Preparation and evaluation of Indigo Naturalis dry suspension based on powder surface modification / 药学学报

A dry suspension of Indigo Naturalis (IN) based on lactose-IN composite particles was designed by powder modification technology to meet the clinical needs of IN. The contact angle was used as an evaluation index to investigate the effects of the type of modifier lactose, the amount of lactose, and the co-grinding time of lactose and IN on the hydrophilicity of IN. The difference between IN before and after modification was compared through physical properties such as particle size and scanning electron microscope, as well as hydrophilic properties such as surface free energy and multiple light scattering. The optimal process of lactose-IN composite particles is as follows: after lactose is ground alone for 2 minutes, it is co-ground with IN at a ratio of 1∶1 for 6 minutes. The results of the investigation of powder properties show that the particle size d0.9 of IN is reduced from 112.75 μm to 87.30 μm after modification. The BET and Langmuir specific surface areas decreased by 8.661 m2·g-1 and 12.512 m2·g-1, respectively. SEM shows that lactose is attached to the surface of modified IN (MIN); surface element analysis shows that Si, Ca, and Mg elements of MIN are smaller than IN, and O elements are larger. The infrared spectrum shows that the MIN possesses the characteristic peaks of both IN and lactose. Compared MIN with IN, the contact angle and the non-polar surface free energy decreased by 35.1° and 9.975 mJ·m-2, respectively; the polar surface free energy and the surface free energy increased by 36.956 and 26.950 mJ·m-2, respectively. The results of multiple light scattering showed that the light transmittance of MIN was 35% lower than that of IN, and the backscattered light intensity was increased by about 25%. Only one excipient was used to successfully prepare IN dry suspension with good wettability and suspending property, which provided a basis for the development of new preparations of IN.

Technology and principle of improving solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules based on powder modification / 中国中药杂志

The powder modification technology was used to improve the powder properties and microstructure of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder, thereby solving the problem of poor solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules. The influence of modifier dosage and grinding time on the solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder was investigated with the solubility as the evaluation index, and the optimal modification process was selected. The particle size, fluidity, specific surface area, and other powder properties of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder before and after modification were compared. At the same time, the changes in the microstructure before and after modification was observed by scanning electron microscope, and the modification principle was explored by combining with multi-light scatterer. The results showed that after adding lactose for powder modification, the solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder was significantly improved. The volume of insoluble substance in the liquid of modified Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder obtained by the optimal modification process was reduced from 3.8 mL to 0 mL, and the particles obtained by dry granulation of the modified powder could be completely dissolved within 2 min after being exposed to water, without affecting the content of its indicator components adenosine and allantoin. After modification, the particle size of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder decreased significantly, d_(0.9) decreased from(77.55±4.57) μm to(37.91±0.42) μm, the specific surface area and porosity increased, and the hydrophilicity improved. The main mechanism of improving the solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules was the destruction of the "coating membrane" structure on the surface of starch granules and the dispersion of water-soluble excipients. This study introduced powder modification technology to solve the solubility problem of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules, which provided data support for the improvement of product quality and technical references for the improvement of solubility of other similar varieties.

