[Tuberculosis screening in respiratory department inpatients in comprehensive medical institutions].

Objective: To explore the effect of screening tuberculosis patients in the respiratory department of general hospitals, and to provide a basis for the development of patient screening strategy. Methods: Clinical information and sputum samples of inpatients in the respiratory department of a general hospital in Longhua District, Shenzhen from December 2018 to December 2020 were collected. Sputum samples were sent to the tuberculosis laboratory of the Shenzhen Longhua Center for Chronic Disease Control (designated tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment institution) for sputum smear, liquid culture and Gene-Xpert test. Results: A total of 407 sputum samples (23 cases of suspected tuberculosis by chest imaging and 384 by clinical manifestations) were collected from 3 724 hospitalized patients. A total of 88 patients with positive etiology were detected by the three methods, and the positive rate was 21.6% (88/407), among which 15 patients with suspected tuberculosis were detected by imaging reports, and the positive rate of etiology was 19.0% (73/384) in the reported patients without imaging reports. At least 1.96% (73/3 724) of the hospitalized patients were estimated to be tuberculosis positive during the study. Pneumonia (30.1%,22/73), cough (15.1%,11/73) and pulmonary infection (15.1%,11/73) were the main characteristics in the patients with positive pathogens. Conclusions: Screening for tuberculosis among inpatients in the respiratory department of general hospitals is an effective way to detect patients who were radiographically reported to have probable tuberculosis. It is of great significance to carry out active screening in key departments of general hospitals for tuberculosis detection and control.

Expression of SIRT5 protein in gastric cancer cells.

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the dynamic trend of SIRT5 (Sirtuins 5) protein expression in gastric cancer cells, for which a hypoxic gastric cancer cell line was established. Afterward, the parental gastric cancer cell group and hypo group were designed, and the levels of related proteins and mRNAs were detected by using Western blot along with real-time quantitative fluorescence PCR (RT-PCR). The results showed that the expression of SIRT5 in hypoxic gastric cancer cells increased significantly, which could increase the phosphorylation level of c-MET (hepatocyte growth factor receptor) and promote the migration of gastric cancer cells. When the expression of SIRT5 protein was observed under hypoxic conditions, SIRT5 silencing significantly reduced the migration ability of MGC803/hypo cells. It could be predicted that SIRT5-mediated protein desuccinylation played an important role in promoting the migration of hypoxic gastric cancer cells. Therefore, the migration rate of gastric cancer cells could be affected by controlling the expression of SIRT5 protein, which provides a novel idea for the treatment of gastric cancer in the future.

[The evolution and development of palliative and hospice care].

Palliative and Hospice Care initially developed in Great Britain. It was founded by Cicely Saunders for the humane care of terminally ill cancer patients and her institution was established as the first modern hospice in England. The concept developed gradually into a systematic medical program for terminal ill patients and was subsequently been generalised worldwide. The palliative and hospice care model currently in Taiwan of China is characterised by the joint participation of the government and society. This experience and knowledge is expected to contribute to the system of palliative and hospice care in the process of being established in the mainland of China.

Expression and preliminary characterization of recombinant human tissue kallikrein in egg white of laying hens.

Human tissue kallikrein (hK1) plays an important role in regulation of blood pressure, electrolyte and glucose transport, and renal function. To evaluate the feasibility of expression of recombinant human tissue kallikrein (rhK1) in the egg whites of laying hens, human tissue kallikrein gene (hKLK1) cDNA was subcloned into the chicken oviduct-specific expression vector (pOV3), and the resultant recombinant vector pOV3K was injected into laying hens via wing vein after mixing with polyethyleneimine. Following injection twice with the recombinant vector, the enzymatic activity at a maximal level of 59 U/mL was detected in the egg whites, which lasted for more than 7 d. The expression level of rhK1 in the egg whites in the 3-mg group was relatively higher than that in the 2-mg group, but the significant differences were identified on d 7 and 8 (P < 0.05). Ten days after the primary injection, the hens were reinjected with the same dose of the vector, and even higher enzymatic activity was detected in their egg whites. Two different breeds of hen were tested with no difference in expression level found (P > 0.05). Western blot analysis of the egg whites from vector-injected hens showed the rhK1 was recognized by a polyclonal antibody specific for hK1 with molecular weights of 37 and 43 kDa, which probably corresponded to the mature and preenzyme, respectively. Biochemical studies showed that the recombinant enzyme had a similar thermostability, optimal pH, hypotensive effect, and sensitivity to different ions to the natural enzymes in human and porcine tissues. These data indicate that the chicken oviduct-specific transient expression system can produce relatively high level and authentic recombinant enzyme with a potential for further development for therapeutic use.