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。     

The prevalence of TT virus (TTV) infection and its relationship to hepatitis in children

TT virus (TTV) is a newly discovered virus from a patient with post-transfusion hepatitis. We investigated the frequency and pathogenesis of TTV infection in children. A semi-nested PCR assay was used to amplify TTV-DNA in serum samples from 254 ambulatory children without liver disease, 20 with hepatitis of unknown etiology, and 18 transfusion recipients or hemophiliacs. In positive samples, TTV-DNA was quantified by real-time quantitative PCR using a fluorescent probe. We detected TTV-DNA in 20% of children with hepatitis of unknown etiology, which was not statistically different from the 23% prevalence in ambulatory children. In transfusion recipients or hemophiliacs, the frequency was higher (50%) than that in ambulatory children (P = 0.01). Among ambulatory children, TTV-DNA was frequently detected in children with acute gastroenteritis (36%). TTV-DNA was detected in 10% of the infants under 6 months old, and 20% of the children from 7 to 12  months old. The prevalence was constant after the age of 1 year; however, the copy number of TTV-DNA was significantly higher in children under 1 year of age (mean: 10^5.4 versus 10^3.8 copies/ml, P= 0.008). Finally, TTV-DNA was quantified serially in three children with chronic hepatitis who were positive for TTV-DNA. The presence or amount of TTV-DNA was unrelated to the serum alanine aminotransferase level. These results indicate that TTV infection is common in children. The larger quantity of TTV-DNA in infants and the high prevalence of TTV in children of all ages suggest that TTV may be transmitted in early childhood. Its relationship to hepatitis is doubtful in children. Received: 8 April 1999     

HCV NS3 N末端部分氨基酸缺失对NS3/NS3与NS3/NS4A分子间相互作用的影响

目的旨在弄清ＮＳ３参与分子间相互作用的确切区段，为研究针对ＮＳ３的抗ＨＣＶ寡肽小分子药物的设计提供依据。方法参照ＨＣＶ中国河北株序列设计ＮＳ３引物，将其Ｎ末端的前１５个和前３０个氨基酸分别缺失掉。然后用酵母双杂交系统检测ＮＳ３／ＮＳ３及ＮＳ３／ＮＳ４Ａ分子间相互作用强度在缺失前后的变化，从而判明ＮＳ３Ｎ末端氨基酸在分子间相互作用中的意义。核苷酸序列分析采用ＡｐｐｌｉｅｄＢｉｏｓｙｓｔｅｍ３７３Ａ型自动测序仪。结果ＮＳ３Ｎ末端氨基酸缺失前后，ＮＳ３／ＮＳ３分子间及ＮＳ３／ＮＳ４Ａ分子间相互作用的强度相差有显著性（Ｐ＜０．０１），但缺失１５个氨基酸和缺失３０个氨基酸对上述相互作用强度的影响差异无显著性（Ｐ＞０．０５）。结论ＮＳ３Ｎ末端的１～３０个氨基酸在ＮＳ３／ＮＳ３及ＮＳ３／ＮＳ４Ａ分子间相互作用中有一定意义，其Ｎ末端前１５个氨基酸（ＡＰＩＴＡＹＳＱＱＴＲＧＬＬＧ）对于分子间相互作用更为关键。本研究结果将为抗ＮＳ３丝氨酸蛋白酶活性的寡肽抑制物的研究打下基础，并为抗ＨＣＶ的寡肽小分子药物的设计提供依据     

Morphologic evaluation of the liver in hereditary angioedema patients on long-term treatment with androgen derivatives

17 alpha-Alkylated androgens are highly effective in preventing attacks in HAE patients. These drugs, however, seem to be implicated in the development of cholestatic jaundice, peliosis hepatis, and liver tumors. In order to assess the risk-benefit balance of the long-term therapy with androgen derivatives, a follow-up investigation was performed in 13 HAE patients. The results of this study indicate that long-term treatment (15 to 47 mo) with low doses of danazol or stanozolol does not induce significant hepatic damage detectable by laboratory tests or liver biopsy. However, the limited number of patients, although in a rather long period of observation, still suggests a careful control and the use of minimal effective doses.     

拉米夫定联合胸腺五肽治疗慢性乙型肝炎疗效观察

目的：探索抗病毒药物联合免疫调节药物治疗慢性乙型肝炎的疗效。方法：采用拉米夫定联合胸腺五肽治疗慢性乙型肝炎，同期单用拉米夫定或胸腺五肽作对照，动态观察血清HBV复制指标及肝功能。结果：治疗结束时联合组血清HBeAg阴转及抗HBe阳转率明显优于拉米夫定组（P＜0．05），与胸腺五肽组比较差异无显著性（P＞0．05）；联合组的HBV DNA阴转率优于胸腺五肽组（P＜0．05），与拉米夫定组比较差异无显著性（P＞0．05）。治疗结束后6个月、12个月的病毒复制指标变化与治疗结束时无明显变化。联合组的显效率及总有效率均高于其他两组，且ALT复常率保持在85％以上。结论：拉米夫定联合胸腺五肽治疗慢性乙型肝炎，可达到有效而持续的抗病毒作用。亦有利于ALT持久复常。     

