Frequency and spectrum of p53 mutations in gastric cancer — a molecular genetic and immunohistochemical study

The p53 tumour-suppressor gene plays an important role in gastric carcinogenesis. In an analysis of the spectrum of mutations of the p53 gene seen in 56 primary gastric carcinomas of various types and grades of differentiation, the entire coding sequence (exons 2–11) of the p53 gene was screened by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis and direct genomic sequencing of polymerase chain reaction products. Intragenic restriction site polymorphisms and the probe YNZ22 were used for the detection of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of the p53 gene locus on chromosome 17p. p53 overexpression was studied with the anti-p53 antibody CM-1. A total of 21 somatic alterations of the p53 gene were found. Twenty were base-pair substitutions, and one was an eight base-pair deletion. Six tumours with p53 mutations revealed LOH. Abnormalities in p53 expression were found in 17 tumour samples, of which 16 had gene mutations. The spectrum of mutations observed was consistent with the predicted spectrum for dietary mutagens associated with the metabolism of nitrogenous compounds, resulting in deamination of nucleic acids. Our findings suggest that p53 could be a primary target for mutations associated with dietary carcinogens in gastric carcinogenesis.     

肝豆状核变性所致精神障碍5例误诊分析

目的减少肝豆状核变性所致精神障碍在精神科的误诊率。方法对收集的5例肝豆状核变性所致精神障碍的临床症状进行分析。结果肝豆状核变性所致精神障碍以精神症状为首发病时，极易造成误诊。结论加强精神科医生对该病的认识，减少误诊的发生。     

基于遗传算法的经颅磁刺激线圈阵列设计与场分布计算

为解决经颅磁刺激的兴奋点定位问题提出了以圆环面聚焦线圈阵列实现电磁聚焦的方案。而后,使用经过改进的自适应遗传算法对注入阵列各单元线圈电流的大小和相位进行了优化,在目标区域内很好的实现了电磁聚焦。通过计算,显示了线圈阵列在优化后的电流组态下产生的磁场和电场在计算区域内的分布和二维等高线图,表明了该聚焦线圈阵列可在目标区域产生具有良好聚焦性能的电场和磁场分布,并具有可同时聚焦至多个目标的能力。     

共聚焦激光扫描显微镜(MRC600)活体观测川芎嗪和去甲基肾上腺素对休克状态下家兔大脑皮质内微循环的影响

目的 :共聚焦激光扫描显微镜活体观测川芎嗪和去甲基肾上腺素对休克状态下家兔大脑皮质内微循环的影响。方法 :在开放颅窗的家兔模型上 ,荧光素标记血浆 ,罗丹明 6G标记WBC ,用共聚焦激光扫描显微镜活体观测川芎嗪和去甲基肾上腺素对休克状态下家兔大脑皮质内微循环的影响 ,并经图像分析系统测量数据 ,用SAS软件包进行统计学分析。结果 :①川芎嗪抗休克效果优于去甲基肾上腺素 ;②去甲基肾上腺素在休克状态下对口径为 60 .15 μm的动脉血管处未引起明显的血管运动 ,而川芎嗪能引起血管运动 ,尤以大剂量川芎嗪引起强烈的血管运动 ;③川芎嗪和去甲基肾上腺素增加或保持血液缘流厚度不变 ,可能是两者抗休克机制发挥作用的途径之一 ;④川芎嗪和去甲基肾上腺素引起血管运动 ,尤以中小血管处明显。结论 :川芎嗪抗休克效果优于去甲基肾上腺素。川芎嗪和去甲基肾上腺素增加或保持血液缘流厚度不变 ,可能是两者抗休克机制发挥作用的途径之一     

