Critically ill children with SARS-COV-2 Omicron infection at a national children medical center, Guangdong, China.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 infection is described as asymptomatic, mild, or moderate disease in most children. SARS-CoV-2 infection related death in children and adolescents is rare according to the current reports. COVID-19 cases increased significantly in China during the omicron surge, clinical data regarding pediatric critical patients infected with the omicron variant is limited. In this study, we aim to provide an overview of the clinical characteristics and outcomes of critically ill children admitted to a national children's medical center in Guangdong Province, China, during the outbreak of the omicron variant infection. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study from November 25, 2022, to February 8, 2023, which included 63 critically ill children, under the age of 18, diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The patients were referred from medical institutions of Guangdong province. The medical records of these patients were analyzed and summarized. RESULTS: The median age of patients was 2 years (Interquartile Range, IQR: 1.0-8.0), sex-ratio (male/female) was 1.52. 12 (19%) patients (age ≥ 3 years) were vaccinated. The median length of hospital stay was 14 days (IQR: 6.5-23) in 63 cases, and duration of fever was 5 days (IQR: 3-8.5), pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stay was 8 days (IQR 4.0-14.0) in 57 cases. 30 (48%) cases had clear contact history with family members who were infected with SARS-CoV-2. Three children who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection did not show any abnormalities on chest imaging examination. Out of the total patients, 33 (52%) had a bacterial co-infection, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most commonly detected bacterial pathogen. Our cohort exhibited respiratory and nervous system involvement as the primary features. Furthermore, fifty (79%) patients required mechanical ventilation, with a median duration of 7 days (IQR 3.75-13.0). Among these patients, 35 (56%) developed respiratory failure, 16 (25%) patients experienced a deteriorating progression of symptoms and ultimately succumbed to the illness, septic shock was the most common condition among these patients (15 cases), followed by multiple organ failure in 12 cases, and encephalopathy identified in 7 cases. CONCLUSION: We present a case series of critically ill children infected with the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant. While there is evidence suggesting that Omicron may cause less severe symptoms, it is important to continue striving for measures that can minimize the pathogenic impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children.

Reducing Remifentanil Usage in Laparoscopic Rectal Cancer Surgery for Elderly Patients by Optimizing Dosing.

Background: Colorectal cancer is a prevalent and serious health concern globally, particularly among the elderly population. Laparoscopic surgery is a commonly used approach for colorectal cancer treatment. However, the use of appropriate anesthesia and muscle relaxants is essential to ensure optimal surgical outcomes. Elderly patients undergoing surgery often have unique physiological characteristics and comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease. These factors can affect treatment efficiency and patient outcomes. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of different target-controlled infusion concentrations of rocuronium bromide on elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. Methods: This is a prospective randomized controlled study. Ninety senior adults who underwent laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery at our hospital between September 2018 and May 2020 were selected as the eligible participants. They were randomly divided into three groups: the low-dose group (0.6 mg/L of rocuronium bromide), the middle-dose group (0.9 mg/L of rocuronium bromide), and the high-dose group (1.2 mg/L of rocuronium bromide). The purpose of this division was to administer target-controlled infusions of rocuronium bromide to maintain skeletal muscle relaxation during the surgical procedure. Data on various outcome measures, including skeletal muscle relaxation effectiveness, patient satisfaction, skeletal muscle relaxation recovery times and indices, extubation duration, and remifentanil dosage, were collected and analyzed. Results: The middle-dose group and the high-dose group exhibited notably higher levels of satisfaction with skeletal muscle relaxation compared to the low-dose group. As the rocuronium bromide dosage increased, the patients experienced prolonged recovery times and had higher skeletal muscle indices (P < .05). Additionally, the middle-dose group demonstrated significantly reduced extubation times and lower remifentanil dosages compared to the other groups (P < .05). The enhanced satisfaction levels in the middle-dose and high-dose groups, indicating that higher concentrations of rocuronium bromide may be more effective in achieving optimal skeletal muscle relaxation during laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. The prolonged recovery times and higher skeletal muscle indices associated with increased dosage suggest a dose-dependent effect on muscle relaxation. Conclusion: For elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery, the use of a target-controlled infusion of 0.9 mg/L of rocuronium bromide appears to be a viable option. It maintains adequate skeletal muscle relaxation, shortens postoperative recovery time, and reduces the demand for remifentanil, demonstrating excellent potential for clinical application. These findings provide valuable insights for anesthesiologists and healthcare professionals involved in the perioperative management of elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery. Implementing the optimized dosage of rocuronium bromide can contribute to enhanced surgical outcomes, improved patient satisfaction, and more efficient resource utilization in the clinical setting.

