A case of combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 32 caused by MRPS34 gene variation and literature review / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and genetic features of combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 32 (COXPD32) caused by MRPS34 gene variation. Methods: The clinical data and genetic test of a child with COXPD32 hospitalized in the Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics in March 2021 were extracted and analyzed. A literature search was implemented using Wanfang, China biology medicine disc, China national knowledge infrastructure, ClinVar, human gene mutation database (HGMD) and Pubmed databases with the key words "MRPS34" "MRPS34 gene" and "combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 32" (up to February 2023). Clinical and genetic features of COXPD32 were summarized. Results: A boy aged 1 year and 9 months was admitted due to developmental delay. He showed mental and motor retardation, and was below the 3rd percentile for height, weight, and head circumference of children of the same age and gender. He had poor eye contact, esotropia, flat nasal bridge, limbs hypotonia, holding instability and tremors. In addition, Grade Ⅲ/6 systolic murmur were heard at left sternal border. Arterial blood gases suggested that severe metabolic acidosis with lactic acidosis. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed multiple symmetrical abnormal signals in the bilateral thalamus, midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata. Echocardiography showed atrial septal defect. Genetic testing identified the patient as a compound heterozygous variation of MRPS34 gene, c.580C>T (p.Gln194Ter) and c.94C>T (p.Gln32Ter), with c.580C>T being the first report and a diagnosis of COXPD32. His parents carried a heterozygous variant, respectively. The child improved after treatment with energy support, acidosis correction, and "cocktail" therapy (vitaminB1, vitaminB2, vitaminB6, vitaminC and coenzyme Q10). A total of 8 cases with COXPD32 were collected through 2 English literature reviews and this study. Among the 8 patients, 7 cases had onset during infancy and 1 was unknown, all had developmental delay or regression, 7 cases had feeding difficulty or dysphagia, followed by dystonia, lactic acidosis, ocular symptoms, microcephaly, constipation and dysmorphic facies(mild coarsening of facial features, small forehead, anterior hairline extending onto forehead,high and narrow palate, thick gums, short columella, and synophrys), 2 cases died of respiratory and circulatory failure, and 6 were still alive at the time of reporting, with an age range of 2 to 34 years. Blood and (or) cerebrospinal fluid lactate were elevated in all 8 patients. MRI in 7 cases manifested symmetrical abnormal signals in the brainstem, thalamus, and (or) basal ganglia. Urine organic acid test were all normal but 1 patient had alanine elevation. Five patients underwent respiratory chain enzyme activity testing, and all had varying degrees of enzyme activity reduction. Six variants were identified, 6 patients were homozygous variants, with c.322-10G>A was present in 4 patients from 2 families and 2 compound heterozygous variants. Conclusions: The clinical phenotype of COXPD32 is highly heterogenous and the severity of the disease varies from development delay, feeding difficulty, dystonia, high lactic acid, ocular symptoms and reduced mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme activity in mild cases, which may survive into adulthood, to rapid death due to respiratory and circulatory failure in severe cases. COXPD32 needs to be considered in cases of unexplained acidosis, hyperlactatemia, feeding difficulties, development delay or regression, ocular symptoms, respiratory and circulatory failure, and symmetrical abnormal signals in the brainstem, thalamus, and (or) basal ganglia, and genetic testing can clarify the diagnosis.

Clinical features of children with febrile seizures caused by Omicron variant infection / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the clinical features of children with febrile seizures after Omicron variant infection.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of children with febrile seizures after Omicron variant infection who were admitted to the Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to the Capital Institute of Pediatrics, from December 1 to 31, 2022 (during the epidemic of Omicron variant; Omicron group), and the children with febrile seizures (without Omicron variant infection) who were admitted from December 1 to 31, in 2021 were included as the non-Omicron group. Clinical features were compared between the two groups.@*RESULTS@#There were 381 children in the Omicron group (250 boys and 131 girls), with a mean age of (3.2±2.4) years. There were 112 children in the non-Omicron group (72 boys and 40 girls), with a mean age of (3.5±1.8) years. The number of children in the Omicron group was 3.4 times that in the non-Omicron group. The proportion of children in two age groups, aged 1 to <2 years and 6-10.83 years, in the Omicron group was higher than that in the non-Omicron group, while the proportion of children in two age groups, aged 4 to <5 years and 5 to <6 years, was lower in the Omicron group than that in the non-Omicron group (P<0.05).The Omicron group had a significantly higher proportion of children with cluster seizures and status convulsion than the non-Omicron group (P<0.05). Among the children with recurrence of febrile seizures, the proportion of children aged 6-10.83 years in the Omicron group was higher than that in the non-Omicron group, while the proportion of children aged 3 years, 4 years, and 5 years in the Omicron group was lower than that in the non-Omicron group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Children with febrile seizures after Omicron variant infection tend to have a wider age range, with an increase in the proportion of children with cluster seizures and status convulsion during the course of fever.