纤维蛋白原与吸附白蛋白、肝素的新型血管支架材料氧化钛的血液相容性

探索纤维蛋白原(Fibrinogen,FIG)与吸附白蛋白、肝素的新型血管支架材料氧化钛(Titanium Oxide,Ti-O)的血液相容性。(1)研制Ti-O,切割成薄膜;(2)Ti-O薄膜涂层白蛋白和肝素;(3)血小板(platelet,PL)吸附试验;(4)酶联免疫试验测FIG吸附量;(5)动物犬股动脉内植入涂层的Ti-O薄膜与对照试片Ti-O和不锈钢(Stainless steel,SS)薄膜。结果发现:Ti-O完全具有固定白蛋白和肝素的结构与性能,比未涂层的Ti-O能更一步减少PL和FIG的吸附,实验动物体内薄膜6个月后取出扫描电镜观察黏附的PL少,形态无改变,血管内无血栓,优于未涂层的Ti-O,更明显优于SS。Ti-O为N型半导体,不易接受FIG的电荷,并且与血细胞有相似的界面张力,决定生物材料Ti-O有较好的血液相容性。Ti-O对白蛋白、肝素有极好的亲和力是因以化学键相结合,在血中进一步减少FIG和PL被涂层的Ti-O吸附。实验证明涂层的Ti-O有持久和稳定的抗凝血性能。     

Nasal tolerance in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG): induction of protective tolerance in primed animals

Nasal administration of μg doses of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) is effective in preventing the development of B cell-mediated EAMG in the Lewis rat, a model for human MG. In order to investigate whether nasal administration of AChR modulates ongoing EAMG, Lewis rats were treated nasally with AChR 2 weeks after immunization with AChR and Freund's complete adjuvant. Ten-fold higher amounts of AChR given nasally (600 μg/rat) were required to ameliorate the manifestations of EAMG compared with the amounts necessary for prevention of EAMG. In lymph node cells from rats receiving 600 μg/rat of AChR, AChR-induced proliferation and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) secretion were reduced compared with control EAMG rats receiving PBS only. The anti-AChR antibodies in rats treated nasally with 600 μg/rat of AChR had lower affinity, reduced proportion of IgG2b and reduced capacity to induce AChR degradation. Numbers of AChR-reactive IFN-γ and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) mRNA-expressing lymph node cells from rats treated nasally with 600 μg/rat of AChR were suppressed, while IL-4, IL-10 and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) mRNA-expressing cells were not affected. Collectively, these data indicate that nasal administration of AChR in ongoing EAMG induced selective suppression of Th1 functions, i.e. IFN-γ and IgG2b production, but no influence on Th2 cell functions. The impaired Th1 functions may result in the production of less myasthenic anti-AChR antibodies and contribute to the amelioration of EAMG severity in rats treated with AChR 600 μg/rat by the nasal route.     

Association analysis of COMT polymorphisms and schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population: a case-control study.

Schizophrenia is a common disease with complex mode of inheritance; great efforts have been made to identify the susceptible genes. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene has long been considered as a candidate gene mainly because of two reasons: First, it encodes a key dopamine catabolic enzyme. Second, it maps to the velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) region of chromosome 22q11, which is associated with schizophrenia predisposition. Numerous case-control and family-based studies have been conducted, majority of them focused on a functional Val/Met polymorphism (rs4680). Unfortunately, these studies have produced conflicting results. In a previous report, Shifman et al. found a three-marker haplotype (rs737865-rs4680-rs165599) that showed significant association with schizophrenia. In this study, we try to replicate their findings in Chinese Han population and failed to find any associations.     

Kawasaki disease in infants three months of age or younger.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Kawasaki disease (KD) is rare in infants < or =3 months of age. This study analyzed the features of KD in 25 infants < or =3 months of age treated from February 1994 to December 2004. METHODS: Basic characteristics, clinical, laboratory, echocardiographic, therapeutic, and follow-up data of the infants were obtained from chart records. RESULTS: There were 19 male and 6 female infants in this cohort. The frequency of the 5 principal clinical features was as follows: changes in lips and oral cavity, 84%; bilateral bulbar conjunctival injection without exudates, 80%; polymorphous exanthem, 68%; cervical lymphadenopathy, 28%; and changes in extremities, 24%. Six infants (24%) fulfilled criteria for KD including fever which persists for 5 or more days with at least 4 of the principal clinical criteria, and the remaining infants were classified as having incomplete KD (all of whom showed coronary involvement). Coronary artery dilatation was found in 20 infants (80%). One infant developed a medium-size aneurysm (5.2 mm), while the others had only coronary arterial ectasia or small aneurysms. Coronary artery aneurysms regressed within 1-year follow-up in all but one infant. No fatal or recurrent case was observed during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Infants < or =3 months of age with KD usually presented with incomplete clinical features. A high proportion of coronary artery involvement was observed in this series. Echocardiography should be considered in very young infants with unexplained prolonged fever who do not present all of the principal clinical features of KD.