Objective To study the recombination type of B/C genotype in hepatitis B virus.Methods The PCR was applied to amplifed the whole genes of HBV through the serums of four chronic HBV carriers who come from Jinghong distict,Yunnan province.The whole HBV genomes were ligated with pMD18-T vector and trasformed to E.coli JM109.After the positive colones were picked up,the HBV genotypes and recombinated sites were discoved through sequenced the acquired positive colones.Results All the acquired sixteen HBV sequences from the four HBV carriers were genotype B which were combinated with genotype C in some region.There are two ways of the combinations.For the first one,a 496 bp fragment from genotype C taked place the genotype B at the place of nt1825 to nt2320 of precore C/C region.For the second way,a 695 bp fragment of genotype B taked place at the both sites of nt822 to nt1020 of P gene region and nt1825 to nt2320 of precore C/C region.Conclusion A new recombination type of B/C genotype in hepatitis B virus was reported for the first time.The new Bj subgenotype was combinated with genotype C not only at the region of precore C/C but also at the place of P gene region.

Objective To investigate the relationship of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway with the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and its role in radiation-induced hepatic fibrosis.Methods HSC was treated with 6 MV X-ray irradiation (IR) together with the inhibitor of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.The cells were divided into inhibitor group,10 Gy IR group,10 Gy + inhibitor group,20 Gy IR group,an 20 Gy + inhibitor group and blank control group.Then cell apoptosis rate was detected,the expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) in cell supernatant and the mRNA expressions of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and phosphorylation protein kinase B (p-Akt) were measured.Results Compared with the control group,the apoptosis rate of 10 and 20 Gy IR group increased with irradiation dose (t =8.43,11.63,P ＜0.05) but they were reduced by the inhibitor of PI3K/Akt (t =8.09,4.88,P ＜0.05).The expressions of TGF-β1,α-SMA,and p-Akt also increased with irradiation dose (t =6.91,7.80,9.28,P＜0.05) but they were declined by this inhibitor for both 10 Gy IR (t =6.17,15.11,10.34,P＜0.05) and 20 Gy IR (t =10.04,6.85,23.84,P＜0.05).Conclusions X-ray irradiation could activate HSC through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway,which may further result in hepatic fibrosis.

Objective To evaluate the effects of urotensin Ⅱ on cell proliferation of and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression in normal human dermal fibroblasts (NFs),and to explore their regulatory mechanisms.Methods NFs were isolated from foreskin tissues and subjected to primary culture in vitro.Reverse transcription PCR and Western blot analysis were performed to measure the mRNA and protein expression of urotensin Ⅱ and its receptor,respectively.Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was conducted to estimate the proliferation of NFs,which were treated with urotensin Ⅱ at different concentrations of 0,10-10,10-9,10-8,10-7 and 10-6 mol/L for 0,6,12,24 and 48 hours separately,and then the optimal concentration and duration of urotensin Ⅱ exposure were selected to be 10-8 mol/L and 24 hours respectively.Some cultured NFs were divided into 5 groups:control group receiving no treatment,U Ⅱ group treated with 10-8 mol/L urotensin Ⅱ,U Ⅱ + nicardipine group treated with 10-8 mol/L urotensin Ⅱ and the calcium channel blocker nicardipine at the concentration of 10-5 mol/L,U Ⅱ + PD98059 group treated with 10-8 mol/L urotensin Ⅱ and the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK)inhibitor PD98059 at the concen-tration of 10-5 mol/L,and U Ⅱ + cyclosporine group treated with 10-8 mol/L urotensin Ⅱ and the calcium-dependent protein kinase (CaM PK) inhibitor cyclosporine at the concentration of 10-5 mol/L.After 24-hour treatment,CCK-8 assay was conducted to evaluate the proliferation of NFs in the above groups,real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis were performed to determine the mRNA and protein expression of α-SMA respectively.Results Urotensin Ⅱ receptor was expressed in NFs,but urotensin Ⅱ was not.The proliferative activity of NFs significantly differed among the control group,U Ⅱ group,U Ⅱ + nicardipine group,U Ⅱ + PD98059 group and U Ⅱ + cyclosporine group (the mean absorbance value at 405 nm:1.036 ± 0.046,1.405 ± 0.158,1.121 ± 0.109,1.192 ± 0.089 and 1.141 ± 0.056,respectively;F =9.587,P ＜ 0.01),and the U Ⅱ group showed significantly higher proliferative activity of NFs compared with the control group,U Ⅱ + nicardipine group,U Ⅱ + PD98059 group and U Ⅱ + cyclosporine group (q =8.263,6.355,4.774 and 5.912,respectively,all P ＜ 0.05).There were significant differences in the mRNA and protein expression of α-SMA among the 5 groups (F =6.351,7.045,both P ＜ 0.01),and the mRNA and protein expression of α-SMA was significantly higher in the U Ⅱ group than in the other 4 groups (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Urotensin Ⅱ may induce the proliferation of and α-SMA expression in NFs through calcium channels,MAPK and CaM PK pathways.