Three-in-One Detector by 3D Printing: Simultaneous Contactless Conductivity, Ultraviolet Absorbance, and Laser-Induced Fluorescence Measurements for Capillary Electrophoresis.

We describe a 3-in-1 detector for simultaneous contactless conductivity (C4D), ultraviolet absorbance (UV-AD), and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements on a single detection point for capillary electrophoresis (CE). A key component of the detector was a rectangular detector head that was assembled with four 3D-printed parts. Two parts covering the detector head to function as a Faraday cage were fused deposition modeling printed using an electrically conductive material. The other two parts in between the conductive parts were stereolithography (SLA) printed with high-resolution (50 µm) constructions on the surface. After assembling the two SLA printed parts, several cavities were built with the surface constructions. Two electrodes and a Faraday shield for C4D were cast by injecting molten Wood's metal into the cavities. For UV-AD, a slit (100 µm width) was created by putting together two grooves (50 µm depth) on the surface of the SLA printed parts. A 255 nm UV-LED was used as the light source. The effective path length and stray light for a 50 µm id capillary were 39 µm and 13%, which were superior to those of other reported 3D-printed AD detectors. Confocal LIF detection was conducted by using an objective lens to focus the laser on the capillary via a through-hole. The detector was used to detect model analytes, including inorganic and organic ions, and fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled amino acids in a signal-run CE separation. In detecting fluorescein, LODs were 1.3 µM (C4D), 2.0 µM (UV-AD), and 1 nM (LIF). The calibration ranges covered from 0.01 µM to 500 µM.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 attenuates ventilator-induced lung injury by inhibiting the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptotic pathway.

BACKGROUND: Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) is caused by overdistension of the alveoli by the repetitive recruitment and derecruitment of alveolar units. This study aims to investigate the potential role and mechanism of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a metabolic regulator secreted by the liver, in VILI development. METHODS: Serum FGF21 concentrations were determined in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation during general anesthesia and in a mouse VILI model. Lung injury was compared between FGF21-knockout (KO) mice and wild-type (WT) mice. Recombinant FGF21 was administrated in vivo and in vitro to determine its therapeutic effect. RESULTS: Serum FGF21 levels in patients and mice with VILI were significantly higher than in those without VILI. Additionally, the increment of serum FGF21 in anesthesia patients was positively correlated with the duration of ventilation. VILI was aggravated in FGF21-KO mice compared with WT mice. Conversely, the administration of FGF21 alleviated VILI in both mouse and cell models. FGF21 reduced Caspase-1 activity, suppressed the mRNA levels of Nlrp3, Asc, Il-1ß, Il-18, Hmgb1 and Nf-κb, and decreased the protein levels of NLRP3, ASC, IL-1ß, IL-18, HMGB1 and the cleaved form of GSDMD. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal that endogenous FGF21 signaling is triggered in response to VILI, which protects against VILI by inhibiting the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway. These results suggest that boosting endogenous FGF21 or the administration of recombinant FGF21 could be promising therapeutic strategies for the treatment of VILI during anesthesia or critical care.

