Relationship between histological prognosis of chronic hepatitis C and amount of hepatitis C virus core protein in serum

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) viraemia is one of the factors for histological prognosis of chronic hepatitis C. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-five patients who received hepatic biopsies twice at intervals of 5 years or longer were followed up for a mean of 9.7 +/- 4.0 years were studied retrospectively. The amount of HCV viraemia present was measured as the concentration of HCV core protein by using the fluorescence enzyme immunoassay method. RESULTS: Multiple-regression analysis, using deterioration of the histological stage as a dependent variable, showed that greater age (P = 0.041), higher stage of hepatic histology at the start of follow up (P = 0.029), and higher serum concentration of core protein (P < 0.001) were independent factors affecting the deterioration of the liver's histological stage. At follow up, no significant difference in histological stage was seen between patients with serum HCV core protein > or = 100 pg/mL (n = 60) and those with serum core protein < 100 pg/mL (n = 75). The histological grade in patients with high serum core-protein levels tended to be significantly worse and the deterioration rate of the histological stage was significantly higher than in those with low HCV core protein levels (68 vs 35%, P < 0.001). The mutation rate of the HCV envelope-2/non-structural 1 (E2/NS1) nucleotide region was compared in two patients who had high serum concentrations of HCV core protein and whose histological stage had deteriorated with two patients who had low serum concentrations of the core protein and whose histological stages remained unchanged. No significant difference in E2/NS1 mutation was found. CONCLUSIONS: The amount of HCV viraemia was suggested to be a significant factor for determining histological outcome in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The mutation rate in the E2/NS1 region did not seem to be associated with the prognosis of chronic hepatitis C.     

未接受抗病毒治疗的慢性乙型肝炎患者多聚酶P基因YMDD变异检测

目的 了解未经拉米夫定及干扰素抗病毒治疗的慢性乙型肝炎患者中HBV多聚酶YMDD变异情况。方法 应用错配PCR扩增方法检测病人血清HBV的YMDD位点，选择65例病史超过半年以上、肝功能异常、HBV DNA阳性的慢性乙型肝炎患者。结果 在65例患者中，YMDD变异阳性6例(9．07％)，阴性59例，6例变异中2例为YIDD阳性，其中1例为YMDD野毒株和变异株混合存在，4例为YYDD阳性，其中1例为YMDD野毒株和变异株混合存在。结论 本检测方法简便、实用，在未经抗病毒治疗的慢性乙型肝炎患者中可存在YMDD变异株，其与野生株一样是自然存在的。     

胃癌组织H-ras基因点突变与预后的关系

目的:胃癌发生发展的分子基础仍不甚明了,为了明确H—ras点突变在胃癌发生发展中的作用,本研究对胃癌组织H—ras点突变进行检测。方法:采用多聚酶链延伸反应—限制性片段长度多态性分析法(PCR—RFLP)对88例福尔马林液固定、石蜡包埋胃癌组织H—ras第12位和61位密码子点突变作了检测,并对点突变与肿瘤生物学行为及预后的关系进行分析。结果:H—ras总突变率为14.8％(13/88),点突变的发生与肿瘤将膜浸润,淋巴结转移、临床分期及术后生存期密切相关。结论:检测胃癌组织H—ras基因点突变有助于判断胃癌患者的预后。     

