The X gene of HBV encodes a 17-kD protein, termed HBx, which has been shown to function as a transcriptional trans-activator of a variety of viral and cellular promoter/enhancer elements. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of HBx on gene expression of interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-6, and proliferation of rat mesangial cells in vitro. The X gene of HBV was amplified by PCR assay, and inserted into the eukaryotic expression vector pCI-neo. The structure of recombinant pCI-neo-X plasmid was proved by restrict endonuclease digestion and sequencing analysis. pCI-neo-X was transfected into cultured rat mesangial cell line in vitro via liposome. HBx expression in transfected mesangial cells was detected by Western blot. The IL-1beta and IL-6 mRNA expression in those cells was assayed by semiquantitative RT-PCR. Mesangial cell proliferation was tested by MTT. The results showed that HBx was obviously expressed in cultured mesangial cell line at 36th and 48th h after transfection. The expression of IL-1beta and IL-6 mRNA was simultaneously increased. The cell proliferation was also obvious at the same time. It was concluded that HBx gene transfection could induce IL-1beta and IL-6 gene expression and mesangial cell proliferation. HBx may play a critical role in mesangial cell proliferation through upregulation of the IL-1beta and IL-6 gene expression.

Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) is characterized by marked urinary excretion of albumin and other intermediate-sized plasma proteins, such as transferrin and vitamin D-binding protein. Some cases even develop anemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in serum iron, transferrin, and erythropoietin, and the relationships between serum and urine transferrin and erythropoietin. Thirty-seven children with INS and 35 age-and sex-matched healthy children were investigated. The indexes related to iron metabolism, including serum iron, ferritin, transferrin, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation, and hematological parameters [hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH)], and urinary transferrin and erythropoietin were measured in 37 children with INS before treatment and at the remission stage. Thirty-five age-and sex-matched healthy children served as controls. Serum iron levels (18.8 ¡ 3.8) mmol/L in INS patients before treatment were significantly lower than those of the healthy controls (22.2 ¡ 3.8) mmol/L and those measured at the remission stage (21.0 ¡ 3.5) mmol/L (all P , 001). Serum transferrin levels in INS patients before therapy (1.9 ¡ 0.3) g/L also decreased compared with the healthy controls (3.1 ¡ 0.5) g/L and the measures at the remission stage (2.9 ¡ 0.6) g/L (all P , 0.01). In contrast, serum TIBC and transferrin saturation were significantly higher in INS patients before treatment than in the healthy controls [TIBC (56.4 ¡ 9.2) mmol/L vs (50.7 ¡ 6.8) mmol/L, P , 0.01; transferrin saturation (55.7¡9.2)% vs (46.4 ¡ 8.2)%, P , 0.01] and they were also higher than the measures at remission stage [(51.9 ¡ 7.7) mmol/L and (47.4 ¡ 13.3) mmol/L] (all P , 0.01). Serum transferrin was positively correlated with serum albumin (r 5 0.609, P , 0.01) and negatively correlated with urinary transferrin (r 5 20.550, P , 0.01) in INS patients before treatment. We conclude that serum iron, transferrin and erythropoietin levels are markedly decreased in INS patients, which may be partially related to the urinary loss of these indexes.

Background: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has spread globally, along with its incidence among children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of children infected with COVID-19 and to provide a reference for clinical work. Methods: The study retrospectively reviewed the clinical characteristics and prognosis of 7 children diagnosed with COVID-19 infection at The First People's Hospital of Jingzhou between January 30 and February 29, 2020. Results: Of the 7 cases, 2 were male and 5 were female, aged 3 months and 14 days to 12 years old (median age 3 years old). There was 1 asymptomatic carrier, 5 cases with mild type infection, which had the main symptoms of cough (4/5) and fever (4/5), and 1 case of moderate type. Among the 7 cases, serum white blood cell count was increased in 1 case, decreased in 1 case, liver transaminase was increased in 1 case, lactate dehydrogenase was increased in 3 cases, creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) was increased in 2 cases, and C-reactive protein was elevated in 2 cases. A total of 4 cases were complicated with mycoplasma pneumoniae and/ or influenza B virus infection. A single case of chest computed tomography (CT) showed viral pneumonia. With routine antiviral and symptomatic support therapy, the median time taken for the results of nucleic acid testing by pharyngeal swab to become negative was 14 days (6-26 days) and the median hospital stay was 15 days (8-31 days). All participants were cured and subsequently discharged from hospital. Only 1 case was positive for nucleic acid testing by pharyngeal swab 1 month after being discharged, and the anal swab of 1 case for nucleic acid testing was positive 2 months after being discharged. Conclusions: All children with COVID-19 who were included in this study in Jingzhou were infected via family clustering, and the laboratory examinations were not specific. Fever and cough were common symptoms, but all cases were mild and had good prognoses.

The differences in therapeutic effectiveness between sustained low-efficiency dialysis (SLED) and continuous blood purification (CBP) were investigated. In order to assess the different treatment methods, 56 critically ill patients were divided into two groups, the CBP group and the SLED group. A comparison was made between all the biochemical indicators, in-hospital duration, hemodynamic parameters, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE-II), the survival, and the mortality rates. After treatment, the levels of serum creatine kinase isozyme MB (CK-MB), creatine kinase, creatinine, glutamate-oxalacetate transaminase (AST), glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (ALT), APACHE II score on the 1st, 2nd, and 7th day in both the treatment groups were lower than that before the treatment (P < 0.05). There are no statistical differences in in-hospital duration, biochemical indicators, APACHE II score, hemodynamic parameters, the survival rate and the mortality rate between the two groups (P > 0.05). It was concluded that SLED has similar hemodynamic stability with CBP and the two methods have similar treatment effects in critically ill patients. However, we noticed that SLED can be relatively economical and convenient for critically ill patients in clinical practice.

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