[Mid- and long-term results of surgical treatment of brachiocephalic Takayasu arteritis]

Objective: To examine the mid - and long-term outcomes of surgical treatment of brachiocephalic Takayasu arteritis. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 39 patients,which had been diagnosed as brachiocephalic Takayasu arteritis (244 cases),who underwent surgical treatment,were analyzed between July 2012 to November 2022 at Department of Endoluminal Vascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. There were 5 males and 34 females, aged (37.9±14.0)years (range:13 to 71 years). Despite medical treatment, the patients suffered severe ischemic symptoms continually and then underwent surgical interventions. Among them, 20 patients underwent endovascular procedures, 11 underwent open surgical procedures, and 8 underwent hybrid procedures. Patients were followed up through outpatient visits at 1, 3, 6 months after surgery and once every year later. Follow-up was conducted until November 2022. Operation status, postoperative complications and re-intervention of patients were recorded and the Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyze postoperative vascular patency rates. Results: All 39 surgeries were successful, with no intraoperative death or serious complications. The follow-up period was (48.8±38.2) months(range:1 to 123 months). Thirty-three patients experienced symptom relief after surgery, and 6 patients required secondary surgical interventions. The patency rates for the endovascular treatment group at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year were 95.0%, 75.2%, 60.2%, and 60.2%, respectively, while the patency rates for open surgery were all 90.9%. In the hybrid surgery group, the patency rates at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 8-year were all 87.5%. Conclusion: For patients with brachiocephalic Takayasu arteritis, choice of an appropriate blood flow revascularization intervention should be based on the patient's condition,and the mid-and long-term outcomes are satisfactory.

[A case of multiple difficult illnesses in a patient with extremely severe burn complicated with type 2 diabetes]

On December 20, 2018, a 40-year-old male patient with extremely severe flame burn was admitted to Guangzhou First People's Hospital. A variety of difficult illnesses occurred simultaneously (refractory hyperglycemia, refractory hypernatremia, and progressive wound deepening) and successively (repeatedly postoperative hypotension, nervous system diseases, and secondary diabetes insipidus). The patient underwent treatments such as anti-shock, reducing blood sugar and blood sodium, scab removing, and gradual skin grafting after admission. Although the hyperglycemia and hypernatremia were basically corrected and the wounds were basically repaired, the patient ultimately died of nervous system diseases and secondary diabetes insipidus 5 months later. Although the cause of the above illnesses can not be fully determined, the targeted treatments to improve clinical symptoms, maintain stable internal environment and physiological function, and accelerate the process of wound repair conducted by the team may provide some experience for the treatment of such severe patients.

[Status of HVPG clinical application in China in 2021]

Objective: The investigation and research on the application status of Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG) is very important to understand the real situation and future development of this technology in China. Methods: This study comprehensively investigated the basic situation of HVPG technology in China, including hospital distribution, hospital level, annual number of cases, catheters used, average cost, indications and existing problems. Results: According to the survey, there were 70 hospitals in China carrying out HVPG technology in 2021, distributed in 28 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central Government). A total of 4 398 cases of HVPG were performed in all the surveyed hospitals in 2021, of which 2 291 cases (52.1%) were tested by HVPG alone. The average cost of HVPG detection was (5 617.2±2 079.4) yuan. 96.3% of the teams completed HVPG detection with balloon method, and most of the teams used thrombectomy balloon catheter (80.3%). Conclusion: Through this investigation, the status of domestic clinical application of HVPG has been clarified, and it has been confirmed that many domestic medical institutions have mastered this technology, but it still needs to continue to promote and popularize HVPG technology in the future.

