Loss of lineage antigens is a common feature of apoptotic lymphocytes

The analysis of apoptosis in cell populations involves the detection of their specific lineage antigen (LAg) expression. This experimental approach relies on their assumed constant expression, but it is unclear whether such expression is actually maintained during cell death. We examined whether the loss of LAgs is a common feature of apoptotic lymphocytes and whether some might completely lose their LAgs. The changes in the expression of CD3, CD5, CD8, CD4, CD28, CD56, and CD19 were monitored in highly purified lymphocyte populations obtained by negative selection in a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. These were cultured for 24 h with or without phytohemagglutinin or staurosporin. For each LAg-positive subset studied, apoptosis was consistently more common among cells showing partial or total loss of LAg expression compared with cells maintaining their initial LAg levels. The kinetics of expression loss was rapid for CD8, CD56, and CD28, and more than 80% of initial expression was lost in the early stages of apoptosis but was slower for CD3, CD5, and CD4. For CD3 and CD5, expression was dependent on the apoptotic stimulus used. It is interesting that loss of antigen expression was independent of cell size. This phenomenon was also found in nonmanipulated, highly pure CD19 B lymphocytes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from B chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients. Loss of LAg expression appeared to be a common feature of apoptotic lymphocytes under all the conditions assayed. The different kinetic patterns of LAg loss suggest apoptotic cells might actively regulate this process.     

Brain potentials reflect residual face processing in a case of prosopagnosia

Here, ERPs were employed to characterise the residual face processing of FE, a patient with extensive damage to the ventral temporal-occipital cortex and a dense prosopagnosia. Alarge N170 was present in FE and he performed well in tests of face structural processing. Covert recognition of the faces of personal acquaintances was demonstrated with P300 oddball experiments. The onset latency of the P300 effect was normal, indicating fast availability of covert memory. The scalp topography of this component in FE was different from that of the P3b, presenting a centro-frontal maximum. FE also presented larger skin conductance responses to familiar than to unfamiliar faces. The amplitudes of both the single-trial P300s and the SCRs triggered by familiar faces were positively correlated with the degree of person-familiarity that FE had for the poser. He performed at chance when asked to select between the face of a familiar person and that of an unfamiliar person on the basis of explicit recognition, whereas he selected more the previously known face if the forced choice was based on trustworthiness or a vague sense of familiarity. The results suggest that in FE, early face processing was relatively intact and covert recognition was fast. Neural structures involved in the processing of emotional or social cues possibly mediate the covert recognition present in FE.     

Regulator T Cells: Specific for Antigen and/or Antigen Receptors?

Adaptive immune responses are regulated by many different molecular and cellular effectors. Regulator T cells are coming to their rights again, and these T cells seem to have ordinary α/β T‐cell receptors (TCRs) and to develop in the thymus. Autoimmune responses are tightly regulated by such regulatory T cells, a phenomenon which is beneficial to the host in autoimmune situations. However, the regulation of autoimmune responses to tumour cells is harmful to the host, as this regulation delays the defence against the outgrowth of neoblastic cells. In the present review, we discuss whether regulatory T cells are specific for antigen and/or for antigen receptors. Our interest in these phenomena comes from the findings that T cells produce many more TCR‐α and TCR‐β chains than are necessary for surface membrane expression of TCR‐αβ heterodimers with CD3 complexes. Excess TCR chains are degraded by the proteasomes, and TCR peptides thus become available to the assembly pathway of major histocompatibility complex class I molecules. Consequently, do T cells express two different identification markers on the cell membrane, the TCR‐αβ clonotype for recognition by B‐cell receptors and clonotypic TCR‐αβ peptides for recognition by T cells?     

Chemokines and pro-inflammatory cytokines in Down's syndrome: an early marker for Alzheimer-type dementia?

BACKGROUND: People with Down's syndrome (DS) show early Alzheimer-like dementia. It has been suggested that the pro-inflammatory cytokine class plays a role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study aims at verifying whether pro-inflammatory cytokines in DS are correlated with age, affective symptoms and intellectual decline to a different degree than in subjects with non-DS learning disabilities. METHODS: Cases: 19 subjects with DS; controls: sex- and age-matched individuals with learning disabilities caused by perinatal ischaemic damage. The level of mental retardation was assessed according to DSM-IV; psychopathological symptoms were measured by the Assessment and Information Rating Profile. Serum levels of cytokines were determined with ELISA. RESULTS: DS patients showed higher levels of cytokines and chemokines, with the exception of RANTES; but the only significant difference detected was for MIP-1alpha. A correlation between the degree of mental retardation and IL-6, and between MIP-lalpha and age was found in patients with DS, but not in controls. CONCLUSIONS: The data obtained suggest a possible involvement of chemokines in the inflammatory and degenerative processes similar to AD in DS. Further longitudinal research is required to confirm these findings.     

