CCL17 and CCL19 are markers of disease progression in alveolar echinococcosis.

OBJECTIVES: Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) represents one of the deadliest helminthic infections, characterized by an insidious onset and high lethality. METHODS: This study utilized the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, applied Weighted Correlation Network Analysis (WGCNA) and Differential Expression Analysis (DEA), and employed the Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC) to identify CCL17 and CCL19 as key genes in AE. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence co-localization techniques were used to examine the expression of CCL17 and CCL19 in liver tissue lesions of AE patients. Additionally, a mouse model of multilocular echinococcus larvae infection was developed to study the temporal expression patterns of these genes, along with liver fibrosis and inflammatory responses. RESULTS: The in vitro model simulating echinococcal larva infection mirrored the hepatic microenvironment post-infection with multilocular echinococcal tapeworms. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that liver fibrosis occurred in AE patients, with proximal activation and increased expression of CCL17 and CCL19 over time post-infection. Notably, expression peaked during the late stages of infection. Similarly, F4/80, a macrophage marker, exhibited corresponding trends in expression. Upon stimulation of normal hepatocytes by vesicular larvae in cellular experiments, there was a significant increase in CCL17 and CCL19 expression at 12 h post-infection, mirroring the upregulation observed with F4/80. CONCLUSION: CCL17 and CCL19 facilitate macrophage aggregation via the chemokine pathway and their increased expression correlates with the progression of infection, suggesting their potential as biomarkers for AE progression.

NOTCH signaling inhibition after DAPT treatment exacerbates alveolar echinococcosis hepatic fibrosis by blocking M1 and enhancing M2 polarization.

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a lethal helminthic liver disease caused by persistent infection with Echinococcus multilocularis (E. multilocularis). Although more and more attention has been paid to the macrophages in E. multilocularis infection, the mechanism of macrophage polarization, a critical player in liver immunity, is seldom studied. NOTCH signaling is involved in cell survival and macrophage-mediated inflammation, but the role of NOTCH signaling in AE has been equally elusive. In this study, liver tissue samples from AE patients were collected and an E. multilocularis infected mouse model with or without blocking NOTCH signaling was established to analyze the NOTCH signaling, fibrotic and inflammatory response of the liver after E. multilocularis infection. Changes in polarization and origin of hepatic macrophages were analyzed by flow cytometry. In vitro qRT-PCR and Western blot assays were performed to analyze key receptors and ligands in NOTCH signaling. Our data demonstrated that hepatic fibrosis develops after AE, and the overall blockade of NOTCH signaling caused by DAPT treatment exacerbates the levels of hepatic fibrosis and alters the polarization and origin of hepatic macrophages. Blocking NOTCH signaling in macrophages after E. multilocularis infection downregulates M1 and upregulates M2 expression. The downregulation of NTCH3 and DLL-3 in the NOTCH signaling pathway is significant. Therefore, NOTCH3/DLL3 may be the key pathway in NOTCH signaling regulating macrophage polarization affecting fibrosis caused by AE.

Ultrasonography screening of hepatic cystic echinococcosis in sheep flocks used for evaluating control progress in a remote mountain area of Hejing County, Xinjiang.

BACKGROUND: Although ultrasonography (US) has been widely used in the diagnosis of human diseases to monitor the progress of cystic echinococcosis (CE) control, the screening method for hepatic CE in sheep flocks requires adjustment. In this study, we used a US scanner to screen sheep flocks and evaluated the efficacy of dosing dogs once a year with praziquantel for 7 years from 2014 to 2021. METHODS: All sheep in the three flocks were screened using an ultrasound scanner in 2014 and compared with the prevalence of infection in 2021 in Bayinbuluke, Xinjiang, China. Sheep age was determined using incisor teeth. Cyst activity and calcification were determined using US images. The dogs were dewormed with praziquantel once a year to control echinococcosis in the community. RESULTS: Three flocks had 968 sheep in 2014, with 13.22%, 22.62%, 18.7%, 27.27%, 11.88%, and 6.3% of sheep aged 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and ≥ 6 years old, respectively. US scanning revealed that the overall CE prevalence was 38.43% (372/968), with active cysts and calcified cysts present in 9.40% (91/968) and 29.02% (281/968) of the sheep, respectively. For the young sheep aged 1 and 2 years, the prevalence of active and calcified cysts was: 1.56% and 0.91%, and 10.94% and 18.72%, respectively. Approximately 15.15% and 16.52% of the 4- and 5-year-old sheep, respectively, harbored active cysts. There was no significant difference in the infection rates of sheep between 2014 and 2021 (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: US is a practical tool for the field screening of CE in sheep flocks. One-third of the sheep population in the flocks was 1-2 years old, and these sheep played a very limited role in CE transmission, as most of the cysts were calcified. Old sheep, especially culled aged sheep, play a key role in the transmission of CE. Dosing dogs once a year did not affect echinococcosis control.

