Intestinal acariasis in Anhui Province

The mites found in stored food and house comprise a large group of subclass Acari, belonging to the suborder Acardida of the order Acarifornes. They can be found in dust and vacuum samples from floors, furniture, mattresses, Chinese herbal medicine, dry fruit, grain, flour, sugar, and bedding. These mites are nidicolous and feed on organic debris, including sloughed human skin, fungi, spilled food, pollen, etc. These mites are particularly prevalent in Chinese herbal medicine, dry fruit, grain, flour, sugar, beds, though carpeted floors near beds or couches may also have large numbers. The most common species are Acarus siro, Tyrophagus putrescentiae , Dermatophagoides farinae , D . pteronyssinus, Glycyphagus domesticus, G. Ornatus, Carpoglyphus lactis and Tarsonemus granarius, etc. The viability of mites in storage is quite strong and they can invade and parasitize the intestines of humans[1 -15]. They can cause pulmonary acariasis[16-25] , urinary acariasis[26-33] and so on. The dejecta of mites is a quite strong allergen and can cause different allergic diseases[34-44]. Intestinal acariasis can be caused by some mites related to the way of diet intake and invading against intestinal mucosa, intestinal muscle[45-5a]. The first report of intestinal acariasis caused by these mites was made by Hinman et al (1934)[45]. From then on, all kinds of studies on the disease have been reported gradually. In order to make an epidemiological survey of intestinal acariasis the investigation of the disease was taken in some areas of Anhui Province from 1989 to 1996.     

mIL—2R,T cell subsets ＆ hepatitis C

AIM: To study the levels of membrane interleukin-2 receptor(mIL-2R ) and T cell subsets in peripheral bloodmononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with hepatitis Cand their role in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C.METHODS: The levels of mlL-2R and T cells subsets in PBMCWere detected by biotin- streptstividin (BSA) technique beforeand after stimulation with PHA in 203 patients with hepatitis Cwith HCV-RNA( + ), anti-HCV( + ), anti-HCV(-).RESULTS: The total expressive levels of mlL-2R before andafter stimulation with PHA(0.03 ± 0.01, 0.03 ± 0.02, 0.04 ± 0.02, 0.36±0.03), and Tcell subsets in PBMC (0.62±0.06,0.37 ± 0.05, 0.35 ± 0.07) were all lower in patients withhepatitis C than those in normal controls (0.66 ± 0.07, 0.41± 0.06, 0.31 ± 0.05, P ＜ 0.01 ). Among the patients, thelevels of mlL-2R were lower in silence than those in situationof PHA inducting (P＜ 0.01). However, the levels of mlL-2Rwere similar in acute hepatitis C to that in chronic hepatitis C(P＞0.05). The levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD4 +/CD8+ Were lov erand CD8 + was higher in patients with acute and chronichepatitis C with anti-HCV( + ) than those in normal controls (0.62±0.06, 0.37±0.05, 0.35±0.07, 1.18±0.30, 0.61±0.07, 0.37±0.05, 1.39±0.33, 0.31±0.05, P＜0.05-P＜0.01).CONCLUSION: The cellular immunity is obviously changed inpatients with hepatitis C. The levels of mlL-2R end activationof T cells am closely associated with chronicity of hepatitis C.     

Clinical and epidemiological features of patients with clonorchiasis

AlM:To study the clinical and epidemiological features of patients with clonorchiasis so as to provide scientific evidences for the diagnosis and prevention of clonorchiasis.METHODS:Stools from 282 subjects suspected of having clonorchiasis were examined for helminth eggs with modified Kato‘s thick smear and sedimentation methods,and their sera were tested for HAV-DNA, HBV-DNA, HCV-RNA, HDV-RNA and HEV-RNA with polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Clinical symptoms of patients with clonorchiasis only were analyzed, and their blood samples were tested for circulating antigen (CAg) with Dot-ELISA, esoinophilic granuloolte count,and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Meanwhile, they were asked to provide data of occupation, eating habit, hygienic habit and knowledge of donorchiasis. In addition, the ecosystem of the environment in epidemic areas was surveyed.RESULTS:Among the 282 patients,61 (21.43%) were infected with clonorchis sinensisonly,97 (34.64%) were co-infected with clonorchis sinensis and other pathogens,92 (32.86%) were infected with hepatitis virus only and 31 (11.07%) neither with clonorchis sinensis nor hepatitis virus.Among the 61 patients with clonorchiasis only, there were 14 (22.95%) subjects with discomfort over hepatic region or epigasfrium,12 (19.67%) with general malaise or discomfort and inertia in total body, 6 (9.84%) with anorexia, indigestion and nausea,4 (6.56%) with fever, dizziness and headache (6.56%), and 25 (40.98%) without any symptoms, sixty one (100%) with CAg(+), 98.33% (59/60) with eosinophilic granulocytes increased and 65.00% (39/60) with ALT increased. B-mode ultrasonography revealed 61 cases with dilated and thickened walls of intrahepatic bile duct, and blurred patchy echo acoustic image in liver. Twenty-six cases had stones in the bile duct, 39 cases had slightly enlarged liver with diffuse coarse spots in liver parenchyma. Twenty cases had enlarged gallbladder with thickened coarse wall and image of floating plagues, 9 cases had slightly enlarged spleen. By analysis of epidemiological data, we found that the ecologic environment was favorable for the epidemiology of clonorchiasis.Most patients with clonorchiasis were lack of knowledge about the disease.Their living environment,hygienic habits, eating habits and their occupations were the related factors that caused the prevalence of the disease.CONCLUSION:The clinical symptoms of clonorchiasis are non-specific, and the main evidences for diagnosis of clonorchiasis should be provided by etiologic examination,B-mode ultrasonography and clinical history.The infection of clonorchis sinensis is related to occupations, bad eating habits and lack of knowledge about prevention of the disease.     

淮北某面粉厂皱皮螨孳生情况调查及其形态观察

目的 调查面粉厂地脚粉中皱皮螨的孳生情况,并进一步对比观察其形态特征。方法 从面粉厂不同的生境中采集样本,用分样筛分离样本,留取碎屑部分。在光镜下从碎屑中挑选出螨进行计数,并制作螨玻片标本进行螨种鉴定。结果 经分离、鉴定,在淮北某面粉厂的地脚粉样本中检出了纳氏皱皮螨和棉兰皱皮螨。共采集地脚粉样本20份,其中13份检出了皱皮螨,检出率为65.0%。共在200 g地脚粉样本中检出皱皮螨2 876只,样本中的皱皮螨平均孳生密度为14.38只/g。结论 皱皮螨在面粉中孳生较普遍,因其可引起人体螨病及螨过敏性哮喘等,故应采取必要的防治措施。