A comparison of polymerase chain reaction and an infectivity assay for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 titration during virus inactivation of blood components

Three examples of human plasma-derived concentrates, intermediate- purity factors VIII and IX, and fibrinogen were spiked with tissue culture-grown human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) strain RF. All examples were freeze-dried and heated at 80 degrees C for 72 hours by using validated production process models. HIV-1 infectivity was measured by a syncytial infectivity assay in C8166 cells and then compared with levels determined by nested HIV polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The infectivity assay demonstrated a reduction index of at least 4.5 log10, while PCR showed an average 1.7 log10. Large amounts of HIV- 1 RNA (10(5)) were still detectable by PCR in samples in which infectivity assays failed to detect any HIV-1. These data suggest that HIV-1 PCR levels do not parallel HIV-1 infectivity levels during virus- inactivation procedures involved in coagulation factor concentrate production. PCR was able to detect the RNA associated with inactivated HIV-1 particles in the factor concentrates, which allows the conclusion that PCR is not a useful test with which to monitor virus-inactivation procedures such as heating at 80 degrees C for 72 hours. This judgment contrasts with the more definite and sensitive role of PCR in diagnosing HIV-1 infection in patients in whom a positive HIV-1 PCR result correlates with active HIV-1 infection and with PCR's usefulness in monitoring virus removal.     

Hematopoietic cell transplantation for Crohn’s disease;is it time?

INTRODUCTION Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract which commonly affects young adults. It follows a relapsing and remitting course and there is no known cure. However, approximately 10% to 15% have chronic …     

高迁移率族蛋白B1诱导巨噬细胞Janus激酶/信号转导及转录激活子通路活化的研究

目的 初步探讨高迁移率族蛋白B1(HMGB1)致炎效应的信号转导机制。方法 清洁级雄性Wistar大鼠，取其腹腔巨噬细胞，培养3d后以10mg／L HMGB1刺激。刺激完毕后直接在培养瓶中裂解细胞，分别采用免疫沉淀、免疫印迹法和凝胶阻滞分析等技术观察不同时间点Janus激酶2(JAK2)、信号转导及转录激活子—1(STAT1)以及STAT3的活化情况。结果 HMGB1可诱导大鼠腹腔巨噬细胞STAT1、STAT3在短时间内(2h)活化，其中STAT3活化最为迅速，10min即可达到活化高峰。但HMGB1不能在短时间内(2h)诱导JAK2活化。结论 JAK／STAT途径可能参与了HMGB1致炎效应的信号转导机制。     

国人全膝关节假体置换胫骨近端截骨面至腘血管距离的测量及意义

目的:测量国人全膝关节假体置换术胫骨近端截骨面后缘至腘窝血管之间的距离,以期为临床全膝关节置换术中避免损伤腘窝血管提供参考数据。方法:选择2006-06/12于解放军第二军医大学长征医院体检的50名正常成人(53膝),男29名(31膝),女21名(22膝)。所有观察对象均知情同意,且得到医院伦理道德委员会批准。对所有膝关节进行MRI扫描,在胫骨外侧平台以下10mm水平横断面上辨认腘动静脉,并测量胫骨近端截骨面后缘至腘窝动静脉的距离。结果:53膝全部进入结果分析,无脱落。①男性胫骨近端截骨面后缘至腘动脉、腘静脉平均距离为(6.7±2.5,7.3±2.3)mm,95%可信区间分别为5.8～7.6mm,6.5～8.1mm。②女性胫骨近端截骨面后缘至腘动脉、腘静脉平均距离为(6.6±1.9,7.1±2.7)mm,95%可信区间分别为:5.8～7.4mm,5.9～8.3mm。③不同性别观察对象胫骨近端截骨面后缘至腘血管的距离差异无显著性意义(P>0.05)。结论:腘窝血管紧邻全膝关节假体置换术胫骨近端截骨面后缘,不同性别间无明显差异。全膝关节假体置换术中进行胫骨近端截骨,特别是后方操作时需特别谨慎,以避免损伤腘窝血管。     

Epigenetic therapy in myelodysplastic syndromes

The wide spectrum of clonal hematopoietic disorders that fall under the broad diagnostic category of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) consist of a family of bone marrow malignancies – with ineffective, inadequate, and dysplastic hematopoiesis, and with an increased risk of life‐threatening infections, bleeding, and progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) – that are characterized by a deep heterogeneity on the clinical, biologic and prognostic level. The intrinsic complexity of this group of disorders and the frequent association with one or more comorbidities have limited for many years the number of effective treatment options available: most patients are, indeed, still managed by supportive care measures, with just a minority of them being eligible for allogeneic stem cell transplantation, which is still the only potentially curative modality. In the last two decades, the progressively better understanding of MDS biology has shown how an abnormal epigenetic modulation might play a crucial part in the pathogenesis and in the process of biologic evolution of these disorders. Moreover, pharmacological agents that target the so‐called epigenome have shown a significant clinical activity for diverse hematologic malignancies, including MDS. The aim of this review is to highlight recent developments within the context of current knowledge of MDS and its altered epigenetic regulation and to recall the experimental steps that have brought to the clinical development and application of epigenetic modifiers, such as azacytidine and decitabine, trying to explain the biologic rationale for their use in this setting.     

Novel SOX2 partner-factor domain mutation in a four-generation family

Anophthalmia (no eye), microphthalmia (small eye) and associated ocular developmental anomalies cause significant visual handicap. In most cases the underlying genetic cause is unknown, but mutations in some genes, such as SOX2, cause ocular developmental defects, particularly anophthalmia, in a subset of patients. Here, we describe a four-generation family with a p.Asp123Gly mutation in the highly conserved partner-factor interaction region of the SOX2 protein, which is important for cell-specific actions of SOX2. The proband in this family has bilateral anophthalmia and several other family members have milder ocular phenotypes, including typical optic fissure coloboma. Expression studies indicate that Sox2 is expressed in the eye at the site of closure of the optic fissure during development. The SOX2 mutation in this family implicates the partner-factor interaction region of SOX2 in contributing to the specificity of SOX2 action in optic fissure closure. Our findings indicate that investigation of SOX2 in a broad range of eye anomaly patients aids in the determination of particular functions of SOX2 in development.     

Perforation of an Adjustable Gastric Banding Connecting Tube into distal Transverse Colon with Intra-luminal Migration

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is one of the most common bariatric procedures performed in Europe and Australia. Major post-operative complications are limited but once they occur, prompt diagnosis and treatment are mandatory. LAGB complications are related either to the port and the connecting tube, such as infection or tubing disconnection and migration, or to the band, such as slippage, pouch dilatation, or intra-gastric migration. We report a case of intra-colonic migration of the connecting tube occurring 4 years after gastric banding placement in a patient otherwise asymptomatic.