[Analysis of diagnosis, treatment and risk classification of blunt thoracic aortic injury]

Objective: Propose a new risk classification system for blunt thoracic aortic injury and explore its treatment strategies. Methods: After the retrospective analysis of clinical data from 68 patients with blunt thoracic aortic injury in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from November 2016 to October 2020, there were 56 males and 12 females, among these patients, the median age was 45(21-69). According to the degree of aortic injury and the combined injury, the patients were scored for aortic injury, and the risk of the patients were graded into following three types: low-risk group (score ≤ 2 points) 12 cases, intermediate-risk group (3 points ≤ score ≤ 5 points) 41 cases, high-risk group (score ≥ 6 points) 15 cases. Analyzing the effects of treatments received by patients in different grades on the prognosis. Patients were followed up through hospitalization or outpatient clinics at 1, 3, 6, 12 months after surgery and every year thereafter. Results: Of the 68 patients, 21 received non-surgical treatment and 47 received surgical repair, including 6 open surgery and 41 thoracic aortic endovascular repair. There were 16 cases of emergency operation and 31 cases of delayed operation. Twelve low-risk patients were treated with non-surgical treatment, and only 1 patient died of lung infection, with a mortality rate of 8.3% (1/12). There were 8 deaths in 41 moderate-risk patients, with a mortality rate of 19.5% (8/41), and the aortic-related mortality rate was 9.8% (4/41), and the operative mortality rate was 10.8% (4/37). The total mortality of 15 high-risk patients was 40% (6/15), and the aortic-related mortality rate was 30.0% (5/15), and the mortality rate of surgical patients was 10% (1/10). During the follow-up period of 5 to 52 months, no deaths occurred outside the hospital. According to the risk grading, there were significant differences in the aortic-related mortality of each grade (χ²=7.840, P=0.020). During the follow-up of 5-52 months, 1 case had type Ⅰ endoleak, 1 case of cerebral infarction, and 1 case of acute renal failure. Conclusion: According to the patient's degree of aortic injury and combined injury, the risk classification helps to choose the appropriate treatment.

[Relationship between smoking and the severity of OSA]

Objective:To explore the relationship between smoking and the severity of OSA. Method:There were 719 patients included in the study, who were accompanied by snoring, daytime sleepiness and other symptoms. Laboratory-based polysomnographic variables （including AHI, oxygen desaturation index and microarousal index, etc.）, and anthropometric measurements （including weight, neck circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference etc.） were collected for all participants. The severity of OSA was determined by AHI. No OSA was defined as AHI<5, mild OSA as AHI of 5 to 15，moderate OSA as AHI of >15 to 30, and severe OSA as AHI of >30. Smoking severity was determined by the smoking index （SI）. Light smoke was defined as SI<200, moderate smoke was as SI 200 to 400, and severe smoke as SI>400. Result:There were 138 cases of non-OSA and 581 cases of OSA. There were 381 non-smokers, 279 smokers and 59 quit smokers. The smoking rate of OSA group was significantly higher than that of non-OSA group （41.5% vs. 27.5%,P<0.01）. After excluding 59 quit smokers, the remaining 660 subjects were divided into four groups according to the severity of smoking, then each group was further divided into four groups according to OSA severity. Unadjusted analysis showed that OSA severity positively correlated with smoking severity （r=0.203,P<0.01）. The positive correlation remained significant after further adjustment for age, BMI and waist-hip ratio. In addition, logistic regression analysis showed that compared to non-smokers, the odd ratios for OSA in moderate smokers were 1.72 （95%CI 1.08-2.75） and in severe smokers were 2.68 （95%CI 1.61-4.46）, after adjustment for age, BMI and waist-hip ratio. Conclusion:The severity of smoking significantly correlated with the severity of OSA. There was increased risk of OSA in patients with severe smoke. The correlation was independent of some confounders such as age and obesity.

[Clinical characteristics and management of cervical necrotizing fasciitis]

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment of cervical necrotizing fasciitis. Method:Clinical data of 61 patients were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were underwent surgical debridement and treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics after diagnose. Result:Complications occurred in 14 patients. Fifty-nine patients were cured while 2 patients died. After 3 months or more follow-up, 3 patients accompanied with sequelae of vocal hoarseness, and no patient recurred or died. Conclusion:Early surgical debridement and the use of antibiotics should be taken as soon as possible after diagnosis of cervical necrotizing fasciitis, as well as control of comorbidities and systemic support treatment in order to prevent complications and deaths.

miR-34a targets the inhibin beta B gene, promoting granulosa cell apoptosis in the porcine ovary

During ovarian follicular growth and development, only a few follicles actually ovulate. Recently, it was found that follicular atresia is triggered by granulosa cell apoptosis, but the molecular mechanism of follicular atresia was not understood. Using flow cytometry, we found that miR-34a promotes granulosa cell apoptosis in pig ovarian follicles. In addition, inhibin beta B was found to be a miR-34a target gene, based on luciferase reporter assays, quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. Taken together, our data indicate that miR-34a plays an important role in granulosa cell apoptosis by targeting the INHBB gene in the porcine ovary.