Risk factors for incident HIV infection among anonymous HIV testing site clients in Santos,Brazil: 1996-1999

OBJECTIVES: To determine temporal trends in HIV infection and risk factors among persons seeking anonymous HIV testing in Santos, Brazil. METHODS: Data and sera from persons testing for HIV from 1996 to 1999 were used. Exposures were abstracted from HIV testing risk assessments. Stored HIV-positive sera were tested to identify recently acquired HIV infection using a serologic testing algorithm for detecting recent HIV seroconversion (STARHS). Independent associations between exposures and recently acquired HIV infection were determined using multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Overall, estimated HIV incidence was 2.0% (95% CI: 1.1-3.5) for the 4-year period: 1.2% (95% CI: 0.5-2.6) in women and 2.7% (95% CI: 1.3-5.0) in men. Incidence increased among women but remained stable among men. Exposures independently associated with incident infection included a history of sex work (OR= 5.4, 95% CI: 1.5-18.7), concurrent syphilis infection (OR =4.1, 95% CI: 1.4-11.9), anal sex (OR = 3.0, 95% CI: 1.3-7.1), and having an HIV-positive sexual partner (OR= 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1-1.9). CONCLUSIONS: This study further demonstrates the public health utility of using the STARHS for the assessment of emerging trends in the HIV epidemic. Results from this study will help to target appropriate prevention strategies directed toward at-risk populations in Santos.     

耐热可溶性戊型肝炎病毒基因工程抗原的表达

目的 利用硫氧还蛋白融合表达系统表达戊型肝炎病毒（Hepatitis E virus,HEV)结构基因片段，获得耐热，可溶、具有生物活性的HEV基因工程抗原。方法 将HEVORF26964-7126nt基因片段插入硫氧还蛋白融合表达载体pThioHisA，转化大肠埃希菌BL21，经IPTG诱导，表达融合蛋白。裂解细菌后，离心，取上清置于80℃处理10min，再次离心，取上清用ELISA方法测定表达产物的生物活性。结果 SDS-PAGE分析表明，HEV结构基因获得高效表达，相对分子质量约为20000，耐热，水溶性好，ELISA证实具有HEV特异抗原性。结论 应用硫氧还蛋白融合表达系统成功表达了耐热，可溶，具有生物活性的HEV基因工程抗原。     

CD40靶向小干扰RNA抑制大鼠异体肢体移植急性排斥反应后细胞凋亡及P53、P21表达

目的探讨CD40靶向小干扰RNA（即短发夹RNA，shRNA）对大鼠异体肢体移植急性排斥反应及细胞凋亡的影响。方法以纯系SD大鼠为供体，纯系Wistar大鼠为受体，行同种异体右后肢移植。27只大鼠肢体移植后随机分为3组：实验组．注射梭华一Sofast（15μl）-siCD40—2，pSilencer（100μg）载体复合物600μl；空载体对照组，在肢体移植后，即注射Sofast（15μl）-pSilencer4．1-CMVneo（100μg）空载体复合物600μl；生理盐水对照组，在肢体移植注射生理盐水600μl。观察移植物排斥反应征象及存活情况，并于第7天对产生免疫耐受大鼠进行混合淋巴细胞反应（MLR），同时进行组织学检查。结果与其他组相比．实验组移植物发生排斥反应的时间及存活时间均显著延长（P〈0．01）（〉13d），未见排斥反应征象，其他组均于术后近期发生排斥反应；实验组大鼠对供体的淋巴细胞呈现低反应性，移植的供体同系大鼠的肢体得以存活。实验组移植物细胞凋亡率低于其他组。结论在术后不应用免疫抑制剂的情况下，CD40靶向的shRNA干扰可以抗大鼠异体肢体移植急性排斥反应。     

慢性应激对大鼠海马Bcl-xl表达的影响及应激后的变化

目的:探讨慢性应激对大鼠海马神经元Bcl-xl蛋白表达的影响及其应激后的变化。方法:采用慢性强迫冰水游泳制作动物模型。运用open-field法观察大鼠行为学的变化,运用免疫组织化学方法观察大鼠海马DG区、CA3区Bcl-xl的变化。结果:与对照组相比,实验组1大鼠海马CA3区齿状回(DG)区Bcl-xl平均灰度值显著增加(t=4.69,P<0.05和t=3.77,P<0.01),实验组2平均灰度值与对照组2相比同样增加(t=3.35,P<0.05和t=3.30,P<0.05)。结论:慢性应激使大鼠海马Bcl-xl表达降低,应激三十天后,其表达仍低于对照组。     

一个遗传性智力迟缓家系的分析

目的 寻找由DNA损伤引起的人类表型缺陷，为人类遗传资源的收集与保藏以及人类基因结构与功能的研究打下基础。方法 通过实地调查得到表型缺陷家系，然后进行系谱分析。结果 得到一个遗传性智力迟缓家系，3代11位成员中有2例患者。结论 遗传性智力迟缓是由DNA损伤引起的人类表型缺陷；该病症符合X-连锁隐性遗传。