Vaccination evokes gender-dependent protection against tularemia infection in C57BL/6Tac mice

Francisella tularensis (Ft) is a Category A biothreat agent for which there currently is no FDA-approved vaccine. Thus, there is a substantial effort underway to develop an effective tularemia vaccine. While it is well established that gender can significantly impact susceptibility to primary infection, the impact of gender on vaccine efficacy is not well established. Thus, development of a successful vaccine against tularemia will require an understanding of the impact gender has on vaccine-induced protection against this organism. In this study, a role for gender in vaccine-induced protection following Ft challenge is identified for the first time. In the present study, mucosal vaccination with inactivated Ft (iFt) LVS elicited gender-based protection in C57BL/6Tac mice against respiratory challenge with Ft LVS. Specifically, vaccinated male mice were more susceptible to subsequent Ft LVS challenge. This increased susceptibility in male mice correlated with increased bacterial burden, increased tissue inflammation, and increased proinflammatory cytokine production late in post-challenge infection. In contrast, improved survival of iFt-vaccinated female mice correlated with reduced bacterial burden and enhanced levels of Ft-specific Abs in serum and broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) fluid post-challenge. Furthermore, vaccination with a live attenuated vaccine consisting of an Ft LVS superoxide dismutase (SodB) mutant, which has proven efficacious against the highly virulent Ft SchuS4 strain, demonstrated similar gender bias in protection post-Ft SchuS4 challenge. Of particular significance is the fact that these are the first studies to demonstrate that gender differences impact disease outcome in the case of lethal respiratory tularemia following mucosal vaccination. In addition, these studies further emphasize the fact that gender differences must be a serious consideration in any future tularemia vaccine development studies.     

AAV-CRISPR Gene Editing Is Negated by Pre-existing Immunity to Cas9

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工作相关肌肉骨骼疾患与人体工效学负荷研究进展

工作相关肌肉骨骼疾患(WMSDs)是常见的慢性非传染性疾病。WMSDs已成为影响工人健康、降低工人生命质量和造成经济损失的重要因素,可见于多个行业、工种。本文对WMSDs流行现状及人体工效学负荷相关研究进行综述,以期找到职业人群保护的可行方法。     

Durability of humoral immune responses to rubella following MMR vaccination

BackgroundWhile administration of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR-II®) vaccine has been effective at preventing rubella infection in the United States, the durability of humoral immunity to the rubella component of MMR vaccine has not been widely studied among older adolescents and adults.MethodsIn this longitudinal study, we sought to assess the durability of rubella virus (RV)-specific humoral immunity in a healthy population (n = 98) of adolescents and young adults at two timepoints: ~7 and ~17 years after two doses of MMR-II® vaccination. Levels of circulating antibodies specific to RV were measured by ELISA and an immune-colorimetric neutralization assay. RV-specific memory B cell responses were also measured by ELISpot.ResultsRubella-specific IgG antibody titers, neutralizing antibody titers, and memory B cell responses declined with increasing time since vaccination; however, these decreases were relatively moderate. Memory B cell responses exhibited a greater decline in men compared to women.ConclusionsCollectively, rubella-specific humoral immunity declines following vaccination, although subjects’ antibody titers remain well above the currently recognized threshold for protective immunity. Clinical correlates of protection based on neutralizing antibody titer and memory B cell ELISpot response should be defined.     

Biopharmaceutics classification and intestinal absorption of chikusetsusaponin IVa

