Advances in relationship between pyroptosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension and therapeutic drugs / 中国药理学通报

Pyroptosis is the programmed death of cells accompanied by an inflammatory response and is widely involved in the development of a variety of diseases, such as infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegeneration. It has been shown that cellular scorching is involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension ( PAH) in cardiovascular diseases. Patients with PAH have perivascular inflammatory infiltrates in lungs, pulmonary vasculopathy exists in an extremely inflam-matory microenvironment, and pro-inflammatory factors in cellular scorching drive pulmonary vascular remodelling in PAH patients. This article reviews the role of cellular scorch in the pathogenesis of PAH and the related research on drugs for the treatment of PAH, with the aim of providing new ideas for clinical treatment of PAH.

Progress on the neuroprotective effects of ginsenoside Rg1 / 药学学报

Ginsenoside Rg1 is one of the most important saponins in ginseng. It has a wide range of pharmacological activities. It is considered to be a powerful neuroprotective agent. It has neuroprotective effects such as anti-neuroinflammation, anti-oxidative stress, anti-neuronal apoptosis, and enhancing memory. Rg1 shows a good application prospect in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, and mental diseases such as depression. This paper reviews the research on the neuroprotective mechanism of Rg1 at home and abroad in recent years, in order to provide new research ideas for the clinical treatment of nervous system diseases.

Clinical analysis of 4 acute ischemic stroke children treated with endovascular thrombectomy / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To assess the feasibility of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in children. Methods: Clinical data and follow-up information of 4 AIS children who received EVT in the Department of Intervention & Hemangioma at the Children's Hospital of the Capital Institute of Pediatrics from December 2020 to June 2021 were collected retrospectively. The vascular recanalization after EVT was assessed by the modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) score. Efficacy outcomes were assessed with initial and postprocedural Pediatric National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (PedNIHSS) score, and the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score at 3 and 6 months after treatment. Safety assessments included perioperative complications and intracranial hemorrhage post-treatment. Results: A total of 5 EVT treatment were performed on 4 children with AIS, of whom 3 were male. The age of onset was 4.6, 13.8, 7.8, 8.0, 8.9 years, respectively. The time from symptom onset to initiation of EVT was 19.0, 25.0, 22.0, 4.0, 16.5 hours, respectively and all patients achieved successful recanalization of the vessel after EVT (mTICI≥2b). The PedNIHSS score was 39, 14, 25, 39, 24 before treatment and decreased to 8, 1, 12, 39, 5 at discharge. All the procedures were performed with no perioperative complications. Only 1 patient with congenital heart disease had a recurrent AIS with malignant brain oedema and brain hernia. Although the occluded vessels were successfully recanalized,the symptoms were not improved and this patient died after treatment abandonment. The other 3 patients achieved good recovery at 6 months postoperatively. The mRS score of 3 patients was 3, 1, 2 at 3 months after EVT and decreased to 2, 1, 1 at 6 months. Conclusion: EVT treatment may be feasible and safe for pediatric AIS due to large vessel occlusion even when the treatment was initiated 6 hours post stroke, but children with heart disease may have a dismal prognosis.

Advances in neuroprotective effects of dihydromyricetin / 中国药理学通报

Dihydromyricetin is a dihydroflavone compound which widely exists in ampelopsis of grapevine family. It has many pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-tumor, antioxidant, regulating blood glucose, reducing blood lipid, liver protection and so on. In recent years, it has been found that dihydromyricetin has a good neuroprotective effect and can play a certain pharmacological role in a variety of neurological diseases, including Alzheimer' s disease, depression, Parkinson's disease and stroke. The purpose of this paper is to review the research on the neuroprotective effect of dihydromyricetin in the past decade.