Effect of Signal Transduction Pathway Gene Mutations on the One- course Induced Remission Rate and Analysis of Clinical Characteristics in Patients with CBF-AML / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of other gene mutations outside the fusion gene on the first complete remission (CR) induced by one course of induction chemotherapy in patients with core binding factor-associated acute myeloid leukemia (CBF-AML).@*METHODS@#DNA was extracted from bone marrow or peripheral blood samples of newly diagnosed CBF-AML patients admitted to the Hematology Department of the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from January 2015 to January 2019. Next-generation sequencing was used for detection of 34 kinds of hematologic malignancy-related gene mutations in patients with CBF-AML, the effect of related gene mutations on the first complete remission (CR) rate in one course of induction chemotherapy was analyzed by combineation with clinical characteristics.@*RESULTS@#34 kinds of genes in bone marrow or peripheral blood of 43 patients were detected by high throughput sequencing and the gene mutations were detected in 16 out of 34 genes. The mutation rate of KIT gene was the highest (48.8%), followed by NRAS (16.3%), ASXL1 (16.3%), TET2 (11.6%), CSF3R (9.3%), FLT3 (9.3%), KRAS (7.0%). The detection rates of mutations in different functional genes were as follows: genes related with signal transduction pathway (KIT, FLT3, CSF3R, KRAS, NRAS, JAK2, CALR, SH2B3, CBL) had the highest mutation frequency (72.1% (31/43); epigenetic modification gene mutation frequency was 30.2% (13/43), including ASXL1, TET2, BCOR); transcriptional regulation gene mutation frequency was 7.0% (3/43), including ETV6, RUNX1, GATA2). Splicing factor related gene mutation frequency was 2.3% (1/43), including ZRSR2). The CR rate was 74.4% after one course of induction chemotherapy. At first diagnosis, patients with low expression of WT1 (the median value of WT1 was 788.9) were more likely to get CR (P=0.032) and the RFS of patients who got CR after one course of induction chemotherapy was significantly longer than that of patients without CR [7.6 (2.2-44.1) versus 5.8 (1-19.4), (P=0.048)]. The rate of CR in the signal transduction pathway gene mutation group was significantly lower than that in non-mutation group (64.5% vs 100%) (P=0.045), while the level of serum hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBDH) was significantly higher than that in non-mutation group [(418 (154-2702) vs 246 (110-1068)] (P=0.032). There was no difference in CD56 expression between the two groups (P=0.053), which was limited to the difference between (≥20%) expression and non-expression. (P=0.048).@*CONCLUSION@#CBF-AML patients with signal transduction pathway gene mutation are often accompanied by high HBDH level and CD56 expression, moreover, the remission rate induced by one course of treatment is low.

Progress on formation and taste-masking technology of stench of animal medicines / 中国中药杂志

Animal medicines have been called "medicine with affinity to flesh and blood" by doctors of all ages, which always act as an important branch of Chinese medicine. They have various types, extensive sources and long application history, with unique cli-nical effects in anti-coagulation, anti-thrombosis, anti-fatigue, immune regulation, anti-tumor, anti-convulsion and so on. Most animal medicines contain proteins, fatty acids, and trimethylamine oxides, which are prone to decomposition and produce substances such as biological amines, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, trimethylamine and ammonia with unpleasant odors. The stench produced by the combination of various odors can easily cause side effects such as nausea and vomiting, which would probably affect the drug compliance and clinical efficacy in patients, and block the development of high-quality animal medicines. At present, we have insufficient understanding on sources and formation mechanism of the stench of animal medicines, lacking development of taste-masking technology. Therefore, the universality, formation, vomiting mechanism, evaluation methods, and masking technology of stench of animal medicines were summarized in this paper, so as to deepen the recognition of stench, provide references for the development of animal medicines deodorization technology, enhance patients' compliance with animal medicines, and promote animal drugs to better serve public health in the new era.

Optimization and evaluation of intermediate uniformity in Chinese medicine pill powders based on particle design principle:exemplifying by Xiaojin Pills / 药学学报

Based on the principle of particle design, the powder of Xiaojin Pills was prepared, and the quality uniformity was investigated by means of powder characterizations and content uniformity. By studying the mixed crushing rules of the classified materials and the design principle of the powder particles of Chinese medicine, the powder of the Xiaojin Pills was prepared. At the same time, the manmade mixed powder and the control powder prepared by pharmacopoeia were prepared. The mixed homogeneity of the three powders was evaluated by particle size distribution and color difference. The GC-MS and LC-MS/MS were used to study the homogeneity of their contents. The best preparation process of particle design powder is:materials easily crushed are smashed for 50 min in the vibrating ultrafine mill with -15℃, then add the materials difficultly crushed into the mill and let them crushed together for 3 min. The particle size range of manmade mixed powder was the largest with the particle size difference being more than 100 microns, the RSD value being 26.07%. The particle size range was more than 50 microns in the powder prepared by pharmacopoeia, and the RSD was nearly 15%. The difference in particle size was only around 4 μm and the RSD value was 3.18%. The color difference test showed that the composite chromatism (dE*) value of the powder prepared by pharmacopoeia was the largest for the RSD was 84.56%. The RSD of manmade mixed powder and the powder prepared by Pharmacopeia were 53.83% and 32.83%, respectively. The RSD value of the particle designed powder's muscone content is about 50% of the other two kinds of powders. The contents of 10 components in powders were determined by LC-MS/MS. The RSD values of the particle designed powder were much smaller than other two kinds of powders. Results indicate that the uniformity of the particle designed powder is better than other two kinds of powders. Chinese medicine particle design technology can effectively improve the uniformity of traditional Chinese medicine powder.

