A new natural product (1) together with 26 know compounds were isolated from the Bulbs of Ornithogalum caudatum. Their structures were established on the basis of spectral analyses as n-butyl pyroglutamate (1), nonade...A new natural product (1) together with 26 know compounds were isolated from the Bulbs of Ornithogalum caudatum. Their structures were established on the basis of spectral analyses as n-butyl pyroglutamate (1), nonadecyl alcohol(2), eicosanol(3), behenic acid(4), b-sitosterol(5), stigmasterol(6), glycerol 1-monocerotate(7), pyrocatechol(8), p-ethoxybenzoic acid(9), p-coumarinic acid(10), protocatechuric acid(11), ursolic acid(12), betulinic acid(13), fumaric acid(14), succinic acid(15), uracil(16), xanthine(17), quercetin(18), kaempferol (19), isorham-netin(20), adenosine(21), daucosterol(22), stigmasterol 3-O-b-D-glucopyranoside(23), quercetin 3-O-b-D-glucopyra-noside(24), kaempferol 3-O-b-D-glucopyranoside(25), rutin(26), and kaempferol 3-O-b-rutinoside(27). All of them, except compound 5, were isolated from this plant for the first time.展开更多
The effects of water─soluble components isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza on oxygen free radical prodction and lipid peroxidation were estimated. Five components(10 μmol/L)were shown to inhibit superoxide anion gen...The effects of water─soluble components isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza on oxygen free radical prodction and lipid peroxidation were estimated. Five components(10 μmol/L)were shown to inhibit superoxide anion generation by xanthine─xanthine oxidase system. It was also demonstrated that six components( 100 μmol/L) prevented H_2O_2─induced hemolysis and MDA fonnation in mouse erythrocytes.The effects of Sal A, Sal B, Sal C and Ros A were dose dependent. In Langendorff rat heart, pretreatment with Sal A 20μmol/L significantly prevented MDA production induced by 30 min reoxygenation after 45 min anoxia.The results indicated that there were also other potent antioxidant componentts in Salvia milliorrhiza besides Dphl and Pal. The protection of Sal A against myocardial anoxiareoxygenation inury may be mainly ascribed to its oxygen free radical scavenging activity.展开更多
AIM:To better understand the clinical significance of hepatitis B seroiogic markers in babies born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive mothers, the incidence of maternal seroiogic markers of hepatitis B vi...AIM:To better understand the clinical significance of hepatitis B seroiogic markers in babies born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive mothers, the incidence of maternal seroiogic markers of hepatitis B via placenta and its transformation in these babies were investigated. METHODS: Mothers with positive HBsAg were selected in the third trimester of pregnancy. Their babies received immunoprophylaxis with hepatitis B immunoglobulin and hepatitis B vaccine after birth, and were consecutively followed up for hepatitis B seroiogic markers and HBV DNA at birth, mo 1, 4, 7, 12, and 24. RESULTS: Forty-two babies entered the study, including 16 born to hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive HBsAg carrier mothers and 26 to HBeAg-negative HBsAg carrier mothers. Apart from four babies born to HBeAg-positive carrier mothers and demonstrated persistent positive HBeAg eventually became HBV carriers, all other babies developed anti-HBs before 12 mo of age. Among the other 12 babies born to HBeAg-positive carrier mothers, HBeAg was detected in 7 at birth, in 4 at mo 1, and in none of them thereafter. No antibody response to the transplacental HBeAg was detected. Among the babies born to HBeAg-negative carrier mothers, anti-HBe was detected 100% at birth and mo 1, in 88.5% at mo 4, in 46.2% at mo 7, in 4.2% at mo 12 and none in mo 24. Among all the immunoprophylaxis-protected babies born to either HBeAg-positive or HBeAg-negative carrier mothers, anti-HBc was detected in 100% at birth, mo 1 and mo 4, in 78.9% at mo 7, in 36.1% at mo 12 and in none at mo 24. CONCLUSION: HBeAg can pass through human placenta from mother to fetus and become undetectable before 4 mo of age, but no antibodies response to the transplacental HBeAg can be detected till mo 24 in the immunoprophylaxis-protected babies. The sole existence of anti-HBe before 1 year of age or anti-HBc before 2 years of age in babies born to HBsAg carrier mothers may simply represent the transplacental maternal antibodies, instead of indicators of HBV infection status.展开更多
