Increased plasma cathepsin D concentration in hepatic carcinoma and cirrhosis but not in breast cancer

Using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunoassay, plasma total cathepsin D concentration was assayed in 40 breast cancer patients and 84 patients with various liver diseases and compared to that of 52 normal subjects. There were no significant variations found in breast cancer patients related to tumor size, node invasiveness or metastases. In normal women, cathepsin D levels were slightly but not significantly increased in the luteal phase and in pregnancy. By contrast, plasma cathepsin D concentration was significantly increased in 70-75% of patients with liver disease (cirrhosis, hepatocarcinoma, hepatitis), but not in those with liver steatosis. Cathepsin D was independent of most of the plasma hepatic function tests and was correlated with alpha-fetoprotein in cirrhosis and with alpha-fucosidase in primary hepatocellular carcinoma. We conclude that plasma cathepsin D is not a useful marker in breast cancer. However, since the cellular level of this protease is associated with risk of metastasis in breast cancer, clinical follow-up will be required to test whether high cathepsin D plasma concentration has any prognostic value in liver cirrhosis and primary hepatocarcinoma.     

Flow cytometry analysis of platelet antibodies

We have devised assays to detect both circulating alloantibodies to platelets (indirect assay) and platelet-association IgG and IgM (direct assay) using a flow cytometric technique. A variety of patients with immune thrombocytopenia were studied. Employment of a confocal lens in the flow cytometer increased the discrimination power of the instrument. Patients with autoimmune thrombocytopenia (idiopathic thrombocytic purpura [ITP], systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), lymphoma, leukemia, and drug-induced thrombocytopenia showed a significant increase in platelet-associated antibody. Circulating antibodies to platelets (alloantibodies) were demonstrated in cases of platelet refractoriness and neonatal isoimmune purpura. Day-today precision of the assays ranged from 3% to 6% (coefficient of variation). No interference was shown in the presence of hemoglobin (5 g/L), triglycerides (10 g/L), or polyclonal and monoclonal immunoglobulinemia (50 g/L: IgG, IgA, IgM). The sensitivity of the direct assay was 500 attograms of IgG or IgM platelet.     

急性冠脉综合征患者循环内皮祖细胞与炎性相关因子的研究

目的:探讨急性心肌梗死(AMI)、不稳定性心绞痛(UA)患者外周血中循环内皮祖细胞(EPCs)与炎性相关因子C反应蛋白质(CRP)、白细胞介素-6(IL-6)及肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)的相关性。方法:取AMI(25例)UA患者(28例)及健康体检者(对照组32例)静脉血,采用密度梯度离心法从外周血获得单个核细胞;激光共聚焦显微镜鉴定FITC-UEA-I和Dil-acLDL双染色阳性细胞为正在分化的EPCs,并在倒置荧光显微镜下计数;酶联免疫法检测各种炎性相关因子。结果:AMI组及UA组的EPCs数量和血清CRPI、L-6、TNF-α水平显著高于正常对照组。结论:AMI及UA患者EPCs数量增加与炎性相关因子增加有关。     

Circulating filarial antigen in cats infected with Brugia pahangi is indicative of the presence of adult worms

Using counterimmunoelectrophoresis with rabbit antisera raised against soluble extracts of adult females of Brugia pahangi parasite antigen was detected in the serum of all cats repeatedly infected with B. pahangi. Antigen was never detected in uninfected cats. The antigen was associated with the presence of adult worms. Antigen was detected consistently in a cat that was amicrofilaraemic but at autopsy harboured only two or three adult worms. Conversely, some cats showed slowly declining numbers of microfilariae and, in these, circulating antigen declined before the number of microfilariae. Eventually no antigen was detectable in circulation whereas microfilariae, although in diminishing numbers, were still present. At autopsy no adult worms were found in these cats. Antigen also appeared in several cats before they became microfilaraemic.     

脑血管病患者血清IgE型免疫复合物的检测

本文用胶固素酶联免疫吸附试验检测了１６例缺血性脑血管病（ＩＣＤ）患者，１４例出血性脑血管病（ＨＣＤ）患者和２０例健康正常人的血清ＩｇＥ型循环免疫复合物（ＣＩＤ）水平。结果显示ＩＣＤ组和ＨＣＤ组ＩｇＥ－ＣＩＣ水平明显高于正常组（分别为Ｐ＜０．００１和Ｐ＜０．０５）。ＩＣＤ组与ＨＣＤ组间没有显著差异（Ｐ＞０．０２）。提示脑血管病的发生与ＩｇＥ－ＣＩＣ的形成有关。     

Presence of antibodies reacting specifically with structural proteins of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) among antibodies composing circulating immune complexes in breast cancer patients

All-Union Oncologic Scientific Center, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. N. Trapeznikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 105, No. 4, pp. 475–477, April, 1988.     

