Molecular epidemiology of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from ready-to-eat food in 2017 in China / 中华预防医学杂志

To analyze the molecular characteristics of strains from ready-to eat food in China. A total of 239 strains isolated from ready-to-eat food in 2017, all strains underwent whole-genome sequencing (WGS) , and comparisons uncovered population structure derived from lineages, clonal complex, serogroups, antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence, which were inferred in silico from the WGS data. Core genome multilocus sequence typing was used to subtype isolates. All strains were categorized into three different lineages, lineage Ⅱ was the predominant types in food, and IIa was the main serogroups. CC8, CC101 and CC87 were the first three prevalent CCs among 23 detected CCs, accounting for 49.4%. Only 4.6% (11 isolates) of tested strains harbored antibiotic resistance genes, which were mostly trimethoprim genes (7 isolates, 2.9%). All strains were positive for LIPI-1, and only a part of strains harbored LIPI-3 and LIPI-4, accounting for 13.8% (33 isolates) and 14.2% (34 isolates), respectively. ST619 carried both LIPI-3 and LIPI-4. 51.5% (123 isolates) of strains carried SSI-1, and all CC121 strains harbored SSI-2. Different lineages, serogroups and CCs can be separated obviously through cgMLST analysis, and 24 sublineages were highly concordant with CCs. Ⅱa was the main serogroups in ready-to-eat food isolates in China; CC8, CC101 and CC87 were the prevalent CCs, and CC87 isolates was hypervirulent isolates, cgMLST method can be adopted for prospective foodborne disease surveillance and outbreaks detection.

Role of Soluble ST2 Levels and Beta-Blockers Dosage on Cardiovascular Events of Patients with Unselected ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background</b>Serum soluble ST2 (sST2) levels are elevated early after acute myocardial infarction and are related to adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling and cardiovascular outcomes in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Beta-blockers (BB) have been shown to improve LV remodeling and survival. However, the relationship between sST2, final therapeutic BB dose, and cardiovascular outcomes in STEMI patients remains unknown.</p><p><b>Methods</b>A total of 186 STEMI patients were enrolled at the Wuhan Asia Heart Hospital between January 2015 and June 2015. All patients received standard treatment and were followed up for 1 year. Serum sST2 was measured at baseline. Patients were divided into four groups according to their baseline sST2 values (high >56 ng/ml vs. low ≤56 ng/ml) and final therapeutic BB dose (high ≥47.5 mg/d vs. low <47.5 mg/d). Cox regression analyses were performed to determine whether sST2 and BB were independent risk factors for cardiovascular events in STEMI.</p><p><b>Results</b>Baseline sST2 levels were positively correlated with heart rate (r = 0.327, P = 0.002), Killip class (r = 0.408, P = 0.000), lg N-terminal prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide (r = 0.467, P = 0.000), lg troponin I (r = 0.331, P = 0.000), and lg C-reactive protein (r = 0.307, P = 0.000) and negatively correlated to systolic blood pressure (r = -0.243, P = 0.009) and LV ejection fraction (r = -0.402, P = 0.000). Patients with higher baseline sST2 concentrations who were not titrated to high-dose BB therapy (P < 0.0001) had worse outcomes. Baseline high sST2 (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.653; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.201-8.929; P = 0.041) and final low BB dosage (HR: 1.904; 95% CI, 1.084-3.053; P = 0.035) were independent predictors of cardiovascular events in STEMI.</p><p><b>Conclusions</b>High baseline sST2 levels and final low BB dosage predicted cardiovascular events in STEMI. Hence, sST2 may be a useful biomarker in cardiac pathophysiology.</p>

Eff ect of early intervention on 12-month follow-up clinical prognosis in patients with high-risk non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome / 中国介入心脏病学杂志

