Lyme Borreliosis-associated Risk Factors in Residents of Beijing Suburbs: a Preliminary Case-control Study.

A population-based case-control study was conducted to evaluate the relative factors in the environments, agricultural works, outdoor activities, and the effectiveness of Lyme borreliosis (LB)- associated personal protective measures in Beijing. Thirty-four cases and 272 controls were personally interviewed by well-trained interviewers. Venous blood samples were taken from each subject. Sowing or harvesting in summer (OR=2.571, 95% CI: 1.109-5.962), living in house with weeding in the yard (OR=2.247, 95% CI: 1.062-4.755), and residence at the plain area (OR=2.630, 95% CI: 1.050-6.588) were the independent relative factors for seropositive LB. Wearing long pants and clothes with cuffs was the only protective behavior against tick bite (OR=0.186, 95% CI: 0.041-0.846). The findings showed that local farmers were easily infected with LB and almost no protective measure was taken against LB infection. Infection with LB was easier in residents of plain regions. Pets raising and outdoor activities were not the risk factors for infection with LB. Further studies are needed to fully understand the risk of infection with LB in China.

[Moxibustion improves learning-memory ability by regulating apoptosis related proteins of hippocampus in diabetic rats with cognitive impairment].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of moxibustion on the proteins related with apoptosis and nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF-κB) in hippocampus of diabetic rats with cognitive impairment (CI), so as to explore its mechanism underlying improvement of learning-memory ability. METHODS: Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into normal, model and moxibustion groups (n=10 rats/group). The diabetic model was established by i.p. injection of streptozotocin solution (25 mg·kg-1·d-1), followed by high-fat diet raising for 4 weeks, and the CI model was confirmed by Morris water maze test. The rats in the moxibustion group were given moxibustion at "Shenting" (GV24), "Baihui" (GV20) and "Dazhui" (GV14) for 20 min each time, the treatment was conducted 6 times a week for 4 weeks. The learning-memory ability was detected by Morris water maze test, the random blood glucose of rats was measured by glucometer and test strips. The protein and mRNA expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3 and NF-κB p65 in hippocampus were detected by Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR, separately. RESULTS: After modeling, the random blood glucose, escape latency, and the expression levels of Bax, Caspase-3 and NF-κB p65 proteins and mRNAs in the model group were significantly increased, while the expression levels of Bcl-2 protein and mRNA were decreased (P<0.001，P<0.01, P<0.05) in comparison with the normal group. Following the treatment, the modeling induced increase of blood glucose, escape latency, and the expression levels of Bax, Caspase-3 and NF-κB p65 proteins and mRNAs, as well as decrease of Bcl-2 protein and mRNA expression levels were reversed (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Moxibustion can improve learning-memory ability in diabetic rats with cognitive impairment, which may be related to its function in regulating the expression levels of hippocampal Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3 and NF-κB.

Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pills for Cardiovascular Diseases: Effects and Mechanisms.

Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pills (QSYQ) is a compound of Chinese medicine, which has been used to treat coronary heart disease and cardiac dysfunction. Its natural components include astragaloside IV, flavonoids, danshensu, protocatechualdehyde, salvianolic acid B, salvianolic acid A, ginsenosides Rg1, ginsenosides Rb1, and essential oils, etc. It exerts effects of nourishing qi and promoting blood circulation to relieve pain. In this review, the bioactive components of QSYQ and its effects for treating cardiovascular diseases and possible mechanism were summarized, providing references for further study and clinical application of QSYQ.

Ehrlichiosis and zoonotic anaplasmosis in suburban areas of Beijing, China.

In 2006, an unusual nosocomial outbreak of anaplasmosis occurred in Anhui Province, China. To follow these emerging tickborne-rickettsioses, a larger survey of Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum seroprevalence among farm worker populations, and the divergence of the partial 16S rRNA gene sequences of A. phagocytophilum among domestic animals, were conducted in Yanqing, Miyun, and Tongzhou Counties in Beijing from March to April, 2009. Blood samples from 562 farmers, 90 goats, 73 cattle, and 2 dogs were collected. IgG antibodies against E. chaffeensis and A. phagocytophilum were assayed by micro-indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Partial fragments of 16S rRNA genes of A. phagocytophilum were amplified from blood DNA from domestic animals and their sequences analyzed. The total E. chaffeensis and A. phagocytophilum seroprevalence among the farm worker population was 16.4% and 14.1%, respectively. For domestic animals, the seropositive rates of A. phagocytophilum for goats, cattle, and dogs, were 2.3%, 0%, and 0%, respectively. The PCR-positive rates for A. phagocytophilum in goats and cattle were 48.9% and 23.9%, respectively. Three dominant genetic groups of Chinese A. phagocytophilum isolates were determined for goats and cattle, and these isolate varieties were broadly identified in China, Japan, and Korea. The prevalence of E. chaffeensis and A. phagocytophilum among farmers and domestic animals in Beijing rural areas was also demonstrated. The diagnoses and differential diagnoses of these emerging infectious diseases should be emphasized in clinics, and further ecological investigation of E. chaffeensis and A. phagocytophilum vectors and hosts is needed.

