Objective China is among the 30 countries with a high burden of tuberculosis(TB)worldwide,and TB remains a public health concern.Kashgar Prefecture in the southern Xinjiang Autonomous Region is considered as one of the highest TB burden regions in China.However,molecular epidemiological studies of Kashgar are lacking. Methods A population-based retrospective study was conducted using whole-genome sequencing(WGS)to determine the characteristics of drug resistance and the transmission patterns. Results A total of 1,668 isolates collected in 2020 were classified into lineages 2(46.0%),3(27.5%),and 4(26.5%).The drug resistance rates revealed by WGS showed that the top three drugs in terms of the resistance rate were isoniazid(7.4%,124/1,668),streptomycin(6.0%,100/1,668),and rifampicin(3.3%,55/1,668).The rate of rifampicin resistance was 1.8%(23/1,290)in the new cases and 9.4%(32/340)in the previously treated cases.Known resistance mutations were detected more frequently in lineage 2 strains than in lineage 3 or 4 strains,respectively:18.6%vs.8.7 or 9%,P<0.001.The estimated proportion of recent transmissions was 25.9%(432/1,668).Multivariate logistic analyses indicated that sex,age,occupation,lineage,and drug resistance were the risk factors for recent transmission.Despite the low rate of drug resistance,drug-resistant strains had a higher risk of recent transmission than the susceptible strains(adjusted odds ratio,1.414;95%CI,1.023-1.954;P = 0.036).Among all patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis(DR-TB),78.4%(171/218)were attributed to the transmission of DR-TB strains. Conclusion Our results suggest that drug-resistant strains are more transmissible than susceptible strains and that transmission is the major driving force of the current DR-TB epidemic in Kashgar.

AIM To explore the ameliorative effects of Ziyin Mingmu Pills on mouse retinitis pigmentosa(RP)and the possible mechanism.METHODS The RP transgenic mice(rd10)were randomly divided into the model group,the Leding group(0.15 g/kg)and the low and high dose Ziyin Mingmu Pills groups(4.50,9.00 g/kg),in contrast to the C57BL/6 mice of the normal group,with 12 mice in each group.The mice had their retinal pathological changes detected by HE staining;their visual function detected by electroretinogram(ERG);their fundus conditions and retinal thickness detected by optical coherence tomography(OCT);their retinal blood perfusion detected by laser speckle blood flow technique;their mRNA expressions of Shh,Ptc,Smo,Gli1,N-myc and Cyclin mRNA detected by digital PCR;and their protein expressions of Shh,Ptc,Smo,Gli1,N-myc and Cyclin detected by immunofluorescence staining.RESULTS Compared with the normal group,the model group displayed pathological changes in the fundus and retina and decreased amplitudes of ERG a wave and b wave(P＜0.01);decreased retinal thickness(P＜0.01);decreased retinal blood perfusion(P＜0.01);and decreased retinal expressions of Shh,Ptc,Smo,Gli1,N-myc,Cyclin mRNA and protein(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the groups intervened with Ziyin Mingmu Pills or Leding shared improved pathological changes in the fundus and retina tissue,and increased retinal thickness(P＜0.01);increased retinal blood flow(P＜0.01);increased amplitudes of ERG a wave and b wave(P＜0.01);and increased retinal Shh,Ptc,Smo,Gli1,N-myc and Cyclin mRNA and protein expressions(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Ziyin Mingmu Pills can improve the fundus pathological changes and visual function to delay RP in mice because of their efficacy in ameliorating retinal thickness and blood flow possibly by activating Shh signaling pathway.

Humans ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/genetics* ; Microspheres ; Antitubercular Agents/pharmacology* ; Mutation ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Fluoroquinolones ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics* ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant/microbiology*

Perilla frutescens is a traditional medicinal and edible plant widely distributed in China and enjoys an extensive usage. P. frutescens contains multiple essential oils， which are composed of monoterpenes， sesquiterpenes， and their oxygen-containing derivatives. Compared with other parts of P. frutescens， Perillae Folium produce more oils， with volatile oils as the main constituents. There are many active substances in the volatile oils from Perillae Folium， mainly including perillaldehyde， perillaketone， perillaalcohol， D-limonene， β-caryophylene， etc. Such factors as germplasm， growth environment， extraction method， cultivation time， and harvest period all can trigger changes in volatile oil constituents and content from Perillae Folium. The volatile oils from Perillae Folium have diverse pharmacological effects like anti-oxidation， anti-bacteria， anti-inflammation， vasodilation， anti-tumor， and anti-depression， implying its high clinical application value. However， the chemical constituents in volatile oils from Perillae Folium are complex and unstable and their pharmacological activities are affected by many factors， so the safety and effectiveness of clinical medication fail to be guaranteed， which may has impeded the rational and effective use of these volatile oils. Many scholars in China and abroad have conducted a lot of research on the volatile oils from Perillae Folium， but there is currently no systematic and comprehensive research report on the chemical constituents of volatile oils from Perillae Folium and their pharmacological effects. This paper reviewed the relevant domestic and foreign literature， analyzed the development status of volatile oils from Perillae Folium， and summarized their extraction process， chemical constituents， and pharmacological actions， aiming to provide a reference for their further development， clinical application， and risk assessment.

Arm ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Carboplatin ; Disease-Free Survival ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Maintenance Chemotherapy ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Prognosis ; Quality of Life ; Recombination, Genetic ; Sample Size

Objectives: An Asian Gynecologic Oncology Group phase III randomized trial was conducted to determine whether maintenance chemotherapy could improve progression-free survival (PFS) in stages III/IV ovarian cancer. Methods: Between 2007 and 2014, 45 newly-diagnosed ovarian cancer patients were enrolled after complete remission and randomized (1:1) to arm A (4-weekly carboplatin area under the curve 4 and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin [PLD] 30 mg/m2, n=24) for 6 cycles or arm B (observation, n=21). The primary end-point was PFS. A post hoc translational study was conducted to deep sequence BRCA/homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) genes, because BRCA/HRD mutations (BRCA/HRDm) are known to be associated with better prognosis. Results: Enrollment was slow, accrual was closed when 7+ years had passed. With a medianfollow-up of 88.9 months, the median PFS was significantly better in arm A (55.5 months) than arm B (9.2 months) (hazard ratio [HR]=0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.19–0.87; p=0.020), yet the median overall survival was not significantly different in arm A (not reached) than arm B (95.1 months) (p=0.148). Overall grade 3/4 adverse events were more frequent in arm A than arm B (60.9% vs 0.0%) (p<0.001). Quality of life was generally not significantly different. Distribution of BRCA1/2m or BRCA/HRDm was not significantly biased between the two arms. Wild-type BRCAon-HRD subgroup seemed to fare better with maintenance therapy (HR=0.35; 95% CI=0.11–1.18; p=0.091). Conclusions Despite limitations in small sample size, it suggests that maintenance carboplatin-PLD chemotherapy could improve PFS in advanced ovarian cancer.

Objective To understand Clonorchis sinensis infections in cats in Nanning City, so as to provide evidence for the control of the reservoir host of C. sinensis. Methods The cat livers were purchased from cat slaughterhouses in Nanning City. The cat gallbladder and liver were dissected, and liver flukes were collected and counted. Then, the worms were subjected to morphological observation, amplification of the ITS2 gene and sequencing. The species of the worms were identified using BLAST. Results A total of 105 cat livers were collected from two cat slaughterhouses, and 68 were detected with C. sinensis infections, with an infection rate of 64.76%. The highest burden was 980 worms in a single liver, and the mean burden was 72 worms in a liver. There were 3 types of liver flukes with various size and morphology, and all were identified as C. sinensis by means of morphological observation, ITS2 gene amplification, sequencing and sequence alignment. Conclusion There is a high infection rate of C. sinensi in marketed cats in Nanning City, and it is therefore suggested that targeted interventions should be intensified for the management of C. sinensis infections in cats.

Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; methods ; Humans ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; isolation & purification ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; diagnosis ; microbiology

Animals ; Cattle ; microbiology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Minisatellite Repeats ; Mycobacterium bovis ; drug effects ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo compare the performance of MTBDRplus V2 and Xpert MTB/RIF for detecting smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).

METHODSClinical PTB suspects were enrolled consecutively in Anhui Chest Hospital and Xi'an Chest Hospital from January to December in 2014. The sputum samples of smear negative PTB suspects were collected and decontaminated. The sediment was used to conduct MTBDRplus V2, Xpert MTB/RIF and drug susceptibility test (DST). All the samples with discrepant drug susceptibility result between molecular methods and phenotypic method were confirmed by DNA sequencing.

RESULTSA total of 1973 cases were enrolled in this study. The detection rates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) by MTBDRplus V2 and Xpert MTB/RIF were 27.67% and 27.98%, respectively. When setting MGIT culture result as a gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of MTBDRplus V2 were 86.74% and 93.84%, and the sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF were 86.55% and 93.43%, respectively. For the detection of the resistance to rifampin, the sensitivity and specificity of MTBDRplus V2 were 94.34% and 96.62%, and the sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF were 88.68% and 95.96%, respectively. For the detection of the resistance to isoniazid, the sensitivity and specificity of MTBDRplus V2 were 77.38% and 98.02%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONMTBDRplus V2 and Xpert MTB/RIF can be used to detect MTBC in smear negative samples with satisfactory performance.

Antitubercular Agents ; pharmacology ; Bacteriological Techniques ; methods ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Humans ; Isoniazid ; pharmacology ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; diagnosis ; microbiology