Infestation and distribution of chigger mites on Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) in Yunnan Province, Southwest China

@#Chigger mites is a group of arthropods and some of them are vectors of scrub typhus. As a common synanthropic rodent species, the Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) often harbors lots of ectoparasites including chigger mites. According to some “data mining” strategies, the present study took the advantage of the abundant original data from a long-term field ecological investigation between 2001 and 2015 to make a detailed analysis of chigger mites on R. norvegicus in Yunnan Province, Southwest of China. From 18 of 33 investigated counties, only 1414 chigger mites were collected from 1113 Brown rats with relatively low infestations. The 1414 individual chigger mites were identified as comprising 61 species, 11 genera and 2 subfamilies of the family Trombiculidae with a high species diversity (S=61, H’=3.13). Of 61 mite species, there were four main species, Walchia ewingi, Ascoschoengastia indica, W. koi and A. rattinorvegici, which accounted for 44.41% of the total mites. All the chigger mites were of aggregated distribution among different individuals of R. norvegicus. The Brown rats in the outdoor habitats harbored much more individuals and species of chigger mites with a higher mean abundance (MA=1.46) and mean intensity (MI=12.53) than in the indoor habitats (P<0.05). The overall infestation of the rats was significantly higher in the mountainous landscapes than in the flatland landscapes (P<0.001). The species similarity (Css) of the mites on the male and female rats reached 64.44% with sex biased infestations. The male rats harbored more species and individuals of the mites than the female rats. The adult rats harbored more species and individuals of the mites than the juvenile rats. The species abundance distribution of the mites was successfully fitted by Preston’s lognormal model with S

The regulatory role of IL-6R in hepatitis B-associated fibrosis and cirrhosis

This study investigated the expression and regulation of IL-6R in hepatitis B-associated moderate hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. Liver tissues, peripheral blood monocytes (PBMs) and serum were collected from 26 hepatitis B patients with liver fibrosis and 35 hepatitis B patients with liver cirrhosis. The levels of Il-6r mRNA expression in these samples were examined by quantitative real-time PCR and IL-6R protein levels were analyzed by western blot and ELISA. MiRNAs that regulate IL-6R expression were predicted by bioinformatics analysis, and validated by dual luciferase reporter assay. Compared with the hepatic fibrosis group, IL-6R was significantly upregulated at both mRNA and protein levels in liver tissues, PBMs and serum samples from the hepatic cirrhosis group (P<0.05). The 3′UTR of Il-6r mRNA was predicted to contain a miR-30b binding site and IL-6R was identified as a possible target of miR-30b. MiR-30b expression was significantly downregulated in samples from hepatic cirrhosis patients compared with hepatic fibrosis patients (P<0.05). In conclusion, IL-6R was upregulated while miR-30b was decreased in patients with liver cirrhosis. The miR-30 can directly regulate the expression of IL-6R.

Methylene tetrahydrofolate reductasel reductase C677T polymorphisms and esophageal cancer susceptibility: A meta‑analysis based on Chinese Han population.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this meta‑analysis was to assess the methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene C677T polymorphisms and esophageal cancer susceptibility in Chinese Han population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The databases of PubMed, MEDLINE, Wanfang, and CNIK was electronic searched to find the case–control or cohort study about the relationship between MTHFR gene C677T polymorphisms and esophageal cancer susceptibility in Chinese Han population. The odds ratio (OR) was used to assess the relationship between CC, CT, and TT genotype and esophageal cancer risk. The data were pooled using Stata 11.0 software. RESULTS: Eight articles included 1752 esophageal cancer and 2363 controls were found and included in this meta‑analysis. The pooled OR was 1.86 with its 95% confidence interval of 1.21–2.86 and 1.62 with its 95% confidence interval of 1.15–2.27 for TT versus CC and CT versus CC model which indicated that people with TT OR CT genotype significant increase the risk of developing esophageal cancer. CONCLUSION: Esophageal cancer risk was significantly increased in people with TT/CT genotype of MTHFR gene.

