Cardiac ankyrin repeat protein is preferentially induced in atrophic myofibers of congenital myopathy and spinal muscular atrophy

Cardiac ankyrin repeat protein (CARP), which is structurally characterized by the presence of four ankyrin repeat motifs in its central region, is believed to be localized in the nucleus and to participate in the regulation of cardiac-specific gene expression in cardiomyocytes. However, we recently found that CARP was induced in skeletal muscle by denervation, leading us to speculate that CARP may be induced under some pathological conditions. In the present study, we immunohistochemically analyzed the expression of CARP in 11 cases of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and 14 cases of congenital myopathy. In SMA, CARP was expressed selectively in severely atrophic myofibers, suggesting that CARP expression may reflect the status of muscle atrophy. Furthermore, in the congenital myopathies, the expression patterns of CARP were distinct among the subtypes, which included nemaline myopathy, myotubular myopathy, central core disease, and congenital fiber type disproportion. Although CARP was preferentially expressed in severely damaged myofibers in nemaline myopathy, it was not detected in central core disease. These findings suggest that immunohistochemical evaluation of CARP may be helpful in the diagnosis of SMA and the congenital myopathies.     

Sleep during Ramadan intermittent fasting

During the month of Ramadan intermittent fasting, Muslims eat exclusively between sunset and sunrise, which may affect nocturnal sleep. The effects of Ramadan on sleep and rectal temperature (Tre) were examined in eight healthy young male subjects who reported at the laboratory on four occasions: (i) baseline 15 days before Ramadan (BL); (ii) on the eleventh day of Ramadan (beginning of Ramadan, BR); (iii) on the twenty-fifth day of Ramadan (end of Ramadan, ER); and (iv) 2 weeks after Ramadan (AR). Although each session was preceded by an adaptation night, data from the first night were discarded. Polysomnography was taken on ambulatory 8-channel Oxford Medilog MR-9000 II recorders. Standard electroencephalogram (EEG), electro-oculogram (EOG) and electromyogram (EMG) recordings were scored visually with the PhiTools ERA. The main finding of the study was that during Ramadan sleep latency is increased and sleep architecture modified. Sleep period time and total sleep time decreased in BR and ER. The proportion of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep increased during Ramadan and its structure changed, with an increase in stage 2 proportion and a decrease in slow wave sleep (SWS) duration. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep duration and proportion decreased during Ramadan. These changes in sleep parameters were associated with a delay in the occurrence of the acrophase of Tre and an increase in nocturnal Tre during Ramadan. However, the 24-h mean value (mesor) of Tre did not vary. The nocturnal elevation of Tre was related to a 2-3-h delay in the acrophase of the circadian rhythm. The amplitude of the circadian rhythm of Tre was decreased during Ramadan. The effects of Ramadan fasting on nocturnal sleep, with an increase in sleep latency and a decrease in SWS and REM sleep, and changes in Tre, were attributed to the inversion of drinking and meal schedule, rather than to an altered energy intake which was preserved in this study.     

神经干细胞球生长动力学模型

神经干细胞的体外大规模培养对于细胞移植治疗中枢神经系统受损及各种神经退行性疾病有重大意义。体外呈球状生长的神经干细胞球在长大到一定尺寸之后，有可能在其内部由于养分缺乏而形成坏死细胞，这对于干细胞的有效扩增是极为不利的。因此，模拟神经球的动态生长过程并分析出现坏死细胞的临界神经球尺度对于神经干细胞的大规模扩增有重要意义。本研究采用元胞自动机技术建立了模拟神经球生长的动态模型，并结合神经球内养分的扩散传递模型，求解神经干细胞球内出现坏死细胞的临界神经球尺寸以及坏死细胞的扩大规律。计算结果表明，坏死细胞的出现与体外培养条件有一定关系；坏死细胞的出现主要取决于神经球的尺寸，其外部再好的培养条件也不可能抑制坏死的出现。此外，计算结果还表明，神经球内由于氧缺乏而形成的坏死细胞的出现要早于由于葡萄糖缺乏时的情况，并且坏死细胞一旦出现，其增长速度就非常快，有可能很快使整个神经球成为坏死细胞球。本研究所建立的CA模型及神经球内的传质模型可以很好的模拟神经球的生长过程。     

慢性乙型肝炎患者肝组织中HBV抗原表达特征及其临床意义

目的探讨慢性乙型病毒性肝炎肝活检组织中检测乙肝表面抗原(HBsAg)和乙肝核心抗原(HBcAg)表达强度及表达方式的必要性。方法采用EnVision免疫组织化学法检测196例慢性乙型肝炎患者肝穿组织中HBsAg和HBcAg的表达水平,并用荧光定量PCR检测其血清中的HBV DNA的含量。对肝组织进行炎症活动度分级和纤维化分期。结果肝组织中的HBsAg表达强度和表达方式与炎症分级、纤维化分期和血清乙肝病毒载量均无相关性(P>0.05)。HBcAg表达强度与炎症分级无相关性(r=-0.02,P>0.05);与纤维化分期呈负相关(r=-0.28,P<0.01);与血清乙肝病毒载量呈正相关(r=0.53,P<0.01)。HBcAg表达方式与炎症分级为负相关(r=-0.27,P<0.01),其中浆型组炎症活动度分级高于核型组和混合型组(P<0.01),混合型组高于核型组(P<0.01)。HBcAg表达方式与纤维化分期亦呈较弱的负相关(r=-0.23,P<0.01),其中浆型组纤维化分期高于核型组和混合型组(P<0.05)。HBcAg表达方式与血清乙肝病毒载量呈正相关(r=0.22,P<0.01)。结论区分肝组织中的HBsAg表达强度和表达方式无益于了解慢性乙型肝炎患者肝损害的程度,而检测肝组织中的HBcAg则有助于临床抗病毒治疗。     

