基于基因表达谱相似性的四物汤重定位及抗乳腺癌有效成分群辨识＊

目的 发现四物汤的新药理作用并辨识其有效成分群。方法 于GEO和Cmap数据库获取四物汤和1309个小分子药物的基因表达谱，计算差异表达基因及四物汤与1309个小分子药物的基因表达谱间的相似性，相似性较高的小分子药物的药理作用为四物汤的新药理作用。相似性较高的小分子药物的靶点作为四物汤发挥新药理作用的靶标，利用分子对接技术辨识四物汤的有效成分群。结果 四物汤具有抗乳腺癌的作用，其有效成分群为荭草苷、芍药苷和半乳糖醛酸等，并通过文献调研验证了辨识结果的可靠性。结论 本研究将为扩大四物汤的临床应用范围及质量控制奠定基础，为乳腺癌的治疗提供新方法。     

Efficacy of acitretin in the treatment of reactive neutrophilic dermatoses in adult-onset immunodeficiency due to interferon-gamma autoantibody

Reactive neutrophilic dermatoses in adult-onset immunodeficiency due to interferon-γ autoantibody (AOID) are usually associated with concomitant active opportunistic infections. Data focusing on the treatment of these dermatoses with non-immunosuppressive drugs are still lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of acitretin treatment of reactive neutrophilic dermatoses in AOID. We conducted a retrospective review of all patients with AOID who had reactive neutrophilic dermatoses and had been treated with acitretin from January 2008 to December 2018. In total, 23 patients had been diagnosed with AOID, with 27 episodes of reactive neutrophilic dermatoses (20 episodes of Sweet syndrome and seven episodes of generalized pustular eruption) and treated with acitretin. The median effective dose of acitretin was 10 mg/day. The mean initial response was 5.6 ± 2.3 days. The rash had almost or completely cleared within 2 weeks in 70.4% of patients. One case had developed a reversible acitretin-induced liver injury with hepatocellular pattern. The median total duration of treatment was 3 months. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the potential role of acitretin as one of the treatments of choice for reactive neutrophilic dermatoses in AOID, attributable to its favorable response and good tolerability.     

The association between plasma tryptophan catabolites and depression: The role of symptom profiles and inflammation

BackgroundTryptophan catabolites (“TRYCATs”) produced by the kynurenine pathway (KP) may play a role in depression pathophysiology. Studies comparing TRYCATs levels in depressed subjects and controls provided mixed findings. We examined the association of TRYCATs levels with 1) the presence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), 2) depressive symptom profiles and 3) inflammatory markers.MethodsThe sample from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety included participants with current (n = 1100) or remitted (n = 753) MDD DSM-IV diagnosis and healthy controls (n = 642). Plasma levels of tryptophan (TRP), kynurenine (KYN), kynurenic acid (KynA), quinolinic acid (QA), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were measured. Atypical/energy-related symptom (AES), melancholic symptom (MS) and anxious-distress symptom (ADS) profiles were derived from questionnaires.ResultsAfter adjustment for age, sex, education, smoking status, alcohol consumption and chronic diseases, no significant differences in TRYCATs were found comparing MDD cases versus controls. The MS profile was associated (q < 0.05) with lower KynA (β = -0.05), while AES was associated with higher KYN (β = 0.05), QA (β = 0.06) and TRP (β = 0.06). Inflammatory markers were associated with higher KYN (CRP β = 0.12, IL-6 β = 0.08, TNF β = 0.10) and QA (CRP β = 0.21, IL-6 β = 0.12, TNF β = 0.18). Significant differences against controls emerged after selecting MDD cases with high (top 30%) CRP (KYN d = 0.20, QA d = 0.33) and high TNF (KYN d = 0.24; QA d = 0.39).ConclusionsTRYCATs levels were related to specific clinical and biological features, such as atypical symptoms or a proinflammatory status. Modulation of KP may potentially benefit a specific subset of depressed patients. Clinical studies should focus on patients with clear evidence of KP dysregulations.     

微小RNA在人类压疮组织中的异常表达

目的建立人类压疮组织微小RNA表达谱。方法收集本院24例压疮组织临床样本,选取其中4例用于压疮微小RNA芯片制备。采用生物信息学算法比较压疮组织与正常组织中差异表达的微小RNA,获得压疮微小RNA表达谱。进一步利用20例测试样本,采用实时荧光定量-逆转录-聚合酶链反应对所鉴定的表达谱进行验证。结果获得了12个差异表达的微小RNA,其中包括5个表达水平上调和7个表达水平下调的微小RNA,其中表达水平下调的miR-17差异表达水平最显著。结论作者建立了一组由12个微小RNA组成的压疮组织微小RNA表达谱,为压疮发生及发展分子调控机制研究提供了丰富的素材。     

Identification of a Major Epitope Recognized by PLA2R Autoantibodies in Primary Membranous Nephropathy

Phospholipase A₂ receptor 1 (PLA2R) is a target autoantigen in 70% of patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy. We describe the location of a major epitope in the N-terminal cysteine-rich ricin domain of PLA2R that is recognized by 90% of human anti-PLA2R autoantibodies. The epitope was sensitive to reduction and SDS denaturation in the isolated ricin domain and the larger fragment containing the ricin, fibronectin type II, first and second C-type lectin domains (CTLD). However, in nondenaturing conditions the epitope was protected against reduction in larger fragments, including the full-length extracellular region of PLA2R. To determine the composition of the epitope, we isolated immunoreactive tryptic fragments by Western blotting and analyzed them by mass spectrometry. The identified peptides were tested as inhibitors of autoantibody binding to PLA2R by surface plasmon resonance. Two peptides from the ricin domain showed strong inhibition, with a longer sequence covering both peptides (31-mer) producing 85% inhibition of autoantibody binding to PLA2R. Anti-PLA2R antibody directly bound this 31-mer peptide under nondenaturing conditions and binding was sensitive to reduction. Analysis of PLA2R and the PLA2R-anti-PLA2R complex using electron microscopy and homology-based representations allowed us to generate a structural model of this major epitope and its antibody binding site, which is independent of pH-induced conformational change in PLA2R. Identification of this major PLA2R epitope will enable further therapeutic advances for patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy, including antibody inhibition therapy and immunoadsorption of circulating autoantibodies.