The glyceryl [14C]tripalmitate breath test: a reassessment

Several reports have been published commending the use of 14C-labelled triglyceride breath tests in the assessment of fat malabsorption. We report further studies using gyceryl [14C]tripalmitate. Corrections for age, weight or metabolic rate failed to improve the test's ability to discriminate between malabsorbers and control subjects. A correction for respiratory quotient improved the linear correlation observed between the breath test results and daily faecal fat excretion. The significance of these findings is discussed and a number of problems identified which, at present, are preventing the introduction of breath tests for fat malabsorption into routine clinical practice.     

酶联免疫吸附试验检测人疱疹病毒7型抗体的研究

目的建立一种简便、快速、可靠的检测人疱疹病毒7型(HHV 7)特异性IgG和IgM酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)。方法应用HHV 7标准株G lasgow感染SupT1细胞,制备并纯化细胞工程抗原和重组pp85抗原;对325份血清HHV 7抗体进行检测,建立HHV 7特异性IgM和IgG间接ELISA,并与Q iagen公司ELISA试剂盒检测结果进行比较。结果采用细胞工程抗原和重组抗原制备的HHV 7 IgG和IgM ELISA诊断试剂敏感性、特异性、稳定性及重复性[变异系数(CV)<10%]较好;以Q iagen公司ELISA试剂盒为参比,重组抗原IgG ELISA检测上述标本的敏感性、特异性和符合率分别为98.1%、94.1%和97.8%,IgM ELISA分别为84.6%、99.7%和99.1%;与细胞工程抗原相比,重组抗原诊断试剂的特异性高而敏感性略低。结论自制HHV 7 IgG和IgMELISA检测试剂敏感特异,可用于临床HHV 7感染的诊断及流行病学调查。     

Holistic Long-Term Care Over Elderly Kidney Transplant Recipients

Kidney transplantation is an optimal method of renal replacement therapy in patients with phase V chronic kidney disease. Elderly patients (older than 60 years) with a kidney transplant create a significant and constantly growing pool of patients with this type of organ transplantation. In this group of patients, long-term care should be particularly stringent and vigilant. Apart from typical conditions associated with chronic kidney disease and possible post-transplant complications as well as side effects of immunosuppressive treatment, the patient also experiences changes and limitations associated with the progress of age and diseases typical for old age, characterized by a higher risk of infection, and changed pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics. Undoubtedly, patients should remain under the medical care of qualified transplantologists, but constant cooperation with a general practitioner and geriatrician would be of added value. Study results show that although most of the elderly kidney recipients have constant contact with their general practitioners, and almost half of them use private care, contribution of the geriatrician to the transplant care system is unsatisfactory, and elderly kidney recipients would expect more extensive outpatient care.     

Adherence of Renal Transplant Recipients to Once-daily,Prolonged-Release and Twice-daily,Immediate-release Tacrolimus-based Regimens in a Real-life Setting in Sweden

Background

In this study we investigated medication adherence of kidney transplant patients (KTPs) to an immediate-release tacrolimus (IR-T) regimen and, after conversion, to a prolonged-release tacrolimus (PR-T) regimen in routine clinical practice.

Vaccination of guinea pigs with DNA encoding Ag85A by gene gun bombardment

A DNA vaccine encoding Ag85A from Mycobacterium tuberculosis was administered to guinea pigs by epidermal gene gun bombardment and its protective efficacy was determined. Vaccination with Ag85A DNA twice significantly reduced the severity of pulmonary pathology and number of pulmonary colony-forming units (CFU) (p<0.01). When immunogenic synthetic Ag85A peptide was used as a booster, lung pathology was improved significantly and pulmonary CFU were reduced dramatically. Neither Ag85A DNA nor BCG Tokyo protected the guinea pigs from hematogenous spread of tubercle bacilli to the spleen because splenic granulomas without central necrosis were recognized. When the vaccinated guinea pigs were followed up for 7 months, the pulmonary lesions became fibrotic in guinea pigs vaccinated with Ag85A DNA plus Ag85A peptide, or BCG Tokyo, and no tubercle bacilli were detected. The protective efficacy of the tuberculosis Ag85A DNA vaccine was improved significantly by peptide boosting. It is concluded that dosage and peptide boosting are important in the induction of higher protective efficacy by a tuberculosis DNA vaccine.     

A quantitative structure-activity approach for lipophilicity estimation of antitumor complexes of different metals using microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography

Microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) offers a valuable tool for the rapid and highly productive determination of lipophilicity for metal-based anticancer agents. In this investigation, the MEEKC technique was applied for estimation of n-octanol-water partition coefficient (logP(oct)) of a series of antiproliferative complexes of gallium(III) and iron(III) with (4)N-substituted α-N-heterocyclic thiosemicarbazones. Analysis of relationships between the experimental logP(oct) and the retention factors of compounds showed their satisfactory consistency in the case of single metal sets, as well as for both metals. Since none of available calculation programs allows for evaluating the contribution of central metal ion into logP(oct) (i.e. ΔlogP(oct)) of complexes of different metals, this parameter was measured experimentally, by the standard 'shake-flask' method. Extension of the logP(oct) programs by adding ΔlogP(oct) data resulted in good lipophilicity predictions for the complexes of gallium(III) and iron(III) included in one regression set. Comparison of metal-thiosemicarbazonates under examination in terms of logP(oct) vs. antiproliferative activities (i.e. 50% inhibitory concentration in cancer cells) provided evidence that their cytotoxic potency is associated with the ability to cross the lipid bilayer of the cell-membrane via passive diffusion.     

