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Rhesus macaque is an important animal model in biomedical research, especially human disease, developmental, translational, and pre-clinical research. Blood physiological and biochemical parameters are important markers for physiology, pathology, and toxicology research. However, these parameters have not been systematically reported for Chinese rhesus macaques. To characterize the reference for these parameters, this study collected 1805 Chinese rhesus macaques living in Southwestern China. A total of 24 blood physiological indexes and 27 biochemical parameters were determined. Sex and age were found to affect these parameters. In conclusion, a comprehensive and systematic reference of hematological and biochemical parameters for Chinese rhesus macaque was established in this work on the basis of a large cohort. Such reference will benefit biomedical research employing rhesus macaques as animal models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is associated with high complications. Early, reliable prediction of mortality may improve patient management. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 1,599 patients with AP treated at a single large hospital in southwest China. Models to predict mortality were derived from a subset of 1,062 patients (development dataset), and the models were then validated in the remaining 537 patients (validation dataset). Independent risk factors and prediction models for mortality were identified using logistic regression. Results: A total of 33 patients in the development dataset and 13 in the validation dataset died during hospitalization. Independent risk factors for mortality were found to be plasma urea levels, glucose levels and platelet counts at admission; as well as peak urea levels, leukocyte counts and use of invasive ventilation during hospitalization. Based on the development dataset, a mortality prediction model based only on urea level at admission gave an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.81, which did not significantly improve by incorporating glucose level or platelet count at admission. Significantly better was a model taking into account three in-hospital parameters: peak urea level, leukocyte count and use of invasive ventilation (AUC 0.97). Conclusions: While mortality of AP patients can be predicted reasonably well based only on urea values at admission, predictions are more reliable when they take into account in-hospital data on peak urea level, leukocyte count and use of invasive ventilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leeches are frequently used in traditional Chinese medicine. However, they are potentially hazardous to human and animal health by transmitting several pathogens. Studies of diseases transmitted by leeches are scarce. The purpose of this study was to analyze the pathogens carried in pond-farmed medicinal leech in China. Leeches were collected from 6 farms in Hubei Province in central China. DNA was extracted from the internal organ of leeches to analyze the origin of blood meal. Leech genera were confirmed through amplification of 18S rRNA and mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene by PCR and host animal species were identified through amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Species of Ehrlichia in the leech specimens were screened with PCR using specific primers. PCR amplification and DNA sequencing showed that 620 leeches were Hirudinaria sp. Ehrlichia DNA was detected in 39 specimens from 2 farms. We obtained a total of 65 sequences of the cytB gene from 620 leech internal organ samples including sequences of human (n = 5), rat (n = 1), domestic pig (n = 10), duck (n = 23), goose (n = 12) and buffalo (n = 14). Phylogenetic analysis of the rrs and groEL gene sequences showed that Ehrlichia detected in the study were closely related to Ehrlichia sp. in ticks from Korea and Japan. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on Ehrlichia DNA being detected from leeches. Our findings provided new data on Ehrlichia spp. and farmed leech species in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guangdong, Guangxi and Chongqing are emerging sericulture areas in China where the production of mulberry leaves is huge. In order to identity high quality mulberry leaves that are suitable for healthy products to expand planting, 24 samples from three regions (Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing) in the south of China were quantified for two alkaloids (1-deoxynojirimycin and fagomine) and five phenols (chlorogenic acid, rutin, isoquercitrin, etc.) using high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Additionally, the total phenolic and total flavonoid contents, antioxidant and glycosidase inhibitory activities (hypoglycemic activity) were tested using different assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP) to comprehensively evaluate the quality of the mulberry leaves. The contents of DNJ and fagomine ranged from 0.401±0.003 to 5.309±0.036 mg/g and from 0.279±0.031 to 2.300±0.060 mg/g, respectively. The main phenolic constituents were chlorogenic acid, rutin and isoquercitrin, with chlorogenic acid present in the highest concentrations, ranging from 3.104±0.191 to 10.050±0.143 mg/g. The antioxidant activity exhibited a tendency as follows: Guangxi > Guangdong > Chongqing, except for two samples from Chongqing, which showed the highest antioxidant activity. Based on our study, mulberry leaves from Guangdong and Guangxi could be future sources of natural hypoglycemic and antioxidant products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A cluster of eleven patients, including eight family members and three healthcare workers with fever and thrombocytopenia occurred in Yixing County, Jiangsu Province, China, from October to November 1996. However, the initial investigation failed to identify its etiology. Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease caused by SFTS bunyavirus (SFTSV), which was first discovered in 2009. The discovery of novel SFTSV resulted in our consideration to test SFTSV on the remaining samples of this cluster in September 2010. Methodology/Principal findings: We retrospectively analyzed the epidemiological and clinical data of this cluster. The first case, one 55-year-old man with fulminant hemorrhagic diseases, died on October 14, 1996. His younger brother (the second case) developed similar hemorrhagic diseases after nursing him and then died on November 3. From November 4 to November 15, nine other patients, including six family members and three medical staffs, developed fever and thrombocytopenia after exposure to the second case. The sera of six patients were collected on November 24, 1996. IgM antibodies against SFTSV were detected in all of the six patients’ sera using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while IgG antibodies were detected in one patient’s serum using an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). We also found that IgG antibodies against SFTSV were still detected in four surviving patients’ sera 14 years after illness onset. Conclusions and significance: The mysterious pathogen of the cluster in 1996 was proved to be SFTSV on the basis of its epidemiological data, clinical data and serological results. It suggests that SFTSV has been circulating in China for more than 10 years before being identified in 2009, and SFTSV IgG antibodies can persist for up to 14 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium exposure can cause renal tubular dysfunction. Recent studies show that vitamin D can play multiple roles in the body. However, the association between serum vitamin D levels and renal tubular dysfunction in a general population exposed to cadmium has not been clarified. We performed study to assess the effects of cadmium on serum 25(OH) D levels and the association between serum 25(OH) D levels and renal tubular dysfunction in a population environmentally exposed to cadmium. A total of 133 subjects living in control area and two cadmium polluted areas were included in the present study. Cadmium in urine (UCd) and blood (BCd), urinary β2Microglobulin (UBMG), urinary retinol binding protein (URBP) and serum 25 (OH) D were determined. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between 25 (OH) D and prevalence of renal tubular dysfunction. No significant differences were observed in serum 25(OH) D levels among the four quartile of UCd and BCd after adjusting with cofounders. After adjusted with the confounders, the odds ratio (OR) of subjects with 25(OH) D ≥ 40 ng/ml were 0.20 (95%CI: 0.1–0.8) if UBMG was chosen as indicators of renal dysfunction and 0.28 (95%CI: 0.1–1.1) if URBP was chosen as indicators of renal dysfunction, compared with those with 25(OH) D < 30 ng/ml, respectively. Similar results were observed in those subjects living in cadmium polluted areas or with high level of UCd or BCd. Our data indicated that cadmium exposure did not affect serum 25(OH) D level and high 25 (OH) D levels were associated with a decreased risk of renal tubular dysfunction induced by cadmium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Diabetes is a serious global health problem. A simple and effective screening tool should have substantial public health benefit. We investigated the performance of the latest American Diabetes Association diabetes screening methods in our aging Chinese population. Methods: Subjects without diabetes who returned for the 4th Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factors Prevalence Study in 2010–2012 were evaluated for the probability of having diabetes with reference to the age- and body mass index-based screening criteria (screening criteria) and the diabetes risk test (risk test), and the conclusion drawn was compared to their measured glycaemic status. Diabetes was defined by fasting glucose ≥ 7 mmol/L or 2-hour post oral glucose tolerance test glucose ≥ 11.1 mmol/L. Results: 1415 subjects, aged 58.1±10.2, were evaluated. 95 (6.7%) had diabetes. The risk test showed good accuracy (area under the receiver operating curve 0.725) in screening for diabetes with an optimal cut-off score of five. Compared to the screening criteria, the risk test had significantly better specificity (0.57 vs. 0.41, p<0.001), positive predictive value (0.12 vs. 0.09, p<0.001) and positive diagnostic likelihood ratio (1.85 vs. 1.37, p<0.001). To diagnose one case of diabetes, fewer subjects (11 vs. 18) needed to be tested for blood glucose if the risk test was adopted. Conclusion: The risk test appears to be a more effective screening tool in our population. It is simple to use and can be adopted as a public health strategy for identifying people with undiagnosed diabetes for early intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ureaplasma spp. have gained increasing recognition as pathogens in both adult and neonatal patients with multiple clinical presentations. However, the clonality of this organism in the male population and infertile couples in China is largely unknown. In this study, 96 (53 U. parvum and 43 U. urealyticum) of 103 Ureaplasma spp. strains recovered from genital specimens from male patients and 15 pairs of infertile couples were analyzed using multilocus sequence typing (MLST)/expanded multilocus sequence typing (eMLST) schemes. A total of 39 sequence types (STs) and 53 expanded sequence types (eSTs) were identified, with three predominant STs (ST1, ST9 and ST22) and eSTs (eST16, eST41 and eST82). Moreover, phylogenetic analysis revealed two distinct clusters that were highly congruent with the taxonomic differences between the two Ureaplasma species. We found significant differences in the distributions of both clusters and sub-groups between the male and female patients (P < 0.001). Moreover, 66.7% and 40.0% of the male and female partners of the infertile couples tested positive for Ureaplasma spp. The present study also attained excellent agreement of the identification of both Ureaplasma species between paired urine and semen specimens from the male partners (k > 0.80). However, this concordance was observed only for the detection of U. urealyticum within the infertile couples. In conclusion, the distributions of the clusters and sub-groups significantly differed between