The effect of anti-IL-10 on proliferation and cytokine production in human schistosomiasis: fresh versus cryopreserved cells

In this study we neutralized endogenous IL-10 in PBMC from individuals chronically infected with Schistosoma haematobium by using anti-IL-10 MoAbs, and examined the effect and adult worm antigen (AWA)-specific responses in both fresh or cryopreserved cells. Anti-IL-10 alone increased background proliferation of PBMC, but did not augment the AWA-specific responses in either fresh or frozen cells. In freshly isolated PBMC, IFN-γ production in response to AWA was enhanced significantly in the presence of anti-IL-10. In cryopreserved cells, the augmentation of IFN-γ in the presence of anti-IL-10 was four-fold less than in the freshly-isolated cells. Neutralization of IL-10 had no effect on IL-4 production. These data show that IL-10 plays a role in specifically down-regulating Th1- but not Th2-type responses and, in contrast to previous reports, anti-IL-10 does not augment proliferation to parasite antigen in chronic schistosomiasis .     

Methotrexate, cyclosporine, or both to prevent graft-versus-host disease after HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplants for early leukemia?

Optimal prophylaxis of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is controversial. We compared efficacy of three posttransplant immune suppressive regimens in 2,286 recipients of HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplants for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first remission, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in first remission, or chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in first chronic phase. Six hundred forty received methotrexate, 977 received cyclosporine, and 669 received combined cyclosporine and methotrexate. In children, the three regimens resulted in similar outcomes. In adults, cyclosporine and methotrexate had comparable risks of acute and chronic GVHD. Compared with methotrexate, cyclosporine was associated with less interstitial pneumonia (relative risk [RR] = 0.6; P < .001), less treatment-related mortality (RR = 0.6; P < .001), more relapses (RR = 1.6; P < .05), and less treatment failure (relapse or death from any cause; RR = 0.7; P < .001). Different effects were observed in different leukemias. In ALL, the rate of leukemia relapse was increased with cyclosporine versus methotrexate, with no effect on other outcomes. In AML and CML, interstitial pneumonia, treatment-related mortality, and treatment failures were decreased with cyclosporine, with no increase in relapse. Similar analyses comparing cyclosporine plus methotrexate with cyclosporine alone showed that adults receiving the combination had less acute GVHD (RR = 0.5; P < .001), less chronic GVHD (RR = 0.7; P < .01), and less interstitial pneumonia (RR = 0.7; P < .001). Treatment failure (RR = 0.8; P < .05) was marginally reduced. Separate analyses in ALL and AML showed less acute GVHD with combined therapy, but no significant effect on other outcomes. In CML, acute GVHD, interstitial pneumonia, treatment-related mortality, and treatment failure were decreased with combined therapy.     

Human fibrinogen polymorphic site analysis by restriction endonuclease digestion and allele-specific polymerase chain reaction amplification: identification of polymorphisms at positions A alpha 312 and B beta 448

In the fibrinogen molecule, a total of seven sites have been tentatively identified as polymorphic; however, disagreements about these sites have been observed among the various protein and DNA sequence data published. To allow examination of the potential polymorphic sites at the DNA level, human genomic DNA samples were prepared from 110 unrelated, healthy individuals. Either allele- specific polymerase chain reaction (ASPCR) amplification or PCR amplification followed by restriction endonuclease digestion was used to detect the presence of possible polymorphisms. Two polymorphic sites were confirmed, one at A alpha 312 (Thr/Ala) by RsaI restriction analysis, and a second at B beta 448 (Arg/Lys) by MnlI restriction analysis. Mendelian inheritance of both polymorphisms was demonstrated and allele frequencies were estimated as 0.76/0.24 and 0.85/0.15 for the A alpha 312 and B beta 448 sites, respectively. The sites at A alpha 47, A alpha 296, B beta 162, B beta 296, and gamma 88 showed no evidence of variation in any of our samples. The amino acid polymorphisms at A alpha 312 and B beta 448 reflect conservative residue changes with unknown effects on fibrinogen structure or function. An additional, previously unrecognized DNA sequence variant was detected in a single individual in the second intron of the A alpha chain using HinfI restriction analysis.     

抗凝治疗对慢性肺心病高凝状态的疗效观察

慢性肺心病急性加重期常伴有血液高凝状态,我科近年来在慢性肺心病急性加重期在常规治疗的基础上加用抗凝治疗,对肺心病伴高凝状态的病人进行临床观察,取得了良好的疗效,小结如下。