Exploring the ability of TAT, a cell-penetrating peptide, to deliver proteins in a non-fused form / 药学学报

Accumulating evidence has shown that the cell-penetrating peptide TAT can be applied to deliver different types of drug molecules, including nucleic acids, proteins and small molecule drugs. Usually TAT delivers cargoes on the basis of their covalent bonds or non-covalent interactions. However, there are few reports on the delivery of proteins by TAT in a non-covalent manner, and no quantitative comparisons have been made on the protein delivery ability of TAT in fusion and non-fusion manners. In order to explore the ability of TAT to deliver proteins in non-fusion manner, here we used fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry to investigate the ability of TAT to deliver enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) into non-small cell lung cancer cells A549 in a non-fusion manner. It was found that TAT could deliver EGFP into A549 cells, and its delivery ability was positively correlated with its concentration. In addition, the fusion protein TAT-EGFP was overexpressed and purified, and its permeability across cell membrane was also investigated. In this paper, based on quantitative comparison, we found that the delivery of EGFP by TAT in fusion manner is significantly efficient than that of TAT in non-fusion manner. This is the report that TAT can deliver EGFP in a non-fusion manner. Although its delivery efficiency remains to be improved as compared with the fusion manner, the non-fusion manner has shown incomparable advantages in ease of operation, suggesting that it is also a candidate for delivery strategy in the future.

Effects of different extracts of Dendrobium officinale on rats with chronic pharyngitis induced by pepper water combined with ammonia / 中国中药杂志

Dendrobium officinale can serve as Chinese medicinal material effective in nourishing yin, clearing heat, and producing fluid, and is used to treat throat diseases, but its active substances and mechanism are not clear. To clarify the active fraction and underlying mechanism of D. officinale against chronic pharyngitis(CP), the present study induced a CP model in rats by pepper water combined with low-concentration ammonia, and crude polysaccharides of D. officinale(DOP), non-polysaccharides of D. officinale(DON), and total extract of D. officinale(DOT)(0.33 g·kg~(-1), calculated according to the crude drug) were administered by gavage for six weeks. The changes in oral secretions and pharyngeal conditions of rats with CP were observed and rated. The hematological indicators were determined by an automatic hematology analyzer. The serum levels of pro-inflammatory factors, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α), interleukin 1β(IL-1β), and interleukin 6(IL-6), and T-lymphocyte cytokines, including interferon γ(IFN-γ), interleukin 4(IL-4), interleukin 17(IL-17), and transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1) were detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The proportions of CD3~+, CD4~+, and CD8~+cells in peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets were determined by the flow cytometry. The histomorphological changes of the pharynx were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The protein expression of nuclear factor-κB P65(NF-κB P65), cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2), F4/80, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1) in the pharynx were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The results showed that DOP and DON could significantly relieve pharyngeal lesions, reduce white blood cells(WBC) and lymphocytes(LYMP), decrease the levels of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, and inhibit the protein expression of NF-κB P65, COX-2, F4/80, and MCP-1 in the pharynx. DOP was superior in reducing oral secretions and serum IL-17 level and inferior in increasing CD4~+/CD8~+ratio to DON. It is suggested that both polysaccharides and non-polysaccharides of D. officinale have anti-PC effects and the anti-inflammatory mechanism may be related to the regulation of T lymphocyte distribution and inhibition of the inflammatory signaling pathways mediated by NF-κB P65. The anti-inflammatory effect of DOP may be related to the regulation of Th17/Treg balance, while that of DON may be related to the regulation of the Th/Tc ratio.

