Vaccination inhibits the human adenoviral transduction in a mouse keratoconjunctivitis model

Adenovirus infections are a major cause of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC), which can lead to corneal subepithelial infiltrates and multifocal corneal opacity. In the current study, we investigated the use of an E1/E3-deleted adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vector as a vaccine administered intramuscularly (IM) or intranasally (IN) against subsequent challenges with a luciferase-expressing Ad5 (Ad5-Luci) vector via eyedrop. We evaluated the adaptive immune response to Ad5 vector vaccination and confirmed a robust polyfunctional CD8 T cell response in splenic cells. Neutralizing Ad5 antibodies were also measured in the sera of vaccinated mice as well as Ad5 antibody in the eye wash solutions. Upon challenge with Ad5-Luci vector 8 weeks post the primary immunization, transduction was significantly reduced by > 70% in the vaccinated mice, which was slightly better in IM- vs. that in IN-vaccinated animals. Resistance to subsequent challenge was observed 10 months post primary IM vaccination, with sustained reduction up to 60% in the Ad5-Luci vector transduction. Passive immunization of naive mice with antisera from IM to vaccinated mice subsequently challenged with the Ad5-Luci vector resulted in approximately 40% loss in transduction efficiency. Furthermore, the mice that received IM immunization with or without CD8 T cell depletion showed > 40% and 70% reductions, respectively, in Ad8 genomic copies after Ad8 topical challenge. We conclude that Ad-vector vaccination successfully induced an adaptive immune response that prevented subsequent Ad transduction in the cornea and conjunctiva-associated tissues in a mouse model of adenovirus keratoconjunctivitis, and that both cellular and humoral immunity play an important role in preventing Ad transduction.     

PCR仪与测序仪应用于丙型肝炎病毒基因型检测的临床效果观察

目的:观察PCR仪与测序仪在丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)基因型检测中的应用。方法:选择2018年1月~2018年12月收治的134例HCV感染患者为研究对象,给予患者PCR仪检测、测序仪检测。结果:测序仪检测134例均可分型,PCR仪检测130例患者可分型,4例未能分型。PCR检测结果:134例HCV感染患者中,1b型59例,2a型47例,3a型6例,3b型15例,6a型3例,4例为分出型别。基因测序结果:134例均可分型:1型59例,2a型40例,2i型7例,3a型6例,3b型15例,6a型3例,6n型4例。PCR仪检测法检测符合率97.0%。结论:PCR仪测序仪检测用于丙型肝炎病毒基因型检测,操作便捷,但其只能检测探针覆盖的型别,个别罕见型别不能分型。     

Anomalous Origin of the Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery: Diagnoses and Surgical Results in 12 Pediatric Patients

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare congenital condition. It responds well to early diagnosis and treatment, but otherwise the prognosis is poor. We present our case series of 12 patients (mean age, 2 ± 2.58 yr; age range, 2 mo–8 yr), emphasizing the diagnostic process and discussing our surgical results. The diagnosis of ALCAPA should be suspected in infants who have dilated cardiomyopathy with electrocardiographic changes that suggest ischemia, and in older children who have isolated mitral regurgitation. When clinical suspicion is high, the results of 2-dimensional echocardiography combined with color-flow Doppler studies in expert hands can establish the diagnosis, thus avoiding angiography in critically ill infants. The treatment of choice in our patients was transfer and reimplantation of the left coronary artery onto the ascending aorta. There were 2 deaths: both were infants in extremis who underwent emergency surgery. An older child with severe ventricular dysfunction was given mechanical ventricular assistance and then heart transplantation. As of this report, all 10 survivors remained well and asymptomatic.     

单孔胸腔镜下肺癌术后胸腔引流时间的影响因素分析北大核心

目的:探讨单孔胸腔镜下肺癌手术术后胸腔引流时间的影响因素。方法:本研究采用回顾性分析方法,回顾我院2018年01月至2019年12月原发性肺癌患者经单孔胸腔镜手术治疗的病例199例。按照术后胸腔引流时间分为两组,Ⅰ组(术后胸腔引流时间<5天)和Ⅱ组(术后胸腔引流时间≥5天)。对于影响术后胸腔引流时间的可能因素在两组间先采用单因素分析的方法筛选,再将筛选出来的对术后胸腔引流时间可能有意义的影响因素进行二项Logistic多因素回归分析。结果:经单因素分析及二项Logistic多因素回归分析结果显示:年龄≥60岁、手术部位、肺段切除术、胸膜粘连、手术时间≥180 min、术后早期下床活动是术后胸腔引流时间的独立影响因素(P<0.05)。结论:对于具有多个延长术后胸腔引流时间的独立影响因素的患者,应制定个体化管理方案,尽可能减少术后胸腔引流时间,减少住院天数,加快患者康复。     