The objective of this study was to investigate the absorption behavior of chikusetsusaponin IVa (CHS‐IVa) in the rat intestine using single‐pass intestinal perfusion (SPIP) and to classify CHS‐IVa into the biopharmaceutics classification system (BCS). The equilibrium solubility of CHS‐IVa was determined by the shaker method. The absorption mechanism of CHS‐IVa in the intestine was studied by comparing the P_eff of different concentrations of CHS‐IVa. The intestinal site dependence of CHS‐IVa absorption was studied by comparing the P_eff of the same concentration of CHS‐IVa in different intestinal segments. The relationship between CHS‐IVa and intestinal efflux protein was studied by perfusion with an efflux protein inhibitor. The permeability of CHS‐IVa was investigated by comparing the P_eff of CHS‐IVa and the reported value. The solubility of CHS‐IVa over the pH range 1.0–7.5 was 14.4 ± 0.29 to 16.9 ± 0.34 mg/ml. The P_eff of CHS‐IVa in the duodenum was 1.76 × 10^?3 to 2.00 × 10^?3 cm/min. The P_eff of CHS‐IVa in the jejunum was 1.26 × 10^?3 to 1.39 × 10^?3 cm/min. The P_eff of CHS‐IVa in the ileum was 1.25 × 10^?3 to 1.31 × 10^?3 cm/min. The P_eff of CHS‐IVa in the colon was 1.02 × 10^?3 to 1.08 × 10^?3 cm/min. There was no statistical difference of the P_eff in the four segments at different CHS‐IVa concentrations. The P_eff of CHS‐IVa (0.07, 0.7 and 7.0 mg/ml) were all notably smaller than the reported P_eff (3.00 × 10^?3 cm/min) in the jejunum. The P_eff of CHS‐IVa was not influenced by verapamil (P‐gp inhibitor), indomethacin (MRP inhibitor) and pantoprazole (BCRP inhibitor). CHS‐IVa was classified as high solubility, low permeability and BCS III. The main absorptive tracts were the upper intestinal tracts and the rank order of intestinal permeability was duodenum > jejunum ≈ ileum > colon. The transport mechanism of CHS‐IVa in all intestinal segments might be primarily passive transport. CHS‐IVa was not a substrate of P‐gp, MRP and BCRP.     

健脾温肾软坚解毒方、康艾注射液联合低剂量化疗治疗老年脾肾两虚型晚期非小细胞肺癌的临床研究

目的观察健脾温肾软坚解毒方、康艾注射液联合低剂量化疗对老年脾肾两虚型晚期非小细胞肺癌患者瘤灶、免疫功能及无进展生存期的影响。方法将80例老年脾肾两虚型晚期非小细胞肺癌患者随机分为治疗组和对照组,每组40例。对照组予常规剂量化疗,治疗组予健脾温肾软坚解毒方、康艾注射液联合低剂量化疗。化疗2个周期后,观察两组患者瘤灶、免疫功能的变化情况,随访患者的无进展生存期。结果①试验期间,对照组脱落2例,试验组无脱落,最终完成试验者78例,其中治疗组40例,对照组38例。②两组实体瘤疗效比较,差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。③化疗1个周期与化疗前组内比较,两组血清NK、CD3~+、CD4~+、CD8~+水平差异无统计学意义(P0.05);化疗2个周期与化疗前组内比较,治疗组血清CD8~+水平升高(P0.05),对照组血清NK、CD3~+、CD4~+水平降低(P0.05)。化疗1个周期后组间比较,治疗组血清CD3~+、CD4~+水平高于对照组(P0.05);化疗2个周期后组间比较,治疗组血清NK、CD3~+、CD4~+水平高于对照组(P0.05)。④两组患者中位无进展生存时间均为4.5个月,差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论健脾温肾软坚解毒方、康艾注射液联合低剂量化疗能有效控制老年肺肾两虚型晚期非小细胞肺癌患者的瘤灶变化,并有利于稳定血清NK、CD3~+和CD4~+水平,保护患者的免疫功能。     

Compositional analyses reveal correlations between taxon-level gut bacterial abundance and peripheral T cell marker expression in African infants

ABSTRACT

Although exclusive breastfeeding has been linked to lower rates of postnatal HIV transmission compared to nonexclusive breastfeeding, mechanisms underlying this are unclear. Across a longitudinally sampled cohort of South African infants, we showed that exclusively breastfed (EBF) infants had altered gut bacterial communities when compared to nonexclusively breastfed (NEBF) infants, as well as reduced peripheral CD4 + T cell activation and lowered chemokine and chemokine receptor expression in the oral mucosa. We further demonstrated that the relative abundance of key taxa was correlated with peripheral CD4 + T cell activation. Here, we supplement those findings by using compositional data analyses to identify shifts in the abundance of several Bifidobacteria strains relative to select strains of Escherichia, Bacteroides, and others that are associated with the transition to NEBF. We illustrate that the abundance ratio of these taxa is tightly correlated with feeding modality and is a strong predictor of peripheral T cell activation. More broadly, we discuss our study in the context of novel developments and explore future directions for the field.