Absence of HIV-1 infection in antibody-negative sexual partners of HIV- 1 infected hemophiliacs

In order to confirm the presence and determine the frequency of human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) infection prior to antibody production, 23 healthy women with histories of repeated unprotected sexual exposure to HIV-1 infected hemophiliacs were tested for evidence of HIV-1 infection. Female subjects were tested for HIV-1 antibody (enzyme immunoassay [EIA] and Western blot), HIV-1 serum antigen, HIV-1 DNA gag sequences by the polymerase chain reaction, and HIV-1 virus isolation from peripheral mononuclear cells. Twenty-two of 23 (96%) women were negative by all HIV-1 assays. One woman was positive by all the HIV-1 assays including an EIA screening test for HIV-1 antibody. These preliminary results suggest that the frequency of HIV-1 infection in antibody-negative sexual partners of HIV-1 infected individuals is probably very low.     

自体造血干细胞移植治疗急性淋巴细胞白血病43例:远期疗效分析

目的：异基因造血干细胞移植治疗急性淋巴细胞白血病的疗效已不容置疑，在不具备异基因造血干细胞移植条件下，评价自体造血干细胞移植治疗急性淋巴细胞白血病的疗效。 方法：选取1989—05／2000—07解放军总医院血液科43例急性淋巴细胞白血病患者，所有患者均同意行自体造血干细胞移植。中位年龄24．5（11～48）岁。单次移植29例，其中移植前首次完全缓解期23例，二次缓解期5例，未缓解期1例。双次移植14例，其中首次移植和第二次移植前为二次缓解期各1例，其余移植前均为首次完全缓解期。预处理方案：包括含全身放疗（26例）、全淋巴放疗（14例）与不含全身放疗的高剂量化疗方案（3例）。移植后治疗：化疗长春新碱＋泼尼松／6-巯基嘌呤＋甲氨蝶呤方案和白细胞介素2免疫维持治疗。 结果：单次自体造血干细胞移植29例5年无病存活10例，其中移植前首次完全缓解期9例，二次缓解期1例。5年无病存活率34．5％。双次移植14例5年无病存活6例，5年无病存活率为42．9％。两次移植前均为首次完全缓解期。 结论：在不具备异基因造血干细胞移植条件下，可采用自体造血干细胞移植治疗急性淋巴细胞白血病，双次自体造血干细胞移植疗效较好。     

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis in a Chinese population

We retrospectively evaluated the characteristics of adult patients admitted with thyrotoxic hypokalaemic periodic paralysis in Hong Kong. From 1984 to 1993, 45 Chinese adult patients were admitted with acute limb weakness, plasma potassium ⩽3.5 mmol/l and thyrotoxicosis confirmed by laboratory investigations. All but one were male. Seventy-five percent of attacks occurred between 9pm and 9am. Half of the attacks occurred between July and October (49.1%), most commonly in August (20%). Mean (+SEM) plasma potassium on admission was 2.17 ± 0.08 mmol/l (range 1.1-3.5). In 15 episodes (27.3%), plasma potassium on recovery exceeded 5.0 mmol/l, while in three episodes (5.5%), potassium exceeded 6.0 mmol/l. No patient had a positive family history of thyrotoxic periodic paralysis. Only 28.9% had a known history of thyrotoxicosis before their first presentation with periodic paralysis. Twenty-seven (60%) had clinical evidence of thyrotoxicosis. Although all were biochemically thyrotoxic, 11.4% had only a mild degree of thyrotoxicosis (suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone, high free thyroxine, but normal free triiodothyronine). One quarter of the patients had a normal erythrocyte zinc concentration, indicating either a short history of thyrotoxicosis or transient thyrotoxicosis. The diagnosis of thyrotoxic hypokalaemic paralysis should always be considered in Chinese patients with acute muscle weakness, especially in young males. Absence of clinical thyrotoxicosis does not exclude the diagnosis. Plasma potassium should be monitored carefully during treatment to prevent rebound hyperkalaemia.      