Review of research progress on neurotransmitter function and depression / 中国药理学通报

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders with high prevalence, disability and relapse rates, and its etiology and pathogenesis are complex and still not fully understood. Neurotransmitters play a key role in maintaining chemical homeostasis in brain, and many studies have shown a strong link between neurotransmitters and the development and treatment of depression in recent years. Therefore, studying the neurotransmitters associated with depression has the potential to provide research targets and ideas for the pathogenesis and treatment strategies of depression. This paper reviews the recent domestic and foreign research results on neurotransmitter function and the pathogenesis of depression, aiming to analyze the in-depth relationship between neurotransmitter function and the pathogenesis of depression, and provide research ideas for the follow-up ex-ploration of the pathogenesis and diagnosis and treatment strategies of depression.

Comparison of clinical outcomes of ophthalmic artery chemotherapy with systemic vein-eye artery chemotherapy for retinoblastoma in children / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy, prognosis and complications between intravenous chemotherapy (IVC) combined with intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) and single IAC in the treatment of children retinoblastoma (RB).Methods:A cohort study was performed.A 4-year follow-up of 300 children (352 eyes) with intraocular RB enrolled in the Children's Hospital Affiliated of Zhengzhou University from June 2015 to June 2019 was conducted.According to the different treatment methods, the children were divided into IAC group (140 cases, 160 eyes) treated with IAC combined with local laser photocoagulation/cryotherapy and IVC+ IAC group (160 cases, 192 eyes) receiving IVC combined with IAC treatment.The clinical efficacy (eye salvage rate), survival and complication incidence of the two groups were compared.The survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Children's Hospital Affiliated of Zhengzhou University (No.20150503). Written informed consent was obtained from custodians of each child prior to their entering into the cohort.Results:All of the children were followed up for 2-60 months.Within the follow-up, the eye retention rate of the IAC group and IVC+ IAC group was 85.62%(137/160) and 81.21%(154/192) respectively, without statistically significant difference ( P>0.05). The recurrence rate and metastasis rate of IAC group were 18.75%(30/160) and 8.57%(12/140), which were significantly higher than 10.94%(21/192) and 3.13%(5/160) of IVC+ IAC group ( χ2=4.299, P=0.038; χ2=4.143, P=0.042). There was no significant difference in one-year survival rate between the two groups ( χ2=1.766, P=0.184), but the overall survival rate of IVC+ IAC group was 95.00%(152/160), significantly higher than 88.57%(124/140) of IAC group ( χ2=4.193, P=0.041). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the overall recurrence-free, metastasis-free and survival rate of IVC+ IAC group were better than those of IAC group, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of eyelid edema and/or ptosis, fundus hemorrhage, enophthalmos and cataract between the two groups (all at P>0.05). The incidence of myelosuppression was 32.14%(45/140) in IAC group, significantly lower than 43.75%(70/160) of IVC+ IAC group ( χ2=4.255, P=0.039). Conclusions:Compared with single IAC treatment, IVC combined with IAC can reduce the metastasis rate, recurrence rate in RB child patient and improve the survival rate, but it is with relatively high incidence of systemic complications.

Protective effects of Dendrobium officinale superfine powder against LPS-induced intestinal mucosal injury in mice / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to investigate the preventive effect of Dendrobium officinale in LPS-induced intestinal mucosal damage. Forty SPF-grade C57 BL/6 J male mice were randomly divided into normal group(NC), model group(LPS), and two superfine powder groups of Dendrobium officinale(DOF)(DOF-L, 0.30 g·kg~(-1)and DOF-H, 0.60 g·kg~(-1), respectively), with 10 mice in each group. DOF superfine powder suspension was given via oral administration to mice for 7 days, while the mice in NC and LPS groups received the same volume of saline for 7 days. On the eighth day, the mice in LPS group and DOF treatment groups were injected with LPS(5 mg·kg~(-1)) by intraperitoneal injection to establish the intestinal mucosal injury model, while the mice in NC group were injected with the same volume of sterile saline in the same manner. Six hours after injection with LPS or saline, plasma and the intestinal tissue were collected. The diamine oxidase(DAO) and D-lactate levels in plasma were detected with a biochemical method. The levels of proinflammatory factors interleukin-6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in plasma were detected by ELISA. The histomorphology and ultrastructure of mouse ileum tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining in optical microscope and transmission electron microscope(TEM). The expression and distribution of tight junction(TJ) proteins claudin-1, occludin and F4/80 were detected by immunohistochemistry while the protein expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR-4) and nuclear factor kappa B p65(NF-κB p65) in jejunum were detected by Western blot. The experimental results showed that continuous intragastric administration of D. officinale superfine powder for 7 days obviously alleviated the damage and ultrastructural changes of intestinal mucosa induced by LPS; significantly decreased DAO and D-lactate levels in plasma in model group(P<0.05); up-regulated the protein expression of claudin-1 and occludin in ileum tissues; down-regulated the protein expression of TLR-4 and NF-κB p65 in jejunum tissues(P<0.01); significantly decreased TNF-α and IL-6 levels in plasma(P<0.05); and decreased the infiltration of F4/80~+ macrophage cells. Our results suggested that D. officinale had significant protective effects on LPS-induced intestinal mucosal damage and reduced intestinal permeability. The mechanism might be related to its effects of inhibiting inflammation via TLR-4/NF-κB p65, and up-regulating the expression of tight junction proteins.

