Effect of improvement in antibiotic use strategy on the short-term clinical outcome of preterm infants with a gestational age of <35 weeks / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the effect of improvement in antibiotic use strategy on the short-term clinical outcome of preterm infants with a gestational age of <35 weeks.@*METHODS@#The medical data were retrospectively collected from 865 preterm infants with a gestational age of <35 weeks who were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016. The improved antibiotic use strategy was implemented since January 1, 2015. According to the time of implementation, the infants were divided into three groups: pre-adjustment (January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014; n=303), post-adjustment Ⅰ (January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015; n=293), and post-adjustment Ⅱ (January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016; n=269). The medical data of the three groups were compared.@*RESULTS@#There were no significant differences among the three groups in gestational age, proportion of small-for-gestational-age infants, sex, and method of birth (P>0.05). Compared with the pre-adjustment group, the post-adjustment I and post-adjustment Ⅱ groups had a significant reduction in the rate of use of antibiotics and the duration of antibiotic use in the early postnatal period and during hospitalization (P<0.05), with a significant increase in the proportion of infants with a duration of antibiotic use of ≤3 days or 4-7 days and a significant reduction in the proportion of infants with a duration of antibiotic use of >7 days in the early postnatal period (P<0.05). Compared with the post-adjustment Ⅰ group, the post-adjustment Ⅱ group had a significant reduction in the duration of antibiotic use in the early postnatal period and during hospitalization (P<0.05), with a significant increase in the proportion of infants with a duration of antibiotic use of ≤3 days and a significant reduction in the proportion of infants with a duration of antibiotic use of 4-7 days or >7 days (P<0.05). Compared with the pre-adjustment group, the post-adjustment I and post-adjustment Ⅱ groups had significantly shorter duration of parenteral nutrition and length of hospital stay (P<0.05). There were gradual reductions in the incidence rates of grade ≥Ⅲ intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and late-onset sepsis (LOS) after the adjustment of antibiotic use strategy. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the adjustment of antibiotic use strategy had no effect on short-term adverse clinical outcomes, and antibiotic use for >7 days significantly increased the risk of adverse clinical outcomes (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#It is feasible to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use by the improvement in antibiotic use strategy in preterm infants with a gestational age of <35 weeks, which can also shorten the duration of parenteral nutrition and the length of hospital stay and reduce the incidence rates of grade ≥Ⅲ IVH and LOS.

Establishment of Fingerprints and Comparative Study on Ginsenoside Content of Panax notoginseng Flower with Different Growing Years / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To compare chemical composition types and ginsenoside content of Panax notoginseng flowers with different growing years ，and to explore the effect of growing year on the quality of P. notoginseng flowers. METHODS ：Each 10 batches of biennial，triennial and quadrennial P. notoginseng flower were collected and determined by HPLC. The determination was performed on Shim-pack GIST C 18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile- 0.05％ phosphoric acid solution （gradient elution ）at the flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The column temperature was set at 30 ℃，and the detection wavelength was set at 203 nm. The sample size was 20 μL. Similarity Evaluation System of TCM Chromatogram Fingerprint was used to establish the fingerprint of 30 batches of samples ，identify the diagnostic components and analyze the similarity. Cluster analysis was conducted by using SPSS 22.0 software. The contents of ginsenoside Rb 1，Rb2，Rb3 and Rc in 30 batches of P. notoginseng flower with different growing years were determined by above HPLC . The quality control analysis was conducted by using SPSS 22.0 software. RESULTS：Established fingerprint showed good precision ，stability and reproducibility. There were good linear relationship （R2＞ 0.999），quantitative limit ，precision，stability，repeatability and accuracy of the content determination method . Six common components as ginsenoside Rb 1， Rb2， Rb3 and Rc were Δ 基金项目：云南省地方高校联合专项（No.KX182504Y） identified in P. notoginseng flower with different growing ＊助教，硕士。研究方向：中药资源开发 。电话：0876-2684947。 E-mail：wshuangzaiqiang@163.com years by fingerprint ；ginsenoside Rd was identified in triennial # 通信作者 ：研究员，硕士。研究方向 ：中药资源开发 。电话： P. notoginseng flower. The similarities of the fingerprints 0876-8883731。E-mail：gaomingju@163.com among 10 batches of biennial ，triennial and quadrennial P. 中国药房 2020年第31卷第8期 China Pharmacy 2020Vol. 31 No. 8 ·969· notoginseng flower were 0.881，0.952 and 0.945，respectively. The similarity among samples with different growing ye ars was more than 0.817. Thirty batches of P. notoginseng flower could be grouped into 4 categories，the category Ⅱ was quadrennial samples，the category Ⅲ was triennial samples ，while the categories Ⅰ and Ⅳ were mostly biennial samples and a small number of triennial and quadrennial samples. RSDs of 4 ginsenosides contents and their total contents in biennial samples were 8.90％-21.43％ and total saponin contents were 11.65％-17.76％，respectively. RSDs of 4 ginsenosides contents and their total contents in triennial samples were 6.45％-14.23％，and total saponin contents were 15.74％-19.30％. RSDs of 4 ginsenosides contents and their total contents in quadrennial samples were 7.50％-18.86％，and total saponin contents were 15.92％-20.16％. The results of quality control analysis showed that biennial samples mainly distributed in the areas of Ⅱ and Ⅲ ；triennial and quadrennial samples mainly distributed in the areas of Ⅰ and Ⅱ ；the order of ginsenosides content was Ⅰ ＞Ⅱ ＞Ⅲ. CONCLUSIONS：Chemical components of P. notoginseng flower with different growing years are generally close in types but there still a re some differences ，among which the content of ginsenosides in biennial samples is lower ，fluctuates more ，and the overall quality is slightly poor ；the content of ginsenosides in triennial and quadrennial samples is higher ，fluctuates less ，and the overall quality is higher and tends to be stable.

