Use of HLA marker associations and HLA haplotype linkage to estimate disease risks in families with gluten-sensitive enteropathy

Based on a two-locus, double recessive model, we derive formulas for the risks that relatives of individuals with gluten-sensitive enteropathy (GSE) will also develop the disease. The calculations take advantage of: the linkage between the HLA locus and one of the two proposed GSE loci, and the preferential association of the HLA-DR3 and DR7 alleles with the GSE disease allele that occupies the HLA-linked locus. We use Bayes' rule to quantitate the strength of the association between the GSE disease allele and the HLA marker allele. This method predicts that siblings of the proband have an overall 10% risk for GSE, which is consistent with observed family data. This predicted risk rises to 30% when siblings are HLA-identical to the proband (also consistent with observed data) or when the sibling has the DR3 allele in the HLA haplotypes not shared with the proband. In those populations where DR7 also is associated with GSE, siblings of probands have a 10% predicted risk for GSE when only one HLA haplotype is shared with the proband and DR7 is included in the unshared haplotype. Other DR alleles are associated with much lower disease risks. By separating individuals into high and low risk groups, HLA typing identifies those individuals who would benefit from further diagnostic procedures. This general strategy should be applicable to other multilocus, marker-associated diseases.     

The skin,tongue, and brain as favorable organs for hog cholera diagnosis by immunofluorescence

Summary Hog cholera virus antigens were found densely distributed in skin and tongue of pigs experimentally infected with hog cholera virus. The finding described here warrants the usage of ear biopsies for hog cholera diagnosis on a herd basis.     

广西三江县侗族青少年头发中9种元素的含量

目的　确定广西三江县侗族青少年头发中 9种人体必需元素含量的正常值。方法　用偏振塞曼原子吸收仪 ,检测了来自三江县的 993名 7～ 16岁中小学生头发中镍、硒、钴、铬、铁、锌、钙、铜和镁 9种人体必需元素的含量 ,并用SPSS统计软件进行统计分析。结果　广西三江县侗族中小学生头发中 ,镍、硒、钴、铬、铁、锌、钙、铜和镁 9种人体必需元素的含量没有性别差异 ;硒、铬、铁、锌、钙和铜与年龄呈负相关 ;制订了镍、硒、钴、铬、铁、锌、钙、铜、镁 9种元素的头发含量的正常值范围。结论　广西三江县中学生头发中硒、铬、铁、锌、钙和铜含量有明显年龄差异 ,而镍、钴和镁却没有年龄差异。     

Three dinucleotide repeat polymorphisms at the D8S1217, D8S1220, and D8S1221 loci

Three polymorphic dinucleotide (CA) repeat clones were isolated from a CEPH mega-YAC clone (936F7), and were localized to chromosome 8 using a panel of 13 mouse/human somatic cell hybrids.     

Fluoxetine and 8-OH-DPAT in the lateral septum enhances and impairs retention of an inhibitory avoidance response in rats.

The present study investigated the role of lateral septal serotonin (5HT) in memory consolidation and the subtype of 5HT receptors involved in this process. Rats with cannulae implanted bilaterally into the lateral septum were trained in an inhibitory avoidance task. Immediately after training, the septal serotonergic function was manipulated by pharmacological agents selectively blocking 5HT reuptake (fluoxetine and zimelidine), antagonizing 5HT2 receptors (ketanserin and ritanserin), or activating 5HT1A receptors, respectively. Results indicated that direct fluoxetine infusions into the lateral septum at a dose of 6 micrograms/0.5 microliter and zimelidine at a dose of 5 micrograms/0.5 microliter both markedly enhanced memory. Intralateral septal injections of ketanserin (0.3 microgram/0.5 microliter and 0.5 microgram/0.5 microliter) and ritanserin (0.3 microgram/0.5 microliter and 0.6 microgram/0.5 microliter) did not have a significant effect by themselves on memory, and neither did they attenuate the memory-facilitating effect of fluoxetine in the same area. Intralateral septal infusions of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin at 5 micrograms/0.5 microliter significantly impaired memory retention. These findings altogether support the notion that the lateral septal nuclei of rats are involved in the memory processes of inhibitory avoidance learning. Furthermore, postsynaptic 5HT receptor activation (not the 5HT2 receptor subtype) probably exerts a facilitatory effect while presynaptic 5HT1A receptor activation exerts an impairing effect on the memory consolidation process, probably due to autoreceptor inhibition of 5HT release.     

人肿瘤细胞与正常细胞内微管的PAP免疫酶细胞化学观察

我们利用兔抗微管蛋白抗体和兔抗辣根过氧化物酶(HRP)抗血清制备的HRP—抗HRP(PAP)复合物,建立了微管的PAP免疫酶细胞化学方法。应用此法观察到人食管癌ECa 109、胃癌SGC 7901,乳腺癌MCF 7和成骨肉瘤OS 732细胞间期胞质微管减少或消失,只有大量弥散分布的微管蛋白棕色反应产物,在微管组织中心(MTOC)附近十分密集,而正常成纤维细胞和胎儿胃粘膜上皮细胞间期,都有发达的胞质微管结构(CMTC)。在分裂期,这些肿瘤细胞都显示纺锤体微管,与正常细胞比较无明显差异。本研究应用PAP方法进一步证明,以前用免疫荧光细胞化学方法观察到的人肿瘤细胞间期胞质微管缺陷的特征。除去低温(4℃)或秋水仙酰胺处理后,解聚的CMTC又可恢复,表明本方法与免疫荧光染色法,同样具有很高的特异性。本工作在细胞固定及免疫反应的某些步骤上有所改进。     

Phylogenetic analysis of a coxsackievirus A24 variant: the most recent worldwide pandemic was caused by progenies of a virus prevalent around 1981.