Expression of miR-206 in peripheral blood of hemangioma children and its correlation with the efficacy of propranolol / 国际儿科学杂志

Objective:To investigate the expression of microRNA(miR)-206 in the peripheral serum of hemangioma children and its correlation with curative effect of propranolol treatment.Methods:The expression of miR-206 in serum of 45 hemangiomas children treated with propranolol treatment was detected.The children were divided into the high expression group( n=19) and the low expression group( n=26) according to the mean value of miR-206, and the clinical characteristics of the two groups were compared; The children were divided into the good efficacy group( n=29) and general efficacy group( n=16) according to the efficacy after 6 months of treatment.Logistic regression was used to analyze whether miR-206 was an influencing factor of efficacy, and ROC curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of miR-206. Results:The proportion of children <6 months, in hyperplasia stage and with tumor area ≥10 cm 2 in the high expression group was significantly lower than that in the low expression group( χ2=4.664, 7.207, 8.927, P=0.031, 0.007, 0.012, respectively). The miR-206 level after treatment(3.25±0.64) was significantly higher than that before treatment(2.12±0.41, t=9.973, P<0.05). After six months of propranolol treatment, the proportion of high expression of miR-206 before treatment in the good efficacy group(24.1%) was significantly lower than that in the general efficacy group(75.0%, χ2=10.934, P=0.001). High expression of miR-206 before treatment was a risk factor for poor curative effect of propranolol in hemangioma children[ CI(95% CI)=6.423(1.436~28.731), P=0.015]; ROC curve analysis showed that the area under ROC curve of miR-206 for predicting the efficacy of propranolol was 0.798, the sensitivity was 0.83, and the specificity was 0.75. Conclusion:The expression of serum miR-206 was correlated with age, proliferative stage and tumor area and may be one of the important indicators for predicting propranolol effect in children with hemangioma.

Metabolic Disorder and Changes of Islet Morphology and Function in Thyl-aSYN Transgenic Mice / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second major neurodegenerative disease.The pathogenesis of PI) is still unclear.It is generally believed that neural damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, oxidative stress and autophagy dysfunction caused by the transmission and aggregation of a- synuclein play an important role in the occurrence and development of PD.More and more research show- that metabolic disorder is one of the pathogenesis of PD.We examined whether overexpression of a- synuclein could induce metabolic disorder in mice and the possible mechanisms.Mice were divided into two groups: Thyl-aSYN transgenic mice (TG) and the control wild-type (WT) group.The rotarod test was used to analyze motor function in mice.We detected the body weight, plasma insulin content, glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance in the two group mice.The morphology of islets in the two groups were observed by hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining, and the islets were isolated to detect the glucose- stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS).The results showed that compared with the WT group, exercise tolerance of 12-month-old TG group decreased by 23.1% (P < 0.05) , body weight increased by 7% (P < 0.01), glucose tolerance decreased (P < 0.05), insulin tolerance decreased (P < 0.05), and insulin contents in the peripheral blood decreased by 20% (P < 0.05).Compared with the WT group, the levels of ce -syn proteins in the pancreas of the TG group increased by 1.32 times (P < 0.05) , the area of islets in the TG group decreased (P < 0.05 ) , the number of islets decreased (P < 0.01) , and the insulin secretion function decreased (P< 0.01).This study showed that the role of a-synuclein in PD is not limited to the damage of dopaminergic neurons, it also can affect metabolism and the morphology and function of peripheral organs, which provides a new theoretical basis for the pathogenesis of PD.

