We present the clinical, molecular, and biochemical diagnosis of a patient with congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG)-Ih. We report significant brain dysfunction in this multisystem disease, further expanding its...We present the clinical, molecular, and biochemical diagnosis of a patient with congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG)-Ih. We report significant brain dysfunction in this multisystem disease, further expanding its complex clinical spectrum.展开更多
METHODS： We determined the serum level of apolipoprotein A-I （APO A-I）, haptoglobin （HPT） and a-2 macroglobulin （A2I） with an automatic nephelometer in 63 children （age range 4-17 years, mean 10 years） with b...METHODS： We determined the serum level of apolipoprotein A-I （APO A-I）, haptoglobin （HPT） and a-2 macroglobulin （A2I） with an automatic nephelometer in 63 children （age range 4-17 years, mean 10 years） with biopsy-verified chronic HBeAg-positive hepatitis B. Fibrosis stage and inflammation grade were assessed in a blinded fashion according to Batts and Ludwig. We defined mild liver fibrosis as a score ≤2 and advanced fibrosis as a score equal to 3. ROC analysis was used to calculate the power of the assays to detect advanced liver fibrosis （AccuROC, Canada）. RESULTS： Serum concentrations of APO A-I, HPT and A2M were not significantly different in patients with chronic hepatitis B compared to controls. However, APO A-I level of 1.19 ng/L had a sensitivity of 85.7% and a specificity of 60.7% （AUC = 0.7117, P = 0.035） to predict advanced fibrosis. All other serum biochemical markers and their combination did not allow a useful prediction. None of these markers was a good predictor of histologic inflammation. CONCLUSION： Apolipoprotein A-I may be a suitable serum marker to predict advanced liver fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis B.展开更多
AIM:To evaluate the potential of laparoscopy in the diagnosis of cirrhosis and outcome of interferon treatment in HCV-infected patients. METHODS:In this retrospective study,diagnostic laparoscopy with laparoscopic liv...AIM:To evaluate the potential of laparoscopy in the diagnosis of cirrhosis and outcome of interferon treatment in HCV-infected patients. METHODS:In this retrospective study,diagnostic laparoscopy with laparoscopic liver biopsy was performed in 72 consecutive patients with chronic HCV infection.The presence or absence of drrhosis was analyzed macroscopically by laparoscopy and microscopically by liver biopsy specimens.Clinical and laboratory data and outcome of interferon-alfa treatment were compared between cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients. RESULTS:Laparoscopically,cirrhosis was seen in 29.2 % (21/72)and non-cirrhosis in 70.8 %(51/72)of patients. Cirrhotic patients were significantly older with a significant longer duration of HCV infection than noncirrhotic patients. Laboratory parameters(AST,y-GT,y-globulin fraction)were measured significantly higher as well as significantly lower (prothrombin index,platelet count)in cirrhotic patients than in non-cirrhotic patients.Histologically,cirrhosis was confirmed in 11.1%(8/72)and non cirrhosis in 88.9 %(64/72).Patients with macroscopically confirmed cirrhosis(n=21)showed histologically cirrhosis in 38.2 %(8/21)and histologically non- cirrhosis in 61.9 %(13/21).In contrast,patients with macroscopically non-cirrhosis(n=51)showed histologically non cirrhosis in all cases(51/51).Thirty-nine of 72 patients were treated with interferon-alfa,resulting in 35.9 %(14/39) patients with sustained response and 64.1%(25/39)with non response.Non-responders showed significantly more macroscopically cirrhosis than sustained responders.In contrast,there were no significant histological differences between non-responders and sustained responders. CONCLUSION:Diagnostic laparoscopy is more accurate than liver biopsy in recognizing cirrhosis in patients with chronic HCV infection.Liver biopsy is the best way to assess inflammatory grade and fibrotic stage.The invasive marker for staging,prognosis and management,and treatment outcome of chronic HCV-infected patients need further research and dinical thals.Laparoscopy should be performed for recognition of drrhosis if this parameter is found to be of prognostic and therapeutic relevance in patients with chronic HCV infection.展开更多
Objective:Weed pollens are common sources of allergens worldwide.The prevalence of weed pollen sensitization is not yet fully known in China.The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sensitization...Objective:Weed pollens are common sources of allergens worldwide.The prevalence of weed pollen sensitization is not yet fully known in China.The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sensitization to weed allergens from Artemisia,Ambrosia,and Humulus in northern China.Methods:A total of 1144 subjects(aged from 5 to 68 years) visiting our clinic from June to October 2011 underwent intradermal testing using a panel of 25 allergen sources.Subjects with positive skin responses to any pollen were further tested for their serum concentrations of IgE antibodies against Artemisia vulgaris,Ambrosia artemisiifolia,and Humulus scandens,and against the purified allergens,Art v 1 and Amb a 1.Results:Of 1144 subjects,170 had positive intradermal reactions to pollen and 144 donated serum for IgE testing.The prevalence of positive intradermal responses to pollens of Artemisia sieversiana,Artemisia annua,A.artemisiifolia,and H.scandens was 11.0%,10.2%,3.7%,and 6.6%,respectively.Among the intradermal positive subjects,the prevalence of specific IgE antigens to A.vulgaris was 58.3%,to A.artemisiifolia 14.7%,and to H.scandens 41.0%.The prevalence of specific IgE antigens to the allergen Art v 1 was 46.9%,and to Amb a 1 was 11.2%.The correlation between the presence of IgE antibodies specific to A.vulgaris and to the Art v 1 antigen was very high.Subjects with A.artemisiifolia specific IgE also had A.vulgaris specific IgE,but with relatively high levels of A.vulgaris IgE antibodies.There were no correlations between the presence of IgE antibodies to H.scandens and A.vulgaris or to H.scandens and A.artemisiifolia.Conclusions:The intradermal prevalence of weed pollen sensitization among allergic subjects in northern China is about 13.5%.Correlations of specific IgE antibodies suggest that pollen allergens from Artemisia and Humulus are independent sources for primary sensitization.展开更多
Over the past years, significant efforts have been devoted to explore novel drug delivery and detection strategies for simultaneous therapy and diagnostics. The development of biotinylated polyurethane-urea nanopartic...Over the past years, significant efforts have been devoted to explore novel drug delivery and detection strategies for simultaneous therapy and diagnostics. The development of biotinylated polyurethane-urea nanoparticles as theranostic nanocarriers for targeted drug and plasmid delivery, for fluorescence detection of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, is described herein. These targeted nanoparticles are specifically designed to incorporate biotin into the polymeric matrix, since many tumor types overexpress receptors for biotin as a mechanism to boost uncontrolled cell growth. The obtained nanoparticles were spherical, exhibited an average diameter ranging 110-145 nm, and showed no cytotoxicity in healthy endothelial cells. Biotinylated nanoparticles are selectively incorporated into the perinuclear and nuclear area of the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, HepG2, in division, but not into growing, healthy, human endothelial cells. Indeed, the simultaneous incorporation of the anticancer drugs, phenoxodiol or sunitinib, together with plasmid DNA encoding green fluorescent protein, into these nanoparticles allows a targeted pharmacological antitumor effect and furthermore, selective transfection of a reporter gene, to detect these cancer cells. The combined targeted therapy and detection strategy described here could be exploited for liver cancer therapy and diagnostics, with a moderate safety profile, and may also be a potential tool for other types of cancer.展开更多
文摘We present the clinical, molecular, and biochemical diagnosis of a patient with congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG)-Ih. We report significant brain dysfunction in this multisystem disease, further expanding its complex clinical spectrum.
文摘METHODS： We determined the serum level of apolipoprotein A-I （APO A-I）, haptoglobin （HPT） and a-2 macroglobulin （A2I） with an automatic nephelometer in 63 children （age range 4-17 years, mean 10 years） with biopsy-verified chronic HBeAg-positive hepatitis B. Fibrosis stage and inflammation grade were assessed in a blinded fashion according to Batts and Ludwig. We defined mild liver fibrosis as a score ≤2 and advanced fibrosis as a score equal to 3. ROC analysis was used to calculate the power of the assays to detect advanced liver fibrosis （AccuROC, Canada）. RESULTS： Serum concentrations of APO A-I, HPT and A2M were not significantly different in patients with chronic hepatitis B compared to controls. However, APO A-I level of 1.19 ng/L had a sensitivity of 85.7% and a specificity of 60.7% （AUC = 0.7117, P = 0.035） to predict advanced fibrosis. All other serum biochemical markers and their combination did not allow a useful prediction. None of these markers was a good predictor of histologic inflammation. CONCLUSION： Apolipoprotein A-I may be a suitable serum marker to predict advanced liver fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis B.
文摘AIM:To evaluate the potential of laparoscopy in the diagnosis of cirrhosis and outcome of interferon treatment in HCV-infected patients. METHODS:In this retrospective study,diagnostic laparoscopy with laparoscopic liver biopsy was performed in 72 consecutive patients with chronic HCV infection.The presence or absence of drrhosis was analyzed macroscopically by laparoscopy and microscopically by liver biopsy specimens.Clinical and laboratory data and outcome of interferon-alfa treatment were compared between cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients. RESULTS:Laparoscopically,cirrhosis was seen in 29.2 % (21/72)and non-cirrhosis in 70.8 %(51/72)of patients. Cirrhotic patients were significantly older with a significant longer duration of HCV infection than noncirrhotic patients. Laboratory parameters(AST,y-GT,y-globulin fraction)were measured significantly higher as well as significantly lower (prothrombin index,platelet count)in cirrhotic patients than in non-cirrhotic patients.Histologically,cirrhosis was confirmed in 11.1%(8/72)and non cirrhosis in 88.9 %(64/72).Patients with macroscopically confirmed cirrhosis(n=21)showed histologically cirrhosis in 38.2 %(8/21)and histologically non- cirrhosis in 61.9 %(13/21).In contrast,patients with macroscopically non-cirrhosis(n=51)showed histologically non cirrhosis in all cases(51/51).Thirty-nine of 72 patients were treated with interferon-alfa,resulting in 35.9 %(14/39) patients with sustained response and 64.1%(25/39)with non response.Non-responders showed significantly more macroscopically cirrhosis than sustained responders.In contrast,there were no significant histological differences between non-responders and sustained responders. CONCLUSION:Diagnostic laparoscopy is more accurate than liver biopsy in recognizing cirrhosis in patients with chronic HCV infection.Liver biopsy is the best way to assess inflammatory grade and fibrotic stage.The invasive marker for staging,prognosis and management,and treatment outcome of chronic HCV-infected patients need further research and dinical thals.Laparoscopy should be performed for recognition of drrhosis if this parameter is found to be of prognostic and therapeutic relevance in patients with chronic HCV infection.
文摘Objective:Weed pollens are common sources of allergens worldwide.The prevalence of weed pollen sensitization is not yet fully known in China.The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sensitization to weed allergens from Artemisia,Ambrosia,and Humulus in northern China.Methods:A total of 1144 subjects(aged from 5 to 68 years) visiting our clinic from June to October 2011 underwent intradermal testing using a panel of 25 allergen sources.Subjects with positive skin responses to any pollen were further tested for their serum concentrations of IgE antibodies against Artemisia vulgaris,Ambrosia artemisiifolia,and Humulus scandens,and against the purified allergens,Art v 1 and Amb a 1.Results:Of 1144 subjects,170 had positive intradermal reactions to pollen and 144 donated serum for IgE testing.The prevalence of positive intradermal responses to pollens of Artemisia sieversiana,Artemisia annua,A.artemisiifolia,and H.scandens was 11.0%,10.2%,3.7%,and 6.6%,respectively.Among the intradermal positive subjects,the prevalence of specific IgE antigens to A.vulgaris was 58.3%,to A.artemisiifolia 14.7%,and to H.scandens 41.0%.The prevalence of specific IgE antigens to the allergen Art v 1 was 46.9%,and to Amb a 1 was 11.2%.The correlation between the presence of IgE antibodies specific to A.vulgaris and to the Art v 1 antigen was very high.Subjects with A.artemisiifolia specific IgE also had A.vulgaris specific IgE,but with relatively high levels of A.vulgaris IgE antibodies.There were no correlations between the presence of IgE antibodies to H.scandens and A.vulgaris or to H.scandens and A.artemisiifolia.Conclusions:The intradermal prevalence of weed pollen sensitization among allergic subjects in northern China is about 13.5%.Correlations of specific IgE antibodies suggest that pollen allergens from Artemisia and Humulus are independent sources for primary sensitization.
文摘Over the past years, significant efforts have been devoted to explore novel drug delivery and detection strategies for simultaneous therapy and diagnostics. The development of biotinylated polyurethane-urea nanoparticles as theranostic nanocarriers for targeted drug and plasmid delivery, for fluorescence detection of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, is described herein. These targeted nanoparticles are specifically designed to incorporate biotin into the polymeric matrix, since many tumor types overexpress receptors for biotin as a mechanism to boost uncontrolled cell growth. The obtained nanoparticles were spherical, exhibited an average diameter ranging 110-145 nm, and showed no cytotoxicity in healthy endothelial cells. Biotinylated nanoparticles are selectively incorporated into the perinuclear and nuclear area of the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, HepG2, in division, but not into growing, healthy, human endothelial cells. Indeed, the simultaneous incorporation of the anticancer drugs, phenoxodiol or sunitinib, together with plasmid DNA encoding green fluorescent protein, into these nanoparticles allows a targeted pharmacological antitumor effect and furthermore, selective transfection of a reporter gene, to detect these cancer cells. The combined targeted therapy and detection strategy described here could be exploited for liver cancer therapy and diagnostics, with a moderate safety profile, and may also be a potential tool for other types of cancer.