Optimization and head-to-head comparison of MISSR-PCR, ERIC-PCR, RAPD and 16S rRNA evolutionary clock for the genotyping of Vibrio cholerae isolated in China.

Purpose: To establish a new genotyping method for Vibrio cholerae and compare it with other methods. Materials and Methods: In the current study, a modified inter simple sequence repeat-polymerase chain reaction (MISSR-PCR) system was developed via several rounds of optimisation. Comparison study was then conducted between MISSR-PCR and three other methods, including enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequences-based PCR (ERIC-PCR), randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and 16S rRNA evolutionary clock, for the detection and genetic tracing of Vibrio cholerae isolated from seafood in China. Result: The results indicated that the MISSRPCR system could generate the highest polymorphic fingerprinting map in a single round PCR and showed the best discriminatory ability for Vibrio cholerae genotyping by clearly separating toxigenic/nontoxigenic strains, local/foreign strains, and O1/O139/non-O1/non-O139 serogroup strains, comparing to ERIC-PCR, RAPD and 16S rRNA evolutionary clock. Moreover, the MISSR-PCR is superior to previously described traditional simple sequence repeat based PCR method on genotyping by more clearly separating different clusters. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first head-to-head comparison of four detection and genotyping methods for Vibrio cholerae. The MISSRPCR system established here could serve as a simple, quick, reliable and cost-effective tool for the genotyping and epidemiological study.

An animal experimental study of porous magnesium scaffold degradation and osteogenesis

Our objective was to observe the biodegradable and osteogenic properties of magnesium scaffolding under in vivo conditions. Twelve 6-month-old male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into two groups. The chosen operation site was the femoral condyle on the right side. The experimental group was implanted with porous magnesium scaffolds, while the control group was implanted with hydroxyapatite scaffolds. X-ray and blood tests, which included serum magnesium, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine (CREA), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were performed serially at 1, 2, and 3 weeks, and 1, 2, and 3 months. All rabbits were killed 3 months postoperatively, and the heart, kidney, spleen, and liver were analyzed with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. The bone samples were subjected to microcomputed tomography scanning (micro-CT) and hard tissue biopsy. SPSS 13.0 (USA) was used for data analysis, and values of P<0.05 were considered to be significant. Bubbles appeared in the X-ray of the experimental group after 2 weeks, whereas there was no gas in the control group. There were no statistical differences for the serum magnesium concentrations, ALT, BUN, and CREA between the two groups (P>0.05). All HE-stained slices were normal, which suggested good biocompatibility of the scaffold. Micro-CT showed that magnesium scaffolds degraded mainly from the outside to inside, and new bone was ingrown following the degradation of magnesium scaffolds. The hydroxyapatite scaffold was not degraded and had fewer osteoblasts scattered on its surface. There was a significant difference in the new bone formation and scaffold bioabsorption between the two groups (9.29±1.27 vs 1.40±0.49 and 7.80±0.50 vs 0.00±0.00 mm3, respectively; P<0.05). The magnesium scaffold performed well in degradation and osteogenesis, and is a promising material for orthopedics.

Salt-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in Dahl salt-sensitive rats is dependent on elevated blood pressure

Dietary salt intake has been linked to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Accumulating evidence has indicated that salt-sensitive individuals on high salt intake are more likely to develop renal fibrosis. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) participates in the development and progression of renal fibrosis in humans and animals. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of a high-salt diet on EMT in Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats. Twenty-four male SS and consomic SS-13BN rats were randomized to a normal diet or a high-salt diet. After 4 weeks, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and albuminuria were analyzed, and renal fibrosis was histopathologically evaluated. Tubular EMT was evaluated using immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR with E-cadherin and alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). After 4 weeks, SBP and albuminuria were significantly increased in the SS high-salt group compared with the normal diet group. Dietary salt intake induced renal fibrosis and tubular EMT as identified by reduced expression of E-cadherin and enhanced expression of α-SMA in SS rats. Both blood pressure and renal interstitial fibrosis were negatively correlated with E-cadherin but positively correlated with α-SMA. Salt intake induced tubular EMT and renal injury in SS rats, and this relationship might depend on the increase in blood pressure.

The apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene and the risk of diabetic nephropathy (DN): a meta-analysis in East Asian populations

Background: Several studies have examined the association between DN and the APOE gene, but the results have been inconsistent. Objective: Determine whether APOE is a risk factor for DN by a meta-analysis. Methods: A meta-analysis was performed using all findings of 16 similar case–control studies in East Asian to evaluate the effect of APOE as a risk factor for DN. Several electronic databases were searched for relevant articles up to 2009. After data collection, a meta-analysis was used to assess heterogeneity, combine results and evaluate variations by using software STATA SE 9.0. Publication bias was examined by the Egger’s linear regression test and fail-safe number. Results: The meta-analysis showed that the ε2 allele almost doubled the risk of DN in East Asians (pooled ORs [95% CI]: 1.85 [1.49-2.29]). In contrast, studies relating the ε4 allele to DN risk were very heterogeneous and the pooled ORs were 1.05 [95% CI: 0.72-1.52]. In the subgroup meta-analysis, ε4 was substantially related to an increased risk for DN in studies conducted in China (pooled ORs [95% CI]: 1.51 [1.11-2.06]), which was different from previous results. However, the higher risk of DN associated with ε4 was not found in Japanese or Korean populations (pooled ORs [95% CI]: 0.46 [0.27-0.80] and 0.58 [0.09-3.55], respectively). Conclusion: The ε2 allele conferred a higher risk of DN in East Asians, and no significant result was obtained with the ε4 allele.

External quality assessment survey for hematological laboratories in China.

To evaluate the feasibility of improving external quality assessment (EQA), we set up an experimental EQA survey that included 465 participants in China. During the period of this survey, we checked the quality of the EQA samples, divided the participants into different groups, each laboratory's result was assessed by calculation standard deviation index (SDI). The reference values were determined to evaluate the accuracy for peer groups. The data showed that the stability of the EQA samples was acceptable. Except for WBC count of the Abbott group, the mean, median and reference values for each parameter were very close. We found that the main reason affecting the performance of the participants was not using the reagents. calibrator and QC material recommended by manufacturer. From this survey, we obtain a good reference for future improvement.

Study of simplified measures for malaria surveillance in the late consolidation phase in China.

This paper presents the results of a study on simplified surveillance methods conducted in 23 pilot counties in 11 provinces and municipalities in China where reside 15 million people and malaria control has been in the late consolidation phase. Two simplified surveillance Schemes (A and B) taking treatment of clinical cases as the main measure were implemented in 1992-1994. The rate of annual blood examination for case detection was 1.0% in pilot Scheme A, while in areas of scheme B it was 0.3%. The implementation of both Scheme A and Scheme B, simplified or without treatment of infection foci and management of mobile populations, acquired satisfactory effects against malaria. Consequently, malaria incidence was declining steadily, only a few indigenous and introduced cases were detected. The parasite rate in residents and the IFA positive rate in children were very low. The results of pilot studies and cost-effectiveness analysis indicated that Scheme B is effective, rational and economic, and can be implemented to replace the routine surveillance measures in areas where malaria has been at the late consolidation phase in China.

Detection of blood stage antigens of Plasmodium vivax by sandwich ELISA using pan-species monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antibodies.

This paper reports an improved PcAb-McAb-ELISA test to detect blood stage Plasmodium vivax antigen in which the plates were coated with rabbit anti-P. cynomolgi polyclonal antibody to capture the antigens in test samples and two monoclonal antibodies, M26-32 and 3F9, were added together to react with the captured antigens. The coincidence rate with this test was 93% with microscopically confirmed P. vivax cases, 97% with normal samples, 95% with microscopically negative fever cases from nonendemic areas and 86% from endemic areas, respectively. The sensitivity was greater than 1 parasite/10(5) RBC.