A retrospective analysis of preemptive pharmacogenomic testing in 22,918 individuals from China.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacogenomics (PGx) examines the influence of genetic variation on drug responses. With more and more Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) guidelines published, PGx is gradually shifting from the reactive testing of single gene toward the preemptive testing of multiple genes. But the profile of PGx genes, especially for the intra-country diversity, is not well understood in China. METHODS: We retrospectively collected preemptive PGx testing data of 22,918 participants from 20 provinces of China, analyzed frequencies of alleles, genotypes and phenotypes of pharmacogenes, predicted drug responses for each participant, and performed comparisons between different provinces. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After analyzing 15 pharmacogenes from CPIC guidelines of 31 drugs, we found that 99.97% of individuals may have an atypical response to at least one drug; the participants carry actionable genotypes leading to atypical dosage recommendation for a median of eight drugs. Over 99% of the participants were recommended a decreased warfarin dose based on genetic factors. There were 20 drugs with high-risk ratios from 0.18% to 58.25%, in which clopidogrel showed the highest high-risk ratio. In addition, the high-risk ratio of rasburicase in GUANGDONG (risk ratio (RR) = 13.17, 95%CI:4.06-33.22, p < 0.001) and GUANGXI (RR = 23.44, 95%CI:8.83-52.85, p < 0.001) were significantly higher than that in all provinces. Furthermore, the diversity we observed among 20 provinces suggests that preemptive PGx testing in different geographical regions in China may need to pay more attention to specific genes. These results emphasize the importance of preemptive PGx testing and provide essential evidence for promoting clinical implementation in China.

Preparation and tensile conductivity of carbon nanotube/polyurethane nanofiber conductive films based on the centrifugal spinning method.

Flexible conductive thin films have recently become a research area of focus in both academia and industry. In this study, a method of preparing nanofiber conductive films by centrifugal spinning is proposed. Polyurethane (PU) nanofiber films were prepared by centrifugal spinning as the flexible substrate film, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used as the conducting medium, to obtain CNTs/PU nanofiber conductive films with good conductivity and elasticity. The effects of different CNT concentrations on the properties of the nanofiber films were investigated. It was found that the conductivity of the nanofiber conductive films was optimal when an impregnation concentration of 9% CNTs was used in the stretching process. Cyclic tensile resistance tests showed that the nanofiber conductive films have good durability and repeatability. Physical and structural property analysis of the CNT/PU conductive films indicate that the adsorption of the CNTs on the PU surface was successful and the CNTs were evenly dispersed on the surface of the matrix. Moreover, the CNTs improved the thermal stability of the PU membrane. The CNT/PU conductive films were pasted onto a human finger joint, wrist joint, and Adam's apple to test the detection of movement. The results showed that finger bending, wrist bending, and laryngeal prominence movement all caused a change in resistance of the conductive film, with an approximately linear curve. The results indicate that the CNT/PU nanofiber conductive film developed in this study can be used to test the motion of human joints.

UGT1A1 mutation association with increased bilirubin levels and severity of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia in ABO incompatible newborns of China.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia causing jaundice is common in East Asian population. Uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase isoenzyme (UGT1A1) glucuronidates bilirubin and converts the toxic form of bilirubin to its nontoxic form. METHOD: A retrospective study was conducted to review clinical information of ABO hemolysis neonates (ABO HDN) admitted to the Department of Neonatology, referred for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, in a large general hospital of southern China from 2011 to 2017. Variation status of UGT1A1 was determined by direct sequencing or genotype assays. RESULT: Sixty-nine ABO HDNs were included into the final analysis. UGT1A1 c.211 G > A mutation (UGT1A1*6, p.Arg71Gly, rs4148323) was significantly associated with the increased bilirubin level in ABO HDNs, after adjusted by age, sex and feeding method (P = 0.019 for TBIL, P = 0.02 for IBIL). Moreover, heterozygous and/or homozygous UGT1A1 mutations in the coding sequence region were significantly associated with the increased risk of developing hazardous hyperbilirubinemia (as defined by TSB > 427 umol/L) as compared those with a normal UGT1A1 genotype (ORadj = 9.16, 95%CI 1.99-42.08, P = 0.002) in the study cohort. CONCLUSION: UGT1A1 variant in coding region is actively involved in the pathogenesis of ABO hemolysis related neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Genetic assessment of UGT1A1 may be useful for clinical diagnosis of neonatal unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia.

