[Association between platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase gene polymorphisms and gastrointestinal bleeding in children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura].

OBJECTIVE: To study the association between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the ninth exon Val279Phe of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) gene and gastrointestinal bleeding in children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP). METHODS: A total 516 children with HSP were enrolled, among whom 182 had gastrointestinal bleeding and 334 had no gastrointestinal bleeding. PCR was used to investigate the distribution of genotypes and alleles in the SNPs of Val97Phe. The plasma PAF-AH activity was measured, as well as the levels of platelet-activating factor (PAF), granular membrane protein-140 (GMP-140), ß-thromboglobulin (ß-TG), and platelet factor 4 (PF4). RESULTS: The Val279Phe genotype and allele frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and the homozygous genotype TT and heterozygotes accounted for 0.97% and 6.05% respectively. The gastrointestinal bleeding group had a significantly higher allele frequency than the control group (5.22% vs 3.33%; P<0.01). The HSP patients with GG genotype in the gastrointestinal bleeding group had significantly higher levels of plasma PAF and GMP-140 than those in the non-gastrointestinal bleeding group (P<0.05), while the non-gastrointestinal bleeding group had a significantly higher PAF-AH activity than the gastrointestinal bleeding group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in ß-TG and PF4 between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Val279Phe gene polymorphisms in PAF-AH are associated with PAF-AH activity and PAF and GMP-140 levels and may be a risk factor for HSP with gastrointestinal bleeding.

[Detection rate of Helicobacter pylori and its clinical significance in children with Meckel's diverticulum].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the detection rate of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) in children with Meckel's diverticulum (MD) and its clinical significance among children with MD. METHODS: Eighty-one children with MD were divided into two groups according to the presence (n=45) or absence (n=36) of digestive hemorrhage. The detection rates of Hp in MD tissues and stomach tissues were determined by immunohistochemistry. The detection rates of Hp were compared between the two groups and between the MD tissues with different clinical features in the hemorrhage group. RESULTS: The detection rate of Hp in MD tissues for the hemorrhage group was 76% (34/45), which was significantly higher than that for the non-hemorrhage group (47%, 17/36) (P<0.05). The detection rate of Hp in stomach tissues for the hemorrhage group (87%, 39/45) was insignificantly higher than that for the non-hemorrhage group (67%, 24/36) (P>0.05). Among patients in the bleeding group, the detection rate of Hp in MD tissues showed no relationship with age, sex, preoperative hemorrhage frequency, amount of hemorrhage, length of MD, basal diameter of MD, and pathological type (P>0.05), but was related to location of MD, presence or absence of ulcer, and depth of ulcer (P<0.05). For the hemorrhage group, a significant positive correlation was found between the detection rates of Hp in MD tissues and stomach tissues (P<0.05), as shown by the Spearman correlation analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The detection rate of Hp in MD tissues is increased in children with MD complicated by digestive hemorrhage. Hp infection may play some role in the hemorrhage process among children with MD.

The clinical experience of double-orifice tricuspid valve.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Double-orifice tricuspid valve (DOTV) is an extremely rare congenital anomaly. By analysing the feature of its diagnosis and surgical treatment, we want to summarise the clinical experience of treating DOTV. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Review two cases of DOTV treated by us between August 2009 and December 2011. One case was diagnosed as partial atrioventricular septum defect, and the other was tetralogy of Fallot. The defects were both identified during the operation for other congenital cardiac malformations and both accessory orifices were normal. But one of them was sutured because of its possible effect in future. RESULTS: Cardiac colour Doppler echocardiogram was made at three to five days after operation and all results were normal. No operative complication or late deaths occurred. The time of follow-up were one month, three months, six months, one year and two years after operation, and all examinations were normal. CONCLUSIONS: The accessory orifice of DOTV patients has its own independent chordae tendinea and mastoid muscle. So the gap of tricuspid valve should be excluded and the classification should be amended according to it. It should be surgically treated, when there is of dysfunction with it or potential harmful effect in sequent treatment.

Hexa-kis-(µ2-4-amino-3,5-dimethyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole)hexa-aqua-tricobalt(II) naphthalene-1,5-disulfonate tetra-chloride.

In the centrosymmetric trinuclear cation of the title compound, [Co3(C4H(8)N4)6(H2O)6](C10H6O6S2)Cl4, the three Co(II) atoms are bridged by six triazole mol-ecules via the N atoms in the 1,2-positions. The central Co(II) atom, lying on an inversion center, is coordinated by six triazole N atoms while the terminal Co(II) atoms are coordinated by three triazole N atoms and three water O atoms in a distorted octa-hedral geometry. The naphthalene-disulfonate anion is also centrosymmetric. The four chloride counter anions are half-occupied; the H atoms of the amino groups show an occupancy of 2/3. O-H⋯Cl, O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the complex cations and the chloride and naphthalene-1,5-disulfonate anions.

