ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study serum levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) and the correlation between BNP levels and the heart function.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-three children with KD and thirty healthy children were enrolled. Serum levels of BNP were measured using ELISA. KD children received an echocardiographic examination, including measurements of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular shorten fraction (LVSF), cardiac index (CI) and left ventricular inflow velocity through the mitral annulus.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Mean serum level of BNP at the acute stage in children with KD was significantly higher than that at the recovery stage as well as the control group (p<0.01). The LVEF, LVSF and CI levels at the acute stage were significantly lower than those at the recovery stage in children with KD (p<0.05). The linear regression analysis showed that the BNP level was negatively correlated with the levels of LVEF, LVSF and CI (r=-0.63, -0.52, -0.53, p<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The serum BNP levels increase significantly in KD children at the acute stage, and are negatively correlated with the levels of LVEF, LVSF and CI. Measurement of serum BNP level is useful for the early diagnosis of KD.</p>
Subject(s)
Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Heart , Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome , Blood , Diagnosis , Natriuretic Peptide, Brain , BloodABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study examined serum level of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (h-FABP) in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) in order to assess its value in KD.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty children with KD and 30 healthy children were enrolled. Serum levels of h-FABP and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were measured using ELISA. Serum creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) level was detected using an autoanalyer. The KD group was classified into two subgroups, with or without coronary artery lesions, based on the findings of the echocardiography.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Mean serum levels of h-FABP (18.17+/-13.38 ng/mL vs 6.25+/-1.70 ng/mL; P<0.01) and cTnI (0.27+/-0.22 ng/mL vs 0.11+/-0.02 ng/mL; P<0.05) in the KD group was significantly higher than those in the control group. There was no significant difference in serum CK-MB concentrations between the two groups. Twenty-six patients (65%) and eight patients (20%) showed abnormally increased h-FABP and cTnI levels respectively in the KD group, but none of the control group showed increased levels of both. In the KD group, the percentage of patients with increased h-FABP was significantly higher than those with increased CTnI (P<0.01). The patients with coronary artery lesions had higher serum h-FABP level than those without (28.14+/-14.26 ng/mL vs 11.52+/-6.28 ng/mL; P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Serum levels of h-FABP and cTnI increase and can be used as the biomarkers of myocardial damage in children with KD. h-FABP appears to be more sensitive and specific. Detection of serum h-FABP level is useful for diagnosis of KD and coronary artery lesions secondary to KD.</p>
Subject(s)
Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Creatine Kinase, MB Form , Blood , Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3 , Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins , Blood , Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome , Blood , Troponin I , BloodABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To construct the Gcn5 shRNA plasmids and to explore the Gcn5 shRNA role in histone acetylation modification with the differentiation of stem cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seven shRNA fragments were recombined into pGenesil-1 vector to form 7. Gcn5 shRNA constructions. The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) induced for two weeks with 5-aza were transfected by the plasmids with lipofectamine2000. Polyclonal antibodies labeled with TRITC were used to identify the acetylation in MSCs with or without Gcn5 shRNA constructions. The efficiencies of transfection and RNAi were calculated based on the ratio of GFP (green fluorescence)/DAPI (blue fluorescence) and TRITC (red fluorescence)/DAPI, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Seven Gcn5 shRNA plasmids or constructions were identified by restriction endonucleases Pst I/Sal I and DNA sequencing. Acetylation block was observed after Gcn5 shRNA plasmids transfected into cells. Fluorescent intensity of TRITC in nucleuses were decreased remarkably, or even disappeared in MSCs. The efficiencies of transfection and RNAi were 93.7% and 46.6%, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The Gcn5 shRNA plasmids constructed in the present study can decrease the histone acetylation during cell differentiation. It sets the basis for further exploring the role of acetylation in the regulation of cell differentiation.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Rats , Acetylation , Cell Cycle Proteins , Genetics , Cell Differentiation , Physiology , Histone Acetyltransferases , Genetics , Histones , Metabolism , Plasmids , Genetics , RNA Interference , RNA, Small Interfering , Pharmacology , Rats, Wistar , Stem Cells , Cell Biology , Transcription Factors , Genetics , p300-CBP Transcription FactorsABSTRACT
Objective To detect brain natriuretic peptide(BNPs) level in serum in order to confirm its applical value.Methods Forty-eight patients with congestive heart failure(CHF) were chosen,which included 36 patients with pneumonia,12 patients with congenital heart diseases.Forty heathy children were chosen as control group.BNPs level of two groups were detected by enzyme label.Results The level of BNP in patients with CHF(that′s positive group) was obviously higher than that in control group in the stage of CHF and recoverty(t=14.30,20.38 all P0.05),this included that the cardiac function had significantly changes in the stage of CHF,at the same time,the level of BNP had negative correlation to CI and LVEF(r=-0.61,-0.79 all P