Objective:To investigate the etiology of necrotizing pneumonia (NP) in children and the clinical characteristics of NP caused by different pathogens in China.Methods:A retrospective, case-control study was performed in children with NP who were admitted to 13 hospitals in China from January 2008 to December 2019. The demographic and clinical information, laboratory data, etiological and radiological findings were analyzed. The data were divided into three groups based on the following years: 2008-2011, 2012-2015 and 2016-2019, and the distribution characteristics of the pathogens in different period were compared. Meanwhile, the pathogens of pediatric NP in the southern and northern China were compared. And the clinical characteristics of the Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) NP and the bacterial NP were also compared. T-test or Mann-Whitney nonparametric test was used for comparison of numerical variables, and χ 2 test was used for categorical variables. Results:A total of 494 children with NP were enrolled, the median ages were 4.7 (0.1-15.3) years, including 272 boys and 222 girls. Among these patients, pathogens were identified in 347 cases and the pathogen was unclear in the remaining 147 cases. The main pathogens were MP (238 cases), Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) (61 cases), Staphylococcus aureus (SA) (51 cases), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13 cases), Haemophilus influenzae (10 cases), adenovirus (10 cases), and influenza virus A (7 cases), respectively. MP was the most common pathogen in all three periods and the proportion increased yearly. The proportion of MP in 2016-2019 was significantly higher than that in 2012-2015 (52.1% (197/378) vs. 36.8% (32/87), χ 2= 6.654, P=0.010), while there was no significant difference in the proportion of MP in 2012-2015 and that in 2008-2011 (36.8% (32/87) vs. 31.0% (9/29), χ2=0.314, P=0.575).Regarding the regional distribution, 342 cases were in the southern China and 152 in the northern China. Also, MP was the most common pathogen in both regions, but the proportion of MP was higher and the proportion of SP was lower in the north than those in the south (60.5% (92/152) vs. 42.7% (146/342), χ 2=13.409, P<0.010; 7.9% (12/152) vs. 14.3% (49/342), χ 2= 4.023, P=0.045). Comparing the clinical characteristics of different pathogens, we found that fever and cough were the common symptoms in both single MP and single bacterial groups, but chest pain was more common (17.0% (34/200) vs. 6.1% (6/98), χ 2=6.697, P=0.010) while shortness of breath and wheezing were less common in MP group (16.0% (32/200) vs. 60.2% (59/98), χ 2=60.688, P<0.01; 4.5% (9/200) vs. 21.4% (21/98), χ 2=20.819, P<0.01, respectively). The white blood cell count, C-reactive protein and procalcitonin in the bacterial group were significantly higher than those in the MP group (14.7 (1.0-67.1)×10 9/L vs. 10.5 (2.5-32.2)×10 9/L, 122.5 (0.5-277.3) mg/L vs. 51.4 (0.5-200.0) g/L, 2.13 (0.05-100.00) μg/L vs. 0.24 (0.01-18.85) μg/L, Z=-3.719, -5.901 and -7.765, all P<0.01). Conclusions:The prevalence of pediatric NP in China shows an increasing trend during the past years. MP, SP and SA are the main pathogens of NP, and the most common clinical symptoms are fever and cough. The WBC count, C-reactive protein and procalcitonin in bacterial NP are significantly higher than those caused by MP.

