Research on Hepatitis B virus Genotypes and Subgenotypes among Bai Nationality in Dali, Yunnan Province

To investigate the distribution of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes and subgenotypes among the Bai nationality in Dali, a total of 100 serum samples from patients with chronic HBV-infection were collected for the detection of HBV genotypes and subgenotypes by genotype-specific primers and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RLFP), respectively. Among the 100 samples, the proportions of genotype B, C and mixed genotype (B+C) were 41%, 25% and 34%, respectively. All the genotype B strains belonged to subgenotype Ba. In genotype C, 84% were Subgenotype Cs and 12% were subgenotype Ce. The distribution of genotypes B, C and B+C showed no significant difference between male and female patients (P=0.182) and among the age groups of patients (P=0.812). The rates of HBeAg/HBeAg positivity were no significantly different among genotypes B, genotype C and mixed genotype (B+C) (P=0.077/P=0.663). In Dali, genotypes B, B+C and C existed among Bai nationality with chronic HBV-infection, and genotype B was the major genotype. Subgenotypes Ba and Cs were the predominant strains in patients with HBV genotype B/C infection. The most prominent characteristic was the higher prevalent rate of mixed genotype (B+C) in patients.

Poly-dopamine, poly-levodopa, and poly-norepinephrine coatings: Comparison of physico-chemical and biological properties with focus on the application for blood-contacting devices

Thanks to its simplicity,versatility,and secondary reactivity,dopamine self-polymerized coatings(pDA)have been widely used in surface modification of biomaterials,but the limitation in secondary molecular grafting and the high roughness restrain their application in some special scenarios.Therefore,some other catecholamine coatings analog to pDA have attracted more and more attention,including the smoother poly-norepinephrine coating(pNE),and the poly-levodopa coating(pLD)containing additional carboxyl groups.However,the lack of a systematic comparison of the properties,especially the biological properties of the above three catecholamine coatings,makes it difficult to give a guiding opinion on the application scenarios of different coatings.Herein,we systematically studied the physical,chemical,and biological properties of the three catecholamine coatings,and explored the feasibility of their application for the modification of biomaterials,especially cardiovascular materials.Among them,the pDA coating was the roughest,with the largest amount of amino and phenolic hydroxyl groups for molecule grafting,and induced the strongest platelet adhesion and activation.The pLD coating was the thinnest and most hydrophilic but triggered the strongest inflammatory response.The pNE coating was the smoothest,with the best hemocompatibility and histocompatibility,and with the strongest cell selectivity of promoting the proliferation of endothelial cells while inhibiting the proliferation of smooth muscle cells.To sum up,the pNE coating may be a better choice for the surface modification of cardiovascular materials,especially those for vascular stents and grafts,but it is still not widely recognized.