乙/丙型肝炎病毒双重感染患者前C区终止变异低频率

目的了解乙型肝炎病毒（ＨＢＶ）与丙型肝炎病毒（ＨＣＶ）双重感染患者前Ｃ区基因变异，及其可能的临床意义。方法用聚合酶链反应（ＰＣＲ）与限制片段长度多态性（ＲＦＬＰ）来分析２５例ＨＢＶＤＮＡ和ＨＣＶＲＮＡ均阳性（Ａ组）和３１例ＨＢｓＡｇ和ＨＢＶＤＮＡ阳性但抗－ＨＣＶ和ＨＣＶＲＮＡ均阴性（Ｂ组）的慢性肝病患者前Ｃ区密码２８终止变异（终２８）。结果ＨＢＶ和ＨＣＶ双重感染患者（Ａ组）血清ＨＢＶＤＮＡ第１次ＰＣＲ阳性率（１６％）明显低于单独ＨＢＶ感染组（６５％）（Ｐ＜０．００１）；前Ｃ终２８检出率（２８％）亦明显低于单独ＨＢＶ感染（６８％）（Ｐ＜０．００１）。结论提示双重感染患者ＨＢＶ前Ｃ终止变异低频率可能与ＨＢＶ低水平复制有关     

Integrated medical informatics with small group teaching in medical education

National Taiwan University College of Medicine (NTUCM) introduced small groups of teaching and basic-clinical integrated courses for medical students in 1992. By using computer network and multimedia techniques, this study tried to overcome barriers to learning in small group teaching. The Department of Medical Informatics of NTUCM established campus networking and computer classrooms and provided Internet and intranet network services including mail, netnews, bulletin board systems (BBS), world wide web (WWW), gopher, ftp and local file servers. To implement an interactive learning environment, the authors first tried mail lists, newsgroups and BBS. Next an integrated learning system prototype on the WWW was developed to provide functions including online syllabus, discussion boards simulated to BBS, online talk, interactive case studies, virtual classroom with video on demand (VOD) and Internet medical resources. The results showed that after the medical students completed the required course of medical informatics and had good network access using a network to communicate with each other became a daily practice. In the future, the system will extend to the tutoring of clinical practice and continuing medical education. The authors expect a national medical education network and more international cooperation and exchange.     

Permeation of human ovarian tissue with cryoprotective agents in preparation for cryopreservation

The recent improvements in the treatment of cancer by chemo- and radiotherapy have led to a significant increase in the survival rates of patients with malignant disease, but at the expense of distressing side effects. One major problem, especially for younger patients, is that aggressive therapy destroys a significant proportion of the follicular population, which can result in either temporary or permanent infertility. Freeze-banking pieces of ovarian cortex prior to treatment is one strategy for preserving fecundity. When the patient is in remission, fertility could, theoretically, be restored by autografting the thawed tissue at the orthotopic site or by growing isolated follicles to maturity in vitro. Recent studies have found good follicular survival in frozen-thawed human ovarian tissue but to optimize the process an effective cryopreservation method needs to be developed. An essential part of such a technique is to permeate the tissue with a cryoprotectant to minimize ice formation and the extent of this equilibration is an important determinant of post-thaw cellular survival. In the current study, we have investigated the diffusion of four cryoprotective agents into human tissue at both 4 degrees C and 37 degrees C. We have also studied the effect of adding different concentrations of the non penetrating cryoprotective agent, sucrose, to the freezing media using the release of lactate dehydrogenase as a measure of its protective effect. At 4 degrees C propylene glycol and glycerol penetrated the tissue significantly slower than either ethylene glycol or dimethyl sulphoxide. At the higher temperature of 37 degrees C all four cryoprotectants penetrated at a faster rate, however concern about enhanced toxicity prevents the use of these conditions in practice. Thus, the results suggest that the best method of preparing tissue for freezing is exposure for 30 min to 1.5 M solutions of ethylene glycol or dimethyl sulphoxide at 4 degrees C; this achieved a mean tissue concentration that was almost 80% that of the bathing solution. We also report that the addition of low concentrations of sucrose to the freezing medium does not have a significant protective effect against freezing injury.      

Homozygosity mapping of achromatopsia to chromosome 2 using DNA pooling

Achromatopsia is an autosomal recessive disease of the retina, characterized clinically by an inability to distinguish colors, impaired visual acuity, nystagmus and photophobia. A genome-wide search for linkage was performed using an inbred Jewish kindred from Iran. To facilitate the genome-wide search, we utilized a DNA pooling strategy which takes advantage of the likelihood that the disease in this inbred kindred is inherited by all affected individuals from a common founder. Equal molar amounts of DNA from all affected individuals were pooled and used as the PCR template for short tandem repeat polymorphic markers (STRPs). Pooled DNA from unaffected members of the kindred was used as a control. A reduction in the number of alleles in the affected versus control pool was observed at several loci. Upon genotyping of individual family members, significant linkage was established between the disease phenotype and markers localized on chromosome 2. The highest LOD score observed was 5.4 (theta = 0). When four additional small unrelated families were genotyped, the combined peak LOD score was 8.2. Analysis of recombinant chromosomes revealed that the disease gene lies within a 30 cM interval which spans the centromere. Additional fine-mapping studies identified a region of homozygosity in all affected individuals, narrowing the region to 14 cM. A candidate gene for achromatopsia was excluded from this disease interval by radiation hybrid mapping. Linkage of achromatopsia to chromosome 2 is an essential first step in the identification of the disease-causing gene.      

CD1d-restricted natural killer T cells are potent targets for human immunodeficiency virus infection

Invariant human natural killer T cells (NKT) express a restricted T-cell receptor (TCR) Valpha24Vbeta11 repertoire. These cells share both phenotypic and functional similarities between NK and T cells. Given the emerging role of NKT cells as critical cells in bridging the gap between innate and adaptive immunity, we examined their susceptibility to productive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection by T-tropic, M-tropic, and primary isolates of HIV. We generated three human NKT cell clones (CA5, CA29, and CA31). Phenotypic characterization of these Valpha24+ Vbeta11+ clones indicated that they were predominately positive for CD4, CD161, HLA-DR, CD38, CD45RO, and CD95 expression. The NKT cell clones expressed significantly more surface CCR5 molecules/cell and lower CXCR4 molecules/cell than phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Consistent with the surface expression of CCR5 and CXCR4, the NKT clones were also selectively susceptible to HIV M-tropic, T-tropic, and primary isolate infection, as evaluated by both HIV p24 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and intracellular staining of HIV proteins. The amount of p24 production was dependent on the NKT clone studied and the HIV strain used. Clones CA29 and CA31 were also susceptible to HIV IIIB infection. The virions produced by these clones were able to productively infect PHA-stimulated PBMCs with the same kinetics as for primary infection of CD4+ blast. Collectively, this data demonstrates that NKT cells can be a target for productive HIV infection but with a lag in the time to peak p24 production.     

hTRT催化功能区基因克隆及其在肿瘤中的表达

目的 研究端粒酶蛋白ｈＴＲＴ基因在肿瘤中的表达及其意义。方法 用ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ法检查Ｈｅｌａ细胞与ＰＧ细胞的ｈＴＲＴ表达水平,将Ｈｅｌａ细胞的ｈＴＲＴ催化功能克隆,并进行测序比较,应用原位杂交技术对肿瘤组织中的ｈＴＲＴ和ｈＴＲ（端粒酶ＲＮＡ组分）基因进行检测。结果 Ｈｅｌａ细胞与ＰＧ细胞均有ｈＴＲＴ表达,Ｈｅｌａ细胞ｈＴＲＴ催化功能区ｃＤＮＡ序列与文献报道一致,原位杂交结果显示ｈＴＲＴ与ｈＴＲ的协同     

痘苗病毒VGF细胞膜外结构域在真核及原核细胞中的表达

目的为了进一步探索ＶＧＦ的生物学功能方法分别构建了痘苗病毒天坛株生长因子（Ｖａｃｃｉｎｉａｇｒｏｗｔｈｆａｃｔｏｒ，ＶＧＦ）基因细胞膜外结构域（ＶＧＦｓｌ）的真核及原核表达系统，在相应的细胞中获得了单独表达（真核）和融合表达（原核）。结果初步纯化的ＶＧＦｓｌ表达产物能够与上皮生长因子（ＥＧＦ）的受体结合，并刺激受体中酪氨酸残基发生磷酸化反应。与ＥＧＦ相比，ＶＧＦｓｌ表达产物刺激ＥＧＦ受体自身磷酸化的能力更强。结论上述结果为ＶＧＦ在病毒感染过程中的作用以及ＶＧＦ作为新型多肽类药物的研究提供了有价值的线索。     

微创DHS内固定与传统DHS内固定治疗老年股骨粗隆间骨折比较研究

目的:对微创动力髋螺钉(dynamic hip screw,DHS)内固定和传统DHS内固定治疗老年股骨粗隆间骨折的效果进行比较.方法:将91例老年股骨粗隆间骨折患者随机分为两组,传统组46例采用传统方式置入内固定物治疗,微创组45例采用微创方式置入内固定物.对两组手术创伤大小、术后并发症、骨折愈合及功能恢复情况进行比较.主要通过考察手术切口长度、出血量、输血量、血红蛋白下降幅度、术后术区肢体肿胀情况、血沉变化等来反映手术创伤大小.结果:两组手术创伤差异有统计学意义,传统组大于微创组(P＜0.05).微创组有2例复位不良,传统组有3例复位不良,两组均无深部血肿发生.传统组围手术期死亡2例,其余患者均顺利出院,获12～30个月随访,平均17.1个月.两组各有1例在随访期间死于其它内科疾病,其余骨折均获愈合.术后平均骨折愈合时间微创组3.6个月,传统组3.8个月.术后1年髋关节功能优良率微创组84.1%,传统组79.1%,两组差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).结论:微创DHS内固定治疗老年股骨隆间骨折,手术创伤小,有利于围手术期恢复和髋关节功能康复.