Objective:To explore potential predictors of refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP) in early stage. Methods:The prospective multicenter study was conducted in Zhejiang, China from May 1 st, 2019 to January 31 st, 2020. A total of 1 428 patients with fever >48 hours to <120 hours were studied. Their clinical data and oral pharyngeal swab samples were collected; Mycoplasma pneumoniae DNA in pharyngeal swab specimens was detected. Patients with positive Mycoplasma pneumoniae DNA results underwent a series of tests, including chest X-ray, complete blood count, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and procalcitonin. According to the occurrence of RMPP, the patients were divided into two groups, RMPP group and general Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (GMPP) group. Measurement data between the 2 groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between clinical data and RMPP. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyse the power of the markers for predicting RMPP. Results:A total of 1 428 patients finished the study, with 801 boys and 627 girls, aged 4.3 (2.7, 6.3) years. Mycoplasma pneumoniae DNA was positive in 534 cases (37.4%), of whom 446 cases (83.5%) were diagnosed with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, including 251 boys and 195 girls, aged 5.2 (3.3, 6.9) years. Macrolides-resistant variation was positive in 410 cases (91.9%). Fifty-five cases were with RMPP, 391 cases with GMPP. The peak body temperature before the first visit and LDH levels in RMPP patients were higher than that in GMPP patients (39.6 (39.1, 40.0) vs. 39.2 (38.9, 39.7) ℃, 333 (279, 392) vs. 311 (259, 359) U/L, both P<0.05). Logistic regression showed the prediction probability π=exp (-29.7+0.667×Peak body temperature (℃)+0.004×LDH (U/L))/(1+exp (-29.7+0.667×Peak body temperature (℃)+0.004 × LDH (U/L))), the cut-off value to predict RMPP was 0.12, with a consensus of probability forecast of 0.89, sensitivity of 0.89, and specificity of 0.67; and the area under ROC curve was 0.682 (95% CI 0.593-0.771, P<0.01). Conclusion:In MPP patients with fever over 48 to <120 hours, a prediction probability π of RMPP can be calculated based on the peak body temperature and LDH level before the first visit, which can facilitate early identification of RMPP.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the norms of Sub-Health Measurement Scale (SHMS V1.0) for Chinese urban residents. METHODS: Using a multistage stratified sampling method, we conducted a large-scale epidemiological investigation among 15 066 urban residents sampled from 6 regions in China, including Tianjin City (north China), Guangdong Province (south China), Anhui Province (central south China), Sichuan Province (southwest China), Lanzhou City (northwest China) and Harbin City (northeast China). The mean, percentile and threshold norms were established based on the characteristics of SHMS V1.0 scores for Chinese urban residents. RESULTS: The mean and percentile norms of total, physical, mental and social sub-health of Chinese urban residents were established according to gender and different age groups (14-19, 20-29, 30-49, 50-64 and ≥65 years). The threshold norms of SHMS V1.0 divided 5 health states, namely disease, severe sub-health, moderate subhealth, mild sub-health and healthy states according to the ± and ±0.5 of the converted scores. CONCLUSIONS The norms of Sub-Health Measurement Scale (SHMS V1.0) for Chinese urban residents were established, which provides a reference for rapid screening and diagnosis of sub-health status in Chinese urban residents and facilitates further study of the prevalence and contributing factors of sub-health.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China ; Health Status ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urban Health ; Urban Population