Demographic characteristics of voluntary blood donors in Zhejiang Province / 预防医学

Objective To analyze the general characteristics of voluntary blood donors, and to provide the basis for establishing effective recruitment mechanism. Methods The information of all whole blood donors (including mobile blood collection cars on the streets , blood donation houses and team blood donors) from 2006 to 2015 was obtained from the Zhejiang blood management information system. The sex, age, occupation, weight, and the amount of blood donation at a time of blood donors were descriptively analyzed. Results There were 5299700 frequencies of donating blood in Zhejiang Province from 2006 to 2015. The annual frequency was on the rise, with an average annual growth rate of 2.99％. There were 3098500 frequencies of male and 2201300 of female with the ratio of 1.4 :1. The frequency of female has declined since 2010. The majority of voluntary blood donors ranged from 18 to 45 years old, and the percentage was 91.44％ . The ratios of staff, students and workers were 14.61％, 12.27％, 10.09％, respectively. The annual frequency of staff was on the rise, with an average annual growth rate of 7.71％. The frequency of workers was on the decline, and the frequency of students fluctuated over the years. The ratio of blood donation 400 mL at a time was 41.23％. For 400 mL blood donation at a time, the ratio of male donors (48.86％) was significantly higher than the female donors (30.50％, P<0.001) . In addition, the ratio of blood donation 400 mL at a time was proportional to age and body weight (P<0.001) . Conclusion In Zhejiang Province, the frequency of blood donation has increased year by year. Staff, students and workers with 18 to 45 years old are the main force of blood donation. The frequency of female blood donation has a tendency of dropping, and the ratio of blood donation 400 mL at a time is relatively low. It's necessary to strengthen the propaganda of blood donation.

A genome sequence of novel SARS-CoV isolates: the genotype, GD-Ins29, leads to a hypothesis of viral transmission in South China / 基因组蛋白质组与生物信息学报·英文版

We report a complete genomic sequence of rare isolates (minor genotype) of the SARS-CoV from SARS patients in Guangdong, China, where the first few cases emerged. The most striking discovery from the isolate is an extra 29-nucleotide sequence located at the nucleotide positions between 27,863 and 27,864 (referred to the complete sequence of BJ01) within an overlapped region composed of BGI-PUP5 (BGI-postulated uncharacterized protein 5) and BGI-PUP6 upstream of the N (nucleocapsid) protein. The discovery of this minor genotype, GD-Ins29, suggests a significant genetic event and differentiates it from the previously reported genotype, the dominant form among all sequenced SARS-CoV isolates. A 17-nt segment of this extra sequence is identical to a segment of the same size in two human mRNA sequences that may interfere with viral replication and transcription in the cytosol of the infected cells. It provides a new avenue for the exploration of the virus-host interaction in viral evolution, host pathogenesis, and vaccine development.

Complete genome sequences of the SARS-CoV: the BJ Group (Isolates BJ01-BJ04) / 基因组蛋白质组与生物信息学报·英文版

Beijing has been one of the epicenters attacked most severely by the SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus) since the first patient was diagnosed in one of the city's hospitals. We now report complete genome sequences of the BJ Group, including four isolates (Isolates BJ01, BJ02, BJ03, and BJ04) of the SARS-CoV. It is remarkable that all members of the BJ Group share a common haplotype, consisting of seven loci that differentiate the group from other isolates published to date. Among 42 substitutions uniquely identified from the BJ group, 32 are non-synonymous changes at the amino acid level. Rooted phylogenetic trees, proposed on the basis of haplotypes and other sequence variations of SARS-CoV isolates from Canada, USA, Singapore, and China, gave rise to different paradigms but positioned the BJ Group, together with the newly discovered GD01 (GD-Ins29) in the same clade, followed by the H-U Group (from Hong Kong to USA) and the H-T Group (from Hong Kong to Toronto), leaving the SP Group (Singapore) more distant. This result appears to suggest a possible transmission path from Guangdong to Beijing/Hong Kong, then to other countries and regions.

Ultrastructural characteristics of SARS associated virus in infected cells / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Electron microscopical study of infected cells to identify the pathogenic agent of SARS.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Vero E6 cells infected with lung autopsy samples or nasopharyngeal swabs from SARS patients of Beijing and Guangzhou were inoculated. The supernatant and cultured cells exhibiting identifiable cytopathic effect (CPE) were prepared for electron microscopic study.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Examination of CPE cells on thin-section revealed characteristic coronavirus particles within the cisternae of endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, vesicles and extracellular space. They were mainly spherical or oval in shape, annular or dense, about 80 nm in diameter. Negative-stain electron microscopy identified coronavirus particles in culture supernatant, 80 - 120 nm in diameter, with club-shaped surface projections. Elongated, rod-, kidney- or other irregular shaped virons with the size of 100 - 200 nm by 60 - 90 nm were also found in the cultured cells infected with the lung samples from the Guangdong patients. Infectious virons entered cells by endocytosis or membrane fusion and released through a budding process.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These data indicate a novel coronavirus as the causative agent of SARS. Most viral particles showed typical characteristics of coronavirus. The potential role of special shape viruses is expected to be further investigated.</p>