the male and female patients. U. urealyticum is more likely to transmit between infertile couples and be associated with clinical manifestations by the specific epidemic clonal lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Apolygus lucorum has caused increasing damage to cotton and fruit trees in China. The salivary enzymes secreted by A. lucorum when sucking on host plants induce a series of biochemical reactions in plants, and the pre-oral digestion benefits the bug feeding. In this study, the food intake of A. lucorum from 1st instar nymphs to adults was measured, and the corresponding salivary activity of pectinase, amylase, cellulase, protease, polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase was determined. Daily food intake varied with developmental stage, peaking in 3rd and 4th instar nymphs. Pectinase, amylase, cellulase and protease were detected in both nymphal and adult saliva of A. lucorum, while neither polyphenol oxidase nor peroxidase was detected. Protease activity varied with food intake peaking at the 3rd-4th instar, and then slightly decreasing at the 5th instar. Levels of pectinase, amylase and cellulase increased significantly with the daily feeding level until the 3rd instar, corresponding with increasing damage to host plants. The activity of both cellulase and protease had a significant linear relationship with the average daily food intake. The increasing activity of enzymes in saliva explain stage-specific impacts of A. lucorum on the host plants, and suggest that optimal management of A. lucorum would be confined to its control threshold prior to the peak of daily feeding in the 3rd instar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benchmark dose (BMD) method has been increasingly used to assess the health risks of cadmium (Cd) in epidemiological studies. The aim of our study was to estimate the threshold levels of urinary Cd (UCd) using the BMD method in a general population of Jiangshan City, Zhejiang Province of China. In our study, a total of 934 people (469 men, 465 women) were recruited and morning urine samples were collected from all the participants. Levels of Cd, creatinine, and renal dysfunction indicators such as retinol binding protein (RBP), β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), and N-acetyl-b-glucosaminidase (NAG) in urine were detected for analysis of BMD and BMD low (BMDL) of UCd. RBP, β2-MG, and NAG in urine all correlated significantly (P < 0.001) with UCd except of age (P = 0.767). When the benchmark response (BMR) was 5%, the BMD/BMDL of UCd for RBP, β2-MG, and NAG was 1.69/ 0.89, 1.24/0.62, 0.85/0.49 μg/g Cr in men and 1.70/0.76, 1.35/0.64, 1.36/0.65 μg/g Cr in women, respectively. If the BMR was set at 10%, the BMD/BMDL of UCd for RBP, β2-MG, and NAG was 2.44/1.59, 2.09/1.30, 1.80/1.04 μg/g Cr in men and 2.43/1.53, 2.10/1.34, 2.31/1.37 μg/g Cr in women, respectively. Our results provided evidence for Cd-induced tubular effects in cadmium non-polluted areas in China. Both β2-MG and NAG were more sensitive than RBP in response to Cd exposure. But β2-MG was the most sensitive indicator in women, and NAG was the most sensitive one in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2013, the first case of human infection with an avian influenza A virus (H7N9) was reported in China, and the human infection with this virus has continued as of 2016. At the request of the WHO, we have successfully developed candidate reassortant vaccine virus using A/Anhui/1/2013 and the high egg-growth master virus A/PR/8/1934. Recent plans regarding influenza vaccine production include using cell-cultured systems in Japan and several other countries. However, egg-based vaccine viruses are not always suitable for cell-cultured vaccine production due to potential issues with growth, protein yield and antigenic stability. Therefore, in this study, we have developed a high-growth master virus (hg-PR8) adapted to qualified NIID-MDCK cells that are competent for vaccine production. The virus hg-PR8 was obtained after 20 serial passages of A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (PR8) in NIID-MDCK cells. The viral titer of hg-PR8 was 108.6 plaque-forming units per milliliter (PFU/mL). Seven amino acid substitutions were identified in the amino acid sequences of PB2, PB1, PA, NA, M and NS of hg-PR8 compared to the sequence of the original PR8 (org-PR8) strain. The growth capacities of the reassortant viruses, which possess heterologous internal genes from hg-PR8 or org-PR8, indicated that the amino acid changes in PB2 and NS2 similarly affected growth capacity in NIID-MDCK cells. To assess the suitability of hg-PR8 as a master virus, we generated 6:2 reassortant viruses possessing the HA and NA segments from A/Anhui/1/2013 (H7N9) and the remaining segments from hg-PR8. The virus titers of the reassortant strains were 107−108 PFU/mL. The antigenicity of the viruses was stable during ten passages of the viruses in NIID-MDCK cells. In comparison with the egg-based reassortant vaccine viruses with identical HA and NA segments, the hg-PR8-based viruses showed 1.5- to 2-fold higher protein yields in NIID-MDCK cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Niemann Pick Type C1 Like 1 (NPC1L1) protein plays a key role in intestinal and hepatic cholesterol metabolism in humans. Genetic variation in NPC1L1 has been widely studied in recent years. We analyzed NPC1L1 single nucleotide polymorphisms in Chinese gallstone disease patients to investigate their association with gallstone disease. NPC1L1 mRNA expression was also measured in liver biopsies from patients with cholesterol gallstone disease and compared between genotypes. The G allele of the g1679C>G (rs2072183) polymorphism was significantly more prevalent in patients with gallstones compared with gallstone-free subjects. Moreover, patients carrying the G allele had lower hepatic NPC1L1 mRNA expression and higher biliary cholesterol (molar percentages) and cholesterol saturation index. Our study suggests that the G allele of the NPC1L1 polymorphism g1679C>G may be a positive marker of gallstone formation risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]