Objective To study the value of plasma level of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) for the early diagno-sis of Kawasaki disease. Methods The difference in MMP-9 level was studied by retrospective nested case-control method between children with early Kawasaki disease, Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura (HSP) or respiratory infection, and healthy control children. The associations of MMP-9 with serum procalcitonin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were also analyzed. The cutoff-value, sensitivity and speciifcity of MMP-9, ESR and CRP in diagnosis of Kawasaki disease were studied by ROC curve. The areas under ROC curves were compared among different diagnostic markers to deter-mine their signiifcances in diagnosis of Kawasaki disease. Results The plasma level of MMP-9 was increased in early phase of Kawasaki disease, and higher than that in children with HSP or respiratory infections and in healthy controls (P<0.05). If MMP-9, ESR and CRP cutoff value were set to be 90.23 ng/ml, 56.5 mm/h and 27.55 mg/L, the sensitivity, speciifcity and area under ROC curve was 83.3%, 86.4%and 0.904, 95.8%, 66.1%and 0.807, 83.3%, 74.6%and 0.789 respectively. The diagnostic performance of MMP-9 for Kawasaki disease was better than that of ESR and CRP. Conclusions The plasma level of MMP-9 is increased in the early stage of Kawasaki disease. The sensitivity and speciifcity of MMP-9 in diagnosis of Kawasaki disease are highest if cutoff value is set to be 90.23 ng/ml.

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of salt stress on the growth and resistant-oxidation enzyme activities of Pogostemon cablin.

METHODCutting-rooted seedlings were cultivated in the plastic flowerpot irrigated with various concentrations of NaCl (Hoagland solution) for different duration, and the height, fresh/dry weight, root vitality, SOD,POD and CAT activity, membrane permeability and MDA contents were determined.

RESULTThe growth and development of P. cablin was restrained after salt stress. The differences of salt stress of lower concentration and for a short time (less than 20 mmol x L(-1) and the 9th day) were not obvious. The fresh/ dry weight, growth rate and increasing rate of dry matter were obviously decreased with the increasing of NaCl concentration and prolonging of the time, but membrane permeability and contents of MDA were increased all along, and lipid peroxidation enhanced, while the root vitality and activities of SOD, POD and CAT were firstly increasing at lower concentration and then decreasing at higher concentration.

CONCLUSIONThe growth of P. cablin depends on NaCl concentration and the treated duration.

Antioxidants ; metabolism ; Biomass ; Cell Membrane Permeability ; Lamiaceae ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Seedlings ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Sodium Chloride ; metabolism