应用基因芯片直接检测结核病患者各类标本中利福平和异烟肼耐药的价值

目的 研究结核分枝杆菌(MTB)耐药基因芯片直接检测结核病患者临床标本中利福平和异烟肼耐药相关基因的临床价值。方法 回顾性分析125例通过硝基苯甲酸(PNB)和噻吩-2-羧酸肼(TCH)鉴别培养为MTB的临床标本,其中痰标本90例、支气管灌洗液12例、脓液12例、胸腔积液6例、组织标本3例、腹腔积液和尿液标本各1例,应用绝对浓度法同时进行利福平(RFP)和异烟肼(INH)药物敏感性试验(简称“绝对浓度法药敏试验”),并用基因芯片直接检测临床标本中MTB rpoB、katG和inhA基因型。以绝对浓度法药敏试验为标准,评价基因芯片检测RFP、INH耐药和耐多药(MDR)的敏感度和特异度,并且比较两种检测结果的一致性。结果 在125例结核病患者临床标本中,绝对浓度法药敏试验显示对RFP、INH的耐药率和MDR发生率分别为20.0%(25/125)[其中高耐占88.0%(22/25)、低耐占12.0%(3/25)]、17.6%(22/125)[其中高耐占18.2%(4/22)、低耐占81.8%(18/22)]、16.8%(21/125)。初治和复治结核病患者临床标本中MDR-MTB的检出率分别为7.6%(7/92)和39.4%(13/33)。以绝对浓度法药敏试验为标准,应用基因芯片直接检测临床标本中MTB rpoB、katG和inhA基因型,预示对RFP、INH耐药和MDR的敏感度分别为72.0%(18/25)、63.6%(14/22)和61.9%(13/21),特异度分别为91.0%(91/100)、86.4%(89/103)和89.4%(93/104),两种方法的一致率分别为87.2%(109/125)、82.4%(103/125)和84.8%(106/125)。 结论 应用耐药基因芯片直接检测结核病患者临床标本中MTB对 RFP和INH耐药的相关基因突变具有中等的敏感度和较高的特异度,可快速检出对RFP、INH耐药和MDR-TB患者,为临床早期开展有效化疗提供实验依据。     

A longitudinal study of immunological status in Chinese haemophiliacs: importance of the heat viral inactivation of factor concentrates. I. Immunological associations with the consumption of factor concentrates

Summary . Twenty-four of 117 cases of haemophilia A (20.5%) and none of 18 cases of haemophilia B reported in this study had an antibody to the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV). Both groups of patients showed similar immunological alterations. HIV-seropositive haemophilia A patients had an increased CD8 cell count and a similarly decreased CD4/CD8 ratio as compared to HIV-seronegative haemophilia A patients. Multiple regression analysis for the association of CD4/CD8 ratio with HIV infection status and dosage of plasma products in haemophilia A and B patients, respectively, revealed that there was a significant negative association of ln(CD4/CD8) with dosage of factor VlII concentrates (P = 0.0435) and factor IX concentrates (P = O.O028), respectively. N o association occurred between CD4/CD8 ratio and HIV infection as well as dosage of other plasma products. These data indicate that the immunological abnormalities of our haemophilia A and B patients in their early years were primarily caused by various viral infections and/or a suppressive effect of allogeneic protein through infusion of factor concentrates and not caused simply by HIV infection.     

p53 point mutations in primary human gastric carcinomas

Summary p53 point mutations in primary gastric carcinomas were analyzed by performing cDNA deoxynucleotide sequencing of the gene. Out of 16,9 (56.3%) primary gastric carcinoma cases, including early cancer, showed one or more p53 point mutations in their open-reading frame, and 4 out of 9 cases had a p53 point mutation within highly conserved domains. The characteristics of the p53 mutation spectrum observed in primary tumors were (a) frequent mutation at an A:T pair (50%, 7 out of 14 mutations), (b) high transversion incidence (29%, 4 out of 14 mutations), (c) no transition at CpG, and (d) no G:C to T:A transversion. Our results suggest that p53 mutation is a common event in gastric carcinoma occurring from the early stage of progression with its specific mutation spectrum.Abbreviation PCR-SSCP polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism     

简捷的PCR点突变实现人胰岛素原基因非β细胞表达

利用聚合酶链反应 (PCR)技术将人胰岛素原基因进行两处突变 ,引入Furin酶的裂解位点 ,再构建突变人胰岛素原基因逆转录病毒载体重组质粒 ,转染HepG2肝癌细胞 ,经检测可表达成熟胰岛素。所采用的PCR点突变法简单且无错误掺入产生     

Identification of protein Salpha gene mutations including four novel mutations in eight unrelated patients with protein S deficiency

