Molecular cloning, inducible expression and function analysis of Epinephelus coioides Sec6 response to SGIV infection.

Exocyst complex component 3 Sec6 of mammals, one of the components of the exocyst complex, participates in numerous cellular functions, such as promoting cell migration and inhibiting apoptosis. In this study, the Sec6 was obtained from Epinephelus coioides, an economically important cultured fish. The full length of E. coioides Sec6 was 2655 bp including a 245 bp 5' UTR, a 154 bp 3' UTR, and a 2256 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 751 amino acids, with a molecular mass of 86.76 kDa and a theoretical pI of 5.57. Sec6 mRNA was detected in all the tissues examined, but the expression level is different in these tissues. Using fluorescence microscopy, Sec6 were distributed in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. After SGIV infection, the expression of E. coioides Sec6 was significantly up-regulated in both trunk kidney and spleen response to Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV), an important pathogens of E. coioides. Sec6 could increase the SGIV-induced cytopathic effects (CPE), the expression of the SGIV genes VP19, LITAF, MCP, ICP18 and MCP, and the viral titers. Besides, E. coioides Sec6 significantly downregulated the promoter of NF-κB and AP-1, and inhibited the SGIV-induced apoptosis. The results demonstrated that E. coioides Sec6 might play important roles in SGIV infection.

Prevalence and risk factors for human papillomavirus infection among Chinese ethnic women in southern of Yunnan, China

ABSTRACT Background: Dai is a major Chinese ethnic minority group residing in rural areas of the southern part of Yunnan. However, no data exist on the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence and genotype distribution among Dai women. Method: A total of 793 participants (Dai = 324, Han = 251, other ethnic = 218) were included in this study. PCR was performed to detect the HPV-positive samples, and genotyping was performed with an HPV Geno-Array. Result: The overall HPV prevalence was very low among Dai women compared to the others. The prevalence of high-risk-HPV infections was significantly higher (p = 0.001) among other ethnic women (22.0%) than that among Han (13.1%) and Dai women (7.1%). The overall HPV, high-risk-HPV, single and multiple infection prevalence among rural women were 12.9%, 12.1%, 12.3%, and 0.5%, respectively. HPV-16 (5.5%) was shown to be the most prevalent genotype, followed by HPV-52 (2.6%) and HPV-58 (2.4%). Urban women had relatively higher rates of overall HPV (16.0%), high-risk-HPV (14.1%), single genotype (11.9%), and multiple genotype (4.1%) infections. In urban women, HPV-52 (3.6%) was the most prevalent genotype, followed by HPV-39 (2.7%) and HPV-16 (1.2%). In the urban area, HPV prevalence was highest in women aged <29 years, but declined with increasing age. However, in rural women, the highest HPV prevalence was observed among women at older age (>50 years). Education and smoking habit were significantly associated with HPV infection among both rural and urban area women (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV varied among ethnic women in urban and rural area of Yunnan Province.

Prevalence and risk factors for human papillomavirus infection among Chinese ethnic women in southern of Yunnan, China.

BACKGROUND: Dai is a major Chinese ethnic minority group residing in rural areas of the southern part of Yunnan. However, no data exist on the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence and genotype distribution among Dai women. METHOD: A total of 793 participants (Dai=324, Han=251, other ethnic=218) were included in this study. PCR was performed to detect the HPV-positive samples, and genotyping was performed with an HPV Geno-Array. RESULT: The overall HPV prevalence was very low among Dai women compared to the others. The prevalence of high-risk-HPV infections was significantly higher (p=0.001) among other ethnic women (22.0%) than that among Han (13.1%) and Dai women (7.1%). The overall HPV, high-risk-HPV, single and multiple infection prevalence among rural women were 12.9%, 12.1%, 12.3%, and 0.5%, respectively. HPV-16 (5.5%) was shown to be the most prevalent genotype, followed by HPV-52 (2.6%) and HPV-58 (2.4%). Urban women had relatively higher rates of overall HPV (16.0%), high-risk-HPV (14.1%), single genotype (11.9%), and multiple genotype (4.1%) infections. In urban women, HPV-52 (3.6%) was the most prevalent genotype, followed by HPV-39 (2.7%) and HPV-16 (1.2%). In the urban area, HPV prevalence was highest in women aged <29 years, but declined with increasing age. However, in rural women, the highest HPV prevalence was observed among women at older age (>50 years). Education and smoking habit were significantly associated with HPV infection among both rural and urban area women (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV varied among ethnic women in urban and rural area of Yunnan Province.

Diagnostic accuracy of a specific cytokine pattern in hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in children.

OBJECTIVE: The study goal was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of a specific cytokine pattern including interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-10, and IL-6 for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in febrile children. STUDY DESIGN: In this prospective study, 756 patients with fever admitted to a hematology-oncology unit were enrolled. The causes of fever were documented and the serum cytokines, including IFN-γ, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-10, IL-6, IL-4, and IL-2, were determined using cytometric bead array techniques. RESULTS: Of 1474 episodes of fever that were analyzed, 71 episodes of HLH manifested a specific cytokine pattern of highly increased levels of IFN-γ (median level: 1088.5 pg/mL) and IL-10 (623.5 pg/mL) but a moderately increased level of IL-6 (51.1 pg/mL). IL-6 was predominantly increased to varied extents in patients in the sepsis group (244.6 pg/mL) and the nonsepsis infection group (34.7 pg/mL). The diagnostic accuracy of IFN-γ and IL-10 for HLH was 99.5% and 92.8%, respectively. By applying the cutoff point of 100 pg/mL, IFN-γ had a sensitivity of 94.4% and a specificity of 97.2% for HLH. When using the criteria of IFN-γ >75 pg/mL and IL-10 >60 pg/mL, the specificity reached 98.9% and the sensitivity was 93.0%. CONCLUSIONS: The specific cytokine pattern of markedly elevated levels of IFN-γ and IL-10 with only modestly elevated IL-6 levels has high diagnostic accuracy for HLH and may be a useful approach to differentiate HLH from infection.