OBJECTIVETo investigate the short-term association between outdoor air pollution and outpatient visits for acute bronchitis, which is a rare subject of research in the mainland of China.

METHODSA time-series analysis was conducted to examine the association of outdoor air pollutants with hospital outpatient visits in Shanghai by using two-year daily data (2010-2011).

RESULTSOutdoor air pollution was found to be associated with an increased risk of outpatient visits for acute bronchitis in Shanghai. The effect estimates of air pollutants varied with the lag structures of the concentrations of the pollutants. For lag06, a 10 μg/m(3) increase in the concentrations of PM10, SO(2), and NO(2) corresponded to 0.94% (95% CI: 0.83%, 1.05%), 11.12% (95% CI: 10.76%, 11.48%), and 4.84% (95% CI: 4.49%, 5.18%) increases in hospital visits for acute bronchitis, respectively. These associations appeared to be stronger in females (P<0.05). Between-age differences were significant for SO(2) (P<0.05), and between-season differences were also significant for SO(2) (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONOur analyses have provided the first evidence that the current air pollution level in China has an effect on acute bronchitis and that the rationale for further limiting air pollution levels in Shanghai should be strengthened.

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Air Pollutants ; analysis ; toxicity ; Ambulatory Care ; statistics & numerical data ; Bronchitis ; epidemiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Cities ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nitrogen Dioxide ; analysis ; toxicity ; Particulate Matter ; analysis ; toxicity ; Seasons ; Sex Factors ; Sulfur Dioxide ; analysis ; toxicity ; Young Adult

Objective To evaluate the PCR-reverse line dot hybridization assay (RLB) based on 16S-23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence for detection and identification of mycobacterium species. Methods This study was performed in five different centers simultaneously, and the performance of PCR-RLB was estimated and verified by detection of 60 reference strains belonging to 50 mycobacterium species, 10 nonmycobacterial speices and 383 clinical isolates identified by immunochromatographic assay (ICA) combined sequencing and gas chromatography (GC). Results The genus-specific probe hybridizied with the amplification of PCR of all mycobacteria and species-specific probes hybridized only with corresponding species, however, neither of them hybridized with the amplification of PCR of nonmycobacterial speices. Compared with ICA combined sequencing and GC, accuracy of PCR-RLB was nearly 100%, and PCR-RLB identified 380 of 383 in species-level successfully, including 11 mixed clinical isolates which could not be identified with other assays correctly. Conclusion The mycobacterial PCR- RLB based on 16S-23S rDNA ITS is rapid, convenient, sensitive and specific, and practical, and it is promising to be applied in clinical diagnosis.