As_2O_3联合~（89）SrCl_2对人乳腺癌细胞株MCF-7细胞周期和凋亡的影响

目的探讨三氧化二砷（As2O3）联合氯化锶（89SrCl2）对人乳腺癌细胞株MCF-7细胞周期与凋亡的影响。方法采用MTT比色法检测As2O3对MCF-7细胞的增殖抑制作用,求出细胞半数抑制浓度（ID50）。选择20%ID50以下两个不同浓度的As2O3联合89Sr照射,随机设置对照组、89SrCl2照射组、As2O3处理组,As2O3＋89SrCl2联合处理组（联合组）,并于处理后24h采用流式细胞术检测各组细胞周期分布及凋亡。结果 As2O3能明显抑制MCF-7细胞增殖,给药24h的ID50为11.7μmol/L。细胞流式术检测结果表明,与89SrCl2照射组相比,联合组G2/M期细胞明显增多（P〈0.05或0.01）,早期凋亡和死亡细胞数显著增高（P〈0.05）。结论 As2O3能够促进89Sr照射诱导的MCF-7细胞周期阻滞与凋亡。     

COPD患者诱导痰中DCs及CCR6的变化及意义

目的 检测慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)患者诱导痰中DCs的变化及CCR6的含量,分析DCs及趋化因子受体6(Chemkine receptor 6,CCR6)在COPD发病机制中的作用.方法 以COPD患者为研究对象,并以无COPD者健康人作为对照,采用沙丁胺醇加高渗盐水超声雾化吸入方法诱导排痰,以流式细胞技术(FCM)检测痰液中DCs水平,以ELISA检测CCR6的含量.同时,常规方法测定肺功能FEV1％及FEV1/FVC.结果 DCs在COPD分期的GOLD Ⅰ级、GOLDⅡ级以及GOLDⅢ～Ⅳ级均高于正常对照组和吸烟无COPD组,且有显著统计学意义(P＜0.01).CCR6在COPD分期的GOLDⅠ级、GOLDⅡ级以及GOLDⅢ～Ⅳ级均高于正常对照组和吸烟无COPD组,且有显著统计学意义(P＜0.01).DCs与COPD患者FEVI％之间呈负相关关系(P＜0.05).CCR6与COPD患者FEV1％之间呈负相关关系(P＜0.01).结论 COPD患者DCs及CCR6显著升高,且与病情的严重程度明显相关,提示DCs及CCR6可能参与了COPD的炎症反应过程.     

结核分枝杆菌Ag85A基因DNA疫苗的构建及其联合人IL-12表达质粒诱导的小鼠细胞免疫应答观察

目的:构建编码结核分枝杆菌Ag85A分泌蛋白重组真核表达质粒,研究其与hIL-12联合免疫小鼠后的细胞免疫应答。方法:(1)构建质粒:采用PCR法从H37Rv菌株中扩增Ag85A编码基因,用限制性内切酶消化后,插入克隆载体PMD20-T中,经酶切鉴定与序列测定证实后,以亚克隆法构建于真核表达载体PCDNA3.1的相应酶切位点。(2)动物实验:50只C57BL/6N小鼠随机分为:①Ag85A基因疫苗+hIL-12质粒组(联合免疫组);②重组Ag85A基因疫苗组;③卡介苗BCG组(阳性对照);④空载体组(阴性对照);⑤PBS组(空白对照)。基因疫苗、空载体和PBS经肌内注射法免疫各组小鼠,每隔3周免疫1次,共免疫3次,BCG组经尾部皮下注射1×106CFU BCG免疫1次,约0.3 ml/只。第三次免疫小鼠后28天,处死各组小鼠,分离脾细胞,ELISA法检测脾细胞培养上清液中IFNγ-、IL-2、IL-4水平;乳酸脱氢酶释放法检测脾细胞杀伤活性;分离的脾细胞经TB-PPD刺激后,XTT比色法检测脾淋巴细胞增殖活性。结果:(1)成功构建结核分枝杆菌Ag85A基因DNA疫苗。(2)联合免疫组能诱导较强烈的抗原特异性Th1型细胞免疫应答,免疫小鼠脾细胞培养上清液IFN-r和IL-2水平显著高于Ag85A基因疫苗组,与BCG组相当,IL-4分泌减少;特异性CTL杀伤活性明显增强;淋巴细胞增殖活性也明显高于其他组别。结论:hlL-12表达质粒能够增强结核分枝杆菌Ag85A基因DNA疫苗所诱导的小鼠免疫应答。