Factors associated with readmission within three months of surgery for gastric cancer and their long-term effects on patients' nutritional status and quality of life / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To analyze the factors associated with readmission within three months of surgery for gastric cancer and the impact of readmission on patients' long-term nutritional status and quality of life. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study comprising patients who underwent radical gastrectomy in the Department of Pancreatic and Gastric Surgery, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from October 2018 to August 2019. Patients who failed to complete postoperative follow-up, whose body mass index (BMI) could not be accurately estimated, or who were unable to complete a quality-of-life questionnaire were excluded. The patients were followed up for 12 months. Time to, cause(s) of, and outcomes of readmission were followed up 1, 2 and 3 months postoperatively. BMI was followed up 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Results of blood tests were collected and patients' nutritional status and quality of life were assessed 12 months postoperatively. Nutritional status was evaluated by BMI, hemoglobin, albumin, and total lymphocyte count. Quality of life was evaluated using the European Organization for Research in the Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life scale. The higher the scores for global health and functional domains, the better the quality of life, whereas the higher the score in the symptom domain, the worse the quality of life. Results: The study cohort comprised 259 patients with gastric cancer, all of whom were followed up for 3 months and 236 of whom were followed up for 12 months. Forty-four (17.0%) patients were readmitted within 3 months. The commonest reasons for readmission were gastrointestinal dysfunction (16 cases, 36.3%), intestinal obstruction (8 cases, 18.2%), and anastomotic stenosis (8 cases, 18.2%). Logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment score ≥ 4 points (OR=1.481, 95% CI: 1.028‒2.132), postoperative complications (OR=3.298, 95%CI:1.416‒7.684) and resection range (OR=1.582, 95% CI:1.057‒2.369) were risk factors for readmission within 3 months of surgery. Compared with patients who had not been readmitted 12 months after surgery, patients who were readmitted within 3 months of surgery tended to have greater decreases in their BMI [-2.36 (-5.13,-0.42) kg/m2 vs. -1.73 (-3.33,-0.33) kg/m2, Z=1.850, P=0.065), significantly lower hemoglobin and albumin concentrations [(122.1±16.6) g/L vs. (129.8±18.4) g/L, t=2.400, P=0.017]; [(40.9±5.0) g/L vs. (43.4±3.3) g/L, t=3.950, P<0.001], and significantly decreased global health scores in the quality of life assessment [83 (67, 100) vs. 100 (83, 100), Z=2.890,P=0.004]. Conclusion: Preoperative nutritional risk, total or proximal radical gastrectomy, and complications during hospitalization are risk factors for readmission within 3 months of surgery for gastric cancer. Perioperative management and postoperative follow-up should be more rigorous. Readmission within 3 months after surgery may be associated with a decline in long-term nutritional status and quality of life. Achieving improvement in long-term nutritional status and quality of life requires tracking of nutritional status, timely evaluation, and appropriate interventions in patients who need readmission.

The analysis of "alpha" dominant mutation of hepatitis B virus in community-based Zhengding area, Hebei province / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the "alpha"dominant mutation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in community-based Zhengding. Analysis the role of the newborn hepatitis B vaccination on the mutation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Based on the national surveillance of hepatitis B, 11,478 people's sera were collected and tested by SPRIA with kits. Collect people's sera with positive HBsAg and amplify the S gene. Sequencing and clastwaling them with the standard sequences.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Overall, HBV DNA was successfully amplified and sequenced in 434 of 443 samples. 6.7% samples mutated in HBV "alpha" dominant region. The difference between the mutation ratio of the two loops of HBV "alpha" dominant between the people born before and after the year 1986 has no significance.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There were HBV "alpha" dominant mutant virus in the local area with a low infection rate in the population born after the year 1986. It could not explain the newborn hepatitis B vaccination can induce the prevalence of the "alpha" dominant mutate HBV.</p>

Detection of HBV DNA among HBsAg negative children after prevention for mother-to-infant transmission / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Detection HBV DNA among HBsAg negative children who have been vaccined at birth, in order to improve the evaluation of the indicator for HBV DNA infection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Selection HBsAg negative children who have been vaccined at birth and then detection HBV DNA from sera using QIAamp Viral DNA Mini Kit, HBV DNA s region was obtained by nested PCR and sequencing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>12 of the 140 children were HBV DNA detected were positive and the infectious rate was 8.6% . No mutant of the 12 HBV DNA in "a" determinant.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>To evaluate the effection of the prevention of HBV mother-to-child transmission, the standard method should be established. The detection of HBV DNA should be included in the future.</p>

Regulation of a Highly Repeated GT Sequence from DCA1 Promoter of Dunaliella Salina in Salt-induction / 中国生物工程杂志

To identify whether a highly repeated GT sequence from DCA1 promoter from Dunaliella salina,which have been proved to be a salt-inducible promoter in our previous study,would be a salt-inducible regulation element,different primers were designed to amplify 6 different-length fragments of DCA1 promoter from D.salina by PCR.After these fragments were respectively inserted into the HindⅢ-BamH I sites of the vector pU?GUS,serial expression vectors containing the gus gene were generated.D.salina cells transformed with these recombinant plasmids by electroporation were grown in liquid media containing different concentrations of sodium chloride respectively.GUS enzyme activity was measured histochemically and fluorometrically.The results revealed that 3 fragments containing GT repeated sequence drove the external gus gene expression and the expression pattern of the gus gene was regulated by the concentrations of sodium chloride.Additionally,the 2 fragments without tandem GT sequence drove the gus gene expression,but the expression pattern of the gus gene wasn't regulated by the concentration of sodium chloride;Also,the upstream fragment of the tandem GT sequence wasn't able to drive the gus gene expression.In conclusion,the highly repeated GT sequence from the DCA1 promoter plays an important role in the salt-inducible regulation of DCA1 promoter from D.salina and might be a novel salt-inducible element.

Cloning and Characterization of 5′Flanking Region of Nitrate Reductase Gene Derived from Dunaliella salina / 中国生物工程杂志

Aim: Clone and characterize of the 5′- flanking region of the nitrate reductase (NR) gene derived from Dunaliella salina(D. salina). Methods : The genomic DNA from D. salina was respectively digested with BamHI, EcoRI, HindIII, Pst I, Sal I and Xba I. A genomic walking cassette was ligated to the ends of the digested DNA fragments, and then genomic walking libraries comprising BL, EL, HL, PL, SL and XL were constsucted. The 5′- flanking region of the NR gene from genomic walking libraries of D. salina was amplified by LA-PCR. The DNA sequences were analyzed with the software - Promoter Predictions. Isolated 5′-flanking regions fused to the GUS gene were tested for transient expression in the alga. Results: A single specific PCR product of about 1200bp in length from the HL library was generated. Also, several conserved motifs, such as CAAT-box, GAGA-box were found, which are related to regulation of transcription, and the putative binding sites of transcriptional factors such as EBP, EFII, NF-E1 and LV. BLAST showed that the DNA sequences shared high homology with 5′-upstream region of the NR gene from Dunaliella viridis. The isolated 5′-flanking regions were able to strongly drive GUS reporter gene expression, suggesting that it contains the promoter elements necessary for the transcription of the NR gene. The expression pattern of the GUS gene and the NR gene were similar, both ware induced by nitrate and repressed by ammonium. Conclusion: The cloned 5′- flanking sequences of NR gene derived from D. salina might be a specific promoter with the ability to“switch on or off” an expression of the heterologous gene in transgenic D. salina.