OBJECTIVE:To study the relevance between HLA-B27 gene and ankylosing spondylitis in Jiangxi province,and to discuss the diagnostic significance to ankylosing spondylitis.METHODS:A total of 1246 patients with suspected ankylosing spondylitis and related diseases were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from October 2007 to December 2008.Among all cases,323 were diagnosed as ankylosing spondylitis,and other 923 were rheumatoid arthdtis or related diseases.A total of 135 healthy subjects were collected as control group.Sequence-specific primer-polymerase chain method(PCR-SSP)was used to detect HLA-B27 gene in 1246patients and 135 healthy controls.The distribution of HLA-B27 gene,correlation between HLA-B27 gene and age,and relation between ankylosing spondylitis and HLA-B27 gene were studied.RESULTS:Total positive rate of HLA-B27 gene was 32.5%in 1246 patients with suspected ankylosing spondylitis.3.7%in 135healthy controls.and 91.6%in 323 patients with ankylosing spondylitis,respectively.The positive rate and incidence rates of male were significantly higher than female(P＜0.01)and mainly concentrated in the age of adolescence.The sensitivity of HLA-B27 genewas 91.64%and the specificity was 88.19%in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.CONCLUSION:HLA-B27 gene was highly correlated with ankylosing spondylitis in Jiangxi province,which was the same as other regions,suggesting that HLA-B27 gene is significance for diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis in an eedy phase.

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the risk factors for cervical cancer in the areas of high incidence, and provide evidence for current intervention of cervical cancer.

METHODSIn the areas of Xiangyuan County, Shanxi Provicne with high incidence of cervical cancer, 1 997 women were interviewed using a questionnaire, including baseline information, menstrual, marital and pregnancy histories, sexual behavior, health habits, contraception, medical history and family history of cancer, etc., after its screening with six kinds of methods. All subjects, including 84 cases with pathological diagnosis of greater than cINI, and 1 784 cases with pathological diagnosis of normal, were tested for high-risk HPV.

RESULTSThe overall rates of HPV infection were 20.8% (415/1 997) in high-risk subjects, 97.7% and 14.2% in the cases and control groups, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that risk factors with statistical significance included high-risk HPV infection, age at first sexual intercourse, history of pregnancy and abortion, the number of sexual partners and family history of cancer. Analysis with non-conditional logistic regression model revealed high-risk HPV infection, multiple sexual partners and family history of cancer associated obviously with occurrence of cervical cancer. In addition, there was significantly positive relationship between HPV infection, which increased with the number of sexual partners, and extramarital sexual activity both in males or females.

CONCLUSIONSThe main risk factor for cervical cancer in this region was high-risk HPV infection, which related to sexual behavior, hygienic habits during menstruation and puerperium. It was particularly important to detect and treat precancerous lesions and to implement behavior modification. In addition, further research on genetic susceptibility was suggested.

Abortion, Induced ; Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Multivariate Analysis ; Papillomaviridae ; Papillomavirus Infections ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Sexual Behavior ; Sexual Partners ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tumor Virus Infections ; epidemiology ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; virology

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study was to investigate the blood lead level of 3 - 5 year old children living in the cities in China and to provide scientific data for making policy on environmental lead pollution for children health protection.

METHODSSix thousand five hundred and two vein blood samples from 3 - 5 year old children in nineteen cities of nine provinces were sampled. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were employed to determine lead level in whole blood after microwave digestion for sample preparation and questionnaire survey was also performed. Data were analyzed with multiple regression on factors which affecting blood lead levels.

RESULTSResults showed that mean blood lead level was 88.3 micro g/L for 3 - 5 year old children living in the cities in China and mean blood lead level of boys (91.1 micro g/L) was higher than that of girls (87.3 micro g/L). Twenty-nine point nine one per cent of the children's blood lead level exceeded 100 micro g/L. The research finding showed: (1) higher blood lead levels had negative effects on children's physical growth, language ability etc. (2) behavior of parents had certain effects on children's blood lead levels. (3) blood lead levels of children were affected by unhealthy habits.

CONCLUSIONSProblem of childhood lead poisoning in China has become more serious. During the past ten years, blood lead levels of children has been increased in China while decreasing in developed countries. Blood lead levels of children in China are higher than that of developed countries, which called for special concern by government and society.

Child, Preschool ; China ; Environmental Pollutants ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Lead ; blood ; Male ; Mass Spectrometry ; Sex Factors ; Urban Health ; Urban Population

Five new saponins, including three steroid saponins, paristenoids A-C (1-3), and two triterpenoid saponins, paristenoids D-E (4-5), along with four known ones (6-9) were isolated from the rhizomes of Paris polyphylla var. stenophylla. The structures of the isolated compounds were identified mainly by detailed spectroscopic analysis, including extensive 1D and 2D NMR, MS, as well as chemical methods. Compound 3 is a new cyclocholestanol-type steroidal saponin with a rare 6/6/6/5/5 fused-rings cholestanol skeleton, and this skeleton has been first found from the genus Paris. The cytotoxicities of the isolated compounds against three human three glioma cell lines (U87MG, U251MG and SHG44) were evaluated, and compound 7 displayed certain inhibitory effect with IC₅₀ values of 15.22 ± 1.73, 18.87 ± 1.81 and 17.64 ± 1.69 μmol·L^-1, respectively.
Humans ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Steroids/chemistry* ; Liliaceae/chemistry* ; Saponins/chemistry* ; Triterpenes/analysis*

Sulfonylureas are widely used oral anti-diabetic drugs. However, its long-term usage effects on patients' lifespan remain controversial, with no reports of influence on animal longevity. Hence, the anti-aging effects of chlorpropamide along with glimepiride, glibenclamide, and tolbutamide were studied with special emphasis on the interaction of chlorpropamide with mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K⁺ (mitoK-ATP) channels and mitochondrial complex II. Chlorpropamide delayed aging in Caenorhabditis elegans, human lung fibroblast MRC-5 cells and reduced doxorubicin-induced senescence in both MRC-5 cells and mice. In addition, the mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP levels were significantly increased in chlorpropamide-treated worms, which is consistent with the function of its reported targets, mitoK-ATP channels. Increased levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) were observed in chlorpropamide-treated worms. Moreover, the lifespan extension by chlorpropamide required complex II and increased mtROS levels, indicating that chlorpropamide acts on complex II directly or indirectly via mitoK-ATP to increase the production of mtROS as a pro-longevity signal. This study provides mechanistic insight into the anti-aging effects of sulfonylureas in C. elegans.