Co-inheritance of G6PD deficiency and 211 G to a variation of UGT1A1 in neonates with hyperbilirubinemia in eastern Guangdong.

BACKGROUND: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, which may manifest as neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, is the most prevalent erythrocytic enzyme-related disease in the world. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and co-inheritance of G6PD deficiency and 211 G to A variation of UGT1A1 in Chaozhou city of eastern Guangdong province, the effects of G6PD deficiency and UGT1A1 gene variant on the bilirubin level were determined in neonates with hyperbilirubinemia. METHOD: The activity of G6PD was assayed by an auto-bioanalyzer. PCR and flow-through hybridization were used to detect 14 common G6PD mutations in G6PD deficient neonates. 211 G to A variation of UGT1A1 was determined by PCR and sequencing. The data of neonatal bilirubin was collected and analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Seventy four cases of the 882 hyperbilirubinemia neonates were G6PD deficiency (8.39%) while 12 cases of the 585 non-hyperbilirubinemia neonates (control group) were G6PD deficiency (2.05%). The rate of G6PD deficiency in the hyperbilirubinemia group was higher than that of the control group. Moreover, the peak bilirubinin of the G6PD-deficient group of hyperbilirubinemia neonates was 334.43 ± 79.27 µmol/L, higher than that of the normal G6PD group of hyperbilirubinemia neonates (300.30 ± 68.62 µmol/L). The most common genotypes of G6PD deficiency were c.1376G > T and c.1388G > A, and the peak bilirubin of neonates with these two variants were 312.60 ± 71.81 µmol/L and 367.88 ± 75.79 µmol/L, respectively. The bilirubin level of c.1388G > A was significantly higher than that of c.1376G > T. Among the 74 hyperbilirubinemia neonates with G6PD deficiency, 6 cases were 211 G to A homozygous mutation (bilirubin levels 369.55 ± 84.51 µmol/L), 27 cases were 211 G to A heterozygous mutation (bilirubin levels 341.50 ± 63.21 µmol/L), and 41 cases were wild genotypes (bilirubin levels 324.63 ± 57.52 µmol/L). CONCLUSION: The rate of G6PD deficiency in hyperbilirubinemia neonates was significantly higher than that of the non-hyperbilirubinemia neonates in Chaozhou. For the hyperbilirubinemia group, neonates with G6PD deficiency had a higher bilirubin level compared to those with normal G6PD. For hyperbilirubinemia neonates with G6PD deficiency, there was a declining trend of bilirubin levels among 211 G to A homozygous mutation, heterozygous mutation, and wild genotype, but there was no significance statistically among the three groups.

[Phenotype and Genotype Analysis in Two Pedigrees with Hereditary Coagulation Factor â ª Deficiency].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the phenotype and genotype in two pedigrees with hereditary coagulation factor Ⅺ (FⅪ) deficiency, and investigate the molecular mechanisms of FⅪ deficiency. METHODS: Two patients with hereditary coagulation FⅪ deficiency were admitted to Chaozhou Central Hospital in Nov 2014 and Jan 2018. The prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), FⅪ activity (FⅪ∶C) and FⅪ antigen (FⅪ∶Ag) were tested for phenotypic diagnosis. All the exons and exon-intron boundaries of FⅪ gene of proband were analyzed by PCR and sequencing. The family members were tested for the mutant site of proband. Then the mRNA of FⅪ in the proband was analyzed with RT-PCR. RESULTS: The proband-1 was a 7-year-old boy, PT was 10.7 s and APTT was 97.4 s (reference range: 9-12.8 s; 24-40 s), FⅪ∶C (0.6%) and FⅪ∶Ag<1% (reference range: 65%-150%; 72.1%-122.3%). The proband-2 was a 30-year-old female, and showed the PT (11.7 s), APTT (71.3 s), FⅪ∶C (0.7%) and FⅪ∶Ag<1%. FⅧ∶C, FⅨ∶C and FⅫ∶C of two proband were within the normal range. DNA sequencing showed that the proband-1 had a combined mutation of c.326-1G>A and c.1107C>A (p.Tyr351X) in exon 10. His grandmother, mother and brother had a heterozygous splicing mutation of c.326-1G>A, his grandmother and father had a homozygous mutation of c.1107C>A. FXI mRNA was undetected in the proband-1. The proband-2 had a homozygous mutation of c.841C>T (p.Gln263X) in exon 8, and this mutation was also found in her father, mother, daughter and son. CONCLUSION: The c.326-1G>A, c.1107C>A(p.Tyr351X) and c.841C>T (p.Gln263X) might be the molecular pathogenesis for two probands with hereditary coagulation factor Ⅺ deficiency.