单克隆抗体反向IHAT检测囊虫病循环抗原

应用抗猪囊虫抗原的单克隆抗体反向间接血凝试验（ＩＨＡＴ），对临床确诊的囊虫病患者进行了血清循环抗原（ＣＡｇ）的检测，阳性率为５１．１４％（６７／１３１）。对１９例脑型囊虫病患者同时测定了血清和脑脊液中的ＣＡｇ，阳性率分别为４７．３６％和７８．９４％，总阳性率为８４．２１％。对治疗０．５３后的１９例患者检测时，血清和脑脊液中ＣＡｇ均呈阴性反应，而检测抗体仍呈阳性反应。５０例正常人、４９例其它寄生虫病及５例其它脑部疾病患者脑脊液的ＣＡｇ均呈阴性反应。结果提示：测定ＣＡｇ对囊虫病活动性感染的诊断及疗效判定均具有一定的实用价值。     

Effects of Polyethyleneglycol Chain Length and Phospholipid Acyl Chain Composition on the Interaction of Polyethyleneglycol-phospholipid Conjugates with Phospholipid: Implications in Liposomal Drug Delivery

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate polyethyleneglycol(PEG)-phosphatidylethanolamine(PE) conjugate interaction with phospholipid bilayers, in an attempt to explain the dependence of liposome circulation time on formulation. Methods. Differential scanning calorimetry, electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and NMR were the major methods used in the study. Results. Mixtures of PEG-phospholipid conjugates and phosphatidylcholine existed in three different physical states: a lamellar phase with components exhibiting some miscibility, a lamellar phase with components phase separated, and mixed micelles. Beyond 7 mol% of PEG(l,000–3,000)-dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE), and 11 mol% PEG(5,000)-DPPE in dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), a strong tendency towards mixed micelle formation was observed. All concentrations of PEG(12,000)-DPPE and PEG(5,000)-DPPE beyond 8 mol% formed phase separated lamellae with phosphatidylcholine. Decreasing the acyl chain length from C_16:0 to C_14:0 caused a decrease in tendency towards micelle formation and phase separation. These tendencies increased upon increasing acyl chain length to C_18:0. Phase separation was at least partly due to PEG chain-chain interaction. This was supported by an increased fraction of PEG chains exhibiting a fast NMR transverse relaxation in DPPC/PEG(5,000)-DPPE mixtures as compared to that in distearoyl phosphatidylcholine (DSPC)/PEG(5,000)-dioleoyl-PE (DOPE). Conclusions. These phenomena are discussed in relation to both bilayer and steric stabilization of liposomes, and the lack of prolonged circulation with certain formulations is discussed.     

患者血清microRNA表达谱及相关生物信息学分析

探讨慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）患者血清中microRNA(miRNA)的差异性表达谱,并通过生物信息学探索其意义。方法 下载GEO数据库开源数据集（GSE70080）,分析慢阻肺患者与正常人血清的miRNA差异性表达谱,分析其对慢阻肺的诊断价值,运用miRTarbase、Target Scan、PicTar 、miRDB等软件预测和筛选miRNAs的靶基因,并将得出的上述靶基因功能富集、信号通路及蛋白质互作网络分析。 结果 该数据集中慢阻肺与健康对照组血清差异表达的miRNA共62个(P＜0.05) ,其中较对照组上调8个,下调54个,上调miRNA和下调miRNA诊断慢阻肺的受试者曲线下面积分别为0.938和0.969。靶基因预测显示差异性表达miRNA共有15099个靶基因,GO功能分析显示上述靶基因主要涉及Wnt、MAPK、NF-κB等重要生物学过程,KEGG分析主要富集于Wnt、NF κB、MAPK等信号通路。miRNA和mRNA的网络图显示SLC4A8与多个miRNA相关。蛋白质互作网络显示靶基因编码蛋白质间存在复杂的相互作用,ACVR1B、ACVRL1、KRT2、KRT74、KRT82在互作网络中具有核心地位。结论 慢阻肺患者的血清miRNA存在差异性表达,miRNA可能通过调控靶基因参与调控相关的生物功能和通路参与慢阻肺发病机制调控