Emerging data indicated that HCV subverts the antiviral activity of interferon (IF); however,whether HCV core protein contributes to the process remains controversial. In the present study, we examined the effect of HCV core protein on interferon-induced antiviral gene expression and whether the effect is involved in the activation and negative regulation of the Jak/STAT signaling pathway. Our results showed that, following treatment with IFN-α, the transcription of PKR, MxA and 2'-5'OAS were down-regulated in HepG2 cells expressing the core protein. In the presence of HCV core protein,ISRE-dependent luciferase activity also decreased. Further study indicated that the core protein could inhibit the tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1, whereas the level of STAT1 expression was unchanged.Accordingly, SOCS3, the negative regulator of the Jak/STAT pathway, was induced by HCV core protein. These results suggests that HCV core protein may interfere with the expression of some interferon-induced antiviral genes by inhibiting STAT1 phosphorylation and induction of SOCS3.

Objective To investigate the relationship between nasal colonization of Staphylococcus aureus(SA) and nosocomial infection in intensive care unit(ICU), and observe the therapeutic effect of Anerdian III in nasal decolonizaion. Methods Bacterial cultures were made by means of nasal swabs among inpatients whom the occurrence of nosocomial infection were observed.Patients with SA colonization were randomly divided into two groups:control and treatment.Control group were given regular treatment, and treatment group were administered Anerdian III in addition to regular treatment.Then the clearance rate of SA and the occurrence of nosocomial infection of two groups were observed. Results A total of 751 patients were enrolled, of whom 108(14.4%) were with nosocomial infection and 85(11.3%) with SA nasal colonization. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus ( MRSA ) was detected in 33 patients (4.4%).The nosocomial infection rate of patients with MRSA colonization was 51.5%, which was significantly higher than those in patients with other bacterial colonization(P<0.05).The SA clearance rate in treatment group was significantly higher than that in control group(81.4% vs.42.8%,P<0.05).The nosocomial infection rate in treatment group was significantly lower than that in control group ( 16 .3% vs. 40.5%,P <0.05).After decolonization treatment,the nosocomial infection rate of patients with MRSA colonization was significantly lower than that in control group(25.0% vs.76.5%,P <0.05). Conclusion The incidence rate of nosocomial infection in patients with MRSA nasal colonization is markedly increased in ICU, and the decolonization treatment by Anerdian III increases the clearance rate of nasal SA and decreases the incidence rate of nosocomial infection.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between tryptase in serum and anaphylaxis. METHODS: The concentrations of tryptase in the sera of heart blood in three persons died from anaphylaxis shock were detected by ELISA. The first sample was obtained from a man, aged 38, died of injecting Amikacin. The second sample was obtained from a man, aged 42, died of injecting Cephradine. The third sample was from a woman, aged 39, died of injecting Lincomycin. All samples were stored in -20 degrees C. RESULTS: The concentrations of tryptase in sera were 52 ng/ml, 121 ng/ml and 0.73 ng/ml. It was unknown why the concentration of tryptase in the third sample was normal. CONCLUSION In fetal anaphylaxia reaction tryptase measurement is a useful indicator, but the diagnosis is not to be based on the test alone.
Adult ; Anaphylaxis/enzymology* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Cause of Death ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Male ; Mast Cells/enzymology* ; Postmortem Changes ; Retrospective Studies ; Serine Endopeptidases/blood* ; Tryptases

This paper introduces the constitution and fabrication of the new head and neck stereotactic conformal radiotherapy system. It remedies the shortages in the head and neck stereotactic conformal radiotherapy at present and it is deserved to be popularized in clinical applications.
Equipment Design ; Head ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Humans ; Neck ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Radiography ; Radiosurgery ; instrumentation ; Radiotherapy, Conformal ; instrumentation

BACKGROUNDAs with many studies carried out in European countries, a quality assurance program has been established by the National Center for Clinical Laboratories in China (NCCL). The results showed that the external quality assessment significantly improves laboratory performance for quantitative evaluation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA.

METHODSSerum panels were delivered twice annually to the clinical laboratories which performed HCV RNA detection in China. Each panel made up of 5 coded samples. All laboratories were requested to carry out the detection within the required time period and report on testing results which contained qualitative and/or quantitative test findings, reagents used and relevant information about apparatus. All the positive samples were calibrated against the first International Standard for HCV RNA in a collaborative study and the range of comparison target value (TG) designated as +/- 0.5 log.

RESULTSThe numbers of laboratories reporting on qualitative testing results for the first and second time external quality assessment were 168 and 167 in the year of 2003 and increased to 209 and 233 in 2007; the numbers of laboratories reporting on quantitative testing results were 134 and 147 in 2003 and rose to 340 and 339 in 2007. Deviation between the mean value for quantitative results at home in 2003 and the target value was above 0.5 log, which was comparatively high. By 2007, the target value was close to the national average except for the low concentrated specimens (10(3) IU/ml). The percentage of results within the range of GM +/- 0.5 log(10) varied from 8.2% to 93.5%. Some laboratories had some difficulties in the exact quantification of the lowest (3.00 log IU/ml) as well as of the highest viral levels (6.37 log IU/ml) values, very near to the limits of the dynamic range of the assays.

CONCLUSIONSThe comparison of these results with the previous study confirms that a regular participation in external quality assessment (EQA) assures the achievement of a high proficiency level in the diagnosis of HCV infection. During the 5-year external quality assessment, sensitivity and accuracy of detection in most of the clinical laboratories have been evidently improved and the quality of kits has also been substantially improved.

Hepacivirus ; genetics ; Humans ; Laboratories ; standards ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Quality Control ; RNA, Viral ; analysis ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Compound Qingqin Liquid (CQL) on the expression level of angiotensin II (Ang II) and COX-2 mRNA transcription and protein expression in the renal tissue of rats with uric acid nephropathy.

METHODSSD rats were randomly divided into the blank control group, the model group, the positive drug group, the high, moderate, and low dose CQL group according to number randomization principle. The model was established by gastrogavage of adenine, accompanied with yeast feeding. Distilled water was given by gastrogavage to rats in the blank control group and the model group. Allopurinol at the daily dose of 9.33 mg/kg was given by gastrogavage to rats of the positive control group. CQL at the daily dose of 3.77 g/kg, 1.89 g/kg, and 0.09 g/kg was respectively given by gastrogavage to rats in the high, moderate, and low dose CQL groups. All treatment lasted for 6 weeks. Rats were randomly divided at week 4 (3 in the blank control group, and 6 in the rest groups), and the rest rats were killed at week 6. The renal tissue was extracted. The expression level of Ang II and COX-2 mRNA transcription were detected by RT-PCR. The expression level of Ang II was detected by ELISA. The expression level of COX-2 protein was detected by Western blot and immunohistochemical assay.

RESULTSCompared with the blank control group, except the mRNA expression of Ang II at week 4, the mRNA and protein expression of Ang II and COX-2 obviously increased at week 4 and 6 in the model group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The COX-2 protein expression at week 4 was obviously lower in the high and moderate dose CQL groups than in the model group and the low dose CQL group (P < 0.05); the average integral of optical density value was obviously lower in the positive control group than in the model group. Except the mRNA expression of Ang II in the high dose CQL group at week 6, the mRNA and protein expression of Ang II obviously decreased in the positive control group and each dose CQL group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Of them, the effects were better in the high and moderate dose CQL groups than in the positive control group and the low dose CQL group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Besides, the mRNA expression of COX-2, the average integral of optical density value were obviously lower in the positive control group and each dose CQL group than in the model group (P < 0.05). The protein expression of COX-2 was obviously lower in the high and moderate dose CQL groups than in the model group (P < 0.05). Of them, the mRNA expression of COX-2 was better in the moderate dose CQL group than in the positive control group (P < 0.05); the protein expression of COX-2 was better in the high dose CQL group than in the low dose CQL group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCQL was capable of lowering the expression level of Ang II, COX-2 mRNA transcription and protein expression, thus suppressing the inflammatory pathological injury of the renal tissue.

Angiotensin II ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; metabolism ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Uric Acid

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of compound qingqin liquid (CQL) on Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in rats with urate nephropathy, and to explore its renal protection mechanism.