Epidemiological Survey on Echinococcosis in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.

BACKGROUND: According to the latest data, the detection rate of echinococcus in Hoboksar Mongol Autonomous County was 3.7%. The objective of this study is to further investigate the epidemiology of echinococcosis in Ho-boksar Mongol Autonomous County of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China and provide the scientific evidence for preventive and control measures. METHODS: We performed ultrasound examination of 521 people in Hoboksar Mongol Autonomous County of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, and collected 508 serum samples, which were analyzed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data were analyzed by t-test and multinomial logistic regression for risk factor analysis. We collected 126 pieces of herder's dog feces and used double antibody sandwich method to detect the positive rate of fecal antigen. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of human echinococcosis in this region was 4.4% (23/521), including 4.0% (21/521) for cystic echinococcosis (CE), 0.38% (2/521) for alveolar echinococcosis (AE). It was found that CE seropositivity was significantly different from gender, age, ethnic group, occupation, culture, area, income and awareness of this disease. The seroprevalence rate of people aged 41 - 65 (3.74%) was higher than of age 0 - 17 (0.197%) (p > 0.05); Female serological positive (4.921%) was higher than male (1.772%) (p > 0.005); Mongolian serological positive (5%) was higher than Han (0.197%) and Kazakhs (1.181%) (p > 0.05); The herdsmen serological positive (2.756% was higher than students (0.197%) (p > 0.05); The primary school students serological positive (2.559%) was higher than children before school 0% (p > 0.05); Chagankule serological positive (9.211%) was higher than Bayinaow (8.497%) (p > 0.05); The seroprevalence rate of people with income < 2,000 (3.74%) was higher than people with income over 5,000 (0.197%) (p > 0.05); The seroprevalence rate of people who had no disease awareness (4.724%) was higher than those who had awareness of Hydatid disease (1.969%) (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression show age, ethic group and awareness of station are the influence factors of epidemiology of echinococcosis. Canine fecal antigen positive rate was 50% (p > 0.05). Narenhebuke (48.78%) was higher than chahet (20.00%), but there is no statistical difference (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The surveillance data and our study results tend to be consistent that echinococcosis has an increasing trend in Hoboksar Mongol Autonomous County. Efforts should be continued, in both animals and humans by increasing training campaigns and public awareness.

Distinguish the Value of the Benign Nevus and Melanomas Using Machine Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

Background: Melanomas, the most common human malignancy, are primarily diagnosed visually, beginning with an initial clinical screening and followed potentially by dermoscopic analysis, a biopsy, and histopathological examination. We aimed to systematically review the performance and quality of machine learning-based methods in distinguishing melanoma and benign nevus in the relevant literature. Method: Four databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library) were searched to retrieve the relevant studies published until March 26, 2022. The Predictive model Deviation Risk Assessment tool (PROBAST) was used to assess the deviation risk of opposing law. Result: This systematic review included thirty researches with 114007 subjects and 71 machine learning models. The convolutional neural network was the main machine learning method. The pooled sensitivity was 85% (95% CI 82-87%), the specificity was 86% (82-88%), and the C-index was 0.87 (0.84-0.90). Conclusion: The findings of our study showed that ML algorithms had high sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing between melanoma and benign nevi. This suggests that state-of-the-art ML-based algorithms for distinguishing melanoma from benign nevi may be ready for clinical use. However, a large proportion of the earlier published studies had methodological flaws, such as lack of external validation and lack of clinician comparisons. The results of these studies should be interpreted with caution.

The role of regulatory B cells in Echinococcus granulosus-infected mice.

