Objective To investigate drug resistance and genotypes of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from intensive care unit (ICU). Methods MRSA strains were isolated from patients, medical staff and environment of hospital ICUs. Disk diffusion (K-B method) was used for drug resistance testing; Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) and Staphylococcal protein A (spa) typing methods were used for genotyping and identifying the homology. Results There were 78 strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated including 62 isolates of MRSA, which were mainly from the burn ICU (22, 35.48%). Among 62 MRSA strains, 50 were hospital acquired strains, in which 43 isolates were of SCCmec Ⅲ, 4 of SCCmec Ⅰ and 3 of SCCmec Ⅱ. Twelve isolates could not be typed. Twenty-eight out of 37 hospital acquired isolates were typed by spa typing as SCCmec Ⅲ-t030, which belonged to the same clone. Conclusion MRSA in ICU is multi-drug resistant and SCCmec Ⅲ-t030 is the most prevalent genotype, which indicates that clinical MRSA strains and environmental MRSA strains may be homologous.

OBJECTIVETo analyze and optimize the gene rearrangement primers of different frame regions (FR) of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) genes by bioinformatic methods and explore the application of these primers in the detection of paraffin-embedded lymphoma tissues.

METHODSThree pairs of primers from IgH FR1, FR2 and FR3 regions (P1c, P2A and P31, respectively) were selected as the B cell gene rearrangement primers after comparison of the gene fragments in 44 IgH variable and 6 joining regions. Using one pair of T cell receptor (TCR) gamma primer as the T cell gene rearrangement primer, 101 histopathologically confirmed lymphoproliferative samples including 80 B cell lymphomas, 14 T cell lymphomas, and 7 reactive proliferative lymph nodes were examined by PCR for gene arrangement. The DNAs from DG75 and Jurkat cell lines were used as the positive controls for B and T cell lymphoma, respectively, with those from reactive proliferative lymph nodes as the negative control.

RESULTSThe positivity rates of IgH primers (P1c, P2A and P31) in the 80 B cell lymphomas were 37.5% (30/80), 52.5% (42/80) and 70.0% (56/80), respectively, and only one of the 14 T cell lymphoma cases was positive for the primers, suggesting significant differences in the detection rates of B cell lymphomas by the 3 primers. The detection rate was increased to 83.9% by combining the results by P31 and P2A primers. No positivity was found in the proliferative reaction tissues.

CONCLUSIONPrimers from IgH FR3 region genes are more sensitive than that from the FR1 and FR2 regions in the detection of gene rearrangement in paraffin-embedded lymphoma tissues. The detection rates can be increased by combining the results with the primers for IgH FR3 with that of FR2.

DNA Primers ; Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Heavy Chain ; genetics ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains ; genetics ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; diagnosis ; genetics ; pathology ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; diagnosis ; genetics ; pathology ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; diagnosis ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Paraffin Embedding

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyethylene Glycols ; therapeutic use ; Recombinant Proteins ; Ribavirin ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids(omega-3PUFAs) on the apoptosis of human gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 and to explore the potential mechanisms.

METHODSCells were treated with eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 omega-3,EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 omega-3, DHA) at concentrations of 10, 20 and 40 microg/ml. Cell growth and apoptosis were analyzed with MTT assay, cell morphology, DNA electrophoresis and flow cytometry. Mitochondrial membrane potential ( triangle right psi mt) was measured by fluorescent probe rhodamine 123. The distribution of cytochrome C in mitochondria and cytosol was determined by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay. The composition of mitochondrial membrane phospholipid(MMP)was examined by gas chromatography.

RESULTSBoth EPA and DHA markedly inhibited the SGC-7901 cell growth and induced apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner. After incubation of the cells with 40 microg/ml EPA or DHA for 24 hours, the level of Deltapsimt siginificantly decreased (P<0.001), and cytochrome C largely released into cytosol from mitochondria. The proportions of EPA and DHA in MMP rapidly elevated while that of arachidonic acid sharply decreased.

CONCLUSIONSomega-3PUFAs inhibit the growth of gastric cancer cells through promoting apoptosis. Compositional and functional alterations in mitochondrial membrane may be an important initiator of apoptosis induced by omega-3PUFAs.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cytochromes c ; metabolism ; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; Mitochondria ; metabolism ; pathology ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate and discuss the diagnosis and treatment of ectopic ACTH syndrome.

METHODSClinical data of 32 cases of ectopic ACTH syndrome, recruited from January 1990 to April 2003 in our hospital, was analyzed.

RESULTSAll of the 32 cases presented with clinical and biochemical evidences of Cushing's syndrome. Ten cases were definitively diagnosed as ectopic ACTH syndrome by finding ectopic tumors; 4 cases were highly suspected as ectopic ACTH by blood sampling from femoral vein and infra-petrosal vein and 18 cases were suspected as ectopic ACTH by imaging examinations. Fifteen cases (47%), without identified source of ectopic hormone, were treated with bilateral or unilateral total adrenalectomy, with 1-year survival rate of 60%. Seven cases (22%), with possible source of ectopic hormone, underwent no intervention, with 1-year survival rate of 0. Ten cases underwent radical resection of tumor, 6 of which were bronchial carcinoids and 4 of which were thymic carcinoids, with 1-year survival rate of 60%.

CONCLUSIONIt is very difficult to localize the tumor of ectopic ACTH syndrome patients. Bilateral adrenalectomy followed by hormonal replacement is effective for most of the patients without identifying source of ectopic hormone.

ACTH Syndrome, Ectopic ; diagnosis ; mortality ; therapy ; Adolescent ; Adrenalectomy ; methods ; Adult ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of ecoimmunonutrition on gut barrier function in rats with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).

METHODSRat models of SIRS were established by injecting lipo polysaccharide (LPS) via the tail vein. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups. One of the four enteral nutrition formulas (standard EN, immunonutrition, econutrition, ecoimmunonutrition) was given to each group respectively for 7 days. Serum D-lactate, diamine oxidase (DAO), ratio of urinary lactulose to mannitol (L/M) were measured on day 1 before LPS injection (D (-1)) and day 1, 3, 6 after LPS injection (D(+1), D (+3), D (+6)).

RESULTSAfter 7 days of treatment,the level of serum D-lactate in econutrition group was significantly lower than those in standard EN or immunonutrition group (P< 0.05), and the level of serum D-lactate in all above three groups were significantly higher compared with ecoimmunonutrition group (P< 0.01). The level of serum DAO in standard EN group was higher than those in other three groups(P< 0.01). The L/M was increased in all the groups on D(+1), D(+3). It fell back to the basic level on D(+6)) in all the groups.The L/M in immunonutrition group was lower than those in other groups on D (+1) (P< 0.05), and it was higher in standard EN group than those in other groups on D (+3) (P< 0.01).

CONCLUSIONEcoimmunonutrition, a enteral nutrition composed of immune-enhanced nutrient and ecologic, may protect the gut barrier function more effectively in rats with SIRS.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Enteral Nutrition ; Glutamine ; blood ; Intestinal Mucosa ; physiopathology ; Lactulose ; blood ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome ; blood ; physiopathology ; therapy

BACKGROUNDValve replacement or repair is recommended in patients with tricuspid regurgitation when deterioration of their clinical status occurs as a consequence of right ventricular dysfunction. Percutaneous valve replacement was developed in recent years. To investigate the feasibility, effectiveness and long-term results of percutaneous tricuspid valve replacement, an experimental model with tricuspid regurgitation is needed. We developed a simple and reproducible percutaneous approach for the creation of tricuspid regurgitation in sheep.

METHODSA specially designed grasping forceps were used to grasp chordae tendineae or the tricuspid valve leaflets through a catheter. Transcatheter creation of tricuspid regurgitation was performed on 7 healthy sheep. These sheep were followed up shortly after the procedure and at 6th month post-procedure with echocardiography. Additionally, all the sheep were sacrificed for anatomic evaluation at 6th month after the procedure.

RESULTSCreation of tricuspid regurgitation was successfully accomplished in all sheep. Necropsy confirmed that damage was done to the tricuspid valve apparatus in all animals (tearing of the anterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve in five animals and posterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve in two animals). At the six-month follow-up, there was no significant increase in the right ventricle dimension and ejection fraction measured by echocardiography. Autopsy examinations demonstrated the tearing of tricuspid valve leaflets.