METHODSTotally 55 SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., the normal control group (n =5), the model group (n =10), the positive drug group (n=10), and the high-, medium-, low-dose CQL groups (n=10) respectively. The urate nephropathy model was induced by intragastrically administering adenine and feeding yeast. Distilled water was intragastrically administered at the daily dose of 10 mL/kg to rats in the normal control group and the model group. Allopurinol was intragastrically administered at the daily dose of 9.33 mg/kg to rats in the positive control group. CQL was intragastrically administered at the daily dose of 3.77, 1.89, 0.94 g/kg to rats in the high-, medium-, and low-dose CQL groups. Rats of each group were executed in batches at the 4th and 6th week respectively. Their kidney tissues were taken out to determine the mRNA transcription level of TLR2 and TLR4 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The protein expression level of TLR2 and TLR4 were determined by Western blot. The protein expression level of TLR4 was also detected by immunohistochemical assay.

RESULTSAt week 4 and 6, the protein expression of TLR2 and TLR4 as well as the mRNA transcription of TLR4 increased in the model group, when compared with the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, there was no statistical difference in the transcription level of TLR2 mRNA or TLR4 mRNA among the 3 CQL groups (P > 0.05) at week 4 and 6. Additionally, at week 6, the protein expression of TLR4 and TLR2 could be reduced by CQL (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCQL might protect kidney tissue against inflammatory injury by inhibiting the protein expression levels of TLR2 and TLR4.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Toll-Like Receptor 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Uric Acid

OBJECTIVESTo establish a Chinese national standard for a nucleic acid test (NAT) for HBV DNA.

METHODSThe candidate sample of HBV DNA positive plasma was diluted with HBV-negative human plasma. The sample was lyophilised with a concentration of approximately 300,000 copies/ml. The measurement methods used included Roche Amplicor assay (version 2.0) and real-time PCR. The lyophilised preparation was calibrated by the international standard (NIBSC code: 97/746) from NIBSC.

RESULTSThe quantity of this lyophilised preparation was (1.29+/-0.24) x 10(5)IU/ml in comparison with the international standard for HBV DNA 97/746. The stability test indicated that the sample was stable at room temperature (20 to 25 degrees C) for 2 weeks and at 37 degrees C for at least 1 week. Long-term stability was observed at 2 to 8 degrees C for 6 months and at -20 degrees C for more than 2 years with no significant changes. The vial-to-vial imprecision rate was 3.53%.

CONCLUSIONBased on the results of this study, our lyophilized sample can be used as a standard in China for the nucleic acid test (NAT) for HBV DNA.

DNA, Viral ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; Humans ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; standards ; Plasma ; chemistry

Objective] To discuss comprehensive intervention effect on the control of hospital in-fections in the intensive care unit ( ICU ) of a hospital by monitoring Staphylococcus aureus infections and their drug resistance . [ Methods] Comparative analysis was done retrospectively in separation results of Staphylococcus aureus between 2011 and 2012 in ICU patients of a hospital . [ Results] Between 2011 and 2012, there was no obvious difference found in relevance ratio of Staphylococcus aureus(P>0.05), but that of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus was on the decline significantly (P<0.05).The drug re-sistance rates of Staphylococcus aureus to oxacillin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin were on the decline signifi-cantly(P <0.05).The drug susceptibility rates of Staphylococcus aureus to vancomycin, teicoplanin, linezolid , nitrofurantoin and primaquine slave tianeptine/dafoe tianeptine were the highest , reaching up to 100.00%. [ Conclusion] By comprehensive intervention , Staphylococcus aureus infections in ICU have been improved and drug resistance rates on the decline as a whole .

Chronic hepatitis B virus ( HBV) infection is a principal risk factor for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in China , representing one of the major public health problems .Horizontal trans-mission of HBV in vaccinated children was greatly reduced due to widespread HBV vaccination in mainland China, which had limited effects on vertical transmission .Thus, vertical transmission became one of the main causes of HBV chronic infection .High HBV load (≥10 6 copies/mL ) and hepatitis B e antigen ( HBeAg )-positivity in maternal peripheral blood were independent risk factors for HBV intrauterine infection .Compared to HBV infection in early childhood and in adult , intrauterine HBV infection was more prone to developing chronic infection .To decrease vertical transmission of HBV , we recommend that young pregnant women with sero-positive for HBeAg and high serum HBV DNA level should receive antiviral treatment with nucleotide analogues since the 28 th gestation weeks .For newborns born to HBeAg-positive mother , hepatitis B immunoglobulin ( HBIG ) injection should be administrated in combination with HBV vaccination .