[Establishment of normal reference values for thromboelastography on Chinese population in Beijing].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the normal values for thromboelastography (TEG) in Chinese healthy adult volunteers residing in Beijing for over three years and compare them with those of the manufacturer's. METHODS: A total of 137 healthy adult volunteers were enrolled from June 2010 to August 2010. The technique was standardized with citrated blood and kaolin activator. And a Haemoscope 5000 device was employed. The TEG parameters analyzed were R, K, α, maximal amplitude (MA), LY30 and coagulation index (CI). All volunteers underwent the tests of prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT) and plasma fibrinogen level with the same blood sample. RESULTS: The reference ranges of 95% for 137 volunteers were R: 3.8 - 8.4 min, K: 0.8 - 3.3 min, α-Angle: 46.2 - 76.2°, MA: 50.0 - 70.8 mm, LY30: -3.3% - 4.0% and CI: -3.8 - 2.9. Overall, 24.1% (33/137) of the volunteers had at least one abnormal parameter while 7.3% (10/137) would have been considered coagulopathy had the manufacturer's reference values been used, resulting in a test specificity of 76.0%. As compared with the western ethnicity (the manufacturer's reference values), Chinese healthy volunteers were associated with lower fibrinogen functions. There were significantly different in R, K, α-Angle, MA and CI between men and women groups (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study supports the manufacturer's recommendation that each institute should determine its own normal reference values.

Human bocavirus in children hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Human bocavirus (HBoV) was recently discovered in children with respiratory tract disease and gastroenteritis. The causative role of HBoV in human gastroenteritis remains uncertain, and, to our knowledge, no previous case-control study has studied the relationship between HBoV and gastroenteritis. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study that examined stool samples from 397 children with diarrhea and from 115 asymptomatic control subjects. HBoV was detected using polymerase chain reaction. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify the HBoV loads in case and control groups. Common enteric viruses were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, polymerase chain reaction, and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: At least 1 viral agent was discovered in 60.2% of cases. HBoV was detected in 14 samples, and 9 were coinfected with either rotavirus (7 of 14 samples) or human calicivirus (2 of 14). Many (8 [57.1%] of 14) of the HBoV infections occurred during September-December 2006. Most (12 [85.7%]) of the HBoV-infected children were 7-18 months of age. The percentage of children with HBoV infection did not differ significantly between case patients and control subjects (3.5% vs. 3.5%), and the statistical analysis did not support a correlation between HBoV infection and more-severe clinical symptoms. The viral load differences between the 2 groups were not statistically significant (P = .09, by log-normal Student's t test). In addition, the VP1/VP2 partial gene of HBoV from case patients and control subjects showed minimal sequence variation. CONCLUSIONS: A single genetic lineage of HBoV was revealed in persons in China. Despite its high prevalence in stool samples, our study does not support a causative role of HBoV in gastroenteritis.

Relationship between hOGG1 Ser326Cys gene polymorphism and coronary artery lesions in patients with diabetes mellitus.

To study the relationship between human 8-oxoguanine glycosylase (hOGG1) Ser326Cys gene polymorphism and coronary artery lesions in patients with diabetes mellitus, we analyzed 323 patients with diabetic mellitus, who underwent coronary angiography. Using PCR-RFLP, these patients were grouped into three genotypes: Cys/Cys (n=85), Ser/Ser (n=121), and Ser/Cys (n=117). Several clinical data, including history of diseases and biochemical indices were recorded. hOGG1 mRNA expression and 8-hydroxy deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were measured by RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. The quantities and severity of coronary artery with lesions were analyzed from coronary angiography. The Gensini and SYNTAX scores were detected by the unitary criteria. The 8-OHdG levels showed statistical difference among the three genotypes (F=21.56, P<0.05). Also, 8-OHdG in Cys/Cys genotype was higher than Ser/Ser and Ser/Cys genotype (q=2.32, q=3.12, P<0.05). In terms of the expression of hOGGl mRNA, the measure of hOGGl/ß-actin showed significant difference among the three groups (F=12.56, P<0.05). On comparing two groups, hOGGl/ß-actin in Cys/Cys genotype was higher thanSer/Ser and Ser/Cys genotypes (q=2.32, q=3.12, P<0.05). Percentage of 3-vessel lesions was high in Cys/Cys genotype and percentage of 1-vessel lesions was low in Ser/Cys genotype. Gensini and SYNTAX scores and ratio of complex lesions were significantly higher in the Cys/Cys genotype than the other two genotypes (FGensini=47.16, FSYNTAX=55.12; P<0.05). hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism showed correlation with coronary artery lesions in patients with diabetes mellitus, and Cys/Cys genotype may have more impact on the severity of lesions.

[Molecular epidemiology of human adenovirus diarrhea among infants and young children in Lanzhou from July 2005 to June 2008].

OBJECTIVE: Gastroenteritis is a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. Adenovirus AdV is recognized to be one of the most important pathogens associated with severe dehydrating gastroenteritis. Studies reported elsewhere have shown that about 8%-10% of cases with infantile diarrhea are caused by AdV and in some areas AdV diarrhea even occurred in the form of outbreaks. Studies have confirmed that AdV infections are also very common in infants and young children in China. This study aimed to investigate the molecular epidemiologic characteristics of human adenovirus diarrhea among infants and children with acute diarrhea in Lanzhou, Gansu province, China. METHOD: Stool specimen and case information were collected from both outpatients and inpatients with acute diarrhea in Lanzhou. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect AdV in stool specimens. The subjects included 709 urban children and 180 rural children, their age ranged from 19 d to 60 months. RESULT: Of the 889 cases, 43 (4.8%) were found positive for AdV. AdV was detected in 14 of 257 (5.4%) cases seen from July 2005 to June 2006, in 4 of 286 cases (1.4%) seen from July 2006 to June 2007. During the period of July 2007 to June 2008, adenovirus was detected in 346 specimens, the positive rate was 7.2% (25/346). AdV detection rates of the three-year period were significantly different. The major AdV subtypes detected were adenovirus (subgenus F) Ad40, Ad41 with a positive rate of 3.8% (34/889), followed by non-enteric adenovirus (Ad12, Ad18, Ad31, Ad2, Ad5, Ad6, Ad7) with a positive rate of 1.0% (9/889) in Lanzhou during the 3 years. Most of the AdV-positive specimens showed Ad41 group F (67.4%, 29/43) as the major epidemic strains, and Ade infection mainly occurred in children under one year of age and no seasonal cluster was found. CONCLUSION: Adenovirus was one of the major etiological agent of viral diarrhea among infants and children in Lanzhou between 2005 and 2008. Ad41 was the prodomiment serotype.