To investigate the phenotypic changes of the expression level of regulatory B cells and related molecules during the continuous infection of Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus) in mice and its relationship with E. granulosus infection and its immune effect. Experimental group mice were inoculated with protoscoleces suspension via intraperitoneally injection to prepare a mouse model of E. granulosus infection. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of regulatory B cells CD1dhiCD5+CD19hi cells and CD1dhiCD5+CD19hi IL-10+ cells in spleen and peripheral blood of mice. The expressions of IL-10 and TGF-ß1 in mouse serum were detected via ELISA. The liver pathological changes in mice were observed by H&E staining; Moreover, the expressions and distribution of IL-10 and TGF-ß1 in mice liver were measured through immunohistochemistry. The ELISA test results showed no significant changes in serum IL-10 and TGF-ß1 levels in early infected mice. However, at the middle and late stages of infection, the levels of IL-10 and TGF-ß1 in the serum of mice increased significantly (P < 0.05). The proportion of CD1dhiCD5+CD19hiBreg cells and the proportion of CD1dhiCD5+CD19hiIL-10+Breg cells in the spleen of mice infected with E. granulosus were increased at 90 days after infection, which indicating that Breg cells proliferated in the late stage of infection. CD1dhiCD5+CD19hi regulatory B cells may be one of the causes of immunosuppression of E. granulosus infection. It is speculated that Bregs inhibitory effect may play a role by regulating the expression of cytokines and inducing the secretion of inhibitory cytokines IL-10 and TGF-ß1.

Image Analysis-Based Machine Learning for the Diagnosis of Retinopathy of Prematurity: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review.

TOPIC: To evaluate the performance of machine learning (ML) in the diagnosis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and to assess whether it can be an effective automated diagnostic tool for clinical applications. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Early detection of ROP is crucial for preventing tractional retinal detachment and blindness in preterm infants, which has significant clinical relevance. METHODS: Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, IEEE Xplore, and Cochrane Library were searched for published studies on image-based ML for diagnosis of ROP or classification of clinical subtypes from inception to October 1, 2022. The quality assessment tool for artificial intelligence-centered diagnostic test accuracy studies was used to determine the risk of bias (RoB) of the included original studies. A bivariate mixed effects model was used for quantitative analysis of the data, and the Deek's test was used for calculating publication bias. Quality of evidence was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. RESULTS: Twenty-two studies were included in the systematic review; 4 studies had high or unclear RoB. In the area of indicator test items, only 2 studies had high or unclear RoB because they did not establish predefined thresholds. In the area of reference standards, 3 studies had high or unclear RoB. Regarding applicability, only 1 study was considered to have high or unclear applicability in terms of patient selection. The sensitivity and specificity of image-based ML for the diagnosis of ROP were 93% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90-0.94) and 95% (95% CI: 0.94-0.97), respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.97-0.99). For the classification of clinical subtypes of ROP, the sensitivity and specificity were 93% (95% CI: 0.89-0.96) and 93% (95% CI: 0.89-0.95), respectively, and the AUC was 0.97 (95% CI: 0.96-0.98). The classification results were highly similar to those of clinical experts (Spearman's R = 0.879). CONCLUSIONS: Machine learning algorithms are no less accurate than human experts and hold considerable potential as automated diagnostic tools for ROP. However, given the quality and high heterogeneity of the available evidence, these algorithms should be considered as supplementary tools to assist clinicians in diagnosing ROP. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Identification and exploration of a new M2 macrophage marker MTLN in alveolar echinococcosis.

The pathogen of alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is Echinococcus multilocularis (E. multilocularis), which has the characteristics of diffuse infiltration and growth and has a high mortality rate. At present, the role of macrophages in AE infection has attracted more and more attention, but the new biomarkers and polarization mechanisms of macrophages are rarely studied. In this study, CIBERSORT and WGCNA algorithms were used to establish a weighted gene co-expression network, and MTLN was identified as a biological marker of M2-type macrophages, which participated in energy metabolism of macrophages and mediated inflammatory response, but the role of MTLN in AE was not studied. In this study, liver tissue samples from AE patients were collected and immunofluorescence co-localization showed the relationship between MTLN and macrophage distribution. E. multilocularis infected mouse model was established to analyze the expression of MTLN, liver fibrosis, and inflammatory reaction after E. multilocularis infection. The cell experiment simulated the liver microenvironment of E. multilocularis infected human body and analyzed the expression of MTLN by QRT-PCR and western blot in vitro. The data showed that liver fibrosis occurred in AE patients, and MTLN was activated near the focus. After E. multilocularis infected mice, the expression of MTLN increased with time. In the cell experiment, after the antigen of E. multilocularis protoscolex stimulated normal liver cells, the expression of MTLN increased 48 h, at this time, M2 was up-regulated and M1 was down-regulated. Therefore, MTLN may be the key gene to regulate the polarization of M2 macrophages and cause fibrosis.

