The potential mechanism of the progression from latent to active tuberculosis based on the intestinal microbiota alterations.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) poses a serious challenge to global health systems. The altered intestinal microbiota is associated with the pathogenesis of TB, but the exact links remain unclear.

Methods: 16 S rDNA sequencing was performed to comprehensively detect the changes in the intestinal microbiota of feces from active TB (ATB), latent TB infection (LTBI) and healthy controls (HC).

Untargeted Metabolomics of Feces Reveals Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers for Active Tuberculosis and Latent Tuberculosis Infection: Potential Application for Precise and Non-Invasive Identification.

Purpose: Distinguishing latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) from active tuberculosis (ATB) is important to control the prevalence of tuberculosis; however, there is currently no effective method. The aim of this study was to discover specific metabolites through fecal untargeted metabolomics to discriminate ATB, individuals with LTBI, and healthy controls (HC) and to probe the metabolic perturbation associated with the progression of tuberculosis.

Patients And Methods: Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was performed to comprehensively detect compounds in fecal samples from HC, LTBI, and ATB patients.

Effects of a false-positive result in newborn congenital hypothyroidism screening on parents in Guangxi, China.

Background: As more than 500,000 neonates participate in newborn congenital hypothyroidism (CH) screening in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region each year, the overall number of false-positive (FP) cases has increased. We aim to assess the parental stress in parents of neonates with FP CH results in Guangxi, find out the influence factors related to demographics, and provide the basis for personalized health education.

Methods: The parents of neonates with FP CH results were invited to participate in the FP group, and the parents of neonates with all negative results were invited to participate in the control group.

Clinical evaluation of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for rapid detection of Neisseria meningitidis in cerebrospinal fluid.

Background: Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) is a leading causative agent of bacterial meningitis in humans. Traditionally, meningococcal meningitis has been diagnosed by bacterial culture. However, isolation of bacteria from patients' cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is time consuming and sometimes yields negative results.

An expanded age range for meningococcal meningitis: molecular diagnostic evidence from population-based surveillance in Asia.

Background: To understand epidemiologic patterns of meningococcal disease in Asia, we performed a retrospective molecular analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens collected in prospective surveillance among children aged < 5 years of age in China, South Korea, and Vietnam.

Methods: A total of 295 isolates and 2,302 CSFs were tested by a meningococcal species- and serogroup-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) ctrA gene. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) was performed in Nm gene amplification analysis and incidence rates for meningococcal meningitis were estimated.

The enhanced pneumococcal LAMP assay: a clinical tool for the diagnosis of meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of invasive bacterial disease in developed and developing countries. We studied the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique to assess its suitability for detecting S. pneumoniae nucleic acid in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

[Surveillance and research on acute meningitis, encephalitis syndrome in Guangxi, China].

Objective: To estimate disease burden and epidemiological characteristics of acute meningitis/encephalitis, and provide the basis for the disease control strategy development.

Methods: A syndrome surveillance system was established in Guigang city with a population of 5 020 000. For the suspected cases, serum and CSF were collected, and bacterial culture, latex agglutination test, real-time PCR and ELISA tests were carried out.

[On-site assessment on the definition and classification of suspected cases in the manual of WHO Japanese Encephalitis Surveillance Standards].

Objective: To assess the new edition of WHO Japanese Encephalitis (JE) Surveillance Standards (WHO Standards) based on syndrome surveillance data and to provide field evidence regarding the standards.

Methods: Based on syndrome surveillance data, acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) case was categorized, according to the WHO Standards. A cohort study was applied to estimate the AES definition set in the Standard and relative risk was computed to estimate the existence and intensity of statistical correlation between AES and JE cases.

[Comparative analysis of three diarrhea-household-surveys in Guangxi].

Objective: To study the epidemiological characteristics and the effects of control measurements in Guangxi by comparing the results from diarrhea-household-surveys conducted in the three different periods of time and to develop control strategies.

Methods: Data on the incidence, health care seeking and treatment of diarrhea from three household surveys conducted in 1988, 1995 and 2007 was analyzed using SPSS (version 13.0).

[Epidemiological characteristics of meningococcal meningitis in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region during 1996 and 2007].

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of meningococcal meningitis and provide evidences for disease control.

Method: The method of descriptive epidemiology has been used to analyze the data collected.

Results: A total of 419 cases were reported with meningococcal meningitis between 1996-2007, annual incidence rate was 0.

[A prospective study of the relationship between serum hepatitis B virus DNA and the risk of primary liver cancer].

Objective: To determine the relationship between the serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and the risk of primary liver cancer (PLC).

Methods: Farmers aged 30 to 55 years in Long An county were recruited in this study Blood samples were collected and the sera were tested for HBsAg using Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA), and the HBsAg-positive sera were further tested for viral DNA using nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR). The study subjects were divided into three groups.

Detection of diverse astroviruses from bats in China.

Astroviruses infect humans and many different animal species and are associated with gastroenteritis. Recent studies first detected the virus from bat species in Hong Kong. To understand astrovirus distribution in the wider region further, we examined the prevalence of this virus family in bat specimens collected from a large geographical region of mainland China.

The association of HBV core promoter double mutations (A1762T and G1764A) with viral load differs between HBeAg positive and anti-HBe positive individuals: a longitudinal analysis.

Background/aims: Although there have been a few reports regarding the effect of basal core promoter (BCP) double mutations (A1762T and G1764A) on hepatitis B viral loads, the association remains uncertain. We aim to determine the association after controlling for HBeAg - a strong confounding factor.

Methods: We selected randomly 190 individuals from a Chinese cohort of 2258 subjects for cross-sectional analysis and 56 of the 190 for longitudinal analysis of viral loads.

[Effectiveness of an immunization campaign with group A and C meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine in controlling an outbreak of group C meningococcal disease].

Objective: To assess the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of group A and C meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (A/C MPV) in response to an outbreak of group C meningococcal disease.

Methods: A vaccination campaign with A/C MPV was prompted 6 weeks after the use of group A MPV in Laibin city, Guangxi, where an outbreak of group C meningococcal meningitis occurred in 2002. Vaccinees were observed for local and systemic reactions after the vaccination and followed up for the meningococcal disease for 5 years.

Hepatitis B virus pre-S deletion mutations are a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma: a matched nested case-control study.

A matched nested case-control study of 33 paired cases and controls was conducted, based on a study cohort in Long An county, Guangxi, China, to determine whether infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) with pre-S deletions is independently associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), without the confounding effects of basal core promoter (BCP) double mutations. The prevalence of pre-S deletions was significantly higher in HCC (45.5 %, 15 of 33) than the controls (18.

HBV A1762T, G1764A mutations are a valuable biomarker for identifying a subset of male HBsAg carriers at extremely high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective study.

Objectives: Surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can detect small tumors for resection but at a huge cost of health resources. The challenge is to reduce the surveillance population. We reported that 96% of HCC patients but only 24% of controls were infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) with A(1762)T, G(1764)A mutations in Guangxi, China.

[Evaluation on the safety of a group A + C meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine].

Objective: To evaluate the safety of a group A + C meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine as part of a phase IV clinical trial.

Methods: The study area was divided into 108 clusters according to the principle of cluster randomization, stratified and paired sampling methods. 54 out of 108 clusters served as observation groups were administered A + C vaccine, while the rest 54 groups were administered Vi polysaccharide vaccine.

Implementation of good clinical practice guidelines in vaccine trials in developing countries.

The practicalities when applying the ICH GCPs (International Conference on Harmonization 1996 Good Clinical Practices [EU, MHLW, FDA. International Conference on Harmonization Guideline for Good Clinical Practice; 1997] in less developed countries (ldcs) are seldom discussed and we found no guidelines as how to "adapt" them. Below we illustrate how ICH GCP principles can be implemented in different settings.

Efficacy of a locally produced, Chinese Vi polysaccharide typhoid fever vaccine during six years of follow-up.

A locally produced Vi polysaccharide vaccine against typhoid fever was licensed in China following two placebo-controlled, efficacy trials conducted in the early 1990s in Baoying, Jiangsu Province, and Quan-zhou, Guangxi Province. The two trials each enrolled over 80,000 participants and followed participants for 12 and 19 months post-vaccination, respectively. To define the long-term efficacy of this vaccine, we retrospectively assessed the occurrence of typhoid fever, diagnosed with clinical and serological criteria, in the two study populations for 6 years following vaccination.

[Application of cluster randomization method on typhoid Vi vaccine trails].

Objective: To describe the design and application of cluster randomized controlled method on typhoid Vi vaccine trial, and to assess the effect of implementation.

Methods: Simple size calculation of cluster-randomized trial was used to determine the sample size of the two groups and a vaccination campaign was conducted. The study group was given typhoid Vi vaccine and the control group was given meningococcal A vaccine.

A mass vaccination campaign targeting adults and children to prevent typhoid fever in Hechi; expanding the use of Vi polysaccharide vaccine in southeast China: a cluster-randomized trial.

Background: One of the goals of this study was to learn the coverage, safety and logistics of a mass vaccination campaign against typhoid fever in children and adults using locally produced typhoid Vi polysaccharide (PS) and group A meningococcal PS vaccines in southern China.

Methods: The vaccination campaign targeted 118,588 persons in Hechi, Guangxi Province, aged between 5 to 60 years, in 2003. The study area was divided into 107 geographic clusters, which were randomly allocated to receive one of the single-dose parenteral vaccines.

[A study on early detection for seven infectious diseases].

Objective: To provide methods and alert thresholds which are scientific, sensitive, specific and practical for Early Warning System in Public Health Surveillance.

Methods: Alert data was based on historical infectious diseases reports. Control chart was used to detect outbreaks or epidemics.

[Epidemiologic surveillance for bacterial meningitis in 140 000 children under 5 years of age in Nanning district, Guangxi province].

Objective: To characterize the incidence, epidemiologic features, etiologic agents and sequelae of bacterial meningitis in children under 5 years of age in Nanning, Guangxi.

Methods: A population-based surveillance was conducted to evaluate children with signs and symptoms of meningitis. All hospitals, township health centers and village clinics in the surveillance area were structured to participate in the case referral and evaluation.