胰岛素样生长因子1对不同生长时期鹿茸生长中心细胞体外增殖的影响

目的:在整个生长期中鹿茸生长速度的变化,究竟是由鹿茸生长中心细胞本身对生长因子刺激的敏感度引起,还是由激素等外部因素所导致目前尚不清楚。实验利用细胞培养技术观察胰岛素样生长因子1对不同生长期的鹿茸生长中心细胞体外增殖的影响。方法:实验于2005-03/2006-06在吉林大学畜牧兽医学院基础兽医研究室完成。①实验方法:3头4岁龄的健康梅花鹿,分别在鹿茸生长的早期(生长30d)、中期(生长60d)、晚期(生长90d)三期各锯取1头鹿的鹿茸,在解剖显微镜下定位和切取间质层(突起部),即为鹿茸生长中心细胞所在的组织层。原代分离培养不同生长期的鹿茸生长中心细胞,锥虫蓝染色显示细胞活性达90%以上,活性确定后的细胞液氮冻存。取第2代细胞,经1,3,10nmol/L胰岛素样生长因子1处理24h。设立空白对照组,用不含犊牛血清的等量培养液来替换孔中正常培养液。②实验评估:3H-胸腺嘧啶核苷法检测蛋白合成放射性含量,单位为Bq。结果:①不同生长时期鹿茸生长中心细胞的分离与培养:贴壁的鹿茸生长中心细胞形态均匀,呈梭形,克隆样生长,增殖迅速。不同生长期的鹿茸生长中心细胞生长速度不同,60d的鹿茸生长中心细胞生长最快,90d次之,30d最慢。②胰岛素样生长因子1对不同生长期鹿茸生长中心细胞蛋白合成放射性含量的影响:取材于生长30d的鹿茸生长中心细胞,胰岛素样生长因子1各浓度组的蛋白合成放射性含量均值为49.8Bq,是空白对照组(5.2±0.6)Bq的9.64倍,差异有显著性意义(P<0.01)。取材于生长60d的鹿茸生长中心细胞,胰岛素样生长因子1各浓度组的蛋白合成放射性含量均值为532.0Bq,是空白对照组(13.7±5.4)Bq的38.93倍,差异有显著性意义(P<0.01)。取材于生长90d的鹿茸生长中心细胞,胰岛素样生长因子1各浓度组的蛋白合成放射性含量均值为535.8Bq,是空白对照组(109.8±27.0)Bq的4.88倍,差异有显著性意义(P<0.01)。结论:①胰岛素样生长因子1有促进鹿茸生长中心细胞分裂增殖的作用。②不同生长期的鹿茸生长中心细胞对胰岛素样生长因子1刺激的敏感度不同,生长期为60d时尤为显著,该敏感度与取材细胞时鹿茸的生长速度相关。     

Detection of African Swine Fever Virus in Ornithodoros Tick Species Associated with Indigenous and Extralimital Warthog Populations in South Africa

We investigated the possibility that sylvatic circulation of African swine fever virus (ASFV) in warthogs and Ornithodoros ticks had extended beyond the historically affected northern part of South Africa that was declared a controlled area in 1935 to prevent the spread of infection to the rest of the country. We recently reported finding antibody to the virus in extralimital warthogs in the south of the country, and now describe the detection of infected ticks outside the controlled area. A total of 5078 ticks was collected at 45 locations in 7/9 provinces during 2019–2021 and assayed as 711 pools for virus content by qPCR, while 221 pools were also analysed for tick phylogenetics. Viral nucleic acid was detected in 50 tick pools representing all four members of the Ornithodoros (Ornithodoros) moubata complex known to occur in South Africa: O. (O.) waterbergensis and O. (O.) phacochoerus species yielded ASFV genotypes XX, XXI, XXII at 4 locations and O. (O.) moubata yielded ASFV genotype I at two locations inside the controlled area. Outside the controlled area, O. (O.) moubata and O. (O.) compactus ticks yielded ASFV genotype I at 7 locations, while genotype III ASFV was identified in O. (O.) compactus ticks at a single location. Two of the three species of the O. (O.) savignyi complex ticks known to be present in the country, O. (O.) kalahariensis and O. (O.) noorsveldensis, were collected at single locations and found negative for virus. The only member of the Pavlovskyella subgenus of Ornithodoros ticks known to occur in South Africa, O. (P.) zumpti, was collected from warthog burrows for the first time, in Addo National Park in the Eastern Cape Province where ASFV had never been recorded, and it tested negative for the viral nucleic acid. While it is confirmed that there is sylvatic circulation of ASFV outside the controlled area in South Africa, there is a need for more extensive surveillance and for vector competence studies with various species of Ornithodoros ticks.     

The percentage of dense red cells does not predict incidence of sickle cell painful crisis

To test the hypothesis that the tendency of hemoglobin S (HbS) to polymerize within cells is the major determinant of the incidence of vaso-occlusive episodes, we have examined the effect of the percentage of dense cells (as measured by Percoll-Stractan continuous density gradient centrifugation) on the frequency of painful crises in a group of 36 patients with sickle cell disease. No correlation was found between the percentage of dense cells and admissions for crisis. Among the patients with known alpha-gene status (n = 25), the strong correlation between decreased dense cells and alpha-thalassemia (- alpha/alpha alpha) reported previously was confirmed (P less than .001). In addition, in this small subset, patients with alpha- thalassemia (-alpha/alpha alpha) appeared to have a marginally increased number of admissions for sickle cell crisis (t = 2.1910, P less than .05), which was independent of the percentage of dense cells. We conclude that the percentage of dense sickle cells cannot predict the incidence of painful crisis, suggesting that other factors (microcirculatory regulation or other humoral and cellular factors) are more important in the generation maintenance of painful crises than the necessary, but not sufficient, tendency of HbS-containing red cells to sickle.