MicroRNA:从生物标志物到基因治疗

microRNA(mi RNA)作为生物标志物和治疗靶点的价值已被公认。简介mi RNA及其生物合成与功能,探讨mi RNA与疾病及癌症的关系,综述mi RNA在疾病治疗中及作为生物标志物的应用研究。     

Outcome in patients hospitalised for psoriatic arthritis

Summary Forty patients hospitalised for treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) were followed for a mean of 8.0 years. At the end of this time none had died and only 8% were in functional class IV. 90% received second-line therapy. There was a high incidence of skin rashes on gold but hydroxychloroquine was well tolerated. Patients with psoriatic arthritis had a better outcome than patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with the same regime.     

Low incidence of human herpesvirus 8 in stem cell collections from myeloma patients

Human herpesvirus 8 is a gammaherpesvirus which may be implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma. Viral DNA sequences have been found in the bone marrow, peripheral blood and leukapheresis products of myeloma patients. These findings have significant implications for the use of leukapheresed cells in the transplantation and immunotherapy of myeloma. The studies suggest the cell which harbours the virus may be dendritic in origin. We have previously reported that dendritic cells cultured for use in the clinical setting do not harbour HHV-8. In this study, we examined the leukapheresis products of a larger cohort of myeloma patients for the presence of HHV-8 using a highly sensitive PCR technique. A strong association between HHV-8 and myeloma was not confirmed, with only 4% of the patient samples positive for viral sequences. While further study is needed, the current use of apheresis cells and their cultured progeny in the treatment of myeloma should not be compromised.     

A new adaptable computerized system for the measurement of specific airways conductance

We have developed an automated system for the measurement of specific airways conductance (SGaw) which differs in several aspects from other reported automated systems. In seven subjects this system was used to measure baseline SGaw and the provocation concentration (PC) of histamine producing a 35% fall in SGaw. The results produced were compared with those obtained by manual analysis using both one limb and two limbs of the inspiratory part of the flow/box pressure curve. Using the automated system, baseline SGaw and PC35SGaw results were similar to those obtained by the two limbs method of manual analysis, but the analysis time was considerably reduced. A single measurement of SGaw was obtained within 2-3 seconds. Both the automated and two limbs manual methods of analysis were more reproducible than the one limb method of manual analysis.