[Progress in research of self-sampling for detection of genital chlamydia trachomatis and related factors in men who have sex with men]

Laboratory testing is a vital chain in the prevention and control of genital chlamydia trachomatis infection. The prevalence of genital chlamydia trachomatis infection is high, but the detection rate of the infection is low in men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. Self-sampling for genital chlamydia trachomatis detection by MSM is a new option to address this problem, which would play a significant role in expanding genital chlamydia trachomatis infection screening in this population. This paper summarizes the progress in research of self-sampling for the detection of genital chlamydia trachomatis and the related factors in MSM both at home and abroad to provide reference for the promotion of self-sampling for the detection of genital chlamydia trachomatis in this population.

Prognostic value of clinical and immunological markers in acute phase of SFTS virus infection

SFTS virus (SFTSV) is a novel bunyavirus that causes severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), an emerging infectious disease that occurred in China in recent years, with an average case fatality rate of 10-12%. Intervention in the early clinical stage is the most effective measure to reduce the mortality rate of disease. To elucidate the natural course of and immune mechanisms associated with the pathogenesis of SFTSV, 59 laboratory-confirmed SFTS patients in the acute phase, who were hospitalized between October 2010 and September 2011, were enrolled in this study, and the patients sera were dynamically collected and tested for SFTSV viral RNA load, 34 cytokines or chemokines and other related laboratory parameters. All clinical diagnostic factors in the acute phase of SFTS were evaluated and assessed. The study showed that the severity of the disease in 11 (18.6%) patients was associated with abdominal pain (p 0.007; OR = 21.95; 95% CI, 2.32-208.11) and gingival bleeding (p 0.001; OR=122.11; 95% CI, 6.41-2328). The IP-10, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, granzyme B and HSP70 levels were higher over the 7-8 days in severe cases, accompanied by altered AST, CK and LDH levels. HSP70 (p 0.012; OR=8.29; 95% CI, 1.58-43.40) was independently correlated with the severity of the early acute phase of SFTSV infection. The severity of SFTS can be predicted based on the presence of symptoms such as abdominal pain and gingival bleeding and on the level of HSP70 in the acute phase of the disease.

Polymorphic microsatellite markers in the false kelpfish Sebastiscus marmoratus: isolation, characterization, and cross-species amplification

A (GT/CA)13-microsatellite-enriched genomic library of the false kelpfish Sebastiscus marmoratus was constructed, and 20 polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized. The polymorphisms were investigated in 48 wild individuals from a single population collected from the northern Yellow Sea. The numbers of alleles per locus varied from 4-22 with an average of 9. The observed and expected heterozygosities of each locus ranged from 0.196-0.958 and from 0.487-0.942, with an average of 0.693 and 0.765, respectively. One locus significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and one pair of loci was in linkage disequilibrium determined by Bonferroni's correction. Cross-species amplification was also conducted in the related species Inimicus japonicus, collected from East China Sea. The result showed that six loci could be amplified from I. japonicus DNAs. These polymorphic markers would be useful for assessment of genetic variation and population structure of scorpionfish.