Immunoblot analysis of the serological response in Hantavirus infections

Sera from patients with nephropathia epidemica (NE) or Korean hemorrhagic fever (KHF) were tested for specific antibody response to antigens of H?lln?s virus and Hantaan virus strain 76-118. A Vero E6 derived cell line persistently infected with H?lln?s virus strain B1, and Vero E6 cells freshly infected with Hantaan virus type strain 76-118 were used as antigens in the immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and the immunoblot. Blots were prepared from whole cell lysates. The convalescent-phase sera of NE patients tested in this study regularly revealed a marked reaction with a 52 kilodalton (Kd) protein of H?lln?s virus and a 50 Kd protein of Hantaan virus. A convalescent serum from a patient with Korean hemorrhagic fever and a rat antiserum against Hantaan virus could recognize the 50 Kd band of Hantaan virus but showed no apparent reactivity with the 52 Kd component of H?lln?s virus in the standard dilutions. Some sera could additionally identify minor bands in the 55 Kd and/or 67 Kd region of the blots. A one-way cross reactivity between Hantaan and H?lln?s viruses was also evident from the results of the immunofluorescence assays in that NE convalescent sera reacted with both viruses, whereas KHF convalescent or anti-Hantaan sera gave strongly positive results with Hantaan virus but only faint reaction with H?lln?s virus.     

Immunological markers of childhood fevers in an area of intense and perennial malaria transmission.

In order to describe presumed paediatric malaria on a cell-immunological basis, the soluble receptors of IL-2 (sIL-2R) and tumour necrosis factor (sTNF-R55 and sTNF-R75) were quantified in highly exposed young Tanzanian children. Sera were obtained from 66 acute and 72 reported febrile patients during health post consultations and follow-ups and from 68 community controls. Levels of sIL-2R, sTNF-R55 and sTNF-R75 were significantly elevated during fever attacks, especially in very young children. Soluble TNF-R75 levels were most stable and those of sTNF-R55 least. Levels of sTNF-R55 were related to the magnitude of fever and thus appeared to reflect attack severity. Levels of sTNF-R75 were highly significantly associated with parasite density, indicating that this response is malaria-specific. The present study indicates that sTNF-R75 levels could become a useful immunological tool in malaria intervention studies, as they reflect changes in malaria-specific immune responses. Future studies should validate this potential in different endemic settings.     

Superantigen-induced T cell responses in acute rheumatic fever and chronic rheumatic heart disease patients

CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from healthy donors, acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and chronic rheumatic heart disease (CRHD) patients responded variably to a superantigen from Streptococcus pyogenes--Streptococcal pyrogenic erythrogenic toxin A (SPE-A). In vitro culture of CD4+ T cells from ARF patients (CD4-ARF) with SPE-A exhibited a Th1 type of response as they produced high levels of IL-2, while CD4+ T cells from CRHD patients (CD4-RHD) secreted IL-4 and IL-10 in large amounts, i.e. Th2 type of cytokine profile. The skewing of human CD4+ T cells (in response to SPE-A stimulation) to Th1 or Th2 type reflects the role of the two subsets in a disorder with differing intensities at the two extremes of the spectrum. Moreover, the anergy induction experiments revealed that CD8-ARF and CD8-RHD undergo anergy (to different extents), whereas CD4+ T cells do not, in response to re-stimulation by SPE-A. These results initially demonstrate that both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells respond differentially to SPE-A, and hence it is an important observation with respect to the pathogenesis of ARF/CRHD. Anergy in CD8+ T cells in the presence of SPE-A in vitro goes a step further to show the clinical relevance of these cells and their possible role in suppression of the disease.     

Neutralizing antibodies to African swine fever virus proteins p30, p54, and p72 are not sufficient for antibody-mediated protection

Although antibody-mediated immune mechanisms have been shown to be important in immunity to ASF, it remains unclear what role virus neutralizing antibodies play in the protective response. Virus neutralizing epitopes have been identified on three viral proteins, p30, p54, and p72. To evaluate the role(s) of these proteins in protective immunity, pigs were immunized with baculovirus-expressed p30, p54, p72, and p22 from the pathogenic African swine fever virus (ASFV) isolate Pr4. ASFV specific neutralizing antibodies were detected in test group animals. Following immunization, animals were challenged with 10(4) TCID(50) of Pr4 virus. In comparison to the control group, test group animals exhibited a 2-day delay to onset of clinical disease and reduced viremia levels at 2 days postinfection (DPI); however, by 4 DPI, there was no significant difference between the two groups and all animals in both groups died between 7 and 10 DPI. These results indicate that neutralizing antibodies to these ASFV proteins are not sufficient for antibody-mediated protection.     

