Relationship between ERG4 gene overexpression and azole resistance in clinical Candida albicans strains / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective To explore the relationship between ERG4 gene overexpression and azole resistance in clinical Candida albicans strains. Methods The National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS)M27-A2 broth microdilution method was conducted to evaluate antifungal susceptibility of 34 clinical Candida albicans isolates in vitro. Total RNA was extracted from these Candida albicans strains and transcribed into cDNA. Real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR was performed to determine the mRNA expression of ERG4 gene. Statistical analysis was carried out by a two-sample t-test. Results The expression level of ERG4 mRNA was significantly higher in fluconazole-resistant than in -sensitive Candida albicans strains (4.20 ± 2.56 vs. 1.72 ± 1.33, t = 3.99, P < 0.05), higher in itraconazole-resistant than in -sensitive Candida albicans strains (3.60 ± 2.47 vs. 1.66 ± 1.61, t = 3.71, P < 0.05), and higher in voriconazole-resistant than in -sensitive Candida albicans strains (3.99 ± 2.72 vs. 2.07 ± 1.58, t = 2.91, P <0.05). Further more, increased ERG4 mRNA expression was also observed in isolates cross-resistant to all the three azole antifungal agents compared with those susceptible to all of them (4.49 ± 2.73 vs. 1.69 ± 1.82, t = 3.81, P < 0.05). Conclusions The overexpression of ERG4 gene may be associated with cross resistance to fluconazole, itraconazole and voriconazole in clinical Candida albicans strains, but its exact role is expected to be investigated through downregulation of the ERG4 gene.

Discussion on the cultivation of research type clinical postgraduates of neurology / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Neurology is a professional science. The content of neurotomia, sub-speciality knowl-edge and auxiliary examination are abundant, and meanwhile it is rather difficult. Clinical graduates after graduation are malnly engaged in clinical work, clinical services, and will play a variety of roles in the course of their clinical practice so it is necessary for them to learn comprehensive knowledge. This article introduced experience of clinical postgraduates tralning of neurology, such as doctor-patient communication skills, basic theoretical study (neurology, neurotomia and sub-speciality knowledge), clinical thinking, and assistant examination, clinical research capacity during these 18month. It will provide the theoretical and practical knowledge in the future work.

Study of the early molecular diagnosis methods in invasive fungal infection of clinical humoral specimens / 中国医师杂志

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic impact of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for fungal pathogens in fluid samples,and to evaluate the feasibility of fast PCR diagnostic method for the invasive fungal infection.Methods The sterility body fluid samples from 60 cases hospitalized immunocompromised patients with clinical underlying diseases and suspect of invasive infections with fungi between January 2008 and December 2011 were processed for microscopy and cultures.Applying fungal ITS4 and ITS86 universal primers to amplify pathogenic fungi genes from the sterility body fluid with method of rapid PCR.The results were compared between the standard and PCR methods.Results Humoral direct clinical specimens by PCR amplification of DNA fragments with the scan results were similar.Positive rate of PCR test with clinical body fluid samples and the traditional fungal cultivation was similar.There was no significant statistical difference [38.3％ (23/60) vs 33.3％ (20/60),P ＞ 0.05].Conclusions PCR test is feasibility with clinical fungal diagnosis from directly humoral specimens.To amplify the clinical sterility body fluid samples with ITS fungal universal primers and PCR method might provide an accurate and rapid approach to detect the pathogenic fungi.Its methods on early diagnosis and prognosis of invasive fungal infections are of guiding significance.

Epidemiology and risk factors of invasive fungal infections in old patients for non-respiratory tract / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective To investigate the epidemiology and relevant risk factors of invasive fungal infection (IFI) in hospital old patients for non-respiratory tract. Methods Seventy-eight patients of IFI in non-respiratory tract were enrolled in this investigation. The incidence and risk factors of IFI were analyzed by prospective case-control study. Results In 78 old patients, 84 strains were isolated from different parts, and the most was Candida spp 82 strains (97.62%,82/84), followed by Candida albicans 55 strains (67.07%,55/82), Candida glabrata 13 strains ( 15.85%, 13/82), Candida krusei 6 strains (7.32%, 6/82), Candida tropicalis 4 strains (4.88% ,4/82), Candida parapsilosis 3 strains (3.66% ,3/82), Candida lusitaniae 1 strain ( 1.22%, 1/82). Aspergillus 2 strains (2.38%,2/84). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age, pathogen detection time, underlaying disease,glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants were the risk factors for IFI in non-respiratory tract. Conclusions Candida albicans is the main pathogens of Candida infections in old patients. To efficiently control the risk factors should be emphasized in old patients, including early diagnosis and treatment underlying diseases, appropriate use drugs, right to shorten hospital stay.

Etiology features and risk factors analysis of non-albicans candida infections in hospital / 中国医师杂志

Objective To investigate the etiology features and relevant risk factors of non-albicans candida infections in hospital. Methods 256 patients of non-albicans candida infections admitted in the second hospital of shanxi medical university from April 2006 to March 2008 were enrolled in this investigation, and a prospective case-control study was executed on 256 cases of non-albicans candida infections and 1220 cases of non-fungal infections. The incidence and risk factors of non-albicans candida infections were analyzed by statistical software SPSS13.0. Results Candida glabrata was the most common reason of non - albicans candida infections (38. 28% ) , followed by candida krusei (37. 11% ), candida parapsilosis ( 12. 50% ), candida tropicalis (9. 77% ), candida lusitaniae (2. 34% ). Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that aging, length of stay, underlying disease, losing albumin, using prophylaxis antifungal drugs, using broad spectrum antibiotics, invasive examination and treatment ( such as total parenteral nutrition ( TPN ), invasive procedures, central venous catheters, hemodialysis and mechanical ventilation,et al. ) were the independent risk factors for non-albicans candida infections. Conclusions Non-albicans candida was the main of fungal infections in patients. To efficiently control the disease, it will be helpful by early diagnosis and treatment underlying diseases and commodities and using appropriate tools of examine and treatment methods.

Identification of 2968 strains of Candida and an epidemic analysis / 中华全科医师杂志

ion sections were not significantly different between 2005 and 2006, the rest inter-annual comparisons were significantly different (P<0.01).

Distribution of GST-pi single nucleotide polymorphism in idiopathic epilepsy patients and its association with electroencephalogram / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To study the distribution patterns of the SNPs for the 3 sites (Ⅱe105Val, Ala114Val and Asp147Tyr) of glutathione S-transferase pi (GST-pi) in epilepsy patients without definite etiological factors. Methods At the same time, the possible relationship of GST-pi gene mutation with the vulnerability of drug-resistant epilepsy, drug-responsive epilepsy and EEG feature were explored. The SNPs of GST-pi for healthy people, drug-responsive epilepsy patients and drug-resistant epilepsy patients were genotyped by sequence-specific primers (SSP)-based PCR technologies (PCR-SSP). Results In drugresponsive epilepsy group, the frequency for 3 sites of mutated SNP of GST-pi was 59.62%, 55.32% and 50.94%, while it was 58.33%, 51.19% and 45.92% in drug-resistant epilepsy group. The difference of genotype and allele between normal group and foregoing epilepsy group was significant ( P<0.01 ), but no difference was found between drug-respensive epilepsy group and drug-resistant epilepsy group ( P>0.05 ). There was a difference of genotype distribution between groups with typical and untypical epilepsy EEG ( F = 0.0294, 8.867 × 10-6, 1.366 × 10-5, P<0.05 ). Conclusions The results indicate that the SNPs of GST-pi are associated with an increased risk of epilepsy, but not associated with an increased risk of drugresistant epilepsy. The patients present EEG characteristic of typical epilepsy.

Nosocomial Invasive Fungal Infection:Clinical Features and Analysis of Pathogens / 中华医院感染学杂志

OBJECTIVE To investigate the current status,the clinical features and the pathogens of invasive fungal infections in hospital in order to provide clinical treatment based on identification and susceptibility test.METHODS The fungus-cultured positive cases among the discharged patients from Jan 2004 to Nov 2006,were analyzed according to their definite diagnosis of invasive fungal infections under the items,such as the patients age,underlying disease,sample,strain,and species distribution.RESULTS The rates of invasive fungal infections were 4.26%.There were 2221 fungus strains belonged to 8 species in all samples;the patients age was 7-96 years with 2 kinds of various underlying diseases;the age of 2221 cases was 60 years old,mainly senile patients with various diseases accounted for 68.29%.Lower respiratory tract was the most frequent infection site.The main pathogens of invasive fungal infections were Candida spp(93.38%).Strains of Candida albicans were the most frequent organism isolated accounted for 66.19% of all the isolates.C.glabrata,C.krusei and C.tropicalis accounted for 9.19%,8.10% and 4.50%,respectively,the others accounted for only 6.32%.The main infected sites were lower respirtory tract,urinary tract and digestive tract.CONCLUSIONS Candida spp are still the main pathogens of invasive fungal infections.The epidemiological properties of invasive fungal infections is changed.The incidence of non-C.albicans and the Aspergillus strains that arouse invasive infections is increasing recently.

Overexpression of extracelluar signal regulated protein kinase in the temporal lobe of human drug-resistant epilepsy / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To investigate expression of extracelluar signal regulated protein kinase(ERK)and phosphorylation ERK(p-ERK)in the temporal lobe from patients with DR-TLE so as to explore the possible roles of ERK in the pathogenesis of DR-TLE.Methods Expression of ERK was detected with Western blot and immunohistochemistry in 32 patients with DR-TLE(24 temporal lobe,8 hippocampi),as compared with 12 controls(9 temporal lobe,3 hippocampi).Results ERK and p-ERK expression in DR-TLE was significantly higher(0.2266?0.0613,0.2097?0.0183 and 0.1924?0.0054,respectively)than those of controls(0.1840?0.0023,0.1974?0.0056 and 0.1825?0.0063,respectively,all P

The expression of heat shock 27 000 associated protein 1 in the brains of drug-refractory epilepsy / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To study the expression of heat shock 27 000 associated protein 1 ( HSPBAP1, GenBank: AK096705) in the brain tissues of patients with drug-refractory epilepsy and discuss its function in the pathogenesis. Methods Fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction ( FQ-PCR) and immunohistochemistry were used to test the expression of HSPBAP1 in the surgically removed brain tissues of patients with drug-refractory epilepsy from the brain bank of our department ( n = 36) , and the results were compared with that of normal controls (n = 8 ). Results The relative expression of HSPBAP1 mRNA in the brains of patients with drug-refractory epilepsy was more than 34. 11 times that of controls, and HSPBAP1 protein expression was significantly increased in temporal lobe cortex (0. 0507?0. 0003, P