Comparison of the efficacy of domestic and imported caffeine citrate in the treatment of apnea in preterm infants: a prospective randomized double-blind controlled trial / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the efficacy of domestic and imported caffeine citrate in the treatment of apnea in preterm infants.@*METHODS@#A total of 98 preterm infants with a gestational age of 28 - 0.05). There were no significant differences in the incidence of complications and the mortality rate between the two groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse effects between the two groups (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The efficacy and safety of domestic caffeine citrate in the treatment of apnea are similar to those of imported caffeine citrate in preterm infants.

Fetal pleural effusion in the uterus and dyspnea after birth / 中国当代儿科杂志

Neonatal chylothorax is a common cause of neonatal congenital pleural effusion and is often caused by the accumulation of chylous fluid in the thoracic cavity due to the rupture of the thoracic duct and its branched lymphatic vessels for a variety of reasons. Neonatal chylothorax caused by malignant tumors is extremely rare, and this is the first case of neonatal mediastinal neuroblastoma with chylothorax in China. The boy was found to have pleural effusion in the left thoracic cavity in the uterus, and experienced apnea at birth, as well as dyspnea and cyanosis as the main manifestations after birth. He was diagnosed with left chylothorax based on conventional biochemical analysis of pleural effusion. After the treatment including persistent chest drainage and symptomatic and supportive treatment, the drainage of the left thoracic cavity reached a volume of 90-180 mL per day. Neonatal refractory chylothorax was considered. Chest radiograph on day 13 after birth showed lesions in the upper left lung field, and contrast-enhanced plain CT scan of the chest suggested the possibility of posterior mediastinal neuroblastoma. The autopsy confirmed giant posterior mediastinal neuroblastoma (poorly differentiated), which involved the C7-T6 spinal canal and the nearby erector spinae, with a small amount of tumor tissue in the liver and both adrenal glands. Mediastinal tumor is considered the underlying cause of chylothorax in this case.

Analysis on the heritability of diabetes, based on data from the Chinese adult twins / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective@#To analyze the heritability of diabetes among the Chinese twin adults.@*Methods@#A total of 10 253 same-sex twin pairs aged 25 years and older, were selected from the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR) program. Heritability of diabetes was calculated by using the structural equation model.@*Results@#After adjusted for age and gender, the overall heritability rates of diabetes were 0.41 (0.15-0.75), 0.83 (0.72-0.91) and 0.34 (0.04-0.73) in the <45 and ≥45 years twin pairs, respectively. After adjusted for age, rates of heritability appeared as 0.37 (0.05-0.78) and 0.88 (0.79-0.94) in men and women, respectively.@*Conclusions@#Diabetes is affected by both genetic and environmental factors. The genetic effect of diabetes seemed stronger on female than that on male twins but was dying down along with ageing.