Effect of Wubi Shanyao Pills on sexual dysfunction in rats with adenine-induced kidney-Yang deficiency / 中国中药杂志

The aim of this paper was to study the effect of Wubi Shanyao Pills on sexual dysfunction in rats with kidney-Yang deficiency and to investigate its possible mechanism. Adenine(100 mg·kg~(-1)) was administered to male SD rats for 8 weeks to establish kidney-Yang deficiency model, and at the same time, Wubi Shanyao Pills(2, 1, 0.5 g·kg~(-1)) were administered to rats for 8 weeks. The syndrome manifestation of kidney-Yang deficiency was observed in rats and the scores of symptoms were evaluated. Sexual behavior indexes(incubation period and times of capture, straddle and ejaculation) were measured by mating experiment. The levels of serum testosterone(T), estradiol(E_2), follicle stimulating hormone(FSH), luteinizing hormone(LH), and gonadotropin releasing hormone(GnRH) were measured by radioimmunoassay. The wet weights of testis and seminal vesicle were measured. The content of fructose in seminal plasma was detected by UV spectrophotometry. The pathological changes of testis and epididymis were observed by HE staining. The expression levels of transforming growth factor(TGF-β1) and cytochrome P450 aromatase(CYP19) in testis were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The results showed that Wubi Shanyao Pills could significantly reduce the score of kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome, improve the symptoms of kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome, shorten capture, straddle and ejaculation latency, increase capture and straddle times, increase serum T, LH, FSH, E_2 and GnRH levels, increase the wet weight of testis and seminal vesicle and fructose content in seminal plasma, improve the pathological structure of testis and epididymis, and inhibit the expression of TGF-β1 and increase CYP19 in testis of the model rats. Therefore, Wubi Shanyao Pills can significantly improve sexual dysfunction in rats with kidney-Yang deficiency, and its mechanism may be related to regulating the low function of hypothalamus pituitary gonad(HPG) axis and improving the disorder of sex hormone secretion. In addition, it may be also related to inhibiting the expression of testicular TGF-β1, increasing the expression of CYP19 protein, and then regulating the amount of T converted to E_2.

RE: Efficacy and Safety of Radiofrequency Ablation for Benign Thyroid Nodules: A Prospective Multicenter Study

No abstract available.

Optimization of the processing technology of Fructus Arctii by response surface methodology / 中国天然药物

The present study was designed to optimize the processing of Fructus Arctii by response surface methodology (RSM). Based on single factor studies, a three-variable, three-level Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to monitor the effects of independent variables, including processing temperature and time, on the dependent variables. Response surfaces and contour plots of the contents of total lignans, chlorogenic acid, arctiin, and arctigenin were obtained through ultraviolet and visible (UV-Vis) monitoring and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Fructus Arctii should be processed under heating in a pot at 311 °C, medicine at 119 °C for 123s with flipping frequently. The experimental values under the optimized processing technology were consistent with the predicted values. In conclusion, RSM is an effective method to optimize the processing of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Effect of 5-fluorouracil on the expression of ATP-binding cassette superfamily G member 2 in human colon cancer cell SW480 / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on the expression of ATP-binding cassette superfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) in human colon cancer cell SW480.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>SW480 cells were treated with various concentrations of 5-FU. CCK8 assay was utilized to detect the 5-FU IC50 to SW480 cells. Positive expression of ABCG2 was detected by flow cytometry, and mRNA expression of ABCG2 was detected by real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 5-FU IC50 to SW480 cells increased as the drug concentration increased (P<0.05). Flow cytometry revealed that positive expression rate of ABCG2 in normal SW480 cells (group A) was (6.26±0.86)%. Immediately after treatment with 5-FU for 48 hours, the positive expression rate of ABCG2 (group B) was (3.43±1.18)% (P<0.05). In the second passage of cells after treatment with 5-FU for 48 hours, the positive expression rate of ABCG2 (group C) was (12.91±3.42)% (P<0.05). The mRNA expression of ABCG2 detected by RT-PCR was in accordance with the results from flow cytometry.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Expression of ABCG2 in SW480 cells can be affected by various concentrations of 5-FU.</p>

