Acute Cellular Rejection with CD20-Positive Lymphoid Clusters in Kidney Transplant Patients Following Lymphocyte Depletion

Lymphoid clusters (LC) containing CD20-positive B cells in kidney allografts undergoing acute cellular rejection (ACR) have been identified in small studies as a prognostic factor for glucocorticoid resistance and graft loss. Allograft biopsies obtained during the first episode of ACR in 120 recipients were evaluated for LC, immunostained with CD20 antibody, and correlated with conventional histopathologic criteria, response to treatment and outcome. LC were found in 71 (59%) of the 120 biopsies. All contained CD20 positive B cells that accounted for 5-90% of the LC leukocyte content. The incidence of LC was highest in the patients who had no lymphoid depletion or had been treated with Thymoglobulin preconditioning (79% vs. 75%, respectively) compared to 37% in patients pretreated with Campath (p = 0.0001). Banff 1a/1b ACR were more frequent in the LC-positive than the LC-negative group (96% vs. 80%, respectively; p = 0.0051). With a posttransplant follow-up of 953 +/- 430 days, no significant differences were detected between LC-postitive and LC-negative groups in time to ACR, steroid resistance, serum creatinine and graft loss. CD20+LC did not portend glucocorticoid resistance or worse short to medium term outcomes. CD20+LC may represent a heterogenous collection in which there may be a small still to be fully defined unfavorable subgroup.     

提壶揭盖法治疗前列腺增生症82例

笔者自1995年以来，宗提壶揭盖法，用补中益气汤加减治疗前列腺增生82例疗效满意，报告如下。     

Fidgetin-like 1 gene inhibited by basic fibroblast growth factor regulates the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts.

The FIGNL1 gene was proven to be a new subfamily member of ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities (AAA proteins). In this in vitro study, the AAA proteins inhibited osteoblast proliferation and stimulated osteoblast differentiation. We showed that FIGNL1 may play some regulatory role in osteoblastogenesis. INTRODUCTION: The fidgetin-like 1 (FIGNL1) gene encodes a new subfamily member of ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities (AAA proteins). Although the FIGNL1 protein localizes to both the nucleus and cytoplasm, the function of FIGNL1 remains unknown. In a previous study, we identified several genes that mediate the anabolic effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on bone by using microarray data. FIGNL1 was one of the genes that downregulated >2-fold in MC3T3-E1 cells after treatment with bFGF. Therefore, this study was aimed to identify and confirm the function of FIGNL1 on osteoblastogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the effect of the FIGNL1 gene on proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in mouse osteoblast cells (MC3T3-E1 and mouse primary calvarial cells) using flow cytometry, RT-PCR, cell proliferation assay, and cell death assay. MC3T3-E1 cells and mouse calvarial cells were transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) directed against the FIGNL1 or nontargeting control siRNA and examined by cell proliferation and cell death assays. Also, FIGNL1 was fused to enhance green fluorescent protein (EGFP), and the EGFP-fused protein was transiently expressed in MC3T3-E1 cells. RESULTS: Reduced expression of FIGNL1 by bFGF and TGF-beta1 treatment was verified by RT-PCR analysis. Overexpression of FIGNL1 reduced the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 and calvarial cells, more than the mock transfected control cells did. In contrast, siFIGNL1 transfection significantly increased the proliferation of osteoblasts, whereas overexpression of FIGNL1 did not seem to alter apoptosis in osteoblasts. Meanwhile, overexpression of FIGNL1 enhanced the mRNA expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OCN) in osteoblasts. In contrast, siFIGNL1 decreased the expression of ALP and OCN. A pEGFP-FIGNL1 transfected into MCT3-E1 cells had an initially ubiquitous distribution and rapidly translocated to the nucleus 1 h after bFGF treatment. CONCLUSIONS: From these results, we proposed that FIGNL1, a subfamily member of the AAA family of proteins, might play some regulatory role in osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Further analyses of FIGNL1 will be needed to better delineate the mechanisms contributing to the inhibition of proliferation and stimulation of osteoblast differentiation.     

Expression of CD68 CD45RO CD20 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in nasal polyps]

OBJECTIVE: To study the cellular expression of CD45RO, CD20, CD68 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in nasal polyps. METHODS: Nasal polyp tissues from 50 patients were evaluated for cellular expression of CD45RO, CD20, CD68 and PCNA using immunohistochemistry SP by counting the average number in 5 chosen high-power fields, Histopathological observations were combined with HE. Analyses were performed on SPSS10.0. RESULTS: CD68+ cells were expressed more in nasal polyps dominated by eosinophils than by neutrophils(P < 0.05). There was no difference between CD45RO and CD20, but both of them had negative correlation(P = 0.05). Significant correlation was found between CD68+ cells and eosinophils or PCNA positive cells on epithelium. PCNA positive cells on epithelium had significant correlation on fibroblast (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Inflammatory cell infiltration (eosinophilia CD45RO, CD20, CD68) and cell proliferating in epithelium cells, glandular cell and fibroblast are strongly correlated with formation of nasal polyps. The nasal polyps are not only characteristic of eosinophilia but also by lymphocytes dominated by CD45RO and CD68 positive cells. CD68 may be stem cell of nasal polyp.     