Influence factors of hearing loss in pre-job workers exposed to noise in metal manufacturing industries / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To examine the hearing status of pre-job workers exposed to noise in metal manufacturing industries,and to analyze the related influencing factors. METHODS: A judgement sampling method was adopted to choose1 597 pre-job workers exposed to noise in metal manufacturing industries as the study subjects. The data of workers' occupational health examination was collected,and the influencing factors of hearing loss were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 1 597 individuals,631( 39. 5%) cases reported occupational noise exposure history( noise exposure group) with the length of service of 0. 20( 0. 10-0. 30) years; 966( 60. 5%) cases denied occupational noise exposure history( no-noise exposure group). The hearing loss detection rate was 46. 1%( 737 /1 597); among them,the occupational contraindication detection rate was 13. 9%( 222 /1 597),and the detection rate of other kinds of hearing loss was 32. 2%( 515 /1 597).The detection rates in workers with occupational contraindication and the other kinds of hearing loss in noise exposure group were higher than those in the non-noise exposure group( 16. 5% vs 12. 2%,50. 6% vs 43. 3%,P < 0. 05). The male workers had higher incidence than female workers [the odds ratio( OR) were 1. 958 and 2. 331,respectively,P < 0. 01);the workers with age > 25 years had higher incidence than those with age ≤ 25 years( OR were 2. 390 and 2. 245,respectively,P < 0. 01); the noise exposure workers had higher incidence than non-noise exposure ones( OR were 1. 536 and 1. 287,respectively,P < 0. 05). CONCLUSION: Pre-job occupational health examination is helpful for early detection of occupational contraindication in noise exposure workers. Attention should be paid to the male workers,the older workers,and those with occupational noise exposure history when conducting occupational health examination.

Controlled observation of the efficacy on motion sickness in the prevention and treatment with jianpixingnao needling therapy / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To verify the efficacy of Jianpi-xingniao needling therapy on prevention and treatment of motion sickness.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty volunteers of motion sickness were randomized into an acupuncture group and a delayed acupuncture group, 30 cases in each one. In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was given at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Neiguan (PC 6), Zusanli (ST 36) and Hegu (LI 4). The needles were retained for 20 min. The treatment was given twice a week and 10 treatments were required. In the delayed acupuncture group, acupuncture was postponed, meaning no acupuncture during observation stage. Graybel scale was adopted to observe the score of symptoms and physical signs of the subjects of motion sickness before and after intervention. The efficacy was compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Twenty-five cases in the acupuncture group and 22 cases in the delayed acupuncture group were included in the statistical analysis. The score of symptoms and physical signs of motion sickness was reduced significantly after treatment in the acupuncture group as compared with that before treatment (10.12 +/- 3.37 vs 0.92 +/- 0.40, P < 0.05). The score in the acupuncture group was lower apparently than that in the delayed acupuncture group (0.92 +/- 0.40 vs 9.86 +/- 2.53, P < 0.05). The difference was not significant before and after treatment in the self-comparison of the delayed acupuncture group (P > 0.05). The total effective rate was 96.0% (24/25) in the acupuncture group, which was significantly better than 0.0% (0/22) in the delayed acupuncture group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Jianpixingniao needling therapy relieves the symptoms of motion sickness in the patients and achieves a better clinical efficacy.</p>

FVIII intron 22 homologous region mediated recombinations and genotyping methods of hemophilia A / 中国实验血液学杂志

The intron 22 inversion is caused by intrachromosomal homologous recombination of the Int22h (intron 22 homologous region) repeats in opposite orientation, accounting for almost 45%-50% of all cases of severe hemophilia A. By contrast, recombinations between similarly oriented int22h repeats in the same chromosome, homologous chromosomes or chromatids may cause deletion or duplication of the intermediate region between the two int22h copies, resulting in false-positive or false-negative possibility that obscure the characterization of intron 22 inversion. The modified long distance PCR(LD-PCR) and inverse shifting PCR(IS-PCR) would distinguish all the possible int22h-mediated rearrangements.