Study on quality evaluation of cimicifugae rhizoma from different producing areas by HPLC fingerprint / 中国中药杂志

To establish a fingerprint for Cimicifugae Rhizoma from different producing areas. Column kromasil (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) was employed with acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid solution as the mobile phase for gradient elution. The flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1), the detection wavelength was 254 nm. Twenty chromatographic peaks were extracted as the common peaks of fingerprint, and 21 batches of samples were compared and classified with such methods as similarity evaluation, cluster analysis and principle component analysis. The results showed 12 common peaks and three categories of samples. The method was so highly reproducible, simple and reliable that it could provide basis for quality control and evaluation of Cimicifugae Rhizoma from different producing areas.

Clinical significance of CC3/TIP30 expression in breast carcinoma and its correlation with HER-2/neu / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the clinical significance of CC3/TIP30 protein's expression in breast carcinoma and its correlation with HER-2/neu.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of CC3/TIP30 and HER-2/neu protein was detected in 112 breast cancer tissues which was collected from January 2004 to January 2005 by immunohistochemistry and the relationship with clinic pathological parameters and prognosis was analyzed. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) which target to knock out CC3/TIP30 were transfected into SK-BR-3 cells. Real-time PCR were used to detect the level of CC3/TIP30 and HER-2/neu mRNA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The results of immunohistochemistry showed CC3/TIP30 protein was correlated with TNM stage, lymph node status, HER-2 status and molecule classification (P = 0.048, 0.019, 0.027, 0.011), but there was no association with age, tumor size, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor. Real-time PCR results revealed that CC3/TIP30 siRNA down-regulation the level of its mRNA, accompanied by a decline in the expression of HER-2/neu gene mRNA, the difference was statistically significant (F = 56.797, P = 0.000; F = 165.101, P = 0.000). In addition, Kaplan-Meier curves of disease-specific survival analysis showed a marked difference in the subtype of HER-2 protein positive between CC3/TIP30 positive group and negative group (χ(2) = 10.732, P = 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The loss of CC3/TIP30 is related to occurrence and development in breast cancer, suggesting early onset of metastasis and recurrence. Perhaps CC3/TIP30 can be considered as a sub-typing indicator in HER-2 positive breast cancer.</p>

Expression and its clinical significance of miR-155 in human primary breast cancer / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of the miR-155 in human primary breast cancer and its clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From February to June 2009, 45 pairs of specimens of human primary breast cancer and matched nontumor breast tissues were collected from the patients who received operation for breast cancer. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the miR-155 expression in those specimens.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The stem-loop RT-PCR was sensitive and specific enough to detect the expression of the miR-155. The median relative expression of miR-155 was 0.360 in tumor samples, and it was 0.135 in matched nontumor breast tissues, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). It's indicated that the up-regulation of miR-155 expression was associated with advanced TNM clinical stage (median 0.316, 0.358 and 0.417 respectively for stage I, II and III tumor, P = 0.002), lymph node metastasis (median 0.383 and 0.355 respectively for cases with positive and negative lymph nodes, P = 0.034), higher proliferation index [median 0.387 and 0.353 respectively for cases with high proliferation index (Ki67 > 10%) and low proliferation index (Ki67 ≤ 10%), P = 0.019], estrogen receptor-positive (0.367 and 0.318 respectively for cases with positive estrogen receptor and negative group, P = 0.041) and progesterone receptor-positive (0.398 and 0.335 respectively for cases with positive progesterone receptor and negative group, P = 0.029) in patients with breast cancer.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The expression of miR-155 is up-regulated in primary breast cancer, especially in patients with positive estrogen and progesterone receptor. miR-155 may play an important role in the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of human primary breast cancer, and it could be a indicator in the diagnosis and prognosis of primary breast cancer.</p>