The analysis of clinical and laboratory data: a large outbreak of dengue fever in Chaozhou, Guangdong province, China.

A large-scale dengue fever (DF) outbreak occurred in Chaozhou, Guangdong province, China 2015. In our study, 528 dengue-positive patient samples were collected for clinical and laboratory data analysis. 491 cases (93.0%) were primary dengue fever (PDF), 22 cases (4.2%) were dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and 15 cases (2.8%) were diagnosed with severe dengue fever (SDF). All cases were infected by dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2), and the isolated strains belonged to cosmopolitan genotype, which were grouped closely with Malaysia strains from 2010 to 2014. Moreover, the study showed that laboratory indices have significantly difference in PDF, DHF and SDF patients. A comprehensive analysis of these data could assist and guide the clinical diagnosis for DF, which has an important significance for the control of dengue virus infection.

[Novel mutations p.Lys327X and p.Leu424CysfsX8 underlying congenital factor â ª deficiency].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the phenotype and genetic mutations in a pedigree affected with factor Ⅺ (FⅪ) deficiency. METHODS: Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), FⅪ activity (FⅪ:C) and FⅪ antigen (FⅪ:Ag) were determined for the proband and his family members. All exons and exon-intron boundaries of the FⅪ gene of the proband were analyzed by direct sequencing. Suspected mutation was verified in his family members. RESULTS: The proband had APTT of 82.4 s, FⅪ:C of 0.8%, and FⅪ:Ag of <1%. DNA sequencing showed that he has carried c.1033A>T (Lys327X) mutation in exon 10 and c.1325delT (Leu424CysfsX8) mutation in exon 12 of the FⅪ gene. His elder sister, son, daughter, two granddaughters and one grandson were heterozygous carriers of the c.1033A>T mutation, while his older sister and younger brother were heteozygous carriers of the c.1325delT mutation. Analysis using Mutation Taster software showed that both p.Lys327X and p.Leu424CysfsX8 may affect the function of protein and lead to the corresponding disease. CONCLUSION: The novel mutations of Lys327X and Leu424CysfsX8 of the the FⅪ gene probably underlie the pathogenesis of congenital coagulation factor Ⅺ deficiency in this pedigree.

MiR-135a Protects Vascular Endothelial Cells Against Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury by Inhibiting PHLPP2 to Activate PI3K/Akt Pathway.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Loss of endothelial barrier function plays an important role in the development of ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). This study aimed to investigate the effects of miR135a on VILI in a model of mechanical stretch (MS)-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) injury. METHODS: HUVECs were randomly assigned to 7 groups: blank, negative control (NC), NC+MS, miR135a over-expression (mi-miR135a), mi-miR135a + MS, miR135a silencing (si-miR135a) and si-miR135a + MS groups. MS was induced by subjecting cells to cyclic stretch at 20% stretch for 4 h. After 24 h, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by DCFH-DA fluorescence intensity. Apoptosis was measured using annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide assay with flow cytometry. Inflammatory cytokine levels were determined by ELISA. Barrier integrity was determined using FITC-conjugated dextran assay. Expression levels of PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, Bcl-2 and Bax were examined using western blotting. The interaction between miR135a and PHLPP2 was evaluated by dual-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: Our results showed that MS reduced cell numbers, increased the number of apoptotic cells, increased ROS, barrier dysfunction and inflammatory cytokines in HUVECs, and reduced p-PI3K and p-Akt expression; silencing of miR135a worsened MS-induced HUVEC injury. However, miR135a over-expression protected HUVECs against MS-induced increases in apoptotic cells, ROS, barrier dysfunction and inflammatory cytokines, which were accompanied by activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Simultaneous silencing of miR135a and PHLPP2 partially salvaged the effects of miR135a silencing, and miR135a was found to interact with PHLPP2. CONCLUSION: miR135a may protect HUVECs from MS-induced injury by inhibiting PHLPP2 to activate PI3k/Akt signaling pathway.

