Serum Copper Concentrations, Effect Modifiers and Blood Pressure: Insights from NHANES 2011-2014.

(1) Background: Epidemiological studies on the relationship between serum copper and hypertension are contradictory. We assessed the relationship between serum copper and blood pressure among adults in the United States. (2) Methods: We divided hypertension into two categories: treated hypertension and untreated hypertension.

Serological Epidemiological Investigation of Tibetan Sheep (Ovis aries) Plague in Qinghai, China.

The plague, which is caused by the Gram-negative coccobacillus bacterium Yersinia pestis, has been classified as a reemerging infectious disease by the World Health Organization. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau natural plague focus is the largest plague focus in China, and Marmota himalayana is the primary host of the plague. Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries) were first identified as naturally infected hosts of Y.

Lasiopodomys fuscus as an important intermediate host for Echinococcus multilocularis: isolation and phylogenetic identification of the parasite.

Background: Echinococcus multilocularis causes alveolar echinococcosis (AE) and is widely prevalent in Qinghai Province, China, where a number of different species have been identified as hosts. However, limited information is available on the Qinghai vole (Lasiopodomys fuscus), which is hyper endemic to Qinghai Province and may represent a potential intermediate host of E. multilocularis.

Efficient production of a recombinant Venerupis philippinarum defensin (VpDef) in Pichia pastoris and characterization of its antibacterial activity and stability.

VpDef is a novel defensin isolated from the clam Venerupis philippinarum. Previously it was expressed in Escherichia coli; however, the E. coli-derived recombinant VpDef did not show effective antimicrobial activity against Staphyloccocus aureus or the Gram-negative bacteria tested.

Niche modeling predictions of the potential distribution of Marmota himalayana, the host animal of plague in Yushu County of Qinghai.

Background: After the earthquake on 14, April 2010 at Yushu in China, a plague epidemic hosted by Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana) became a major public health concern during the reconstruction period. A rapid assessment of the distribution of Himalayan marmot in the area was urgent. The aims of this study were to analyze the relationship between environmental factors and the distribution of burrow systems of the marmot and to predict the distribution of marmots.

[The epidemiology and etiology research of Tibetan sheep plague in Qinghai plateau].

Objective: To identify the epidemiology and etiology characteristics of Tibetan sheep plague in Qinghai plateau.

Methods: The background materials of Qinghai Tibetan sheep plague found during 1975 to 2009 were summarized, the regional, time and interpersonal distribution, infection routes, ecological factors for the spread were used to analyze; followed by choosing 14 Yersinia pestis strains isolated from such sheep for biochemical test, toxicity test, virulence factors identification, plasmid analysis, and DFR genotype.

Results: From 1975 to 2009, 14 Yersinia pestis strains were isolated from Tibetan sheep in Qinghai province.

[Analysis on the results of etiology and serology of plague in Qinghai province from 2001 to 2010].

Objective: To analyze the results of etiology and serology of plague among human and infected animals in Qinghai province from 2001 to 2010.

Methods: Thirty-seven cases of human infected with plague, 53 541 different animal samples, 5 685 sets of vector insects flea and 49 039 different animal serum samples were obtained between 2001 and 2010. A total of 7 811 samples of serum from healthy farmers and herdsmen in 14 counties in Qinghai from 2005 to 2007 were collected.

Acquisition of maternal antibodies both from the placenta and by lactation protects mouse offspring from Yersinia pestis challenge.

Artificially passive immunization has been demonstrated to be effective against Yersinia pestis infection in animals. However, maternal antibodies' protective efficacy against plague has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we evaluated the kinetics, protective efficacy, and transmission modes of maternal antibodies, using mice immunized with plague subunit vaccine SV1 (20 μg of F1 and 10 μg of rV270).

Histopathological observation of immunized rhesus macaques with plague vaccines after subcutaneous infection of Yersinia pestis.

In our previous study, complete protection was observed in Chinese-origin rhesus macaques immunized with SV1 (20 µg F1 and 10 µg rV270) and SV2 (200 µg F1 and 100 µg rV270) subunit vaccines and with EV76 live attenuated vaccine against subcutaneous challenge with 6×10(6) CFU of Y. pestis. In the present study, we investigated whether the vaccines can effectively protect immunized animals from any pathologic changes using histological and immunohistochemical techniques.

A dog-associated primary pneumonic plague in Qinghai Province, China.

Background: Primary pneumonic plague (PPP) caused by Yersinia pestis is the most threatening clinical form of plague. An outbreak was reported in July 2009 in Qinghai Province, China.

Methods: This outbreak was investigated by clinical, epidemiological, bacteriological, and immunological methods.

Different strategies for preparation of non-tagged rV270 protein and its efficacy against Yersinia pestis challenge.

Objective: LcrV is an important component for the development of a subunit vaccine against plague. To reduce immunosuppressive activity of LcrV, a recombinant LcrV variant lacking amino acids 271 to 326 (rV270) was prepared by different methods in this study.

Methods: A new strategy that produced non-tagged or authentic rV270 protein was designed by insertion of rV270-thrombin-hexahistidine fusion gene into the vector pET24a, or by insertion of hexahistidine-enterokinase-rV270 or hexahistitine-factor Xa-rV270 fusion gene into the vector pET32a.

[Evaluation of immunization protection efficacy of plague subunit vaccine].

Objective: To evaluate the protective efficacy of plague subunit vaccine, BALB/c mice, guinea pigs and rabbits were used in this study.

Methods: Groups of mice (10 per group), guinea pigs (14 per group) and rabbits (6 per group) were immunized with F1 + rV270 vaccine, EV76 vaccine and alum adjuvant by intramuscular route, respectively. Serum antibody titres of mice, guinea pigs and rabbits were determined by ELISA and the immunized animals were challenged with 10(6) CFU of Y.

Comparison of mouse, guinea pig and rabbit models for evaluation of plague subunit vaccine F1+rV270.

In this study, a new subunit vaccine that comprised native F1 and recombinant rV270 was evaluated for protective efficacy using mouse, guinea pig and rabbit models in comparison with the live attenuated vaccine EV76. Complete protection against challenging with 10(6) colony-forming units (CFU) of virulent Yersinia pestis strain 141 was observed for mice immunized with the subunit vaccines and EV76 vaccine. In contrast, the subunit vaccine recipes VII (F1-20 microg+rV270-10 microg) and IX (F1-40 microg+rV270-20 microg) and EV76 vaccine provided 86%, 79% and 93% protection against the same level of challenge in guinea pigs and 100%, 83% and 100% protection in rabbits, respectively.

Long-term observation of subunit vaccine F1-rV270 against Yersinia pestis in mice.

Long-term protection and antibody response for the subunit vaccine F1-rV270 were determined by using the mouse model. Antibodies to F1 and rV270 were still detectable over a period of 518 days. The complete protection against lethal challenge of Yersinia pestis could be achieved up to day 518 after primary immunization.

A new purification strategy for fraction 1 capsular antigen and its efficacy against Yersinia pestis virulent strain challenge.

F1 antigen is an attractive candidate for the development of a subunit vaccine against plague. In previous study, the extraction of this antigen from Yersinia pestis is characterized by using organic solvents. In this work, a new purification strategy that produced high-purity F1 antigen from Y.

[A molecular epidemiological study on human plague fulminant epidemic in Qinghai, 2004].

Objective: To study the epidemiology of genotyping Yersinia pestis isolated in the fulminant epidemics of human plague in Qinghai province in 2004.

Methods: Primer pairs targeting the twenty-three different identified regions (DFRs) were designed to detect the presence or deletion of each DFR in 13 strains of Yersinia pestis isolated from the fulminant epidemic of human plague in Qinghai province in 2004.

Results: There were 4 genomovars, i.

[Study on an epidemic of human lung plaque in Nangqian county, Qinghai province].

Objective: To study an epidemic of human lung plague fulminant from September to October, 2004 in Nangqian county, Qinghai province.

Methods: Cases were diagnosed through data from epidemiological, clinical, bacteriological, serological and autopsy studies.

Results: 14 patients were identified, ending up with 6 deaths and 8 cured.