Effect of Modified Wuzi Yanzongwan Periodic Staging Treatment on Outcome of Assisted Pregnancy in Patients with Poor Ovarian Response / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the effect of modified Wuzi Yanzongwan periodic staging treatment on the outcome of assisted pregnancy in patients with poor ovarian response （POR） and kidney deficiency syndrome. Method:One hundred and four patients were randomly divided into observation group and control group， with 52 cases in each group. Both groups received gonadotropin releasing hormone （GnRH） antagonist regimen. The patients in control group additionally took Bushen Yutaiwan orally， 5 g/time， 3 times/day. The patients in observation group additionally took modified Wuzi Yanzongwan during pre-ovulation and post-ovulation periods， 1 dose/day. The treatment courses were 3 menstrual cycles （or termination after clinical pregnancy） in both groups. The number of eggs obtained， the number of available embryos， the number of fertilization， the number of high-quality embryos， the number of embryos implanted， the number of cycles cancelled， and the clinical pregnancy were recorded. Human chorionic gonadotropin （HCG） was injected， and then follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， estrogen （E₂）， anti-Müllerian hormone （AMH）， basal antral follicle count （AFC） and endometrial thickness were measured daily. The number of days and dosage of Gn used， scores of kidney deficiency syndrome were recorded before and after treatment， and the adverse reactions during the study period were recorded. Result:The number of eggs captured， rate of harvested eggs， number of available embryos， rate of available embryos， number of high-quality embryos， rate of high-quality embryos， and fertilization rate in observation group were higher than those in control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05 or <italic>P</italic><0.01）. The cycle cancellation rate was lower than that in the control group； the embryo implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate were superior than those in control group， but the difference was not statistically significant. The FSH level and FSH/LH ratio in observation group were lower than those in control group during HCG day （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， while E₂， AMH， AFC and endometrial thickness were higher than those in control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Simultaneously， the number of days and amount of Gn used in observation group was lower than that in control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:The Modified Wuzi Yanzongwan periodic staging treatment combined with GnRH antagonist scheme for patients with POR kidney deficiency syndrome， can regulate the level of endocrine hormones， promote follicular development， improve ovarian reserve， increase the number of eggs obtained， improve egg quality， help improve pregnancy outcomes， and increase the chances of successful pregnancy with assisted reproductive technology. It is worthy of further clinical research.

Analysis of the changes and characteristics of pediatric outpatient visits in a general hospital in Beijing before and after the COVID-19 pandemic / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the changes and characteristics of pediatric outpatient visits in a general hospital before and after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic.@*METHODS@#Based on the registration data of pediatric outpatient visits in the information system (HIS)of Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, from January 1 2018 to December 31 2020, aged 0 to 16 years, we analyzed the changes of outpatient visits before and after the epidemic, focusing on respiratory infection including influenza. The relationship between the outpatient visits and age and quarterly distribution were also studied.@*RESULTS@#(1) Respiratory infection accounted for the majority of outpatient visits in 2018 and 2019 (60.6% and 60.5%, respectively). Non-respiratory infection accounted for the main proportion of outpatient visits in 2020, while respiratory infection accounted for only 47.4%. Annual respiratory infection visits, respiratory infectious diseases visits especially influenza visits all decreased significantly in 2020 compared with that in 2018 and 2019 (P < 0.05). (2)Respiratory infection visits were highest in the infant group, lowest in the school age group (P < 0.05) and highest in the fourth quarter each year. It decreased significantly in the second quarter of 2020 with statistical significance when compared with the other quarters of 2020(P < 0.05). (3)Influenza accounted for the highest proportion of respiratory infectious diseases visits in each year. It was highest in first quarter, which was significantly different from the other quarters of the year (P < 0.05). There were different distributions of influenza visits throughout 2018 and 2019, while it was only distributed in the first quarter and 99% in January in 2020.@*CONCLUSION@#The respiratory infection and influenza visits have decreased significantly in our pediatric outpatient department after the COVID-19 epidemic, which is considered closely related to the lifestyle and personal protection after the epidemic. It is recommended that health education on respiratory infection and influenza prevention should be strengthened, especially in winter and spring, to promote the development of good respiratory and hand hygiene habits.

