利用GO数据库分析与预测乳杆菌肽聚糖对小鼠免疫细胞基因表达的影响

目的：探索乳酸菌肽聚糖对小鼠免疫细胞基因表达的影响。方法：给BALB／c小鼠腹腔注射乳杆菌肽聚糖1次或3次，从腹腔巨噬细胞和脾淋巴细胞合并细胞提取RNA，利用Affymetrix MOFA30A基因芯片分析基因表达，利用基于G0数据库的芯片数据分析工具分析乳杆菌肽聚糖诱导后的代表性G0定义。结果：腹腔注射一次乳杆菌肽聚糖（i.p．）引起了腹腔巨噬细胞和脾脏淋巴细胞基因表达的广泛变化，但特异性不强。注射三次后表达显著改变的基因主要与免疫反应有关。定义两次刺激引起显著变化的所有基因为肽聚糖响应基因，其代表性G0生理过程定义预测主要与巨噬细胞吞噬活力增强、淋巴细胞激活、炎性反应正调节有关。结论：肽聚糖刺激的早期反应涉及先天性免疫激活和抗原呈递过程。     

乳杆菌调节小鼠空肠派伊尔结基因表达的通路分析

目的:探索乳杆菌免疫作用机制.方法:BALB/c小鼠灌胃乳杆菌,从小鼠空肠派伊尔结提取RNA,基因芯片分析基因表达情况,基于已知的基因网络数据库利用Onto-Tools分析乳杆菌刺激引起的特异性基因网络.结果:Onto-Tools分析得到的通路中,涉及到免疫的通路有T细胞受体信号通路、B细胞受体信号通路、细胞因子和细胞因子受体通路、抗原加工和呈递等;涉及到粘膜屏障的有粘着斑、粘着连接、紧密连接和细胞粘附分子;还有涉及到细胞周期和凋亡的通路;其中通路中影响因子最高的为MAPK信号通路和粘着斑.结论:乳杆菌刺激引起大量蛋白表达,激活粘膜屏障,引起T细胞受体信号通路、B细胞受体信号通路、细胞因子和细胞因子受体通路等通路,从而造成免疫应答.     

Avian cryptococcosis.

Clinical and laboratory findings in 15 unreported cases of avian cryptococcosis from Australia were collated and contrasted with 11 cases recorded in the literature. Cryptococcus species produced localized invasive disease of the upper respiratory tract of captive parrots living in Australia. This resulted in signs referable to mycotic rhinitis or to involvement of structures contiguous with the nasal cavity, such as the beak, sinuses, choana, retrobulbar space and palate. Parrots of widely differing ages were affected and of the seven birds for which sex was determinable, six were male. Cryptococcus bacillisporus (formerly C. neoformans var. gattii) accounted for four of five infections in which the species or variety was determinable, suggesting that exposure to eucalyptus material may be a predisposing factor. In these cases, Cryptococcus appeared to behave as a primary pathogen of immunocompetent hosts. One tissue specimen was available from an Australian racing pigeon with minimally invasive subcutaneous disease; immunohistology demonstrated a C. neoformans var. grubii (formerly C. neoformans var. neoformans serotype A) infection, presumably subsequent to traumatic inoculation of yeast cells into the subcutis. Two similar cases had been reported previously in pigeons domiciled in America. Data for parrots, one pigeon and other birds studied principally in America and Europe (and likely infected with C. neoformans) suggested a different pattern of disease, more suggestive of opportunistic infection of immunodeficient hosts. In this cohort of patients, the organism was not restricted to cool superficial sites such as the upper respiratory tract or subcutis. Instead, infections typically penetrated the lower respiratory tract or disseminated widely to a variety of internal organs. Finally, three captive North Island brown kiwis, one residing in Australia, the other two in New Zealand, died as a result of severe diffuse cryptococcal pneumonia (two cases) or widely disseminated disease (one case). C. bacillisporus strains were isolated from all three cases, as reported previously for another kiwi with disseminated disease in New Zealand.     

Allergy is an important factor in asthma exacerbation: A Pro/Con Debate

Allergy and allergens have been implicated in asthma and it has historically been assumed that deteriorating asthma is related to allergen exposure. In the current pro/con debate some leading academics and researchers in the field consider this notion in the light of recent evidence. They conclude that allergy does not directly cause exacerbations but suggest that it may contribute to acute asthma in a different fashion. Possibilities that are proposed by the authors include specific allergy phenotypes acting as risk factors for virus‐associated exacerbations or alternatively that allergy may be implicated in the blunted innate immune responses detected in asthma.     

左向右分流型先天性心脏病患儿肺功能相关研究

目的探讨左向右分流型先天性心脏病患儿心肺功能的交互作用。方法选择左向右分流型先天性心脏病患儿62例为先心组,健康体检儿童40例为对照组,进行肺功能检查与血气分析(PaO2、PaCO2、pH值)及血C-反应蛋白(CRP)测定,并进行相关性分析。结果先心组患儿的呼吸频率(RR)高于对照组,每千克体质量潮气量(VT/kg)、潮气呼吸峰流速(PTEF)、达到峰流速的时间与呼吸时间的比值(TPTEF/Te)、达到呼气峰流速时呼出的气体容积与呼气容积的比值(VPEF/Ve)水平均低于对照组;从单纯先天性心脏病到先天性心脏病合并肺炎、到合并肺炎与心力衰竭,RR水平越来越高,VT/kg、PTEF、TPTEF/Te、VPEF/Ve水平则越来越低;单纯先天性心脏病,先天性心脏病合并肺炎、合并肺炎与心力衰竭患儿与对照组比较,PaO2水平逐渐降低,CRP水平逐渐升高。结论肺功能测定能够反映左向右分流型先天性心脏病患儿心肺功能的病理生理特点,血气分析及血CRP测定能反映患儿疾病的严重程度。     

