Preparation of a pure autologous biodegradable fibrin matrix for tissue engineering

Parallel to the growing role of tissue engineering, the need for cell embedding materials, which allow cells to stabilise in a three-dimensional distribution, has increased. Although several substances have been tested, fibrin is thus far the only one that permits the clinical application of cultured tissue. To date, can cause severe immunological side effects. The objective of this study was to explore the practicability of obtaining autologous thrombin from a single patient in an adequate concentration and amount. Fibrinogen was cryoprecipitated from 200 ml of freshly-frozen plasma. Thrombin was isolated from the supernatant through ionexchange chromatography. The thrombin was first bound to Sephadex A-50 and then eluated using 2ml of a salt buffer (2.0M NaCl in 0.015M trisodiumcitrate, pH 7.0). The activity of the thrombin (51 NIH ml⁻¹ to 414 NIH ml⁻¹) reached levels comparable to those in commercially available fibrin glues (4–500 NIH ml⁻¹). The study has shown that it is possible to obtain a sufficient amount of autologous thrombin from a single donor to create a fibrin matrix of high efficiency without the risk of immunological and infectious side effects.     

Maternal immunization modulates the primary immune response to 2-phenyl-oxazolone in BALB/c mice

The development of the antibody repertoire in newborn mice is greatly influenced by idiotypic network interactions. It has been demonstrated that anti-idiotypic antibodies either directly injected or transferred from the mother may alter the repertoire for life. For an elucidation of the underlying mechanisms we have analyzed the primary immune response to 2-phenyl-5-oxazolone (phOx) coupled to chicken serum albumin (CSA) in BALB/c mice after complete disappearance of maternal antibodies which originated from different stages of affinity maturation. Depending on the serum titers of the mothers after primary (1° mo), secondary (2° mo) or tertiary (3° mo) immunization, maternal anti-phOx IgG persisted in F1 mice for up to 9 months. In addition, F1 mice born to 2° mo developed – even without immunization – an anti-phOx IgM titer which reached levels similar to an antigen-induced primary response. An enhancement of the early primary anti-phOx as well as anti-CSA response was seen in F1 mice born from 1° mo, whereas the response was delayed when born to 2° mo and 3° mo. The antibody titers in the latter group of mice remained at a lower level for 3 months. In contrast, mice of the F2 generation which received a smaller amount of the same collection of maternal antibodies as F1 mice from 3° mo exhibited a quite different primary response: (i) They showed an earlier onset in their anti-CSA response. (ii) Whereas normally a plateau in antibody titer was reached by the 4th weak after immunization, in 55 % of the F2 mice a prolonged increase of the anti-phOx and anti-CSA antibody titers was observed. At 12 weeks after antigenic challenge, titers reached plateau levels of 6 × 10⁵ which were never before seen in a primary phOx or CSA response. Thus, depending on its own immunological experience, the maternal immune system induces a state of memory in the offspring which results in a faster and/or enhanced immune response in the F1 and F3 generations.     

Estimating the relative frequency of leukodystrophies and recommendations for carrier screening in the era of next‐generation sequencing

Leukodystrophies are a heterogeneous group of heritable disorders characterized by abnormal brain white matter signal on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and primary involvement of the cellular components of myelin. Previous estimates suggest the incidence of leukodystrophies as a whole to be 1 in 7,000 individuals, however the frequency of specific diagnoses relative to others has not been described. Next generation sequencing approaches offer the opportunity to redefine our understanding of the relative frequency of different leukodystrophies. We assessed the relative frequency of all 30 leukodystrophies (associated with 55 genes) in more than 49,000 exomes. We identified a relatively high frequency of disorders previously thought of as very rare, including Aicardi Goutières Syndrome, TUBB4A‐related leukodystrophy, Peroxisomal biogenesis disorders, POLR3‐related Leukodystrophy, Vanishing White Matter, and Pelizaeus‐Merzbacher Disease. Despite the relative frequency of these conditions, carrier‐screening laboratories regularly test only 20 of the 55 leukodystrophy‐related genes, and do not test at all, or test only one or a few, genes for some of the higher frequency disorders. Relative frequency of leukodystrophies previously considered very rare suggests these disorders may benefit from expanded carrier screening.     

凝血酶对大鼠脑微血管内皮细胞的影响

目的 :探讨凝血酶 (Thrombin ,TM )对脑微血管内皮的影响。方法 :将大鼠脑微血管内皮细胞进行培养 ,培养液中加入 10U的TM或10U的TM + 0 .4mU的组织蛋白酶G(CaspethsinG ,CATG ) ,相差显微镜动态观察内皮细胞形态的变化 ,免疫组织化学技术检测基质金属蛋白酶 2 (MatrixMetalloproteinase 2 ,MMP 2 )表达的改变。 结果 :TM使内皮细胞发生收缩 ,细胞收缩程度具有时间依赖性 ,使内皮细胞MMP 2表达水平明显增加。TM +CATG加入培养液后 ,细胞形态、MMP 2表达与对照组比较均无明显统计学差异 (P >0 .0 5 )。结论 :TM通过激活蛋白酶激活受体 1(proteaseactivatedreceptor 1,PAR 1) ,使内皮细胞发生收缩 ,促进MMP 2表达 ,是TM增加血脑屏障 (BloodBrainBarrier,BBB)通透性的可能机制。     

Information Capacity of the Corticospinal Tract Recordings as a Neural Interface

Recording the motor output of the central nervous system from the cervical spinal cord was investigated as a method of generating voluntary command signals, potentially to be used in quadriplegic individuals. Corticospinal volleys evoked by motor cortex stimulation were recorded from the spinal cord surface with multicontact electrodes in anesthetized cats. The multicontact recordings were analyzed for their information-carrying capacity as a neural interface. Neural signals resulting from the stimulation of various points in the motor cortex were considered as symbols of an alphabet that were sent through a discrete information channel. The information capacity of this channel at the thermal noise level of the electrode contacts was calculated. The maximum information rate was 1.57 bits in a trial for a 4-symbol alphabet. The background noise that reduces the information rate to 50% of its maximum theoretical value was defined as the half-bitrate-noise-tolerance (HBR-NoiseTol) and used as a measure of symbol distinguishability. The HBR-NoiseTol for all trials on average was 24 +/- 12%, 18 +/- 10%, and 15 +/- 9% for interfaces with 2-, 3-, and 4-symbol alphabets (n = 11 trials). The average peak-to-peak amplitude of the neural volleys was 13.5 +/- 6.7 microV (n = 11). These results suggest that the corticospinal signals can be recorded with spatial selectivity from the spinal cord surface and thus warrant further investigation of their potential use for a spinal cord-computer interface.     

Quality validation of platelets obtained from the Haemonetics and Trima Accel automated blood-collection systems

BackgroundPlatelet transfusion is required to treat haemo-oncology or trauma patients. Platelet apheresis (PA) performed with apheresis equipment has increased rapidly in recent years. Leucocyte-reduced platelet apheresis (LRPA) can reduce the risk of platelet refractoriness and febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reactions (FNHTRs) for transfusion. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate and compare the platelet metabolic and functional responses between PA performed with Haemonetics and LRPA performed with Trima Accel cell separator.MethodsThe qualities of platelets collected through PA and LRPA were evaluated in terms of visual appearance, morphology, platelet-aggregation changes, metabolic activities, and bacterium-screening test during 5-day storage. Statistical analyses included two-sample t-test and generalised estimating equation(GEE) method.ResultsDuring 5-day storage in LRPA, residual leucocytes were all <1.0×10⁶, and the parameters of platelet function were as follows: platelet aggregated to agonists such as adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP) and collagen, and the extent of shape change and pO₂ showed no statistically significant difference between PA and LRPA. The hypotonic shock reaction (HSR) on days 0, 1, and 3 were significantly higher in LRPA than in PA (71.78±6.92 vs. 64.10±7.42; P=0.002; 71.53±8.98 vs. 62.96±9.84; P=0.007; 68.05±7.28 vs. 57.76±6.80; P<0.0001, respectively). Values of mean platelet volume (MPV) were statistically larger in PA than in LRPA on days 0, 1, and 3. On day 5, the swirling score was higher in LRPA than in PA. The mean lactate levels had no statistically significant difference between PA and LRPA. Moreover, no growth was observed through bacterium-screening test conducted on 40 samples.ConclusionComparison of LRPA and PA products collected from the Trima Accel and Haemonetics automated blood-collection systems, respectively, revealed that both products possessed good platelet qualities even though additional processes are needed to reduce leucocytes. Furthermore, investigating the outcomes of other apheresis instruments with focus on the safety of donors, products, and recipients is necessary.     

基于Ion Torrent S5平台的二代测序技术对HLA-DRB1基因分型模棱两可进行分析

目的基于Ion Torrent S5平台NGS法进行HLA-DRB1基因分型检测的模棱两可结果的种类、比例进行分析。方法对471例脐带血造血干细胞库标本采用基于Ion Torrent S5平台的二代测序法检测HLA-DRB1位点,并同步对其中的94例标本采用PCR-SBT测定HLA-DRB1位点,余下377例标本采用PCR-SSO流式磁珠法检测。使用分型软件指定NGS法的HLA-DRB1分型结果,以HLA-DRB1*后第三区的数字作为高分辨水平统计,直接计算法分析模棱两可组合比例。结果标本中470例HLA-DRB1基因NGS检测结果与PCR-SBT法或PCR-SSO法相符合;其中1例标本NGS法漏检一个等位基因,符合率为99.8%。NGS法检测结果中,471例标本中有160例标本HLA-DRB1等位基因型出现模棱两可,比例为33.97%(160/471)。最常见的模棱两可结果组合为DRB1*09∶01∶02/09∶21。结论基于Ion Torrent S5平台的NGS技术可降低HLA-DRB1基因分型的模棱两可结果比例,但仍有一定比例的模棱两可组合结果,同时应注意NGS法检测漏检等位基因的风险。     

An image-based modeling framework for patient-specific computational hemodynamics

We present a modeling framework designed for patient-specific computational hemodynamics to be performed in the context of large-scale studies. The framework takes advantage of the integration of image processing, geometric analysis and mesh generation techniques, with an accent on full automation and high-level interaction. Image segmentation is performed using implicit deformable models taking advantage of a novel approach for selective initialization of vascular branches, as well as of a strategy for the segmentation of small vessels. A robust definition of centerlines provides objective geometric criteria for the automation of surface editing and mesh generation. The framework is available as part of an open-source effort, the Vascular Modeling Toolkit, a first step towards the sharing of tools and data which will be necessary for computational hemodynamics to play a role in evidence-based medicine.     

川芎嗪对凝血酶诱导血管内皮细胞释放vWF组织因子途径抑制物及表达组织因子的影响

目的 :探讨川芎嗪对凝血酶诱导的血管内皮细胞释放vWF、组织因子途径抑制物及表达组织因子的影响。方法 :传代培养的新生牛主动脉内皮细胞取上清液测vWF、组织因子途径抑制物 ;细胞冻融液测组织因子的活性。结果 :①与对照相比凝血酶能明显促进内皮细胞表达组织因子 ( 1 2 .8± 2 .43,P <0 .0 0 1 )和释放vWF( 1 8.43± 3.2 0 ,P <0 .0 0 1 ) ,川芎嗪则抑制组织因子表达 ( 0 .52± 0 .1 3,P <0 .0 0 1 )抑制vWF释放 ( 1 3.3± 5.6,P <0 .0 1 ) ;②与对照相比 ( 2 .64± 0 .93) ,凝血酶明显抑制内皮细胞释放组织因子途径抑制物 ( 0 .81± 0 .52 ,P <0 .0 0 1 ) ,但川芎嗪无明显作用 ,也不能抑制凝血酶的效应。结论 :川芎嗪可以抑制内皮细胞表达组织因子和释放vWF。