A study on to identify the relationship between blood lead and cognitive development was conducted on primary school children in Malaysia. About 413 children aged 62^/1 - 82^/1 years from urban (236), rural (80) a...A study on to identify the relationship between blood lead and cognitive development was conducted on primary school children in Malaysia. About 413 children aged 62^/1 - 82^/1 years from urban (236), rural (80) and industrial areas (97) were studied. Blood lead was analyzed using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (GFAAS). Cognitive development was measured by the 'McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities Test' (MSCA). Significant differences found in the mean cognitive scores between the urban (94.40), industrial (102.90) and suburban children (101.24) (p 〈 0.001), with the blood lead between the urban (3.66 p.g/dL), industrial (3.54 μg/dL) and suburban children (3.04μg/dL) (p = 0.022). Significant inverse correlations between blood lead and cognitive scores found for all groups (p 〈 0.001), urban (p 〈 0.001) and suburban children (p 〈 0.001). Low blood lead significantly influenced the cognitive development for all children after adjusting for confounders (p _〈 0.001). The urban children's cognitive scores were significantly influenced by blood lead levels and household income (p 〈 0.001). However, for the suburban children, the cognitive score were significantly influenced by the blood lead levels, the mothers' education, number of siblings, sequence in the family and the household income (p 〈 0.001 ). Blood lead below 10μg/dL influenced the cognitive development. Urban children had higher blood lead but suburban children with lower blood lead were also vulnerable to the effect of lead on their cognitive development.展开更多
OBJECTIVE To analyze the serum levels of IgA antibodies to Epstein Barr virus capsid antigens (EBV/IgA/VCA) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and in their spouses and children in order to further eva...OBJECTIVE To analyze the serum levels of IgA antibodies to Epstein Barr virus capsid antigens (EBV/IgA/VCA) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and in their spouses and children in order to further evaluate the risk of developing the disease in family members of NPC patients. METHODS Four categories of sera were used to detect EBV/ IgA/VCA using the immunoenzyme method. In our study 317 biopsy-confirmed NPC patients, 317 spouses and 317 children of the NPC patients, as well as 413 healthy subjects as the controls that came from the same area were enrolled. RESULTS The positive rate of EBV/lgA/VCA was 97.2%, 14.2%, 19.9% and 3.1% in the NPC patients, the spouse and child groups, and in the control group, respectively. The positive rate was significantly higher in the NPC group than in the other 3 groups, and it was also significantly higher in the spouse and in the child groups than in the control group (P 〈 0.001). The results of the relative to identified distribution unit (Ridit) analysis showed that the average Ridit values were 0.860, 0.404, 0.424 and 0.356 respectively in the NPC patients, in the spouse and child groups, and in the control group. The antibody titer of IgA/VCA was significantly higher in the NPC group than in the other 3 groups, and it was also significantly higher in both the spouse and child groups than in the control group (P 〈 0.001). The OR values of positive EBV/IgA/VCA antibody were 5.09 and 7.63, respectively in the spouse and child groups. No significant differences were found in the positive rates or in the titers of IgA/VCA antibody between the groups of spouses and children (P 〉 0.05). CONCLUSION Positive detection of EBV/IgA/VCA antibody occurs in familial aggregation, as there is ample opportunity for EBV reactivation in the spouses and in the children of NPC patients. These individuals with a high risk of developing the NPC should be closely followed in order to detect the disease at an early stage.展开更多
In this study, we investigated the genes related to the transformation of immortalized human fetal tracheal fibroblast cell line induced by alpha particles by means of differential display mRNA method. The result reve...In this study, we investigated the genes related to the transformation of immortalized human fetal tracheal fibroblast cell line induced by alpha particles by means of differential display mRNA method. The result revealed that there were 23 DNA fragments that were expressed intensively in alphaSHTF cells (SHTF cells forming clone on agar after irradiated by alpha particles emitted by 238Pu) only and not in SHTF (SV40-immortalized human fetal tracheal fibroblast) cells. Northern dot confirmed two fragments, C17-5, C23-1 which showed intensive mRNA expression in alphaSHTF cells, but not in SHTF cells. The length of the C17-5 fragment was 310bp. Searching in BLAST database revealed that the C17-5 fragment might be an unknown sequence.展开更多
Psychological and physiological characteristics of preschool children determine their lives should be the main game, but because of the content and the way too pre-primary school of teachers and parents give their chi...Psychological and physiological characteristics of preschool children determine their lives should be the main game, but because of the content and the way too pre-primary school of teachers and parents give their children pressure of learning early, they often give children physical and cause a series of adverse consequences of psychological, so that children lively nature is destroyed. In the development context of pre-primary schools it will not only hinder enhance children' s thinking ability, but also devoid of the child' s talent and mettle, for children to learn and live very unfavorable late. Preschool Primary School, out of the office park on the right track, is serious impediment to the normal development of preschool children and grow. This paper describes the dangers of pre-school, pre-primary schools and the causes are analyzed and we proposed the removal of the primary effective strategy, in order to fully mobilize the child' s lively and good mobility and lay its future development a solid foundation.展开更多