Molecular evolutionary characteristics of OBI virus S gene among the adolescent population in rural and pastoral areas of Xinjiang Province.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the actual hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection rate, occult HBV infection (OBI) rate, and molecular evolutionary characteristics of the OBI virus S gene in the adolescent population living in rural and pastoral areas of Xinjiang Province. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among the adolescent population living in the farming and herding areas. Venous blood samples (3-5 mL) were collected from eligible students in three central schools located in Banfanggou Township, Shuixigou Village, and Miaolgou Village, all in Urumqi County, in the nine-year compulsory system. Clustersampling in a population was adopted, and informed consent was obtained from the participating students. All serum samples were qualitatively tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by electrochemiluminescence. Subsequently, the HBV S gene was amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the positive PCR products were purified; the target gene sequences were then amplified. Molecular evolutionary characterization of the target gene sequences was performed using MEGA 11software. RESULTS: Overall, 1712 subjects were enrolled. The HBsAg carrier rate and OBI infection rate were 1.93% (33/1712) and 6.13% (103/1679), respectively. HBsAg (-) samples included 103 OBI strains, of which B-genotype strains accounted for 80.58% (83/103; 1 case of ayw1 serotype and 82 cases of adw2 serotype), C-genotype strains accounted for 14.56% (15/103; 1 case of adw2 serotype and 14 cases of adrq+serotype), and D-genotype strains accounted for 4.85% (5/103; 1 case of adw2 serotype and 4 cases of ayw2 serotype). Mutations were detected in the "a" determinant region of the following genes: P127S, G130R, and N146S (B-genotype OBI strains); T126I and T143S (C-genotype OBI strains); T126I, P127S, F134Y, and T143S (D-genotype OBI strains). CONCLUSION: A certain proportion of young people are infected with OBI strains. The B-genotype of OBI strains is the possible dominant genotype. OBI strains have amino acid mutations in the "a" determinant region, and they are likely to undergo a change in their antigenicity and immunogenicity. More attention must be paid to prevent problems due to OBI.

Establishment and validation of a nomogram for predicting immune-related prognostic features in trunk melanoma-specific death.

Background: Trunk melanoma is one of the most common and deadly types of melanomas. Multiple factors are associated with the prognosis of patients with trunk melanoma. Currently, direct, and reliable clinical tools for early assessment of individual specific risk of death are limited, and most of them are prediction models for all-cause death. Their accuracy in predicting competitiveness events, which make up a relatively large portion, may be substantially compromised. Hence, we conducted this study to investigate the risk factors of trunk melanoma-specific death to establish a comprehensive prediction model suitable for clinical application. Methods: Patients with trunk melanoma analyzed in this study were from the SEER program [2010-2015]. The random sampling method was used to split the included cases into the training and validation cohorts at a ratio of 7:3. Univariate and multivariate competing risk models were used to screen the independent influencing factors of specific death, and then a nomogram covering these independent predictors was constructed. The concordance index (C-index) and a calibration curve were used to evaluate the calibration degree and accuracy of the nomogram. Results: We identified 21,198 patients with trunk melanoma from the SEER database, and 3,814 of them died (17.99%). Among the death cases, deaths from other causes accounted for 66.50%The prognostic nomogram included 8 variables and 16 independent influencing factors. The overall C-index in the training set was 0.89, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival was 0.928 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.911-0.945], 0.907 (95% CI: 0.895-0.918), and 0.891 (95% CI: 0.879-0.902), respectively. The C-index of the model in the validation set was 0.89, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year cancer-specific death (CSD) was 0.927 (95% CI: 0.899-0.955), 0.916 (95% CI: 0.901-0.930), and 0.905 (95% CI: 0.899-0.921). Both the training set and the validation set showed the ideal calibration degree. Conclusions: This model can be used as a potential tool for prognostic risk management of trunk melanoma in the presence of many competing events.

