[Genetic Analysis of Thalassemia in 22 940 Pregnant Women in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence and types of thalassemia in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. METHODS: Automatic capillary electrophoresis was used to screen the thalassemia phenotypes of 22 940 blood samples of pregnant women and puerperants collected in our hospital and some other medical institutions in the prefecture during 2017-2019, among which there were 3 356 cases of Tujia ethnicity, 2 821 cases of Miao ethnicity, and 2 233 cases of Han ethnicity included, whose ethnicity were indicated. The samples with positive result would undergo further genetic testing. RESULTS: There were 2 314 cases of suspicious thalassemia were screened from 22 940 cases by the electrophoresis, thus the positive rate was 10.1% (hematological phenotypes from some other institutions were not included). Specifically, there were 1 706 cases with HBA2 less than 2.5%, 255 cases with HBA2 ranged from 2.5% to 3.5%, which displayed abnormal hematology (MCV or/and MCH) or other abnormal bands, and 353 cases with HBA2>3.5%. There were 436 suspected positive patients in 2 314 suspicious samples received further thalassemia gene testing in our hospital, among them 48 cases were diagnosed with α-thalassemia, 85 cases with ß-thalassemia, and 2 cases as compound type. The positive diagnosis rate of α-thalassemia gene test was 11.0%, ß-thalassemia was 19.4%, and positive pregnant women was 31.0%. CONCLUSION: The positive rate of thalassemia screening in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture is roughly the same as that in other regions of Hunan. The positive predictive value of ß-thalassemia screening is as high as 86%. Compared with the missed screening data, it is recommended to use hematology (MCV, MCH) method combined with capillary hemoglobin electrophoresis for thalassemia screening.

Association of high expression in rat gastric mucosal heat shock protein 70 induced by moxibustion pretreatment with protection against stress injury.

AIM: To study the effect of moxibustion on Zusanli or Liangmeng point on gastric mucosa injury in stress-induced ulcer rats and its correlation with the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). METHODS: Sixty healthy SD rats (30 males, 30 females) were divided into control group, injury model group, Zushanli point group, Liangmeng point group. Stress gastric ulcer model was induced by binding cold stress method. Gastric mucosa ulcer injury (UI) index was calculated by Guth method. Gastric mucosa blood flow (GMBF) was recorded with a biological signal analyzer. Protein content and gene expression in gastric mucosal HSP70 were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Thiobarbital method was used to determine malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Gastric mucosal endothelin (ET) and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: High gastric mucosal UI index, high HSP70 expression, low GMBF and PGF(2), elevated MDA and ET were observed in gastric mucosa of rats subjected to cold stress. Moxibustion on Zusanli or Liangmeng point decreased rat gastric mucosal UI index, MDA and ET. Conversely, the expression of HSP70, GMBF, and PGE(2) was elevated in gastric mucosa after pretreatment with moxibustion on Zusanli or Liangmeng point. The observed parameters were significantly different between Zusanli and Liangmeng points. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with moxibustion on Zusanli or Liangmeng point protects gastric mucosa against stress injury. This protection is associated with the higher expression of HSP70 mRNA and protein, leading to release of PGE(2) and inhibition of MDA and ET, impairment of gastric mucosal index.