丹青胶囊联合他扎罗汀倍他米松治疗银屑病的临床研究

目的 探讨丹青胶囊联合他扎罗汀倍他米松治疗银屑病的临床疗效.方法 选取2019年6月—2021年6月在天津市职业病防治院门诊皮肤科就诊治疗的114例银屑病患者,根据随机数字法分为对照组和治疗组,每组各57例.对照组患者给予他扎罗汀倍他米松乳膏,洗净患处,待皮肤干爽后,将适量本品均匀涂抹于患处,1次/d.治疗组患者在对照组治疗基础上口服丹青胶囊,4粒/次,3次/d.两组患者均连续治疗7 d.观察两组患者的临床疗效和临床症状好转时间,比较两组治疗前与治疗1、4、8周的皮损面积和严重程度指数(PASI)评分和血清炎性因子水平.结果 治疗后,治疗组总有效率是98.25％,显著高于对照组的82.46％(P<0.05).治疗后,治疗组患者皮损暗红、皮损肥厚、皮肤瘙痒、皮肤疼痛等症状好转时间均显著短于对照组(P<0.05).治疗后,两组PASI评分均较治疗前显著降低(P<0.05);治疗1、4、8周治疗组PASI评分显著低于对照组(P<0.05).治疗后,两组患者血清炎性因子白细胞介素6(IL-6)、白细胞介素17(IL-17)、肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)、干扰素-γ(IFN-γ)水平均较治疗前显著降低(P<0.05);治疗后,治疗组血清炎性因子水平显著低于对照组(P<0.05).结论 丹青胶囊联合他扎罗汀倍他米松治疗银屑病效果明显,能显著降低炎性因子水平,并有助于改善皮损情况,值得临床推广应用.     

Development of an IgG-Fc fusion COVID-19 subunit vaccine,AKS-452

AKS-452 is a biologically-engineered vaccine comprising an Fc fusion protein of the SARS-CoV-2 viral spike protein receptor binding domain antigen (Ag) and human IgG1 Fc (SP/RBD-Fc) in clinical development for the induction and augmentation of neutralizing IgG titers against SARS-CoV-2 viral infection to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fc moiety is designed to enhance immunogenicity by increasing uptake via Fc-receptors (FcγR) on Ag-presenting cells (APCs) and prolonging exposure due to neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) recycling. AKS-452 induced approximately 20-fold greater neutralizing IgG titers in mice relative to those induced by SP/RBD without the Fc moiety and induced comparable long-term neutralizing titers with a single dose vs. two doses. To further enhance immunogenicity, AKS-452 was evaluated in formulations containing a panel of adjuvants in which the water-in-oil adjuvant, Montanide™ ISA 720, enhanced neutralizing IgG titers by approximately 7-fold after one and two doses in mice, including the neutralization of live SARS-CoV-2 virus infection of VERO-E6 cells. Furthermore, ISA 720-adjuvanted AKS-452 was immunogenic in rabbits and non-human primates (NHPs) and protected from infection and clinical symptoms with live SARS-CoV-2 virus in NHPs (USA-WA1/2020 viral strain) and the K18 human ACE2-trangenic (K18-huACE2-Tg) mouse (South African B.1.351 viral variant). These preclinical studies support the initiation of Phase I clinical studies with adjuvanted AKS-452 with the expectation that this room-temperature stable, Fc-fusion subunit vaccine can be rapidly and inexpensively manufactured to provide billions of doses per year especially in regions where the cold-chain is difficult to maintain.     

Redox active or thiol reactive? Optimization of rapid screens to identify less evident nuisance compounds

Compounds that exhibit assay interference or undesirable mechanisms of bioactivity are routinely encountered in assays at various stages of drug discovery. We observed that assays for the investigation of thiol-reactive and redox-active compounds have not been collected in a comprehensive review. Here, we review these assays and subject them to experimental optimization to improve their reliability. We demonstrate the usefulness of our assay cascade by assaying a library of bioactive compounds, chemical probes, and a set of approved drugs. These high-throughput assays should complement the array of wet-lab and in silico assays during the initial stages of hit discovery campaigns to pursue only hit compounds with tractable mechanisms of action.     

Is low or high body mass index in patients operated for oral squamous cell carcinoma associated with the perioperative complication rate?

The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of body mass index (BMI), both low and high values, on the perioperative complication rate in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The medical records of 259 patients operated between 2014 and 2017 for OSCC were reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Sixty of the 259 patients developed 87 complications. Low or high BMI was not associated with the perioperative complication rate. A longer operating time and increased blood loss were associated with a higher perioperative complication rate and higher Clavien–Dindo grade. Low BMI, American Society of Anesthesiologists score 2 and 3, a longer operating time, and increased blood loss were associated with a longer hospital stay. Low BMI was associated with a longer hospital stay. Neither low nor high BMI was associated with the perioperative complication rate. A longer operating time and increased blood loss were associated with a higher perioperative complication rate and higher Clavien–Dindo grade.