Ultrasound screening and follow-up study of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract in neonates / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the incidence of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) in neonates, and to evaluate the value of urinary ultrasound screening in the early postnatal period.@*METHODS@#The neonates born or treated in Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital affiliated to Tsinghua University between January 2016 and December 2018 accepted the urinary ultrasound screening, and the neonates with problem were followed up. In the meanwhile, the maternal pregnancy data were analyzed to screen out the risk factors associated with the onset of CAKUT.@*RESULTS@#(1)A total of 2 655 neonates were screened by ultrasonography, of whom 82 neonates had been diagnosed with CAKUT (male: 60 cases, female: 22 cases), the positive rate was 3.1% (82/2 655). There were 66 cases of hydronephrosis, 6 cases of duplicate kidney, 2 cases of multiple renal cysts, 2 cases of renal cystic dysplasia, 1 case of medullary sponge kidney, 3 cases of small kidney, 1 case of isolated kidney, and 1 case of horseshoe kidney. (2)Of the 66 children with hydronephrosis, 4 cases were lost to the follow-up; 8 cases were followed for less than six months with no significant changes found, and still in the follow-up observation; 54 cases were followed up for 1 year, among which 32 cases were returned to normal within 1 year, 3 cases were alleviated, 7 cases were aggravated, and 12 cases were unchanged. One case underwent surgery for repeated urinary tract infections and decreased renal function. (3) Abnormal fetal urinary ultrasound in the late pregnancy was found to be the most common in the high risk factors of CAKUT. There were 44 high-risk newborns with abnormal fetal urinary ultrasound, and 35 cases of CAKUT were diagnosed after birth. The incidence rate was 79.5%(35/44). (4)Among the 2 655 newborns screened, 2 611 newborns had normal antenatal urinary ultrasonography. Among these neonates with normal urinary ultrasound during pregnancy,47 cases of CAKUT were diagnosed after birth, with an incidence of 1.8% (47/2 611).@*CONCLUSION@#The most common CAKUT in neonates is hydronephrosis and most cases with hydronephrosis had a good prognosis, but they should be followed up regularly. Urinary ultrasound screening for neonates, especially those high-risk neonates with abnormal fetal urinary ultrasound, has important clinical implications for the early detection of CAKUT.

Effect of Jieduquyuziyin-prescription-treated Rat Serum on IRAK1 Signaling Pathway Expression of Mice Monocyte-macrophage Cells / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of serum containing Jieduquyuziyin-prescription (JP) on signal pathway of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) in mononuclear macrophages of mice stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and to explore the effect of Jieduquyuziyin-prescription on IRAK1 and NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathways, which providing a good theoretical support for its anti-inflammatory clinical medication. METHODS: In this study, mice mononuclear macrophages cultured in vitro were randomly divided into blank group, LPS group, JP serum group, blank serum group, LPS plus JP serum group, LPS plus blank serum group, IRAK1 inhibitor group, inhibitor plus LPS group, inhibitor plus JP serum group and inhibitor plus blank serum group. After intervention for 24 h, the activity of JP on macrophages was tested by CCK8 method. The IRAK1 expression in macrophages was tested by immunofluorescence chemical staining. The content of TNF-α in the supernatant of the cells was detected by ELISA. The mRNA expressions of IRAK1, NF-κB, TNF-α and IL-6 were detected by RT-PCR. The protein expressions of IRAK1, p-IRAK1 and NF-κB were detected by Western-blot. The LC-MS was used to detect the active ingredients in JP serum. RESULTS: The results show that 2.5% of JP serum is the optimal concentration. Jieduquyuziyin-prescription could down-regulate the expression of TNF-α and IL-6 and inhibit the expression of IRAK1 and activate NF-κB(P<0.05). Paeoniflorin and ferulic acid were detected in the JP serum. CONCLUSION: Jieduquyuziyin-prescription can inhibit the expression of IRAK1 and NF-κB in mouse monocyte-macrophage cells after LPS stimulation and provide a good theoretical support for its anti-inflammatory clinical medication.

