ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the measurement of(1,3)-β-D glucan in plasma for the diagnosis of pulmonary fungal infections in pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Methods 40 pulmonary tuberculosis patients with pulmonary fungal infections in Guangzhou chest hospital from January 2015 to December 2015 were enrolled as a test group,among which 35 were confirmed and 5 were suspected pulmonary fungal infections. 52 pulmonary tuber-culosis patients without fungal infections were selected as a control group.(1,3)-β-D glucan content(G test)in this 92 patients plasma were detected. The results of G tests were compared with those from etiological diagnosis to assess the performance of G test. Results 13 strains of candida albicans,13 strains of aspergillus,2 strains of candida tropicalis,2 strains of candida glabrata and 6 strains of other yeast were obtained from patients of test group,but no fungal identified from those of control group. The median of G test in test group and in control group was 126.1 and 29.56 pg/mL,respectively,the level in test group was significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.001). 35 cases were identified as positive and 5 were negative in test group by G test ,while 41 cases were identified as negative and 11 were positive in control group. The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value, negative predictive value ,concordance and Youden index of G test were 87.5%,78.85%,76.09%,89.13%, 82.6%and 0.663,respectively. Conclusions Candida albicans and aspergillus are more common pathogens than the other fungi isolated from pulmonary tuberculosis patients with pulmonary fungal infection. G test ,used in pul-monary tuberculosis with pulmonary fungal infections diagnosis,is reliable and fast,and has a higher sensitivity, specificity and accuracy.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the mechanism of podophyllotoxin nanostructured lipid carriers (POD-NLC)-induced apoptosis of VK2/E6E7 cells mediated by endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>VK2/E6E7 cells cultured in vitro were exposed to 0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 µg/ml POD-NLC or blank NLC for 24 h. The intracellular calcium concentration was measured by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), and the expression levels of GRP78, GRP94, and calpain2 mRNA and proteins in the cells were detected using RT-PCR and Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control cells, the cells exposed to POD-NLC showed a concentration-dependent increase of intracellular calcium concentration (P<0.01), and the differences were statistically significant between different dose groups (P<0.05). RT-PCR and Western blotting showed that POD-NLC up-regulated GRP78, GRP94 and calpain2 mRNA and proteins expressions, which showed significant differences between blank-NLC and the control groups (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>POD-NLC induces apoptosis of VK2/E6E7 cells possibly by triggering the endoplasmic reticulum stress response.</p>