Study on preparation of andrographolide composite particles based on mechanical crushing method and its dissolution / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To prepare andrographolide composite particles, and evaluate their particle structure and dissolution.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The mechanical crushing method was adopted to prepare andrographolide and polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 composite particles. The structures were characterized by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The contact angles were determined by the contact angle analyzer. The in vitro dissolution curve was detected.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Andrographolide and PEG 6000 gave rise to coated composite particle structures, with the decrease in the crystallinity of andrographolide. The in vitro dissolution rate of composite particles was significantly obvious than that of its raw materials, ultrafine powder and their physical mixtures.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Andrographolide composite particles based on the mechanical crushing method could notably enhance the in vitro dissolution of andrographolide.</p>

Powder modification technology used for the preparation of the hydrophilic decoction pieces of indigo naturalis and the modification principle / 药学学报

The hydrophilicity of the normal decoction pieces (NDP) of Indigo Naturalis is not good, therefore, it is not suit for decoctions. In this paper, powder modification technology is used and some NDP and alcohol are ground together in the vibromill to prepare the hydrophilic decoction pieces (HDP) of Indigo Naturalis. Initially, the properties of NDP, ultrafine decoction pieces (UDP) and HDP are compared, the hydrophilicity of UDP was promoted slightly, that of HDP is promoted dramatically. Then, three batches of Indigo Naturalis are prepared to HDP separately, but there is no obvious difference in the contact angle. Furthermore, the size distribution, surface area and micro-shape of HDP are bigger than that of UDP and smaller than NDP. The contents of indigo and indirubin in three decoction pieces are the same, as well as the species of inorganic substance, although there is a little difference in the proportion of five inorganic substances. The fact suggests the change of physical state and the qualitative and quantitative change of organism and inorganic substances are not the main factors to influence the hydrophilicity. In addition, hydroxyl, methylene and methyl can be identified at the wavenumber of 3 356 cm(-1) and 1 461 cm(-1) in infrared spectrum; the content of alcohol in HDP is 0.67% measured by gas chromatogram. The stability of HDP in the heating condition is studied, the fact suggests the hydrophilic effect of HDP at 40 degrees C is relatively stable. All above research suggests that the alcohol is the main factor to influence the hydrophilicity and maybe the intermolecular force which fixed alcohol molecule on the surface of Indigo Naturalis is the basic principle to produce the hydrophilicity.

Effect of particle design on micromeritic property of dental ulcer powder / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To prepare dental ulcer powder by using particle design technology, and compare the effect on the micromeritic property of dental ulcer powder with regular grinding and ultrafine grinding methods.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Above three methods were respectively used to make dental ulcer powder, in order to evaluate their difference in appearance character, grain size distribution, specific surface area and porosity, contact angle, micro-morphological character and borneol's stability.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with normal powder, ultrafine powder and particle design showed increase in color uniformity and decrease in sour taste, and the particle design powder smells almost no borneol. Their grain size distributions were significantly less that of normal powder (P < 0.01), with the same grain size distribution in ultrafine powder and particle design powder. Their specific surface areas and porosities were significantly more than that of normal powder (P < 0.01), with the highest figures in ultrafine powder. Their contact angles were significantly more than that of normal powder (P < 0.01), with the highest figure in particle design powder. The surface of normal powder was smooth, with a few of small particle adhered. The surface of ultrafine powder was partially coated with small particles, where as the surface of particle design powder was mostly coated with particles. There was difference in micro-morphological character and surface attachment among the three. The 10-day accelerate stability experiment showed that normal power, ultrafine powder and particle design powder lost borneol by 90. 13% , 66. 48% and 40.57%, respectively. Particle design powder showed the highest stability, followed by ultrafine powder and normal powder.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The preparation process can affect the micromeritic properties, by changing microscopic structure of the powders. We can design the macroscopic property of powder by regulating the formation of the microscopic structure with particle design technology.</p>

