Demographic characteristics and associated influencing factors in treated patients with chronic hepatitis B with hypoviremia : a single-center retrospective cross-sectional study / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective: To investigate the demographic characteristics and clinical influencing factors which associates with the occurrence probability of persistent or intermittent hypoviremia (LLV) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treated with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs). Methods: A single-center retrospective analysis was performed on patients with CHB who received outpatient NAs therapy for≥48 ± 2 weeks. According to the serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA load at 48±2 weeks treatment, the study groups were divided into LLV (HBV DNA < 20 IU/ml and < 2 000 IU/ml) and MVR group (sustained virological response, HBV DNA < 20 IU/ml). Demographic characteristics and clinical data at the start of NAs treatment (considered as baseline) were retrospectively collected for both patient groups. The differences in the reduction of HBV DNA load during treatment was compared between the two groups. Correlation and multivariate analysis were further conducted to analyze the associated factors influencing the LLV occurrence. Statistical analysis was performed using the independent samples t-test, c2 test, Spearman analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis, or area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: A total of 509 cases were enrolled, with 189 and 320 in the LLV and MVR groups, respectively. Compared to patients with MVR group at baseline: (1) the demographics characteristics of patients showed that LLV group was younger in age (39.1 years, P = 0.027), had a stronger family history (60.3%, P = 0.001), 61.9% received ETV treatment, and higher proportion of compensated cirrhosis (20.6%, P = 0.025) at baseline; (2) the serum virological characteristics of patients showed that LLV group had higher HBV DNA load, qHBsAg level, qHBeAg level, HBeAg positive rate, and the proportion of genotype C HBV infection but decreased HBV DNA during treatment (P < 0.001) at baseline; (3) the biochemical characteristics of patients showed that LLV group had lower serum ALT levels (P = 0.007) at baseline; (4) the noninvasive fibrosis markers of patients showed that LLV group were characterized by high aspartate aminotransferase platelet ratio index (APRI) (P = 0.02) and FIB-4 (P = 0.027) at baseline. HBV DNA, qHBsAg and qHBeAg were positively correlated with LLV occurrence (r = 0.559, 0.344, 0.435, respectively), while age and HBV DNA reduction were negatively correlated (r = -0.098, -0.876, respectively). Logistic regression analysis showed that ETV treatment history, high HBV DNA load at baseline, high qHBsAg level, high qHBeAg level, HBeAg positive, low ALT and HBV DNA level were independent risk factors for patients with CHB who developed LLV with NAs treatment. Multivariate prediction model had a good predictive value for LLV occurrence [AUC 0.922 (95%CI: 0.897 ~ 0.946)]. Conclusion: In this study, 37.1% of CHB patients treated with first-line NAs has LLV. The formation of LLV is influenced by various factors. HBeAg positivity, genotype C HBV infection, high baseline HBV DNA load, high qHBsAg level, high qHBeAg level, high APRI or FIB-4 value, low baseline ALT level, reduced HBV DNA during treatment, concomitant family history, metabolic liver disease history, and age < 40 years old are potential risk factors for developing LLV in patients with CHB during the therapeutic process.

Assessment of treatment strategies for stage I non-small cell lung cancer in patients with comorbidities.

INTRODUCTION: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients frequently have major comorbidities but there is scarce data regarding the impact of these conditions on management strategies. We used simulation modeling to compare different treatments for stage I NSCLC for patients with common major comorbidities. METHODS: We used data on NSCLC patinet outcomes and quality of life from: (1) the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database linked to Medicare claims; (2) Kaiser Permanente Southern California electronic health records; and (3) SEER-Medical Health Outcomes Survey to parameterize a novel simulation model of management and outcomes for stage I NSCLC. Relative efficacy of treatment modalities (lobectomy, segmentectomy, wedge resection and stereotactic body radiotherapy [SBRT]) was collected from existing literature and combined using evidence synthesis methods. We then simulated multiple randomized trials comparing these treatments in a variety of scenarios, estimating quality adjusted life expectancy (QALE) according to age, tumor size, histologic subtype, and comorbidity status. RESULTS: Lobectomy and segmentectomy yielded the greatest QALE gains among all simulated age, tumor size and comorbidity groups. Optimal treatment strategies differed by patient sex and age; wedge resection was among the optimal strategies for women aged 80-84 with tumors 0-2 cm in size. SBRT was included in some optimal strategies for patients aged 80-84 with multimorbidity. CONCLUSIONS: In simulated comparative trials of four common treatments for stage I NSCLC, aggressive surgical management was typically associated with the greatest projected QALE gains despite the presence of comorbidities, although less aggressive strategies were predicted to be non-inferior in some older comorbid patient groups.

