Poly(caffeic acid)-coated molecularly imprinted magnetic nanoparticles for specific and ultrasensitive detection of glycoprotein.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are artificial chemical receptors, and can recognize template molecules with a high selectivity and affinity. As "antibody mimics", MIPs have been widely studied in various fields. However, the general applicability of MIPs is limited by the type of functional monomers. Herein, we developed caffeic acid (CA, a natural polyphenol) as novel a functional monomer. An innovative poly(caffeic acid)-coated molecularly imprinted magnetic nanoparticles (PCA-MIMN) with transferrin (TRF) as a model glycoprotein template was fabricated by autoxidation of CA with hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) in an aerobic environment as imprinted layer. The successful fabrication of PCA-MIMN was proved in detail by diversified characterization. The PCA-MIMN exhibited not only outstanding binding affinity and specificity for target glycoprotein, but also excellent hydrophilicity due to the externally generous hydrophilic groups. To evaluate the preeminent performance, the PCA-MIMN was linked with pH-triggered allochroic-graphene oxide (AGO), which was used for determination of TRF in real samples. The proposed PCA-MIMN linked AGO strategy exhibited ultrahigh sensitivity with limit of detection of 0.38 pg mL-1 for TRF. Finally, the proposed strategy was successfully applied in determination of TRF in spiked human serum sample with recovery and relative standard deviation in the range of 97.2%-103.9% and 4.6%-5.8%, respectively. This work demonstrates that the "autoxidation of CA with HMDA" may be a universal tool for synthesis of highly specific MIPs, and the type of functional monomers will increase exponentially due to the presence of numerous polyphenols in nature.

Risk mapping of clonorchiasis in the People's Republic of China: A systematic review and Bayesian geostatistical analysis.

BACKGROUND: Clonorchiasis, one of the most important food-borne trematodiases, affects more than 12 million people in the People's Republic of China (P.R. China). Spatially explicit risk estimates of Clonorchis sinensis infection are needed in order to target control interventions. METHODOLOGY: Georeferenced survey data pertaining to infection prevalence of C. sinensis in P.R. China from 2000 onwards were obtained via a systematic review in PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Internet, and Wanfang Data from January 1, 2000 until January 10, 2016, with no restriction of language or study design. Additional disease data were provided by the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Diseases Control and Prevention in Shanghai. Environmental and socioeconomic proxies were extracted from remote-sensing and other data sources. Bayesian variable selection was carried out to identify the most important predictors of C. sinensis risk. Geostatistical models were applied to quantify the association between infection risk and the predictors of the disease, and to predict the risk of infection across P.R. China at high spatial resolution (over a grid with grid cell size of 5×5 km). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We obtained clonorchiasis survey data at 633 unique locations in P.R. China. We observed that the risk of C. sinensis infection increased over time, particularly from 2005 onwards. We estimate that around 14.8 million (95% Bayesian credible interval 13.8-15.8 million) people in P.R. China were infected with C. sinensis in 2010. Highly endemic areas (≥ 20%) were concentrated in southern and northeastern parts of the country. The provinces with the highest risk of infection and the largest number of infected people were Guangdong, Guangxi, and Heilongjiang. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results provide spatially relevant information for guiding clonorchiasis control interventions in P.R. China. The trend toward higher risk of C. sinensis infection in the recent past urges the Chinese government to pay more attention to the public health importance of clonorchiasis and to target interventions to high-risk areas.

Evaluation of hepatic perfusion and function with modified hepatobiliary scintigraphy.

The quantitative relationship between changes in portal vein pressure and the perfusion index was studied, and hepatocellular function was evaluated. A modified protocol of hepatobiliary dynamic scintigraphy with Tc-99m-labeled ethylene hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (EHIDA) was performed in 37 patients with hepatic cirrhosis and 12 healthy controls. In 18 patients, the portal vein pressure (PVP) was measured intra-operatively during the portal vein bypass procedure. The portal vein perfusion index (PVI) was obtained by a two-compartment model of hepatic perfusion. A three-compartment model was applied in the hepatocellular extracted and excreted time-radioactivity curves, and the hepatic functional index was calculated including the hepatic uptake index (UI), the mean residual index (MRI), the uptake speed index (UsI), the descent speed index (DsI), the peak uptake (PU), and the peak time (PT) of hepatic uptake. These function indices in the cirrhotic patients were compared to the indices in the healthy controls with a two-sided t-test; specifically, the PU (18.94+/-6.80 vs. 29.67+/-18.98, P<0.01), UI (0.84+/-5.99 vs. 18.41+/-13.87, P<0.05), and UsI (0.58+/-0.39 vs. 1.23+/-0.81, P<0.01) were slower in patients with hepatic cirrhosis compared with the healthy controls. The PT (16.83+/-4.89 vs. 10.95+/-2.79, P<0.001) and MRI (5.93+/-2.96 vs. 2.74+/-0.97, P<0.001) were more prolonged and the DsI (0.07+/-0.09 vs. 0.18+/-0.14, P<0.01) was less compared to controls. The PVI were significantly higher in cirrhotic patients than in controls (46.17+/-7.83 vs. 29.07+/-5.71, P<0.001), and the PVI correlated to the PVP (r=0.79, P<0.01). In conclusion, modified quantitative hepatobiliary dynamic scintigraphy can evaluate the changes of portal vein blood flow and monitor hepatocellular function, in which the portal vein blood flow can estimate portal vein pressure.

[Evaluation of hepatocellular function influenced by Chinese drug Dahuang Zhechong pill].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of Chinese drug Dahuang Zhechong pill on the hepatocellular function. METHOD: Thirty-seven patients with hepatocirrhosis and twelve normal controls were performed the hepatobiliary scintgraphy with Tc-99m labeled ethylene hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (99 mTc-EHIDA), and the biochemical examination of hepatic function. There was 19 cases repeated the imaging after 6 months treated with chineses drug. By the three compartmental model configurations, the function parameters of hepatocellular extraction and excretion were calculated. RESULT: In the hepatocirrhosis groups, the hepatocellular uptake peak time and mean residence index were higher than those in normal controls (P < 0.01). Compared to normal controls, the uptake index, uptake speed index and descendent speed index were decreased markedly (P < 0.05). After treatment for 6 months with Chinese drug, the level of serum transaminase, globulin and bilirubin was lower than that before treatment. The uptake peak time and mean residence index decreased notably after treatment for 6 months (P < 0.01), and the uptake index increased, (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Chinese drug Dahuang Zhechong pill may improve the hepatocellular function and liver function status in patients with hepatocirrhosis.

[Effects of dahuang zhechong pill on expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase in rats' hepatic stellate cells].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Dahuang Zhechong Pill (DZP) on the gene expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) in rats' hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and activity of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) that secreted into the culture base. METHODS: HSC were isolated from the liver of normal rats and incubated with DZP-contained drug serum. The expression of MMP-1 in the HSC was detected by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The activity of MMP-2 was examined by zymography. RESULTS: DZP-contained drug serum could obviously promote the gene expression of MMP-1 in HSC. In the meantime, it could obviously increase the content and activity of MMP-2 synthesized by HSC (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The anti-fibrosis action of DZP was correlated to the promotion of HSC's gene expression of MMP-1 and increasing of the contents and activity of MMP-2.