[Glycemic control and its associated factors in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus].

Objective: To explore the factors associated with glycemic control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). Methods: Subjects were enrolled from the Guangdong Type 1 Diabetes Translational Medicine Study between June 2011 and August 2017. Patients with T1DM aged less than 18 years and treated with CSII for at least 6 months were included. Demographic data and clinical information on self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and insulin treatment were collected. Participants were categorized based on HbA1c levels as sufficient control group (HbA1c<7.5% ) and insufficient control group ( HbA1c≥7.5%). A multivariate logistic regression model was used to examine the factors associated with glycemic control. Results: A total of 142 participants (76 females, 66 males) with a median age of 13.0 (9.9, 15.0) years and a median disease duration of 3.0 (1.6, 5.0) years were enrolled. HbA1c was (8.2±2.0)% and 41.55%(59/142) of patients achieved the target for HbA1c. The frequency of SMBG was 5.0 (2.0, 8.0) and 3.0 (1.0, 4.0) tests per day (P<0.001), and the frequency of hypoglycemia was 2.0 (0.8, 4.0) and 1.0 (0, 2.0) times per week (P=0.003) in sufficient control group and insufficient control group, respectively. Sufficient glycemic control (HbA1c <7.5%) was associated with the frequency of SMBG (OR=1.238, 95% CI: 1.088-1.409, P=0.001). Conclusion: A higher frequency of SMBG is one of the key factors to achieve sufficient glycemic control among children and adolescents with T1DM treated with CSII.

Breed-specific transcriptome response of spleen from six to eight week old piglet after infection with Streptococcus suis type 2.

Different pig breeds have shown differential susceptibility to the pathogen infection; however, molecular mechanisms of the infection susceptibility are not fully understood. Streptococcus suis type 2 (SS2) is an important zoonotic pathogen. To identify the genes responsible for infection susceptibility, pigs from two different breeds (Enshi black and Landrace) were inoculated with SS2 and their spleen transcriptome profiles were investigated in the present study. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed from infected versus control pigs in each breed, and then compared between both pig breeds. Enshi black pig showed more DEGs than Landrace (830 vs. 611) and most of these were due to down-regulated genes (543 vs. 387). However some DEGs were uniquely expressed in one breed, some were expressed in opposite direction in both breeds. A number of candidate genes and pathways are identified which might be involved in susceptibility to SS2, for example, MMP9 and Resistin were only significantly expressed in Landrace. NPG3 and PMAP23 were up-regulated in Landrace whereas down-regulated in Enshi black. LENG8 in control Landrace have inherently higher expression than control Enshi black. IGKV6 is down-regulated in Landrace but up-regulated in Enshi black. Overall, the transcriptome profiles are consistent with the clinical signs, i.e. the Enshi black is more susceptible to SS2 infection than Landrace. This is the first study to identify differential gene expression between indigenous and modern commercial pigs after in vivo SS2 infection using RNA-seq. The significant DEGs in splenic profiles between two pig breeds suggested considerable involvement of genetic background in susceptibility to the SS2 infection in pigs.

Genetic polymorphism of the accessory gene regulator (agr) locus in Staphylococcus epidermidis and its association with pathogenicity.

Staphylococcus epidermidis has become one of the most important causes of nosocomial infections in recent years. The staphylococcal accessory gene regulator (agr) is the most important locus responsible for the regulation of virulence factors, and it has been shown to be polymorphic. The aim of this study was to investigate the agr locus and its genetic polymorphisms in different Chinese S. epidermidis isolates and the relationship between genetic polymorphisms and pathogenicity. Specific PCR was used to amplify the different agr groups. Results were confirmed by restriction enzyme digestion and sequence analysis. agr mutations were detected and three agr groups of S. epidermidis were determined. Of the isolates, 12 % were pathogenic S. epidermidis and 17 % had naturally occurring agr mutations (P > 0.05). Pathogenic S. epidermidis isolates comprised 68.2 % agr group I, 19.3 % group II and 12.5 % group III, while isolates from healthy controls comprised 39 % agr group I, 51 % group II and 10 % group III (P < 0.01). The percentages of agr locus mutants and the three agr groups in different hospitals showed no significant differences (P > 0.05). The percentage of agr group I S. epidermidis isolated from catheters and blood was higher than that isolated from the other clinical specimens. This is the first study to investigate the genetic polymorphism of agr in S. epidermidis in China. The mean percentage of agr locus mutants was 14.9 % (12 % in clinical specimens; 17.7 % in controls). Genetic polymorphism of agr in S. epidermidis was linked to its pathogenicity; group I was associated with pathogenicity, while most isolates from healthy subjects were group II. The mechanism is to be investigated.