Risk factors and drug resistance in early-onset neonatal group B streptococcal disease / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

In recent years, group B streptococcus (GBS) has become an important pathogen that causes infections in many neonatal organs, including the brain, lung, and eye (Ballard et al., 2016). A series of studies performed on GBS infections in western countries have revealed that GBS is one of the primary pathogens implicated in perinatal infection, and GBS infections are a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in the United States (Decheva et al., 2013). In China, GBS is mainly found by screens for adult urogenital tract and perinatal infections, and neonatal GBS infections have been rarely reported. The incidence rate of early-onset neonatal GBS disease is thought to be lower in China than in western countries; however, this data is controversial since it also reflects the clinical interest in GBS (Dabrowska-Szponar and Galinski, 2001).

Expression of plasma miRNA-497 in children with sepsis-induced myocardial injury and its clinical significance / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the expression of plasma miRNA-497 in children with sepsis-induced myocardial injury and its clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 148 children with sepsis were enrolled. According to the presence or absence of myocardial injury, these children were divided into myocardial injury group (n=58) and non-myocardial injury group (n=90). The two groups were compared in terms of the changes in plasma levels of miRNA-497, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to evaluate the value of plasma miRNA-497, cTnI, and CK-MB in the diagnosis of myocardial injury. A Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation of miRNA-497 with cTnI, CK-MB, NT-proBNP, PCT, CRP, and LVEF.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the non-myocardial injury group, the myocardial injury group had significantly higher plasma levels of miRNA-497, cTnI, CK-MB, NT-proBNP, PCT, and CRP (P<0.05). Plasma miRNA-497, cTnI, and CK-MB when measured alone or in combination had an area under the ROC curve of 0.918, 0.931, 0.775, and 0.940 respectively. At the optimal cut-off value of 2.05, miRNA-497 had a sensitivity of 90.4% and a specificity of 91.2%. The correlation analysis showed that there was a good correlation between plasma miRNA-497 and cTnI in children with myocardial injury (r=0.728, P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Plasma miRNA-497 has a similar value as cTnI in the diagnosis of sepsis-induced myocardial injury in children and may be used as a potential marker for early diagnosis of myocardial injury.</p>

Increased BMR in overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes may result from an increased fat-free mass / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The study aimed to determine the relationships between the basal metabolic rate (BMR) and body composition of overweight and obese Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). This cross-sectional clinical study enrolled 193 Chinese adults with type 2 DM who were overweight (24 kg/m(2)=BMI≤28 kg/m(2), n=99), or obese (BMI ≥28 kg/m(2), n=94). Ninety-seven adults with normal BMIs, including 50 DM patients and 47 healthy adults, were recruited as a control group. BMR was measured by indirect calorimetry; predicted BMR was calculated according to the Schofield equation; and the relationships between BMR, body composition, and biochemical results were determined by the Pearson correlation. The results showed that obese DM patients had significantly higher BMRs than both overweight patients (P<0.05) and patients with normal BMI did (P<0.05). The measured BMR was significantly lower than the predicted BMR (P<0.05) in all groups. Obese and overweight DM patients had significantly greater weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, BMI, body surface area, body fat percentage, fat mass, and fat-free mass than patients with normal BMI. Except for waist circumference, these body composition measurements were significantly increased in obese DM patients when compared with those in overweight DM patients (P<0.05). Fat-free mass was closely correlated with BMR in both DM patients (r=0.874, P<0.01) and in healthy controls (r=0.902, P<0.01). It was concluded that overweight and obese Chinese adults with type 2 DM had increased BMRs compared with normal-weight controls, which may result from the difference in fat-free mass.

