Polysaccharide-protein surface modification of titanium via a layer-by-layer technique: characterization and cell behaviour aspects

To improve the surface biocompatibility of titanium films, a layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly technique, based on the polyelectrolyte-mediated electrostatic adsorption of chitosan (Chi) and gelatin (Gel), was used leading to the formation of multilayers on the titanium thin film surfaces. The film growth was initialized by deposition of one layer of positively charged poly(ethylene imine) (PEI). Then the thin film was formed by the alternate deposition of negatively charged Gel and positively charged Chi utilizing electrostatic interactions. The LBL film growth was monitored by several techniques. The chemical composition, surface topography as well as wettability were investigated by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and water contact angle measurement, respectively. Quantitative XPS analysis showed the alternative change of C/N ratio after four sequential cycles coating of Ti/PEI/Gel/Chi/Gel, which indicated the discrete layer structure of coatings. Uncoated titanium (control sample) displayed a smooth surface morphology (root mean square (RMS) roughness was around 2.5 nm). A full coverage of coating with Gel/Chi layers was achieved on the titanium surface only after the deposition layers of PEI/(Gel/Chi)2. The PEI/Gel/(Chi/Gel)3 layer displayed a rough surface morphology with a tree-like structure (RMS roughness is around 82 nm). These results showed that titanium films could be modified with Chi/Gel which may affect the biocompatibility of the modified titanium films. To confirm this hypothesis, cell proliferation and cell viability of osteoblasts on LBL-modified titanium films as well as control samples were investigated in vitro. The proliferation of osteoblasts on modified titanium films was found to be greater than that on control (p<0.05) after 1 and 7 days culture, respectively. Cell viability measurement showed that the Chi/Gel-modified films have higher cell viability (p<0.05) than the control. These data suggest that Chi/Gel were successfully employed to surface engineer titanium via LBL technique, and enhanced its cell biocompatibility. The approach presented here may be exploited for fabrication of titanium-based implant surfaces.     

我国HIV-1 B''亚型毒株gag基因变异特征研究

目的研究我国人免疫缺陷病毒1型（HIV-1）B’亚型主要流行株在宿主免疫压力下的基因变异及抗原表位的变化特征，探讨选择压力、基因离散率和抗原表位变化之间的关系。方法从确诊的HIV-1感染者的全血样本中提取基因组DNA，经套式聚合酶链反应（PCR）扩增后，将扩增产物进行纯化和测序。然后将所得序列进行系统进化树和氨基酸变异分析，使用GCG软件包的Distance程序对P17和P24两个区段计算基因距离，用Diverge程序计算同义替换（1（s）和非同义替换（1（a）及二者之间的比值，并对我国人群中较常见的HLA型别限制的CTL表位的突变情况进行分析。结果HIV-1B’亚型毒株的P17区段的Ks／Ka值〈1，而P24区段的Ks／Ka值〉1；P24部分的基因离散率低于P17部分；P17区段抗原表位的保守率为34．94％，而P24区段抗原表位的保守率为67．38％；从基因离散率、所受的选择压力及抗原表位的突变率3个方面来看，HIV-1的P17区段均明显大于P24区段。结论HIV-1B’亚型毒株的P17区段的抗原表位变化较大，而P24区段的抗原表位相对较为保守。提示P24区段的CTL表位更适合于表位疫苗的研制。     

"军字1号"工程使用前后病案首页质量对照统计分析

为探讨“军字1号”工程使用前后的病案首页质量变化,本文通过作者所在医院近八年病案首页的质量调查统计,对“军字1号”工程使用前后的病案首页质量作了详细的对照分析比较,为进一步加强“军字1号”工程中的病案首页质量管理提供经验。     

Cytokines transduced bone marrow stromal cell lines promote immunohematopoietic reconstitution in mice after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Impaired immune reconstitution following allogeneic T-cell depleted bone marrow transplantation (allo-TCD-BMT) is a major obstacle to its clinical application. Stromal cell line QXMSC1, established from bone marrow cells of BALB/c(H-2d), was transfected with murine IL-3 and/ or IL-2 gene, and injected into lethally irradiated C57BL/6(H2b) mice. We evaluated its effects on immunologic and hematopoietic reconstitution after allo-TCD-BMT. The results showed that QXMSC1-IL-3 + IL-2 could significantly increase the numbers of hematopoietic primitive progenitors (CFU-S), committed progenitors (CFU-GM, and BFU-E), and lymphocytes (CD8+ cells, CD4+ cells, and B cells). Similarly, immune functions of recipient mice were significantly enhanced in the QXMSC1-IL-3 + IL-2 group. In addition, QXMSC1-IL-3 or QXMSC1-IL-2 also exerted apparent effects on accelerating immune reconstitution, but these effects were far less than that of QXMSC1-IL-3 + IL-2. Our results demonstrated that stromal cell-mediated IL-3 and IL-2 gene therapy may be a potent approach in promoting immunologic and hematopoietic reconstitution after allo-TCD-BMT.     

