ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the etiology and clinical characteristics of pertussis-like syndrome. METHODS: Thenasopharyngeal secretionscollectedfrompatientswithpertussis-likesymptominChildren's Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University from February 2016 to December 2017 were detected for pertussis DNA using PCR assays and other microbiological assessment. RESULTS: A total of 197 children were enrolled in the study,of whom 119(60.4%)patients were positive for Bordetella pertussis,and 37 cases(37.8%)were positive for other pathogens,including 14 cases(37.8%)of rhinovirus,14 cases(37.8%)of Mycoplasma pneumoniae,4 cases(10.8%)of human bocavirus,3 cases(8.1%)of parainfluenza virus and1 case(2.7%)of respiratory syncytial virus,and 1 case(2.7%)of Haemophilus influenzae. There were no significant differences in mean age,paroxysmal cough,inspiratory whoop,posttussive vomiting,paroxysmal cyanosis,or pulmonary signs between pertussis group and pertussis-like syndrome group(P>0.05). The proportion of male in pertussis group(57.1% vs. 35.3%),white blood cell counts[(18.83±11.54)×10~9/L vs.(12.46±6.01)×10~9/L)],lymphocyte counts[(10.62±8.48)×10~9/L vs.(6.54±5.13)×10~9/L)]were significantly higher than those in pertussis-like syndrome group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Rhinovirus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae are the main pathogens of pertussis-like syndrome. Leukocyte and lymphocyte counts can be used as an index to differentiate pertussis from pertussis-like syndrome.
ABSTRACT
Cathepsin K (CTSK) is considered a critical pharmaceutical target in the treatment of osteoporosis. CTSK exerts proteolytic activities against regulatory proteins besides its collagenase function, which may account for some of the adverse reactions when blocked by active site-directed inhibitors. Exosite inhibitors that can discriminate between the therapeutic collagenase and other biological activities of CTSK specifically inhibit the collagenase activity of CTSK without interfering with the other proteolytic activities of the protease. Active recombinant CTSK was expressed in Pichia pastoris, and purified by n-butyl sepharose and SP sepharose column chromatography. Herba Ecliptae is a common traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of bone diseases. Collagenase assay and benzyloxycarbonyl-Phe-Arg-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin (Z-FR-MCA) substrate assay based on CTSK are applied to verify the exosite inhibitors. n-Butanol extract of Herba Ecliptae are the most active fraction and eclalbasaponin IX isolated from n-butanol fraction is the potential exosite inhibitor of CTSK.