[Association between LMP2/LMP7 gene polymorphism and the infection of hepatitis B virus].

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate whether the antigen-processing gene (LMP2/LMP7) polymorphisms could influence the infection of hepatitis B virus. METHODS: Genomic DNA of 176 patients infected with HBV and 208 healthy volunteers were extracted from the peripheral blood leukocytes. Polymorphisms of LMP genes in HBV patients were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), the controls by DNA sequencing. We used the software PHASE1.0 to construct the haplotypes of every individual. At last the unconditional Logistic regression model was used to analyze the statistical association of genotypes or haplotypes in two groups adjusted by gender and age. RESULTS: The distributions of LMP2 genes between cases and controls did not differ. However, LMP7 gene frequency in patients was higher than that in controls [odds ratio 2.11(95% confidence interval 1.36-3.26); 2.66 (95% confidence interval 1.17-6.02), heterogenous or homologous respectively]. Similarly, we found the haplotype combinated by R-K had a significant difference in two groups [odds ratio 1.81 (95% confidence interval 1.19-2.76)]. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that polymorphisms of LMP2/LMP7 gene is one of the important host factors which independently affect on the infection of hepatitis B virus.

[Observation on therapeutic effect of chronic fatigue syndrome treated with coiling dragon needling and moving cupping on back].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the differences of therapeutic effect of chronic fatigue syndrome treated with the combined therapy of coiling dragon needling and cupping on back and the western medicine therapy with Prednisone. METHODS: Seventy-two cases were randomly divided into an acupuncture and cupping group (37 cases) and a Prednisone group (35 cases). In acupuncture and cupping group, Jiaji (EX-B 2) points of T1--L5 were applied with coiling dragon needling (once a day), combined with moving cupping on back (once every two days); in Prednisone group, Prednisone tablets were orally taken for 10 mg at 8:00 am. Seven days made one course, and 2 courses were carried on totally. FS-14 scale and BELL's chronic fatigue syndrome integral table were applied to evaluate the fatigue degree of patients before and after treatment, and the therapeutic effects of both groups were compared. RESULTS: After one course of treatment, the BELL's scores of both groups were obviously improved (both P < 0.01), but there was no significant difference between groups (P > 0.05); after two courses of treatment, the BELL's score in acupuncture and cupping group improved more obviously than that in Prednisone group, and the total effective rate of 91.9% (34/37) in acupuncture and cupping group was superior to that of 71.4% (25/35) in Prednisone group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect of chronic fatigue syndrome treated with coiling dragon needling and moving cupping on back is positive, superior to that of Prednisone with oral administration.

Multi-morphological self-assembled structures in water of a biodegradable ß-cyclodextrin-based copolymer.

A rigid-coil ß-cyclodextrin-poly (ɛ-caprolactone) (CD-PCL) copolymer was synthesized in which biodegradable flexible multi PCL arms were selectively connected onto the wide side of the rigid torus-shaped ß-CD through ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ɛ-caprolactone (CL) and protection/deprotection technique of ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) via trimethylsilyl groups. (1)H NMR, FT-IR, and GPC analysis confirmed the "jellyfish-like" branched architecture of CD-PCL copolymers. The self-assembled structures in water of the amphiphilic CD-PCL copolymer were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLC) and viscometry. The results showed that CD-PCL could self-assemble into multi-morphological aggregates such as spheres, rods, vesicles, vesicular clusters and vesicular network in water. Interestingly, hierarchical stripe structure was observed in the formed vesicular network, which was driven by the crystallization of PCL segment in micelles. Moreover, the inclusion ability of copolymer micelles with ferrocenecarboxylic acid was investigated by UV.