Detection of intron 22 inversion of factor VIII gene in severe hemophilia A patients / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the incidence of intron 22 inversion (INV22) of factor VIII (FVIII) gene in severe hemophilia A (HA) patients, clarify its pathological mechanism, and identify INV22 carrier in the female family members.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One-stage method was used to assay the FVIII activity (FVIII:C)in 126 severe HA patients with a median age of 14 years old (range: 4 months-63 years). INV22 was analyzed by long-distance polymerase chain reaction (LD-PCR) and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and pedigree were conducted in 3 involved HA families.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of all the 126 severe HA, 52 (41.3%) cases had the INV22. Four females including 3 mothers and 1 sister of probands were diagnosed as INV22 carriers among 11 suspected carrier mosaicisms from 3 INV22 positive HA families. In 8 females from one family without HA history, the patient's mother was a INV22 carrier, but her maternal grandmother, 2 maternal aunts, 2 female siblings and 1 elder female cousin were negative.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>LD-PCR and PFGE could be used to diagnose severe HA patients with INV22 and identify the carriers.</p>

Establishing a high-titer infectious avian influenza A (H5N1) pseudotyped viral particle / 病毒学报

A transient four-plasmid cotransfection system was used to construct avian influenza A (H5N1) pseudotyped viral particle (H5N1Pp) by incorporating hemagglutinin (HA) protein and neuraminidase (NA) protein from H5N1 avian influenza virus onto Murine leukemia virus pseudotyped viral particles, the transmission electron microscopy, infectivity titer assay, hemagglutination assay, neutralization assay of H5N1Pp were studied. We established a pseudotyped H5N1 viral particle at a high titer of 10(8) Pp/mL, the morphology,the hemagglutination activity and neutralization specificity of H5N1Pp is simililar to wild H5N1 virus. The research result sets a platform for studying this virus, including its receptors, the functional analysis of HA and NA, neutralizing antibodies and anti-H5N1 drug development.

Effects of decitabine on biological behavior of U266 cells / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was aimed to explore the effects of decitabine on the biological behaviour of U266 cells in vitro so as to provide a new thinking and experiment basis, as well as new evidences for the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma. MTT and colony formation assays were used to evaluate the impact of decitabine on the ability of proliferation of U266 cells; flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell distribution in cell cycle; transwell chamber and matrigel assays were used to observe the ability of migration and invasion. The results indicated that decitabine could significantly suppress the proliferation of U266 cells in time-and dose-dependent manners. The flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that the cells in G(0)-G(1) phase significantly increased while the cells in S and G(2)/M phase decreased. The migration and matrigel invading tests showed that the number of cells moving into under chamber of transwell decreased after U266 cells treated with decitabine. It is concluded that decitabine may act as an effective drug for MM by inhibiting the proliferation, migration and invasion ability, and the specific mechanism needs to be deeply explored.

Association between metabolic syndrome and incidence of atrial fibrillation in essential hypertensive patients without left ventricular hypertrophy / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the association between metabolic syndrome (MS) and the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in essential hypertensive (EH) patients without left ventricular hypertrophy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 972 EH without left ventricular hypertrophy were divided into EH + non MS group (n = 606) and EH + MS group (n = 366). Incidence of AF were compared between two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) Incidence of AF in EH + MS group was significantly higher than that in EH + non MS group (12.84% vs. 6.93%, P < 0.01). (2) Left atrial diameter (LAD), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDd), interventricular septum thickness (IVS), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPW) and left ventricular mass (LVM) were all significantly higher in EH + MS group than those in EH + non MS group (all P < 0.01) while left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and ejection fraction (EF) were similar between two groups. (3) Logistic regression analysis showed age, hypertension duration, LAD, LVEDd and MS were significantly correlated with incidence of AF in EH patients (OR: 1.683, 1.308, 2.262, 3.848 and 1.853, P < 0.05) and obesity was the independent predictor for incidence of AF (OR: 1.706, P = 0.029).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MS was associated with increased incidence of AF in EH patients without left ventricular hypertrophy in this cohort.</p>

Analysis of activated protein C resistance, factor V coagulation activity and gene polymorphisms in patients with venous thromboembolism / 中国实验血液学杂志