Effect of Jiedu Quyu Ziyin Prescription-treated freeze dried powder and drug-containing serum on mice monocyte-macrophage / 中草药

Objective To study the effects of Jiedu Quyu Ziyin Prescription (JQZP)-treated freeze dried powder and drug-containing serum on the inflammatory signal pathway of monocyte-macrophage induced by LPS (lipopolysaccharide) in mice. Methods Monocyte-macrophage cells were cultured in vitro and randomly divided into blank group, LPS stimulation group, drug-containing serum group, freeze dried powder group, LPS + drug-containing serum group, and LPS + freeze dried powder group. After 24 h intervention, the optimal concentrations of drug-containing serum and freeze dried powder were screened by CCK8 method and the cell viability was measured respectively. The content of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) in cell serum was measured by ELISA. Real-time PCR was employed to test the expression of TNF-α mRNA and nuclear transcription factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB). Western-blot was used to detect the expression of NF-κB protein. The LC-MS was used to detect the active ingredients in the drug-containing serum. Results Compared with the blank group, the expression of TNF-α level, NF-κB, TNF-α mRNA and NF-κB protein in LPS stimulation group were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Compared with the LPS stimulation group, the TNF-α level, NF-κB, TNF-α mRNA and the expression of NF-κB protein in the LPS plus serum group were significantly lower than those in the LPS plus freeze-dried powder group (P < 0.05). Paeoniflorin and ferulic acid were detected in the drug-containing serum. Conclusion JQZP freeze-dried powder and drug-containing serum all have the effect of inhibiting the inflammatory signaling pathway.

Preliminary application of 3D printing technique in resection and reconstruction of mandibular ameloblastoma / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To investigate the primary application of 3D printing technique in vascularized fibula resection and grafting for mandible ameloblastoma. Methods The data of 3 cases of unilateral mandibular ameloblastoma were retrospectively collected.The thin slice CT scan of mandible was performed before operation.The scanned original data were imported into mimics 17.0 software for 3D reconstruction.Mirror image of the healthy side mandible was generated by the mirror image tool of the software.Preoperative planning,designing transplantation of vascularized fibula bone,pre-bending and pre-shaping titanium plate,surgical simulation were done by the mirror model.Results All operations were performed successfully,and were in agreement with the preoperative planning.The facial appearance and mandible function were both satisfactory.Conclusion 3D printing technology assisting mandibular ameloblastoma resection and bone graft reconstruction is able to optimize preoperative planning,provide individualized treatment and achieve postoperative satisfaction.

Glucose transporter 1 deficiency syndrome: features of movement disorders, diagnosis and treatment / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of glucose transporter 1 deficiency syndrome (GLUT1-DS), as well as the diagnostic value of movement disorders.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of four children with GLUT1-DS were collected, and their clinical features, treatment, and follow-up results were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were two boys and two girls, with an age of onset of 2-15 months. Clinical manifestations included movement disorders, seizures, and developmental retardation. Seizures were the cause of the first consultation in all cases. The four children all had persistent ataxia, dystonia, and dysarthria; two had persistent tremor, two had paroxysmal limb paralysis, and two had eye movement disorders. Paroxysmal symptoms tended to occur in fatigue state. All four children had reductions in the level of cerebrospinal fluid glucose and its ratio to blood glucose, as well as SLC2A1 gene mutations. The four children were given a ketogenic diet, at a ketogenic ratio of 2:1 to 3:1, and achieved complete remission of paroxysmal symptoms within 5 weeks.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>GLUT1-DS should be considered for epileptic children with mental retardation and motor developmental delay complicated by various types of movement disorders. The ketogenic diet is effective at a ketogenic ratio of 2:1 to 3:1 for the treatment of GLUT1-DS.</p>

Study on the mechanism of AHV-PI on platelet aggregation by PI3K/Akt signal pathway / 中国生化药物杂志