Facile Preparation of Metal-Organic Framework (MIL-125)/Chitosan Beads for Adsorption of Pb(II) from Aqueous Solutions.

In this study, novel composite titanium-based metal-organic framework (MOF) beads were synthesized from titanium based metal organic framework MIL-125 and chitosan (CS) and used to remove Pb(II) from wastewater. The MIL-125-CS beads were prepared by combining the titanium-based MIL-125 MOF and chitosan using a template-free solvothermal approach under ambient conditions. The surface and elemental properties of these beads were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, as well as thermal gravimetric analysis. Moreover, a series of experiments designed to determine the influences of factors such as initial Pb(II) concentration, pH, reaction time and adsorption temperature was conducted. Notably, it was found that the adsorption of Pb(II) onto the MIL-125-CS beads reached equilibrium in 180 min to a level of 407.50 mg/g at ambient temperature. In addition, kinetic and equilibrium experiments provided data that were fit to the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetics. Furthermore, reusability tests showed that MIL-125-CS retained 85% of its Pb(II)-removal capacity after five reuse cycles. All in all, we believe that the developed MIL-125-CS beads are a promising adsorbent material for the remediation of environmental water polluted by heavy metal ions.

[Rare thalassemia mutations among southern Chinese population].

OBJECTIVE: To detect rare types of thalassemia mutations among southern Chinese population. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples from 327 patients from various regions of southern China were collected. The patients were suspected as rare-type thalassemia for their inconsistency between hematological phenotypes and results of routine mutation screening. The samples were further analyzed with GAP-PCR and DNA sequencing. RESULTS: One hundred and eight cases were diagnosed as rare types of thalassemia. Among whom 10 rare α-globin gene mutations including --THAI, HKα, αααanti3.7, αααanti4.2, -α2.8, -α27.6, CD74 GAC>CAC (Hb Q-Thailand), CD30 (-GAG), CD31 AGG>AAG and CD118 (+TCA), and 12 rare ß-globin gene mutations including CD37 TGG>TAG, CD39 CAG>TAG/CD39 CAG>TAG, ß II-2 (-T), -90(C>T), -31(A>C), -88(C>T), CD7(-A), CD138(+T), CD89-93 (--AGTGAGCTGCACTG), CD54-58 (-TATGGGCAACCCT), Chinese G γ +(A γδß)0 and Vietnamese HPFH (HPFH-6) were identified. -88(C>T) (HBB: c.-138C>T) and CD39 CAG>TAG (HBB: c.118C>T) were discovered for the first time in Chinese population. CD7(-A) (HBB: c.23delA) and CD138(+T) (HBB: c.416_417insT) were new types of ß-globin gene mutations. CONCLUSION: The present study have enriched the mutation spectrum of thalassemia in southern China, which has provided necessary information for its diagnosis.

Prevalence of HIV and malaria: a cross-sectional study on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea.