Eight distinct and potentially causative mutations were identified in eight unrelated Japanese patients with protein S (PS) deficiency, by direct DNA sequencing of the protein Salpha (PSalpha) gene-specific polymerase chain reaction products of all 15 exons and exon/intron boundaries. There were five missense mutations, including two novel mutations (Cys80Tyr and Arg314His), and three showed a major impact on the expected gene products: novel mutations of a 5-bp deletion (delCTCTG887:Cys206Stop) and a nonsense mutation (Glu208Stop), as well as a previously reported splice site (exon 10 +5 A-->G) mutation. One of the patients showed compound heterozygosity for delCTCTG887 and 732A-->G. Investigation for the cosegregation state of these two mutations with PS deficiency in the patient's family suggested that the delCTCTG887 mutation was responsible for the abnormal phenotype and that the 732A-->G (Lys155Glu) mutation did not appear to play a key role. However, we also identified the same 732A-->G (Lys155Glu) mutation in an unrelated patient with apparent PS deficiency with severe pulmonary embolism, and found that this mutation seemed to cosegregate with a PS-deficient state in her family members. These data implied that unknown factor(s) other than the 732A-->G mutation itself might influence phenotypic expression of PS status in different individuals.     

Desigualdades sociales en la mortalidad cardiovascular en España desde una perspectiva interseccional

Introduction and objectivesThere is an interaction between age, sex, and educational level, among other factors, that influences mortality. To date, no studies in Spain have comprehensively analyzed social inequalities in cardiovascular mortality by considering the joint influence of age, sex, and education (intersectional perspective).MethodsStudy of all deaths due to all-cause cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and cerebrovascular disease among people aged ≥ 30 years in Spain in 2015. Data were obtained from the Spanish Office of Statistics. The relative index of inequality (RII) and the slope index of inequality (SII) were calculated by using Poisson regression models with age-adjusted mortality. The RII is interpreted as the relative risk of mortality between the lowest and the highest educational level, and the SII as the absolute difference in mortality.ResultsThe RII for all-cause cardiovascular mortality was 1.88 (95%CI, 1.80-1.96) in women and 1.44 (95%CI, 1.39-1.49) in men. The SII was 178.46 and 149.43 deaths per 100 000, respectively. The greatest inequalities were observed in ischemic heart disease and heart failure in younger women, with a RII higher than 4. There were no differences between sexes in inequalities due to cerebrovascular disease.ConclusionsCardiovascular mortality is inversely associated with educational level. This inequality mostly affects premature mortality due to cardiac causes, especially among women. Monitoring this problem could guide the future Cardiovascular Health Strategy in the National Health System, to reduce inequality in the first cause of death.     

High frequency of the c.3207C〉A （p.H1069Q） mutation in A TP7B gene of Lithuanian patients with hepatic presentation of Wilson＇s disease

AIM： To investigate the prevalence of the ATP7B gene mutation in patients with hepatic presentation of Wilson＇s disease （WD） in Lithuania. METHODS： Eleven unrelated Lithuanian families, including 13 WD patients were tested. Clinically WD diagnosis was established in accordance to the Leipzig scoring system. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole venous blood using a salt precipitation method. Firstly, the semi-nested polymerase chain reaction （PCR） technique was used to detect the c.3207C〉A （p.H1069Q） mutation. Patients not homozygous for the c.3207C〉A （p.H1069Q） mutation were further analyzed. The 21 exons of the WD gene were amplified in a thermal cycler （Biometra T3 Thermocycler, G0ttingen, Germany）. Direct sequencing of the amplified PCR products was performed by cycle sequencing using fluorescent dye terminators in an automatic sequencer （Applied Biosystems, Darmstadt, Germany）. RESULTS： Total of 13 WD patients （mean age 26.4 years; range 17-40; male/female 3/10） presented with hepatic disorders and 16 their first degree relatives （including 12 siblings） were studied. Some of WD patients, in addition to hepatic symptoms, have had extrahepatic disorders （hemolytic anemia 3; Fanconi syndrome 1; neurophsychiatric and behavioural disorder 2）. Liver biopsy specimens were available in all of 13 WD patients （8 had cirrhosis; 1-chronic hepatitis; 3-acute liver failure, 1-1iver steatosis）. Twelve of 13 （92.3%） WD patients had the c.3207C〉A （p.HI069Q） mutation, 6 of them in both chromosomes, 6 were presented as compound heterozygotes with additional c.3472-82delGGTTTAACCAT, c.3402delC, c.3121C〉T （p.RI041W） or unknown mutations. For one patient with liver cirrhosis and psychiatric disorder （Leipzig score 6）, no mutations were found. Out of 16 first degree WD relatives, 11 （68.7%） were heterozygous for the c.3207C〉A （p.H1069Q） mutation. Two patients with fulminant WD died from acute liver failure and ii are in full remission under peniciilam