An outbreak of human Streptococcus suis serotype 2 infections presenting with toxic shock syndrome in Sichuan, China / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>In mid-July 2005, five patients presented with septic shock to a hospital in Ziyang city in Sichuan, China, to identify the etiology of the unknown reason disease, an epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory study were conducted.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>An enhanced surveillance program were established in Sichuan, the following activities were introduced: active case finding in Sichuan of (a) laboratory diagnosed Streptococcus suis infection and (b) clinically diagnosed probable cases with exposure history; supplemented by (c) monitoring reports on meningococcal meningitis. Streptococcus suis serotype 2 infection was confirmed by culture and biochemical reactions, followed by sequencing for specific genes for serotype and virulence factors.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>From June 10 to August 21, 2005, 68 laboratory confirmed cases of human Streptococcus suis infections were reported. All were villagers who gave a history of direct exposure to deceased or sick pigs in their backyards where slaughtering was performed. Twenty six (38%) presented with toxic shock syndrome of which 15 (58%) died. Other presentations were septicaemia or meningitis. All isolates were tested positive for genes for tuf, species-specific 16S rRNA, cps2J, mrp, ef and sly. There were 136 clinically diagnosed probable cases with similar exposure history but incomplete laboratory investigations.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>An outbreak of human Streptococcus suis serotype 2 infections occurred in villagers after direct exposure to deceased or sick pigs in Sichuan. Prohibition of slaughtering in backyards brought the outbreak to a halt. A virulent strain of the bacteria is speculated to be in circulation, and is responsible for the unusual presentation of toxic shock syndrome with high case fatality.</p>

Anlysis on features of dead cases with human Streptococcus suis infections / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To describe the clinical and epidemiological features of dead cases with human Streptococcus suis infections, and to find the target population for preventing death and the related indicators.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Epidemiological investigation on human Streptococcus suis infections was implemented used unified questionnaires. Analysis on dead cases and survival cases (as contrast) was done.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The population with highest fatality rate was in 40-49 age group. 97.37% of dead cases had toxic shock syndrome. The mean interval from onset to admission was 0.76 days, and the mean course was 2.11 days. The progression among dead cases was faster than that among survival cases. Chief clinical manifestations of dead cases that are more frequent than survival cases are purpura (73.68%), diarrhea (50.0%), dyspnea (21.05%), conjunctival congestion (34.21%), etc. Renal impairment and liver involvement in dead cases were more significant than that in survival cases. No significant difference between mean incubation period, exposure rates of main risk factors in dead cases and in survival cases was found.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Preventing toxic shock syndrome might reduce the fatality rate. The target population for preventing death is aged > or = 40. Liver function and renal function testing might be indicators for monitoring the progression of human Streptococcus suis infections.</p>

Matched case-control study for risk factors of human Streptococcus suis infection in Sichuan Province, China / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the potential risk factors of human infecting with Streptococcus suis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>1: M matched case-control study was conducted. 29 human cases of Streptococcus suis infection in the early phase were included in the case group, Patients' family members, neighbors and peoples who had worked together with patients to handle deceased or sick pigs in the last week were recruited as matched controls. There were 147 controls in total. Both cases and controls received questionnaire investigation including the ways to contact sick/dead pigs. Conditional logistic regression was employed to analyze matching data.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>According to the results of multivariate analysis, slaughtering (OR = 11.978, 95% CI: 3.355-42.756), carcasses cutting and processing (OR = 3.008, 95% CI: 1.022-8.849) sick/dead pigs were associated with cases related to human Streptococcus suis infection. The attributable risk proportion were 91.65% and 66.76% respectively. The other types of exposures to sick/ dead pigs, including feeding, selling, burying and eating, were not associated with the human Streptococcus suis infection in our study population.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Slaughtering, carcasses cutting and processing sick/dead pigs were important risky behavior for humans to be infected by Streptococcus suis.</p>