Association between CASP-8 gene polymorphisms and cancer risk in some Asian population based on a HuGE review and meta-analysis

Genetic variation in the CASP-8 gene reportedly can increase cancer susceptibility by regulating tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis. Several studies have investigated this possibility; however, the conclusions remain controversial. We made a Human Genome Epidemiology (HuGE) review and did a meta-analysis to explore the association between CASP-8 gene polymorphisms and cancer risk in Asian populations. Based on the inclusion criteria, 12 case-control studies comprising 7720 cancer cases and 9404 healthy controls were retrieved. Meta-analysis results showed that the rs3834129*del allele/carrier were associated with decreased risk of cancer in Asian populations [del allele: odd ratio (OR) = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 0.75-0.83, P < 0.001; del carrier: OR = 0.77, 95%CI = 0.72-0.82, P < 0.001]. Subgroup analysis showed that the rs3834129*del allele/carrier are protective factors for cancer risk in Chinese populations (del allele: OR = 0.77, 95%CI = 0.73-0.81, P < 0.001; del carrier: OR = 0.75, 95%CI = 0.70-0.80, P < 0.001), but not in Indian and Korean populations. Furthermore, the rs6704688*T allele/carrier, rs3769827*C allele/carrier, rs3769825*C allele/carrier were associated with decreased risk of cancer in Asian populations (all P < 0.05). While the rs7608692*A allele was associated with increased risk of cancer risk in Asian populations (OR = 1.35, 95%CI = 1.02-1.78, P = 0.03). There was also no significant association between rs3769818, rs13030042, rs13030042, rs1045494, rs1045494, rs2823, or rs113686495, and cancer risk in Asian populations (all P > 0.05). This meta-analysis suggests that the rs3834129*del allele/ carrier, rs6704688*T allele/carrier, rs3769827*C allele/carrier, and rs3769825*C allele/carrier might be protective factors for cancer risk in Asian populations, while the rs7608692*A allele might be a risk factor for cancer risk in Asian populations.

Effects of diets supplemented with organic acids and nucleotides on growth, immune responses and digestive tract development in weaned pigs

Sixty-eight (Experiment 1, 46 days feeding) and sixteen (Experiment 2, 21 days feeding) 21-days-old weaned pigs were allotted to four dietary treatments including control, 0.6% organic acids (OA), 0.1% nucleotides (NA) and 0.6% OA plus 0.1% NA for determining the dietary effects. In Experiment 1, OA enhanced peripheral blood mononuclear cells proliferation on day 28 and 46. The plasma immunoglobulin (Ig) A level was elevated by OA (p < 0.06) and NA (p < 0.07), respectively. In Experiment 2, NA increased plasma IgM level, and had an interactive effect with OA on ileal Peyer's patches and mesenteric lymph node lymphocyte proliferation, bile and plasma IgA levels, and jejunal crypt depth. NA elevated gastric pepsin and jejunal alkaline phosphatase activities, however, decreased ileal aminopeptidase N, sucrase or maltase activity. These results suggest that OA and NA have synergistically enhanced the gut-associated lymphocyte responses and NA modulates the digestive tract development of weaned pigs.

