Rat bite fever caused by Streptobacillus moniliformis infection in a Chinese patient.

Background: Rat bite fever (RBF), a severe infectious disease, can result from transmission of the pathogen Streptobacillus moniliformis (S. moniliformis) by rat bite. RBF diagnosis can be overlooked.

miR‑21 promotes α‑SMA and collagen I expression in hepatic stellate cells via the Smad7 signaling pathway.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of microRNA (miR)‑21 in regulating collagen I and Smad7 expression in activated rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Rat HSCs were isolated by single‑step density gradient centrifugation with Nycodenz. Cellular content of miR‑21, SMAD7, α‑smooth muscle actin (α‑SMA), collagen type I alpha 1 (COLLA1) and COLL alpha 2 (A2) mRNA was examined by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR), and cellular content of Smad7 and α‑SMA protein was detected by western blotting.

A novel system for predicting liver histopathology in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

There is currently a lack of reliable, reproducible, and easily applied methods for assessing changes in liver histology in patients in the gray zone phase of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Therefore, we aimed to develop a novel predictive scoring system to detect significant liver histological changes in these patients.A total of 388 patients in the gray zone phase of CHB who underwent liver biopsy were divided into a training group and a validation group, and their clinical and routinely available laboratory parameters were analyzed using univariate analysis, Spearman correlation analysis, and logistic modeling.

New role and molecular mechanism of Gadd45a in hepatic fibrosis.

Aim: To investigate the role of Gadd45a in hepatic fibrosis and the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/Smad signaling pathway.

Methods: Wild-type male BALB/c mice were treated with CCl4 to induce a model of chronic liver injury. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were isolated from the liver of BALB/c mice and were treated with small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting Gadd45a or the pcDNA3.

Efficacy and safety of recombinant Mycobacterium tuberculosis ESAT-6 protein for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis: a phase II trial.

Background: This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of recombinant Mycobacterium tuberculosis ESAT-6 protein for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

Material And Methods: A phase II trial was performed in 158 patients with pulmonary TB (145 initially-treated and 13 re-treated) and 133 healthy subjects. Skin testing was carried out by injecting purified protein derivative (PPD) (on left forearm) or recombinant ESAT-6 protein at a dosage of 2, 5, or 10 μg/mL (on the right forearm) in each subject.

Combination lamivudine and adefovir versus entecavir for the treatment of naïve chronic hepatitis B patients: a pilot study.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of combination lamivudine (LAM) and adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) versus entecavir (ETV) monotherapy for naïve HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

Material/methods: Fifty enrolled patients with CHB were evenly divided into 2 groups: a group treated with of lamivudine (LAM) (100 mg/day) plus adefovir (ADV) (10 mg/day) combination, and a group treated with entecavir (ETV) (0.5 mg/day).

Novel action of 3,4-DAA ameliorating acute liver allograft injury.

The anti-allergic drug, N-(3,4-dimethoxycinnamonyl) anthranilic acid (3,4-DAA), is a synthetic anthranilic acid derivative that has been used therapeutically in Japan for many years. In this study, to investigate the effects of 3,4-DAA in allograft immunorejection model, liver orthotopic transplants were performed using inbred male Dark Agouti donors and Lewis rat recipients (allografts). The levels of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenases (IDO) enzymic activities in five groups, allografts (control), dimethyl sulphoxide-treated group (vehicle control), 200 mg·kg(-1) ·day(-1) of 3,4-DAA-treated group and 200 mg·kg(-1) ·day(-1) of 3,4-DAA + 5 mg·ml(-1) of 1-methyl-D-tryptophan (1-MT)-treated group were confirmed by determination of L-kynurenine (L-Kyn) concentrations.

Efficacy and safety of intravenous stronger neo-minophagen C and S-adenosyl-L-methionine in treatment of pregnant woman with chronic hepatitis B: a pilot study.

Background: There have been no studies evaluating the efficacy and potential risks of stronger neo-minophagen C (SNMC) in pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B CHB.

Material/methods: A total of 36 pregnant women with CHB, but without severe complications, were randomized to intravenously receive SNMC or S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) daily for 4 weeks or until birth. Normalization of serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels and changes in ALT and AST levels from baseline were determined.

Retrospective analysis of nosocomial infections in the intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital in China during 2003 and 2007.

Background: Nosocomial infections are a major threat to patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Limited data exist on the epidemiology of ICU-acquired infections in China. This retrospective study was carried out to determine the current status of nosocomial infection in China.

Multifocal skeletal tuberculosis: experience in diagnosis and treatment.

Objectives: Multifocal skeletal tuberculosis (MSTB) is an uncommon presentation of skeletal tuberculosis. In order to provide more clinically meaningful information on the diagnosis and management of MSTB, we present a case of MSTB with multiple tuberculous lesions in multiple locations, along with a review of 13 MSTB cases from different studies.

Patients And Methods: A 29-year-old male patient with a one-year history of back pain was initially diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis and arthritis deformans, and received treatment with oral glucocorticosteroid and leflunomide for 24 weeks.