Objective To investigate the clinical significance of thyroglobulin antibody (ATG) and thyroid peroxidase antibody (ATPO) in patients with vitiligo. Methods Venous blood samples were obtained from 87 patients with vitiligo and 90 age- and sex-matched normal human controls. Chemiluminescence was applied to measure the serum levels of ATG, ATPO, free triiodothyronine, free tetraiodothyronine and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Results There was a significant increase in the positivity rates of ATG (23.0% vs 6.7%, P < 0.01) and ATPO (24.1% vs 7.8%, P < 0.01) as well as the serum level of TSH (3.4 ± 2.4 vs 2.4 ± 1.2 pmol/L, P < 0.05) in the patients with vitiligo compared with the normal human controls. It is worth mentioning that all patients positive for ATG or ATPO were diagnosed with vitiligo vulgaris. The positivity rates of ATG and ATPO in patients with vitiligo aged from 11 to 20 years and 21 to 40 years were significantly higher than those in age-matched normal controls (all P < 0.05). Also, female patients had a higher positivity rate of ATG and ATPO than female controls did (34.1% vs 8.5%, χ2 = 8.90, P < 0.01; 34.1% vs 10.6%,χ2 = 7.29, P < 0.05). The highest positivity rates of both ATG and ATPO were 53.3%, which were observed in vitiligo patients aged from 11 to 20 years, followed by patients from 21 to 40 years (ATG 34.5%, ATPO 34.5%). In patients with vitiligo positive for both ATG and ATPO, the occurrence of autoimmune thyroid disease was 70% (14/20), significantly higher than that in ATG- and ATPO- positive healthy controls (16.7%, χ2 = 5.4, P < 0.05). Conclusions ATG and ATPO were observed in young female patients with vitiligo vulgaris, and they may be associated with the development of autoimmune thyroid diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To detect the active efflux gene qac gene in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by hem-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and to learn the carrier condition of qac gene. METHODS: The active efflux gene qacA/B and qacB of 80 strains MRSA isolated from clinical specimens from Aug 2006 to March 2008 were amplified in vitro by hem-nested PCR with the primers designed by computers based on qac information of Genbank, and the PCR fragments were sequenced and analyzed. RESULTS: We detected qacA/B in 19 out of the 80 MRSA strains (23.75%) and qacB in 18 out of the 80 MRSA strains (22.5%). Compared with sequences of qacA (NO.X56628) and qacB(NO.AF535087) in the Genbank, 98% and 97% were identical, respectively. CONCLUSION The active efflux gene qac gene in MRSA is detected by hem-nested PCR. The proportion of qac gene positive strains is high in clinical practice, which is related to its multi-antibiotic resistance.
Bacterial Proteins ; analysis ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; genetics ; Membrane Transport Proteins ; analysis ; genetics ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods