Clinical analysis of different types of neonatal sepsis: a multi-center retrospective study / 中国新生儿科杂志

Objective:To study the clinical characteristics of different types of neonatal sepsis.Methods:From January 2012 to December 2019, neonates with confirmed sepsis from 5 neonatal centers of central-south China were reviewed. The neonates were assigned into early-onset sepsis (EOS) and late-onset sepsis (LOS) group, and the latter was further subgrouped into hospital-acquired LOS (hLOS) group and community-acquired LOS (cLOS) group. The etiological and clinical characteristics were analyzed. SPSS 26.0 was used for statistical analysis.Results:A total of 580 neonates were enrolled, including 286 (49.3%) in the EOS group and 294 (50.7%) in the LOS group. In LOS group, 147 were in hLOS group and 147 were in cLOS group. The gestational age and birth weight of hLOS group were significantly lower than the other two groups [(32.7±3.6) weeks vs. (37.1±3.7) weeks and (37.7±3.0) weeks, (1 810±717) g vs. (2 837±865) g and (3 024±710) g] ( P<0.05). The common pathogens in EOS and cLOS groups were coagulase-negative staphylococci and Escherichia coli, while Klebsiella pneumoniae was common in hLOS group. Carbapenems usage in the hLOS group was significantly higher than the other two groups [62.6% vs. 28.7% and 16.2%] ( P<0.05). Antibiotics duration in the hLOS group was longer than the other two groups [19 (14, 27) d vs. 15 (12, 20) d and 14 (12, 19) d] ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The clinical characteristics of neonatal sepsis vary among different types of infections, and it is necessary to establish appropriate prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment protocols.

Progress on role of exosomes derived from leukemia cells / 中国病理生理杂志

Exosomes are bilayer-lipid membrane nanovesicle from almost all living cell types which are in-volved in intercellular substance transporting and signaling communication .Exosomes are 30 ~120 nm in diameter , can transfer bioactive molecules including DNA , RNA, microRNA, protein as well as lipids derived from parents ' cells to re-cipient cells by body fluids , and specifically influence their physiological or pathological conditions .Leukemia is due to malignant proliferation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells .It was reported that leukemia cells derived exosomes play a key role in disease progression , drug resistance , and predict prognosis .This paper will outline the role of exosomes de-rived from leukemia cells and provide important information to help explore the molecular pathogenesis , biomarker as well as therapeutic target of leukemia .

Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A sulfur hexafluoride-filled microbubble ultrasound contrast agent and a continuous real-time imaging technique of contrast pulse sequencing were used. Normal gastric wall was examined by CEUS in 8 healthy volunteers and the results were compared with the findings on multislice computed tomography. Sixty-two patients with gastric cancer proved by biopsies who received preoperative CEUS examination were involved in this study, and the CEUS result was compared with postoperative pathological findings.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The normal gastric wall presented a one-layer structure in the portal venous phase and a three-layer structure in the arterial and equilibrium phase including a slightly hyper-enhanced inner layer, a hypo-enhanced intermediate layer, and a markedly hyper-enhanced outer layer, which corresponded histologically to the mucosal, submucosal, and muscular-serosal layer, respectively. The accuracy of transabdominal ultrasonography and CEUS in determining the T stage of gastric cancer was 72.9% and 88.1% respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (chi(2)=4.37, P=0.036).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CEUS shows the normal gastric wall as a one- or a three-layer structure, which provides a theory base for CEUS in preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer. CEUS is a useful diagnostic method for preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer.</p>

Inhibitive effect of E1A gene on the cell growth of human cervical carcinoma cell in vitro / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the inhibitive effect of E1A gene carried by PEI-Fe(3)O(4) nanometer particle (NP) on the cell growth of human cervical carcinoma cell in vitro and its mechanism, and to provide the experimental evidence for the feasibility of gene therapy for human cervical carcinoma.@*METHODS@#E1A gene conjugated to PEI-Fe3O4 NP was transfected into human cervical carcinoma cell line Hela. The cell growth curve of Hela was drawn, the doubling time and the number of colony formations on the soft agar were calculated based on the cell count. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression of the E1A and HER-2/neu in Hela cells.@*RESULTS@#The cell doubling time of Hela cells transfected with E1A gene (Hela-E1A) was 1.53 times and 1.58 times longer than that of the Hela transfected with blank vector (Hela-vector) and blank Hela control (Hela), respectively. The E1A transfected Hela cells grew slower than those of the control group. The cell colony formation efficiency in the Hela-E1A (6.62%) group was significantly lower than that of Hela (30.48%) and Hela-vector (28.3%) groups (P<0.05). As compared to Hela and Hela-vector, the inhibition rate of Hela-E1A was 78.28% and 76.62% respectively. RT-PCR and Western blot demonstrated that the overexpression of E1A through gene transfection significantly inhibited mRNA and protein expression of HER-2/neu in Hela cells.@*CONCLUSION@#E1A gene can suppress the cell growth of human cervical carcinoma cell Hela in vitro. Down-regulated expression of HER-2/neu gene by E1A overexpression in Hela might contribute to the Hela growth inhibitive effect of E1A.

Diagnostic value of double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in preoperative staging of gastric cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical value of double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography using oral and intravenous contrast agents in preoperative staging of gastric cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-two patients with biopsy-proven gastric cancer were enrolled into this study, and were examined by double contrast-enhanced gastric ultrasonography preoperatively. The results were compared with postoperative pathologic findings.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The accuracy of oral contrast-enhanced gastric ultrasonography and double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in determining the T stage of gastric cancer was 72.9% (T1: 66.7%, T2: 60.0%, T3: 76.9%, T4: 71.4%) and 88.1% (T1: 66.7%, T2: 80.0%, T3: 89.7%, T4: 100%), respectively, with a statistically significant difference between the two methods (P = 0.036). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and Youden index of oral contrast-enhanced gastric ultrasonography and double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in assessment of lymph node metastasis were 74.5%, 66.7%, 72.9%, and 0.41 versus 89.4%, 75.0%, 86.4%, 0.76, respectively. No significant difference in the accuracy of assessment for lymph node metastasis was observed (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography is useful for preoperative staging of gastric cancer, especially for T staging.</p>

Establishment of Diagnostic Criteria of Spleen-Stomach Damp-Heat Syndrome in Chronic Superficial Gastritis / 广州中医药大学学报

【Objective】 To establish preliminary diagnostic criteria of spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome (SDS) in chronic superficial gastritis (CSG) by disease-syndrome combined differentiation method and modern epidemiological method. 【Methods】 A clinical questionnaire of SDS in CSG was drafted out based on literatures study and experts' survey. Questionnaire investigation was performed in 146 cases of CSG, which consisted of 81 SDS cases and 65 nonSDS cases. Mter the investigation, discriminant analysis was adopted to set up the discriminant functional equations and to perform frequency analysis. According to the results, the diagnostic criteria and the simplified diagnostic criteria of SDS in CSG were established. 【Results】 The preliminary diagnostic criteria of SDS in CSG were as follows: (1) the major symptoms were characterized as yellow and greasy tongue fur, fullness or distension or pain in the stomach, loose stool and poor appetite; (2) the secondary symptoms were characterized as bitter taste and sticky mouth, chest depression, thirst but unwilling to drink, fatigue and nausea; (3) diagnosis could be confirmed by the existence of yellow and greasy tongue fur accompanied by either 2 of the other major symptoms, or by either 1 of the other major and 2 of the secondary symptoms, or by more than 3 of the secondary symptoms. The simplified diagnostic criteria were characterized the co-existence of yellow and greasy tongue fur and fullness or distension or pain in the stomach. 【Conclusion】 The preliminary diagnostic criteria of SDS in CSG are scientific, objective and practicable to some extent.