Reduced Macular Vascular Density in Myopic Eyes / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Morphological changes of the vasculature system in patients with myopia have been observed by Doppler ultrasound and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA); however, these studies have limitations. Doppler ultrasound provides low-resolution images which are mainly obtained from visualized large vessels, and FFA is an invasive examination. Optic coherence tomography (OCT) angiography is a noninvasive, high-resolution measurement for vascular density. The purpose of this study was to investigate the change of vascular density in myopic eyes using OCT angiography.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This cross-sectional study includes a total of 91 eyes from 47 participants including control, moderate, and high myopia that were evaluated by OCT angiography. Patients with myopia were recruited from the Refractive Department, Shenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, from August 5, 2015 to April 1, 2016. Emmetropic eyes were from healthy volunteers. The vascular density at macula and optic disc regions, ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness, and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness were measured. Their relationships with axial length (AL) and refractive error were analyzed. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson's correlation, and generalized estimating equation were used for statistical analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both superficial and deep macular vascular density were highest in control (25.64% ± 3.76% and 37.12% ± 3.66%, respectively), then in moderate myopia (21.15% ± 5.33% and 35.35% ± 5.50%, respectively), and lowest in high myopia group (19.64% ± 3.87% and 32.81% ± 6.29%, respectively) (F = 13.74 and 4.57, respectively; both P < 0.001). Both superficial (β = -0.850 and 0.460, respectively) and deep (β = -0.766 and 0.396, respectively) macular vascular density were associated with AL and spherical equivalent (all P < 0.001). Superficial macular vascular density was associated with GCC thickness (β = 0.244, P = 0.040), independent of spherical equivalent. The vascular density in optic disc region had no difference among the three groups, and it was not associated with AL, spherical equivalent, or RNFL thickness.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our results suggested that with the increase of myopia, the vascular density decreased in macular region, but not in optic disc region.</p>

Response of human triple-negative breast cancer to paclitaxel after vascu-lar normalization in nude mice / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM:To explore whether there is synergistic effect of recombinant human endostatin ( rh-Endo ) and paclitaxel (Pac) in the time window of vascular normalization and the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in early assessment of chemotherapy by observing the response of human triple -negative breast cancer ( TNBC) to Pac after vascular normalization in nude mice .METHODS:The human TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells were planted in the subcutaneous region of right lower abdomen of BALB/c-nu female nude mice .These nude mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=7).rh-Endo was given for 17 consecutive days in rh-Endo group and rh-Endo+Pac group.Pac was given on the 6th and 12th days in Pac group and rh-Endo+Pac group.The dosage of both drugs was 10 mg· kg-1· d-1(ip).On the day before the treatment and the 5th, 11th and 17th days after treatment, all the transplanted tumors were examined by MRI . All the mice were killed by cervical dislocation and their transplanted tumors were taken down for examinations after the last MRI on the 17th day.The changes of pathology, immunohistochemisty, microvessel density (MVD) and Ki67 expression were measured.RESULTS:On the 17th day, the volume of transplanted tumor in rh-Endo+Pac group was smaller than that in model group and rh-Endo group ( P<0.05 ) , and no difference between rh-Endo+Pac group and Pac group was found.On the 17th day, the tumor inhibitory rates in rh-Endo group, Pac group and rh-Endo+Pac group were 14.61%, 39.08%and 54.79%, respectively.The slow diffusion coefficient in Pac group was increased compared with model group , while it was decreased compared with rh-Endo+Pac group (P<0.05).No distant metastatic lesion in the tumor-bearing mice was observed .The necrotic rates in rh-Endo+Pac group and Pac group were higher than those in model group and rh-Endo group.The MVD in model group was higher than that in the other 3 groups.The MVD in rh-Endo+Pac group was decreased compared with Pac group and rh-Endo group .The Ki67 level in rh-Endo+Pac group was decreased compared with rh-Endo group , and no difference between rh-Endo+Pac group and Pac group was detected .CONCLUSION:In the time window of vascular normalization , the combination of Pac and rh-Endo has a significant antitumor effect on TNBC , but this study did not observe a significant synergistic effect of the 2 drugs.The change of slow diffusion coefficient can predict the therapeutic effect in advance .

Response of human triple-negative breast cancer to paclitaxel after vascu-lar normalization in nude mice / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM:To explore whether there is synergistic effect of recombinant human endostatin ( rh-Endo ) and paclitaxel (Pac) in the time window of vascular normalization and the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in early assessment of chemotherapy by observing the response of human triple -negative breast cancer ( TNBC) to Pac after vascular normalization in nude mice .METHODS:The human TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells were planted in the subcutaneous region of right lower abdomen of BALB/c-nu female nude mice .These nude mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=7).rh-Endo was given for 17 consecutive days in rh-Endo group and rh-Endo+Pac group.Pac was given on the 6th and 12th days in Pac group and rh-Endo+Pac group.The dosage of both drugs was 10 mg· kg-1· d-1(ip).On the day before the treatment and the 5th, 11th and 17th days after treatment, all the transplanted tumors were examined by MRI . All the mice were killed by cervical dislocation and their transplanted tumors were taken down for examinations after the last MRI on the 17th day.The changes of pathology, immunohistochemisty, microvessel density (MVD) and Ki67 expression were measured.RESULTS:On the 17th day, the volume of transplanted tumor in rh-Endo+Pac group was smaller than that in model group and rh-Endo group ( P<0.05 ) , and no difference between rh-Endo+Pac group and Pac group was found.On the 17th day, the tumor inhibitory rates in rh-Endo group, Pac group and rh-Endo+Pac group were 14.61%, 39.08%and 54.79%, respectively.The slow diffusion coefficient in Pac group was increased compared with model group , while it was decreased compared with rh-Endo+Pac group (P<0.05).No distant metastatic lesion in the tumor-bearing mice was observed .The necrotic rates in rh-Endo+Pac group and Pac group were higher than those in model group and rh-Endo group.The MVD in model group was higher than that in the other 3 groups.The MVD in rh-Endo+Pac group was decreased compared with Pac group and rh-Endo group .The Ki67 level in rh-Endo+Pac group was decreased compared with rh-Endo group , and no difference between rh-Endo+Pac group and Pac group was detected .CONCLUSION:In the time window of vascular normalization , the combination of Pac and rh-Endo has a significant antitumor effect on TNBC , but this study did not observe a significant synergistic effect of the 2 drugs.The change of slow diffusion coefficient can predict the therapeutic effect in advance .

Garrè's osteomyelitis with bilateral mandible: a case report / 华西口腔医学杂志

Garrès osteomyelitis is a specific type of chronic osteomyelitis that most commonly occurs in young patients, secondary to dental infection, and affects the unilateral side of the mandible. Bilateral mandibular Garrè's osteomyelitis is rare. In this article, a case of Garrè's osteomyelitis with bilateral mandible is reported. Its etiology, clinical pathologic features, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment methods are discussed by reviewing relevant literature.

Effects of oral cancer-associated fibroblasts on the proliferation, migration, invasion and tube formation to human lymphatic endothelial cells / 华西口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of oral cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) on lymphangiogenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>CAFs and normal fibroblasts (NFs) were obtained from the tissues of patients with OSCC who did not receive radio-chemotherapy before operation. And the CAFs and NFs were isolated by method of tissue block and identified by immunohistochemical staining. The effects of CAFs (group A) and NFs (group B) to human lymphatic endothelial cells (HLEC) were detected by using a 24-multiwell transwell cell culture chamber. DMEM sugar medium was as blank control group. The number of proliferative, migratory, invasive and tubes of HLEC were counted under inverted phase contrast microscope.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The proliferative number of HLEC of group A for 96, 144, 196 h was significantly higher than that of group B and blank control group, group B higher than blank control group (P<0.01). The migratory and invasive number of HLEC of group A for 96 h was significantly higher than that of group B and blank control group, group B higher than blank control group (P<0.01). The number of tube formation of HLEC of group A for 24 h was significantly higher than that of group B and blank control group, group B higher than blank control group (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CAFs promote HLEC's proliferation, migration, invasion, tube formation, and these effects are stronger than NFs.</p>

