Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated meningoencephalitis due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

Although myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated disorders include a wide spectrum of syndromes, manifestations with meningoencephalitis symptoms due to M. pneumoniae infection were quite infrequent. We admitted an 8-years-old girl who presented with recurrent fever accompanied by headache and mild cough, her Cerebral spinal fluid polynucleated cells was elevated and progressively higher, her cranial MRI showed meningeal enhancement initially and multiple intracranial lesions later, serum M. pneumoniae-IgM and MOG-IgG were positive, she was diagnosed with MOG-IgG associated meningoencephalitis due to M. pneumoniae infection, the treatment consisted of intravenous immunoglobulin, glucocorticoid, and erythromycin, then she was completely recovered.

Spontaneous remission of infantile spasms following rotavirus gastroenteritis.

Epileptic seizures might be provoked and/or exacerbated by fever or viral infection in children with epilepsy. However, this is not true for infantile spasms; in this study, we report three cases with infantile spasms became seizure free within 2-5 days following rotavirus gastroenteritis without an exchange or addition of antiepileptic drugs, and hypsarrhythmia evolved to diffuse slow waves or localized spikes on electroencephalography. We propose that the probability regarding the mechanism of spontaneous mitigation is the suppression of immunopathological processes caused by infection, while the possibility of ketogenic effects of diarrhea and intestinal flora recombination after rotavirus gastroenteritis is unlikely. Further study may provide important information concerning the mechanism of seizure control and the applicability to treatment for infantile spasms.

Transcriptome Analyses of Diaphorina citri Midgut Responses to Candidatus Liberibacter Asiaticus Infection.

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), is an important transmission vector of the citrus greening disease Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). The D. citri midgut exhibits an important tissue barrier against CLas infection. However, the molecular mechanism of the midgut response to CLas infection has not been comprehensively elucidated. In this study, we identified 778 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the midgut upon CLas infection, by comparative transcriptome analyses, including 499 upregulated DEGs and 279 downregulated DEGs. Functional annotation analysis showed that these DEGs were associated with ubiquitination, the immune response, the ribosome, endocytosis, the cytoskeleton and insecticide resistance. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that most of the DEGs were primarily involved in endocytosis and the ribosome. A total of fourteen DEG functions were further validated by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). This study will contribute to our understanding of the molecular interaction between CLas and D. citri.

Immune Functional Analysis of Chitin Deacetylase 3 from the Asian Citrus Psyllid Diaphorina citri.

Chitin deacetylase (CDA) is a chitin degradation enzyme that strictly catalyzes the deacetylation of chitin to form chitosan, which plays an important role in regulating growth and development, as well as the immune response. In this study, a chitin deacetylase 3 gene (CDA3) was identified with a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 1362 bp from the genome database of Diaphorina citri, encoding a protein of 453 amino acids. Spatiotemporal expression analysis suggested that D. citri CDA3 (DcCDA3) had the highest expression level in the integument and third-instar nymph stage. Furthermore, DcCDA3 expression level can be induced by 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). Injection of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus induced the upregulation of DcCDA3 in the midgut, while DcCDA3 was downregulated in the fat body. After silencing DcCDA3 by RNA interference, there was no influence on the D. citri phenotype. In addition, bactericidal tests showed that recombinant DcCDA3 inhibited gram-positive bacteria, including S. aureus and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis). In conclusion, our results suggest that DcCDA3 might play an important role in the immune response of D. citri.

Silencing of the Chitin Synthase Gene Is Lethal to the Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri.

Chitin synthase is a critical enzyme that catalyzes N-acetylglucosamine to form chitin, which plays an important role in the growth and development of insects. In this study, we identified a chitin synthase gene (CHS) with a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 3180 bp from the genome database of Diaphorina citri, encoding a protein of 1059 amino acid residues with the appropriate signature motifs (EDR and QRRRW). Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis suggested that D. citri CHS (DcCHS) was expressed throughout all developmental stages and all tissues. DcCHS had the highest expression level in the integument and fifth-instar nymph stage. Furthermore, the effects of diflubenzuron (DFB) on D. citri mortality and DcCHS expression level were investigated using fifth-instar nymph through leaf dip bioassay, and the results revealed that the nymph exposed to DFB had the highest mortality compared with control group (Triton-100). Silencing of DcCHS by RNA interference resulted in malformed phenotypes and increased mortality with decreased molting rate. In addition, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) also revealed corresponding ultrastructural defects. Our results suggest that DcCHS might play an important role in the development of D. citri and can be used as a potential target for psyllid control.

[Investigation of sexual function in 623 patients with chronic prostatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of chronic prostatitis on premature ejaculation (PE) and erectile dysfunction (ED) and the correlation of chronic prostatitis with PE and ED. METHODS: We adopted NIH-CPSI, CISFPE and IIEF-5, interviewed 623 patients with chronic prostatitis, and recorded their scores on the above systems. RESULTS: The incidence of PE was 39.0% and the rates of the mild, moderate and severe types were 26.2%, 12.0% and 0.8%, respectively. It developed mostly among the younger patients, accounting for 42.9% (103/240), 37.0% (95/257) and 35.7% (45/126) in the 18-30, 30-40 and 40-57 yr age groups, respectively. The incidence of ED was 16.9% and the rates of the mild, moderate and severe types were 14.9%, 1.0% and 1.0%, respectively. It occurred mostly among the older patients, accounting for 13.8% (33/240), 11.3% (29/257) and 34.1% (43/126) in the 18-30, 30-40 and 40-57 yr age groups, respectively. Analyses revealed no significant correlation among the scores on NIH-CPSI, CISFPE and IIEF-5. CONCLUSION: There is a high incidence of PE and ED among patients with chronic prostatitis, but without significant correlation between the severity of chronic prostatitis and that of PE and ED.