Nucleotide substitutions in the viral-encoded proteinase 3C (3Cpro) region (549 nucleotides) of the RNA genome of a coxsackievirus A24 variant (CA24v), one of the agents causing acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC), were studied using 32 isolates collected from the Eastern hemisphere in 1970-1989. Based on regression analysis of nucleotide differences among isolates, the nucleotide substitution rate of CA24v 3Cpro was estimated to be 3.7 x 10(-3)/nucleotide/year. A phylogenetic tree constructed by the modified unweighted pair group method using arithmetic averages (UPGMA) indicated that CA24v had evolved from a common ancestor which appeared in one focal place in November 1963 +/- 21 months, about 7 years before the first isolation of CA24v in Singapore. The tree also revealed that all the recent epidemic isolates in 1985-1989 including Asian and Ghanian strains diverged from each other after 1981. This finding is consistent with the evidence that AHC due to CA24v had been confined to Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent until 1985, then suddenly and explosively spread to other areas where no CA24v isolations had been reported.     

Use of high-frequency ultrasound imaging to improve delineation of anterior uveal melanoma for proton irradiation

The aim of this study was to evaluate high-frequency ultrasound imaging (HFUI) as an aid in localizing anterior margins of tumours of the eye for proton therapy. Proton irradiation of ocular melanoma requires an accurate assessment of all tumour margins. The tumour is marked surgically by suturing to the sclera four or five tantalum rings on the borders of the tumour defined by transillumination. In order to evaluate the clinical usefulness of high-frequency ultrasound imaging, four and five rings were surgically placed in a patient with an iris/ciliary body melanoma and in a patient with ciliochoroidal melanoma using transillumination to localize the tumour margins. Subsequently margins were verified by HFUI. In the first patient, the distances between the rings and the limbus were measured using calipers during surgery and were compared with HFUI measurements and measurements from planning software. The distances were comparable within 0.5 mm. In the second patient the treatment was planned in two different ways using EYEPLAN software. In the first scenario the shape of the tumour and its relation to the rings were obtained from the surgeon's mapping, the fundus drawing using a transilluminating point light source, and the HFUI. In the second scenario, the shape of the tumour was deduced from the ring positions only. It was observed that the maximum difference between the tumour edge as seen on high-frequency ultrasound images and the rings was 2.6 mm. The tumour volume was underestimated by 39% when tumour shape was obtained from ring positions only. During the past year we have utilized HFUI in 18 patients having tumours involving the anterior segment of the eye, among which four were treated with proton therapy. In conclusion, we believe that high-frequency ultrasound imaging provides additional information with respect to the location of tumour margins in ciliary body and anterior uveal melanoma. Occult extension of the tumour within the ciliary body or posterior iris may not be appreciated by transillumination alone.     

Syndiotactic polymerization of styrene with cyclopentadienyltribenzyloxytitanium/methylaluminoxane catalyst

Syndiotactic polystyrene was efficiently prepared in the presence of a homogeneous catalyst composed of (η⁵-cyclopentadienyl)tribenzyloxytitanium and methylaluminoxane (MAO) as a cocatalyst. Influences of various polymerization conditions, e.g., [Ti]. [MAO], [St], temperature and the content of retained trimethylaluminium (TMA) in MAO on the catalytic activity, syndiotacticity and molecular weight of the polymer were studied. It was found that the retained TMA plays an important role in the polymerization. Lowering the retained TMA content in MAO decreases the activity of the catalyst remarkably. Addition of external alkylaluminium (TMA or triisobutylaluminium) into the catalyst system with MAO containing low amounts of retained TMA promotes styrene polymerization.     

Homologous and heterologous neutralization antibody responses after immunization with Japanese encephalitis vaccine among Taiwan children

Because 21 immunized children (13%) among the 162 confirmed Japanese encephalitis (JE) cases during 1986–1991 occurred in Taiwan, we collected 320 serum samples from Taiwan children aged 15–31 and 27–44 months immediately before the 1st dose (n = 41) and 1–3 months after the 2nd dose (n = 78, 27 pairs), and immediately before (n = 58) and 1–3 months after the 3rd dose (n = 143,44 pairs) to determine neutralization antibody (Nt Ab) against the Nakayama (N) and Beijing-1 (B) strains and two Taiwan wild type JE viruses (JEV): CC-27 and CH-1392. Our Nt results showed that (1) B vaccine stimulated a better homologous Ab response than N vaccine for Nt Ab seropositivity rate (NASR), produced a higher level of Nt titer after the primary immunization [2 doses = 100% vs. 91%, geometric mean titer (GMT) = 115 vs. 22], had a greater booster effect (3 doses: 100% vs. 95%; GMT = 320 vs. 33), and showed a better capability to neutralize two local Taiwan JEV strains, particularly only after 3 doses (ave. NASR for B vs. N = 90% vs. 10%; and GMT for B vs. N = 154 vs. 1); (2) the two wild type JEV strains had different plaque morphology and antigenic variation and the CC-27 strain was not neutralized as well as the CH-1392 strain after 3 doses of vaccine (BBB or NNN or NNB); and (3) 30% of the children had lost JEV Nt Ab one year after the 2nd dose of N vaccine and natural infection with JE virus did occur among those children after immunization. In conclusion, (1) three doses of mouse-brain vaccine are the minimum requirement to protect children against the local Taiwan JEV; (2) the best strain for a JE vaccine depends on level of Nt Ab it induced, the molecular epidemiology and antigenic variation of the JEV in each local area; and (3) future vaccine must produce better B- and T-cell memory. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.