Clinical study of 39 patients with malignant tumor after renal transplantation / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective To summarize the clinical characteristics,diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumor after renal transplantation.Methods The clinical data of 2106 renal transplants in 1945 patients undertaken in our hospital from September 1978 to December 2009 was retrospectively studied.Results Of these 1945 patients, 39 cases were diagnosed as having malignant tumor (incidence: 2.0 ％).The interval between transplantation and clinical diagnosis ranged from 8 to 124 months with a median of 57.0 months.Among the 39 cases of malignancy, there were 22 urinary system carcinomas, 8 digestive system carcinomas,2 lung cancers,2 breast cancers,2 lymphomas,1 dura small cell carcinoma,1 pleura poorly differentiated carcinoma and 1 metastatic carcinoma of liver with unknown primary tumor. Surgery was conducted in 28 patients,of which 16 were survived but the other 12 patients died of metastasis ranged from 3 months to 96 months (median,33 months) after operation.11 cases without operation died within from 3 d to 36 months (median,5 months) after diagnosis.Conclusions The incidence of malignant tumors in renal transplant recipients increased markedly.The most common type of the malignant tumors is urinary system carcinoma.The key measure of success in treating malignancy after renal transplantation is early diagnosis and surgical resection.

Biomechanical effect of bone cement volume and distribution on lumbar vertebral body with osteoporotic fracture / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To evaluate biomechanical effect of bone cement distribution on lumbar vertebral body with osteoporotic fracture.Methods Forty nine lumbar vertebrae (L1-L5) specimens were collected from 12 old cadavers.After exerting axial pressure load on every specimen,the initial intensity and stiffness were measured,and then vertebral body crush fracture models were established.According to zones where bone cement was injected in vertebrae,the specimens were divided into one control group and six experimental groups:A,B,C,D,E,F groups,i.e.unilateral anterior 2/3 group,unilateral posterior 2/3 group,unilateral whole group,bilateral anterior 2/3 group,bilateral posterior 2/3 group,and bilateral whole group,respectively,including 7 specimens in each group.In A,B,C groups,unipedicular balloon kyphoplasty was done,while in D,E,F groups,bipedicular balloon kyphoplasty was done.Then the maximum compressive strength and stiffness were measured.Results After percutaneous kyphoplasty,the maximum strength in all experimental groups was significantly greater than that in the control group.There were no significant differences in strength between A and B groups,between C,D and E groups.For the maximum strength,the results of comparison were:F group ＞ C group,D and C groups ＞ A and B groups.Except for F group,the stiffness in other 5 experimental groups was significantly lower than its initial value.There were no significant differences in stiffness between A,B,and C groups,between D and E groups.However,the stiffness in F group was greater than those in D and E groups,and it was greater in bilateral groups than those in unilateral groups.Conclusion Bone cement distribution in lumbar vertebral body can affect biomechanical property of vertebral body,and the bilateral distribution can cause better biomechanical effect than unilateral distribution.The ideal distribution zone of bone cement is in the anterior 2/3 of the vertebral body.

Polyurethane Foam Immobilization of Candida tropicalis for Xylitol Production / 微生物学通报

Immobilization conditions of Candida tropicalis to be absorbed in polyurethane foam carrier materials were studied on the xylitol production from corn hemicellulosic hydrolysate. Optimum batch-fermentation conditions were as follows: inoculum amount, 7% (volume ratio); polyurethane foam quantity, 1.0 g/100 mL; 30?C; initial pH, 6.0. Shaking speed was divided into two-phase to accommodate the dissolved oxygen, with 200 r/min at 0~24 h and 150 r/min at 24 h~46 h. The immobilized cells on polyurethane foam carrier have high density and good resistance to inhibitors in the hydrolysates. Average xylitol yield and volumetric productivity of polyurethane foam immobilized fermentation were much higher than the fermentation without immobilization. Corn cob hydrolysates can be directly biotransformed to xylitol without decoloration or ion-exchange treatment. This process can effectively reduce production costs, and it shows broad prospects of applications. Average xylitol yield was 67.6% and xylitol volumetric productivity was 1.92 g/(L?h).