Melatonin reduced volume of cerebral infarct induced by photothrombosis in wild-type mice, not in Cyclooxygenase-1 gene knockout mice

Cyclooxygenase (COX) is crucial in inflammation and plays important role in cerebral ischemia. Antiinflammatory effects of melatonin have been verified in previous studies. In this study, cerebral blood flow (CBF) was monitored during operation, infarct volume (IFV) was determined with 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining and MR image, and neurological functions were evaluated with turn in an alley and fall pole test in both COX1-gene knockout and wide-type mice with or without melatonin administration 3 days after photothrombosis. CBF reduction, IFV and neurological deficits were not significantly different in COX-1 wild-type and COX-1 knockout mice. Melatonin (15 mg/kg) intraperitoneal injection decreased the CBF reduction, IFV and the latency to turn in an alley in COX-1 wide-type mice, whereas the neuroprotective effect of melatonin was attenuated in COX-1 knockout mice. We concluded that melatonin reduced susceptibility to photothrombotic stroke. COX-1 gene knockout does not alter the susceptibility to cerebral ischemia caused by photothrombosis. COX-1 plays an important role in the pathway of the protection of melatonin.

Using independent component analysis to research heart rate variability

Independent component analysis (ICA) and neural networks were used to extract sub-signals of heart rate variability (HRV). Electrocardiogram (ECG) recording was consisted of six minutes when the volunteer was lying and another six minutes when the volunteer was standing. HRV was extracted from ECG. According to time-delay, HRV was divided into five groups as mixed signals. ICA and neural networks reconstructed five signals into two groups. Results showed that one group signal component centralized in low frequency (called IC1); the other did in high frequency (called IC2). The power of IC1 was significantly increased (P<0.05) and the ratio of IC1 to total power was significantly increased (P<0.01) from lying to standing. Comparing the two postural results, it shows that IC1 may express sympathetic activity, and IC2 represents parasympathetic activity. Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous function can be evaluated respectively and quantificationally by data and graphs from the two decomposed components. Key word: Neural networks, Independent component analysis, Heart rate variability, Autonomic nervous system.

[A case-control study on the risk factors for preterm delivery]

The risk factors for preterm delivery were analyzed with 1:2 matched case-control study by conditional logistic regression analysis. The result showed that the main risk factors for preterm delivery were neuroticism scores, premature rupture of the membranes, husband's smoking frequency during the third trimester of pregnancy, pregnancy induced hypertension, working strength and first-trimester vaginal bleeding. It is indicated that an examination before delivery and gaining weight during pregnancy are helpful to decrease the occurrence of preterm delivery.

Hemispheric sensitivity to grammatical cues: evidence for bilateral processing of number agreement in noun phrases

The present experiment employed a grammatical priming task to explore the possible contributions of the left and right cerebral hemispheres to the processing of grammatical agreement. Stimuli were three-word noun phrases, with the prime centered above the fixation point and the target presented laterally to one visual field after a 600-ms stimulus onset asynchrony. Number agreement between primes and targets was varied such that the article of the prime could be consistent (i.e., each narrow shoe or all narrow shoes), inconsistent (i.e., all narrow shoe or each narrow shoes) or neutral (i.e., the narrow shoe(s)) with respect to the inflection of the target. Half of the subjects provided lexical decision responses and the other half pronunciation. The bilateral priming effect, obtained only in lexical decision, suggests that both the left and the right hemispheres are sensitive to certain grammatical cues. In addition to the task difference in priming, the inclusion of a neutral condition and of pseudo-inflected nonwords allowed these effects to be attributed to postlexical mechanisms.

Biochemical analysis of a 5S rRNA-associated sub-particle from trypsinized eukaryotic ribosomes

On limited trypsinization, eukaryotic ribosomes released sub-particles that comprised a 5S rRNA molecule and two peptides (a 32 kDa and a 14 kDa). By tryptic finger-printing and amino-terminal sequence analysis, these two peptides were determined to be derived from large subunit ribosomal protein L5 (rpL5). The 32 kDa peptide represents the rpL5 protein minus the amino terminal eight residues and the carboxyl terminal ends (approximately 21 residues), whereas the 14 kDa peptide comprised near the amino-terminal region. The time course of ribosome trypsinization revealed that the two peptides were released kinetically. The indicated that the amino and carboxyl terminal ends of rpL5 were the first to be hydrolyzed, suggesting that the two ends of the rpL5 protein were exposed on the surface of ribosomes. Exposure of the carboxyl-terminal end was confirmed by use of an anti-L5c antibody raised against the carboxyl terminal region of rpL5. The kinetic data also revealed that the nearby amino terminal region of rpL5 (represented by the 14 kDa peptide) was the last part of rpL5 to be hydrolyzed, which was considered to be the 5S rRNA binding site.

