Establishment of shared antigen reactive cytotoxic T lymphocyte using co-stimulatory molecule introduced autologous cancer cells

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) play an essential role in immunological responses for tumor rejection. In the past decade, many tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) have been identified predominantly in melanomas. Several clinical trials based on such antigenic peptides with or without adjuvants brought about partially favorable results, suggesting that identification of more immunogenic TAAs is needed. We show here the successful establishment of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A24-restricted CTL (TcLHK2 line1) from a pleural effusion of lung cancer patient, using B7.1 (CD80) transduced autologous lung cancer cells as an antigen-presenting cell (APC). TcLHK2 line1 recognized autologous lung adenocarcinoma cell line LHK2 in an HLA-A24-restricted fashion. Moreover, this CTL line also recognized allogeneic HLA-A24-positive lung adenocarcinoma cell line, gastric carcinoma cell line and melanoma cell line. These data raise the possibility that co-stimulatory molecule B7.1 (CD80) plays important role to overcome the immunological tolerance. Furthermore, TcLHK2 line1 is a useful tool for the identification of widely expressed shared antigens restricted by HLA-A24. Further analysis of this CTL and autologous cancer cell line will bring about novel TAAs.     

柯萨奇病毒性心肌炎感染模型的建立

从细胞水平介绍了新生乳鼠感染柯萨奇病毒性心肌炎的模型制备,分别从心肌细胞培养、毒株的选择、病毒的分离和毒力滴定、评价造模成功的指标等方面阐述,分析了现有的实验观察,对模型的制备方法加以总结。     

Evaluation of nested and real-time PCR assays in the diagnosis of candidaemia

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays have a very low theoretical detection threshold and are therefore advocated for the diagnosis of fungaemia. However, their effectiveness in this respect remains to be assessed. This study compared real-time PCR ( Can -G) and nested PCR assays with blood culture for the diagnosis of Candida spp. bloodstream infections. A total of 200 clinical blood samples obtained from 110 patients at risk for developing a systemic fungal infection, hospitalized in the University Hospital of Sfax (Tunisia), were submitted to testing by culture, nested PCR and real-time PCR. Blood culture was positive in 36 patients. When compared with culture, the Can -G assay (81% sensitivity, 96% specificity) performed better than the nested PCR assay (86% sensitivity, 54% specificity). The real-time PCR assay, which avoids both the contamination hazard with amplicons that may cause false-positive results and the use of time-consuming post-PCR steps, appears more suitable than the nested PCR assay for the laboratory diagnosis of Candida spp. bloodstream infections. In this study, real-time PCR did not enhance the diagnostic sensitivity for Candida spp. bloodstream infections compared with conventional blood culture; however, it may lead to earlier implementation of an adequately targeted antifungal treatment.     

Chapter 1: Introduction

SUMMARY

The twenty-first century promises to challenge the field of alcohol research, treatment, and prevention in addressing culturally competent practice. The Latino community in the United States serves as an excellent example for measuring how far the field has progressed in meeting these challenges and identifying the work that remains to be accomplished.     

Regulating migrant maternity: Nursing and midwifery’s emancipatory aims and assimilatory practices

In contemporary Western societies, birthing is framed as transformative for mothers; however, it is also a site for the regulation of women and the exercise of power relations by health professionals. Nursing scholarship often frames migrant mothers as a problem, yet nurses are imbricated within systems of scrutiny and regulation that are unevenly imposed on ‘other’ mothers. Discourses deployed by New Zealand Plunket nurses (who provide a universal ‘well child’ health service) to frame their understandings of migrant mothers were analysed using discourse analysis and concepts of power drawn from the work of French philosopher Michel Foucault, read through a postcolonial feminist perspective. This research shows how Plunket nurses draw on liberal feminist discourses, which have emancipatory aims but reflect assimilatory practices, paradoxically disempowering women who do not subscribe to ideals of individual autonomy. Consequently, the migrant mother, her family and new baby are brought into a neoliberal project of maternal improvement through surveillance. This project – enacted differentially but consistently among nurses – attempts to alter maternal and familial relationships by ‘improving’ mothering. Feminist critiques of patriarchy in maternity must be supplemented by a critique of the implicitly western subject of maternity to make empowerment a possibility for all mothers.     

Weaknesses of histological analysis in celiac disease diagnosis: new possible scenarios

Abstract

Introduction. Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten. Serology and organ culture system can support CD diagnosis, despite histology being the gold standard. Aim. We wanted to test the uniformity of application of Marsh–Oberhuber criteria by five different histologists. We also compared histological and serological data with cultural results to consider new possible strategies in CD diagnosis. Methods. We studied 114 patients, who were divided in two groups. Group A was composed of 66 patients on a gluten-containing diet, with gluten-related signs and symptoms, showing positive serological anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA) and anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti- tTG). Group B was composed of 48 disease-control patients, presenting serological EMA and anti-tTG negative results. All patients studied underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy with duodenal biopsy and duodenal mucosa organ culture. All histological samples were evaluated by five different histologists according to an appropriate questionnaire following Marsh–Oberhuber classification. Cohen κ inter-test was used for evaluating the agreement between histologists regarding group A. Results. Strength of agreement was fair/moderate for villous:crypt ratio, moderate/good for villous height and crypt depth, and poor for intraepithelial lymphocytosis. Patients belonging to group A presented positive serological as well as cultural results in 100% of cases. None of the patients belonging to group B presented serological or cultural positive results. Discussion. Our study stresses the limits of histological interpretation due to the lack of uniformity in the use of Marsh–Oberhuber classification. These findings could cast doubt on the role of histology as CD gold standard and could open a debate on the most appropriate CD diagnostic procedure.     

Changes in drug use prevalence in rap music songs, 1979–1997

This article explores the role of changing images of drug use in rap music from the 1970s to the 1990s. A sample of 341 rap music lyrics were coded for drug mentions, behaviours and contexts; drug attitudes and consequences; and music genres. The results show that from 1979–1997, songs with references to drugs increased over 6-fold; those exhibiting positive attitudes and consequences rose substantially and that references to particular drug types changed significantly. In addition, there were significant changes in the social context of drug use such as increased references to using drugs to signify glamour, wealth and sociability. The article examines potential explanations of the increasing focus on drug use rap music which includes the rise of the drug war; changes in the drug use habits of rappers and listeners; rise of gangsta rap and other rap music genres, and changing social images of drugs in American society.