Increased BMR in overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes may result from an increased fat-free mass / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The study aimed to determine the relationships between the basal metabolic rate (BMR) and body composition of overweight and obese Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). This cross-sectional clinical study enrolled 193 Chinese adults with type 2 DM who were overweight (24 kg/m(2)=BMI≤28 kg/m(2), n=99), or obese (BMI ≥28 kg/m(2), n=94). Ninety-seven adults with normal BMIs, including 50 DM patients and 47 healthy adults, were recruited as a control group. BMR was measured by indirect calorimetry; predicted BMR was calculated according to the Schofield equation; and the relationships between BMR, body composition, and biochemical results were determined by the Pearson correlation. The results showed that obese DM patients had significantly higher BMRs than both overweight patients (P<0.05) and patients with normal BMI did (P<0.05). The measured BMR was significantly lower than the predicted BMR (P<0.05) in all groups. Obese and overweight DM patients had significantly greater weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, BMI, body surface area, body fat percentage, fat mass, and fat-free mass than patients with normal BMI. Except for waist circumference, these body composition measurements were significantly increased in obese DM patients when compared with those in overweight DM patients (P<0.05). Fat-free mass was closely correlated with BMR in both DM patients (r=0.874, P<0.01) and in healthy controls (r=0.902, P<0.01). It was concluded that overweight and obese Chinese adults with type 2 DM had increased BMRs compared with normal-weight controls, which may result from the difference in fat-free mass.

Expression of myeloid-related protein complex in association with circulating endothelial cells in children with acute Kawasaki disease / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of myeloid-related protein complex (MRP-8/14) in children with acute Kawasaki Disease (KD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 41 children with acute KD and 40 age- and sex-matched control children with upper respiratory tract infection were recruited. Serum levels of MRP-8/MRP-14 complex were measured by ELISA, messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) abundance of MRP-8 and MRP-14 in circulating granulocytes and monocytes was determined by RT-PCR, and the number of circulating endothelial cells was determined by flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>When the analysis was stratified according to the presence or absence of coronary artery ectasia in the KD patient group, serum levels of MRP-8/MRP-14 complex, MRP-8 and MRP-14 mRNA abundance in granulocytes, and the number of circulating endothelial cells were all significantly higher in KD patients with coronary artery ectasia than in KD patients without coronary artery ectasia (P<0.05). Serum levels of MRP-8/MRP-14 complex were positively correlated with the number of endothelial cells in the circulation (r=0.69, P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Serum levels of MRP-8/MRP-14 complex are elevated in a positive association with the number of circulating endothelial cells in KD children with coronary artery ectasia, suggesting a causative role in the development of coronary artery lesions.</p>

Evaluation of a new tuberculosis-related interferon gamma release assay for tuberculosis infection diagnosis in Huzhou, eastern China.

Objective: To compare the performance of a new tuberculosis-related interferon gamma release assay (TB-IGRA) with that of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) for TB infection diagnosis in China. Materials and Methods: A total of 458 active TB patients and 378 healthy individuals were enrolled. Among the 458 active TB patients, 395 had pulmonary TB and 63 had extra-pulmonary TB. The blood samples were collected from the active TB patients and health controls; then TB-IGRA and QFT-GIT were used to detect interferon gamma (IFN-) levels. Results: The sensitivity, specifi city, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value in TB infection diagnosis for active TB by the TB-IGRA were 83.4%, 94.2%, 94.5%, and 82.4%, respectively. For QFT-GIT, the sensitivity, specifi city, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value in TB infection diagnosis for active TB were 81.4%, 97.1%, 97.1%, and 81.2%, respectively. Conclusions: TB-IGRA had a high sensitivity and specifi city for TB infection; it could be comparable with the QFT-GIT assay. It might be a powerful assisting tool for TB infection diagnosis in the Chinese clinical setting.

Progress on host range factors and their mechanisms of poxvirus / 病毒学报

Poxvirus is one of the most serious zoonosis pathogens, which has largest genome and broadest host spectrum. With the development of molecular biology, functional genomics, and immunology-related technology, the interactions between pathogen and the host, particularly a large array of host range factors and their functions have been increasingly discovered. These findings provide references for the molecular basis of poxvirus tissue tropism and host specificity. This review focus on the introduction of host range factors in major members of Chordopoxvirinae to highlight the understanding of the mechanisms of molecular genetic evolution, the host tropism, and cross-species infection of poxviruses.

A multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of glyceryl trinitrate ointment in the treatment of anal fissure / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) ointment in the treatment of anal fissure.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In this multi-center, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial, 240 chronic anal fissure patients from 7 clinical centers were randomized to receive eight-week treatment with GTN ointment (treatment group) or vaseline ointment (control group) respectively. Healing rate, visual analogue score (VAS), maximum anal resting pressure (MARP) and adverse reactions were recorded and compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 221 patients (92.1%) finished the trial, including 114 patients in treatment group (95.0%, 114/120) and 107 in control group (89.2%, 107/120). At the endpoint of treatment (56 d), 90 patients in treatment group (78.9%, 90/114) healed completely compared to 31 patients in control group (29.0%, 31/107), and decrease rates of VAS in the two groups were (94.8±15.7)% and (61.2±35.7)% respectively, both differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). MARP after first administration was (20.2±18.5) mm Hg in treatment group (n=12) and (7.1±14.7) mm Hg in control group (n=6), which was not significantly different (P=0.152). Adverse reaction incidence was higher in treatment group (42.1% vs. 9.3%, P<0.05), while these adverse reactions were mainly headache and fullness in head, which were self-limiting.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>GTN ointment can effectively promote healing and relieve pain in anal fissure with safety and tolerance.</p>

Modulation of the host toll-like receptor signaling pathways by virus infection / 病毒学报

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are germline-encoded pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that play a central role in host cell recognition and responses to virus infection, leading to the production of interferons (IFNs) and proinflammatory cytokines. In parallel, in order to establish an infection, viruses have to develop exclusively strategies to interfere with TLRs signaling, particularly some important adaptors activation such as MyD88, NF-kappaB, TRIF and IRFs, and suppress or escape host's antiviral immune response. In this paper, we review the latest findings on the various strategies used by viruses to modulate TLRs-mediated innate immune response, with special emphasis on immune evasion mechanism of VACV, HCV and HIV. By highlighting recent progress in these areas, we hope to convey a greater understanding of how viruses hamper TLRs signaling and how to overcome viral infection.

Autologous bone marrow stem cell transplantation for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Autologous peripheral stem cell transplantation was first reported in 2007 to treat type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) and achieved encouraging effect, but whether similar outcome can be achieved in type 2 DM is not well demonstrated. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of combination of autologous bone marrow stem cell transplantation (BMT) and hyperbaric oxygen treatment on type 2 DM.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The study involved 31 patients with type 2 DM (aged 33 to 62 years) from January 2009 to January 2011 in the Central Hospital of Wuhan, China. Clinical variables (body mass index, duration of DM, insulin requirement, oral hypoglycemic drugs, time free from insulin, time free from oral drugs) and laboratory variables (hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)), mononuclear cells infused, and C-peptide in four time points) were assessed. Purified bone marrow stem cells were infused into major pancreatic arteries. Follow-up was performed at the 30, 90, 180, 360, 540 and 720 days (mean 321 days) after BMT.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Mean HbA1c values showed a significant reduction during follow-up in all patients after BMT. It decreased by more than 1.5% (from 8.7% to 7.1%) as quickly as at 30 days after BMT. Afterwards mean HbA1c fluctuated between plus or minus 0.5% until 24 months rather than declined continuously. At 90 days after the combined therapy C-peptide increased significantly compared with baseline (P < 0.0001). But in other time points C-peptide was similar with baseline data (P > 0.3). All patients had insulin and/or oral hypoglycemic drugs reduced to different levels. The dose of insulin of 7 patients (7/26, 27%) reduced for a period of time after BMT.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Combined therapy of intrapancreatic BMT and hyperbaric oxygen treatment can improve glucose control and reduce the dose of insulin and/or oral hypoglycemic drugs in type 2 DM patients, but it only improve pancreatic β-cell function transiently. Further randomized controlled clinical trials involved more patients will be required to confirm these findings and the mechanism needs to be illustrated deeply.</p>