Interaction between triiodothyronine and ovarian steroid hormones on the regulation of the release of thyrotropin and thyrotropin-releasing hormone in vitro

In vivo and in vitro experiments were designed to examine [1] the effect of triiodothyronine (T3) and/or ovarian steroids on the spontaneous and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-stimulated release of thyrotropin (TSH) by the anterior pituitary gland (AP) in vitro; and [2] the in vivo effects of T3 and ovarian steroids on TRH-release in vitro. In the experiment 1, ovariectomized-thyroidectomized (Ovx-Tx) rats were injected with triiodothyronine (T3, 2 micrograms/kg), estradiol benzoate (EB, 25 micrograms/kg), progesterone (P, 10 mg/kg), T3 plus EB, T3 plus P, EB plus P, or T3 plus EB and P for 6 days before decapitation. The AP was incubated with Locke's medium, challenged with TRH (30 nM), recovered and then with T3 (10 nM) only or with T3+TRH, 30 min for each interval. Mediobasal hypothalami (MBHs) were challenged with high potassium (60 mM) for 30 min. In the experiment 2, the APs of Ovx-Tx rats were enzymatically dispersed and the AP cells were pretreated with or without EB (0-6 nM) for 72 h, and further with T3 (10 nM) for 24 h, followed by an incubation for 30 min with TRH (0-100 nM). The spontaneous and TRH-induced release of TSH in vitro from rat APs, and pituitary TSH content were increased by T3, or T3 plus P as compared with the animals injected with vehicle, or P alone. EB inhibits the effect of T3 on TSH release in vitro. Application of T3 in vitro prevented the release of TSH in response to TRH. EB dose-dependently relieved the inhibitory effect of T3 on TRH-induced TSH release in vitro. TRH release from MBH was increased by EB and inhibited by T3 or P. EB prevented the inhibitory effect of T3 on TRH release. P plus T3 potentiated the stimulatory effects of EB on TRH release. These results suggest that [1] the reduction of the concentration of plasma TSH by T3 is at least in part due to the inhibitory effects of T3 on TRH release from mediobasal hypothalamus, and TSH release in response to TRH, [2] the increased content and release of TSH from rat AP tissue by T3 via an in vivo effect may be involved in a short feedback loop of TSH on TRH release, and [3] ovarian steroid hormones play an inhibitory role in regulating T3 effects on the release of TSH and TRH.

Gastric inhibitory polypeptide and gastric acid secretion in pregnant rats

The effects of pregnancy on the basal and pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion and the level of plasma gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) in rats were studied on pentobarbital-anaesthetized non-pregnant rats and rats in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd week of gestation. Acid output was determined by titration of the gastric perfusate. Basal secretion was collected for 45 min before a 30 min infusion of pentagastrin (8 micrograms/ml/300 g body weight). Concentration of plasma GIP was measured by a radioimmunoassay (RIA). The immunoreactivity of GIP-like substance in the extract of the rat placenta collected from the rat at day 21 of gestation was examined by RIA. The biological activity of GIP-like substance in the rat placenta extract was tested by the reduction of pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion in male rats. The basal level of gastric secretion was higher in late pregnancy as compared with the non-pregnant rats. Pentagastrin induced a greater increase of gastric acid secretion in early but not late pregnant rats as compared with the non-pregnant animals. The basal and post-pentagastrin level of plasma GIP was higher in rats in late pregnancy. Both immunoreactivity and biological activity of GIP exist in the rat placenta extract. These results suggest that the normalization of gastric acid secretion in late pregnant rats is at least in part due to the production of GIP-like substance from placenta.

[The effect of calmodulin antagonist on the anticancer effect of vinblastine]

Calmodulin exists in all eukaryotic cells. It functions as the intracellular receptor of Ca, regulates various cellular physiological processes. We studied the effect of calmodulin antagonist W-7 on the anti-cancer effects of vinblastine. With the method that calmodulin can activate cyclic nucleotide PDE, we found that W-7 can significantly reduce the calmodulin level of MGC803 cell (P < 0.05). W-7 could not only increase the uptaking and accumulating of -3H-Vinblastine in MGC803 cells (P < 0.05), but also decrease the IC50 of Vinblastine (from 12.0 +/- 0.03 nmol to 5.27 +/- 0.02 nmol) in MGC803 cells. It is indicated that calmodulin antagonist W-7 can enhance the anticancer effect of vinblastine.