Humoral immunity to immunodominant epitopes of Hepatitis C virus in individuals infected with genotypes 1a or 1b

Cellular immunity against multiple Hepatitis C virus (HCV) proteins is observed in patients acutely infected with HCV most of whom later resolve infection. We wished to assess humoral immunity in patients infected with HCV 1a or 1b genotypes in relation to viral load using plasma samples from HCV-infected individuals and a panel of peptides representing immunodominant epitopes of HCV structural and nonstructural proteins. Plasma from HCV 1a- and 1b-infected patients, respectively, were divided into two groups: patients with low viral load (<==100,000 RNA copies/ml) and patients with high viral load (>/=10,000,000 RNA copies/ml). The antigens were peptides representing epitopes from immunodominant regions of HCV core, E2, NS3, and NS4 proteins, as well as the hypervariable (HVR) epitopes in E2 from genotypes 1a and 1b. Individuals infected with HCV 1a evoked a stronger immune response to many immunodominant epitopes of HCV relative to individuals infected with HCV 1b. Moreover, among individuals infected with HCV 1a, those with low viral loads mounted significantly greater responses against these epitopes than did individuals with high viral loads. Our observations demonstrate that quantitatively different antibody responses are elicited against HCV depending on the genotype of infecting virus, and suggest that humoral immunity directed against multiple immunodominant epitopes in HCV 1a-infected individuals may help lower viral load in vivo.     

丙型肝炎病毒感染的血清学检测

目的了解丙型肝炎病毒（ＨＣＶ）感染及病毒血症存在情况。方法用酶联免疫吸附试验（ＥＬＩＳＡ）和聚合酶链反应（ＰＣＲ）对不同人群的血清标本做了抗－ＨＣＶ、抗－ＨＣＶＩｇＭ和ＨＣＶＲＮＡ的检测，并对三项指标间的关系进行了对比分析。结果抗－ＨＣＶ在普通成年人、献血员、急性肝炎和肝硬化患者中的检出率分别是３５７％，８５８％，６２５％和４８３８％；与ＨＣＶＲＮＡ的符合率分别是１１４３％，６１１１％，８００％和７３３３％。相同人群抗－ＨＣＶＩｇＭ与ＨＣＶＲＮＡ的符合率分别是７５％，９０９％，８１８１％和１００％。结论抗－ＨＣＶＩｇＭ比抗－ＨＣＶ能更客观地反映ＨＣＶ病毒血症的情况，个别抗－ＨＣＶ阴性血清检测到了抗－ＨＣＶＩｇＭ和ＨＣＶＲＮＡ。     

HBV pre-vaccination screening in hospital personnel: Cost-effectiveness analysis

The purpose of this study was to identify the most cost effective method for screening subjects for hepatitis B vaccination. Such a method would ideally permit detection of all susceptible individuals at the lowest possible cost.Two-hundred-five hospital workers from the Piedmont region of Italy participated in the study. The sero-epidemiological conditions of this group with regard to hepatitis B markers was representative of hospital workers in this region as a whole. All subjects, excluding carriers, persons with anti-HBs titers 10 mIU and subjects positive for anti-HBc at a 1/100 dilution, were vaccinated. Their responses were evaluated 15 days and 1 month after vaccination. The presence of a booster effect following vaccination was correlated with the immunological status of the subject at the time of pre-vaccination screening.In the light of the results obtained, 5 screening procedures and the procedure of vaccination without screening were evaluated. The most cost effective screening strategy proved to be that of sequential testing for anti-HBc, anti-HBs and finally HBsAg and vaccination of the following subjects: those who were negative for anti-HBc, those who were anti-HBc-positive with anti-HBs titers 10相似文献   

Seroepidemiological study on sexually transmitted diseases and hepatitis B in African promiscuous heterosexuals in relation to HTLV-III infection

A seroepidemiological study was performed on HTLV-III, T. pallidum, C. trachomatis and Hepatitis B virus (HBV), in Butare, Rwanda, among 33 female prostitutes, 25 male customers of prostitutes, and 60 male and female controls. As compared with female controls the prostitutes had a higher prevalence of antibodies to HTLV-III (29/33 versus 4/33, p<0.001), T. pallidunz (TPHA: 27/33 versus 6/33, p<0.001; RPR: 19/33 versus 233, p<0.001; FTA-Abs: 27/33 versus 5/33, p<0:001) and C. trachomatis (IgG IF: 31/33 versus 13/33, p<0.001). HBV serological markers were more often detected in the prostitutes than in the female controls (31/33 versus 18/33, p<0.001) although HBs antigen carriage rate was similar in both groups. As compared with male controls, the male customers of prostitutes had more frequently detectable antibodies to HTLV-III (7/25 versus 2/27, p = 0.05), and a positive RPR (10/25 versus 1/27, p<0.01). Among the 118 individuals studied, odds ratios and trend analysis disclosed a significant association between HTLV-III seropositivity and a positive TPHA, RPR, FTA-Abs, Chlamvdia IgG IF test and serological markers to HBV. No association was found between HTLV-III seropositivity and IIBs Ag carriage. This study suggests that HTLV-III has to be considered as an infectious agent transmitted among promiscuous Central African heterosexuals by sexual contact and/or parenteral contact with unsterile needles used for STD treatments.