Facile Synthesis of the Magnetic Metal Organic Framework Fe3O4@UiO-66-NH2 for Separation of Strontium / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

A magnetic metal organic framework (MMOF) was synthesized and used to separate Sr2+ in aqueous solution. The shape and structure of prepared Fe3O4@UiO-66-NH2 were characterized, and the absorbed concentration of strontium was determined through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results indicated that Fe3O4 and UiO-66-NH2 combined through chemical bonding. The experimental adsorption results for separation of Sr2+ in aqueous solution indicated that the adsorption of Sr2+ to Fe3O4@UiO-66-NH2 increased drastically from pH 11 to pH 13. The adsorption isotherm model indicated that the adsorption of Sr2+ conformed to the Freundlich isotherm model (R2 = 0.9919). The MMOF thus inherited the superior qualities of magnetic composites and metal organic frameworks, and can easily be separated under an external magnetic field. This MMOF thus has potential applications as a magnetic adsorbent for low level radionuclide 90Sr.

Significance of changes in hepatic histology from patients with HBeAg(+)or HBeAg(-)chronic hepatitis B and normal or mildly elevated alanine aminotransferase / 临床肝胆病杂志

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)abnormality is an indicator of the degree of liver inflammation caused by immune activation in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).However,approximately half of the CHB patients with normal or mildly elevated ALT levels have concealed significant changes in hepatic histology.CHB patients with normal or mildly elevated ALT levels may have significant histopatho-logical changes in hepatic tissues,and those changes vary between HBeAg(+)and HBeAg(-)CHB patients.Attention and investigation on the clinical management of CHB patients with normal or mildly elevated ALT levels may have great significance in grasping the right treat-ment opportunity and reducing the risk of liver cirrhosis.

Determination of Trace Elements in Edible Nuts in the Beijing Market by ICP-M / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Nuts have received increased attention from the public in recent years as important sources of some essential elements, and information on the levels of elements in edible nuts is useful to consumers. Determination of the elemental distributions in nuts is not only necessary in evaluating the total dietary intake of the essential elements, but also useful in detecting heavy metal contamination in food. The aim of this study was to determine the mineral contents in edible nuts, and to assess the food safety of nuts in the Beijing market. Levels of Li, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, Cs, Ba, Pb, Th, and U in 11 types of edible nuts and seeds (macadamia nuts, lotus nuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, and ginkgo nuts) as well as raisins were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The accuracy of the method was validated using standard reference materials GBW10014 (cabbage) and GBW10016 (tea). Our results provide useful information for evaluating the levels of trace elements in edible nuts in the Beijing market, will be helpful for improving food safety, and will aid in better protecting consumer interests.

Bladder gasification and stasis dispersion combined with antibiotic therapy for IIIA chronic prostatitis / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical efficacy of bladder gasification and stasis dispersion combined with antibiotic therapy in the treatment of III A chronic prostatitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We conducted a randomized controlled clinical study on 120 III A prostatitis patients that all met the diagnostic criteria. We divided the patients into groups A, B and C of equal number to receive oral medication of sparfloxacin, sparfloxacin + tamsulosin, and sparfloxacin + herbal decoction, respectively, all for a course of 4 weeks. We evaluated the primary therapeutic indexes according to the total scores of the patients on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome and NIH-CPSI and the secondary therapeutic indexes based on the count of white blood cells (WBC) in the expressed prostatic secretion (EPS).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, the total scores on TCM syndrome and NIH-CPSI were significantly reduced in groups B (42.15 +/- 10.29 and 13.25 +/- 6.04) and C (41.26 +/- 11.25 and 12.38 +/- 7.19) than in A (49.43 +/- 11.09 and 17.62 +/- 5.84) ( P < 0.05), and so was the WBC count in EPS in group C (7.76 +/- 15.73) than in groups A (11.45 +/- 10.33) and B (12.28 +/- 13.81) (P < 0.05). The difference between pre- and post-treatment scores on TCM syndrome was more significant in group C (12.65 +/- 11.76) than in B (8.55 +/- 10.15) (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Bladder gasification and stasis dispersion combined with antibiotic therapy is effective for the treatment of III A chronic prostatitis, and therefore deserves wide clinical application.</p>