Monocyte-derived macrophages: The supplements of hepatic macrophage in Echinococcus multilocularis infected mice.

BACKGROUND: Alveolar echinococcosis is a potentially lethal zoonosis caused by the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis. This study is to investigate the dynamic changes of monocytes, macrophages, and related cytokines in animal models of persistent infection of E. multilocularis. METHODS: An infection model was established by intraperitoneal injection of a protoscolex suspension. The pathological changes of liver were observed by HE staining. The percentage of Ly6Chi and Ly6Clo Monocytes in peripheral blood was detected by flow cytometry. The distribution and expression of CX3CL1, CX3CR1, iNOS, CD163, and CD11b in the liver were detected by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and Arg1 in the liver was detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The expression of INF-γ, interleukin-17 (IL-17), IL-4, and IL-10 in peripheral blood was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining showed that significant lesions appeared in the later stages of infection in the liver. The proportion of Ly6Chi monocytes in the peripheral blood of the experimental group mice decreased after a brief rise, Ly6Clo monocytes decreased first and then increased. The expression of CX3CL1, CX3CR1, CD11b, CD163, and iNOS in the mice liver of the experimental group was increased. The expression level of TNF-α and Arg1 mRNA in the liver of the experimental group mice increased. The expression level of IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-4, and IL-10 increased with the duration of infection. CONCLUSIONS: Monocytes as a supplement to hepatic macrophage, monocytes and kupffer cells may both participate in Th1 and Th2 immune responses by differentiating into M1 or M2 at different stages of E. multilocularis infection.

Role of Cytokines on the Progression of Liver Fibrosis in Mice Infected with Echinococcus multilocularis.

BACKGROUND: Liver fibrosis is a significant pathological change of Echinococcus multilocularis (E. multilocularis) infection. This study aimed to explore the role of cytokines on the progression of liver fibrosis in mice infected with E. multilocularis. METHODS: Liver histopathological features at 2, 8, 30, 90 and 180 d were quantified by inflammatory severity score. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines, fibrosis-related cytokines and hepatic cell apoptosis were measured using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: At the early stage of infection, parasite stimulation triggers the rapid recruitment of immune cells, such as macrophages and neutrophils. These infiltrated immune cells then produce a large number of cytokines, such as iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase), a pro-inflammatory cytokine; TGF-ß (transforming growth factor) activated HSCs (hepatic stellate cells) to promote the proliferation of fibroblasts and secretion of ECM (extracellular matrix); MMP9 (matrix metalloproteinase 9) degraded basal ECM and facilitated its replacement by a highly dense interstitial matrix. At the middle and late stages of infection, the expression of IL-10 (interleukin-10) with general inhibitory effect was increased. The imbalance of fiber formation and degradation aggravated liver fibrosis. Meanwhile, the whole process of E. multilocularis infection was accompanied by the necrosis and apoptosis of hepatic cells. CONCLUSION: Along with the expansion of parasitic infection, dynamic changes in cytokine expression were observed on the liver fibrosis progression, which is helpful to provide some new ideas for the prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis in mice infected with E. multilocularis.

Diagnostic value of hematological parameters in acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disease with rapid onset and rapid progression. In severe cases, it can cause systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), multiple organ failure (POF) and death. In order to explore the effective index of early diagnosis of AP, we have detected the levels of serum lipase (LPS), serum amylase (S-AMY) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Meanwhile, cost evaluation was performed on these biochemical parameters for AP patients. METHODS: In this study, 212 patients were admitted with acute abdominal pain, divided into AP group (n=107) and non-AP group (n=105), including cholelithiasis (n=8), intestinal obstruction (n=34), acute cholangitis (n=14), acute cholecystitis (n=20), acute appendicitis (n=20) and pancreatic cancer (n=9). Demographic data and laboratory examination results were collected, the sensitivity and specificity of LPS, S-AMY and CRP in the diagnosis of AP were calculated respectively, as well as the costs of single or multiple tests were evaluated. RESULTS: The serum level of S-AMY and LPS in AP group were significantly higher than those in nonAP group (P<0.01), The serum level of CRP in AP group was higher than that in non-AP group (P<0.05). When the critical value of the normal reference value is three times as the critical value, the sensitivity and specificity of the LPS in diagnosing AP were 91.6% and 90.5%, S-AMY was 70.1% and 91.4%. And CRP was 59.8% and 56.2%, respectively. Compared with the trend of serum LPS expression, the expression trend of S-AMY was positively correlated (r=0.81), while there was no correlation with the trend of CRP expression. CONCLUSIONS: The ability of LPS to diagnose AP is significantly better than that of LPS + CRP, as well as the combined detection of LPS + CRP + S-AMY, which can be used as the first choice for laboratory examination of AP.