Objective To compare 12-month follow-up clinical outcome of an early to a delayed intervention in the management of high-risk non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) patients. Methods 758 consecutive high-risk NSTE-ACS patients treated with percutaneous coronary artery intervention(PCI)were enrolled between Jauary 2015 and December 2015 in Wuhan Asia Heart Hospital. They were divided into 2 groups according to diff erent intervention time, the early PCI group(within 24 h after diagnosis,n=185)and the delayed group (more than 24 h after diagnosis, n=573).The baseline clinical data, angiographic features, data related to PCI, the 12-month follow-up major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were analyzed retrospectively. MACE were defi ned as all-cause death and recurrent nonfatal myocardial infarction. Results Primary endpoint status after 12-month follow-up were collected in 711 of 758 initially enrolled patients. Incidence of MACE was 14.5% in the early and 11.2% in the delayed PCI group(χ2=1.289,P=0.256). No signifi cant diff erences were found in the occurrence of the individual components of all-cause death and nonfatal myocardial infarction. Mean hospital stay were(7.6±3.1)d in the early and (10.7±3.8)d in the delayed PCI group(t=2.489,P=0.014). Mean medical expenses in RMB were(48.5±13.5) thousand yuan in the early and(52.8±16.4)thousand yuan in the delayed PCI group(t=2.132,P=0.038). Conclusions After 12-month follow-up,no diff erence in incidence of MACE was seen between early and delayed invasive strategy,but with shorter hospital stay and reduced medical expenses.

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol and in-hospital mortality in patients with acute aortic dissection / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The association between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and mortality in patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD) is unclear. From January 2007 to January 2014, a total of 928 consecutive AAD patients who were admitted within 48 h after the onset of symptoms were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether serum HDL-C level was below the normal lower limit or not. The Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to identify the predictive value of HDL-C for in-hospital mortality in patients with AAD. As compared with normal HDL-C group (n=585), low HDL-C group (n=343) had lower levels of systolic blood pressure and hemoglobin and higher levels of leukocyte, alanine aminotransferase, blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and urea acid. Low HDL-C group had significantly higher in-hospital mortality than normal HDL-C group (21.6% vs. 12.6%, log-rank=10.869, P=0.001). After adjustment for baseline variables including demographics and biologic data, the increased risk of in-hospital mortality in low HDL-C group was substantially attenuated and showed no significant difference (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.86-1.77; P=0.259). Low HDL-C is strongly but not independently associated with in-hospital mortality in patients with AAD.

The expression of mammalian target of rapamycin and its substrates in autogenous vein graft in rats / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and its substrates including p70s6k and 4E-BP1 in autogenous vein graft.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Autogenous vein graft model was established in 64 Wistar rats by transplanting the right common jugular vein to infrarenal abdominal aorta. Vein graft samples were harvested 6 hours, 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks and 8 weeks after surgery. The mRNA expression of mTOR, p70s6k and 4E-BP1 were measured by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. Western blot and immunohistochemistry methods also were used to detect the protein expression of mTOR, p70s6k and 4E-BP1. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was also detected at the same time.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mRNA expression of mTOR and p70s6k increased soon after vein graft transplanting, rose quickly and reached the peak 3 days to 2 weeks after surgery, which recovered 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. The expression of 4E-BP1 mRNA decreased soon after surgery and reached the lowest at 1 week, then rose to the peak 4 to 6 weeks after transplantation. Protein expression of mTOR and p70s6k reached the peak 2 to 4 weeks and recovered to normal level 8 weeks after surgery, but the expression of 4E-BP1 decreased to the lowest during 1 to 2 weeks and reached the peak 4 to 6 weeks after transplanting. The positive cells mostly located in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) just like PCNA.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The expression of mTOR and its substrates were activated in vein graft soon after transplantation, which means that mTOR and its substrates might become new targets for the prevention and therapy of stenosis or obliteration after vein graft transplanting.</p>

The expression and significance of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha and related genes in abdominal aorta aneurysm / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha and related genes in abdominal aorta aneurysm (AAA) and explore the underlying pathogenesis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-two AAA specimens were collected and 5 normal abdominal aorta tissue were used as control. Northern blot, western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluated the expression of HIF-1alpha mRNA and protein product. Western blot and immunohistochemistry method were also used to determine the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and caspase-3. Microvessel density (MVD) was studied by immunohistochemistry stain of CD34.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of HIF-1alpha mRNA and protein product were significantly higher in AAA than that in normal abdominal aorta (P < 0.01). The expression of VEGF and caspase-3 were also higher in AAA and both had a significantly positive relationship with HIF-1alpha expression (P < 0.01). Most of the positive cells located in VSMC and adventitia of AAA. The MVD counts were higher in AAA.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HIF-1alpha may have an important role the development of AAA, which maybe obtained by regulating the expression of VEGF or caspase-3.</p>