Sequence analysis of hepatitis B virus genomes from an infant with acute severe hepatitis and a hepatitis B e antigen-positive carrier mother

It is well known that fulminant hepatitis B can occur in infants born to hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative hepatitis B virus (HBV) carrier mothers, whereas fulminant hepatitis and severe hepatitis are uncommon in infants born to HBeAg-positive mothers. We have encountered an infant with severe acute hepatitis B born to a HBeAg-positive mother. The aim of this study was to determine whether HBV variants contribute to the pathogenesis of fulminant hepatitis and severe hepatitis in an infant born to an HBeAg-positive mother. The nucleotide sequence of HBV genomes from the infant and his HBeAg-positive carrier mother was analyzed. All HBV isolated from the infant and his mother were subtype adr. The sequences of the cloned HBV genomes, each including a part of the X and precore/core regions, isolated from the infant were almost identical (homology of 99.1-99.9%) to those from his mother. There was no mutation in any of the 17 clones examined at nucleotides 1762 and 1764 in the core promoter, which is reported to be associated with fulminant hepatitis. A point mutation at nucleotide 1758 in the second AT-rich region of the basic core promoter was present in all clones. None of the clones had a point mutation at nucleotide 1896 of the precore region. In this study, no specific HBV variants contributing to the development of neonatal severe hepatitis were found. There is a possibility that host factors rather than viral factors play an important role in some cases of severe neonatal hepatitis B.     

CT引导下经皮穿刺活检术在肺癌诊断中的应用

目的 探讨CT引导下穿刺活检术在肺癌诊断中的准确性和并发症发生率。方法 40例使用弹簧芯状活检针经皮穿刺活检，CT扫描确定并引导穿刺途径，达预定位置取材。结果 37例有明确的病理诊断，诊断准确性92．5％。活检后并发气胸3例，咯血2例。结论 CT引导下经皮穿刺活检可以进一步明确肺癌的病理诊断，提高诊断的准确性，并发症发生率低，可为临床提供治疗依据。     

乙型肝炎病毒C基因在毕赤酵母中的表达

目的:研究乙肝病毒核心(C)基因在毕赤(Pichia pastoris)酵母中的表达,以期获得高效表达的具有良好免疫反应性和特异性的重组乙肝病毒核心蛋白(HBcAg)。方法:采用PCR法从含HBV全基因序列的质粒pHBV1中扩增C基因,亚克隆到pGEM-T载体中,经DNA序列分析后将目的基因定向克隆到酵母表达载体pPIC9中,构建重组质粒pPIC9-cAg。然后用电转法将重组质粒转化入酵母菌GS115,0.5%甲醇诱导表达。采用SDS-PAGE、Western blot和ELISA法对表达产物进行分析。结果:限制性内切酶酶切和DNA序列分析证实HBV C基因已正确克隆到酵母表达载体pPIC9中;SDS-PAGE结果显示重组HBcAg在毕赤酵母细胞中表达;ELISA及Western blot分析表明,表达产物具有良好的免疫反应性和特异性,重组HBcAg的滴度可达1∶12 800。结论:成功构建了pPIC9-cAg重组质粒,并在毕赤酵母中高效表达了具有良好免疫反应性和特异性的重组HBcAg,为进一步研制抗-HBc诊断试剂盒奠定了基础。     

Diagnostic impact of core-needle biopsy on fine-needle aspiration of non-Hodgkin lymphoma

We retrospectively reviewed 74 fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cases of presumptive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). All the cases had cytology and core-needle biopsy and 53 cases had concurrent flow cytometric analysis. FNA (cytology and flow cytometry) and core-needle biopsy were evaluated independently. FNA was diagnostic of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBL) in 25% (13/53) of cases and small B-cell NHL in 15% (8/53) of cases, whereas core-needle biopsy was diagnostic of DLBL in 37% (27/74) of cases and small B-cell NHL in 8% (6/74) of cases. Subclassification of small B-cell NHL was reached in 3/6 cases by core-needle biopsy. Insufficient cases were observed in both FNA (47%; 25/53) and core-needle biopsy (28%; 21/74) groups. With the combination of FNA and core-needle biopsy, diagnostic cases of DLBL increased to 43% (32/74) and insufficient samples were reduced to 16% (12/74). There was no clear advantage in the diagnosis and classification of small B-cell NHL by adding core-needle biopsy to FNA (14%; 10/74). We conclude that core-needle biopsy is a useful adjunct to FNA in the diagnosis of DLBL and shall be encouraged. In small B-cell NHL, core-needle biopsy does not add to the diagnostic ability of FNA. Cases insufficient for diagnosis may be seen in both core-needle biopsy and FNA. A combined approach reduces the number of insufficient cases and is recommended in routine FNA practice.