[Analysis report of the national technique competition for diagnosis of parasitic diseases in 2012: I. Capability analysis of Plasmodium detection].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the result of the national technique competition for diagnosis of parasitic diseases in 2012, so as to understand the capability of detection on Plasmodium parasites among professionals from institutes for disease control and prevention at different levels. METHODS: Four professionals from institution were selected as contestants (age < or = 45 and at least two contestants from county-level institution). The content of the competition included making thick and thin blood slides of Plasmodium (3 slides in 30 min, 10 scores as full marks and 6 as passing score) and identification of species and number with microscopy (5 slides, 8 min per slide, 30 scores as full marks and 18 as passing score). All contestants were grouped by gender, age, professional title, level of institution, classification according to malaria endemicity, geographical location and economic development of the province. Their scores were statistically analyzed by SPSS 16.0 software. RESULTS: The average score of blood smear making test in 120 contestants from 30 provinces was 8.7, the highest was 10 and the lowest was 5.8, 118 (98.3%) contestants passed the test. The average score of blood smear reading was 16.0, the highest was 29 and the lowest was 0, 52 (43.3%) contestants passed the test. There were no significant differences for the scores among genders, ages (< or = 30, 31-40, > 40), professional titles (junior, intermediate and senior), institution levels (provincial, municipal or county level) (P > 0.05). However, there was a significant difference among provinces with different malaria endemicity, geographical location and development status (P < 0.05). For the blood slide-making and film-reading, scores of contestants from malaria endemic provinces including Class I (9.29 +/- 0.41, 18.17 +/- 6.42), Class II (8.92 +/- 0.79, 18.31 +/- 6.94) and Class III (8.61 +/- 0.89, 15.63 +/- 7.52) were higher than those from non-endemic provinces (7.95 +/- 1.00, 10.19 +/- 7.01) (P < 0.01). Scores of contestants from southern provinces (9.16 +/- 0.61, 18.82 +/- 6.78) were significantly higher than that from northern ones (8.30 +/- 0.99, 13.23 +/- 7.45) (P < 0.01). The film-reading scores were significantly higher in those from eastern provinces (18.20 +/- 6.88) than those from western (13.39 +/- 7.60) (P < 0.05), while no significant difference was found in blood slide-making (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The capability of malaria parasite detection is imbalanced.

[Analysis of larval echinococcosis cases from the National Web-based Infectious Diseases Report System in China in 2011].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relevant information of echinococcosis cases from the National Web-based Infectious Diseases Report System in China in 2011. METHODS: Data of echinococcosis in 2011 were collected from the Report System of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. SPSS 16.0 software was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 3 225 cases were reported in 2011, including 1 death and 3 013 effective cases. The three provinces (autonomous region) with high incidence were Xinjiang (occupying 41.5%, 1251/3013), Gansu (16.9%, 509/3 013) and Qinghai (12.0%, 363/3 013). Cases distributed in all age groups, with the highest incidence in the group of 31-40-year-old. Male to female ratio was 1:1.01. The incidence of farmers and herdsmen was highest. CONCLUSION: In 2011, the reported cases are mainly distributed in Xinjiang, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, Sichuan and Tibet. Echinococcosis is mainly prevalent in western China.

Current epidemiological profile and features of visceral leishmaniasis in people's republic of China.

BACKGROUND: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is still an important public health problem in China. In recent years endemic regions spread, prevalence increased, and even an outbreak of the disease occurred in China due to global warming and population movement. It is essential to elucidate the current epidemic situation and epidemiological characteristics of VL for designing control policy. In the present study we describe the current epidemiological profile and characteristics of VL in China based on retrospectively reviewing of VL cases reported between 2005 and 2010 by a passive surveillance system. METHODS: The present study was a retrospective review of VL cases notified between 2005 and 2010 based on the passive surveillance data. The data were tabulated, diagrammatized and analyzed through descriptive statistics in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. RESULTS: A total of 2450 VL cases were notified, with a mean of 408 cases per year. 61 counties were identified as endemic area with 2224 autochthonous cases, and the other 118 counties as non-endemic areas with 226 imported cases. 97.71% of cases were concentrated in Xinjiang, Gansu and Sichuan Provinces. 9 major counties reported a mean of > 10 cases per year, with a total of 1759 cases reported. Different types of VL revealed distinct epidemiological characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The number of VL cases and endemic counties both increased in the period 2005-2010 in China. Different type or sub-type of VL revealed distinct epidemiological characteristics. Therefore, differential control measures must be taken in different endemic areas against incidence increase and endemic area spread.

The prevalence of canine Leishmania infantum infection in western China detected by PCR and serological tests.

BACKGROUND: Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is endemic in western China, resulting in important public health problem. It is essential to evaluate the prevalence of canine Leishmania infantum infection for designing control policy. In the present study we report for the first time prevalence of Leishmania infection in dogs living in Jiuzhaigou County (Sichuan Provence, China), which is not only an important endemic area of CanL but also a tourism scenic spot, detected by PCR, ELISA and dipstick test. The results could provide key information for designing control programs against canine and human leishmaniasis. In addition, the complete sequence of the Leishmania isolate from Sichuan Province has not been reported to date and we present the sequences of 116 base-pair (bp) fragment of the conserved region in the minicircle kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) and the results of phylogenetic analyses based on the sequence of the amplified fragment. RESULTS: The proportion of dogs infected with Leishmania in Jiuzhaigou County was 36.79%, 9.43%, and 51.88% detected by ELISA, dipstick test, and PCR, respectively. The ELISA and PCR tests were more sensitive than dipstick test. The PCR method is the most sensitive way to detect dogs infected with Leishmania parasites. The total positive rate for infected dogs in the area was 59.43% by the three methods. The PCR products of 116-bp fragment amplified from the kDNA conserved region of dog blood samples and laboratory maintained L. infantum were DNA sequenced and the variation of the sequences was observed. The phylogenetic tree based on the sequences of 116-bp fragment reveals that L. infantum is more genetically related to visceralizing species L. donovani than to the Leishmania species associated with cutaneous disease. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of dogs living in the endemic Jiuzhaigou County were infected by L. infantum. Control measures, such as treatment or eradication of infected dogs, or prohibition of maintaining dogs, must be taken against these infected dogs due to their role in the transmission of the infection to vectors. The phylogenetic tree based on the sequences of conserved region in kDNA of Leishmania can effectively distinguish species of Leishmania.

An outbreak of the desert sub-type of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in Jiashi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.

Few outbreaks of the desert sub-type of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) have been described worldwide. In 2008, the incidence rate of VL in Jiashi County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the western part of the People's Republic of China, increased more than twenty-folds compared to the average annual incidence rate. The majority of the cases (96.6%) occurred among <2 year-old infants. For the first time in the desert area of Xinjiang, the parasites were isolated from bone marrow aspirates, using the NNN medium culture approach. The genetic analysis of the ITS-1 nucleotide sequence indicated that three isolates from eastern Jiashi County were genetically closely related and belonged to the Leishmaniainfantum group. However, they differed from an isolate from Kashi city which was classified as a member of the Leishmaniadonovani group.

[Clinicopathologic features and molecular genetic analysis of multilocular cystic renal cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinicopathological features and molecular genetic changes of multilocular cystic renal cell carcinoma (MCRCC). METHODS: All the data reviewed were from the files of pathology department of Changhai hospital collected from 1990 to 2006. In totally 706 cases of renal cell carcinoma studied, there were 21 MCRCC cases identified. The clinical and pathological features were assessed, immunohistochemical staining was performed, and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and microsatellite instability (MSI) were assessed using four microsatellite markers on chromosomes 3, 9 and 14. RESULTS: Of the 21 patients, the age ranged from 34 to 72 years (mean 50 years), 19 were male and two female. Tumors were found incidentally in 18 patients during physical examination, three patients had anemia or microhematuria. Among the 21 patients, 10 tumors were in the left kidney and 11 in the right. Eighteen patients were stage T1, two stage T2, and one stage T3 with perinephric tissue involvement. Follow up information was available in 20 patients, all showed no evidence of tumor recurrence or metastasis. Grossly, the tumor size ranged from 0.3 cm to 10.0 cm in the greatest dimension, consisting of multilocular cysts with variable sizes which contained light yellow, colloid or hemorrhagic fluid. The septae varied in thickness (ranged 0.1 cm to 0.5 cm, mean 0.2 cm). Microscopically the cysts were lined by single to multilayered epithelial cells with clear or lightly eosinophilic cytoplasm. There were clusters of clear cells seen in the septae stroma. Sixteen tumors were of Fuhrman grade 1, and five were of Fuhrman grade 2. Immunohistochemically, the clear cells were positive for vimentin, ABC, CAM5.2 and EMA. Six samples were positive for CD10, and 16 were positive for NSE. Among 21 patients, PCR amplification was successful in 11 patients. Microsatellite alterations were found in five patients. LOH was observed in 3 of 11 MCRCC (27%), two were at D3S1560 locus, and one at D14S617 locus. MSI frequency was identified in 2 of 11 MCRCC (18%), locating at D9S168 or D14S617 locus, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: MCRCC is an uncommon tumor of kidney, constituting 2.9% of all RCC enrolled into the study. It has distinctive clinical and pathological characteristics with an excellent outcome. Results indicated that MCRCC is a rare entity with low malignant potential.