Neural network forecasts of the tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures.

A nonlinear forecast system for the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over the whole tropical Pacific has been developed using a multi-layer perceptron neural network approach, where sea level pressure and SST anomalies were used as predictors to predict the five leading SST principal components at lead times from 3 to 15 months. Relative to the linear regression (LR) models, the nonlinear (NL) models showed higher correlation skills and lower root mean square errors over most areas of the domain, especially over the far western Pacific (west of 155 degrees E) and the eastern equatorial Pacific off Peru at lead times longer than 3 months, with correlation skills enhanced by 0.10-0.14. Seasonal and decadal changes in the prediction skills in the NL and LR models were also studied.     

Association of the GNAS1 gene variant with hypertension is dependent on alcohol consumption.

The beta-adrenoceptor (beta-AR)-stimulatory guanine nucleotide-binding (Gs) protein system has been shown to play important roles in the cardiovascular system. The gene encoding the alpha-subunit of Gs proteins (GNAS1) is a candidate genetic determinant for hypertension. Because alcohol consumption is known to affect blood pressure partly through the beta-AR-Gs protein system, we examined the possible interaction between GNAS1 T393C polymorphism and drinking status in the association with hypertension in the present study. As a result, a non-significant but reasonable trend supporting the presence of an interaction was shown (p = 0.076). In line with this trend, the T393C polymorphism significantly interacted with drinking status in the association with systolic blood pressure (p = 0.028). Moreover, supporting the presence of an interaction, T allele carriers consistently had a higher probability of hypertension, higher systolic blood pressure, and higher diastolic blood pressure than CC homozygotes in non-drinkers and light drinkers. In contrast, CC homozygotes consistently had a higher probability of hypertension, higher systolic blood pressure, and higher diastolic blood pressure than T allele carriers in moderate to heavy drinkers. The present study also showed a significant interaction between the T393C polymorphism and drinking status in the association with pulse pressure (p = 0.026), reflected by a significant association between the T393C polymorphism and pulse pressure in moderate to heavy drinkers (p = 0.026). These findings may be helpful in conducting further molecular and biological studies on the relationship among the effects of alcohol, the beta-AR-Gs protein system, and hypertension.     

雷公藤多甙联合中草药治疗IgA肾病的病例对照研究

IgA肾病(immunoglobulin A nephropathy,I-gAN)是肾小球系膜病变的一个特殊类型,其发病机制尚未完全明确,临床表现复杂多样。目前,临床上常用的药物主要有激素、雷公藤、环磷酰胺等,都具有一定的疗效,但在药物副作用、血尿的消退、肾功能的稳定及停药后复发等方面均有各自的缺陷。笔者所在科室在慢性肾炎型IgAN的治疗上进行探索,现将结果报告如下。1资料与方法1.1病例选择及分组73例均为铜陵市第一人民医院肾内科住院并经肾活检证实的IgAN患者,除外各种继发性IgAN,并符合以下条件:①按Lee氏分级均在Ⅲ~Ⅳ级间;②无严重的肝损害;③血…     

体重指数、腰围、腰臀比与血压、血糖、血脂关系的探讨

目的 探讨体重指数(BMI)、腰围(WC)、腰臀比(WHR)与代谢性因素的关系.方法 对镇江市居民基线资料的1108例对象按BMI、WC、WHR分组.在正常体重、超重、肥胖;腰围正常、腰围过大;腰臀比正常、腰臀比过大各组中,比较收缩压(SBP)、舒张压(DBP)、血糖(FBG)、总胆固醇(TC)、甘油三酯(TG)、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C)、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-C)的水平.结果 不论男性女性组,超重肥胖、腰围过大组,血压、血糖、血脂水平与正常组比较均明显升高;腰臀比过大组与正常组比较,男性组TG、FBG明显升高;HDL-C明显降低;女性组TG、FBG、SBP明显升高,HDL-C明显降低.结论 BMI、WC、WHR指标与代谢性因素密切相关;BMI、WC在提示肥胖程度方面优于WHR指标.     

Buccal mucosal graft for urethral reconstruction.

Urethral reconstruction with graft substances, such as skin and bladder mucosa, has been previously used when primary anastomosis cannot be achieved. However, stricture and meatal prolapse are associated with these grafts. We report the use of buccal mucosa for the reconstruction of urethral defects in 3 patients. One patient with failed operation for hypospadias received tube buccal mucosal graft for urethral replacement. Two patients with urethral necrosis and stricture received onlay buccal mucosal graft. All patients were disease-free during follow-up (range, 12 to 49 months; mean, 36 months). One patient had a pinhole fistula that was successfully managed with simple repair. This technique appears to be useful for urethral reconstruction when a local graft is not available, even in patients with complicated conditions.