Characterization of Purified Protein Derivative of Tuberculin by use of Monoclonal Antibodies: Isolation of a Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity Reactive Component from M. tuberculosis Culture Filtrate

Nine monoclonal antibodies were raised against purified protein derivative (PPD) of tuberculin in mice previously treated with Bacilli Calmette Guérin (BCG). The antibodies also reacted with a culture filtrate from Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv. In immunobtotting after SDS-PAGE the reaction with PPD was seen as a diffuse smear, whereas ammonium sulphate-precipitated proteins from H37Rv gave well-defined bands ranging from 10 to 65kDa. Enzyme immunoassay showed that both PPD and H37Rv antigens were able to inhibit binding of the antibodies to PPD coated microtitre wells, suggesting that the antibodies reacted with continuous epitopes. A 12kDa protein purified by immunoaffinity chromatography from H37Rv antigens was tested intradermally in M. tuberculosis MNC3 sensitized guinea pigs and gave a delayed type hypersensitivity reaction.     

Altered allelic distributions of the serotonin transporter gene in migraine without aura and migraine with aura

Allelic variation of the human serotonin transporter gene (HSERT), a highly plausible candidate gene for susceptibility to migraine, was investigated in 266 individuals with migraine, including 173 having migraine without aura (MO), 94 having migraine with aura (MA), 18 with co-occurrence of MO and MA, plus 133 unaffected controls. The distribution of a polymorphism with different forms of a variable tandem number repeat (VNTR) in intron 2 were compared. The MO group had an over-representation of genotypes with two twelve repeat alleles (STin2.12) and a reduction of genotypes containing one ten repeat (STin2.10) compared to controls. The MA group showed a similar pattern, but also a trend towards an increase in genotypes containing the nine repeat allele of the VNTR (STin2.9). Genotypes containing this allele were found in 6.4% of the MA group compared to 2.3% of controls. The group with co-occurrence of MO and MA had a significantly different pattern of overall allele frequency distribution from controls, reflecting a reduction in genotypes containing the STin2.10 allele and a shift both to STin2.9 carriers and to STin2.12 homozygosity. These results support the view that susceptibility to MO and MA has a genetic component, that these disorders are distinct, and that genetic susceptibility may in some cases be associated with a locus at or near the serotonin transporter gene.     

重组抗CD25人源化单克隆抗体治疗激素耐药急性移植物抗宿主病的临床研究

本研究探讨重组抗CD25人源化单克隆抗体在异基因造血干细胞移植后激素耐药的急性移植物抗宿主病（aGVHD）防治中的作用。对21例异基因造血干细胞移植后出现耐激素的Ⅱ-Ⅳ度aGVHD的患者于第1、4、8d给予重组抗CD25人源化单克隆抗体1mg／（kg·d）静脉输注,未达到疗效的病人间隔1周后重复本治疗。结果表明,所有患者中完全有效13例（61．9％）,其中4例无病生存,8例生存伴轻度慢性移植物抗宿主病（cGVHD）,1例死于白血病髓外复发;6例部分有效（28．57％）,其中3例生存伴轻度cGVHD,3例死于肺部感染;2例无效（9．52％）死亡;总有效率90．5％,总生存率71．48％,尤其在单倍体造血衰竭性疾病的6例患者中,有效率高达100％。该药应用安全,未发现输注相关的毒副作用。结论：重组抗CD25人源化单克隆抗体对异基因造血干细胞移植后激素耐药的Ⅱ-Ⅳ度急性移植物抗宿主病（aGVHD）有较好的疗效,且应用安全。     

大学生酒依赖程度对学生体质健康水平的影响

目的:了解大学生酒依赖程度的现状及其特征、以及酒依赖程度大学生的体质健康水平状况。方法:于2005-09在沈阳工业大学、沈阳师范大学、辽宁大学、辽宁中医学院等4所大学以行政班为单位整群抽取学生800人为观察对象。每个学校200人。采用饮酒问卷进行大学生酒依赖情况调查。饮酒问卷共有25个条目组成,各项目分数之和为总分,最低为0分,最高为47分。酒依赖评定标准:0分为无酒依赖,1～13分为轻度酒依赖,14～21分为中度酒依赖,22～30分为重度酒依赖,31～47分为极重度酒依赖。同时对不同酒依赖程度大学生《学生体质健康标准》2005-07的总分成绩情况进行比较。结果:发放问卷800份,回收有效问卷796份,有效率为99.5%。①在796人中有588人有不同程度酒依赖情况发生,发生率为73.9%。其中无酒依赖学生占26.1%;轻度酒依赖学生占64.8%;中度酒依赖学生占4.5%;重度酒依赖学生占3.5%;极重度酒依赖学生占1.0%。大学生饮酒问卷总体评分为(4.88±6.93)分,处于较低水平。②男学生的酒依赖程度高于女学生,差异有显著性意义[(7.63±8.27),(1.93±3.12)分,U=16.77,P<0.01]。③二年级学生酒依赖程度高于一年级,差异有显著性意义[(7.26±10.16),(3.34±5.73)分,U=6.53,P<0.01]。④城乡学生之间,独生与非独生子女学生之间酒依赖程度相似,差异无显著性意义(P>0.05)。⑤无酒依赖学生《学生体质健康标准》2005-07的总分成绩明显高于中度以上酒依赖的学生。结论:大学生有酒依赖者占73.9%。但对酒依赖的程度较低。男学生的酒依赖程度高于女学生,二年级学生酒依赖程度高于一年级。中度以上酒依赖大学生《学生体质健康标准》2005-07的总分成绩明显低于无酒依赖的大学生。酒依赖是不健康的行为习惯,应作为健康行为习惯教育的重点内容之一进行普遍开展。     

