Detection of highly pathogenic and low pathogenic avian influenza subtype H5 (Eurasian lineage) using NASBA

Nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) is a technique that allows the rapid amplification of specific regions of nucleic acid obtained from a diverse range of sources. It is especially suitable for amplifying RNA sequences. A NASBA technique has been developed that allows the detection of avian influenza A subtype H5 from allantoic fluid harvested from inoculated chick embryos. The amplified viral RNA is detected by electrochemiluminescence. The NASBA technique described below is rapid and specific for the identification of influenza A subtype H5 viruses of the Eurasian lineage. More importantly, it can be used to distinguish highly pathogenic and low pathogenic strains of the H5 subtype.     

抗病毒治疗对乙型肝炎病毒感染者肾移植术后临床转归的影响

目的 探讨乙型肝炎病毒感染者肾移植术后临床转归及治疗对策.方法 将术前乙肝病毒标志物阳性(HBsAg阳性、HBeAg阳性或HBeAb阳性、HBV DNA阳性或阴性)的32例肾移植术后患者分为抗病毒治疗组和无抗病毒治疗组两组.观察两组(术前1周至术后9年)的肝功能(ALT、AST、TBIL、PT)变化、病毒复制(HBV DNA)及存活情况.结果 抗病毒治疗组23例患者肝功能损害复常率为82.60%,存活率为82.60%,HBV DNA(PCR法)下降(≥2 log10)或保持低复制率为86.95%;未抗病毒组9例患者肝功能损害复常率为22.22%,存活率为11.11%,HBV DNA(PeR法)下降(≥2log10)或保持低复制率为11.11%.抗病毒组肝功能复常率、存活率及HBV DNA下降或保持低复制率高于无抗病毒组,两组比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05).19例拉米夫定治疗患者6例出现病毒学反弹31.58%,1例加用阿德福韦酯,2例换用恩替卡韦后好转,其余3例肝功能衰竭死亡.结论 持续有效的抗病毒治疗可以有效控制乙肝病毒复制,促进肝功能恢复,减少肝衰竭发生,提高乙肝病毒感染者肾移植术后患者存活率.在治疗过程中出现病毒学反弹应及时换用或加用有效药物减少肝衰竭发生.     

Severe dilated cardiomyopathy as a consequence of Ecstasy intake

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the most common causes of heart failure with a prevalence of 1:2500. There are several primary and secondary etiologic factors, including gene mutations, infection agents, particularly viruses, toxins, autoimmune, and systemic disorders, and pheochromocytoma, neuromuscular, metabolic, mitochondrial, and nutritional disorders. However, a precise diagnosis can be reached only in no more than 50% of all cases. Herein, we report a rare case of hepatic damage and severe DCM as a consequence of relatively popular socially used narcotic-Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine [MDMA]).     

Palmitic acid metabolism in the soleus muscle in vitro in hypo- and hyperthyroid rats

The aim of this study was to establish whether the rate of fatty acid (FA) incorporation and its utilization by the isolated soleus muscle is modified under conditions of thyroid hormone deficit or excess. The rate of palmitic acid (PA) uptake, oxidation and incorporation into intramuscular lipids with increasing PA concentration (0.5–1.5 mM) in the incubation medium were determined. In hypothyroid rats intramuscular triacylglycerol (TG) synthesis was increased, while the rate of PA oxidation to CO₂ and incorporation into mono- and diacylglycerols (MG/DG) and phospholipids (PL) remained unchanged. In rats with triiodothyronine (T₃) excess the rate of all processes studied was enhanced, although the percentage incorporation of PA into different classes of intramuscular lipids was fairly constant and, independently of thyroid state and FA concentration in the medium, was 56–66% for TG, 9-14% for MG/DG and 24–32% for PL. Our results thus indicate that even short-term T₃ excess accelerates the rate of FA uptake and metabolism in the oxidative soleus muscle, whereas in hypothyroid rats only intramuscular TG synthesis is affected.     

An immunoblotting procedure for screening glycophorins and band 3 protein in the same blots: Identification of glycophorin and band 3 variant forms

An immunoblotting procedure is described which makes it possible to screen multiple blood samples for the presence of glycophorin and band 3 variant forms with altered electrophoretic mobility. The procedure can be simplified by using whole red blood cell hemolysates instead of membranes for SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The use of hemolysates also has the advantage that antigens sensitive to proteolysis are not degraded in vitro. The same nitrocellulose blots were used for immunoenzymatic detection of glycophorins with a set of anti-glycophorin monoclonal antibodies, and for autoradiographic detection of band 3-derived bands with ¹²⁵I-labeled anti-band 3 monoclonal antibody. The screening of 157 Caucasian blood samples revealed the presence of a slower-migrating form of band 3 in seven cases and variant glycophorin in one case. The variant glycophorin exhibited the features of hybrid glycophorin of B-A type.     

慢性乙肝患者血清趋化因子RANTES水平与肝功能生化指标等的相关性研究

Objective To investigate the level of the serum chemokine RANTES and its correlation with serum biochemical indices of liver function test, HBeAg and HBV DNA load in patients with chronic hepatitis B.Methods 144 patients with chronic hepatitis B (observed group) and 18 normal cases (control group) were enrolled in this study. The serum level of chemokine RANTES was detected with an ABC-ELISA assay. Statistical analysis was performed on the software of SPSS13.0. Results The serum chemokine RANTES level in the observed group (3930.12 ng/ml±2856.96) ng/ml was significantly higher than that in the control group (329.46 ng/ml±152.23) ng/ml. The results from the observed group indicated the positive correlation of serum RANTES level with indices of liver function test, including ALT (r=0. 197, P=0.018), AST(r=0.239, P=0.004) and TBil (r=0.316, P=0.001), but did not with PTA (r=-0.078, P=0.357). Neither difference of serum chemokine RANTES level between HBeAg-positive group and HBeAg-negative group nor that between high HBV DNA load group (≥105 copies/ml) and low HBV DNA load group (< 105 copies/ml) were statistically significant (P=0.407 and 0.185, respectively). Conclusions Serum chemokine RANTES level in patients with chronic hepatitis B elevates significantly and is not affected by HBeAg or HBV DNA load. Its positive correlation with indices of liver function test indicates that RANTES might play an important rule in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B.     

CM1 ligation initiates apoptosis in a caspase 8-dependent manner in Ramos cells and in a mitochondria-controlled manner in Raji cells

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a tumor with the characteristics of germinal center B cells. We previously reported that the CM1 (centrocyte/-blast marker 1) molecule is expressed only in germinal center B cells, specifically, in a subpopulation of centroblasts and centrocytes. In the present study, we investigated the apoptosis induced by anti-CM1 in the Ramos and Raji human BL cell lines. The Ramos is protected from apoptosis by the crosslinking of sIgM and the calcium ionophore by the ligation of CD40 with anti-CD40 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) or soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L). In this investigation on the effect of CM1 on apoptosis in BL cell lines, we found that cellular signaling by CM1 induces apoptosis and decreases cell viability, in BL cell lines cultured for 24 hours with protein-G agarose beads conjugated anti-CM1 mAb. Stimulation by CD40 ligated with sCD40L protected Raji cells from CM1-induced apoptosis, but did not protect Ramos cells. Furthermore, after anti-CM1 mAb stimulation, CD95 expression was upregulated and CD40 expression was unaltered or slightly decreased in Ramos cells, whereas CD95 was downregulated and CD40 was slightly upregulated in Raji cells. The engagement of CD40 by sCD40L enhanced CD95 expression, but the level of CM1 expression was unchanged in Ramos. However, sCD40L downregulated both CD95 and CM1 expression in Raji. In addition, the caspase-8 specific inhibitor blocked CM1-induced apoptosis in Ramos cells, but not in Raji cells. Increased mitochondrial membrane permeabilization was observed only in Raji cells. Moreover, the effector caspase inhibitor, z-DEVD, blocked CM1-mediated apoptosis in both cell lines. We found that CM1-induced apoptosis is achieved via different initiation pathways, which are cell-type dependent.     

慢性乙肝患者血清趋化因子RANTES水平与肝功能生化指标等的相关性研究

Objective To investigate the level of the serum chemokine RANTES and its correlation with serum biochemical indices of liver function test, HBeAg and HBV DNA load in patients with chronic hepatitis B.Methods 144 patients with chronic hepatitis B (observed group) and 18 normal cases (control group) were enrolled in this study. The serum level of chemokine RANTES was detected with an ABC-ELISA assay. Statistical analysis was performed on the software of SPSS13.0. Results The serum chemokine RANTES level in the observed group (3930.12 ng/ml±2856.96) ng/ml was significantly higher than that in the control group (329.46 ng/ml±152.23) ng/ml. The results from the observed group indicated the positive correlation of serum RANTES level with indices of liver function test, including ALT (r=0. 197, P=0.018), AST(r=0.239, P=0.004) and TBil (r=0.316, P=0.001), but did not with PTA (r=-0.078, P=0.357). Neither difference of serum chemokine RANTES level between HBeAg-positive group and HBeAg-negative group nor that between high HBV DNA load group (≥105 copies/ml) and low HBV DNA load group (< 105 copies/ml) were statistically significant (P=0.407 and 0.185, respectively). Conclusions Serum chemokine RANTES level in patients with chronic hepatitis B elevates significantly and is not affected by HBeAg or HBV DNA load. Its positive correlation with indices of liver function test indicates that RANTES might play an important rule in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B.