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In order to enhance the efficiency and the level of instruments management in colleges and universities, the management system of instruments sharing based on RFID technology has been designed, developed and brought into operation. Automation and intelligentization of lots of work have been achieved such as user authentication of instruments, open reservation of instruments, charge and sharing of instruments, real-time management of laboratory, settlement of expenditure and benefit evaluation, promoting the open sharing of instruments in colleges and universities.

This study was conducted to investigate the thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) activity distribution and gene mutations in Kazaks, and compared the results with those of other ethnic groups. Erythrocyte TPMT activity was measured in Kazaks (n = 327) via a validated high-performance liquid chromatography assay. Polymerase chain reaction-based methods were used to analyze three commonly reporter-inactivating mutations: G238C, G460A, and A719G. Unimodal distribution of TPMT activity was found in Kazaks. Six TPMT*3C heterozygotes and two TPMT*3A heterozygotes were found in 327 Kazaks, with allele frequencies of 0.9 and 0.3%, respectively. The subjects with TPMT*3A and TPMT*3C heterogygotes had substantial TPMT activity over the range of 6.40–11.75 U/ml RBC. Unlike in most Caucasians, TPMT*3C is a common mutant allele in Kazaks, whereas TPMT*3A is a rare mutant allele. Further studies are needed to explore the clinical impact of these TPMT mutants to thiopurine therapy in Kazak patients.

Aims Ethnicity is an important variable influencing drug response. Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) plays an important role in the metabolism of thiopurine drugs. Previous population studies have identified ethnic variations in both phenotype and genotype of TPMT, but limited information is available within Chinese population that comprises at least 56 ethnic groups. The current study was conducted to compare both phenotype and genotype of TPMT in healthy Han and Yao Chinese children. Methods TPMT activity was measured in healthy Chinese children by a HPLC assay (n = 213, 87 Han Chinese and 126 Yao Chinese). Allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) were used to determine the frequency of TPMT mutant alleles (TPMT*2, TPMT*3 A, TPMT*3B and TPMT*3C) in these children. Results There was no significant difference in the mean TPMT activity between Han and Yao Chinese children. A unimodal distribution of TPMT activity in Chinese children was found and the mean TPMT activity was 13.32 ± 3.49 U ml−1 RBC. TPMT activity was not found to differ with gender, but tended to increase with age in Yao Chinese children. TPMT*2, TPMT*3B and TPMT*3A were not detected, and only one TPMT*3C heterozygote (Han child) was identified in 213 Chinese children. Erythrocyte TPMT activity of this TPMT*3C heterozygote was 12.36 U ml−1 RBC. The frequency of the known mutant TPMT alleles was 0.2%[1/426] in Chinese children. Conclusion The frequency distribution of RBC TPMT activity was unimodal. The frequency of the known mutant TPMT alleles in Chinese Children is low and TPMT*3C appears to be the most prevalent among the tested mutant TPMT alleles in this population.

To investigate the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) BamH I "f" variant in primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its metastases in lymph nodes (LN).In situ hybridization was used to detect EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER) expression in 21 paired paraffin-embedded tissue from primary NPC and their lymph node metastases and 22 primary NPC without lymph node metastasis. PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay were used to detect EBV BamH I "f" variant in all cases of NPCs, lymph node metastases and 50 cases of chronic inflammation of nasopharynx from Canton.All cases of NPCs and their lymph node metastases showed EBER expression, indicating a high EBV-positive rate in Cantonese NPC patients. EBV BamH I "f" variant was found in 11 cases (52.4%, 11/21) of primary NPCs with LN metastasis, 12 cases (57.1%, 12/21) of the LN metastases, and 18 cases (81.8%, 18/22) of primary NPCs without LN metastasis. However, of the 50 cases of chronic inflammation of nasopharynx, only one case (2.1%, 1/47) demonstrated BamH I "f" variant. The frequency of BamH I "f" variant in NPC was therefore dramatically higher than that in chronic inflammation of nasopharynx. It is of note that atypical hyperplasia was observed in a few epithelial cells from the case of chronic inflammation of nasopharynx expressing BamH I "f" variant.The frequency of EBV BamH I "f" variant in NPC is significantly higher than that in chronic inflammation of nasopharynx. It is the first demonstration that the BamH I "f" variant is also present in the LN metastases of NPC. The frequency of BamH I "f" variant in metastatic NPC of the lymph node is almost equal to that of primary NPCs.

This study was to investigate the gene mutation of thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) in Uygur Chinese. Polymerase chain reaction-based methods were used to analyze three commonly reported inactivating mutations—G238C, G460A and A719G. One TPMT*3A heterozygote and five TPMT*3C heterozygotes were found in 160 Uygur Chinese subjects, and allele frequencies of TPMT*3A and TPMT*3C were 0.3% and 1.6%, respectively. TPMT*3C is a common mutant allele in Uygur Chinese, while TPMT*3A is a rare mutant allele in Uygur Chinese.

To investigate the mutant alleles of thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) among Jing Chinese.Polymerse chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) techniques were developed for assaying exons 5, 7 and 10 of the TPMT gene respectively and were used to detect mutant TPMT alleles among Jing Chinese.Two cases of TPMT*3C (A719G) heterozygotes were identified in 103 Jing Chinese; other deleterious alleles such as TPMT*2 (G238C), TPMT*3A (G460A/A719G) and TPMT*3B (G460A) were not found; 27 cases of silent mutant allele TPMT*1S (T474C) were also identified (5 homozygotes and 22 heterozygotes).The PCR-SSCP assay established and adopted in this study was sensitive and reliable, which could be used to detect mutant TPMT alleles. Allele frequency of TPMT*3C is low among Jing Chinese (1.0%), and TPMT*3C appears to be the most prevalent deleterious allele in this population.

Several mutations in the thiopurine S-methyltransferase(TPMT) gene have been identified to correlate with a low activity or deficiency phenotype. The distribution of TPMT activity in Chinese and Caucasian populations is different, and the molecular basis has not yet to be determined. This study was designed to investigate the type and frequency of four kinds of mutant TPMT alleles of healthy Han Chinese.TPMT genotypes were determined in 225 healthy Han Chinese. Allele-specific PCR (ASPCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) were used for analysis of G238C (TPMT*2), G460A and A719G (TPMT*3A,*3B,*3C).TPMT*2, TPMT*3B, and TPMT*3A were not detected in 225 healthy Han Chinese, and only six TPMT*3C heterozygotes were identified. The average TPMT activity of those TPMT*3C heterozygotes was (9.62+/-3.58) U/ml RBC. The frequency of TPMT mutant alleles was 1.33%(6/450) in healthy Han Chinese.The frequency of the known mutant TPMT alleles in Han Chinese population is low, and TPMT*3C appears to be the most prevalent among the known mutant TPMT allele in this population.