Childhood behaviour, psychotic symptoms and psychosis onset in young people at high risk of schizophrenia: early findings from the edinburgh high risk study

BACKGROUND: Several studies suggest that many patients with schizophrenia have pre-morbid neurodevelopmental abnormalities. This study examines how behavioural abnormalities are associated with mild psychotic symptoms and later schizophrenic illness. METHODS: Maternal ratings on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) of the early behaviour of 155 subjects were obtained at entry to the Edinburgh study of people at high risk of schizophrenia. These maternal ratings were compared in those with and without psychotic symptoms and used to predict the later onset of psychosis. RESULTS: The CBCL syndrome scores for the children prior to age 13 did not distinguish any of the study groups at entry to the study. In the ratings made for the subjects when aged from 13 to 16, delinquent behaviour and 'other problems' were weakly associated with these symptoms. However, with the exception of somatic symptoms and thought problems, the age 13-16 scales were significant predictors of later schizophrenic illness. This was true also for some of the ratings prior to age 13. CONCLUSIONS: Various behaviours, in particular, withdrawn and delinquent-aggressive behaviour in adolescents at risk of schizophrenia may predict later onset of the illness. These behaviours, however, are far less predictive of isolated psychotic symptoms prior to psychosis onset.     

T cell receptor usage in patients with non-progressing HIV infection

It is still unclear why some patients with HIV progress more slowly than others to developing full blown AIDS. In this study using flow cytometry we have investigated the TCRBV repertoire of peripheral blood T lymphocytes in 17 long-term non-progressing HIV patients (LTNP) to determine if there is a biased usage of T cell receptor V gene products. Patients were identified from hospital records and entered into the study. Three colour flow cytometry was used to determine the expression of the TCRBV3S5, BV5S1, BV5S2, BV5S3, BV6S1, BV7S1, BV9, BV11, BV12, BV13, BV14, BV16, BV17, BV18, BV20, BV21S3, BV22, and BV23 by CD8 and CD4 positive cells isolated from the peripheral blood of patients and controls. Increases in the absolute numbers of CD8+ T cells expressing TCRBV2 and 8 were observed in the HIV-LTNP population (P < 0.05 in both cases). No differences were seen in numbers of CD8+ T cells expressing other TCRBV or in any TCRBV within the CD4+ T cell popu-lation. At follow up (1-2 years later), those patients in which CD4 levels were below 500 x 106/l were those initially found to have lower levels of TCRBV8 +ve CD8 cells. A significant increase in the absolute numbers of T cells coexpressing the gamma delta (gammadelta) T cell receptor and CD8 were also seen in the HIV-LTNP patients compared with controls (P = 0.002). The increase in CD8+ T cells in the HIV-LTNP patients may be interpreted as either an antigen specific, or group of antigen specific responses to viral antigen, or less likely a viral superantigen. A low level of TCRBV8, CD8+ T cells might be predictive of a more rapid disease progression and might indicate a protective role for this population in HIV infected patients. The increase in gammadeltaT cells bearing the CD8 coreceptor suggests a role for this cell type in the response to HIV infection.     

β-casomorphin-7对小鼠的免疫调节作用

目的：通过体外和体内方法研究β-casomorphin-7对小鼠脾脏淋巴细胞和腹腔巨噬细胞的作用.方法：利用脾细胞增殖试验和腹腔巨噬细胞中NO浓度的变化来研究体外不同的β-casomorphin-7浓度对脾脏淋巴细胞的增殖和腹腔巨噬细胞中NO浓度变化的影响,以及腹腔注射β-casomorphin-7和饮用β-casomorphin-7溶液对上述两个指标的影响.结果：体外试验表明,β-casomorphin-7在不同浓度对脾脏淋巴细胞的增殖显示了刺激和抑制的双向作用,而对NO的产生显示了明显的抑制作用（P＜0.01）.体内试验表明,β-casomorphin-7通过腹腔注射和饮用两种给药方式对脾淋巴细胞和腹腔巨噬细胞的作用是一致的.β-casomorphin-7显著地增强了脾淋巴细胞的增殖反应（P＜0.01）,且抑制了腹腔巨噬细胞NO的产生.结论：当前的试验表明,β-casomorphin-7具有免疫调节作用,且小鼠在2～3周龄时,可吸收入血发挥免疫调节作用.     

Characterization of melanocyte stimulating hormone receptor variant alleles in twins with red hair

The association between MSHR coding region variation and hair colour in humans has been examined by genotyping 25 red haired and 62 non-red Caucasians, all of whom were 12 years of age and members of a twin pair study. Twelve amino acid substitutions were seen at 11 different sites, nine of these being newly described MSHR variants. The previously reported Val92Met allele shows no association with hair colour, but the three alleles Arg151Cys, Arg160Trp and Asp294His were associated with red hair and one Val60Leu variant was most frequent in fair/blonde and light brown hair colours. Variant MSHR genotypes are associated with lighter skin types and red hair (P < 0.001). However, comparison of the MSHR genotypes in dizygotic twin pairs discordant for red hair colour indicates that the MSHR gene cannot be solely responsible for the red hair phenotype, since five of 13 pairs tested had both haplotypes identical by state (with three of the five having both identical by descent). Rather, it is likely that additional modifier genes exist, making variance in the MSHR gene necessary but not always sufficient, for red hair production.