Calcitonin inhibits testosterone and luteinizing hormone secretion through a mechanism involving an increase in cAMP production in rats

Effects of calcitonin peptides, including human calcitonin (hCT), salmon calcitonin (sCT), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), on the secretion of testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) in male rats were studied. Male rats were injected intravenously with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), calcitonin peptides, or hCG plus calcitonin peptides. Blood samples were collected at several intervals following hormone challenge. In an in vitro experiment, testis blocks were incubated with hCG (0, 0.05, 0.5, or 5 IU/ml) or hCG (0.5 IU/ml) plus calcitonin peptides (0-10(-9) or 10(-6) M) at 34 degrees C for 30 minutes. Both medium and plasma samples were extracted by ether and analyzed for testosterone by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The concentration of calcium in each plasma sample was measured by an automatic calcium analyzer. The anterior pituitary gland (AP) was incubated with or without calcitonin peptides (0-10 nM) at 37 degrees C for 30 minutes. They were then incubated with gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH, 10 nM) for a further 30 minutes. The concentration of LH in AP medium was measured by RIA. The accumulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in both testicular tissues and APs were measured by RIA. A single intravenous injection of calcitonin peptides decreased the basal and hCG-stimulated levels of plasma testosterone gradually from 60 to 180 or 360 minutes after challenge. The plasma calcium was not altered by the injection of calcitonin peptides and/or hCG. Administration of calcitonin peptides in vitro resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of both basal and hCG-stimulated release of testosterone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[The association of Epstein-Barr virus with Hodgkin's lymphoma in childhood]

Specimens from 82 children with Hodgkin's lymphoma were studied by immunohistochemical technique for Epstein-Barr virus encoded latent membrane protein (LMP). LMP was demonstrated in 67 cases 81.7%, the positive rate for the mixed cellular subtype was 90.9%. The positive rate for the 3-5 year old group of patients was 100%, 75% for the 6-10 year old group and only 62.5% for the 11-14 year old group. These findings suggest that Epstein-Barr virus is strongly associated with Hodgkin's lymphoma, the younger the age, the stronger the association. Mixed cellular subtype of Hodgkin's lymphoma had the strongest association with Epstein-Barr virus among all subtypes.

[Biological characteristics of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort]

Observational studies were conducted on the biological characteristics of Ligusticum chuanxiong, such as suitable growth environment, growing period, growth of stems, leaves and rhizomes, yield structure, etc. The specific regularities of each growth period were also studied.

[Analysis of 10,686 cataract operations in Guangdong Province]

Among 10,686 cataract operations performed in Guangdong province from 1988 to 1989, 80.16% of the patients were over 55 years of age, the ratio of female to male was 1.37:1, and 53.76% were peasants, mostly little educated. Blindness was unilateral in 55.46%, bilateral in 38.83%, and low vision in 5.71%. The mode of operation was intracapsular in 68.83%, extracapsular in 25.77%, and couching in 0.52%. After operation, 50.20% of the patients were restored useful vision, and 45.25% saved from disablement, the total success rate being 95.45%. 2.13% were ineffective and 2.14% had complications. The curative effects were up to the standards stipulated by the National Federation of Disabled Persons.

Identification of three novel missense PKU mutations among Chinese

Three novel missense mutations have been identified in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) genes of Chinese individuals afflicted with various degrees of phenylketonuria (PKU). A T-to-C transition was observed in exon 5 of the gene, resulting in the substitution of Phe161 by Ser161. Two substitutions, G-to-T and T-to-G, were observed in exon 7, resulting in the substitution of Gly247 by Val247 and Leu255 by Val255, respectively. Expression analysis demonstrated that these mutant proteins produced between 0 and 15% of normal PAH enzyme activity. Population screening of a Chinese sample population indicates that these mutations are quite rare, together accounting for only about 4% of all PKU alleles among the Chinese. The P161S and G247V mutations were each present on a single PAH RFLP haplotype 4 chromosome in patients form Northern China, while the L255V mutation was present on chromosomes of both haplotypes 18 and 21 in patients from Southern China. These results suggest that the remaining 30% of uncharacterized PKU alleles in the Chinese population may bear a large number of relatively rare PAH mutations.

