血吸虫感染鼠血清SEAIC水平与肝脏病变关系的动态观察

采用分离纯化的兔抗ＳＥＡ－ＩｇＧ以生物素－亲和素放大系统，用ＣａｐｔｕｒｅＥＬＩＳＡ方法检测感染血吸虫鼠血清中抗ＳＥＡ循环免疫复合物（ＳＥＡＩＣ）水平在感染后各周的动态变化；并在观察肝脏病变的同时，采用图像分析技术，动态测定各周肝内虫卵肉芽肿的直径和面积。结果表明，血清ＳＥＡＩＣ在感染后４ｗｋ即可检出，６－７ｗｋ时达高峰，以后有所下降，但至实验观察结束时（１２ｗｋ）仍维持在较高水平。感染后４ｗｋ，肝组织内发现虫卵，但到５ｗｋ时尚未形成虫卵肉芽肿病变，至６ｗｋ时，肝内形成巨大的虫卵结节，其直径和面积于７ｗｋ时达高峰，此后逐渐下降，其动态变化与血清ＳＥＡＩＣ水平的动态变化相吻合，表明血清ＳＥＡＩＣ水平的高低可以作为反映肝脏病变程度的指标，并提示ＳＥＡＩＣ在日本血吸虫病的免疫发病机理中可能起重要作用。     

日本血吸虫卵在粪便中分布特点的研究

本文采用Kato－Katz法，首次对日本血吸虫病患者粪便的内、外层及混匀样本各作50张涂片定量检查。结果各感染度患者粪便虫卵平均数均以外层显著高于内层，混匀后虫卵数居两者之间；每视野虫卵平均数亦均以外层高于内层，混匀后居中。各感染度粪便的内、外层均以前段粪便虫卵平均数多，中段次之，尾段明显减少。虫卵在低感染度粪便内、外层的分布一般为poisson分布。这一特点为Kato－Katz法的取样和准确定量感染度提供了参考依据。     

Ceramides are associated with inflammatory processes in human mediastinal adipose tissue

Background and AimCeramides are poorly characterized in human adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate concentrations of different ceramide species in human subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue depots and to determine associations between ceramides and global gene expression profiles.Methods and ResultsConcentrations of six ceramide species were determined in plasma and in subcutaneous and mediastinal adipose tissue from 10 overweight subjects (BMI 29.4 ± 4.9 kg/m²). In the adipose tissue biopsies gene expression arrays were performed and relationships between ceramides and gene expression analyzed. Immunostaining of the two adipose tissue depots was performed in an independent group of 10 patients. Mediastinal adipose tissue contained significantly higher concentrations (p < 0.05) of all six ceramide species than the subcutaneous depot. Of the six ceramides in plasma, concentrations of only two (Cer d18:1/18:0 and Cer d18:1/22:0) correlated significantly (p < 0.05) with the corresponding species in mediastinal adipose tissue, but there were no significant correlations between ceramides in plasma and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Multivariate analysis identified significant correlations between the total ceramide concentration and global gene expression within mediastinal, but not subcutaneous adipose tissue, according to cross-validation. Gene ontology analysis of genes related to ceramides in the mediastinal depot revealed that genes positively correlated with ceramides were associated mainly with immune and inflammatory categories, while genes negatively correlated with ceramides were associated mainly with lipid and carbohydrate metabolism.ConclusionsCeramides in human mediastinal adipose tissue may be involved in inflammation and lipid and carbohydrate metabolism.     

Early exposure to allergens: a new window of opportunity for non-communicable disease prevention in complementary feeding?

Recent findings suggest that an early exposure to dietary antigens may be more protective towards allergy than a later introduction even in high-risk infants. The consequent earlier introduction of food items such as egg yolk and oily fish, together with breastfeeding continuation through the first year, could contribute to reducing protein and increasing fat supply, respectively. These changes might have a role in the overall prevention of non-communicable disorders of adulthood.     

Delayed release phosphatidylcholine as new therapeutic drug for ulcerative colitis – a review of three clinical trials

Importance of the field: As the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) is unknown, a causative therapy is lacking. Therefore, some UC patients suffer from disease activity despite symptomatic anti-inflammatory treatment strategies. We claim that reduction of phosphatidylcholine (PC) in colonic mucus impairs the mucosal barrier and, thus, causes attacks of the commensal bacterial flora to induce colitis. Thus, mucus PC substitution could provide a causal therapy for UC.

Areas covered in this review: A delayed released oral PC preparation (rPC) was found to substitute for the lack of PC in rectal mucus. In non-steroid-treated active UC, 53% of rPC-treated patients reached remission compared with 10% of placebo patients (p < 0.001). In a second trial with chronic-active, steroid-dependent UC patients, steroid withdrawal with a concomitant achievement of remission (CAI ≤ 3) or clinical response (≥ 50% CAI improvement) was reached in 15 rPC-treated patients (50%) but only in 3 (10%) placebo patients (p = 0.002).

