from 0.10 to 0.37, with nine indicators having a coefficient of variation >0.25. The constructed quality control indicator system for pneumoconiosis medical care includes three primary indicators, 15 secondary indicators, and 32 tertiary indicators. Conclusion The constructed quality management indicator system for pneumoconiosis medical care has high scientificity and reliability. It provides a basis for the quality evaluation of pneumoconiosis medical care. However, continuous improvement is needed in practical applications.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the diagnosis and treatment characteristics of patients with severe Influenza A.

METHODA retrospective investigation on the clinical manifestation, chest radiography, electronic fiber bronchoscopy and the histology of the cast, rescue course and outcome was conducted in 15 children with severe influenza A during January to May of 2013.

RESULTEleven cases were male, the range of age was 2 to 6 years; 5 cases were female, the range of age was 1 month to 6 years, accouting for 4.2% of hospitalized children with influenza. Three patients had an underlying chronic disease, two had nephrotic syndrome, and one had congenital heart disease. All the 15 cases were diagnosed as severe influenza A virus infection complicated with pneumonia and respiratory failure, of whom 10 cases were infected with H1N1 virus , the other 5 cases could not be identified as H1N1 virus by using H1N1 kit, but none of the 15 cases were infected with H7N9 virus. Of 15 cases, 8 had atelectasis, 4 had pneumothorax, 3 had pneumomediastinum, 4 had pleural effusion, 1 had pneumorrhagia; 12 patients required mechanical ventilation. 1 only required noninvasive mask CPAP, 2 did not require assisted ventilation, they were just given mask oxygen. Seven cases' sputum culture showed combined infection with bacteria and fungi, sputum smear examination detected: G(+) cocci in 2 cases, and G(-) bacilli in the other 2. By using electronic fiber bronchoscopy, bronchial cast was detected in 5 patiens. Histological examination of the bronchial cast revealed a fibrinous exudation containing large quantity of eosinophils, neutrophils in 1 patients, fibrinous exudation and necrotic material containing large quantity of neutrophils in 4 patients. After the bronchial casts were removed, 4 patients were improved greatly. All patients were treated with postural drainage of left and right side position, massage of electric oscillation, strengthening the sputum suction aiming to improve pulmonary ventilation function. Three patients died: 1 case was compliicated with nephrotic syndrome, another case had congenital heart disease, and 1 case hads pneumorrhagia, renal failure and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).

CONCLUSIONThe mortality of severe Influenza A is higher if it is complicated with underlying chronic diseases. In children undergoing rapid and progressive respiratory distress with lung atelectasis, consolidation or emphysema on chest X-ray, plastic bronchitis should be considered. Electronic fiber bronchoscopy should be performed early Lung physicotherapeutics still are important assistant measures for improving the pulmonary ventilation function.

Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Bronchitis ; diagnosis ; therapy ; virology ; Bronchoscopy ; methods ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; Influenza, Human ; diagnosis ; mortality ; therapy ; Intensive Care Units ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Male ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; Pneumonia, Viral ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; diagnosis ; therapy ; virology ; Rare Diseases ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Sputum ; microbiology ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus genotype and its characteristics.

METHODSA SARS-associated coronavirus isolate named ZJ01 was obtained from throat swab samples taken from a patient in Hangzhou, Zhejing province. The complete genome sequence of ZJ01 consisted of 29,715 bp (GenBank accession: AY297028, version: gi: 30910859). Seventeen SARS-associated coronavirus genome sequences in GenBank were compared to analyze the common sequence variations and the probability of co-occurrence of multiple polymorphisms or mutations. Phylogenetic analysis of those sequences was done.

RESULTSBy bioinformatics processing and analysis, the 5 loci nucleotides at ZJ01 genome were found being T, T, G, T and T, respectively. Compared with other SARS-associated coronavirus genomes in the GenBank database, an A/G mutation was detected besides the other 4 mutation loci (C:G:C:C/T:T:T:T) involved in this genetic signature. Therefore a new definition was put forward according to the 5 mutation loci. SARS-associated coronavirus strains would be grouped into two genotypes (C:G:A:C:C/T:T:G:T:T), and abbreviated as SARS coronavirus C genotype and T genotype. On the basis of this new definition, the ZJ01 isolate belongs to SARS-associated coronavirus T genotype, first discovered and reported in mainland China. Phylogenetic analysis of the spike protein gene fragments of these SARS-associated coronavirus strains showed that the GZ01 isolate was phylogenetically distinct from other isolates, and compared with groups F1 and F2 of the T genotype, the isolates of BJ01 and CUHK-W1 were more closely related to the GZ01 isolate. It was interesting to find that two (A/G and C/T) of the five mutation loci occurred in the spike protein gene, which caused changes of Asp to Gly and Thr to Ile in the protein, respectively.

CONCLUSIONAttention should be paid to whether these genotype and mutation patterns are related to the virus's biological activities,epidemic characteristics and host clinical symptoms.

Genotype ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; SARS Virus ; genetics