Climatic influence on the prevalence of noncutaneous disease flare in systemic lupus erythematosus in Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVE: It is generally agreed that there is a seasonal variation in the prevalence of cutaneous manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We investigated whether there is seasonal variation in the incidence of noncutaneous lupus flare in Hong Kong. METHODS: We reviewed all noncutaneous lupus flare in 222 consecutive patients with SLE followed in our clinic from 1995 to 2005. Specific organ involvement of each flare was reviewed. The variation in the prevalence of lupus flare by calendar month and the relation with climatic factors were determined. RESULTS: The total followup was 18,412 patient-months. In total, there were 313 episodes of noncutaneous flare recorded in 129 patients. There were more lupus flares in December and January [2.31 episodes, vs 1.58 episodes per 100 patient-months for other calendar months; relative risk (RR) 1.46, 95% CI 1.12-1.90, p = 0.004], and more flares of lupus nephritis in December and January (1.14 episodes, vs 0.60 episodes per 100 patient-months for other calendar months; RR 1.90, 95% CI 1.29-2.80, p = 0.001). There were more cases of membranous nephropathy in December and January (0.46 episode, vs 0.18 episode per 100 patient-months for other calendar months; RR 2.59, 95% CI 1.36-4.93, p = 0.0027), while the variation in prevalence of proliferative lupus nephritis was not statistically significant. There was also a significant U-shape correlation between the rate of lupus flare and the monthly average environmental temperature (r = 0.802, p = 0.0096), with higher flare rate at extremes of temperature. CONCLUSION: We found substantial seasonal variation in the incidence of noncutaneous flare in our SLE patients, with peak incidence in December and January. There was a U-shaped relation between environmental temperature and the prevalence of noncutaneous flare. Keeping a warm living environment and avoiding exposure to extremes of temperature may help to reduce flare for SLE patients in subtropical countries.

The basics of 14-3-3 protein family and research progress on therapeutic applications of 14-3-3 protein / 生物工程学报

The 14-3-3 proteins comprise a family of highly conserved acidic protein with subunit molecular mass 28-33kD and are widely found in different eukaryotic cells. 14-3-3 proteins were the first polypeptides shown to have phosphoserine/threonine (pSer/Thr) binding properties which firmly established its importance in cell signaling. 14-3-3 proteins tend to form dimeric proteins to modulate protein-protein interactions. 14-3-3 proteins have been shown to contribute to the regulation of such crucial cellular processes as metabolism, signal transduction, cell cycle control, cell growth and differentiation, apotosis, protein trafficking, transcription, stress responses and malignant transformation. Many reports link 14-3-3 to disorders, particularly the neurological disorders and cancer. The 14-3-3 test has been used for the diagnosis of prion diseases. 14-3-3 could be exploited for therapeutic purposes. In this review, we discuss the structure, function of 14-3-3 protein and the related research progress in therapeutic applications.

Computer assisted analysis of microtubule dynamics in living cells.

Microtubules are dynamic polymers that rapidly transition between states of growth, shortening, and pause. These dynamic events are critical for basic cellular processes, especially cell division. Typically, these events are quantified by imaging microtubule movements over time, which results in large data sets that require rigorous quantitative analysis. In most cases, these analyses are performed manually by the researcher. This process is both tedious and prone to error; thus an efficient and reliable computer-assisted quantification system would provide a rapid approach, suitable for high-throughput data analysis. In this paper, we describe methods to automatically segment and track microtubule movements. Our method is a snake based method [1]. Instead of a closed contour, we use an open contour to track individual microtubule. We redefine some of the internal energy terms specifically for open snake. A new external energy term for locating the end points of a microtubule is also defined. Testing is done using simulated images and untreated MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines as well as cells treated with the microtubule-targeting chemotherapeutic agent, Taxol.

GNU Pattern: open source pattern hunter for biological sequences based on SPLASH algorithm / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To construct a high performance open source software engine based on IBM SPLASH algorithm for later research on pattern discovery.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Gpat, which is based on SPLASH algorithm, was developed by using open source software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>GNU Pattern (Gpat) software was developped, which efficiently implemented the core part of SPLASH algorithm. Full source code of Gpat was also available for other researchers to modify the program under the GNU license.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Gpat is a successful implementation of SPLASH algorithm and can be used as a basic framework for later research on pattern recognition in biological sequences.</p>