Clinical Significance of M1/M2 Macrophages and Related Cytokines in Patients with Spinal Tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Macrophages are important immune cells involved in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection. To further investigate the degree of disease development in patients with spinal tuberculosis (TB), we conducted research on macrophage polarization. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with spinal TB and twenty-five healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The specific morphology of tuberculous granuloma in spinal tissue was observed by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. The presence and distribution of bacilli were observed by Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining. Macrophage-specific molecule CD68 was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). M1 macrophages play a proinflammatory role, including the specific molecule nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the related cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). M2 macrophages exert anti-inflammatory effects, including the specific molecule CD163 and related cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10). The above markers were all detected by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and IHC. RESULTS: Typical tuberculous granuloma was observed in the HE staining of patients with spinal TB. ZN staining showed positive expression of Ag85B around the caseous necrosis tissue and Langerhans multinucleated giant cells. At the same time, IHC results indicated that CD68, iNOS, CD163, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ were expressed around the tuberculous granuloma, and their levels were obviously higher in close tissue than in the distant tissue. RT-PCR and ELISA results indicated that IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ levels of TB patients were also higher than those of the healthy controls. CONCLUSION: The report here highlights that two types of macrophage polarization (M1 and M2) are present in the tissues and peripheral blood of patients with spinal TB. Macrophages also play proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory roles. Macrophage polarization is involved in spinal TB infection.

[In vitro cultivation of Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes and observation of their growth].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the growth and development of Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes under in vitro cultivation. METHODS: Hepatoma cell line was used for the cultivation. The number and morphology of the cysts were observed under light microscope. The parasite tissue was fixed and observed under electron microscope. RESULTS: During the first 21 days of cultivation, metacestodes in cyst-suspension derived cultures increased dramatically, and from the 22nd day on, the number of cysts remained as 6-7 times more than that of the 3rd-4th day of culture. Budding of new cysts was observed and the diameter of the cysts increased as time went on. On the 22nd day, larger cysts occupied 30%. Cysts were found with morphology between protoscolex and metacestode. CONCLUSION: An in vitro cultivation for the cysts of E. multilocularis has been established and basic feature of growth and development of the larvae observed.

Attenuation effect of Abnormal Savda Munziq on liver and heart toxicity caused by chemotherapy in mice.

Abnormal Savda Munziq (ASMq), an Uighur medicine formula commonly used in the treatment of cancer, has been speculated to possess antioxidative and antiproliferative effects, and to regulate immune activity. The present study was designed to systematically elucidate the toxicity-reducing activity of ASMq in mice undergoing combination chemotherapy with doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The mice were divided into normal (saline, 10 ml/kg) and doxorubicin + 5-FU groups (doxorubicin, 2.5 mg/kg; 5-FU, 10 mg/kg on alternate days). In addition, three groups received different doses of ASMq (2, 4 and 8 g/kg), in addition to doxorubicin (2.5 mg/kg) and 5-FU (10 mg/kg) treatment on alternate days. The histology of the heart and liver, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in heart homogenate, and various biochemical parameters of the liver were evaluated. Compared with the normal control group, ASMq dose-dependently improved a number of variables, including body weight, liver index, transaminase and total protein, and partially normalized liver and cardiac pathology. ASMq restored activities of defense antioxidant enzymes SOD and GSH-Px towards normal levels, and decreased MDA concentration in dose-dependent manner. These results demonstrated that ASMq provides significant protection against doxorubicin + 5-FU combination induced hepatotoxicity and cardiotoxicity. Further studies are required to determine the effects of ASMq against doxorubicin + 5-FU-induced toxicity during chemotherapy in vivo.