Construction, expression and immunogenicity of eukaryotic vectors based on goat pox virus P32 gene / 病毒学报

The full-length P32 gene and the truncated P32 gene (MP-32) were amplified from the recombinant plasmid pMD-P32 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloned into pcDNA3. 1(+) and pcDNA3.1-CpG respectively. The recombinant plasmids (pcDNA3.1-P32, pcDNA3.1-CpG-P32 and pcDNA3. 1-CpG-MP32) were transfected into BHK-21 cells by using lipofectin. The expressed P32 protein was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). The BALB/c mice were immunized with these recombinant plasmids by intramuscular injection. The specific antibodies aginst CPV were detected by ELISA kit weekly. The murine splenic T lymphocyte subgroups CD4+ and CD8+ were detected by flow cytometry. Results showed that the P32 protein was expressed successfully in vitro. After 2 weeks post im munization, the specific IgG antibodies against CPV were detected in the vaccinated mice. The percentage of CD4+ /CD8+ T cells was significantly higher than that of the control. In conclusion, these constructed eukaryotic vectors could induce humoral and celluar immune responses in mice.

Expression and analysis of recombinant pIL-18 in Pichia pastoris / 生物工程学报

The porcine IL-18 gene was amplified from recombinant plasmid pGEM-IL-18 by PCR, then the pPIC9K-IL-18 of fusion expression vector was constructed by inserting IL-18 fragment,and was transformed to GS115 by electroporation, multi-copy recombinant strains were screened by G418. The expression of recombinant fusion protein was induced by methanol, SDS-PAGE was used to analyze expression product, fusion protein was purified by Sephadex G-100 column, bioactivity of IL-18 was measured by MTT assays. Experiment results show fusion protein of pIL-18 secreted by GS115,expression reaches the secretion peak of 160 mg/L at 72 h. We have expressed and purified successfully the recombinant pIL-18 with obvious biological activity in Pichia pastoris.

High-level expression of the potential vaccine antigen TSO18 of Taenia solium in Pichia pastoris / 生物工程学报

TSO18 gene was subcloned into the Pichia pastoris expression vector pPIC9K. The recombinant plasmid pPIC9K-TSO18 was transformed into P. pastoris GS115 by electroporation so that the plasmid will be integrated with chromosome of P. pastoris. The P. pastoris strains containing multi-copy recombinant were screened by G418 and induced by methanol. The expression product was analyzed by SDS-PAGE, Western blot, deglycosylation, and purified by Sephadex column, and was used to immunize mice. The results indicated that the target protein was efficiently expressed in P. pastoris, and glycosylated moderately, and had immunological activity. In a 5 liter fermentor, the expression level of the target protein was up to 2.54 mg/mL. These results will benefit for the development of genetically engineering vaccine.

Assessment of current epidemiological status of viral hepatitis in Guangdong Province, China.

Descriptive epidemiology was employed to analyze the current epidemiological status of viral hepatitis and strategies for control of viral hepatitis in Guangdong Province, China. The average incidence rate (IR) was 52.21 per 100,000 during 1991-2001 with a decrease of 37.98% from 79.10 per 100,000 in 1991 to 44.61 per 100,000 in 2001. Hepatitis B constituted 79.1% of total hepatitis cases. The Pearl River Delta Region had the highest prevalence of viral hepatitis, with the highest IR in the 20-35 age-group and the highest seasonal IR from March to May. Since 1991 HAV cases have declined gradually but HBV cases rose gradually with an increase of 2.48 times in constitutive ratio and with an increase of 53.35% in IR from 1991 to 2001. HBV vaccination in the newborn resulted in decreasing IR of the viral hepatitis and HBsAg carrier rate in infants. As to an increase of IR of the viral hepatitis in the 20-35 age group, it is suggested that HBV vaccination should be performed in adults and juveniles, especially in the social workers and the employees in public services.