髓过氧化物酶在大鼠哮喘中的作用及地塞米松对其的影响

目的：观察大鼠哮喘中性粒细胞（PMN）及其髓过氧化物酶（MPO）的表达水平及地塞米松（DM）对其的影响。方法：采用大鼠哮喘模型，随机分成哮喘组（A组）、正常对照组（C组）、地塞米松治疗组（D组），对血PMN进行分离纯化和支气管肺泡灌洗液（BALF）进行细胞计数，免疫组化和比色法测定MPO的表达水平。结果：（1）A组血PMN和支气管壁中MPO的表达水平均显著高于C组（P〈0．01）；D组血PMN中其表达水平显著低于A组（P〈0．01），而在支气管壁两者没有显著性差异（P〉0．05）。A组肺组织和BALF中MPO的活性均显著高于C组（P〈0．01，P〈0．05），D组肺组织中其活性显著性低于A组（P〈0．01），而在BALF中两者没有显著性差异（P〉0．05）。（2）A组BALF、肺组织中PMN的计数均显著高于C组（P〈0．01）；D组肺组织中其计数显著高于A组（P〈0．01），而两组BALF中PMN占细胞总数的百分比无显著性差异（P〉0．05）。结论：PMN及其MPO的表达水平在哮喘时增加，PMN可能通过合成MPO参与了哮喘的炎症过程，DM对其合成功能有抑制作用，但加剧PMN在肺组织中聚集。MPO与气道中PMN的浸润密切相关。     

人α2（I）型胶原基因启动子活性研究

目的 探索器官纤维化形成中调控I型胶原基因高水平转录的启动片段及TGF-β、PDGF－BB、IGF－1等细胞因子对其活性的影响。方法 从人α2（I）胶原基因转录起始点上游－2.4kb至＋58bp的片段中，取长度不等的片段作为启动子与含氯霉素乙酰基转移酶（CAT）报告基因的质粒组成5个重组体，转染上述重组体至正常人原代培养皮肤成纤维细胞，测定细胞CAT表达水平以比较各重组体的启动子活性，同时加入细胞因子，以测定其对I型胶原启动序列的影响。结果 除－129～＋58bp序列外，其余4个重组体CAT表达水平均较高，其中－2292～＋58bp、－1476～ 58bp序列具较强启动CAT表达活性，－339～ 58bp、－616～ 58bp片段次之。TGF－β、IGF－1均能在一定程度上调人α2（I）胶原基因启动活性。结论 人α2（I）胶原基因片段－2292～ 58bp、－1476～ 58bp、－339～ 58bp有高启动活性，是进一步研究纤维化相关DNA结合蛋白的重要调控靶序列。TGF－β、IGF－1促进胶原表达，与其上调胶原基因启动活性有关。     

Longitudinal alteration of circulating dendritic cell subsets and its correlation with steroid treatment in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome

In this study, we found that 74 patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) exhibited a rapid, dramatic decrease in numbers of circulating myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (mDCs and pDCs) during the first 2 weeks of illness (5.3- and 28.4-fold reductions for mDCs and pDCs compared with 25 healthy individuals, respectively), with slow return to normal cell numbers during convalescence (weeks 5–7 of illness on average). In addition, numbers of circulating CD4 and CD8 T cells exhibited milder reductions (2.1- and 1.8-fold at week 1) and earlier return to normal at a mean of weeks 3 and 4, respectively. A significant inverse correlation was found between numbers of DC and T-cell subsets and high-dose steroid treatment. Our novel findings thus suggest that the acute SARS-coronavirus infection probably contributes to the initial reduction of DC and T-cell subsets in blood, and that high-dose steroid administration may subsequently exacerbate and prolong low expression of the cell subsets. These findings will aid the framing of further studies of the immunopathogenesis of SARS.     

Congenital clubfoot in Europe: A population‐based study

We aimed to assess prevalence, birth outcome, associated anomalies and prenatal diagnosis of congenital clubfoot in Europe using data from the EUROCAT network, and to validate the recording of congenital clubfoot as a major congenital anomaly by EUROCAT registries. Cases of congenital clubfoot were included from 18 EUROCAT registries covering more than 4.8 million births in 1995–2011. Cases without chromosomal anomalies born during 2005–2009, were randomly selected for validation using a questionnaire on diagnostic details and treatment. There was 5,458 congenital clubfoot cases of which 5,056 (93%) were liveborn infants. Total prevalence of congenital clubfoot was 1.13 per 1,000 births (95% CI 1.10–1.16). Prevalence of congenital clubfoot without chromosomal anomaly was 1.08 per 1,000 births (95% CI 1.05–1.11) and prevalence of isolated congenital clubfoot was 0.92 per 1,000 births (95% CI 0.90–0.95), both with decreasing trends over time and large variations in prevalence by registry. The majority of cases were isolated congenital clubfoot (82%) and 11% had associated major congenital anomalies. Prenatal detection rate of isolated congenital clubfoot was 22% and increased over time. Among 301 validated congenital clubfoot cases, diagnosis was confirmed for 286 (95%). In conclusion, this large population‐based study found a decreasing trend of congenital clubfoot in Europe after 1999–2002, an increasing prenatal detection rate, and a high standard of coding of congenital clubfoot in EUROCAT.     

Site-specific mutagenicity of stereochemically defined 1,N2-deoxyguanosine adducts of trans-4-hydroxynonenal in mammalian cells

Trans-4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) is a toxic compound produced endogenously during lipid peroxidation. HNE is a potent electrophile that is reactive with both proteins and nucleic acids. HNE preferentially reacts with deoxyguanosine to form four stereoisomeric HNE-deoxyguanosine (HNE-dG) adducts: (6R, 8S, 11R), (6S, 8R, 11S), (6R, 8S, 11S), and (6S, 8R, 11R). These adducts were synthesized into 12-mer oligodeoxynucleotides, inserted into a DNA shuttle vector and evaluated for the ability of each stereoisomer to induce mutagenesis when replicated through mammalian cells. The resultant mutagenicity of these adducts was related to their stereochemistry, in that two of the HNE-dG adducts, (6R, 8S, 11R) and (6S, 8R, 11S), were significantly more mutagenic than the (6R, 8S, 11S) and (6S, 8R, 11R) HNE-dG adducts. These data conclusively demonstrate that HNE-derived DNA adducts can be mutagenic in mammalian cells and their ability to cause mutations is dictated by their stereochemistry.