[Exposure to avian influenza virus and the infection status of virus among people breeding or butchering ducks in the suburb of Beijing].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the exposure and the infection status of virus among people engaging in breeding or butchering ducks in the suburb of Beijing. METHODS: People from six districts (Daxing, Fangshan, Huairou, Miyun, Shunyi, Tongzhou) who engaged in breeding or butchering ducks were studied and the status of infecting avian influenza virus was obtained by testing antibody level in serum. Information on demographic characteristics, status of regular exposure and exposure to sick or dead poultry were collected through a self-designed questionnaire. RESULTS: 1741 people were involved in this study in which 313 (18.0%) were workers in duck-breeding enterprise, 562 (32.3%) were workers in duck slaughterhouse, 261 (15.0%) farmers were in individual small-scale duck farms, 605 (34.7%) were farmers raising duck in backyard. Among farmers raising duck in backyard, the percentage of people whose ducks ever contacted with wild birds was higher than the other three groups (66.8%) (P<0.05). Among farmers who bred their ducks in the backyard (35.2%) and those abattoir workers (31.3%), the percentage of people who had contacted ducks but not been vaccinated with avian influenza vaccine was higher than the other two groups (P<0.05). Regarding the status on cleaning and disinfection among the studied farmers who had bred their ducks in the backyard, the percentage of people who had closer contact with ducks would clean the settings more than 4 times per month (8.8%) and disinfected those places more than 12 times per year (27.3%) but still lower than the other three groups (P<0.05). Among those farmers who bred ducks in the backyard, the percentage of people who had ever touched duck with their hands was high (34.4%) (P<0.05). Regarding exposure to sick or dead poultry, higher proportion was found among those who had ever closely contacted sick or dead poultry commercial duck raisers (36.1%) and individuals who raise large amount of ducks (36.0%). 70.8% of the individual duck raisers had never taken any protective measures when closely contacting the sick or dead poultry. Among 1741 samples, 0 were positive to avian influenza virus H5 and H7 subtypes. 12 were positive to H9 subtype (positive rate was 0.7%), in which 10 were farmers raising ducks in backyard (the positive rate of 1.7%). Differences between H9 subtype antibody positive rates difference in 4 population groups were statistically significant (χ2=13.699, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Farmers who bred their ducks in the backyard had greater risk of contracting the avian influenza. Individual duckers who raise ducks in large scale and the farmers who bred their ducks in the backyard were in lack of protective measures when contacting the sick or dead poultry. Our findings suggested that some intervention measures should be taken to reduce the risk of avian influenza infection.

[Investigation on Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection among farmers and domestic animals in rural areas of Beijing, China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the status of Ehrlichia (E.) chaffeensis and Anaplasma (A.) phagocytophilum infection among farming populations and domestic animals in the rural area of Beijing, China. METHODS: Blood samples from 562 farmers and 163 blood samples including 90 goats, 71 ox and 2 dogs, were collected. Specificity of IgG antibodies against E. chaffeensis and A. phagocytophilum were tested by micro-indirect immunofluorescent assay (mIFA). 16S rRNA genes of A. phagocytophilum were amplified from the domestic animal blood samples and products were sequenced and analyzed by nested PCR. RESULTS: The positive rates of E. chaffeensis and A. phagocytophilum antibody were 16.5% and 14.0% respectively for farmers. The total positive rates of A. phagocytophilum were 2.3% and 0 for both goats and oxen respectively. No antibody was found for the 2 tested dogs. The PCR positive rates were 48.9% and 23.9% for goats and oxen respectively. Three dominant varieties of A. phagocytophilum were demonstrated in goats and oxen. CONCLUSION: The prevalence rates of E. chaffeensis and A. phagocytophilum were identified in the rural areas of Beijing.