[Influence of two kinds of probiotics combined with bismuth quadruple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of Compound Lactobacillus Tablets or Saccharomyces boulardii Sachets combining with bismuth quadruple therapy for Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) eradication. Methods: A total of 360 H. pylori- infected patients were enrolled and randomly assigned into three groups. Group A received esomeprazole 20 mg bid+ bismuth potassium citrate 220 mg bid+ amoxicillin 1 000 mg bid+ furazolidone 100 mg bid for 10 days. Group B or group C received the same quadruple therapy for 10 days as group A, as well as Compound Lactobacillus Tablets 1 000 mg tid or Saccharomyces boulardii Sachets 500 mg bid for 14 days. Drug-related side effects and adverse reactions were collected during the therapy, and H. pylori eradication results were confirmed by (13)C/(14)C-UBT at least 4 weeks after cessation of therapy. Results: The H. pylori eradication rates in group A, B and C were 81.7%, 84.2% and 85.0% by ITT analysis (P=0.768) and 92.5%, 90.1% and 93.6% by PP analysis (P=0.770), respectively. The overall side effects and adverse reactions rates (P=0.008) and occurrence of diarrhea (P<0.001) were significantly lower in group B than group A. The overall side effect rates (P=0.003) and occurrence of diarrhea (P<0.001), abdominal distension (P=0.004) and constipation(P=0.002) were significantly lower in group C than group A. There was no significant difference in side effects and adverse reactions rates between the two probiotics groups. Conclusions: Both Compound Lactobacillus Tablets and Saccharomyces boulardii Sachets, combining with bismuth quadruple therapy, reduced the overall side effects and adverse reactions rates for H. pylori eradication. Moreover, the former can reduce the incidence of diarrhea, and the latter can reduce the incidence of diarrhea, abdominal distension and constipation.

[Study on spatial - temporal characteristics of Schistosoma japonicum infections among human in Hunan Province, 2004-2011]

Objective To explore the spatial-temporal characteristics and changing regularities of Schistosoma japonicum infections among human from 2004 to 2011. Methods The township level spatial databases of schistosomiasis in Hunan Province from 2004 to 2011 were established, and the related spatial analysis was performed by SPSS 17.0, ArcGIS 10.1 and SaTScan 7.03. Results The schistosome infection rate among human in Hunan Province sharply decreased from 3.0% in 2004 to 0.8% in 2011. However, the rate among residents in parts of some townships in 2011 was still hovering at a higher level (P₉₀ = 2.12%), and the higher rate was distributed along the Oncomelania hupensis snail ridden areas outside embankment. The autocorrelation analysis showed that the global Moran's I for schistosome infection rate among human was 0.34 to 0.53 from 2004 to 2011, and was higher than the expected value (Z > 8.71, P < 0.05). The local G statistics indicated that the positive hotspot high-high clustering areas were mainly near the coast of Dongting Lake from 2004 to 2011, and the number of townships with schistosomiasis endemic in the clustering areas reached 30 to 70. The spatial scan analysis showed that the number of townships in the clustering areas ran up to 145 to 183 from 2004 to 2011. Conclusions The schistosome infection rate among human decreased significantly in Hunan Province from 2004 to 2011. However, the rate in parts of some townships still remains at a comparatively high level, and there are positive spatial correlation and spatial agglomerations in the schistosome infection rate among human, suggesting that the prevention and control work on schistosomiasis in these areas should be strengthened in the future.

Detection of drug-responsive B lymphocytes and antidrug IgG in patients with β-lactam hypersensitivity

BACKGROUND

Delayed-type β-lactam hypersensitivity develops in subset of patients. The cellular immunological processes that underlie the drug-specific response have been described; however, little is known about involvement of the humoral immune system. Thus, the aim of this study was to utilize piperacillin hypersensitivity as an exemplar to (i) develop cell culture methods for the detection of drug-specific B-cell responses, (ii) characterize drug-specific IgG subtypes and (iii) assess reactivity of IgG antibodies against proteins modified to different levels with piperacillin haptens.

METHODS

IgG secretion and CD19⁺ CD27⁺ expression on B cells were measured using ELISPOT and flow cytometry, respectively. A piperacillin-BSA adduct was used as an antigen in ELISA antibody binding studies. Adducts generated using different ratios of drug to protein were used to determine the degree of conjugation required to detect IgG binding.

RESULTS

B cells from hypersensitive patients, but not controls, were stimulated to secrete IgG and increase CD27 expression when cultured with soluble piperacillin. A piperacillin-BSA adduct with cyclized and hydrolysed forms of the hapten bound to eight lysine residues was used to detect hapten-specific IgG 1-4 subclasses in patient plasma. Hapten inhibition and the use of structurally unrelated hapten-BSA adducts confirmed antigen specificity. Antibody binding was detected with antigens generated at piperacillin/BSA ratios of 10:1 and above, which corresponded to a minimum epitope density of 1 for antibody binding.

CONCLUSION

These data show that antigen-specific B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes are activated in piperacillin-hypersensitive patients. Further work is needed to define the role different IgG subtypes play in regulating the iatrogenic disease.

NONCLASSICAL 21-HYDROXYLASE DEFICIENCY PRESENTED AS ADDISON'S DISEASE AND BILATERAL ADRENAL INCIDENTALOMAS

Background

21-hydroxylase deficiency (21 OHD) is the most common form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and it has been widely described in the literature. Adrenocortical incidentalomas are unfrequently the presenting manifestations of CAH, especially in nonclassical form of 21 OHD (NC 21 OHD). Myelolipoma has previously been reported more frequently than other adrenal adenomas associated with CAH.

Case

We report a 40-year old male case of NC 21 OHD with hypoadrenocorticism after unilateral adrenalectomy of the right side because of a large solid incidentaloma (5×4×4cm³) at the age of 31. This patient began to suffer from obvious symptoms of adrenal insufficiency after 9 years from the surgery. He was reviewed and a very low-density adrenal mass (4.1×3.9cm) was found on computed tomography of the abdomen. After he was admitted to our hospital, this patient was confirmed with NC 21 OHD and presented low level cortisol, striking elevated ACTH, aldosterone insufficiency, increased 17-hydroxyprogesterone, progesterone, decreasing androgens and azoospermatism.

Conclusion

Patients with 21 OHD could be on risk not only for adrenal hyperplasia, but also to develop adrenal adenomas, particularly if the disease was poorly controlled.

Rapid in-focus corrections on quantitative amplitude and phase imaging using transport of intensity equation method

Transport of intensity equation (TIE) method can acquire sample phase distributions with high speed and accuracy, offering another perspective for cellular observations and measurements. However, caused by incorrect focal plane determination, blurs and halos are induced, decreasing resolution and accuracy in both retrieved amplitude and phase information. In order to obtain high-accurate sample details, we propose TIE based in-focus correction technique for quantitative amplitude and phase imaging, which can locate focal plane and then retrieve both in-focus intensity and phase distributions combining with numerical wavefront extraction and propagation as well as physical image recorder translation. Certified by both numerical simulations and practical measurements, it is believed the proposed method not only captures high-accurate in-focus sample information, but also provides a potential way for fast autofocusing in microscopic system.

Hydroxyapatite/N-doped carbon dots/Ag3PO4 composite for improved visible-light photocatalytic performance

A new ternary hydroxyapatite/N-doped carbon dots/Ag₃PO₄ (HA/N-CDs/Ag₃PO₄) composite with remarkable photocatalytic performance and stability was developed via a cost-effective route.