RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CORNEAL DELLEN AND TEARFILM BREAKUP TIME

The BUT of 51 strabismus patients were measured before and after operation. The average pre-op BUT was 28.75 seconds(10.96"-91.80"). The post-op BUT in all operated eyes were reduced significantly, no matter what procedures had been performed and whether dellen appeared or not(P<0.01). The BUT in the group complicated dellen reduced from 23.22"(pre-op) to 8.61"(post-op). The incidence of dellen was 22.54% in this study. The incidence of dellen after rectus resection procedure(47.75%) was much higher than that after rectus recession(5.13%)(P<0.01). This study showed that dellen was closelyre related to the BUT and occurred more often in the eyes on which resection procedure was performed. It is considered that excessive lacrimation and elevation of the bulbar conjunctiva near the limbus may disturb the stability of the precornea tearfilm and cause the tearfilm break up earlier. Local corneal dehydration and dellen formation may be caused by reduced BUT. The incidence of dellen after operation may be higher if the cornea was carefully observed.     

The effect of interleukin-16 and its precursor on T lymphocyte activation and growth

Interleukin-16 (IL-16) was the first described T lymphocyte chemoattractant. It has since been shown that IL-16 also functions as a primer of T cell proliferation, a modulator of inflammatory and immune responses, a stimulus of B cell differentiation and an inhibitor of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication. Its precursor, Prointerleukin-16 (pro-IL-16), is expressed in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of T cells. Cytoplasmic pro-IL-16 serves as the precursor for mature IL-16 while nuclear pro-IL-16 is associated with G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. Herein, we review the ability of IL-16 to act as both primer and modulator of T lymphocyte growth. The impact of IL-16 on T cell apoptosis is also discussed. Finally, we describe the role of pro-IL-16 as a T lymphocyte cell cycle growth suppressor.     

German-Austrian recommendations for HIV-therapy in pregnancy: update May 2003

In Germany during the past years about 200-250 HIV infected pregnant women delivered a baby per year, a number that is currently increasing. To determine the HIV-status early in pregnancy voluntary HIV-testing of all pregnant women is recommended in Germany and Austria as part of prenatal care. In those cases, where HIV infection was known during pregnancy, since 1995 the rate of vertical transmission of HIV was reduced to 1-2%. - This low transmission rate has been achieved by the combination of anti-retroviral treatment of pregnant women, elective caesarean section before onset of labor, anti-retroviral post exposition prophylaxis in the newborn and refraining from breast-feeding by the HIV infected mother. To keep pace with new results in research, approval of new anti-retroviral drugs and changes in the general treatment recommendations for HIV infected adults, in 1998 and 2001 an interdisciplinary consensus meeting was held. Gynaecologists, infectious disease specialists, pediatricians, pharmacologists, virologists and members of the German AIDS Hilfe (NGO) were participating in this conference to update the prevention strategies. A third update became necessary in 2003. The updating process was started in January 2003 and was terminated in July 2003. The guidelines provide new recommendations on the indication and the starting point for HIV-therapy in pregnancies without complications, drugs and drug combinations to be used preferably in these pregnancies and updated information on adverse effects of anti-retroviral drugs. Also the procedures for different scenarios and risk constellations in pregnancy have been specified again. - With these current guidelines in Germany and Austria the low rate of vertical HIV-transmission should be further maintained or even further lowered.     

肝细胞癌蛋白质组学研究进展

近年来的肝细胞癌(HCC)蛋白质组学研究表明,在不同生物学行为的HCC细胞株和HCC患者肿瘤组织及癌旁组织中发现并鉴定了许多特定的差异蛋白,在不同背景下的HCC患者血清中筛选出特定的差异蛋白和自身抗体,以及在HCC动物模型中发现了新的药物靶点。这些有潜在价值的用于HCC诊断和预后的分子标记物和治疗的药物靶点,能够给HCC的诊断和治疗带来新的动力。