Malaria is one of the leading causes of consultation in African pediatric hospitals. In Gabon, malaria transmission is perennial. Plasmodium falciparum, responsible for the most severe form of the disease, represents ...Malaria is one of the leading causes of consultation in African pediatric hospitals. In Gabon, malaria transmission is perennial. Plasmodium falciparum, responsible for the most severe form of the disease, represents more than 95% of all species. In P. falciparum infection, the hyperparasitemia accounts among the main criteria of disease severity. However, in many endemic countries, a significant decrease of malaria burden accompanying with the diminution of parasite load in infected individuals has been demonstrated. The objective of the study was to analyze the occurrence of febrile syndrome in childhood and investigate whether the acute febrile illness could be associated with P. falciparum submicroscopic infection. A cross-sectional study was carried out during January to March 2013 in Franceville. A total of 203 acute febrile children were enrolled. A clinical examination and biomedical analysis including parasitological diagnosis by microscope were carried out in all the patients and PCR on microscope negative ones. Of 203 children recruited for febrile syndrome, 111 have been diagnosed positive for P. falciparum infection, 73 (35.9%) by microscope (ME) and 38 (18.71%) by PCR (submicroscopic infection = SM1) with an overall prevalence of 54.68%. Of the 11 1 P. falciparum infected individuals and according to the WHO criteria, 35 (31.53%) children showed a clinical picture of severe malaria against 76 (68.47%) others classified as uncomplicated malaria. The overall prevalence rates were therefore estimated as 17.24 (35/203) for severe cases and 37.43% (76/203) for uncomplicated ones. Clinically, these severe malaria cases (27 ME+ and 8 PCR+) were mainly composed of 85.71% of anaemic patients (30/35), 71.14% of prostrated individuals (25/35) and 57.14% of children with clinical icterus (20/35). However, only two cases of severe anaemia were observed, the remaining others cases were moderate (10) and mild anaemia (18). More interestingly, eight submicroscopic infected patients (22.85%) were found with neurological manifestations (prostration) and all were experiencing thrombocytopenia. Lastly, 1 hyperparasitemia, 6 hypoglycemia and 2 respiratory distresses were also observed among these severe malaria cases. P. falciparum submicroscopic infection may lead to severe malaria in perennial transmission area.展开更多
Objective To investigate the prevalence and features of active human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and evaluate the diagnostic value of the HCMV using antigenemia...Objective To investigate the prevalence and features of active human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and evaluate the diagnostic value of the HCMV using antigenemia assay, serum polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serology test. Methods Twenty-one SLE children undergoing immunosuppressive therapy were enrolled in this study. Immunofluorescence assay, PCR and serology tests were used to determine HCMV pp65 and p72 antigens in leukocytes, HCMV DNA in sera, and HCMV specific IgM and IgG antibodies, respectively. As a control group, twenty-one immunocompetent children with skeletal malformation were involved in this study. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test (Systat, USA), P values less than 0.05 were considered significant.Results Active HCMV infection was diagnosed in 28.6% (6/21) of SLE patients, with none in the control group; the difference between the two groups was significant (P=0.027). Two out of 6 SLE patients developed active HCMV infection before immunosuppressive therapy and the remaining 4 patients developed SLE after immunosuppressive therapy. Among the 21 SLE children, HCMV pp65 antigenemia was detected in 5 patients, p72 antigenemia in 3 patients, serum HCMV DNA in 9 patients, serum HCMV-specific IgM in 2 patients, and IgG in 19 patients. The sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of active HCMV infection were 83.3% and 100%, respectively for pp65 antigenemia; 50% and 100% for p72 antigenemia; 100% and 80% for serum PCR; 33.3% and 100% for HCMV IgM serology; 50% and 100% for HCMV IgG serology. Conclusions Compared with the control group, active HCMV infection is much more frequent in SLE children, and can occur before treatment with immunosuppressive agents, but most often occur after immunosuppressive therapy. In comparison with the other techniques used in this study, the pp65 antigenemia assay seems to be a better method for the early diagnosis and monitoring of active HCMV infection in children with SLE.展开更多
基金This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (96-901-05-266).
文摘A new natural product (1) together with 26 know compounds were isolated from the Bulbs of Ornithogalum caudatum. Their structures were established on the basis of spectral analyses as n-butyl pyroglutamate (1), nonadecyl alcohol(2), eicosanol(3), behenic acid(4), b-sitosterol(5), stigmasterol(6), glycerol 1-monocerotate(7), pyrocatechol(8), p-ethoxybenzoic acid(9), p-coumarinic acid(10), protocatechuric acid(11), ursolic acid(12), betulinic acid(13), fumaric acid(14), succinic acid(15), uracil(16), xanthine(17), quercetin(18), kaempferol (19), isorham-netin(20), adenosine(21), daucosterol(22), stigmasterol 3-O-b-D-glucopyranoside(23), quercetin 3-O-b-D-glucopyra-noside(24), kaempferol 3-O-b-D-glucopyranoside(25), rutin(26), and kaempferol 3-O-b-rutinoside(27). All of them, except compound 5, were isolated from this plant for the first time.
文摘The effects of water─soluble components isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza on oxygen free radical prodction and lipid peroxidation were estimated. Five components(10 μmol/L)were shown to inhibit superoxide anion generation by xanthine─xanthine oxidase system. It was also demonstrated that six components( 100 μmol/L) prevented H_2O_2─induced hemolysis and MDA fonnation in mouse erythrocytes.The effects of Sal A, Sal B, Sal C and Ros A were dose dependent. In Langendorff rat heart, pretreatment with Sal A 20μmol/L significantly prevented MDA production induced by 30 min reoxygenation after 45 min anoxia.The results indicated that there were also other potent antioxidant componentts in Salvia milliorrhiza besides Dphl and Pal. The protection of Sal A against myocardial anoxiareoxygenation inury may be mainly ascribed to its oxygen free radical scavenging activity.
基金Supported by the Key-Subject Construction Project of Ministry of Public Health of China,No.97030223the young researcher grant from Children's Hospital of Fudan University,No.QN2001-5 Co-first-authors: Jian-She Wang and Hui Chen
文摘AIM:To better understand the clinical significance of hepatitis B seroiogic markers in babies born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive mothers, the incidence of maternal seroiogic markers of hepatitis B via placenta and its transformation in these babies were investigated. METHODS: Mothers with positive HBsAg were selected in the third trimester of pregnancy. Their babies received immunoprophylaxis with hepatitis B immunoglobulin and hepatitis B vaccine after birth, and were consecutively followed up for hepatitis B seroiogic markers and HBV DNA at birth, mo 1, 4, 7, 12, and 24. RESULTS: Forty-two babies entered the study, including 16 born to hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive HBsAg carrier mothers and 26 to HBeAg-negative HBsAg carrier mothers. Apart from four babies born to HBeAg-positive carrier mothers and demonstrated persistent positive HBeAg eventually became HBV carriers, all other babies developed anti-HBs before 12 mo of age. Among the other 12 babies born to HBeAg-positive carrier mothers, HBeAg was detected in 7 at birth, in 4 at mo 1, and in none of them thereafter. No antibody response to the transplacental HBeAg was detected. Among the babies born to HBeAg-negative carrier mothers, anti-HBe was detected 100% at birth and mo 1, in 88.5% at mo 4, in 46.2% at mo 7, in 4.2% at mo 12 and none in mo 24. Among all the immunoprophylaxis-protected babies born to either HBeAg-positive or HBeAg-negative carrier mothers, anti-HBc was detected in 100% at birth, mo 1 and mo 4, in 78.9% at mo 7, in 36.1% at mo 12 and in none at mo 24. CONCLUSION: HBeAg can pass through human placenta from mother to fetus and become undetectable before 4 mo of age, but no antibodies response to the transplacental HBeAg can be detected till mo 24 in the immunoprophylaxis-protected babies. The sole existence of anti-HBe before 1 year of age or anti-HBc before 2 years of age in babies born to HBsAg carrier mothers may simply represent the transplacental maternal antibodies, instead of indicators of HBV infection status.
