ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the association between the level of polymorphism of APOE gene and cognitive impairment in patients with CNS demyelinating diseases. Methods 56 patients with central nervous system demyelinating disease were applied APOE genotyping,MoCA and expanded disability status (EDSS) scale score. Patients with MOCA scores <26 were divided into cognitive impairment group, and those with MOCA scores ≥26 were divided into normal cognitive preserved group. Results The probability of cognitive dysfunction in patients with central nervous system demyelinating diseases was 53.57%. There was no significant difference in age, gender, and disease duration between the CI group and the CP group(P>0.05), the difference in age and education among groups is statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no statistical significance in the difference in age, sex, education years and EDSS score between APOEε4 gene positive group and APOEε4 gene negative group (P<0.05). The difference of visual space and attention between different cognitive domains is statistically significant(P<0.05). Years of schooling is a risk factor for cognitive dysfunction in patients with central nervous system demyelinating disease(P<0.01). Conclusion The central nervous system demyelinating disease is impaired cognitive function. Patients with APOEε4 gene positive are more severely impaired in visual space and attention than patients with negative APOEε4 gene.Years of education are the risk factors of cognitive dysfunction in patients with central nervous system demyelinating disease. The course of disease and disabled function may not be significant related to cognitive impairment.
ABSTRACT
Objective To describe the discovery of a residual foci of bancroftian filariasis in Fuchuan County where the disease was announced to have been eliminated, and reveal its epidemiologic feature.Methods The investigation was carried out from August 2007 to March 2008 among residents in Changtang village where the first caseof filariasiswas found and the neighboring villages.They were screened with two thick blood smears.Immunochromatographic technology(ICT) was conducted for those going out but returned and those in surrounding areas.Vector mosquitoes were collected and dissected to find filaria larvae.Historical documents were reviewed and relevant people were interviewed.Results In Changtang administrative village, 1 052 residents were screened and 19 cases with microfilaremia were found in 2 natural villages, with a Mf-positive rate of 1.8%(5.1% in Gangshang and 1.4% in Yinshan respectively).No Mf-positive case was found in 4 119 residents screened in other 3 villages.The average microfilaria density in the 19 cases was 17.37/60 ?l blood.All the 19 cases belonged to 12 families, and 13 cases were relatives to each other, which showed a feature of spatial clustering and family clustering.More patients were identified in the age groups of 20-29 and 50-59, and 57.9% of them were older than 50 years.No larvae were found in 54 Culex pipiens fatigans dissected.Conclusion The Changtang village is identified as a residual focus of bancroftian filariasis with a low, limited endemicity.More cases have been among the elderly with a low average microfilaremia.