OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prevalence, genotype distribution and hematological characteristics of α,β-thalassaemia carriers in Huizhou area of Guangdong Province. METHODS: 10 809 carriers of simple β-thalassaemia and 1 757 carriers of α,β-thalassaemia were enrolled as our study cohort. The hematological parameters were detected by automated blood cell counters and automatic capillary electrophoresis. Suspension array technology, gap-polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR) and PCR-reverse dot blot were used for the genotyping of thalassaemia carriers. RESULTS: The prevalence of α,β-thalassaemia in Huizhou area of Guangdong Province was 1.99%. A total of 62 genotypes were detected, and the most prevalent genotype was --^SEA/ αα, β^CD41-42/ β^N (19.29%), the next was --^SEA/ αα, β^IVS-II-654/ β^N (16.73%). Significant differences in mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were found between different genotype groups for simple β-thalassaemia and α,β-thalassaemia. Violin plots showed that carriers with co-inheritance of β-thalassaemia and mild α-thalassaemia expressed the lightest anemia, and carriers with co-inheritance of β-thalassaemia and hemoglobin H (Hb H) disease expressed the most severe anemia. CONCLUSION There is a high prevalence of α,β-thalassaemia in Huizhou area of Guangdong Province. Because of the lack of specific hematological makers for diagnosis of α,β-thalassaemia, it is necessary to distinguish it from simple β-thalassaemia by genotyping of α- and β-thalassaemia in order to correctly guide genetic counseling and prenatal disgnosis.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; beta-Thalassemia/genetics* ; Genotype ; Heterozygote ; Phenotype ; alpha-Thalassemia/genetics* ; China/epidemiology* ; Mutation

Humans ; Nasal Obstruction/surgery* ; Nasal Septum/surgery* ; Rhinoplasty

Objective:To explore the effectiveness, safety and cost between urinary follicle stimulating hormone (uFSH) and recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) in controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in China.Methods:Data were collected from 16 reproductive centers in China covering oocytes collection time from May 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018. Eligible patients were over 18 years old, adopting COS with uFSH (uFSH group) or rFSH (rFSH group) as start gonadotropins (Gn), and using in vitro fertilization (IVF) and (or) intracytoplasmic sperm injection for fertilisation, excluding frozen embryo recovery cycle. Generalised estimating equation was used to address the violation of independency assumption between cycles due to multiple IVF cycles for one person and clustering nature of cycles carried out within one center. Controlling variables included age, body mass index, anti-Müllerian hormone level, cause of infertility, ovulation protocol, type of fertilisation, number of embryos transferred, number of days of Gn use.Results:Totally 102 061 cycles met eligibility criteria and were included in the analyses. In terms of effectiveness, after controlling relevant unbalanced baseline characteristics, compared with rFSH group, the high oocyte retrieval (>15 oocytes was considered high retrieval) rate of uFSH group significantly decreased in gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist protocol ( OR=0.642, P<0.01) and in gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol ( OR=0.556, P=0.001), but the clinical pregnancy rate per transfer cycle and the live birth rate per transfer cycle significantly increased ( OR=1.179, OR=1.169, both P<0.01) in both agonist and antagonist protocols. For safety, multiple analysis result demonstrated that in the agonist protocol, compared with rFSH group, the incidence of moderate to severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome of uFSH group significantly decreased ( OR=0.644, P=0.002). The differences in ectopic pregnancy rate and multiple pregnancy rate between the uFSH and rFSH groups were not significant ( P=0.890, P=0.470) in all patients. In terms of cost, compared with rFSH group, the uFSH group had lower total Gn costs for each patient ( P<0.01). Conclusion:For patients who underwent COS, uFSH has better safety, and economic profiles over rFSH in China.

OBJECTIVE: To study the inhibitory effect of HDAC6 on proliferation of human leukemia KG1α and to explore its mechanism by ERK signaling pathways. METHODS: .The siRNA interference technology was used to inhibit the HDAC6 gene expression; the expression of HDAC6 and prateins of ERK signal pathway was detected by Western blot; the cell proliferation ability was detected by colony forming experiment and trypan blue staining; cell cycle was detected by FCM; and the expression of Ki67 was detected by immunofluorescence. RESULTS: Western blot showed that HDAC6 expression was up-regulated in leukemia cell lines in comparison with the healthy volunteers and bone marrow stromal cells (P＜0.05). Knockdown of HDAC6 significantly inhibited the proliferation and colony formation ability of leukemia cells, promoted cell arrest at G/G phase. The Western blot and immunefluorescence showed that knockdown of HDAC6 suppressed the expression level of Ki67, CDK4, Cyclin D1 and enhanced the expression level of p16, p21, p-ERK (P＜0.05). CONCLUSION Knockdown of HDAC6 significantly inhibits the proliferation, arrest the cell cycle at G/G phase, and its mechanism probably relates with the activation of ERK signaling pathway.