Objective To investigate the mechanism of platelet inhibitor from Agkistrodon halys venom (AHV-PI) on platelet aggregation. Methods Protein kinase Akt phosphorylation levels in platelet were measured by Western blot. XS-1000I blood cell counter was used for platelet count. The plasma content of 5'-NT and platelet membrane GPIb were determined by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbnent Assay (ELISA). The effect of AHV-PI on binding rate between the fluorescence labeled monoclonal antibody CD61 (FITC-CD61) and platelet membrae glycoprotein Ⅱb/Ⅲa (GPⅡb/Ⅲa) was observed by flow cytometry (FCM). Results AHV-PI can reduce the level of Akt-phosphorylation level and the number of platelet. AHV-PI can increase the content of 5'-NT in plasma, reduce the expression of platelet GPIb. Flow cytometry displayed AHV-PI can not affect the rate of combination between platelet GPⅡb/Ⅲa and FITC-CD61. Conclusion The mechanism of inhibition of platelet aggregation may be inhibit protein kinase Akt phosphorylation to block the signal transduction pathway of Akt. Limit cell grouth and reduce platelet number, also it may be related to its 5'-NT activity, it can degradate ADP to prevent the formation of platelet thrombus.

Effect of Agkistrodon Acutus Venom PCA on HUVEC Activity / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of Agkistrodon acutus venom protein C activator(PCA) on ultrastructure of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC), and the levels of tissue factor(TF), vascular von Willebrand factor (vWF) and endothelin-1 secreted by HUVEC and to clarify the anti-thrombotic mechanism of PCA.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The experiments were divided into control group(DMEM), LPS group (LPS 0.1 µg/ml), PCA group(PCA 1 µg/ml) and PCA+LPS group (1 µg/ml PCA+ 0.1 µg/ml LPS). The morphology of endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and the number of autophagosome in HUVEC were observed by transmission electron microscopy. The TF, vWF and ET-1 were measured in the medium of each group by ELISA; RT-PCR was used to detect mRNA expression level of vWF and ET-1 in cells; and the protein expression level of TF in cells was detected by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, the ultrastructural changes of HUVEC in the LPS group included the cell membrane getting rough, swelling of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, and autophagosome increase, however, the ultrastructure differences between PCA and control group were not significant. Compared with the ultrastructure of HUVECs in LPS group, the swelling of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum disappeared in the LPS+PCA group, and the number of autophagosome decreased obviously. Compared with the control group, the content of ET-1, vWF and TF in cell culture supernatant, and the protein expression level of vWF, ET-1 gene and TF protein were significantly increased in LPS group (P<0.05); the expression levels of the 3 factors in the cell culture supernatant and cells in PCA group were not significantly different from the control group (P>0.05). The expression levels of TF, vWF and ET-1 in LPS group were significantly lower than those in LPS+PCA group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PCA(1 µg/ml) can reduce the ultrastructural changes of HUVEC induced by LPS, and inhibit the increase of TF, vWF and ET-1 secretion from HUVEC induced by LPS.</p>

Expression and Function of Long Non-coding RNA CASC19 in Colorectal Cancer / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To investigate the expression, function and significance of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) CASC19 in colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was employed to determine the expression of CASC19 in 40 paired samples from CRC surgical specimens and 5 CRC cell lines. The correlations of CASC19 expression with clinicopathologic parameters were analyzed. Transwell assay was applied to detect the migration ability of CRC cells after the CASC19 expression was knocked down by small interfering RNA. Results The expression of CASC19 in colorectal cancer was significantly higher than those in adjacent normal mucosa tissues (t=5.527, P<0.000 1) and was associated with metastasis (P=0.044). Knockdown of CASC19 expression in CRC inhibited the migration ability of CRC in vitro. Conclusions The expression of CASC19 increases in CRC. CASC19 expression is not associated with age, gender, or tumor site/differentiation but with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis, suggesting high CASC19 expression may promote CRC metastasis.