Malaria and HIV are two of the most severe public health problems in Africa. However, epidemiological data on Bioko Island is scarce. To investigate the prevalence of malaria and HIV infections and assess association of malaria and HIV infections and possible confounding factors, we performed a cross-sectional survey of people of malaria-endemic Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. A cross-sectional study of 1 526 subjects was carried out to determine the prevalence of malaria and HIV infection in Malabo region hospital on Bioko Island. Questionnaires were administered and venous blood samples were drawn for malaria parasites and HIV detection. The prevalence of participants infected with malaria and HIV in this area were 13.8% and 6.6% respectively. The average prevalence of co-infection for malaria and HIV was 0.92%. HIV-infection was significantly associated with the age and gender. Malaria infections were significantly associated with the age. This study showed that the prevalence of HIV and malaria on Bioko Island was higher than expected, although the co-infection prevalence of malaria and HIV was low. The results also indicated that malaria and HIV infections lead to more public health risk to youngsters and women.

Clinical validation of a novel real-time human papillomavirus assay for simultaneous detection of 14 high-risk HPV type and genotyping HPV type 16 and 18 in China.

In the present study, we describe the laboratory workflow and the clinical validation of a novel multiplex real-time PCR-based HPV assay in China. The cross-sectional validation analysis showed that this assay worked well for detection of 14 HR-HPV types and identification of HPV 16 and 18 in a single sensitive assay that is suitable for both clinical usage and high-throughput cervical screening purposes. We predict that this accurate, high-throughput and low-cost HPV assay can greatly reduce the heavy economic burden of HPV detection in China.

Pharmacokinetic study of ofloxacin enantiomers in Pagrosomus major by chiral HPLC.

(S)-(-)-Ofloxacin and (R)-(+)-ofloxacin concentrations in the plasma of Pagrosomus major after drug treatment were detected by chiral high-performance liquid chromatography, and various pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated from these data. The elimination half-life of (S)-(-)-ofloxacin was significantly shorter than that of the (R)-(+) enantiomer. (S)-(-)-Ofloxacin also had a significantly lower maximum plasma concentration, area under the concentration-time curve from zero to infinity, and mean residence time than (R)-(+)-ofloxacin. However, the apparent volume of distribution and total body clearance of (S)-(-)-ofloxacin were greater than those of (R)-(+)-ofloxacin. The ratio of the (S)-(-)- to (R)-(+)-ofloxacin plasma concentration was always <1.0. Together, these data suggest that (S)-(-)-ofloxacin was preferentially excreted and (R)-(+)-ofloxacin was preferentially absorbed. Although the difference in pharmacokinetic parameters was small, the metabolic behavior of the ofloxacin enantiomers in P. major was enantioselective.

Molecular Epidemiological Characterization and Health Burden of Thalassemias in the Chaoshan Region, People's Republic of China.

Thalassemia is one of the most prevalent inherited disease in southern China. However, there have been only a few epidemiological studies of thalassemia in the Chaoshan region of Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China (PRC). A total of 6231 unrelated subjects in two main geographical cities of the Chaoshan region was analyzed for thalassemia. Seven hundred and thirty-six cases of suspected thalassemia carriers with microcytosis [mean corpuscular volume (MCV) <82.0 fL] were found by complete blood cell (CBC) count, and were tested by reverse dot-blot gene chip to reveal a total of 331 mutant chromosomes, including 278 α-thalassemia (α-thal) alleles and 53 ß-thalassemia (ß-thal) alleles. The most common α-thal mutations were the Southeast Asian (- -(SEA)), followed by the -α(3.7) (rightward) and -α(4.2) (leftward) deletions. The two most common ß-thal mutations were HBB: c.316-197C>T and HBB: c.126_129delCTTT, accounting for 69.81% of the ß-thal defects in the studied individuals. In addition, a rare mutation, Cap +1 (A>C) (HBB: c.-50A>C) was described for the first time in the Chaoshan region. Our results gave a heterozygote frequency of 5.31% for common α- and ß-thal in the Chaoshan region, and also indicated a higher prevalence of thalassemia with a heterozygote frequency of 6.29% in Chaozhou, followed by Shantou (3.37%). This study provided a detailed prevalence and molecular characterization of thalassemia in the Chaoshan region, and will be valuable for developing a strategy for prevention of thalassemia and reducing excessive health care costs in this area.