Screening and verification of antiviral compounds against HSV-1 using a method based on a plaque inhibition assay.

Background: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection is a common viral disease that mainly causes oral lesions, but can also cause genital lesions in some instances. Current treatments with nucleoside analogs are limited by the emergence of drug resistance. Therefore, novel anti-HSV-1 drugs are urgently needed.

Plasma Metabolic Profiling of Pediatric Sepsis in a Chinese Cohort.

Sepsis represents one of the most pressing problems in pediatrics, characterized by pathogenic bacteria invading the blood, growing and multiplying in the blood circulation, and ultimately causing severe infections. Most children with sepsis have a rapid disease onset and frequently exhibit sudden high fever or first chills. Here we performed comprehensive metabolomic profiling of plasma samples collected from pediatric sepsis patients to identify specific metabolic alterations associated with these patients ( = 84, designated as case subjects) as compared to healthy cohorts ( = 59, designated as control subjects).

Prevalence, Characterization, and Drug Resistance of in Feces From Pediatric Patients in Guangzhou, China.

() is a major pathogen of human infections. Its fecal carriage serves as a risk factor for nosocomial transmission and disease development. However, the rate of fecal carriage among Chinese children has not yet been reported.

DNA methylation markers in the diagnosis and prognosis of common leukemias.

The ability to identify a specific type of leukemia using minimally invasive biopsies holds great promise to improve the diagnosis, treatment selection, and prognosis prediction of patients. Using genome-wide methylation profiling and machine learning methods, we investigated the utility of CpG methylation status to differentiate blood from patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) or acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) from normal blood. We established a CpG methylation panel that can distinguish ALL and AML blood from normal blood as well as ALL blood from AML blood with high sensitivity and specificity.

An antiviral drug screening system for enterovirus 71 based on an improved plaque assay: A potential high-throughput method.

Plaque assay plays an irreplaceable role in a variety of virological studies, including determining titers of viruses. Our previous study showed that a simple and highly repeatable plaque assay could be used for enterovirus 71 (EV-A71). Now, we show that using a subclone of a clinical EV-A71 isolate and a rhabdomyosarcoma cell line (RD), a plaque assay based on an EV-A71/RD model could exhibit the most rapid formation of plaques (<2 days), with much higher repeatability and consistency.

Bioinformatics analysis of mutation hotspots in Chinese primary congenital glaucoma patients.

Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) is an inherited blinding eye disease. The gene was identified as a causal gene for PCG, and many mutations have been found, but no studies have focussed on the molecular epidemiology of in Chinese populations. We aimed to explore the mutation hotspots in Chinese PCG patients and the possible impact of these mutations on the protein structure and function.

IL-25 stimulates M2 macrophage polarization and thereby promotes mitochondrial respiratory capacity and lipolysis in adipose tissues against obesity.

Obesity and associated metabolic diseases are characterized by a chronic low-grade inflammatory state with the infiltration of many inflammatory cells, especially macrophages. Immune molecules, including some cytokines, have a close relationship with metabolism. Interleukin (IL)-25 is a member of the IL-17 cytokine family that can regulate macrophages and alleviate some metabolic dysfunction; however, its role and mechanisms in lipid metabolism remain to be extensively clarified.

Novel OCRL1 gene mutations in six Chinese families with Lowe syndrome.

Background: Lowe syndrome, an X-linked, inheritable disease with clinical symptoms of congenital cataracts, incomplete Fanconi syndrome, and mental retardation, has an approximate incidence of 1 in 500 000. Nearly 200 OCRL mutations related to Lowe syndrome have been found worldwide, with only ten mutations among the Chinese population. Since more mutations may exist in Chinese patients, we sequenced and analyzed the OCRL genes of six children with Lowe syndrome in a medical center in China.

A simple and highly repeatable viral plaque assay for enterovirus 71.

The classic plaque assay is a method for counting infectious viral particles, however its complexity limits its use in a variety of virological experiments. To simplify the operation and to improve the repeatability, we employed an improved plaque assay procedure based on Avicel to make the whole experiment easier and optimize the results on a model of Vero cells infection with Enterovirus 71(EV71). Clear plaques visible to the naked eyes can be formed on a 24-well plate or a 96-well plate without immunostaining.

Expression of Helicobacter pylori urease B on the surface of Bacillus subtilis spores.

Helicobacter pylori infection is a major risk factor for chronic gastritis, digestive ulcers, gastric adenocarcinoma and lymphoma. Due to the decreasing efficacy of anti-H. pylori antibiotic therapy in clinical practice, there is renewed interest in the development of anti-H.

Involvement of aquaporins in a mouse model of rotavirus diarrhea.

Rotavirus diarrhea is a major worldwide cause of infantile gastroenteritis; however, the mechanism responsible for intestinal fluid loss remains unclear. Water transfer across the intestinal epithelial membrane seems to occur because of aquaporins (AQPs). Accumulating evidence indicates that alterations in AQPs may play an important role in pathogenesis.

Phylogenetic analysis of the VP1 gene of Enterovirus 71 in Guangzhou during the high occurrence period of 2008.

An outbreak of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in Guangzhou in 2008 affected over 10,000 children and resulted in high hospital admission rates. To investigate the molecular epidemiological pattern of EV71 infections in Guangzhou, throat swab samples were collected from 102 children clinically diagnosed with HFMD from May to July of 2008 in Guangzhou. Partial VP1 (virus protein 1) fragments of Enterovirus 71 (EV71) isolates were sequenced, and used alongside EV71 sequences entered in GenBank to construct a phylogenetic tree using MEGA5.

Molecular genetic assay of mucopolysaccharidosis IVA in South China.

Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (MPS IVA) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder caused by the deficiency of N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase (GALNS). Molecular mutational analysis was performed by PCR product sequencing for fourteen exons and exon-intron boundaries of GALNS gene in 21 patients from 19 unrelated families with severe MPS IVA in South China. We identified fifteen different mutations, including 10 reported mutations (p.

Measurement of free carnitine and acylcarnitines in plasma by HILIC-ESI-MS/MS without derivatization.

Measurement of carnitine and acylcarnitines in plasma is important in diagnosis of fatty acid β-oxidation disorders and organic acidemia. The usual method uses flow injection tandem mass spectrometry (FIA-MS/MS), which has limitations. A rapid and more accurate method was developed to be used for high-risk screening and diagnosis.

Evaluation of a new fluorescence quantitative PCR test for diagnosing Helicobacter pylori infection in children.

Background: Numerous diagnostic tests are available to detect Helicobactor pylori (H. pylori). There has been no single test available to detect H.

The protein Zfand5 binds and stabilizes mRNAs with AU-rich elements in their 3'-untranslated regions.

AU-rich elements (AREs) in the 3'-UTR of unstable transcripts play a vital role in the regulation of many inflammatory mediators. To identify novel ARE-dependent gene regulators, we screened a human leukocyte cDNA library for candidates that enhanced the activity of a luciferase reporter bearing the ARE sequence from TNF (ARE(TNF)). Among 171 hits, we focused on Zfand5 (zinc finger, AN1-type domain 5), a 23-kDa protein containing two zinc finger domains.

[Relation between insulin resistance and insulin receptor gene methylation in the endometrium of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome].

Objective: To study the relationship between insulin resistance and methylation of insulin receptor (INSR) gene in the endometrium of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: Based on the HOMA index, 35 patients with PCOS were divided into insulin resistant group (IR group, n=18) and non-resistant group (NIR group, n=18). The patients age, serum estriol, testosterone, FSH and LH, fasting insulin and fasting blood glucose were compared between the two groups.

IL-1 polymorphisms in children with peptic symptoms in South China.

Background: Polymorphisms of IL-1 gene cluster are reported to be associated with histological changes and IL-1β expression in the gastric mucosa in adults, especially in Helicobacter pylori-infected subjects. As H. pylori infecting adults and children own different virulence genotypes, the aim of this study was to investigate whether IL-1 polymorphisms are risk factors in young children in South China.

[Effects of allergen and intranasal glucocorticoid on Th17 and RORgamma t in peripheral blood in patients with allergic rhinitis.].

Objective: To study the effect of specific immunotherapy and intranasal glucocorticoid on T help 17 (Th17) cells and RORgammat in peripheral blood in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR).

Methods: Forty patients with allergic rhinitis (group A) were divided randomly into two subgroups (group A1 and A2), and each subgroup had 20 patients. The patients in group A1 were treated with intranasal glucocorticoid (INGS) for one-year.

Distinctiveness of the cagA genotype in children and adults with peptic symptoms in South China.

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection is different between children and adults, not only in infection rate but also in virulence genotypes. However, the 3' region of CagA, important in stomach carcinogenesis, still remains unclear in children. The present study aims to compare the frequency of cagA and the distribution of its subtypes between children and adults in South China.

Retrospective study of adenovirus in autopsied pulmonary tissue of pediatric fatal pneumonia in South China.

Background: Adenovirus are the important pathogen of pediatric severe pneumonia. The aim of this study is to analyze the infection, subtype and distribution of adenovirus in autopsied pulmonary tissue of fatal pneumonia in infants and children, and the relationships between adenovirus infection and respiratory illness in South China.

Methods: Nested PCR was performed on DNA extracted from autopsied lung tissue from patients who died of severe pneumonia, and the positive nested PCR products were cloned and sequenced.

Retrospective analysis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in pediatric fatal pneumonia in Guangzhou, South China.

The objective of this study is to investigate the infection and distribution of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in autopsied pulmonary tissue of pediatric severe pneumonia. Mycoplasma pneumoniae nested polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were done on autopsy pulmonary tissue from 173 patients who died of severe pneumonia. Mycoplasma pneumoniae was identified in 135/173 (78.

Determination of hepatitis B virus genotype by flow-through reverse dot blot.

Background: The clinical outcome and response to therapy of hepatitis B virus infection differ depending upon viral genotype. Most methods of determining the viral genotype are relatively time-consuming and costly. Moreover, the results of some methods are influenced by single nucleotide mutations.