In vitro activity and beta-lactamase stability of the new oral cephalosporin Bay v 3522

The activity of the new oral cephalosporin Bay v 3522 was compared to that of six other beta-lactam agents. Bay v 3522 inhibited methicillin-susceptibleStaphylococcus aureus andStaphylococcus epidermidis at 2 µg/ml, compared to MICs of 8 µg/ml for the other cephalosporins tested. It was more active againstStreptococcus pyogenes (MIC 0.06 µg/ml) than cefuroxime, cefixime, cephalexin and cefaclor. Groups B, C and G streptococci were inhibited at 0.12 µg/ml, while the MIC90 forStreptococcus bovis and viridans streptococci was 0.5 and 2 µg/ml, respectively. The MIC90 for enterococci andListeria monocytogenes was 8 µg/ml.Clostridium perfringens was inhibited by 0.12 µg/ml, but mostBacteroides spp. were resistant. The MIC90 for beta-lactamase positiveEscherichia coli (producing primarily TEM-1) was >64 µg/ml and for beta-lactamase negative strains 16 µg/ml. The MIC90 for high-level beta-lactamase producingKlebsiella pneumoniae was >64 µg/ml versus 4 µg/ml for other isolates. The MIC90 forMoraxella catarrhalis was 2 µg/ml, forHaemophilus influenzae 1 µg/ml, and forNeisseria gonorrhoeae 4 µg/ml.Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter freundii, Proteus mirabilis, Providencia spp. andPseudomonas aeruginosa were resistant. Bay v 3522 was destroyed by TEM-1, SHV-1, TEM-3 and P99 beta-lactamases.     

RNA interference against enterovirus 71 infection

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a highly infectious major causative agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) which could lead to severe neurological complications. There is currently no effective therapy against EV71. In this study, RNA interference (RNAi) is employed as a therapeutic approach for specific viral inhibition. Various regions of the EV71 genome were targeted for inhibition by chemically synthesized siRNAs. Transfection of rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells with siRNA targeting the 3'UTR, 2C, 3C, or 3D region significantly alleviated cytopathic effects of EV71. The inhibitory effect was dosage-dependent with a corresponding decrease in viral RNA, viral proteins, and plaque formations by EV71. Viral inhibition of siRNA transfected RD cells was still evident after 48 h. In addition, no significant adverse off-target silencing effects were observed. These results demonstrated the potential and feasibility for the use of siRNA as an antiviral therapy for EV71 infections.     

APC I1307K and the E1317Q variants are not present in Chinese colorectal cancer patients.

PURPOSE: The APC I1307K and E1317Q variants predispose to colorectal adenomas and carcinomas in Caucasians, but data are lacking in Asians. METHODS AND RESULTS: We sequenced the APC gene from codons 1261 to 1409 and found none of 147 Chinese, 20 Malay, and 11 Indian colorectal cancer patients in Singapore to carry the APC I1307K or E1317Q variants. CONCLUSION: These variants are rare in these Asian populations, and play little role in colorectal cancer causation in Chinese.     

谷氨酸脱羧酶65片段与IL－10双基因真核表达载体的构建与鉴定

 目的 优化以往构建的以预防 1 型糖尿病为目的的全长谷氨酸脱羧酶（GAD）65 DNA疫苗，尝试构建GAD 65片段与IL-10双基因真核表达载体。方法 从GAD65质粒中扩增出GAD190-315片段和GAD490-570片段的cDNA，以overlap PCR法将之分别与hIL-2信号肽cDNA拼接，得到SGAD190-315、SGAD490-570融合基因。以p43.2-mIL-10质粒为模板，用PCR方法扩增出IL-10基因。将SGAD190-315、SGAD490-570融合基因分别与IL-10基因依次克隆入双启动子真核表达载体pBudCE4.1中，构建出2种双基因重组真核表达载体pBud-SGAD190-315/IL-10和pBud-SGAD490-570/IL-10。2种重组真核表达载体经测序鉴定正确后，用脂质体介导的方法转染COS-7细胞，转染后48和72 h以蛋白质印迹法检测细胞裂解产物及上清液中SGAD190-315和SGAD490-570融合基因的表达，ELISA方法检测细胞上清液中IL-10的表达。结果　核酸序列测定表明克隆的SGAD190-315、SGAD490-570融合基因和IL-10基因序列与报告序列一致。蛋白质印迹法和ELISA方法均检测到SGAD190-315/IL-10和SGAD490-570/IL-10重组真核表达载体在COS-7细胞中的表达。结论　成功构建了2种GAD65片段与IL-10双基因真核表达载体，为1型糖尿病的基因疫苗预防研究提供了实验基础。     

Immunohistochemical detection of XIAP and p63 in adenomatous hyperplasia, atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma and well-differentiated adenocarcinoma.

