Baseline immune activation as a risk factor for the onset of depression during interferon-alpha treatment.

BACKGROUND: Major depression has been associated cross-sectionally with increased cell-mediated immune activation but causality has been difficult to establish. This study prospectively investigated the hypothesis that baseline level of immune activation predicts the development of depression during interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment. METHODS: Sixteen hepatitis C patients without psychiatric disorder underwent IFN-alpha treatment. Proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were determined before starting treatment. Presence of a major depressive disorder (MDD) was assessed at baseline and several times during treatment. RESULTS: Baseline soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2r), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) concentrations were significantly increased in the five subjects that developed MDD during treatment compared with those that did not, with standardized effect sizes of 1.08, 1.16, and 1.25, respectively, controlling for marijuana use, cigarette smoking, and baseline level of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that increased immune activation, rather than an epiphenomenon, is a causal risk factor for the development of MDD.     

C端带Myc和多聚组氨酸双重标签基因的改构体J-HNP-1在COS-7细胞的转染表达

目的改构α-防御素-1(HNP-1)使其成为一端带J链的改构体J-HNP-1分子,并探索建立能有效表达和分泌J-HNP-1,其表达产物又易于被检测和分离纯化的哺乳动物细胞表达系统。方法利用重组PCR技术,使HNP-1一端带上J链;将J-HNP-1 DNA片段插入哺乳动物细胞表达载体pcDNA3.1(-)/Myc-HisC中,构建出C端带Myc和6×His的rpcDNA3.1(-)/Myc-HisC/J-HNP-1;将此重组真核表达载体导入COS-7细胞,分别从mRNA和蛋白质水平分析J-HNP-1的表达情况,并同步检测细胞可溶性蛋白及培养上清的抗菌活性。结果采用RT-PCR法从被转染的细胞中扩增出1条约786bp的片段,其大小与预测相符;采用Western印迹法,用抗His抗体检测到细胞可溶性蛋白及培养上清在相对分子质量约24×103处有强反应条带显示;细胞可溶性蛋白及培养上清的抗菌活性检测显示,经rpcDNA3.1(-)/Myc-HisC/J-HNP-1转染的COS-7细胞的可溶性蛋白和培养上清均有明显的抗菌活性。结论α-防御素-1(HNP-1)被成功改构成杀菌肽J-HNP-1;所建立的J-HNP-1哺乳动物细胞表达载体系统能有效表达和分泌活性J-HNP-1。     

hs-CRP、TAS联合血脂检测在早老性痴呆症诊断中的应用研究

[目的]研究超敏C反应蛋白（hs-CRP）、总抗氧化状态（TAS）联合血脂检测在早老性痴呆症诊断中的应用价值：[方法]选择浦东新区精神卫生中心早老性痴呆专科门诊患者54例，作超敏C反应蛋白、总抗氧化状态与血脂检测。[结果]与对照组比较，实验组hs-CRP、TAS差异非常显著，t1=4．55，t2=2．79，P1〈0．001，P2〈0．01；血脂中甘油三酯、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、载脂蛋白B、Lp（a）差异显著；t1=3.01，P1〈0．01，t2=2．21，P2〈0．05，t3=2．64，P3〈0．01，t4=1．91，P4〈0．05。[结论]超敏C反应蛋白、总抗氧化状态联合血脂（甘油三酯、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、载脂蛋白B、Lp（a））检测对实验室诊断早老性痴呆症具有较好敏感性和特异性，临床应用前景乐观。     

血管内皮生长因子反义RNA对C6鼠胶质瘤细胞体外作用的研究

目的探讨VEGF反义RNA对C6鼠胶质瘤细胞体外作用。方法用Lipofectamine介导的方法将VEGF反义eDNA转染入C6鼠胶质瘤细胞系,观察其对细胞增殖和凋亡的影响。结果在体外VEGF反义RNA可有效抑制C6鼠胶质瘤细胞内源性VEGFmRNA和VEGF蛋白的产生,但对细胞增殖和凋亡无明显影响。结论采用VEGF反义RNA可能成为抗血管形成肿瘤治疗的新策略之一。     

丙型肝炎病毒核心蛋白6号结合蛋白基因启动子序列的确定及转录活性鉴定

目的研究丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）核心蛋白6号结合蛋白基因（Hcbp6）序列表达的调控机制。方法根据软件对启动子的预测，选取翻译起始密码子ATG上游3256bp及下游180bp的DNA序列，分成5段活性区域，分别以聚合酶链反应技术（PCR），肝母细胞瘤细胞系HePG2基因组DNA为模板，扩增该启动子DNA片段，将其克隆至PCAT3中，构建PCAT3-Hcbp6-P报告基因表达载体，将该质粒分别转染HePG2，NIH3T3细胞，用酶联免疫吸附法检测报告基因编码产物氯霉素乙酰转移酶（CAT）的表达活性。结果发现质粒pCAT3-Hcbp6-1066p和pCAT3-Hcbp6-240p能够指导CAT的表达，其平均吸光度值（4）是PCAT3-basic对照质粒的3．1倍和6．4倍。结论本研究克隆的启动子DNA序列具有转录活性，这一结果为研究HcbP6的调节机制，进一步阐明HCV核心蛋白的作用机制奠定了基础。     

Emerging Issues in Hepatitis C Virus-Positive Liver and Kidney Transplant Recipients

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health care issue in liver and kidney transplantation. Besides negatively affecting both patient and graft survival, HCV is associated with a heightened risk for new onset diabetes mellitus (NODM). The mechanisms underlying the diabetogenicity of HCV are complex but are likely to involve insulin resistance caused by inhibitory actions of the virus on insulin regulatory pathways in the liver. The resultant glucose dysregulation is an important determinant of increased morbidity and mortality in liver and kidney recipients. This review highlights the concerns for outcomes in HCV-positive liver and kidney transplant patients with particular focus on the interrelationship between hepatitis C and diabetes. Data about the potential role of calcineurin inhibitors, corticosteroids and mycophenolate mofetil in HCV infection and HCV-associated NODM will also be discussed.     

Clinical features of hepatocellular carcinoma that occur after sustained virological response to interferon for chronic hepatitis C

Background and Aim: This study investigated the clinical features of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with sustained virological response to interferon for hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection. Methods: A total of 7715 patients with HCV infection were treated with interferon and followed up for more than 1 year after withdrawal of interferon in 64 Japanese hospitals and clinics between July 1988 and August 2001. Sustained virological response was obtained in 2515 (32.6%) patients. Of these 2515 patients, clinical data were collected for 38 patients in whom hepatocellular carcinoma developed. Sustained virological response was defined as HCV RNA negativity more than 6 months after the termination of interferon. Results: All patients were HCV RNA negative at the time of diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. The median period until the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma was 4.7 years (range 1.4–9.0 years). There were significant improvements in hepatic function including serum albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, indocyanine green test, platelet count and histological activity grade in comparison with those before interferon therapy and at the onset of hepatocellular carcinoma. The maximum tumor size in patients without medical follow‐up for 1 year or more (median: 60 mm) was significantly larger than in patients who were periodically followed up for 6 months or less (median: 25 mm) (P = 0.002). Conclusions: The present findings emphasize the importance of regular medical follow up of patients with HCV infection, as even patients showing a sustained virological response to interferon and in whom hepatic function has improved have the potential to develop hepatocellular carcinoma.     

C反应蛋白测定在小儿败血症中的应用

目的　本研究的目的在了解C反应蛋白的 (CRP)测定对于小儿败血症的诊断价值。方法　连续选取2 0例白细胞总数不高的小儿败血症患者 ,作回顾性研究对象。比较其治疗前和治疗后 7～ 1 0d后疾病的痊愈或明显好转时CRP水平 ,并与体温、白细胞分类结果进行比较。结果　治疗后CRP水平 (0 57± 0 68μg/ml)显著低于治疗前水平 (5 90± 3 57μg/ml) ,P <0 0 0 1 ;治疗前CRP的阳性率为 1 0 0 % ,显著高于嗜中性粒细胞比率 >75 %的阳性率 (30 % )和体温高于 37 5℃的阳性率 (30 % ) ,P <0 0 0 5。结论　CRP可以作为一种反映细菌感染的敏感指标 ,有助于不典型小儿败血症的诊断和疗效观察。