The study was aimed to investigate the factor V coagulation activity (FV:C), and to evaluate FVgene polymorphisms and activated protein C resistance (APCR) in the patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE). 95 patients with VTE and 95 normal controls were investigated for FV gene polymorphisms. FV Leiden, FVCambridge, and FVHong Kong were detected by PCR, MnlI and BstNI digestion respectively. FVAsp79His and FVI359T were detected by MassARRAY. FV:C and APCR in 65 patients with VTE and 60 normal controls were determined by a one-stage clotting method and the APTT-based assays respectively. The results showed that the mean levels of plasma FV:C were significantly higher in VTE group than that in controls (108.03% +/- 28.29% vs 95.17% +/- 29.75%) (P = 0.008), the incidence of APCR were 20.0% (13 of 65 cases) in patients with VTE and 5.0% (3 of 60 cases) in normal controls (P = 0.012). FV Leiden, FVCambridge, FVHong Kong, FVAsp79His and FVI359T mutations were not found in two groups. It is concluded that the increased plasma level of FV:C is a risk factor for VTE. There is APCR in both groups, APCR is also a risk factor to VTE. APCR may not be associated with mutations of FV Leiden, FVCambridge, FVHong Kong, FVAsp79His and FV I359T polymorphisms, other factors need to study further in APCR.

Longitudinal study on the age at childhood onset in children from Shanghai and its effects on child growth / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The infancy-childhood-puberty (ICP) growth model divides human growth into three additive and partly superimposed phases: infancy, childhood, and puberty reflecting the endocrinology of the growth process. The childhood phase of the ICP model has been assumed to start during the second half-year of life and slowly decelerates, although it continues into puberty until growth ceases. This phase has been taken to mirror the effect of growth hormone (GH). The age at onset of the phase of growth, normally occurring between 6 and 12 months of age is recognized to be an important time event at postnatal human growth. The aims of this study were to study the age at childhood onset in Shanghai children and its effect on child growth, and to compare these results with the results obtained from Swedish longitudinal studies.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The study population consisted of 1 720 children born between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1990 in Fenglin Community, Shanghai, who got a continual monitoring at the clinic from birth to six years of age. The age at onset of the 'childhood phase' of growth was determined individually, in units of one month, by visual inspection of the data contained within the individual, computer-generated, ICP-based growth chart for both length and length velocity. T tests, chi(2) tests and multiple linear regression analyses were used in data analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was a significant (P < 0.05) difference in the distribution of the age at onset of the childhood phase of growth between Shanghai and Swedish populations. The mean age of the infants at onset of the 'childhood phase' of growth was 11.2 months in boys and 10.7 months in girls. Compared to their Swedish counterparts, these means occurred 1.3 months later in boys and 1.4 months later in girls. Both age at onset of the 'childhood phase' of growth and length at six months of age significantly (P < 0.05) contributed to the attained height from 12 months of age onward; one month delay in the onset of the 'childhood phase' of growth reduced height, at 5 years of age, by 0.4 cm in boys and 0.56 cm in girls. The mean values of length/height among the four groups of the age of the childhood onset, i.e. 6 m-, 9 m-, 12 m-, >/= 15 m, were found to be significantly (P < 0.05) different from 12 month of age onward. However, a significant (P < 0.05) difference in the mean length/height velocities among the four groups was in principle only found during the following intervals: 3 - 6, 6 - 9, 9 - 12, and 12 - 18 months of age. The mean values of BMI among the four groups of the age of the childhood onset showed significantly (P < 0.05) different only in 9 and 12 months of age. The mean values of BMI velocity among the four groups of the age of the childhood onset were found to be significantly (P < 0.05) different in four age intervals: 3 - 6, 6 - 9, 9 - 12, and 12 - 18 months of age. The age at onset of the 'childhood phase' of growth was negatively associated (P < 0.05) with mid-parental height, though positively related (P < 0.05) to height at six months of age. A simple linear regression was applied to the age at onset of the 'childhood phase' of growth and mid-parental height. It was found that the age at onset of the childhood phase' of growth was 1.5 months later in boys and 1.3 months later in girls, for children with a mid-parent height being -2SD below the mean in comparison to the children of tall parents, i.e. a mid-parental height equals to mean +2SD.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The age at childhood onset is equally important when studying children from Shanghai, as it is with their Swedish counterparts.</p>