多肽研究XX:丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)合成多肽的抗原性及线性抗体谱

依据蛋白质的亲水性、可亲性、柔韧性、抗原性、电荷分布及HPLC滞留系数等六种性质,使用“Goldkey”软件系统给出了HCV-BK各蛋白抗原决定簇预测曲线,共设计、合成15个多肽片段:P1(475～495),P3(449～468),P4(658～663),P5(645～663),P6(484～489),P7(475～489),P15(655～662),P16(230～237),P17(225～237),P18(1220～1240),P19(1694～1735),P24(1230～1240),P25(1482～1493),P26(384～389)和P27(2355～2389)。发现NS1区%和NS4区P19有很强的抗原性。用其检测PT-HC,阳性率分别为60%和63%。     

Fatty infiltration of the liver: evaluation by proton spectroscopic imaging

The reliability of proton spectroscopic imaging in evaluating fatty infiltration of the liver was investigated in 35 subjects (12 healthy volunteers and 23 patients with fatty livers). With this modified spin-echo technique, fatty liver could be separated from normal liver both visually and quantitatively. On the opposed image, normal liver had an intermediate signal intensity, greater than that of muscle, whereas fatty liver had a lower signal intensity, equal to or less than that of muscle. In normal livers, the lipid signal fraction was less than 10%, while in fatty livers it was greater than 10% and usually exceeded 20%. With this technique, nonuniform fatty infiltration of the liver can be differentiated from hepatic metastases, and the technique may prove useful in the differentiation of some hepatic disorders.     

Direct demonstration of transsynaptic degeneration in the human visual system: a comparison of retrograde and anterograde changes

Transneuronal degeneration of retinal ganglion cells was directly demonstrated in a patient who had unilateral removal of the striate cortex forty years prior to necropsy. For comparison, another case is presented showing anterograde transneuronal atrophy forty years after enucleation of one eye.     

Etilefrine use in the management of post-operative chyle leaks in thoracic surgery

Etilefrine, a sympathomimetic drug, was used 11 times in 10 patients with thoracic (n=8) or abdominal (n=2) chyle leak occurring after thoracic surgical procedures. It was given as a 4.2-5 mg/h intravenous infusion. During the 11 etilefrine administrations, three patients had total parenteral nutrition, three had enteral nutrition, three had oral fat-free diet and medium-chain triglyceride supplementation, and two were fed orally without restriction. Daily chyle flow output decreased in all but one patient who was reoperated. Chyle flow output did not decrease relevantly in one patient who was reoperated. Chylothorax recurred after reoperation and etilefrine then induced significant output decrease. In another patient, etilefrine was stopped despite significant output reduction because of interactions with other sympathomimetic drugs used for heart failure. The mean etilefrine treatment duration was 6.4 days (range 4-7). The mean daily output was from 740 ml before etilefrine infusion to 183 ml on the seventh day of etilefrine use. By inducing contraction of the smooth muscle fibres present in the wall of the main thoracic chyle ducts, etilefrine can be considered as a useful adjunct in the management of post-operative chyle leak.     

A rapid agglutination assay to detect anti-streptokinase antibodies

Background Streptokinase resistance may cause suboptimal thrombolytic therapy. Aim To develop a rapid latex-bead assay to detect streptokinase antibodies. Methods Sera were obtained from 16 patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (MI) before treatment with streptokinase and 1 and 6 months post treatment, and from 100 controls. Sera were assayed for anti-streptokinase antibodies using a functional streptokinase-neutralising assay. Results Streptokinase-neutralising activity was low in controls (54±5U/ml) and patients prior to treatment (101±18), increasing to 2,110±823 and 1,017±169 at 1 and 6 months (mean±SEM). The latex assay had a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 93% for detecting individuals with >350U/ml of streptokinase resistance, which is sufficient to neutralise the drug clinically. Conclusions Estimation of streptokinase resistance using an enzyme immunoassay and a latex bead assay correlated well with serum neutralising activity. This assay can rapidly identify patients who have a high level of streptokinase-neutralising activity.     

Is drug-induced toxicity a good predictor of response to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer? -A prospective clinical study

Background  

Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is an integral part of multi-modality approach in the management of locally advanced breast cancer and it is vital to predict the response in order to tailor the regime for a patient. The common final pathway in the tumor cell death is believed to be apoptosis or programmed cell death and chemotherapeutic drugs like other DNA-damaging agents act on rapidly multiplying cells including both the tumor and the normal cells by following the same common final pathway. This could account for both the toxic effects and the response. Absence or decreased apoptosis has been found to be associated with chemo resistance. The change in expression of apoptotic markers (Bcl-2 and Bax proteins) brought about by various chemotherapeutic regimens is being used to identify drug resistance in the tumor cells. A prospective clinical study was conducted to assess whether chemotherapy induced toxic effects could serve as reliable predictors of apoptosis or response to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer.