Molecular epidemiology of Vibrio cholerae O139 in China: polymorphism of ribotypes and CTX elements

Vibrio cholerae O139, the second etiological serogroup of cholera, triggered the first outbreak of O139 cholera in China in 1993. To analyze the clone polymorphism of O139 isolates in China, 117 strains of V. cholerae O139, isolated from different areas in China between 1993 and 1999, were selected to characterize the phylogenetic relationships by molecular techniques. Analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphism in the conserved 16S rRNA gene revealed seven different ribotypes within the 117 strains. Among these strains, there were eight that lacked the cholera toxin gene (ctxAB), zot, and the repetitive sequence (RS); these eight strains belonged to three individual ribotypes. Our results suggested that V. cholerae O139 strains in China had clone diversity in phylogeny. The results of our hybridization patterns for CTX genetic elements (ctxAB, zot, and RS) showed that CTXPhi genomes in most V. cholerae O139 strains had two or more copies and had extensive restriction patterns even for the strains which belong to the same ribotype. For 22 (20.1%) strains, the copies of ctxAB were different from those of zot, suggesting that a ctxAB-negative CTXPhi genome may exist in O139 strains. This ctxAB-negative CTXPhi genome may coexist with the intact CTXPhi genome in a strain. In addition, the dendrogram for I-CeuI-generated pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns showed that V. cholerae serogroup O139 has a closer relationship with one strain of serogroup O22 than with the strains of serogroup O1. The results of this study showed the clonal diversity and the distribution of O139 strains in China, suggesting multiple origins of the O139 cholera epidemic or sporadic events.     

Prenatal diagnosis and characterization of an unbalanced whole arm translocation resulting in monosomy for 18p

Monosomy for the short arm of chromosome 18 is one of the most frequent autosomal deletions observed. While most cases result from terminal deletion of 18p, 16% of cases reported were as a result of an unbalanced whole arm translocation resulting in monosomy 18p. The origin and structure of these derivative chromosomes were reported in only a few cases. We report the prenatal diagnosis and characterization of a new case of monosomy 18p as a result of an unbalanced whole arm translocation. Amniocentesis was performed at 15 weeks of gestation on a 34-year-old woman initially referred for advanced maternal age. Holoprosencephaly was identified by ultrasound at the time of amniocentesis. Karyotype analysis showed an unbalanced whole arm translocation between the long arm of one chromosome 18 and the long arm of one chromosome 22, 45,XX,der(18;22)(q10;q10), in all metaphases. In effect, the fetus had monosomy for 18p. Parental karyotypes were normal, suggesting a de novo origin for the der(18;22). Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis was performed with alpha-satellite probes D18Z1 and D14Z1/D22Z1 to identify the origin of the centromere on the der(18;22). Signal was observed with both probes, indicating that the centromere was composed of alpha-satellite DNA from both constituent chromosomes. Genotyping of the fetus and her parents with chromosome 18p STS marker D18S391 showed only the paternal 187 bp allele was present in the fetus, indicating that it was the maternal chromosome 18 involved in the der(18;22). This case and previous reports show that de novo unbalanced whole arm translocations are more likely to retain alpha-satellite sequences from the two chromosomes involved.     

树突状细胞负载肝癌抗原肽疫苗体外诱导特异性免疫学反应的研究

目的：研究树突状细胞(dendritic cell，DC)负载肝癌抗原肽EPVTKAEML体外诱导特异性CTL的能力及其抑癌效果。方法：用顺序特异引物聚合酶链反应技术(PCR—SSP)选择HLA—B7表型供者，从脾组织中分离、培养DC-EPVTKAEML特异性CTL。用^51Cr释放法检测CTL的杀伤活性，并用抗HLA-1分子单抗(mAb)进行杀伤抑制实验。结果：找到4例HLA-B7杂合子供者，用DC负载HLA-B7限制的抗原肽EPVTKAEML可诱导特异性CTL反应，对肝癌细胞HHCC有较强的杀伤作用。结论：DC负载抗原肽EPVTKAEML在体外可诱发较强的特异性免疫反应。     

黄皮酰胺促钾通道开放

一种新发现的具有促智作用的药物——黄皮酰胺能抑制去甲肾上腺素(NE)或KCl引起的血管平滑肌收缩。本研究旨在应用膜片钳(patch clamp)技术探讨黄皮酰胺对Wistar大鼠尾动脉平滑肌细胞膜钾离子通道的作用。单个平滑肌细胞用酶法分离,以细胞封接方式记录离子通道活动。在细胞池内注入2μM黄皮酰胺后,钾离子通道活动明显增强。用本实验室开发的计算机软件(patch clamp analysis system,Version 1.0)计算分析通道活动的特征参数。     

Use of quantitative competitive PCR to measure Epstein-Barr virus genome load in the peripheral blood of pediatric transplant patients with lymphoproliferative disorders.