Overexpression of DNA damage-induced 45 α gene contributes to esophageal squamous cell cancer by promoter hypomethylation.

BACKGROUND: Environmental factors-induced dysfunction of esophageal squamous epithelium, including genomic DNA impairment and apoptosis, play an important role in the pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell cancer. DNA damage-induced 45α (GADD45α) has been found promoting DNA repair and removing methylation marker, Therefore, in this study we will investigate whether GADD45α expression is induced and its mechanism in esophageal squamous cell cancer. METHODS: Two human esophageal squamous cell lines (ESCC), ECA109 and KYSE510 were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Lipofectamine 2000 was used to transfect cells. mRNA level of GADD45α was measured by reverse transcription-quantitive PCR (RT-qPCR), protein level of GADD45α was detected by western blot and Immunohistochemistry. Global DNA methylation of tissue sample was measured using the Methylamp Global DNA Methylation Quantification Ultra kit (Epigentek Group) and promoter methylation was measured by bisulfite sequencing. RESULTS: GADD45a mRNA and protein levels were increased significantly in tumor tissue than that in adjacent normal tissue. Hypomethylation of global genomic DNA and GADD45α promoter were found in ESCC. The cell sensitivity to Cisplatin DDP was decreased significantly in Eca109 and Kyse510 cells, in which GADD45α expression was down-regulated by RNA interference (RNAi). In addition, silence of GADD45a expression in ESCC cells inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of GADD45α gene is due to DNA hypomethylation in ESCC. GADD45α may be a protective factor in DDP chemotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Fine mapping of qSTV11(KAS), a major QTL for rice stripe disease resistance.

Rice stripe disease, caused by rice stripe virus (RSV), is one of the most serious diseases in temperate rice-growing areas. In the present study, we performed quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis for RSV resistance using 98 backcross inbred lines derived from the cross between the highly resistant variety, Kasalath, and the highly susceptible variety, Nipponbare. Under artificial inoculation in the greenhouse, two QTLs for RSV resistance, designated qSTV7 and qSTV11(KAS), were detected on chromosomes 7 and 11 respectively, whereas only one QTL was detected in the same location of chromosome 11 under natural inoculation in the field. The stability of qSTV11(KAS) was validated using 39 established chromosome segment substitution lines. Fine mapping of qSTV11(KAS) was carried out using 372 BC(3)F(2:3) recombinants and 399 BC(3)F(3:4) lines selected from 7,018 BC(3)F(2) plants of the cross SL-234/Koshihikari. The qSTV11(KAS) was localized to a 39.2 kb region containing seven annotated genes. The most likely candidate gene, LOC_Os11g30910, is predicted to encode a sulfotransferase domain-containing protein. The predicted protein encoded by the Kasalath allele differs from Nipponbare by a single amino acid substitution and the deletion of two amino acids within the sulfotransferase domain. Marker-resistance association analysis revealed that the markers L104-155 bp and R48-194 bp were highly correlated with RSV resistance in the 148 landrace varieties. These results provide a basis for the cloning of qSTV11(KAS), and the markers may be used for molecular breeding of RSV resistant rice varieties.

[Effects of xuefu zhuyu decoction on functions of vascular endothelium in patients with unstable angina pectoris].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction (XFZYD) on functions of vascular endothelium in patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP). METHODS: Fifty patients with UAP were randomly divided into two groups: XFZYD-treated group with 32 cases and control group with 18 cases. The patients in the control group were given regular therapy, while the patients in the XFZYD-treated group were given XFZYD additionally on the basis of regular therapy. All patients in both groups were treated for 8 weeks. Then the contents of serum endothelin (ET), nitric oxide (NO), soluble vascular cell adhesive molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) were examined by radioimmunoassay, enzymic method and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) respectively. RESULTS: The total response rate in the XFZYD-treated group was 93.75%, which was significantly higher than 66.67% in the control group (P<0.05). The contents of serum ET, sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 in the XFZYD-treated group were much lower than those in the control group (P<0.01), while the content of serum NO was obviously higher than that in the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: XFZYD can improve the functions of vascular endothelium by lowering the levels of endothelium-derived contracting substances, enhancing the levels of endothelium-derived relaxing substances, and reducing the cell adhesions, and hence to raise the therapeutic effects on UAP.