文摘A study on to identify the relationship between blood lead and cognitive development was conducted on primary school children in Malaysia. About 413 children aged 62^/1 - 82^/1 years from urban (236), rural (80) and industrial areas (97) were studied. Blood lead was analyzed using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (GFAAS). Cognitive development was measured by the 'McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities Test' (MSCA). Significant differences found in the mean cognitive scores between the urban (94.40), industrial (102.90) and suburban children (101.24) (p 〈 0.001), with the blood lead between the urban (3.66 p.g/dL), industrial (3.54 μg/dL) and suburban children (3.04μg/dL) (p = 0.022). Significant inverse correlations between blood lead and cognitive scores found for all groups (p 〈 0.001), urban (p 〈 0.001) and suburban children (p 〈 0.001). Low blood lead significantly influenced the cognitive development for all children after adjusting for confounders (p _〈 0.001). The urban children's cognitive scores were significantly influenced by blood lead levels and household income (p 〈 0.001). However, for the suburban children, the cognitive score were significantly influenced by the blood lead levels, the mothers' education, number of siblings, sequence in the family and the household income (p 〈 0.001 ). Blood lead below 10μg/dL influenced the cognitive development. Urban children had higher blood lead but suburban children with lower blood lead were also vulnerable to the effect of lead on their cognitive development.
文摘OBJECTIVE To analyze the serum levels of IgA antibodies to Epstein Barr virus capsid antigens (EBV/IgA/VCA) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and in their spouses and children in order to further evaluate the risk of developing the disease in family members of NPC patients. METHODS Four categories of sera were used to detect EBV/ IgA/VCA using the immunoenzyme method. In our study 317 biopsy-confirmed NPC patients, 317 spouses and 317 children of the NPC patients, as well as 413 healthy subjects as the controls that came from the same area were enrolled. RESULTS The positive rate of EBV/lgA/VCA was 97.2%, 14.2%, 19.9% and 3.1% in the NPC patients, the spouse and child groups, and in the control group, respectively. The positive rate was significantly higher in the NPC group than in the other 3 groups, and it was also significantly higher in the spouse and in the child groups than in the control group (P 〈 0.001). The results of the relative to identified distribution unit (Ridit) analysis showed that the average Ridit values were 0.860, 0.404, 0.424 and 0.356 respectively in the NPC patients, in the spouse and child groups, and in the control group. The antibody titer of IgA/VCA was significantly higher in the NPC group than in the other 3 groups, and it was also significantly higher in both the spouse and child groups than in the control group (P 〈 0.001). The OR values of positive EBV/IgA/VCA antibody were 5.09 and 7.63, respectively in the spouse and child groups. No significant differences were found in the positive rates or in the titers of IgA/VCA antibody between the groups of spouses and children (P 〉 0.05). CONCLUSION Positive detection of EBV/IgA/VCA antibody occurs in familial aggregation, as there is ample opportunity for EBV reactivation in the spouses and in the children of NPC patients. These individuals with a high risk of developing the NPC should be closely followed in order to detect the disease at an early stage.
文摘In this study, we investigated the genes related to the transformation of immortalized human fetal tracheal fibroblast cell line induced by alpha particles by means of differential display mRNA method. The result revealed that there were 23 DNA fragments that were expressed intensively in alphaSHTF cells (SHTF cells forming clone on agar after irradiated by alpha particles emitted by 238Pu) only and not in SHTF (SV40-immortalized human fetal tracheal fibroblast) cells. Northern dot confirmed two fragments, C17-5, C23-1 which showed intensive mRNA expression in alphaSHTF cells, but not in SHTF cells. The length of the C17-5 fragment was 310bp. Searching in BLAST database revealed that the C17-5 fragment might be an unknown sequence.