The critical distinction of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC), well-differentiated adenocarcinoma (WDAC) of lung, adenomatous hyperplasia (AH) and atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH), is based on morphological criteria alone, and is therefore potentially subjective. We examined expression of two markers, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), the most potent of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family, and p63, a marker of bronchial reserve cells (BRC) and squamous cells, in these entities. H&E slides of 37 tissue blocks from 27 patients were reviewed and classified as AH (n=7), AAH (n=8), BAC (n=9) and WDAC (n=13). Immunostaining was performed on 4 mum sections with monoclonal anti-XIAP and monoclonal anti-p63. Granular or heterogeneous cytoplasmic staining for XIAP and nuclear staining for p63 were considered positive. Neither XIAP nor p63 were detected in normal lung alveolar cells. All seven AHs were negative for XIAP and negative or focally positive for p63. All eight AAHs were positive for XIAP and displayed p63 positivity in scattered cells. All BACs displayed XIAP positivity, which ranged from focal/weak to diffuse/strong. p63 was negative in seven and focally positive in two of nine BACs. Twelve of 13 WDACs showed XIAP positivity in a similar pattern to BAC; all were negative for p63. One aberrant case diagnosed on H & E as WDAC was negative for XIAP but strongly positive for p63. Significant XIAP expression appears to be useful for distinguishing AAH from AH. Commonality of XIAP staining in AAH, BAC and WDAC supports the possibility that AAH may be a pre-malignant lesion. The rarity of p63 expression confirms previous reports and supports a nonbronchial histogenesis of these entities. In contrast, diffuse p63 staining may facilitate the identification of rare cases that may have been misclassified as alveolar in origin based on morphology but may be of BRC origin.     

The plasminogen activation system reduces fibrosis in the lung by a hepatocyte growth factor-dependent mechanism

Mice deficient in the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene (PAI-1-/- mice) are relatively protected from developing pulmonary fibrosis from bleomycin administration. We hypothesized that one of the protective mechanisms may be the ability of the plasminogen system to enhance hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) effects, which have been reported to be anti-fibrotic in the lung. HGF is known to be sequestered in tissues by binding to extracellular matrix components. Following bleomycin administration, we found that HGF protein levels were higher in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from PAI-1-/- mice compared to wild-type (PAI-1+/+) mice. This increase could be suppressed by administering tranexamic acid, which inhibits plasmin activity. Conversely, intratracheal instillation of urokinase into bleomycin-injured PAI-1+/+ mice to activate plasminogen caused a significant increase in HGF within bronchoalveolar lavage and caused less collagen accumulation in the lungs. Administration of an anti-HGF neutralizing antibody markedly increased collagen accumulation in the lungs of bleomycin-injured PAI-1-/- mice. These results support the hypothesis that increasing the availability of HGF, possibly by enhancing its release from extracellular matrix by a plasmin-dependent mechanism, is an important means by which activation of the plasminogen system can limit pulmonary fibrosis.     

Cytokine responses in mice infected with<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Clonorchis sinensis</Emphasis>

FVB and BALB/c mice show different morbidity, development of Clonorchis sinensis, and pathological changes following C. sinensis infection. FVB mice are susceptible and BALB/c mice are relatively more resistant to C. sinensis infection. To investigate the relationship between cytokine reaction and susceptibility to C. sinensis infection in FVB and BALB/c mice, we described both the patterns and kinetics of Th1 cytokines and Th2 cytokines in spleen cell culture. Interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10 cytokine production in the culture supernatants of the concanavalin-A-stimulated spleen cells increased at 2–3 weeks post-infection in both strains. IL-5 production increased between 2 and 5 weeks post-infection in both strains, and reached a peak level at 2 weeks post-infection in BALB/c mice and 4 weeks post-infection in FVB mice. In contrast, gamma interferon (IFN-) production decreased between 2 and 4 weeks in both strains. IL-2 production increased slightly in BALB/c mice following infection, but was unchanged in FVB mice. IL-4 production over preinfection levels was significantly higher in FVB mice, whereas IFN-, IL-2, and IL-10 production were significantly higher in BALB/c mice. The levels of serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and blood eosinophils in both mouse strains significantly increased between 3 and 6 weeks postinfection. Serum IgE levels were significantly higher in FVB mice than in BALB/c mice. The results of this study suggest that susceptibility to C. sinensis infection is associated with Th2 cytokine production, especially IL-4 which is predominant in relatively susceptible FVB mice.     

The pattern and frequency of t(14;18) translocation and immunophenotype in Asian follicular lymphoma

AIMS: Follicular lymphoma is frequently associated with t(14;18)(q32;q21) translocation. This study was undertaken to determine the pattern of Bcl-2, CD10 and Bcl-6 expression in relation to t(14;18) translocation in follicular lymphoma from a cohort of a multi-ethnic Asian population. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixty-two cases of follicular lymphoma were retrieved for immunohistochemistry, and t(14;18) translocation analysis by polymerase chain reaction and fluorescent in-situ hybridization techniques. Bcl-2 expression was present in 74% of the cases. CD10 expression was also relatively low (61%), with decreasing frequency of expression in high-grade tumours. Bcl-6 protein was expressed in most of the tumours (88%) regardless of the tumour grade. The t(14;18) translocation was detected in 46 cases (74%) with an extremely high rate of t(14;18) translocation in ethnic Indian cases (100%). CONCLUSION: The frequency of t(14;18) translocation in this series of follicular lymphomas was higher when compared with previous Asian reports, but in accordance with European and North American findings. CD10 expression is strongly associated with a t(14;18) translocation event, but the overall CD10 expression was relatively low, possibly due to the high proportion of high-grade tumours in the series. t(14;18) translocation was not associated with Bcl-2 or Bcl-6 expression.     

CD4 and CD8 act as co-receptors during thymic selection of the T cell repertoire

The selection of T cell receptor specificities must logically not only involve the alpha beta-TCR but, also the CD4 and CD8 molecules, as antigen recognition by the alpha beta-TCR on mature T cells is facilitated by the CD4 and CD8 co-receptors. In this review, the studies that provided key advances in our understanding of the possible role of CD4 and CD8 in T cell development will be discussed.