AIM： To evaluate the effect of single nucleotide poly- morphisms of interleukin （IL）-28B, rs12979860 on progression and treatment response in chronic hepatitis C. METHODS： Patients （n = 64; 37 men, 27 women; mean...AIM： To evaluate the effect of single nucleotide poly- morphisms of interleukin （IL）-28B, rs12979860 on progression and treatment response in chronic hepatitis C. METHODS： Patients （n = 64; 37 men, 27 women; mean age, 44 ＋ 12 years） with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1, received treatment with peg-interferon plus ribavirin. Genotyping of rs12979860 was per- formed on peripheral blood DNA. Histopathological assessment of necroinflammatory grade and fibrosis stage were scored using the METAVIR system on a liver biopsy sample before treatment. Serum viral load, ami- notransferase activity, and insulin level were measured. Insulin resistance index, body mass index, waist/hip ratio, percentage of body fat and fibrosis progression rate were calculated. Applied dose of interferon and ribavirin, platelet and neutrophil count and hemoglobin level were measured. RESULTS： A sustained virological response （SVR） was significantly associated with IL28B polymorphism （CC vs -l-r allele： odds ratio （OR）, 25; CC vs CT allele： OR, 5.4）, inflammation activity （G 〈 1 vs G 〉 1： OR, 3.9）, fibrosis （F 〈 1 vs F 〉 1： OR, 5.9）, platelet count （〉 200 × 109/L vs 〈 200 ×109/L： OR, 4.7; OR in patients with genotype CT： 12.8）, fatty liver （absence vs presence of steatosis： OR, 4.8）, insulin resistance index （〈 2.5 vs 〉 2.5： OR, 3.9）, and baseline HCV viral load （〈 106 IU/mL vs 〉 106 IU/mL： OR, 3.0）. There was no association with age, sex, aminotransferases activity, body mass index, waist/hip ratio, or percentage body fat. There was borderline significance （P = 0.064） of increased fibrosis in patients with the I-I allele, and no differences in the insulin resistance index between groups of patients with CC, CT and -IF alleles （P = 0.12）. Spearman＇s rank correlation coefficient between insulin resistance and stage of fibrosis and body mass index was r = 0.618 and r = 0.605, respectively （P 〈 0.001）. Significant dif- ferences were found in the insulin resistance index （P = 0.01） between patients with and without steatosis. Patients with the C-I- allele and absence of a SVR had a higher incidence of requiring threshold dose reduction of interferon （P = 0.07）. CONCLUSION： IL28B variation is the strongest host factor not related to insulin resistance that determines outcome of antiviral therapy. Baseline platelet count predicts the outcome of antiviral therapy in CT allele patients.展开更多
The survival chance of epiphytie orchids today not only depends on the natural site conditions required by the orchids but also on anthropogenic changes in site conditions. This study answers two questions： （1） Wha...The survival chance of epiphytie orchids today not only depends on the natural site conditions required by the orchids but also on anthropogenic changes in site conditions. This study answers two questions： （1） What is the ecological niche of the different epiphytic orchid species？ （2） What are the ecological factors that threaten epiphytic orchid＇s population under anthropogenic disturbances？ Our study area was the Kathmandu valley, Nepal, with its subtropical forest. We established 156 systematically selected sampling points in the Kathmandu area covering different types of ecosystems under human impacts such as densely populated area, agricultural land, mixed agricultural and settled area, old tree patches, and a natural forest in a national park. The ecological niche of the orchid species was analyzed with a principal component analysis （PCA）. The correlations between the different site factors were statistically significant. Spearman＇s rank correlation matrices showed that the variables land-use intensities with altitude, and height with diameter in breast height （dbh） of host had the highest significant positive correlation coefficient （0.67 and 0.64 respectively）. On the other hand, host bark pH and altitude as well as land use had a significantly strong negative correlation coefficient （-0.80 and -0.61, respectively）. Different epiphytic orchid species interact differently with the given set of environmental factors： for occurrence of Vanda cristata there is no single environmental factor of special influence, while for Rhynehostylis retusa high bark pH and high light availability are important. First two axis of the PCA explained more than 50% of the total variance. Most orchid species occupy a specific, narrow niche in this ecological space. The main causes of anthropogenie influence of orchid population in the Kathmandu Valley are loss of adequate host trees （species and size） and increasing air pollution, resulting in increasing host bark pH.展开更多
文摘AIM： To evaluate the effect of single nucleotide poly- morphisms of interleukin （IL）-28B, rs12979860 on progression and treatment response in chronic hepatitis C. METHODS： Patients （n = 64; 37 men, 27 women; mean age, 44 ＋ 12 years） with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1, received treatment with peg-interferon plus ribavirin. Genotyping of rs12979860 was per- formed on peripheral blood DNA. Histopathological assessment of necroinflammatory grade and fibrosis stage were scored using the METAVIR system on a liver biopsy sample before treatment. Serum viral load, ami- notransferase activity, and insulin level were measured. Insulin resistance index, body mass index, waist/hip ratio, percentage of body fat and fibrosis progression rate were calculated. Applied dose of interferon and ribavirin, platelet and neutrophil count and hemoglobin level were measured. RESULTS： A sustained virological response （SVR） was significantly associated with IL28B polymorphism （CC vs -l-r allele： odds ratio （OR）, 25; CC vs CT allele： OR, 5.4）, inflammation activity （G 〈 1 vs G 〉 1： OR, 3.9）, fibrosis （F 〈 1 vs F 〉 1： OR, 5.9）, platelet count （〉 200 × 109/L vs 〈 200 ×109/L： OR, 4.7; OR in patients with genotype CT： 12.8）, fatty liver （absence vs presence of steatosis： OR, 4.8）, insulin resistance index （〈 2.5 vs 〉 2.5： OR, 3.9）, and baseline HCV viral load （〈 106 IU/mL vs 〉 106 IU/mL： OR, 3.0）. There was no association with age, sex, aminotransferases activity, body mass index, waist/hip ratio, or percentage body fat. There was borderline significance （P = 0.064） of increased fibrosis in patients with the I-I allele, and no differences in the insulin resistance index between groups of patients with CC, CT and -IF alleles （P = 0.12）. Spearman＇s rank correlation coefficient between insulin resistance and stage of fibrosis and body mass index was r = 0.618 and r = 0.605, respectively （P 〈 0.001）. Significant dif- ferences were found in the insulin resistance index （P = 0.01） between patients with and without steatosis. Patients with the C-I- allele and absence of a SVR had a higher incidence of requiring threshold dose reduction of interferon （P = 0.07）. CONCLUSION： IL28B variation is the strongest host factor not related to insulin resistance that determines outcome of antiviral therapy. Baseline platelet count predicts the outcome of antiviral therapy in CT allele patients.
文摘The survival chance of epiphytie orchids today not only depends on the natural site conditions required by the orchids but also on anthropogenic changes in site conditions. This study answers two questions： （1） What is the ecological niche of the different epiphytic orchid species？ （2） What are the ecological factors that threaten epiphytic orchid＇s population under anthropogenic disturbances？ Our study area was the Kathmandu valley, Nepal, with its subtropical forest. We established 156 systematically selected sampling points in the Kathmandu area covering different types of ecosystems under human impacts such as densely populated area, agricultural land, mixed agricultural and settled area, old tree patches, and a natural forest in a national park. The ecological niche of the orchid species was analyzed with a principal component analysis （PCA）. The correlations between the different site factors were statistically significant. Spearman＇s rank correlation matrices showed that the variables land-use intensities with altitude, and height with diameter in breast height （dbh） of host had the highest significant positive correlation coefficient （0.67 and 0.64 respectively）. On the other hand, host bark pH and altitude as well as land use had a significantly strong negative correlation coefficient （-0.80 and -0.61, respectively）. Different epiphytic orchid species interact differently with the given set of environmental factors： for occurrence of Vanda cristata there is no single environmental factor of special influence, while for Rhynehostylis retusa high bark pH and high light availability are important. First two axis of the PCA explained more than 50% of the total variance. Most orchid species occupy a specific, narrow niche in this ecological space. The main causes of anthropogenie influence of orchid population in the Kathmandu Valley are loss of adequate host trees （species and size） and increasing air pollution, resulting in increasing host bark pH.
