Nosocomial Infection in Adult Admissions with Hematological Malignancies Originating from Different Lineages: A Prospective Observational Study

Background

Nosocomial infection (NI) causes prolonged hospital stays, increased healthcare costs, and higher mortality among patients with hematological malignancies (HM). However, few studies have compared the incidence of NI according to the HM lineage.

Objective

To compare the incidence of NI according to the type of HM lineage, and identify the risk factors for NI.

Methods

This prospective observational study monitored adult patients with HM admitted for >48 hours to the General Hospital of the People''s Liberation Army during 2010–2013. Attack rates and incidences of NI were compared, and multivariable logistic regression was used to control for confounding effects.

Results

This study included 6,613 admissions from 1,922 patients. During these admissions, 1,023 acquired 1,136 NI episodes, with an attack rate of 15.47% and incidence of 9.6‰ (95% CI: 9.1–10.2). Higher rates and densities of NIs were observed among myeloid neoplasm (MN) admissions, compared to lymphoid neoplasm (LN) admissions (28.42% vs. 11.00%, P<0.001 and 11.4% vs. 8.4‰, P<0.001). NI attack rates in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN) were higher than those in MDS (30.69% vs. 20.19%, P<0.001; 38.89% vs. 20.19%, P = 0.003). Attack rates in T/NK-cell neoplasm and B-cell neoplasm were higher than those in Hodgkin lymphoma (15.04% vs. 3.65%; 10.94% vs. 3.65%, P<0.001). Multivariable regression analysis indicated prolonged hospitalization, presence of central venous catheterization, neutropenia, current stem cell transplant, infection on admission, and old age were independently associated with higher NI incidence. After adjusting for these factors, MN admissions still had a higher risk of infection (odds ratio 1.34, 95% CI: 1.13–1.59, P<0.001).

Conclusion

Different NI attack rates were observed for HM from different lineages, with MN lineages having a higher attack rate and incidence than LN lineages. Special attention should be paid to MN admissions, especially AML and MDS/MPN admissions, to control NI incidence.     

The Expression and Significance of Neuronal Iconic Proteins in Podocytes

Growing evidence suggests that there are many common cell biological features shared by neurons and podocytes; however, the mechanism of podocyte foot process formation remains unclear. Comparing the mechanisms of process formation between two cell types should provide useful guidance from the progress of neuron research. Studies have shown that some mature proteins of podocytes, such as podocin, nephrin, and synaptopodin, were also expressed in neurons. In this study, using cell biological experiments and immunohistochemical techniques, we showed that some neuronal iconic molecules, such as Neuron-specific enolase, nestin and Neuron-specific nuclear protein, were also expressed in podocytes. We further inhibited the expression of Neuron-specific enolase, nestin, synaptopodin and Ubiquitin carboxy terminal hydrolase-1 by Small interfering RNA in cultured mouse podocytes and observed the significant morphological changes in treated podocytes. When podocytes were treated with Adriamycin, the protein expression of Neuron-specific enolase, nestin, synaptopodin and Ubiquitin carboxy terminal hydrolase-1 decreased over time. Meanwhile, the morphological changes in the podocytes were consistent with results of the Small interfering RNA treatment of these proteins. The data demonstrated that neuronal iconic proteins play important roles in maintaining and regulating the formation and function of podocyte processes.     

神经生长因子介导的促神经生长化合物筛选系统的建立

为了合理评价化合物的促神经再生活性.用溴化四唑蓝(MTT)、分化计数、图象处理等方法，借助FK506、GPI1046阳性化合物，建立了一个基于PC12细胞存活和分化的化合物筛选系统.结果表明，无论在细胞存活实验还是在分化实验中，FK506、GPI1046都可以明显增强神经生长因子(NGF)的效应，即有促神经再生的作用.也就是说，这一系统将有助于从组合化学方法合成的化合物文库中，筛选出具有促神经再生活性的化合物.     

葡萄糖氧化酶解除黄曲霉毒素M_1的应用研究

试验旨在研究葡萄糖氧化酶解除黄曲霉毒素M_1毒性的应用效果。选择含有7.2μg/kg(A组)和19.5μg/kg(B组)黄曲霉毒素B_1(AFB_1)的玉米饲料,分别添加5‰固体和液体葡萄糖氧化酶制剂,连续饲喂奶牛10 d,同时和延后测定鲜牛奶和尿中黄曲霉毒素M_1(AFM_1)量。测定数据表明,与AFB_1组相比,固体酶A组产牛奶中AFM_1未检出,B组中AFM_1含量平均减少了76.47%;液体酶A组产牛奶中AFM_1未检出,B组中AFM_1平均减少了82.35%。尿中AFM_1量减少了75%、70.5%和75%、73.1%;与对照组相比,牛奶产量、牛奶中蛋白质及脂肪含量没有变化。     

Localization and replication of the systemic lupus erythematosus linkage signal at 4p16: interaction with 2p11, 12q24 and 19q13 in European Americans

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by both population and phenotypic heterogeneity. Our group previously identified linkage to SLE at 4p16 in European Americans (EA). In the present study we replicate this linkage effect in a new cohort of 76 EA families multiplex for SLE by model-free linkage analysis. Using densely spaced microsatellite markers in the linkage region, we have localized the potential SLE susceptibility gene(s) to be telomeric to the marker D4S2928 by haplotype construction. In addition, marker D4S394 showed marginal evidence of linkage disequilibrium with the putative disease locus by the transmission disequilibrium test and significant evidence of association using a family-based association approach as implemented in the program ASSOC. We also performed both two-point and multipoint model-based analyses to characterize the genetic model of the potential SLE susceptibility gene(s), and the lod scores both maximized under a recessive model with penetrances of 0.8. Finally, we performed a genome-wide scan of the total 153 EA pedigrees and evaluated the possibility of interaction between linkage signals at 4p16 and other regions in the genome. Fourteen regions on 11 chromosomes (1q24, 1q42, 2p11, 2q32, 3p14.2, 4p16, 5p15, 7p21, 8p22, 10q22, 12p11, 12q24, 14q12, 19q13) showed evidence of linkage, among which, signals at 2p11, 12q24 and 19q13 also showed evidence of interaction with that at 4p16. These results provide important additional information about the SLE linkage effect at 4p16 and offer a unique approach to uncovering susceptibility loci involved in complex human diseases.     

海洋短小枯草芽胞杆菌的鉴定及抑菌活性分析

对从连云港东西连岛海泥样品中分离得到的菌株Bacillus pumilus HX2-2的分类地位、生长条件和抑菌活性进行了研究。经过形态特征、生理生化性质及16S r DNA序列分析鉴定,该菌属于短小芽胞杆菌。不同温度、盐度、pH培养条件下测定菌液吸光度OD600值,表明该菌是一株轻度嗜盐菌,最适温度、盐度、pH分别为30℃、3%、7.0~8.0。在不同病原真菌的平板抑菌活性试验中,该菌对草莓尖胞镰刀菌、马铃薯炭疽病菌和水稻立枯丝核菌表现出显著的抑菌作用。菌株B.pumilus HX2-2是一株短小芽胞杆菌,具有广谱抑菌活性,具有进一步研究的价值。