Epidemiological characteristics of elderly pulmonary tuberculosis in Xianning, Hubei Province, 2011-2021 / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective　To analyze the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis infection in the elderly(≥ 65 years old) in Xianning City from 2011 to 2021, and to provide scientific basis for formulating strategies and measures for tuberculosis prevention and treatment in the elderly. Methods　Descriptive epidemiological analysis was used to analyze the epidemic characteristics and influencing factors of elderly (this article studies elderly people aged 65 and above) pulmonary tuberculosis in Xianning City, Hubei Province from 2011 to 2021. Results　From 2011 to 2021, the average annual registration rate of elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Xianning City, Hubei Province was 211.52/100 000 (5 289/2 500 496), which showed a downward trend （χ2 trend=58.06, P<0.05), and significantly higher than the average registration rate of 96.04/100 000 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (26 463/27 554 195)(χ2=2 896.69, P<0.05). The average proportion of the registered number of elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in the whole population was 19.99% (5 289/26 463), which showed an upward trend (χ2trend=272.05, P<0.05). The average positive rate of etiology in elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was 51.86% (2 743/5 289), which was significantly higher than that in the whole population 46.41% (12 282/26 463) (χ2=52.53, P<0.05). The average proportion of retreated patients in elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was 8.92% (472/5 289), which was significantly higher than that of retreated patients in the whole population 6.33% (1 674/26 463) (χ2=47.23, P<0.05). The sex ratio of male to female in elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was 2.92∶1. Among the six counties (districts) under the jurisdiction of Xianning City, Hubei Province the registration rate of elderly tuberculosis patients in Xian'an district was the highest 262.20/100 000 (1 267/483 220), and that in Tongcheng County was the lowest 123.83/100 000 (575/464 338), with significant differences (χ2=233.67, P<0.05). Conclusion　The overall incidence of tuberculosis in the elderly in Xianning City , Hubei Province showed a downward trend, but the proportion of the incidence of tuberculosis in the elderly in the whole population has increased year by year, suggesting that the elderly are the key population of tuberculosis prevention and control in Xianning City in the future, and comprehensive prevention and control measures should be taken to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis in the elderly population.

Effect of Nucleolin on Lymphoma Proliferation by Regulating Thymidine Kinase 1 / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the mechanism of nucleolin (NCL) involved in lymphoma proliferation by regulating thymidine kinase 1 (TK1).@*METHODS@#Twenty-three patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) were selected and divided into initial treatment group (14 cases) and relapsed/refractory group (9 cases). Serum TK1 and C23 protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were detected. Cell models of CA46-NCL-KD (CA46-NCL-knockdown) and CA46-NCL-KNC (CA46-NCL-knockdown negative control) were established by lentivirus vector mediated transfection in Burkitt lymphoma cell line CA46. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of CA46-NCL-KD, CA46-NCL-KNC, and CA46 to adriamycin were detected by cell proliferation assay (MTS). The expression of NCL mRNA and protein in CA46-NCL-KD and CA46-NCL-KNC cells were dectected by Q-PCR and Western blot, respectively. The cell cycle of CA46-NCL-KD, CA46-NCL-KNC, and CA46 cells were detected by flow cytometry. The expression of TK1 protein in CA46-NCL-KD and CA46-NCL-KNC cells was detected by an enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL) dot blot assay.@*RESULTS@#The level of serum TK1 in the initial treatment group was 0.43(0-30-1.01) pmol/L, which was lower than 10.56(2.19-14.99) pmol/L in the relapsed/refractory group (P<0-01), and the relative expression level of NCL protein in peripheral blood was also significantly lower. The IC50 of CA46-C23-KD cells to adriamycin was (0.147±0.02) μg/ml, which was significantly lower than (0.301±0.04) μg/ml of CA46-C23-KNC cells and (0.338±0.05) μg/ml of CA46 cells (P<0.05). Compared with CA46-NCL-KNC cells, the expression of NCL mRNA and protein, TK1 protein decreased in CA46-NCL-KD cells, and the proportion of S phase and G2/M phase also decreased, while G0/G1 phase increased in cell cycle.@*CONCLUSION@#The increased expression of NCL in DLBCL and CA46 cells indicates low sensitivity to drug. NCL may participate in regulation of lymphoma proliferation by affecting TK1 expression, thereby affecting the drug sensitivity.

Characteristics and management of children with Clostridioides difficile infection at a tertiary pediatric hospital in China

ABSTRACT Background: Clostridiodes difficile infection (CDI) is one of the most common causes of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children. Conventional antibiotics and emerging fecal micro-biota transplantation (FMT) are used to treat CDI. Methods: Children with CDI admitted to the Shanghai Children's Hospital, from September 2014 to September 2020, were retrospectively included to this observational study. Pediatric patients were assigned as initial CDI and recurrent CDI (RCDI), and symptoms, comorbid-ities, imaging findings, laboratory tests, and treatments were systematically recorded and analyzed. Results: Of 109 pediatric patients with CDI, 58 were boys (53.2%), and the median age was 5 years (range, 2-9 years). The main clinical symptoms of CDI children were diarrhea (109/109, 100%), hematochezia (55/109, 50.46%), abdominal pain (40/109, 36.70%); fever, pseudomembrane, vomit, and bloating were observed in 39 (35.78%), 33 (30.28%), and 24 (22.02%) patients, respectively. For the primary therapy with conventional antibiotics, 68 patients received metronidazole, and 41 patients received vancomycin. RCDI occurred in 48.53% (33/68) of those initially treated with metronidazole compared with 46.33% (19/41) of those initially treated with vancomycin (p=0.825). The total resolution rate of FMT for RCDI children was significantly higher than with vancomycin treatment (28/29, 96.55% vs 11/23, 47.83%, p < 0.001). There were no serious adverse events (SAEs) reported after two months of FMT. Conclusions: The major manifestations of children with CDI were diarrhea, hematochezia, and abdominal pain. The cure rate of FMT for pediatric RCDI is superior to vancomycin treatment.