Herpesvirus type 6 in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation: serologic features and detection by polymerase chain reaction

To evaluate the potential role of human herpesvirus type 6 (HHV-6) infection in patients after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) we sequentially analyzed buffy coat leukocytes, oral lavage fluid, and urine from 57 patients for the presence of HHV-6 DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) before and after 60 BMTs. Twenty-four patients undergoing autologous BMT and 36 with allogeneic BMT were studied. Thirty-six patients (60%) were PCR positive in one or more tests. The majority of PCR-positive patients had positive results only sporadically, in 1 (n = 23) or 2 weeks (n = 5). Six patients were positive in 3 to 5 weeks. In 2 patients, we found a high frequency of positive tests, in 7 of 7 and 10 of 10 weeks analyzed. Twenty-four patients (40%) remained PCR negative throughout the post-BMT period. There was a significant correlation between the results of HHV-6 PCR and the occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). In grade II-IV, 6 of 8 (75%) patients had 2 or more positive PCR tests, compared with 5 of 25 (20%) patients without or with grade I aGVHD (P = .01). There was no difference in the outcome of PCR tests with respect to the type of BMT or pre-BMT HHV-6 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers. Restriction enzyme analysis of PCR amplificates from 18 patients showed HHV-6 variant B in 16 (88.9%) and variant A in 2 cases (11.1%). We conclude that HHV-6 DNA can be detected in 60% of the patients after BMT. HHV-6 DNA can be detected more frequently in patients with moderate and severe aGVHD than in patients without aGVHD or with mild aGVHD.     

The acute chest syndrome in sickle cell disease: incidence and risk factors. The Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease

The acute chest syndrome (ACS), a pneumonia-like illness in sickle cell patients, is one of the most frequent causes of their morbidity and hospitalizations. Repeated ACS events may predict the development of chronic lung disease. ACS is reported as a frequent cause of death in these patients. We examine here the incidence and risk factors of ACS in 3,751 patients with sickle cell disease who were observed prospectively for at least 2 years (19,867 patient-years [pt-yrs]) as part of a multicenter national study group. The ACS, defined by a new pulmonary infiltrate on x-ray, occurred at least once in 1,085 patients (2,100 events). ACS incidence was higher in patients with homozygous sickle cell disease (SS; 12.8/100 pt-yrs) and in patients with sickle cell-beta(0) -thalassemic (9.4/100 pt-yrs), and lower in patients with hemoglobin (Hb) SC disease (5.2/100 pt-yrs) and patients with sickle cell-beta(+) thalassemia (3.9/100 pt-yrs). alpha-Thalassemia did not affect the rate of ACS incidence in SS patients. Within each Hb type the incidence was strongly but inversely related to age, being highest in children 2 to 4 years of age (25.3/100 pt-yrs in SS) and decreasing gradually to its lowest value in adults (8.8/100 pt-yrs in SS). In SS children (< 10 years of age), we documented an age-related within- person reduction in ACS attack rates. Adults with a higher ACS rate had a higher rate of mortality (from all causes) than those with low ACS rates. This increased rate of mortality might also have contributed to the decline in ACS rate with age. In multivariate analysis, other factors affecting incidence in SS patients were degree of anemia (lower ACS rates in patients with lower steady-state Hb levels) and fetal Hb (lower rates in patients with high fetal Hb). There was also a positive association between ACS rate and steady-state leukocyte count. The relationship of ACS rate to higher steady-state Hb levels in SS patients is unexplained but might be caused by increased blood viscosity.     

Analysis of intron 22 inversions of the factor VIII gene in severe hemophilia A: implications for genetic counseling

Intrachromosomal recombinations involving F8A, in intron 22 of the factor VIII gene, and one of two homologous regions 500 kb 5' of the factor VIII gene result in large inversions of DNA at the tip of the X chromosome. The gene is disrupted, causing severe hemophilia A. Two inversions are possible, distal and proximal, depending on which homologous region is involved in the recombination event. A simple Southern blotting technique was used to identify patients and carriers of these inversions. In a group of 85 severe hemophilia A patients, 47% had an inversion, of which 80% were of the distal type. There was no association with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) haplotypes. The technique has identified a definitive genetic marker in families previously uninformative on RFLP analysis and provided valuable information for genetic counselling information may now be provided for carriers without the need to study intervening family members and the diagnosis of severe hemophilia A made in families with only a nonspecific history of bleeding. Analysis of intron 22 inversion should now be the first-line test for carrier diagnosis and genetic counselling for severe hemophilia A and may be particularly useful when there is no affected male family member or when intervening family members are unavailable for testing.