Comparison of local risk factors for children's atopic symptoms in Hanoi, Vietnam

BACKGROUND: A 1999 study in Hanoi, Vietnam using the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire showed a high prevalence of atopic symptoms. Identifying risk factors for symptoms in these children may help in understanding the causes for these high estimates. METHODS: An ISAAC questionnaire with supplemental questions on environmental variables was distributed to 5495 school children in Hanoi and a suburban district, Dong Anh. The response rate was 65.7%. RESULTS: In Dong Anh, the following were among the significant age and gender adjusted associations: pig ownership [odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval), OR = 1.79 (1.18-2.70) for doctor-diagnosed asthma (DDA), OR = 1.72 (1.08-2.78) for doctor diagnosed hay fever (DDHF)] and farming [OR = 1.67 (1.27-2.19) for ever asthma, OR = 1.51 (1.09-2.09) for DDHF]. In multivariate models, tuberculosis (TB) was a significant predictor of atopic symptoms [Hanoi: OR = 3.09 (1.10-8.70) for DDA, Dong Anh: OR = 3.71 (1.40-9.84) for DDA, OR = 4.66 (1.88-11.57) for DDHF]. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are contrary to the "hygiene hypothesis". Recent immunologic and epidemiologic studies refute the inverse association between allergy and TB and may be one explanation for the positive association in this study. The positive association with pig ownership and farming may be because of exposures on farms in a developing country that may be different from exposures in farms of developed countries.     

肾胚胎瘤20例临床分析

20例肾胚胎瘤患儿中18例是晚期病人。全部病人均于发现包块前一周～半年(平均50天)在各地儿科门诊以发烧为主诉就诊过,都被诊断为“上呼吸道感染”。3例腹部包块被诊断为肝癌或脾肿大而收住儿科。作者认为,对于不明原因的经常发烧的儿童应疑及该肿瘤。B型超声波有助于早期发现肾胚胎瘤。     

山东省发热伴血小板减少综合征发病危险因素分析

目的 探讨影响山东省发热伴血小板减少综合征（SFTS）发病的危险因素,为科学防制该病提供依据。方法 应用1∶2匹配的病例对照研究方法,调查收集病例、对照的基本情况、可疑暴露因素等信息,采用单因素和多因素的配对条件logistic回归分析发病危险因素。结果 本研究共纳入374例SFTS确诊病例和748例对照。分析结果显示,有病例接触史（OR = 5.84,95%CI:1.11～30.88）、有家养动物（OR = 1.74,95%CI: 1.02～2.96）、近1个月见过蜱（OR = 5.85,95%CI: 2.73～12.53）、近2周有蜱叮咬史（OR = 29.58,95%CI: 6.70～130.60）、从事田间作业（OR = 2.63,95%CI:1.41～4.91）、住宅周围环境有杂草/农作物/菜地（OR = 3.24,95%CI:1.74～6.05）和住宅卫生条件差（OR = 2.20,95%CI:1.32～3.66）是SFTS发病的危险因素（P＜0.05）,近1个月有亲邻发病（OR = 0.01,95%CI:0～0.03）、采取防护措施（OR = 0.21,95%CI:0.10～0.46）是SFTS发病的保护因素（P＜0.05）。结论 接触病例、饲养家养动物、蜱叮咬、无防护措施的野外作业及住宅周围环境卫生较差等是影响山东省SFTS发病的危险因素。应加强重点人群SFTS健康教育和行为干预,减少危险因素暴露,以控制SFTS传播。     

2011—2020年湖南省伤寒、副伤寒流行病学特征和菌株耐药分析

目的 分析2011—2020年湖南省伤寒、副伤寒流行特征和菌株耐药情况,为做好伤寒、副伤寒防控工作提供依据。方法 收集2011—2020年湖南省伤寒、副伤寒监测数据,采用描述性流行病学方法分析三间分布特征,对各市州分离上送的67株伤寒、副伤寒沙门菌采用梅里埃VITEK2 Compact 全自动细菌鉴定及药敏分析系统进行细菌鉴定和药敏分析。结果 10年间湖南省共报告伤寒、副伤寒病例9 888例,死亡0例,年均发病率1.47/10万。发病人群以农民、散居儿童、学生为主,5—9月为高发季节,主要集中在湘南和湘西地区。2011—2020年湖南省共报告4起伤寒、副伤寒暴发疫情,暴发场所均为学校,传播途径均为水型传播。67株伤寒、副伤寒菌对头孢他啶、氨曲南和厄他培南100%敏感;对哌拉西林/他唑巴坦、头孢吡肟和复方新诺明敏感率为98.5%;对氨苄西林/舒巴坦敏感率为97.0%;对头孢唑林、头孢替坦、阿米卡星、庆大霉素和妥布霉素敏感性较低（＜10%）。55.3%菌株对三类及以上抗生素耐药,发现1株同时对8种抗生素耐药。结论 湖南省伤寒、副伤寒发病呈持续低发状态,局部地区存在暴发。菌株多重耐药现象严重,应加强疫情及耐药监测。     

基于数据挖掘的刺络放血疗法治疗 外感发热的选穴规律研究

〔摘 要〕 目的：探究基于数据挖掘的刺络放血疗法治疗外感发热的选穴规律。 方法：2019 年 7 月至 2019 年 12 月采 用 Excel 2019 建立刺络放血数据仓库模型,随后下载、筛选已建数据库中刺络放血疗法治疗外感发热的文献资料,以及所 需信息的录入,借助建立的刺络放血数据库平台,对其进行数据挖掘。 结果：纳入刺络放血疗法治疗外感发热的文献共计 63 篇,其中刺络放血针具三棱针使用频次最高,刺络放血刺法使用频次最高的为点刺;刺络放血治疗未配合拔罐的研究 占比 80 %;采用刺络放血配合疗法的有 46 项,占比 73 %,其中以拔罐使用频次最高。 结论：刺络放血疗法治疗外感发热 以三棱针点刺治疗为主,且部分研究常配合其他疗法以明显提升治疗效果,但配合拔罐治疗临床应用较少。