Chemical Constituents of Water Extract from Camptosorus sibiricus / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::Camptosorus sibiricus is a kind of herbal medicine and famous folk medicine. However, the bioactivities or pharmacological effects of the C. sibiricus remain to be unclear. Therefore, it is necessary to make a systematic study on chemical constituents from C. sibiricus, so as to further study its potential medicinal value, and provide certain chemical basis and foundation for the comprehensive development and the search for pharmacological activity. Method::Various column chromatographic technologies, (silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and ODS column chromatography) as well as HPLC were adopted to separate chemical constituents of C. sibiricus extract. The structure of the purified compounds was elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS). Result::Totally 10 compounds have been isolated from water extract of C. sibiricus. By spectroscopic methods, they were elucidated as 7-dien-3-on-9-O-β-D-glucoside (1), bridelionoside F (2), (3R, 5S, 6S, 7E, 9S)-megastigm, an-7-ene-3, 5, 6, 9-tetrol 9-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), (6S, 7E, 9R)-roseoside (4), (3S, 5S, 6R, 9R)-3-hydroxy-5, 6-epoxy-β-ionol-9-O-β-glucopyranoside (5), 6, 9-dihydroxy-4, 7-megastigmadien-3-one (6), (3R, 6R, 7E, 9R)-3, 9-dihydroxy-4, elaphoside A (7), ptelatoside-A (8), n-butyl-a-β-D-fructofuranoside (9), dibutylphthalate(10)based on physical and chemical properties. Conclusion::All compounds were obtained from C. sibiricus for the first time. The discovery of these compounds further enriched the chemical constituents of C. sibiricus, and provided experimental and scientific basis for the comprehensive development and utilization of C. sibiricus.

Expression and clinical significance of TRAIL and c-FLIP in peripheral blood mononuclear cell of patients with rheumatoid arthritis / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:To analyze the expression of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing factor TRAIL,c-FLIP and caspase-8 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with rheumatoid arthritis at different period,in order to provide a experimental basis that treating and looking for a more effective way and method.Methods:mRNA expression of TRAIL,c-FLIP and caspase-8 were detected by Real-time PCR from peripheral blood mononuclear cells;TRAIL,c-FLIP and caspase-8 were checked by Western blot from peripheral blood mononuclear cells.Results:The mRNA expression level of TRAIL,c-FLIP and caspase-8 from PBMC at different groups of RA:TRAIL mRNA in group M was 3.26±0.78 which was much higher than healthy controls(1.30±0.20) (P=0.028),and those of group L and group H (1.56±0.37 and 1.83±0.26 respectively) was slightly higher than controls(P<0.05).C-FLIP mRNA in low activity group (L),middle activity group (M) and high activity group (H) were 1.27±0.28,1.32±0.34 and 1.93±0.40 re-spectively,which was higher than that of healthy controls (1.08 ± 0.12) (P=0.035,0.034,0.030).The relative level caspase-8 mRNA in group L,group M,group H were(2.77 ±0.97),(4.52 ± 0.85),and(2.13 ± 0.44)which was higher than healthy controls (1.04±0.13) (P=0.023,0.012,0.032).The protein level of TRAIL,c-FLIP and caspase-8 in PBMC from different groups of RA patients:The expression of TRAIL in group M was significantly increased than group L,H and control(P<0.05) with no difference in group L.c-FLIP protein in all protein expressed in group M quantity highest,significantly higher than other groups.Caspase-8 expression in the group M and H was significantly enhanced than control (P=0.003,0.001 ) with no difference in group L (P> 0.05). Conclusion:During the different active stages of RA,in peripheral blood mononuclear cells,the expression of TRAIL,c-FLIP and caspase-8 are increased overall trend,possible can provide certain experimental reference for clinical therapy.

Investigation on the mechanisms of p15INK4B gene demethylation by valproate in Molt-4 cells / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the antitumour effects of sodium valproate (VPA) on the proliferation, differentiation and cell cycle of Molt-4 cell and to investigate its demethylation mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>After Molt-4 cells trated with VPA at different concentrations, cell viability and growth curve were assessed by MTT assay. Cell cycle changes were analyzed by flow cytometry. The expression level of p15, DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT-1), DNMT3A and 3B mRNA were detected by RT-PCR and the methylation level was detected by hn-MSPCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>VPA significantly inhibited the proliferation of Molt-4 cells. After 48 h culture with 5.0 mmol/L VPA, the percentages of Molt-4 cells in G(0)/G(1) phase was (66.87 ± 3.31)% and in S phase was (8.47 ± 2.56)%, while in control group, the cells in G(0)/G(1) phase increased and in S phase decreased significantly. The p15 gene in Molt-4 cells failed to express due to its hypermethylation. The expression level of p15 gene mRNA increased significantly after exposure to VPA for 48 h. As compared with control group, the expression of DNMT-1 was down-regulated in a dose-dependent manner. The expression level of DNMT3B decreased at 10.0 mmol/L concentration.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>VPA has a demethylation effect on p15 INK4B gene by inhibiting the DNMT-1 and DNMT3B gene activities to recover p15 gene activity, which arrests Molt-4 cell in G(0)/G(1) phase.</p>