Effects and mechanism of lutein on apoptosis of esophageal carcinoma EC9706 cells / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of lutein on apoptosis and its mechanism.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The cells of human esophageal carcinoma EC9706 were grown in RPMI medium containing 10% bovine serum and were treated with lutein at 100 microg x mL(-1) concentration. Flow cytometry was employed to investigate the effects of lutein on cell apoptosis of EC9706 cells. Histochemistry was performed to determine apoptosis-related protein expresion.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Flow cytometry analyses revealed that lutein increased EC9706 cell apoptosis ratio when treated with lutein 100 microg x mL(-1) at 96 h. Lutein decreased the expression of Bcl-2 protein and increased the expression of Bax protein in EC9706 cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Lutein could inhibit mitosis and stimulate apoptosis of EC9706 cells. The apoptotic effect may result from the down-regulation of expression of Bcl-2 and up-regulation expression of Bax.</p>

Study on the association between urinary organic arsenic and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanine in workers exposed to arsenic / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the association between metabolism of arsenic and DNA oxidative damage in workers in a arsenic mill.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Urinary organic arsenic and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanine were detected in 37 workers highly exposed to arsenic and 16 administrative and logistic staff with mild exposure in a arsenic mill in Yunnan province, and also 28 local people who did not have the exposure in the near past time. The correlation between metabolism of arsenic and DNA oxidative damage was evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The urinary organic arsenic concentration was respectively (0.48 +/- 0.37) mg/L and (0.08 +/- 0.05) mg/L for men with high and low exposure, and was respectively 0.11 mg/L and (0.30 +/- 0.24) mg/ L for women with high and low exposure, while it was lower than 0.02 mg/L in the controls. Urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanine concentration was (18.07 +/- 11.68) micromol/mol creatinine, (11.79 +/- 8.25) micromol/mol creatinine, (10.07 +/- 3.04) micromol/mol creatinine for the males with high and low exposure and of controls, respectively, (P < 0.05), and it was 84.35 micromol/mol creatinine, (21.27 +/- 5.89) micromol/mol creatinine, (14.43 +/- 2.58) micromol/mol creatinine for females with high and low exposure and of controls, respectively. The female workers exposed to arsenic had higher urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanine levels than males did (P < 0.05). The increased tendencies of urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanine levels with the organic arsenic concentration were found in workers (r(s) = 0.279, P = 0.019).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Occupational individuals exposed to arsenic have obvious DNA oxidative damage, which is more severe in females. The difference of metabolism of arsenic may play a key role.</p>

Mutation analysis of HOXD13 gene in a Chinese pedigree with synpolydactyly / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinical features and to identify homeobox D13 (HOXD13) gene mutation of the affected individuals in a Chinese synpolydactyly (SPD) kindred.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data and peripheral blood samples of SPD family members were obtained through field investigation. For every member of this pedigreeìthe fragment containing mutational hot spots of HOXD13 was amplified by PCR for mutation screening. To examine whether there is any other mutation within coding sequence of HOXD13, exon 1 and exon 2 of HOXD13 were also amplified by PCR. All the amplified fragments were electrophoresed on 2% agarose gels and then the mutant fragments were electrophoresed on 5% polyacrylamide gels to be separated. Purified PCR products of normal and selected mutant alleles were directly sequenced.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Comparing the HOXD13 coding sequence of the affected individuals with HOXD13 sequence in the GenBank and with that of the unaffected, an inserted segment coding 8 alanine residues within HOXD13 was found segregating with the disorder. This mutation is also termed polyalanine expansion. The 8-alanine expansion can be interpreted as a reduplication of normal alanines 5-12.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results suggest that synpolydactyly in this kindred may be caused by polyalanine expansion in HOXD13.</p>

Randomized terminal linker-dependent PCR: a versatile and sensitive method for detection of DNA damage / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To design and develop a novel, sensitive and versatile method for in vivo foot printing and studies of DNA damage, such as DNA adducts and strand breaks.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Starting with mammalian genomic DNA, single-stranded products were made by repeated primer extension, these products were ligated to a double-stranded linker having a randomized 3' overhang, and used for PCR. DNA breaks in p53 gene produced by restriction endonuclease AfaI were detected by using this new method followed by Southern hybridization with DIG-labeled probe.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>This randomized terminal linker-dependent PCR (RDPCR) method could generate band signals many-fold stronger than conventional ligation-mediated PCR (LMPCR), and it was more rapid, convenient and accurate than the terminal transferase-dependent PCR (TDPCR).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DNA strand breakage can be detected sensitively in the gene level by RDPCR. Any lesion that blocks primer extension should be detectable.</p>