Quantitative analysis of nine ginsenosides in red ginseng using QAMS method based on high-resolution and reference chromatography of red ginseng / 中国中药杂志

Using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography, nine ginsenosides were simultaneously separated on an UltimateC₁₈ column with high-resolution and high purity of each chromatographic peak. Adopting the QAMS quality evaluation model for traditional Chinese medicines, ginsenoside Rb₁ was used as the internal reference substance, and the relative correction factors (RCFs) and the relative retention values (RTRs) of ginsenosides Rg₁, Re, Rf, Rb₁, Rc, Rb₂, Rb₃, Rd and 20 (S)-ginsenoside Rg₃ to ginsenoside Rb₁ were calculated individually. Through a series of methodology evaluations, and positioned by the red ginseng reference chromatograph and RTVs, nine ginsenosides in red ginseng were simultaneously assayed only by quantitative determined ginsenoside Rb₁.

Study on UPLC fingerprint of red ginseng based on good separation and good purity of chromatographic peaks / 中国中药杂志

This study is to establish the UPLC fingerprint of red ginseng. The separation was performed on a Waters Acquity BEH C₁₈ column (2.1 mm × 50 mm,1.7 μm), with the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and water for gradient elution. The detection wavelength was set at 203 nm. The UPLC fingerprint of red ginseng was established by using sample chromatography of 22 different purchase areas and 26 common peaks were found. Compared with the reference substances, 11 of the common peaks were identified as ginsenosides Rg₁, ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rf, ginsenoside Rh₁, ginsenoside Rg₂, ginsenoside Rb₁, 20(S)-ginsenoside F₁, ginsenoside Rb₂, ginsenoside Rb3, 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg₃ and 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg₃, respectively. It is worth noting that 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg₃ and 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg₃ are the characteristic ingredients of red ginseng, and they could be used not only for distinguishing red ginseng and ginseng, but also for process controlling of the preparation of red ginseng. The similarity was analyzed with' Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Chinese Materia Medica, and the similarity of 18 batches samples is up to 0.9. Compared to the literature methods, the method is simple, time-saving,specific for the separation of ginsenosides from red ginseng. So, this method could be used for the species identification and quality control of ginseng, red ginseng and American ginseng, and it will alsoprovide a theoretical basis of raising quality standards of the above mentioned Chinese herb medicines.

A prospective, randomized, controlled clinical study of Huai Qi Huang granules in treatment of childhood primary nephrotic syndrome / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the efficacy of Huai Qi Huang granules in the treatment of childhood primary nephrotic syndrome.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Between July 2009 and December 2011, patients who were admitted and diagnosed for the first time as childhood primary nephrotic syndrome were randomized into a treatment group (Huai Qi Huang granules plus glucocorticoid; n=23) and a control group (glucocorticoid alone; n=19) for a prospective study. The two groups were compared for regression time of edema, time to urinary protein clearance, relapse rate, incidence of infection, dosage of glucocorticoid, and humoral and cellular immunological indicators.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were no significant differences in regression time of edema, time to urinary protein clearance, and relapse rate between the treatment and control groups (P>0.05). The treatment group had significantly lower incidence of infection and daily dose of glucocorticoid (at month 6) than the control group (P<0.05). Humoral and cellular immunological indicators showed no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). No Huai Qi Huang-related adverse events were observed in this study.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Huai Qi Huang granules treatment can reduce the dose of glucocorticoid and the incidence of infection in children with primary nephrotic syndrome and has a favourable safety.</p>

Expression of cancer-testis antigen in multiple myeloma / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Recently, the immunotherapy has been highlighted among cancer treatments. Cancer-testis antigen (CTA) has been studied in a variety of solid tumors because of its specific expression in tumors, and testis, ovary and placenta tissues, but not in other normal tissues. In order to provide a new approach for multiple myeloma (MM) immunotherapy, we examined the CTA expression in MM cell lines, and primary myeloma cells in patients with MM. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of MAGE-C1/CT7, SSX1, SSX2 and SSX4 in MM cell lines of RPMI-8226 and U266, and bone marrow (BM) cells of 25 MM patients and 18 healthy volunteers. The results showed that the 4 CTAs were expressed in RPMI-8226 and U266 cell lines. The positive expression rate of MAGE-C1/CT7, SSX1, SSX2 and SSX4 in the BM cells of 25 MM patients was 28% (7/25), 80% (20/25), 40% (10/25) and 68% (17/25), respectively. In contrast, the expression of any member of the CTAs was not detected in BM cells of 18 healthy volunteers. The expression of two or more CTAs was detected in 80% (20/25) MM patients, and that of at least one CTA in 88% (22/25). The mRNA expression levels of SSX1 and SSX4 were significantly higher in patients with MM at stage III than in those at stage I and II (P<0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed in the mRNA expression levels of MAGE-C1/CT7 and SSX2 in further stratified analyses by age, gender, MM types and percentage of MM cells in BM (P>0.05). In conclusion, our present study showed that MAGE-C1/CT7, SSX1, SSX2 and SSX4 were co-expressed in MM cell lines and the primary myeloma cells in MM patients, but not expressed in BM cells of healthy subjects. The mRNA levels of SSX1 and SSX4 are associated with MM clinical stage. This work may provide a new insight into MM immunotherapy in the future.

