Prevalence and molecular characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes in cooked products and its comparison with isolates from listeriosis cases

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and molecular characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes in cooked products in Zigong City, China. The overall occurrence of the L. monocytogenes in the ready-to-eat (RTE) shops and mutton restaurants surveyed was 16.2% (141/873). An occurrence of 13.5% was observed in RTE pork, 6.5% in RTE vegetables, and more than 24.0% in either cooked mutton or cooked haggis. Serotype 1/2b (45.4%), 1/2a (33.3%), and 1/2c (14.2%) were the predominant types. By comparing the clonal complexes (CCs) based on multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of the L. monocytogenes from cooked foods in Zigong City and 33 listeriosis cases from different districts of China, CC87, CC9, CC8, and CC3 were showed to be prevalent in cooked products and CC87 and CC3 were the first two frequent types in the 33 clinic-source strains. All CC87 stains harbored the newly reported Listeria pathogenicity island 4 (LIPI-4) gene fragment ptsA, and all CC3 strains possessed the Listeria pathogenicity island 3 (LIPI-3) gene fragment llsX. These may increase the occurrence of the strains belonging to CC87 and CC3 in listeriosis cases in China and also underline the risk of infection owing to the consumption of the cooked products from Zigong. ST619 (serotype 1/2b) harbored both llsX and ptsA, indicating a potential hypervirulent sequence type in Zigong.     

Identification of Legionella species by the composition of cellular fatty acids

One hundred and fifty-three isolates from the environment and 36 reference strains of the Legionella were studied with regards to their composition of cellular fatty acids as determined by gas chromatography, and then were classified into 41 groups by numerical analysis. Most reference strains formed only a single group, except L. micdadei, L. jamestowniensis, L. parisiensis, L. jordanis, L. feeleii and L. longbeachae, which were clustered into two or three groups. Even serological types of L. pneumophila could be clearly identified. Therefore, in this study, numerical analysis of cellular fatty acid composition is an effective method for identifying Legionella species.     

Prevalence and drug resistance characteristics of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Hangzhou,China

With the abuse of antimicrobial agents in developing countries, increasing number of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) attracted considerable public concern. A retrospective study was conducted based on 242 CRE strains from a tertiary hospital in Hangzhou, China to investigate prevalence and drug resistance characteristics of CRE in southeast China. Bacterial species were identified. Antimicrobial susceptibility was examined by broth microdilution method or epsilometer test. Resistant β-lactamase genes were identified by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Genotypes were investigated by phylogenetic analysis. Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli were the most prevalent types of species, with occurrence in 71.9% and 21.9% of the strains, respectively. All strains exhibited high resistance (>70%) against β-lactam antibiotics, ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, and nitrofurantoin but exhibited low resistance against tigecycline (0.8%) and minocycline (8.3%). A total of 123 strains harbored more than two kinds of β-lactamase genes. bla_KPC-2, bla_SHV-11, bla_TEM-1, and bla_CTX-M-14 were the predominant genotypes, with detection rates of 60.3%, 61.6%, 43.4%, and 16.5%, respectively, and were highly identical with reference sequences in different countries, indicating potential horizontal dissemination. IMP-4 was the most frequent class B metallo-lactamases in this study. In conclusion, continuous surveillance and effective prevention should be emphasized to reduce spread of CRE.     

Comparison of reference values for immune recovery between event-free patients receiving haploidentical allografts and those receiving human leukocyte antigen-matched sibling donor allografts

To establish optimal reference values for recovered immune cell subsets, we prospectively investigated post-transplant immune reconstitution (IR) in 144 patients who received allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) and without showing any of the following events: poor graft function, grades II?IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), serious chronic GVHD, serious bacterial infection, invasive fungal infection, or relapse or death in the first year after transplantation. IR was rapid in monocytes, intermediate in lymphocytes, CD3⁺ T cells, CD8⁺ T cells, and CD19⁺ B cells, and very slow in CD4⁺ T cells in the entire patient cohort. Immune recovery was generally faster under HLA-matched sibling donor transplantation than under haploidentical transplantation. Results suggest that patients with an IR comparable to the reference values display superior survival, and the levels of recovery in immune cells need not reach those in healthy donor in the first year after transplantation. We suggest that data from this recipient cohort should be used as reference values for post-transplant immune cell counts in patients receiving HSCT.     

Effect of bradykinin on bradykinin-B2 receptor in rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells and the involved signal transduction pathways

The aim of this paper is to study the effect of bradykinin (BK) on bradykinin-B2 receptor as well as the possible involved signal transduction pathways in cultured rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Rat aortic VSMCs were cultured. Cells after 4–6 passages were used in the experiment. VSMCs were incubated with BK, BK+ B2 receptor inhibitor (HOE-140), BK+ MEK inhibitor (PD98059), BK+ mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor (apigenin), BK+ phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor (LY294002), and BK+ Akt inhibitor to evaluate the expression of B2 receptor and phosphorylation of signaling molecules MAPK, Akt, and PI3K by Western blot. (1) BK markedly up-regulated the expression of B2 receptor in VSMC. (2) Apigenin, PD98059, Akt inhibitor, and LY294002 inhibited up-regulation of B2 receptor induced by BK. (3) Signal transduction pathways of MAPK and PI3K were involved in the up-regulation of B2 receptor by BK mediation. Results suggest that bradykinin can up-regulate the expression of B2 receptor in VSMCs.     

The first year follow-up after colorectal adenoma polypectomy is important: A multiple-center study in symptomatic hospital-based individuals in China

The recurrence of colorectal adenoma (CRA) is high. Although there are guidelines for colonoscopy surveillance after polypectomy in other countries, little is known about its recurrence rate and recurrence peak, especially in China. The aim of the present research is to investigate how long after polypectomy follow-up should take and to analyze risk factors of recurrence. 1208 patients who received polypectomies from five clinical research centers in four regions of China (Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing and Beijing) were included. They were divided into 4 groups: group A (follow-up≤1 year after polypectomy), group B (follow-up 2–3 years after polypectomy), group C (follow-up 4–5 years after polypectomy), and group D (follow-up>5 years after polypectomy). The sex, age, adenoma location, size, number, and pathological characteristics were compared. On the whole, the recurrence rate was 59.46% in group A, 61.09% in group B, 78.07% in group C, and 87.12% in group D, which indicated an increased tendency with a prolonged follow-up duration. There was a significant difference between group A and C or D, and between group B and C or D (P<0.01), but there was no statistical difference between group A and B. Additionally, the recurrent patients in the first year had a recurrence rate of 97.33% in the first three years (59.46/61.09), which means that the peak of recurrence was almost entirely concentrated in the first year. The recurrence rate was higher in males and the elder. The risk factors included multiple numbers, villous feature, high-grade dysplasia of medium or smaller size and location in the distal colon. In conclusion, the peak of recurrence was almost totally concentrated in the first year; meanwhile, the first year follow-up is of critical importance in China. It may not be necessary to do the follow-up examination during the second and third years, but after three years, another colonoscopy should be undertaken.     

The molecular epidemiological study of colistin-only-sensitive strains in multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

This paper reported the epidemiology of the colistin-only-sensitive Acinetobacter baumannii(COS-AB) in a tertiary teaching hospital in China. We analyzed the clinical data of 136 COS-AB isolates from June 2004 to May 2005 and collected 66 A.baumannii isolates in which 33 strains were COS-AB, and the rest were non-COS-AB. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis (primer ERIC2 and 272) showed that all COS-AB were identical, while pulsed-field gel electrophotesis (PFGE) analysis showed two separate genotypes of these COS-AB which were distinctly different from that of non-COS-AB. The COS-AB from burn wards showed the identical PFGE pattern which was distinguished from the genotype of COS-AB in other departments, mainly surgical systems. The cross-infection was severe and strict methods of disinfection and sterilization should be implemented. Meanwhile, the epidemiology of COS-AB in environment and patients should be closely monitored. The PFGE analysis is a reliable method of A.baumannii typing.     

Analysis of 100 consecutive cases of resectable pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms: clinicopathological characteristics and long-term outcomes

The incidence rate of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNENs) has increased rapidly in recent years. However, the clinicopathological characteristics of pNENs are poorly understood. Medical records of patients who underwent surgery and were confirmed as pNENs by pathological examination from January 2003 to February 2015 in Qilu Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. A total of 100 patients, 36 males and 64 females, were included with a mean operation age of 46.26±13.41 years. Among the 100 cases, 76 had insulinomas and 24 had non-functional pNENs. Tumor size ranged from 0.5 cm to 9 cm, and the mean size was 2.20±1.40 cm. The percentages of TNM stages I, II, III, and IV tumors were 89.0%, 8.0%, 0.0%, and 3.0%, respectively. Based on the WHO classification, pNENs were classified into three grades: G1, G2, and G3. G1, G2, and G3 tumors were confirmed in 72.9%, 23.7%, and 3.4% patients, respectively. The positive rates of CgA and Syn immunohistochemical staining were 94.5% (69/73) and 100% (74/74), respectively. Compared with insulinoma, non-functional pNENs have larger tumor sizes, more advanced TNM staging, a higher Ki-67 index, and a higher rate of liver metastasis (P<0.05). In conclusion, pNENs are heterogeneous tumors with varying clinical manifestations, diverse tumor biological characteristics, and different prognoses. Non-functional pNENs present a more aggressive behavioral model and have poorer prognosis than functional pNENs.     

Calorie restriction and its impact on gut microbial composition and global metabolism

Calorie restriction (CR) is a dietary regimen that reduces calorie intake without incurring malnutrition or a reduction in essential nutrients. It has long been recognized as a natural strategy for promoting health, extending longevity, and prevents the development of metabolic and age-related diseases. In the present review, we focus on the general effect of CR on gut microbiota composition and global metabolism. We also propose mechanisms for its beneficial effect. Results showed that probiotic and butyrate-producing microbes increased their relative abundance, whereas proinflammatory strains exhibited suppressed relative abundance following CR. Analyses of the gut microbial and host metabolisms revealed that most host microbial co-metabolites were changed due to CR. Examples of dramatic CR-induced changes in host metabolism included a decrease in the rate of lipid biosynthesis and an increase in the rates of fatty acid catabolism, β-oxidation, glycogenolysis, and gluconeogenesis. The observed phenotypes and the further verification of the direct link between gut microbiota and metabolome may benefit patients that are at risk for developing metabolic disease. Thus, improved gut microbiota composition and metabolome are potential biomarkers for determining the effectiveness of dietary interventions for age-related and metabolic diseases.     

Alternative splicing of inner-ear-expressed genes

Alternative splicing plays a fundamental role in the development and physiological function of the inner ear. Inner-ear-specific gene splicing is necessary to establish the identity and maintain the function of the inner ear. For example, exon 68 of Cadherin 23 (Cdh23) gene is subject to inner-ear-specific alternative splicing, and as a result, Cdh23(+68) is only expressed in inner ear hair cells. Alternative splicing along the tonotopic axis of the cochlea contributes to frequency tuning, particularly in lower vertebrates, such as chickens and turtles. Differential splicing of Kcnma1, which encodes for the α subunit of the Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channel (BK channel), has been suggested to affect the channel gating properties and is important for frequency tuning. Consequently, deficits in alternative splicing have been shown to cause hearing loss, as we can observe in Bronx Waltzer (bv) mice and Sfswap mutant mice. Despite the advances in this field, the regulation of alternative splicing in the inner ear remains elusive. Further investigation is also needed to clarify the mechanism of hearing loss caused by alternative splicing deficits.     

Emergency adult living donor right lobe liver transplantation for fulminant hepatic failure

Fulminant hepatitis is fatal in most cases and timely liver transplantation is the only effective treatment. This study evaluates the survival outcomes of patients who underwent living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) using right lobe liver grafts for fulminant liver failure due to hepatitis B infection. Nine cases of adult right lobe LDLT were performed in our department from September 2002 to August 2005 and the clinical and following-up data were reviewed. According to the pre-transplant Child-Pugh-Turcotte classification, the nine patients were classified as grade C. The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score of these patients ranged from 16 to 42. The principal complications before transplantation included abnormal renal function, hepatic coma of different degrees and alimentary tract hemorrhage. The main complications after transplantation included pulmonary infection in two cases, acute renal failure in three cases and transplantation-related encephalopathy in one case. No primary failure of vascular or biliary complications occurred. The one-year survival rate was 55.6%. There were no serious complications or deaths in donors. In general, it is extremely difficult to treat fulminant hepatitis by conservative regimen, particularly, in cases with rapid progression. Emergency adult living-donor liver transplantation is an effective treatment for fulminant hepatitis patients and is relatively safe for donors.     

Inhibition of protein kinase B by Palmitate in the insulin signaling of HepG2 cells and the preventive effect of Arachidonic acid on insulin resistance

Elevated plasma levels of free fatty acids (FFAs) may contribute to insulin resistance (IR) that is characteristic of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this study, we investigated the effects of two fatty acids, palmitate (PA) and arach     

A meta-analysis of randomized trials of maintenance bacillus Calmette-Guerin instillation efficacy against recurrence of T1G3 bladder tumor

Meta-analysis was used to determine whether maintenance intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) could reduce recurrence after transurethral resection of tumor 1 grade 3 (T1G3) superficial bladder cancer. All available published data of randomized clinical trials comparing transurethral resection plus intravesical BCG to either resection alone or resection plus another treatment on the treatment results in patients with superficial bladder cancer of T1G3 were selected for analysis. Both the fixed effects model and random effects model were applied, and the odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as the effect size estimate. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias determination were performed by funnel plots and comparing ORs of different models. Within the follow-up period, 375 of 915 (41.0%) BCG-treated patients and 332 of 733 (45.3%) non-BCG-treated patients developed tumor recurrence. In the combined results, a statistically significant difference in the ORs for tumor recurrence between the two treatment groups was found (randomized model combined effect OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.83, P = 0.003). The stratified meta-analysis did not show any statistically significant confounding effects on the results when stratified by BCG strains. The randomized model combined effect OR of Pasteur F and other strains were 0.50 (95% CI 0.26 to 0.95, P = 0.04) and 0.63 (95% CI 0.40 to 0.99, P = 0.04), respectively. Therefore, we came to the conclusion that adjuvant maintenance instillation BCG combined with transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) is an effective conservative treatment for preventing recurrence of T1G3 bladder cancer.     

Cyclooxygenase-2 gene-1195G/A genotype is associated with the risk of HBV-induced HCC: A case-control study in Han Chinese people

This study aimed to identify functional single nucleotide polymorphisms in the cyclooxygenase-2 gene promoter and evaluate their effects on the risk of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. We conducted a population-based, case-control study enrolling 630 Han Chinese people in Hubei province. Subjects included primary HCC patients with HBV infection (n=210), chronic hepatitis B cases (n=210) and healthy Han Chinese (n=210). -1195G/A polymorphism was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and sequencing analysis. We found-1195A allele carriers had a higher risk of HCC with HBV infection (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.548–0.946). The-1195A allele might be used as a marker in screening individuals at high risk of HCC with HBV infection.     

4-1BBL expressed by eukaryotic cells activates immune cells and suppresses the progression of murine tumor

The interaction by co-stimulatory molecules 4-1BB and 4-1BB ligand (4-1BBL) plays an important role in the activation, proliferation and differentiation of T lymphocytes. The function of 4-1BB/4-1BBL expressed by the immune cells has been the focus for many tumor immunotherapy efforts. In this study, 4-1BBL was expressed in non-immune cells and non-tumor cells, and the role of 4-1BBL in lymphocyte activation and tumor suppression was investigated. The plasmid p4-1BBL containing the full length of mouse 4-1BBL cDNA sequence was constructed, and the plasmid was transfected into baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells and murine muscle cells by means of lipofectin-mediated or naked plasmid DNA injection into the muscle directly. The study demonstrated that the molecule 4-1BBL expressed by BHK cells in vitro could enhance the proliferation and cytotoxicity of lymphocytes, and it could increase the expression level of IL-2 and IFN-γ. The treatment with plasmid p4-1BBL in vivo revealed that the number of CD8⁺ T cells in the peri-tumoral tissue increased markedly, and the growth rate of the tumor was significantly lower than that of control group. These findings suggest that expression of 4-1BBL by normal cells in the tumor microenvironment can enhance the proliferation and other functions of T lymphocytes. This therapeutic method may provide a promising approach for tumor immunotherapy.     

Detection of maternal serum thromboxane B2 in different durations of pregnancy and prediction of preeclampsia

This study was aimed to detect maternal serum levels of thromboxane B2 (TXB2) in different durations of pregnancy and explore the predictive value of TXB2 for preeclampsia. By employing a prospective and double-blind study method, 180 pregnant women with previously normal blood pressures during their progestation were included in the study. Peripheral venous blood samples were obtained during 10⁺⁰–14⁺⁶ (period I), 20⁺⁰–24⁺⁶ (period II) and 30⁺⁰–34⁺⁶ (period III) weeks of gestation. Maternal serum levels of TXB2 were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay. The pathogenetic condition and pregnancy outcomes of these cases were observed. (1) Among the 180 previously normotensive women, ten developed preeclampsia (case group; four severe and six mild preeclampsia). One hundred and seventy remained normal till the end of pregnancy (control group). (2) With development of pregnancy, the levels of maternal serum TXB2 in the 180 cases gradually ascended as seen through the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test. There was a statistical significance in maternal TXB2 levels between two different gestational stages (P<0.01). (3) The levels of maternal serum TXB2 were slightly higher in the case group than in the control group during period I of gestation, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05); the levels of TXB2 were significantly higher in the case group than in the control group during periods II and III of gestation (both P<0.05). (3) The best cutoff points of maternal TXB2 were 3750 and 4400ng/mL during periods II and III of gestation by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve; and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and odds radio of TXB2 in predicting preeclampsia were 80%, 69.5%, 13.3%, 98.33%, 9.11 and 90%, 68.82%, 13.84%, 99.13, 19.86, respectively. Higher levels of maternal serum TXB2 were detected a long time before clinical symptoms appeared. The maternal serum TXB2 after 20 weeks of gestation had predictive value, and the index after 30 weeks was superior to that prior to 30 weeks .     

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation causes significant changes of chemical substances in the brain of rabbits with experimental intracerebral hemorrhage

More and more studies have reported the usefulness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of stroke patients. This article is to explore if rTMS can cause changes of such chemical substances as N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline (Cho) and creatine (Cr) in the surrounding area of experimental intracerebral hematoma of rabbits. A total of 36 rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups: a control group (group A), a sham rTMS group (group B) and an rTMS group (group C). The experimental intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) was induced by intracerebral injection of self-body blood of the animals in groups B and C, while those of the group A serving as controls were injected with normal saline. The rabbits of groups B and C were treated with sham and real rTMS, respectively, but those of group A were not. The contents of chemical substances including NAA, Cho and Cr in the perihematomal brain tissues were measured by using ^lH-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) 12 hours, 72 hours, 1 week and 2 weeks after the experimental ICH was induced. The results show that the contents of NAA, Cr and NAA/Cr ratio were decreased significantly, but Cho, Cho/Cr increased significantly in groups B and C (P < 0.01) as compared against those in group A. A comparison between the groups B and C revealed that the contents of NAA, Cr, NAA/Cr were higher, but Cho and Cho/Cr were significantly lower in group C than those in group B (P < 0.01). It is concluded that rTMS could result in changes of the chemical substance contents in perihematomal brain tissues, which leads to neuroprotective effects in the brain.