文摘Psychological and physiological characteristics of preschool children determine their lives should be the main game, but because of the content and the way too pre-primary school of teachers and parents give their children pressure of learning early, they often give children physical and cause a series of adverse consequences of psychological, so that children lively nature is destroyed. In the development context of pre-primary schools it will not only hinder enhance children' s thinking ability, but also devoid of the child' s talent and mettle, for children to learn and live very unfavorable late. Preschool Primary School, out of the office park on the right track, is serious impediment to the normal development of preschool children and grow. This paper describes the dangers of pre-school, pre-primary schools and the causes are analyzed and we proposed the removal of the primary effective strategy, in order to fully mobilize the child' s lively and good mobility and lay its future development a solid foundation.
文摘Malaria is one of the leading causes of consultation in African pediatric hospitals. In Gabon, malaria transmission is perennial. Plasmodium falciparum, responsible for the most severe form of the disease, represents more than 95% of all species. In P. falciparum infection, the hyperparasitemia accounts among the main criteria of disease severity. However, in many endemic countries, a significant decrease of malaria burden accompanying with the diminution of parasite load in infected individuals has been demonstrated. The objective of the study was to analyze the occurrence of febrile syndrome in childhood and investigate whether the acute febrile illness could be associated with P. falciparum submicroscopic infection. A cross-sectional study was carried out during January to March 2013 in Franceville. A total of 203 acute febrile children were enrolled. A clinical examination and biomedical analysis including parasitological diagnosis by microscope were carried out in all the patients and PCR on microscope negative ones. Of 203 children recruited for febrile syndrome, 111 have been diagnosed positive for P. falciparum infection, 73 (35.9%) by microscope (ME) and 38 (18.71%) by PCR (submicroscopic infection = SM1) with an overall prevalence of 54.68%. Of the 11 1 P. falciparum infected individuals and according to the WHO criteria, 35 (31.53%) children showed a clinical picture of severe malaria against 76 (68.47%) others classified as uncomplicated malaria. The overall prevalence rates were therefore estimated as 17.24 (35/203) for severe cases and 37.43% (76/203) for uncomplicated ones. Clinically, these severe malaria cases (27 ME+ and 8 PCR+) were mainly composed of 85.71% of anaemic patients (30/35), 71.14% of prostrated individuals (25/35) and 57.14% of children with clinical icterus (20/35). However, only two cases of severe anaemia were observed, the remaining others cases were moderate (10) and mild anaemia (18). More interestingly, eight submicroscopic infected patients (22.85%) were found with neurological manifestations (prostration) and all were experiencing thrombocytopenia. Lastly, 1 hyperparasitemia, 6 hypoglycemia and 2 respiratory distresses were also observed among these severe malaria cases. P. falciparum submicroscopic infection may lead to severe malaria in perennial transmission area.
文摘Objective To investigate the prevalence and features of active human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and evaluate the diagnostic value of the HCMV using antigenemia assay, serum polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serology test. Methods Twenty-one SLE children undergoing immunosuppressive therapy were enrolled in this study. Immunofluorescence assay, PCR and serology tests were used to determine HCMV pp65 and p72 antigens in leukocytes, HCMV DNA in sera, and HCMV specific IgM and IgG antibodies, respectively. As a control group, twenty-one immunocompetent children with skeletal malformation were involved in this study. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test (Systat, USA), P values less than 0.05 were considered significant.Results Active HCMV infection was diagnosed in 28.6% (6/21) of SLE patients, with none in the control group; the difference between the two groups was significant (P=0.027). Two out of 6 SLE patients developed active HCMV infection before immunosuppressive therapy and the remaining 4 patients developed SLE after immunosuppressive therapy. Among the 21 SLE children, HCMV pp65 antigenemia was detected in 5 patients, p72 antigenemia in 3 patients, serum HCMV DNA in 9 patients, serum HCMV-specific IgM in 2 patients, and IgG in 19 patients. The sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of active HCMV infection were 83.3% and 100%, respectively for pp65 antigenemia; 50% and 100% for p72 antigenemia; 100% and 80% for serum PCR; 33.3% and 100% for HCMV IgM serology; 50% and 100% for HCMV IgG serology. Conclusions Compared with the control group, active HCMV infection is much more frequent in SLE children, and can occur before treatment with immunosuppressive agents, but most often occur after immunosuppressive therapy. In comparison with the other techniques used in this study, the pp65 antigenemia assay seems to be a better method for the early diagnosis and monitoring of active HCMV infection in children with SLE.