Adult ; Cytokines ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic ; Lymphoma ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; Th1 Cells ; Th2 Cells

OBJECTIVE: To study the promoting-apoptosis effect of HDAC6 on the human leukemia cells and its mechanism. METHODS: The siRNA interference technology was used to inhibit the expression of HDAC6 gene, the RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression of HDAC6 and related signal pathway proteins respectively, the flow cytometry and Hoechest staining were used to detect the apoptosis and morphology changes of K562 cells. RESULTS: Compared with the periphal blood monocyte and bone marrow stromal cells of healthy volunteers, the expression level of HDAC6 in leukemia cell lines was up-regulated significantly(P<0.05); the flow cytometry and Hoechest staining showed that after interference of HDAC6 gene, the apoptosis of K562 cells increased, moreover the cell morphology was changed; the Western blot detection showed that the interfering HDAC6 increased BAX/BCL-2 ratio and cleaved caspase 3 expression, and activated the MAPK, ATK, ERK signaling pathway. CONCLUSION The interferance of HDAC6 can promote the K562 cell apoptosis, its mechanism may relate with activation of MAPK signaling pathway.
Apoptosis ; Cell Proliferation ; Down-Regulation ; Histone Deacetylase 6 ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Leukemia ; RNA, Small Interfering

In order to determine the effect of various hosts on feeding performance of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, we used 3 mammalian species as hosts, cattle (Qinchuan), sheep (T an), and rabbits (Japanese white rabbit) for infest-ing ticks. Five hundreds of R. microplus larvae were exposed to each animal (3 animals/host species). Tick recoveries were 11.0%, 0.47%, and 5.5% from cattle, sheep, and rabbits, respectively. The averages of tick feeding periods were not significantly different on cattle, sheep, and rabbits, 28.8, 25.3, and 26.7 days, respectively. The average weights of individual engorged female from cattle, sheep, and rabbits were 312.5, 219.1, and 130.2 mg, respectively and those of egg mass weights each to 85.0, 96.6, and 17.8 mg. The highest egg hatching rate was in the ticks from cattle (96.0%), fol-lowed by those from rabbits (83.0%) and sheep (19.2%). These data suggest that rabbits could be as an alternative host to cultivate R. microplus for evaluating vaccines and chemical and biological medicines against the tick in the laboratory, although the biological parameters of ticks were less than those from cattle.
Animals ; Cattle* ; Female ; Humans ; Larva ; Ovum ; Rabbits* ; Rhipicephalus* ; Sheep* ; Ticks ; Vaccines ; Weights and Measures

Animals ; Cellular Reprogramming ; Dentate Gyrus ; cytology ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; Mice ; Neural Stem Cells ; cytology ; transplantation ; Swine

Species identification using DNA sequences is the basis for DNA taxonomy. In this study, we sequenced the ribosomal large-subunit RNA gene sequences (3,037-3,061 bp) in length of 13 Chinese Theileria stocks that were infective to cattle and sheep. The complete 28S rRNA gene is relatively difficult to amplify and its conserved region is not important for phylogenetic study. Therefore, we selected the D2-D3 region from the complete 28S rRNA sequences for phylogenetic analysis. Our analyses of 28S rRNA gene sequences showed that the 28S rRNA was useful as a phylogenetic marker for analyzing the relationships among Theileria spp. in ruminants. In addition, the D2-D3 region was a short segment that could be used instead of the whole 28S rRNA sequence during the phylogenetic analysis of Theileria, and it may be an ideal DNA barcode.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; China ; DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry/genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics ; Ruminants ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/veterinary ; Theileria/*classification/genetics/isolation & purification ; Theileriasis/*parasitology

BACKGROUNDThree randomised trials have demonstrated that combining bevacizumab with first-line chemotherapy significantly improves progression-free survival versus chemotherapy alone in HER2-negative locally recurrent/metastatic breast cancer (LR/mBC). However, data from Chinese populations are limited and possible differences between ethnic and geographic populations are unknown. This study was conducted to determine whether there are differences in safety and efficacy in patients with HER2-negative LR/mRC between Chinese and Western populations after they receive first-line bevacizumab combined with taxane-based therapy.

METHODSIn the single-arm, open-label, Avastin Therapy for Advanced Breast Cancer (ATHENA) study (NCT00448591), patients with HER2-negative LR/mBC received first-line bevacizumab (investigator's choice of 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks or 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks) combined with taxane-based therapy. The primary endpoint was safety profile and the secondary is time to progression (TTP). A subpopulation analysis was conducted to assess safety and efficacy in Chinese patients.

RESULTSOf 2264 patients treated in ATHENA, 202 were enrolled in China. Bevacizumab was combined with docetaxel in 90% of Chinese patients and paclitaxel in 10%. The most common grade 3/4 adverse events were diarrhoea (in 5.0% of patients) and hypertension (in 2.5% of patients). Grade 3/4 proteinuria occurred in 0.5%. After median follow-up of 17.6 months and events in 56% of patients, median TTP was 9.0 months (95%CI, 8.4-11.1). Overall survival data were immature.

CONCLUSIONSWe found no evidence of increased bevacizumab-related toxicity or reduced efficacy in Chinese LR/mBC patients receiving first-line bevacizumab-taxane therapy compared with predominantly Western populations. The safety profile was generally similar to previously reported LR/mBC trials. Subtle differences may be attributable to different lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors in Chinese patients compared with the overall population. It appears reasonable to extrapolate findings from bevacizumab-based randomised trials to Chinese populations.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Bevacizumab ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Taxoids ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult