Pathogenicity,sequence and phylogenetic analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Malaysian Chicken anaemia virus</Emphasis> obtained after low and high passages in MSB-1 cells

Summary. Specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens inoculated with low passage Chicken anaemia virus (CAV), SMSC-1 and 3-1 isolates produced lesions suggestive of CAV infection. Repeated passages of the isolates in cell culture until passage 60 (P60) and passage 123 produced viruses that showed a significantly reduced level of pathogenicity in SPF chickens compared to the low passage isolates. Sequence comparison indicated that nucleotide changes in only the coding region of the P60 passage isolates were thought to contribute to virus attenuation. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that SMSC-1 and 3-1 were highly divergent, but their P60 passage derivatives shared significant homology to a Japanese isolate A2.     

普罗布考辅助治疗高血脂非增殖型糖尿病视网膜病变患者的疗效分析

目的 探讨普罗布考在治疗非增殖型糖尿病视网膜病变合并高血脂患者的临床效果,分析普罗布考的应用价值。方法 选择要求为明确诊断为非增殖型糖尿病视网膜病变且有高血脂的患者,62例患者根据随机抽签原则分为对照组和观察组,对照组26例患者给予降血糖、眼部对症治疗,而观察组36例患者则在降血糖、对症治疗的同时服用普罗布考,用量为3片/次,2次/d。两组均治疗6个月。观察比较两组患者血脂指标、眼底指标和抗氧化指标的改善情况,比较两组疗效。结果 两组均能有效的降低血糖及糖化血红蛋白,与治疗前相比差异显著,具有统计学意义（P<0.05）,但两组对比则差异不明显。经过6个月的治疗后,观察组患者的超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和T总抗氧化能力（AOC）显著上升,而丙二醛（MDA）下降,相对于治疗前差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05）;对照组患者治疗前后的差异较小,氧化应激指标的变化无统计学意义;治疗后两组氧化应激指标差异明显,具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。观察组能够有效的改善眼底情况,有效率高达68.06%,而对照组仅有38.46%,两组比较差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。普罗布考对非增殖型糖尿病视网膜病变患者的视力有很明显的提高作用,经过6个月的治疗,观察组有效率为75.00%,明显高于对照组的44.23%,差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。观察组患者的血脂改善情况显著,而对照组基本无改变,对比治疗后两组的血脂情况可知,差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。结论 良好的控制血脂作用和抗氧化能力是普罗布考作用价值的体现,有利于提高患者的使用体验、治疗效果和满意度。     

The contribution of psychological distress to socio-economic differences in cause-specific mortality: a population-based follow-up of 28 years

Background  

Psychological factors associated with low social status have been proposed as one possible explanation for the socio-economic gradient in health. The aim of this study is to explore whether different indicators of psychological distress contribute to socio-economic differences in cause-specific mortality.     

Supplementation with tocotrienol-rich fraction alters the plasma levels of Apolipoprotein A-I precursor, Apolipoprotein E precursor, and C-reactive protein precursor from young and old individuals

Purpose

Tocotrienol possess beneficial effects not exhibited by tocopherol. In vitro studies using animal models have suggested that these effects are caused via modulation of gene and protein expression. However, human supplementation studies using tocotrienol-rich isomers are limited. This study aims to identify plasma proteins that changed in expression following tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) supplementation within two different age groups.

Methods

Subjects were divided into two age groups—32 ± 2 (young) and 52 ± 2 (old) years old. Four subjects from each group were assigned with TRF (78 % tocotrienol and 22 % tocopherol, 150 mg/day) or placebo capsules for 6 months. Fasting plasma were obtained at 0, 3, and 6 months. Plasma tocopherol and tocotrienol levels were determined. Plasma proteome was resolved by 2DE, and differentially expressed proteins identified by MS. The expressions of three proteins were validated by Western blotting.

Results

Six months of TRF supplementation significantly increased plasma levels of tocopherols and tocotrienols. Proteins identified as being differentially expressed were related to cholesterol homeostasis, acute-phase response, protease inhibitor, and immune response. The expressions of Apolipoprotein A-I precursor, Apolipoprotein E precursor, and C-reactive protein precursor were validated. The old groups showed more proteins changing in expression.

Conclusions

TRF appears to not only affect plasma levels of tocopherols and tocotrienols, but also the levels of plasma proteins. The identity of these proteins may provide insights into how TRF exerts its beneficial effects. They may also be potentially developed into biomarkers for the study of the effects and effectiveness of TRF supplementation.     

Prevalence and predictors of low serum retinol and hypoalbuminaemia among children in rural Peninsular Malaysia

Vitamin A deficiency and malnutrition are still considered public health problems in rural areas of developing countries, including Malaysia. A cross-sectional exploration study was carried out on 281 Orang Asli (Aborigine) children aged between 2 and 15 years in Selangor, Malaysia. The overall prevalence of low serum retinol (<70 micromol/l) and hypoalbuminaemia (<35 g/l) were 25.2 and 7.8%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that severe ascariasis, significant stunting and giardiasis were significantly associated with low concentration of serum retinol. As well as intestinal parasitic infections, low socio-economic status was a significant predictor of hypoalbuminaemia. Logistic regression analysis identified severe ascariasis and significant stunting as predictors of low serum retinol, while mixed intestinal parasitic infection and low household income were predictors of hypoalbuminaemia. In conclusion, control measures for intestinal parasitic infections should be included as one of the strategies for the prevention and control of malnutrition and vitamin A deficiency in this population.     

Physical characteristics of modified milkfat in high-melting fat preparation

Anhydrous milkfat (AMF) was fractionated to obtain a series of high-melting milkfat fractions (HMF). Solid fat content (SFC) of HMF as determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was in the range 37.6-43.6% and 21.2-27.5% measured at 20 and 30 degrees C, respectively. The HMF have a higher melting characteristic compared to AMF as analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) with melting enthalpies of 92.2-105.0 J/g and melting peak temperatures of 39.3-41.5 degrees C. The AMF was also blended with soft palm stearin (SPOs and/or hard palm stearin (HPOs)) according to a three conventional component mixture design which providing suitable formulations for HMF. This represented three selected blends of AMF:SPOs:HPOs at three different proportions (70:15:15, 60:30:10 and 50:45:5), having SFC and DSC melting characteristics of HMF. The study revealed that higher-melting characteristics of AMF could be achieved equally well by using both fractionation and blending techniques.     

以胎儿窘迫为指征的剖宫产80例临床分析

目的：探讨以胎儿窘迫为指征而行剖宫产术诊断的准确性及手术的合理性。方法：对80例以胎儿窘迫为指征的剖宫产病例资料进行回顾性分析。结果：以胎儿窘迫为指征者占剖宫产总数的16．O％;两组胎心率重度异常、胎心率轻度异常伴羊水Ⅰ-Ⅲ度、胎心监护异常伴羊水Ⅰ-Ⅲ度的Apgar两种评分间有显著性差异（χ2=3．941、4．123、7．211、10．123、4．154、4．231,P〈O．05或〈0．01）;A组胎儿窘迫相关因素及合并高危妊娠者明显高于B组（χ2=3．89,P〈O．01o结论：提高胎儿窘迫的诊断符合率,正确掌握剖宫产指征,降低剖宫产率。     

Neutrophil adhesion molecules in colorectal surgery: effect of filgrastim given perioperatively.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the postoperative expression of neutrophil adhesion molecules CD11b/CD18 (Mac-1) and CD62L (L-selectin) would differ in peripheral blood, peritoneal fluid and wound fluid in patients operated on for colorectal conditions, and to analyse the effect of perioperative filgrastim on their expression. DESIGN: Prospective randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study. SETTING: University hospital, Finland. SUBJECTS: Thirty consecutive patients undergoing elective colorectal operations (15 in each group). INTERVENTIONS: The patients were prospectively randomised to receive either filgrastim or placebo. Expression of neutrophil adhesion molecules was measured 48 hours postoperatively in peripheral blood, peritoneal fluid, and wound fluid by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Postoperative neutrophil CD11b/CD18 expression was higher in both wound fluid and peritoneal fluid than in peripheral blood in the placebo group. Simultaneously, the expression of neutrophil CD62L was higher in peripheral blood than in peritoneal fluid or wound fluid in both groups. Filgrastim caused increased postoperative expression of neutrophil CD11b/CD18 in peripheral blood but not in peritoneal fluid or wound fluid. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative expression of neutrophil adhesion molecules differs at the local operation site from that in peripheral blood. Filgrastim increases only blood neutrophil CD11b/CD18 expression.     

Molecular genetic analysis of BAX and cyclin D1 genes in patients with malignant glioma

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Brain tumorigenesis is a complex process involving multiple genetic alterations. Cyclin D1 and BAX genes are two of the most important regulators in controlling the normal proliferation and apoptosis of cells, respectively. In this study, we analysed the possibilities of involvement of cyclin D1 and BAX genes in the gliomagenesis. METHODS AND RESULTS: In determining gene alterations of exon 4 of cyclin D1 gene and exon 6 of BAX gene, all samples were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subsequently by direct sequencing. Our results showed a frameshift mutation (G base deletion) at nucleotide 82 of codon 28 in exon 4 of the cyclin D1 gene and another frameshift mutation with a deletion of C base at nucleotide 153 of exon 6 of the BAX gene in two separate cases of a glioblastoma multiform (WHO Grade IV) sample. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that both cyclin D1 and BAX genes alteration are rarely found in brain tumors. However, the alteration might cause a significant effect of the normal protein production and this might contribute to the development of brain tumorigenesis in Malaysian patients.