Using the real-time PCR assay to establish TaqMan-MGB probe for rapid identification of Clostridium difficile and its toxin / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop a real-time PCR assay for the rapid identification of Clostridium(C.)difficile and its toxin.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>TaqMan real-time PCR was developed for the rapid identification of species specific gene(tpi) of C. difficile strains and the toxins A(TcdA), B(TcdB) and truncated toxin A(TcdAT). Sensitivity, specificity and anti-interference ability of these methods were estimated, as well. Feces sampled from fifty diarrhea patients were tested by real-time PCR and compared to the results from VIDAS assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The detection limits of tpi were 6×10⁻² CFU/µl and 6 × 10⁻¹ CFU/µl in the non-oxin producing and toxin producing strains, respectively. The coefficients of variability(CV) of intra-assay and inter-assay for the detection limits of tpi in the non-toxin producing strain were 2.1% and 2.3% . The CVs of intra-assay and inter-assay for the detection limit of tpi, tcdA, tcdB and tcdAT in the toxin producing strain were 3.0% and 3.4%, 2.9% and 3.2%, 5.3% and 5.7%, 2.7% and 2.8%, respectively. No interference was detected from other genus or species in clostridium. From 50 clinical samples, thirty-nine of them were negative and six of them were positive under the TaqMan-MGB probe technique in accordance with VIDAS. Five samples appeared positive using the TaqMan-MGB probe technique, in which 3 were dubious and 2 were negative under VIDAS.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The newly developed method was a sensitive and reliable assay for rapid identification of C. difficile and its toxin. This method could be used to screen C. difficile isolates harboring truncated toxin A to avoid misdiagnosis, clinically.</p>

Expression of cancer-testis antigen in multiple myeloma / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Recently, the immunotherapy has been highlighted among cancer treatments. Cancer-testis antigen (CTA) has been studied in a variety of solid tumors because of its specific expression in tumors, and testis, ovary and placenta tissues, but not in other normal tissues. In order to provide a new approach for multiple myeloma (MM) immunotherapy, we examined the CTA expression in MM cell lines, and primary myeloma cells in patients with MM. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of MAGE-C1/CT7, SSX1, SSX2 and SSX4 in MM cell lines of RPMI-8226 and U266, and bone marrow (BM) cells of 25 MM patients and 18 healthy volunteers. The results showed that the 4 CTAs were expressed in RPMI-8226 and U266 cell lines. The positive expression rate of MAGE-C1/CT7, SSX1, SSX2 and SSX4 in the BM cells of 25 MM patients was 28% (7/25), 80% (20/25), 40% (10/25) and 68% (17/25), respectively. In contrast, the expression of any member of the CTAs was not detected in BM cells of 18 healthy volunteers. The expression of two or more CTAs was detected in 80% (20/25) MM patients, and that of at least one CTA in 88% (22/25). The mRNA expression levels of SSX1 and SSX4 were significantly higher in patients with MM at stage III than in those at stage I and II (P0.05). In conclusion, our present study showed that MAGE-C1/CT7, SSX1, SSX2 and SSX4 were co-expressed in MM cell lines and the primary myeloma cells in MM patients, but not expressed in BM cells of healthy subjects. The mRNA levels of SSX1 and SSX4 are associated with MM clinical stage. This work may provide a new insight into MM immunotherapy in the future.