The decay of house dust mite allergens, Der p I and Der p II, under natural conditions

Background: Fluctuations in the level of mite allergens in domestic house dust are the result of changes in the balance between synthesis, removal and decay. Purely physical forces as well as enzymatic degradation, mediated by house dust inhabiting microbes, may contribute to the decay of allergens in domestic dust. Knowledge about the speed of decay is essential for an understanding of the dynamics of allergen levels. Objective: The present study is a quantitative assessment of the speed of decay at nine combinations of temperature (15°C, 20°C and 25°C) and relative humidity (33%, 55% and 75%). Methods: Samples of mite infested material of an old rug were stored at these temperature/relative humidity-combinations for 6, 12 or 18 months, after the mites were killed by cither a freezing treatment or an acaricide (lindane). The microbes living in the rug presumably survive these treatments. Concentrations of Der p I and Der p II + Der f II. in extracts of the rug material, were measured by a radio immunoassay. Results: No significant changes in the levels of Der p I and Der p II +Der f II, could be detected even after 1¹/₂ year at a high temperature and humidity. Conclusion: These findings incidate that mite allergens can be extremely stable under normal domestic circumstances.     

氟对体外培养人牙乳头间充质细胞合成I型胶原的影响

目的:明确氟对人牙乳头细胞合成 I型胶原的影响。 方法:对人牙乳头细胞进行体外培养 ,分别给予0 .0、0 .2× 10 - 6、1.0× 10 - 6、5 .0× 10 - 6、2 5 .0× 10 - 6 g/ L 氟处理 ,采用免疫细胞化学方法染色 ,图象分析氟对细胞合成 I型胶原的影响。 结果:I型胶原在对照组和 4种氟浓度处理组细胞表达均为阳性。图象分析结果表明 ,4种氟浓度对体外培养的人牙乳头细胞合成 I型胶原量与对照组相比差异无统计学意义 (P>0 .0 5 )。结论:过量氟对牙本质基质 型胶原的影响可能不是通过影响成牙本质细胞内合成实现的     

糖尿病脑内胰岛移植临床初步研究(附三例报告)

本文报告胰岛细胞脑内移植治疗I型糖尿病共3例,分别经过3个月、4个月、6个月的临床观察,其临床症状明显改善或消失,空腹血糖由移植前平均12.38mmol/L下降至7.77mmol/L;3例患者普通胰岛素用量平均每日62.3~u,移植后第21～30天均完全停用胰岛素,其中1例已持续撤离胰岛素治疗达5个月。观察结果提示:胰岛移植物在患者的脑内成活,并具有良好的内分泌功能。     

Statistical Considerations in Identifying Mechanisms of Change

The statistical search for mechanisms of change involves multiple inferential tests, ones that generally follow a fixed sequence designed to demonstrate mediation. While there are several popular approaches to conducting such tests, e.g., SEM and MRA, the inflated Type I error rate problem associated with conducting these tests has received little, if any, attention. This paper offers 2 solutions to avoid committing Type I errors associated with mediational tests. Most straightforward, investigators may choose to use a Bonferroni adjustment. In contrast, a design-based approach can be used that tests rival explanations for the observed effects. Examples drawn from addiction research are provided.     

用Alabama分析法比较安氏Ⅰ类错中国人与美国白人颅颌面结构差异

目的:研究中国安氏Ⅰ类错成人与美国安氏Ⅰ类错白人牙颌颅面形态结构的差异。方法:从西安市11所大学2098名新生中选取符合标准的101名(男53名、女48名)安氏Ⅰ类错样本。拍摄头颅定位X线片,用第四军医大学口腔医学院头影测量软件测量,用Alabama分析法与美国安氏Ⅰ类错白人颅颌面测量结果进行比较分析。结果:中国西安地区安氏Ⅰ类错成人上下颌突度大,面型较突;平面倾斜度、上下中切牙倾斜度及下中切牙至NB线距均较大;Y轴相对SN平面夹角增大,生长方向为后下。结论:与美国安氏Ⅰ类错白人比较,中国西安地区安氏Ⅰ类错成人颅面结构呈现颌骨突度大、下切牙唇倾及下颌趋向后下等特征。     

A Management of Early CRPS I Caused by Ankle Sprain: A Case Report

Abstract:   We present a case of a 13-year-old boy who developed signs and symptoms of neuropathic pain/early Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Type I, formerly known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), after spraining his ankle while wrestling. Aggressive pain control, using medications and sympatholytic blocks, with physical therapy and rehabilitation, led to the resolution of his painful condition. This prevented the disease from possibly progressing to a full-blown case of CRPS I (RSD) that is very challenging to treat.     

Mechanism of uptake and retention of F-18 BMS-747 158-02 in cardiomyocytes: a novel PET myocardial imaging agent

Background BMS-747158-02 is a novel fluorine 18-labeled pyridazinone derivative designed for cardiac imaging. The uptake and retention mechanisms of F-18 BMS-747158-02 in cardiac myocytes were studied in vitro, and the biodistribution of F-18 BMS-747158-02 was studied in vivo in mice. Methods and Results Fluorine 19 BMS-747158-01 inhibited mitochondrial complex I (MC-I) in bovine heart submitochondrial particles with an IC₅₀ of 16.6±3 nmol/L that was comparable to the reference inhibitors of MC-1, rotenone, pyridaben, and deguelin (IC₅₀ of 18.2±6.7 nmol/L, 19.8±2.6 nmol/L, and 23.1±1.5 nmol/L, respectively). F-18 BMS-747158-02 had high uptake in monolayers of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (10.3%±0.7% of incubated drug at 60 minutes) that was inhibited by 200 nmol/L of rotenone (91%±2%) and deguelin (89%±3%). In contrast, an inactive pyridaben analog, P-0 (IC₅₀ value>4 μmol/L in MC-1 assay), did not inhibit the binding of F-18 BMS-747158-02 in cardiomyocytes. Uptake and washout kinetics for F-18 BMS-747158-02 in rat cardiomyocytes indicated that the time to half-maximal (t_1/2) uptake was very rapid (approximately 35 seconds), and washout t_1/2 for efflux of F-18 BMS-747158-02 was greater than 120 minutes. In vivo biodistribution studies in mice showed that F-18 BMS-747158-02 had substatial myocardial uptake (9.5%±0.5% of injected dose per gram) at 60 minutes and heart-to-lung and heart-to-liver ratios of 14.1±2.5 and 8.3±0.5, respectively. Positron emission tomography imaging in the mouse allowed clear cardiac visualization and demonstrated sustained myocardial uptake through 55 minutes. Conclusions F-18 BMS-747158-02 is a novel positron emission tomography cardiac tracer targeting MC-I in cardiomyocytes with rapid uptake and slow washout. These characteristics allow fast and sustained accumulation in the heart.     

National intercomparisons of I radioactivity measurements in nuclear medicine centres in India

National intercomparisons of activity measurements of ¹³¹I, a radioisotope widely used for diagnosis and therapy of thyroid related ailments, were initiated in 1979 as a quality assurance program, towards improving radiation safety procedures and related dosimetry in Nuclear Medicine Centres (NMCs) in India. Oral administration of a known quantity of radioiodine to patients requires accurate radioactivity measurements to be performed on a well-calibrated isotope calibrators. Under or over estimation of the activity due to a faulty or uncalibrated isotope calibrator could provide misleading results. Calibration of isotope calibrators and the traceablity of subsequent measurements to the national standards laboratory is one of the essential basic radiation safety requirement of the IAEA. In view of the stringent quality assurance requirements for activity measurements imposed by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, a National Intercomparison Program was initiated and to date ten such intercomparison programs have been conducted by the Radiation Safety Systems Division, of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. This program has benefited the participants by making their measurements traceable to the National Primary Standards. Over the years there has been a marked increase in the number of NMCs participating in the intercomparison programs. As a result, the number of institution showing large deviation from the correct value has decreased considerably over the years. This program thus, has enabled participating NMCs to check their isotope calibrators so as to ensure proper delivery of radiation dose to the patients and hence to optimise patient exposure.     

小檗碱对兔颈动脉粥样硬化中内膜增生和巨噬细胞趋化作用的影响

目的观察小檗碱对家兔颈动脉粥样硬化的内膜中膜比和巨噬细胞变化的影响。方法24只雄性日本大耳白兔随机分为3个试验组,正常组每天肌肉注射生理盐水,普通饲料喂养,对照组高脂喂养,1周后行颈动脉内膜空气干燥术并每日肌肉注射生理盐水,小檗碱干预组高脂喂养,1周后行颈动脉内膜空气干燥术并肌肉注射小檗碱,5周时取手术侧的颈动脉做弹力纤维染色,计算内膜中膜比;巨噬细胞免疫组化检测巨噬细胞在颈动脉粥样硬化病变中的变化,计算巨噬细胞的阳性率。结果对照组内膜厚度明显增加,中膜萎缩变薄,经计算I/M为1.20±0.007,小檗碱组的I/M为0.65±0.008。两组间有显著差异(P<0.01);巨噬细胞免疫组化染色对照组内膜下和中膜有大量巨噬细胞,小檗碱干预组内膜和中膜下也可以见有巨噬细胞沉积,通过计算巨噬细胞阳性率,小檗碱干预组的巨噬细胞阳性率明显小于对照组(P<0.01)。结论小檗碱可以降低家兔颈动脉粥样硬化中的血管内膜厚度、减少粥样斑块中的巨噬细胞数目,从而干预颈动脉粥样硬化的形成。     

Allergen microarray: comparison of microarray using recombinant allergens with conventional diagnostic methods to detect allergen-specific serum immunoglobulin E

BACKGROUND: The availability of recombinant allergens and recent advances in biochip technology led to the development of a novel test system for the detection of allergen-specific IgE. OBJECTIVE: To test the performance of this allergen microarray in a serological analytical study. METHODS: Standard allergens contained in grass pollen (Phl p 1, Phl p 2, Phl p 5 and Phl p 6) and tree pollen (Bet v 1 and Bet v 2) were used as a model system. The detection of allergen-specific serum IgE using microarrays was compared with standard test systems: CAP/RAST and an in-house ELISA. In order to test the analytical sensitivity of the assays, geometric dilutions of a serum pool containing high levels of pollen-specific IgE from allergic individuals were tested in each system. To assess the analytical specificity, the sera of 51 patients with presumptive allergic symptoms were collected before diagnosis. Thereafter, the results for grass/tree-pollen-specific IgE were compared. RESULTS: The microarray has a good dynamic range similar to the CAP/RAST system. Microarray and ELISA showed comparable analytical sensitivity exceeding the CAP/RAST system. With respect to the analytical specificity, no significant cross-reactivity of the allergens was observed. For two of the allergens tested, weak positive signals were detected in the microarray test system, whereas they were not detectable by CAP/RAST. CONCLUSION: A good correlation of presently used methods to detect serum IgE and the novel microarray test system was observed. As a next step, a careful validation of this method for a multitude of allergens and a thorough clinical evaluation has to be provided. Microarray testing of allergen-specific IgE can be presumed to be the method of choice for a prospective component-resolved diagnosis of Type I allergy, and the basis for the design and monitoring of a patient-tailored specific immunotherapy in the future.