A quantitative competitive PCR (QC-PCR) assay for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been developed to provide accurate measurement of EBV genome load in pediatric transplant recipients at risk for developing posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). The assay quantifies between 8 and 5,000 copies of the EBV genome in 10(5) lymphocytes after a 30-cycle amplification reaction. For 14 pediatric patients diagnosed with PTLD, the median EBV genome load was 4,000, and 13 of the 14 patients had values of >500 copies per 10(5) lymphocytes. Only 3 of 12 control transplant recipients not diagnosed with PTLD had detectable viral genome loads (median value, 40). This median was calculated by using the highest value obtained by PCR testing on each of these patients posttransplantation. PCR values of >500 copies per 10(5) lymphocytes appear to correlate with a diagnosis of PTLD. By a modified protocol, the EBV genome copy number in latently infected adults was estimated to be <0.1 copy per 10(5) lymphocytes.     

胸腰脊神经后根形态计量研究

在15具成人尸体上对胸腰脊神经后根进行了大体解剖和形态计量研究.结果表明:(1)上胸段脊神经后根的囊外段长度、硬膜点横径和脊髓点束数在逐节减少;后根的囊外段与囊长轴之下夹角>90°,囊内段及脊髓点分布长度在逐节增加,交通支最丰富.(2)中胸段脊神经后根的囊外段长度、硬膜点横径和脊髓点束数各节段波动范围较小,下夹角在90°左右,囊内段短,脊髓点分布长.(3)下胸段脊神经后根的脊髓点分布长度转而下降,下夹角<90°,其它指标均逐节增加.(4)腰段脊神经后根的脊髓点分布长度进一步减少,下夹角最小,其它指标达最大值,交通支丰富.根据研究结果进行后根受损危险排序,腰>下胸>上胸>中胸.     

Mutations in the cationic trypsinogen gene and evidence for genetic heterogeneity in hereditary pancreatitis

Hereditary pancreatitis (HP) is a rare inherited disorder, characterised by recurrent episodes of pancreatitis often beginning in early childhood. The mode of inheritance suggests an autosomal dominant trait with incomplete penetrance. The gene, or at least one of the genes, responsible for hereditary pancreatitis has been mapped to the long arm of chromosome 7 and a missense mutation, an arginine to histidine substitution at residue 117 in the trypsinogen cationic gene (try4) has been shown to segregate with the HP phenotype. The aim of this work was to investigate the molecular basis of hereditary pancreatitis. This study was performed on 14 HP families. The five exons of the trypsinogen cationic gene were studied using a specific gene amplification assay combined with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The present paper describes three novel mutations, namely K23R and N29I and a deletion -28delTCC in the promoter region. We also found a polymorphism in exon 4, D162D. In eight of these families we found a mutation which segregates with the disease. A segregation analysis using microsatellite markers carried out on the other families suggests genetic heterogeneity in at least one of them. Our findings confirm the implication of the cationic trypsinogen gene in HP and highlight allelic diversity associated with this phenotype. We also show that the pattern of inheritance of HP is probably complex and that other genes may be involved in this genetic disease.     

ADA活性紫外吸收测定法的改良及复感儿淋巴细胞该酶活性的检测

检测了42例健康儿童和17例反复上呼吸道感染患儿（复感儿）的血淋巴细胞腺苷脱氨酶（ADA）活性，结果表明：复感儿的血淋巴细胞中ADA活性较健康儿童低下，且大多同样伴有不同程度的免疫功能低下；从复感儿组中筛选了两侧ADA活性和免疫功能明显低下的患儿，拟采用这两例患儿的血淋巴细胞进行ADA－SCID基因治疗的实验研究。     

成年大鼠胰岛的体外基因转染

目的 探讨携带外源基因的慢病毒在体外有效感染胰岛及外源基因在胰岛中的表达，为通过移植前向胰岛细胞转入特定的免疫调节分子基因诱导胰岛移植物耐受奠定基础。方法 将目的基因CTLA4Ig导入慢病毒载体pWPTS，构建成pWPTS-CTLA4Ig载体。用磷酸钙沉淀法将pWPTS-EGFP、pWPTS-CTLA4Ig分别和其辅助载体pMD2．G、pCMVΔ8．92共转染293T细胞，收获病毒上清液，测定病毒滴度后感染新分离的胰岛。通过Western Blot测定胰岛培养上清液中CTLA4Ig蛋白的表达。结果 ①成功构建了携带CTLA4Ig基因的慢病毒载体pWPTS-CTLA4Ig；②包装产生的慢病毒Lenti-EGFP、Lenti-CTLA4Ig在体外可以感染胰岛，其中在Lenti-EGFP慢病毒感染的胰岛观察到了绿色荧光，及在Lenti-CTLA4Ig慢病毒感染的胰岛培养上清液中检测到了CTLA4Ig蛋白的表达。结论 慢病毒在体外可以有效感染大鼠胰岛，且携带的外源基因可以在胰岛细胞中稳定表达，其中Lenti-CTLA4Ig慢病毒感染的胰岛为进行胰岛移植并诱导体内特异的胰岛移植物耐受奠定了基础。