Clinical significance of bronchial reversibility test in the treatment of childhood asthma / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe changes in the lung function of asthmatic children with different symptoms during treatment, and to investigate the clinical significance of bronchial reversibility test in the treatment of asthma in children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 417 asthmatic children were treated by salmeterol/fluticasone inhalation for more than 3 months. These patients were divided into asymptomatic, single cough, paroxysmal cough and wheeze (cough+wheeze or wheeze alone) groups based on the symptoms when they revisited the clinic. Thirty-four healthy children were used as a control group. All children underwent bronchial reversibility test using nebulized salbutamol. Lung function testing was performed before and after the test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After nebulization of salbutamol, each asthma group showed significantly decreased rate of abnormal lung function and significantly increased forced expiratory volume in one second percent (FEV1%) predicted (P<0.05). Before salbutamol nebulization, the single cough, paroxysmal cough and wheeze groups had significantly higher rates of abnormal lung function and significantly lower FEV1% predicted than the control group (P<0.05). There were significant differences in the rate of abnormal lung function and FEV1% predicted among the asthma groups (P<0.05). After salbutamol nebulization, the paroxysmal cough and wheeze groups had significantly higher rates of abnormal lung function than the control group (P<0.05), but there were no significant differences between other asthma and control groups; the wheeze group had significantly lower FEV1% predicted than the control group, but no significant differences were found between other asthma and the control groups. The positive rate of bronchial reversibility test in each asthma group was significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.05). There were significant differences in the positive rate of the test between the asthma groups except between the asymptomatic and single cough groups (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Asthmatic children with different symptoms demonstrate different lung functions during treatment. Bronchial reversibility test combined with lung function test is useful in assessing asthma control and guiding treatment.</p>

Effects of all-trans retinoic acid on airway responsiveness and airway remodeling in rats with asthma / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of alltrans retinoic acid (ATRA) on airway responsiveness, airway remodeling and expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) protein in rats with asthma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty rats were randomly divided into five groups: asthma model, normal saline (control), ATRA treatment, cotton oil treatment and budesonide treatment (n=8 each). Asthma was induced by ovalbumin sensitization and challenge in the asthma model, and the ATRA, cotton oil or budesonide treatment groups. ATRA (50 μg/kg), cotton oil (1 mL) or budesonide (0.32 mg/kg) was administered before ovalbumin challenge in the three treatment groups. Airway responsiveness was assessed. The lung tissues were sampled to detect airway remodeling and the expression of MMP-9 protein by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of MMP-9 in lung tissues in the ATRA treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group, but the airway responsiveness in the ATRA treatment group was not significantly different from that in the control group. The airway responsiveness and the expression of MMP-9 in lung tissues were significantly reduced in the ATRA treatment group compared with the asthma model group. The airway remodeling was significantly improved in the ATRA treatment group compared with the asthma model group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>ATRA may alleviate airway hyperresponsiveness and airway remodeling possibly through decreasing the protein expression of MMP-9 in rats with asthma.</p>

Sex determination by discriminant analysis of calcaneal measurements on the lateral digital radiography / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#Five measurements of the calcaneus taken on digital radiography (DR) of adults of Han Population of Sichuan Province were selected to determine sex by multivariate discriminant analysis.@*METHODS@#Lateral radiographs of calcaneus taken from 393 subjects were collected. The samples were randomly divided into the experimental group (148 males and 186 females) and the examined group (26 males and 33 females). Five measurements were taken from the radiography. The analysis of variance (AVON) was carried out to determine if there was significant difference between the male and female. The discriminant functions were drawn by Fisher discriminant analysis. The effects of all obtained functions were evaluated with the examined samples.@*RESULTS@#There was statistically significant difference in the five measurements between the males and the females (P<0.05). Six groups of discriminant functions were obtained with an accuracy ranged from 78.4% to 88.9%. When applied on the examined samples, the sex discriminant accuracy varied from 79.7% to 86.4%.@*CONCLUSION@#These five measurements acquired from the lateral radiographs of calcaneus could be used for sex assessment during forensic identification of individuals.

Cloning and expression of the succinate dehydrogenase iron-sulfur protein of Schistosoma japonicum Chinese strain in E. coli / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To clone the full-length gene encoding succinate dehydrogenase iron-sulfur protein of Schistosoma japonicum (SjSDISP) Chinese strain and express it in Escherichia coli.@*METHODS@#According to the published incomplete EST (BU804141) of SjSDISP and the sequence of multiclone sites of lambda gt11 vector, 2 pairs of primers were designed and synthesized. Then the 3' and 5'ends of the EST of the SjSDISP from adult Schistosoma japonicum cDNA library were amplified by anchored PCR. After sequencing, a full-length cDNA sequence of the SjSDISP was obtained, and then it was cloned into prokaryotic expression vector pGEX-4T-1. Identified by agarosed gel electrophoresis, endonucleases digestion and PCR, the resultant recombinant plasmid was used for the expression under the temperature-dependent condition and Western blot analysis.@*RESULTS@#A 1,071 bp sequence was obtained. Sequence analysis showed that the fragment contained a complete open reading frame (ORF), encoding 278 amino acid residues. This target fragment was cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pGEX-4T-1, and expressed in Escherichia coli. SDS-PAGE revealed that the molecular weight of the expressed fusion recombinant product was 56 kD. Western blot showed that the recombinant protein was recognized by polyclonal rabbit antiserum immunized with Schistosoma japonicum adult worm antigen.@*CONCLUSION@#Cloning of the full-length gene encoding SjSDISP and its bacterial expression were successfully done.