Prevalence survey and molecular characterization of alpha and beta thalassemia in Liuzhou city of Guangxi / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the gene frequencies and mutation patterns of alpha thalassemia (alpha-thal) and beta thalassemia (beta-thal) in Liuzhou city of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cluster sampling was used. A total of 1 028 of umbilical blood samples were collected for a prevalence study of alpha-thal and a total of 1 312 healthy young people when receiving pre-marriage consultation were recruited for a beta-thal prevalence survey. Individuals live in city or town area of Liuzhou. A complete blood count as well as hemoglobin electrophoresis analysis were done in all of samples for phenotyping of alpha and beta-thals. Those with Hb Bart's for alpha-thal indicator and those with both microcytosis (MCV < 85 fl) and elevated levels of Hb A(2) (>/=4.0%) for beta-thal were further studied by DNA analysis. PCR-based methodologies were used to characterize the mutation contributions of alpha and beta-thals. All the subjects were tested for the state of carrying beta-thala alleles for evaluating the situation of the compound heterozygotes of alpha-thal with beta-thal.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of 1 028 random samples of umbilical blood screened, 112 of subjects were defined to be the gene carriers of alpha-thal. The alpha-thal carrier rate was as high as 11.19% including 3 compound heterozygotes. Five well-known types of alpha-thal alleles were detected with gene contributions of 37.4% (--(SEA) deletion), 31.3% (-alpha(3.7) deletion), 17.4% (-alpha(4.2) deletion), 12.1% (alpha(CS)alpha mutation), and 0.9% (alpha(QS)alpha mutation), successively. Of the 1 312 adult specimens studied, 89 with beta-thal including 14 of the compound higher Hb F subjects were detected. All of the 89 phenotypic beta-thal carriers had the mutations in the beta-globin gene, making the overall prevalence 6.78%. The commonly seen three mutations, beta CD41 - 42 (-CTTT) frameshift, beta CD17 (T-A) nonsense mutation and beta-28 (A-G) promoter variation were accounted for 90% of the beta-thal alleles in Liuzhou. Of these beta-thal subjects, 16 (accounting for 18%) were found to be the compound heterozygosity for a beta-thal and an alpha-thal with 9 different types of gene defects with a detection rate 1.22%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Data from ecidation of alpha and beta-thal gene frequencies and mutation spectrum in Liuzhou city was useful for genetic counselling and prenatal diagnosis of this disease.</p>

Determination of Platinum Group Elements by Neutron Activation Analysis and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy Combined with Fire Assay Preconcentration / 分析化学

Two methods for the determination of platinum group elements were established based on neutron activation analysis (NAA) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) combined with fire assay preconcentration. Their analytical sensitivity,accuracy and applicability were discussed.The detection limits (ng/g)of NAA for Ru,Rh,Pd,Os,Ir and Pt are 0.5,0.5,0.3,0.1,0.01 and 0.2,respectively.whereas those of ICP-MS are 0.1 for Ru,0.05 for Rh,0.1 for Ir and 0.1 for Pt. Thus, both are complimentary for determination of platinum group elements. By the established methods the contents of platinum group elements in five geological reference materials were determined.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BMI, PERCENTAGE OF BODY FAT AND BODY FAT DISTRIBUTION IN HEALTHY ADULTS / 营养学报

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of overweight and obesity and relation of body mass index (BMI) to body fat percentage and waist circumference in Chinese healthy adults. Methods: 1005 healthy adults were divided into five groups by BMI,which was made by WHO's recent classification of BMI for Asian adults. Anthropometric measurements (waist and hip circumference , skinfold thickness and ratio of waist and hip circumference) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) were done in subjects. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity classⅠin males were significantly higher than in females. The prevalence of obesity classⅡwas lower both in males and in females. Females had higher percent body fat than males measured by BIA and by skinfold thickness measurements. BMI was significantly correlated with waist circumference in all age groups. Waist circumference was more than 80 cm in overweight females, and more than 90 cm in obesity classⅠin males. Conclusion: The age of overweight and obesity in males was younger than in females. The body fat in females was higher than in males. BMI cut off points for obesity diagnosis are over estimated much more than BIA and skinfold thickness measurements for percent body fat in adults. It should be noted that age, sex and physical activity need to be considered besides BMI when obesity is diagnosed.