[Prevalence rate of ovine hepatic cystic echinococcosis in Quaker Wusu area of Bayinbuluke of Xinjiang, 2014].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence rate of ovine hepatic cystic echinococcosis (HCE) in sheep in Quaker Wusu area of Bayinbuluke of Xinjiang by ultrasonography and provide evidence for the prevention and control of HCE in sheep. METHODS: The prevalence screening of HCE in sheep was conducted based on ultrasound images in this area in July 2014. The sheep were divided into different groups by dental age to calculate the age specific prevalence rate of HCE and analyzed the correlation between the dental age and the prevalence rate. RESULTS: The total prevalence rate of HCE in sheep in this area was 36.9%. The prevalence rates of none-calcified HCE and calcified HCE were 7.3% and 29.6%, respectively. The prevalence rates of none-calcified HCE in different age groups were 1.2% (1-2 years old), 1.4% (2-3 years old), 14.0% (3-4 years old), 10.0% (4-5 years old), 15.6% (5-6 years old) and 4.2% (>6 years old) respectively. The prevalence rate of calcified HCE in different age groups were 9.9% (1-2 years old), 16.2% (2-3 years old), 31.6% (3-4 years old), 47.8% (4-5 years old), 42.2% (5-6 years old) and 41.7% (>6 years old) respectively. The prevalence rate of HCE in 1-2 years old group was lower than those in other groups, the prevalence rate of HCE in age groups >3 years increased significantly. There was positive correlation between the prevalence rate of HCE and dental age (r = 0.372, R(2) = 0.107, F = 44.176, P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: HCE is highly endemic in Quaker Wusu area. The prevalence rate of HCE is low in sheep with young age and high in sheep aged 3-4 years. It is necessary to conduct early prevention of HCE in sheep in this area.

Independent evaluation of a canine Echinococcosis Control Programme in Hobukesar County, Xinjiang, China.

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China is one of the world's most important foci for cystic echinococcosis. Domestic dogs are the main source for human infection, and previous studies in Xinjiang have found a canine Echinococcus spp. coproELISA prevalence of between 36% and 41%. In 2010 the Chinese National Echinococcosis Control Programme was implemented in Xinjiang, and includes regular dosing of domestic dogs with praziquantel. Six communities in Hobukesar County, northwest Xinjiang were assessed in relation to the impact of this control programme through dog necropsies, dog Echinococcus spp. coproantigen surveys based on Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) and dog owner questionnaires. We found that 42.1% of necropsied dogs were infected with Echinococcus granulosus, and coproELISA prevalences were between 15% and 70% in the communities. Although approximately half of all dog owners reported dosing their dogs within the 12 months prior to sampling, coproELISA prevalence remained high. Regular praziquantel dosing of owned dogs in remote and semi-nomadic communities such as those in Hobukesar County is logistically very difficult and additional measures should be considered to reduce canine echinococcosis.

[Prevalence of human and ovine hepatic hydatid disease diagnosed by ultrasound in Hobukesar Mongolian Autonomous County of Xinjiang].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of human and ovine hepatic hydatid disease in Hobukesar Mongolian Autonomous County of Xinjiang (HMACX)and to evaluate the related strategies for prevention and control of the disease. METHODS: A prevalence screening method was used to screen local residents and sheep for hydatid disease in HMACX. Based on B ultrasound images, the screening programs on people and sheep in different sites were carried and the findings were comparatively analyzed. RESULTS: Findings of B ultrasound images through screening program among human beings showed that the positive rates of hydatid diseases 4.4% (23/521), of cystic echinococcosis and alveolar echinococcosis as 4.0% (21/521) and 0.8% (4/521)respectively. The infection rate on sheep was 3.8% (7/180). The positive rates of human and ovine hepatic hydatid disease in Township Chagangule were higher than in other areas. There was no significant statistical difference noticed on human positive rates between Township Chagangule and other areas. Statistically, significant difference for positive rate in ovine was seen between Township Chagangule and Township Bayinaowa(χ(2) = 4.8259, P = 0.0280). As intermediate host of hydatid disease, the infection rate in sheep was higher than that in human beings at Township Chagangule. CONCLUSION: HMACX remained a highly endemic area for human and ovine hydatid disease.