Peripheral whole blood FOXP3 TSDR methylation: a potential marker in severity assessment of autoimmune diseases and chronic infections

Immune dysregulation is a cardinal feature of autoimmune diseases and chronic microbial infections. In particular, regulatory T cells are downregulated in autoimmune diseases while upregulated in chronic microbial infections. FOXP3 is the master regulator of Treg development. Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR) is a highly conserved locus on the FOXP3 gene that is fully demethylated in natural Tregs but methylated in effector T cells. In our study, we used high resolution melt-polymerase chain reaction (HRM-PCR) to determine the FOXP3 TSDR methylation status in autoimmune diseases and chronic microbial infections. We found that FOXP3 TSDR to have the highest mean melting temperature (highly methylated) in active SLE patients compared to all the other groups (p?<?0.001). The psoriasis group also had a significantly high mean melting temperature (78.62?±?0.20) when compared with the inactive SLE group (78.49?±?0.29, p?<?0.05) and control group (78.44?±?0.25, p?<?0.01). There was no significant difference in melting temperature between inactive SLE and healthy controls. Disease activity in SLE was directly associated with methylation of the FOXP3 TSDR. On the other hand, patients with chronic microbial infections had significantly lower FOXP3 TSDR mean melting temperature (demethylated) when compared with healthy controls (78.28?±?0.21 vs 78.44?±?0.25, p?<?0.05). Our results suggest that the use of HRM-PCR to detect FOXP3 TSDR methylation status is a reliable and easy method to predict natural regulatory T cell levels in peripheral blood in different disease conditions. Determining FOXP3 TSDR methylation status can be a useful tool in diagnosis, and monitoring the severity of autoimmune diseases and chronic microbial infections.     

Immunisation of healthcare workers in the Nordic countries: Variation in recommendations and practices and a lack of assessment

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of both exposure and transmission of infectious disease. Two European Union (EU) directives state that health services are responsible for assessing their employees’ potential exposure to infectious diseases and offering immunisation free of charge. We assessed current policy for immunisation of HCWs and the availability of vaccine coverage data in the Nordic countries by surveying national vaccination experts in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, as well as Swedish county medical officers (CMOs). All national experts and 17 of 21 Swedish CMOs responded. All EU countries had transposed the European directives into national law, while Norway and Iceland had similar national legislation. Recommendations or guidelines were issued in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and 15 of 17 responding Swedish counties. The range of diseases covered differed by countries and Swedish counties. HCW vaccine coverage data were not systematically collected; incomplete estimates were only available for Finland and two Swedish counties. In conclusion, recommendations or guidelines exist in the Nordic countries, but their impact cannot be assessed, as vaccine uptake among HCWs is not currently measured. Systematic collection of data is a necessary step towards improving HCW immunisation policy and practice in the Nordic countries.     

Oral Everolimus for Treatment of a Giant Left Ventricular Rhabdomyoma in a Neonate—Rapid Tumor Regression Documented by Real Time 3D Echocardiography

The presented case reports on successful treatment with everolimus in a neonate with left ventricular giant rhabdomyoma. The authors used a different dosage regime compared to literature and documented rapid tumor regression by 3D echocardiography.     

临床护理路径在心血管患者静脉留置针中的研究分析

目的:提高静脉留置针使用有效期,保证心血管患者得到及时用药,有效开放静脉抢救通道。方法:建立了心血管患者静脉留置针的临床护理路径(Clinical Nursing Pathway,CNP)。选择我院2018年1-12月期间接诊的静脉留置针心血管患者为研究对象,共100例,随机分组,即对照组(50例,常规护理)与实验组(50例,在常规护理基础上辅以临床护理路径),比较两组护理效果,包括留置时间、不良反应情况、患者满意度等。结果:护理后,两组患者留置时间无明显差异,但实验组不良反应发生率、静脉炎发生率低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);实验组满意度、一次性置管成功率高于对照组,而非计划性拔管率则低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:心血管患者静脉留置针护理中辅以临床护理路径,可减少不良反应,预防静脉炎,延长置管时间,提高护理满意度,值得优选。     

大病保险对我国中老年人家庭灾难性卫生支出影响实证分析

目的:考察大病保险对我国中老年人家庭灾难性卫生支出的影响,为完善我国大病保险制度提供建议。方法:以中国健康与养老追踪调查数据库(2011年与2015年)中45岁及以上的城乡中老年人家庭作为研究对象,利用描述性统计法和两部模型法分析大病保险对我国中老年人家庭灾难性卫生支出的影响。结果:目前的大病保险政策从总体上降低了中老年人家庭灾难性卫生支出的发生率,但没有显著降低其发生强度。结论:目前的大病保险并未达到其预期的效果,只是解决了"面"的问题,从总体上降低了灾难性卫生支出发生的可能性,但并没有解决"点"的问题,没有有效降低其大额的医疗卫生支出进而减少其医疗经济负担。建议各地各级政府相关部门应进一步完善大病保险制度,从而真正有效减轻居民重大疾病医疗经济负担。     

Bacteroides forsythus ATCC43037菌体蛋白与人类唾液酸性富脯蛋白的相互作用

目的：探讨福赛类杆菌与人类唾液富脯蛋白相互作用的蛋白分子。方法：Western—blot方法。将人工合成唾液富脯蛋白用生物素标记，福赛类杆菌全菌蛋白凝胶电泳，半干转移至纤维膜上，观察二者的相互作用。结果：富脯蛋白能与分子量为85KD、65KD、60KD、以及49KD的福赛类杆菌蛋白发生结合。结论：福赛类杆菌存在与人类唾液富脯蛋白相互结合的粘附素。     

反义细胞外信号调节激酶对移植物血管的保护作用

目的探讨反义细胞外信号调节激酶（ERK1／2）基因治疗对移植物血管的保护作用及可能的保护机制。方法建立BN至Lewis大鼠的腹主动脉移植模型。反义ERK1／2治疗组移植前取供者动脉血管段给予经脂质体包装的反义ERK1／2基因转染；腹主动脉移植术后1个月内受者每日从尾静脉或阴茎背静脉注入经脂质体包装的反义ERK1／2寡核苷酸100μl。对照组移植未经任何处理的血管段，移植后也无特殊处理。移植术后60d取移植段主动脉进行组织病理学观察内膜和胶原纤维变化；免疫组织化学法观察移植段血管ERK1／2基因的表达和CD4^＋、CD8^＋T淋巴细胞的浸润情况；ELISA法检测血清中细胞间粘附分子（ICAM-1）的变化。结果移植术后60d，对照组的移植动脉呈慢性移植物血管病表现，血管内膜显著增厚，移植血管中ERK1／2基因高表达，CD4^＋、CD8^＋T淋巴细胞大量浸润；反义ERK1／2基因治疗组移植动脉呈血管内膜炎改变，ERK1／2基因表达不明显，内膜有少量CD4^＋、CD8^＋T淋巴细胞；对照组ICAM-1表达显著高于反义ERK1／2治疗组（P〈0．05）。结论反义ERK1／2基因治疗对移植物血管具有保护作用，可以减缓慢性移植物血管病的发生，这种保护机制可能和减少ICAM-1的表达以及减少移植血管T淋巴细胞的浸润有关。