CONCLUSIONSThe creation of an animal model of tricuspid regurgitation via a percutaneous approach using forceps to sever one or more tricuspid leaflets is feasible and will allow investigation of devices designed replace the tricuspid valve via a percutaneous approach. Despite significant tricuspid regurgitation, the hemodynamics did not change during the follow-up period in this model.

Animals ; Catheterization ; Disease Models, Animal ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; methods ; Male ; Sheep ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency ; therapy

Oral epidemic diseases of exposure personnel in long-term low-dose radiation yet have rarely been studied. Referred to WHO oral health survey method and symptom grading standard, data of 341 exposure persons in long-term low-dose radiation including α particle, β particle, and γ rays, etc., were collected from one camp in China in 2011 with cluster sampling and analyzed? with Foxpro 6.0 and SPSS 16.0 software. The exposure persons worked in low-dose radiation for a long time aged between 23 and 56, whose average age were 27.1 years old.In addition, their lengths of service were from 2 to 34 years (average 7.9 years) and average exposure time was 8 hours a day each year for more than three months. Average annual radiation dose equivalent was from 1.8 to 16.5 mSv (average 7.3 mSv). Total radiation dose equivalent was from 3.8 to 425.0 mSv (average 97.3 mSv).
Adult ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Radiation Dosage ; Radiation Injuries ; epidemiology ; Stomatitis ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of NBD-peptide pretreatment of the donor dendritic cells in immune tolerance induction in mouse allograft recipients and investigate the mechanisms.

METHODSBALB/c mouse DCs pretreated with NBD-peptide (NBD-Peptide-DC) were injected into the recipient C57BL/6 mice 7 days before transplantation. Cervical heterotopic heart transplantation model was established using the cuff technique and the cardiac allograft survival time was observed. Pathological analysis were performed to examine the graft injection and the responsiveness of the recipient spleen T cell to the donor alloantigen was determined by mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). The serum levels of cytokines were determined using ELISA.

RESULTSThe cardiac allograft survival time in the NBD-Peptide-DC-treated group (21.83-/+3.54 days) was significantly longer than that in the Day9-DC group (13.33-/+2.58 days) and PBS-treated group (6.66-/+1.21 days) (P<0.01), with also significantly lower pathological grade for graft rejection (P<0.01). The donor-derived NBD-Peptide-DCs induced alloantigen-specific T-cell hyporesponsiveness. In the NBD-Peptide-DC-treated group, the serum levels of IL-12 and IFN-gamma decreased significantly (P<0.01), but the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 increased significantly (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONInjection of donor-derived NBD-Peptide-DCs can leads to donor-specific tolerance in the transplant recipients, and the induction of recipient T-cell hyporesponsiveness and polarization of Th2 response may play important roles in immune tolerance to cardiac allografts.

Animals ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; transplantation ; Graft Rejection ; immunology ; Graft Survival ; immunology ; Heart Transplantation ; immunology ; methods ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Peptides ; immunology ; Transplantation, Homologous

BACKGROUNDMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding regulatory RNAs whose aberrant expression may be observed in many malignancies. However, few data are yet available on human primary medulloblastomas. This work aimed to identify that whether miRNAs would be aberrantly expressed in tumor tissues compared with non-tumorous cerebellum tissues from same patients, and to explore a possible role during carcinogenesis.

METHODSA high throughput microRNA microarray was performed in human primary medulloblastoma specimens to investigate differentially expressed miRNAs, and some miRNAs were validated using real-time quantitative RT-PCR method. In addition, the predicted target genes for the most significantly down- or up-regulated miRNAs were analyzed by using a newly modified ensemble algorithm.

RESULTSNine miRNA species were differentially expressed in medulloblastoma specimens versus normal non-tumorous cerebellum tissues. Of these, 4 were over expressed and 5 were under expressed. The changes ranged from 0.02-fold to 6.61-fold. These findings were confirmed using real-time quantitative RT-PCR for most significant deregulated miRNAs (miR-17, miR-100, miR-106b, and miR-218) which are novel and have not been previously published. Interestingly, most of the predicted target genes for these miRNAs were involved in medulloblastoma carcinogenesis.

CONCLUSIONSMiRNAs are differentially expressed between human medulloblastoma and non-tumorous cerebellum tissue. MiRNAs may play a role in the tumorigenesis of medulloblastoma and maybe serve as potential targets for novel therapeutic strategies in future.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medulloblastoma ; genetics ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; metabolism ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction