OBJECTIVETo explore the relation of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism, angiotensin II type I receptor (ATIR) gene polymorphism and other factors on cerebral infarction.

METHODSOne thousand three hundred fifty-one subjects from Tangshan coalmine were enrolled with study method of cluster sampling. Face to face interviews were conducted to fill in questionnaires by trained interviewers. ACE gene, ATIR gene and inflammation factors including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, IL-10, C reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen (Fg), fibrin monome polymerized velocity (FMPV), absorbance maximum (A(max)), FMPV/A(max), were measured.

RESULTSNo different prevalence rates of ACE genotype were found on cerebral infarction. The distributions of AA genotype of ATIR gene in the cerebral infarction was higher than that of the controls. The prevalence of AA genotype was higher than other groups, but the prevalence of combined genotype did not show much difference. Under the existence of factors that related to cerebral infarction, AA genotype frequencies were higher than those of non-smoking and with hypertension. IL-6, ATIR gene polymorphism, sex, FMPV/A(max) were strongly related to cerebral infarction. The level of IL-6 was higher than the normal ones.

CONCLUSIONSThe prevalence of cerebral infarction obviously increased in the hypertensive groups having AA genotype of ATIR gene. In the cerebral infarction groups, the level of IL-6 was higher than that in the normal population, indicating that these can be resulted from local inflammation and immunity reactivity. Environmental and genetic factors in the pathogenesis of cerebral infarction might have coordinating functions.

Aged ; Cerebral Infarction ; genetics ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 ; genetics

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the structural characteristics of the cerebral small vessels with an unknown type of pathological lesion (UTPL). METHODS: Contents of beta-amyloid, alpha-actin and collagen IV in cerebral small vessels with UTPL were studied by Congo red staining, immunohistochemical staining and computer image analysis. RESULTS: The low expression levels of alpha-actin and collagen IV (P<0.05) were observed in tunica media of the vessels with UTPL, and no positive expression of beta-amyloid (P>0.05) was observed in these vessel walls. The expressions of proteins mentioned above in UTPL were different from those of cerebral amyloid angiopathy(CAA) and hyaline arteriolosclerosis. CONCLUSION UTPL was different from CAA or hyaline arteriolosclerosis in pathologic feature.
Actins/metabolism* ; Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism* ; Autopsy ; Blood Vessels/ultrastructure* ; Brain/pathology* ; Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy/pathology* ; Collagen Type IV/metabolism* ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Immunohistochemistry ; Staining and Labeling ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage/pathology*

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the possibilities of an association between the degrees of HBV suppression with nucleoside treatments at week 24 and week 52 in hepatitis B patients and to find a useful predictor for treatment efficacy.

METHODSIn this phase III, double-blind, multicenter trial, we compared the efficacy of telbivudine treatment with lamivudine treatment in 332 Chinese compensated chronic hepatitis B patients. The patients were randomly assigned to a daily 600 mg telbivudine treatment group or daily 100 mg lamivudine group for 24 weeks. They were then categorized into 4 groups according to their serum HBV DNA levels (copies/ml) at week 24: a PCR-undetectable group (< 300 copies/ml); a QL- < 10(3) copies/ml group; a 10(3)-<10(4) copies/ml group; and a > or = 10(4) copies/ml group. The treatments were continued as they previously had been for another 28 weeks and the patients serum HBV DNA levels were examined again.

RESULTSAt week 52, mean reductions of serum HBV DNA were significantly greater in the telbivudine-treated patients than in the lamivudine-treated group (6.2 log10 vs 5.4 log10, t = 3.6, P < 0.01). Viral resistance was twice as common in lamivudine-treated patients compared to those receiving telbivudine. Telbivudine was well-tolerated with an adverse event profile similar to that of lamivudine. The lower the HBV DNA level achieved at week 24, the higher HBV DNA non-detectable by PCR. ALT normalization and HBeAg seroconversion achieved at week 52, and viral resistance at week 48 decreased parallel to the degree of HBV DNA inhibition.

CONCLUSIONHBV DNA PCR-undetectable at week 24 in nucleoside-treated hepatitis B patients suggests a better efficacy at week 52 and lower viral resistance at week 48. The degree of suppression of HBV at week 24 may be used as a predictor of 1-year outcome.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nucleosides ; therapeutic use ; Pyrimidinones ; therapeutic use ; Thymidine ; analogs & derivatives ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

【Objective】 To establish and evaluate a nephelometric assay for the determination of immunoglobulin A (IgA) residues in human intravenous immunoglobulin(IVIG). 【Methods】 BN ProSpec^© automatic protein analyzer and its supporting immunoglobulin A determination kit (nephelometry) produced by German Siemens and the national standard of human IgA were used to establish the nephelometric assay to determine IgA residue in test products and verify the methodology. The test products include IVIG (pH4) prepared by low-temperature ethanol protein separation process and a novel IVIG prepared by chromatography. 【Results】 The average deviation of three calibration curves for IgA residues determination by the nephelometric assay were 1.08%, 0.95% and 1.54%,, and the three deviations of the quality control were 4.00%, -2.30% and -0.20%, respectively, which indicated good calibration and quality control. In the specificity test, the average recovery rates of IgA for reference substance 1 containing 100g/L maltose and reference substance 2 containing 20g/L glycine were 102.7% and 105.8%, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) values of the repeatability tests of the two test products were 3.9% and 1.9%, and the RSD values of the intermediate precision test were 3.6% and 2.3%, respectively.The difference values at each time point in the durability test of test products′ storage time were all less than 10%, and the RSD values of the two test products in the durability test of kits of different batches were 2.8% and 2.2%, respectively. In the accuracy test, the average recovery rates of IVIG (pH4) added to the standard were 94.2%, 101.7% and 96.2%, respectively, and the average recovery rates of the novel IVIG added to the standard were 102.8%, 106.3% and 99.7%, respectively. The average recovery rate of the limit quantification test was 101.0%, and the RSD was 4.0%. 【Conclusion】 Nephelometric assay has the advantages of strong specificity, high precision and accuracy, good repeatability, simple and rapid operation, and automation, and can be used for the determination of IgA residue in IVIG (pH4) and novel IVIG products.