What the reader will gain: The concept that missing PC in colonic mucus is the main pathogenetic factor for development of UC. PC can be substituted by rPC, which cures the disease in the majority of patients.

Take home message: rPC is, to our knowledge, the first causative therapeutic option for patients with UC.     

NSAID induced gastrointestinal damage and designing GI-sparing NSAIDs

ABSTRACT

NSAIDs are widely used to treat pain and rheumatic conditions, but they induce adverse events in different body systems, although the major, most frequent events occur in the upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tracts.

Areas covered: This review is focused on damage caused by NSAIDs in the upper and lower GI tracts, the different mechanisms of damage and the GI-sparing NSAIDs designed to minimize adverse events based on understanding of these mechanisms.

Expert commentary: Among the new NSAIDs, COX-2 selective inhibitors have been extensively investigated, and some were approved for human use. Celecoxib demonstrated its safety for the entire GI tract, compared to traditional NSAIDs. However, coxibs, like traditional NSAIDs, are toxic to the cardiovascular (CV) system. Other GI-sparing agents include nitric oxide-NSAIDs and phosphatidylcholine-associated NSAIDs. Testing in animal models and humans they showed GI advantages over the parent NSAID compounds, but none obtained regulatory approval or were further investigated. Hydrogen sulfide-releasing NSAIDs are currently under clinical development, and more data are needed before clinical use. Alternative therapies, such as modulating gut microbiota, are being explored. Currently, clinicians must continue prescribing traditional NSAIDs or coxibs, associated with/without proton pump inhibitor therapy, based on the presence of GI/CV risk factors.     

The impact of Salmonella Enteritidis on lipid accumulation in chicken hepatocytes

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) is a public health concern and infected chickens serve as a reservoir that potentially transmits to humans through food. Although SE seldom causes systemic disease in chickens, virulent SE strains can colonize in intestines and lead a persistent infection of the liver. The liver is the primary organ for lipid metabolism in chickens and the site for production and assembly of main components in yolk. We performed a time-course experiment using LMH-2A cells that were infected with SE and co-incubated with β-oestradiol to evaluate if SE infection affected lipid metabolism and subsequently changed lipoprotein formation for egg yolk. The results indicated that lipid accumulation significantly increased in infected LMH-2A cells while the viability of these cells was only slightly decreased. The mRNA expressions of lipid transportation and most lipogenetic genes including sterol regulatory element binding protein 1, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty-acid synthase, long-chain-fatty-acid-CoA ligase 1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, and very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs) II were significantly up-regulated while the expression of lipogenetic-related stearoyl-CoA denaturase 1 was down-regulated. Moreover, decline in lipid transportation of hepatocytes was evidenced by the down-regulation of oestrogen receptor α which promotes VLDLy formation, an increase of intra-cellular accumulation of Apoprotein B (ApoB) protein, and a decrease of cellular excretion of VLDL protein. Conclusively, SE infection could elevate lipid synthesis and reduce lipid transportation in the chicken hepatocytes. These changes may lead excessive lipid accumulation in liver and slower lipoprotein deposition in yolk.     

Parental perceptions in egg allergy: Does egg challenge make a difference?

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of an oral egg challenge in egg sensitized children on parental perceptions relating to their child's allergy. A questionnaire was completed by parents for 167 children attending a tertiary paediatric clinic with egg sensitization. The questionnaires included 10 questions concerning parental perceptions of their child's egg allergy. Parental perceptions of those children who had not had an egg challenge (n = 83) were compared with those whose children had a positive (n = 27) and those with a negative (n = 57) egg challenge. A significant difference (p = ≤0.02) was observed between challenge positive(CP) and challenge negative (CN) subjects in reported changes to lifestyle and the fact that more parents in the CN group expected little or no future inconvenience for the child. The responses of parents whose child had undergone an egg challenge differed significantly (p = ≤0.005) from those not challenged with a significant reduction in the following parameters; the effect on out-of-home care arrangements, the perception of being more severe as compared to other common childhood illnesses, whether they found egg allergy to be moderately or very stressful, whether their lifestyle was changed, the expectation of little or no future discomfort for the child and whether others treated the child differently. The performance of an egg challenge was associated with reduced adverse parental concerns. For 6/10 parameters, expectations concerning egg allergy in children who had been challenged were significantly better than those who had never been challenged irrespective of the challenge outcome. The greater certainty provided by the performance of a food challenge may be a positive outcome in both CP and CN children.