Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in a patient with meningoencephalitis using next-generation sequencing: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is a facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen which can invade different mammalian cells and reach to the central nervous system (CNS), leading to meningoencephalitis and brain abscesses. In the diagnosis of L. monocytogenes meningoencephalitis (LMM), the traditional test often reports negative owing to the antibiotic treatment or a low number of bacteria in the cerebrospinal fluid. To date, timely diagnosis and accurate treatment remains a challenge for patients with listeria infections. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 66-year-old woman whose clinical manifestations were suspected as tuberculous meningoencephalitis, but the case was finally properly diagnosed as LMM by next-generation sequencing (NGS). The patient was successfully treated using a combined antibacterial therapy, comprising ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. CONCLUSION: To improve the sensitivity of LMM diagnosis, we used NGS for the detection of L. monocytogenes. Hence, the clinical utility of this approach can be very helpful since it provides quickly and trust results.

Annexin A5 gene polymorphism (-1C/T) and the susceptibility to pneumoconiosis in coal works / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the role of -1C/T single nucleotide polymorphism within Annexin A5 gene in the genetic susceptibility to coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Four hundred and seventy CWP Han chinese patients and 428 Han chinese controls were enclosed in present case-control study. All subjects were exposed to coal dusts. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to detect the -1C/T SNP in Annexin A5 gene for all subjects. The relationship between the -1C/T SNP in Annexin A5 gene and CWP was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CT/TT genotype in -1C/T SNP was associated with a significantly decreased risk of CWP, as compared with the CC genotype among subgroups exposed to coal dusts for ≥ 27 years (adjusted OR = 0.65, 95%CI: 0.44 - 0.98, P = 0.039) and patients with CWP at stage II (adjusted OR = 0.55, 95%CI: 0.34 - 0.90, P = 0.028).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results of present study suggest that the Annexin A5 -1C/T polymorphism may be involved in the development of CWP in Han Chinese coal miners.</p>

Polymorphisms in Fas pathway genes and risk of coal worker pneumoconiosis / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the possible association between six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of Fas pathway genes and the risks of coal worker pneumoconiosis (GWP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This case-control study consisted of 511 male patients with CWP and 530 male controls from the same coal mines. Five SNPs of Fas pathway genes were detected by restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP) and CASP3 (rs6948) was genotyped by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were no differences of genotype frequencies of 6 SNPs between cases with CWP and controls. A significant increased risk of CWP was found in subjects with CASP8-652DD genotype as compared to subjects with CASP8-652II genotype (P < 0.05), and the further stratification analysis showed that smoking cases with CWP stage I, long exposure time and CASP8-652DD genotype had high risk of CWP (P < 0.05). The analysis of gene-gene interactions indicated that the carriers with FAS-1377GG/CASP8-652DD, FAS-670AG/CASP8-652DD and FASL-844CT/CASP8-652DD had the increased risk of CWP, and the carriers with FAS-1377GA/CASP8-652ID had the reduced risk of CWP. There were no significant differences of exposure times among the cases with CWP stage I and 3 genotypes of CASP8-652.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CASP8-652 6N DD genotype may play a role in CWP development and interact with SNPs of FAS-1377, FAS-670 and FASL-844.</p>

Analysis on the incidence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis from 2003 to 2008 in a coal mining group / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Analyzed associations among the incidence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis from 2003 to 2008, jobs, exposure years and cumulative total dust exposure levels (CTE) and found the current characteristics of the mine incidence of pneumoconiosis disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>collected the health care information of the new diagnosed pneumoconiosis of underground mine workers from 2003 to 2008 and the dust monitoring data of underground mine from 1949 and estimated the personnel cumulative total dust exposure levels (CTE); analyzed the incidence features of the new diagnosed pneumoconiosis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The rates of health surveillance of workers were gradually improved from 2003 to 2008 and 296 new coal workers pneumoconiosis were diagnosed. The total incidence was 0.57%, and the average annual rate was 0.32%. Among the new diagnosed cases, phase I accounted for 90.5% and the 87.2% from coal mine drillers. The shortest exposure period was 3 years and the longest was 38 years, and the cumulative total dose of dust was varied between 86.1 and 4926 mg/m(3) per year. The total dust accumulated limited dose was calculated by the percentile method to prevent 99% of miners from pneumoconiosis, which was 120.6 mg/m(3) per year, so we suggested that the exposure years should be shorter than 13 years under the current working conditions.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Preventive coal workers' pneumoconiosis should be focused on mine drillers and their limited exposure years should be within 13 years.</p>

Relationship between FAS/FASL gene polymorphisms and susceptibility of coal worker's pneumoconiosis / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of FAS and FASL gene polymorphisms on genetic susceptibility of coal worker's pneumoconiosis and their relationship to the pulmonary fibrosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>340 with coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP) and 312 coal mine workers (controls) exposed to the coal dusts were selected. FAS-1377G > A, FAS-670A > G and FASL-844T > C gene polymorphisms were analyzed by PCR-RFLP techniques.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The distribution frequencies of genotypes of FAS-1377, FAS-670, FASL-844 genotypes in CWP had no significant differences compared to the control. Compared to CWP patients with exposure year > or = 25, the risk of pneumoconiosis with FAS-1377 GA/AA genotype was significantly higher than those with FAS-1377GG in the patients working age < 25 years (P = 0.098, 95% CI: 0.932 approximately 2.298); the risk of CWP in those with FAS-670AG genotype was higher than those with FAS-670GG genotype (P = 0.098, 95% CI: 0.928 approximately 2.404) the risks of CWP in those with FASL-844TT genotype and FASL-844TC genotype were respectively higher than those with FASL-844CC genotype (P = 0.039, 95% CI: 1.088 approximately 27.358, P = 0.089, 95% CI: 0.852 approximately 2.101). The frequencies of genotypes of FASL-844T > C were significantly different between CWP patients with exposure year > or = 25 and < 25. The risk of CWP with FASL-844TT genotype was significantly higher than that of FASL-844TT + TC (P = 0.054, 95% CI: 0.971 approximately 23.833). The risk of CWP patients with FASL-844TT/CT + FAS-1377GA genotype was 1.810-fold than the patients with FASL-844CC + FAS-1377GG genotype. The risk of CWP patients with FASL-844TT/CT + FAS-670AG genotype was 2.117-fold than the patients with FASL-844CC + FAS-670AA genotype. The risk of CWP patients with FASL-844TT/TC + FAS-1377GA/AA + FAS-670AG/GG genotype was 2.043-fold than the patients with FASL-844CC + FAS-1377GG+FAS-670AA genotype.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>FAS-1377G > A, FAS-670A > G and FASL-844T > C gene polymorphisms may not be associated with the susceptibility of CWP in Han nationality, but these three gene polymorphisms and their joint actions may influence on the progression of CWP.</p>