Identification of three novel PKU mutations among Chinese: Evidence for recombination or recurrent mutation at the PAH locus

Three novel mutations have been identified in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) genes of Chinese classical phenylketonuria (PKU) patients. Two of these substitutions (W326X and Y356X) result in the generation of a premature stop codon, while the third (IVS-7nt2) alters an invariant dinucleotide splicing signal. These mutations together account for about 10% of all PKU alleles in the Chinese population. The W326X mutation is associated with PAH RFLP haplotype 4, the most common haplotype in Orientals, while the IVS-7nt2 mutation occurs once on a haplotype 7 chromosome. The Y356X mutation is associated with multiple haplotypes, possibly due to crossover, gene conversion, or recurrent mutation.

The screening diagnosis of tetrahydrobiopterin deficient phenylketonuria

Since 1990, 20 diagnostically confirmed phenylketonuria (PKU) patients have been screened with a tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) loading test, in which plasma phenylalanine and urinary pterin metabolites were investigated, ind activity of dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR) was determined as well. The results showed that there was no statistical difference between the concentrations of plasma phenylalanine before and after BH4 (20mg/kg) administration in all patients, and values of urinary neopterin and biopterin were within the range of classic PKU. All patients but one had normal activity of DHPR in red cells. This suggests that incidence of BH4 deficiency in PKU patients amounts to five percent (1/20) which is almost the same as reported abroad.

Missense mutations prevalent in Orientals with phenylketonuria: molecular characterization and clinical implications

Two missense mutations in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) genes of Orientals with phenylketonuria (PKU) have been identified. A G-to-A transition in exon 7 of the gene results in the substitution of Gln243 for Arg243 (R243Q) and accounts for 18% of all PKU chromosomes among Chinese. An A-to-G transition in exon 6 of the gene results in the substitution of Cys204 for Tyr204 (Y204C) and identifies about 13 and 5% of all PKU chromosomes in the Chinese and Japanese populations, respectively. The R243Q construct produced less than 10% of normal PAH activity in in vitro expression analysis in a eukaryotic cell system, and patients homozygous for this substitution exhibit a severe clinical phenotype. These results are consistent with previous findings in this expression system. The Y204C construct, however, produced near normal levels of PAH enzyme activity and immunoreactivity in this in vitro expression system. Because this substitution is present only on PKU chromosomes, it is a valuable marker for identifying the corresponding mutant allele for carrier screening of PKU. With the characterization of these two substitutions, about 60% of PKU alleles in China can now be identified. The continuing search for additional PKU mutations will permit effective carrier screening and prenatal gene diagnosis of PKU in East Asia.

[Changing prevalence of blindness in 30 years in Guangdong Province]

After 30 years of efforts for the prevention and treatment of blindness, the prevalence of blindness in Guangdong Province decreased from 0.64% of the 60's, 0.62% of the 70's, to 0.35% of the 80's. The prevalence of blindness was found to rise with age, i.e. 38.60% in people over 50 years and 34.40% in people under 20 years in the 60's. The figures became 78.02% and 12.74% respectively in the 80's, and always higher in women than in men. The leading cause of blindness was cataract, representing 36.00% of the blind in the 60's, 41.18% in the 70's, and 63.05% in the 80's. The authors that treatment of cataract was important for reducing the prevalence of blindness, while glaucoma, infectious diseases and trachoma should also not be overlooked.

[Dammarane-type saponins in leaves of Panax collected in Sichuan]

Three saponins have been isolated from the leaves of Panax japonicus ssp. elegantior var. major (Burkill) Wu et Feng collected in Sichuan, China. They were identified as ginsenoside-Rd (0.5%), ginsenoside-Rg2 (0.025%) and ginsenoside-Rg1 (0.016%), respectively, based on the chemical and spectral analytical data obtained.