Expression of cell-matrix molecules and integrin receptors in human liver grafts during chronic rejection

Abstract The inflammatory response of immune cells to target cells and cell-matrix molecules is regulated by several receptor-ligand molecules. As fibrosis develops in ongoing chronic rejection after liver transplantation, it is of interest to analyze patterns of integrin receptors and cell-matrix molecules in order to study the relation between immune cells and the stromal and parenchymal cells. In the present study, we demonstrated the expression of these molecules in chronic rejected human liver grafts using immunohistochemical techniques. The results showed a differential expression and induction of integrin receptors and cell-matrix molecules on resident liver cells, especially on sinusoids, reflecting a state of chronic inflammation and a specific interaction between integrin receptors and cell-matrix molecules. The patterns of induced integrin receptors on graft-infiltrating cells was closely related to the local production of cell-matrix molecules and reflected the final sequence of a stepwise progress of the inflammatory reaction.     

Survival of low birthweight infants in central Queensland

The survival of low birthweight infants £2000g born in the central Queensland area during the years 1979 to 1991 was examined. Five hundred and sixty such infants were either delivered at one of the two Rockhampton obstetric units (Rockhampton Base Hospital and the Mater Misericordiae Hospital) or retrieved from outlying central Queensland areas. Both hospitals had intensive care nurseries capable of ventilation and infants were transferred to tertiary centres only for cardiac or surgical treatment. The study involved all liveborn infants', including those with lethal malformations and all deaths up to the time of discharge. Survival rates were as follows: £500 g 0%, 501 £750 g 30%, 751 £1000 g 51%, 1001 ± 1500 g 79%, 1501 £2000g 93%. The survival of Aboriginal infants and outborn infants were found to be essentially the same as the overall group.     

The effect of oral anticoagulant therapy on aptt results from a bedside coagulation monitor

Objective. The Ciba Corning 512 coagulation monitor (CC512) can be used to monitor heparin therapy by performing an activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) at the patient’s bedside. This study was designed to compare the CC512 results to results using the laboratory system. The relative sensitivities of both systems to the effect of oral anticoagulant therapy also was investigated.Methods. Activated partial thromboplastin times were performed with both the CC512 and laboratory system on 74 specimens from patients receiving IV heparin therapy, and on 14 specimens from patients on warfarin only. Heparin assays were performed on 43 of the specimens from the heparinized patients.Results. When a patient was receiving heparin only, the APTT results of the CC512 proved to be similar to existing laboratory methods. The CC512 APTT results of patients on warfarin only were markedly prolonged, whereas the laboratory APTTs were only slightly affected.Conclusion. The CC512 results were comparable to the laboratory system. However, the CC512 APTT was more sensitive to the effect of warfarin than the laboratory APTT system used in this study. CC512 APTT results on a patient receiving both oral and intravenous anticoagulation could be misleading. The authors wish to thank D.M. O’Brien and the nursing staff of the Coronary Care Unit for providing CC512 data and laboratory specimens, and I. Smith for the preparation of graphics. We also wish to thank Australian Diagnostics Corporation, which provided consumables.     

父母亲社会经济状况与低出生体质量儿的相关性探讨

①目的 探讨父母亲社会经济状况与低出生体质量儿发生的关系。②方法 采用病例对照研究方法，对190名低出生体质量儿和750名正常出生体质量儿的父母亲进行了相关因素调查，用Logistic回归分析进行了危险因素分析。③结果 母亲年龄大于35岁、母亲的职业为教师或农民、父亲吸烟、母亲孕期吸烟及年家庭收人低是发生低出生体质量儿的危险因素(OR=1．280～7．290)，母亲身高与低出生体质量儿的发生率呈负相关关系(OR=0．898)。④结论 父母亲的社会经济状况与低出生体质量儿的发生有关。     

Study on Bone Mineral Density and its Influencing Factors among 1 214 Older Adults in Xuhui District, Shanghai

Osteoporosis is a common disease in older adults. The basic evidence for the diagnosisof osteoporosis is the decrease of bone mineral density (BMD) [1]. Studies showed that the risk of fractures would rise as the bone mineral density decreased, and the me…     

Phenotypic and genetic analyses of T-cell-mediated immunoregulation in patients with Type 1 diabetes.

AIMS: To investigate the contribution of regulatory T cells and co-stimulatory molecules in CD4(+) T cells to the development of Type 1 diabetes (T1D). METHODS: Twelve patients with T1D, nine patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 12 age-matched healthy control subjects participated. We analysed the proportions of CD25(+)CD4(+) T cells and natural killer T cells (NKT cells), and the expression levels of Foxp3, CTLA-4, CD28, ICOS, PD-1 and BTLA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and purified CD4(+) T cells. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the proportions of CD25(+) CD4(+) T cells or NKT cells among the three groups. PD-1 expression levels of peripheral CD4(+) T cells from T1D patients were significantly lower than those from healthy control subjects (P = 0.00066). In contrast, PD-1 expression levels were similar in SLE patients and healthy control subjects. The expression levels of Foxp3, CTLA-4, CD28, ICOS and BTLA were similar in the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased expression of the PD-1 gene in CD4(+) T cells may contribute to the development and/or maintenance of autoimmune T1D. As the population studied was small and heterogeneous, further studies are required to confirm the findings.     

Influence of heparin on fibrinogen and D-dimer plasma levels in acute myocardial infarction treated with streptokinase

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether, to whatextent, and through which mechanisms intravenous heparin, administeredbefore and after streptokinase, affects the plasma levels ofD-dimer and fibrinogen in myocardial infarction. Data concerningmortality and incidence of coronary recanalization in patientsreceiving heparin and thrombolytic therapy after acute myocardialinfarction are controversial; furthermore, the mechanisms throughwhich heparin acts in combination with thrombolytic therapyare unclear. Thirty-eight patients with acute myocardial infarctiontreated with streptokinase were considered. Nineteen of themreceived, immediately before the beginning of thrombolytic treatment,a bolus of heparin (100 U. kg¹ intravenously) and, 2 h later,intravenous heparin in doses raising the partial thromboplastintime to 2-2.5 times the normal value (Group 1); the remaining19 did not receive anticoagulant treatment (Group 2). Multipledeterminations of plasma D-dimer and fibrinogen levels wereobtained in all patients before, and in the seven days followingthrombolytic treatment. Six hours after streptokinase, fibrinogendecreased from 304 ± 34 to 61 ± 34 mg. dt¹ inGroup 1 and from 312 ± 29 to 38 ±21 mg. dt¹ inGroup 2 (P<002 versus Group 1). The same difference betweengroups persisted at the 12th and at the 18th hour. D-dimer values,from 0-5 ± 01 \ig. dl¹ in Group 1 and 04 ±01 fig.dt¹ in Group 2, increased at the 1st hour to 37.2 ± 36.5fig. dt¹ and 52.2 ± 39.8 µg. dl¹, respectively.A peak value was reached in both groups at the 6th hour, whichwas followed by a slow decrease. A significant difference betweenthe two groups (P<0.05) was observed at the 1st, 2nd, 4thand 6th hour. An inverse correlation between maximal changesof fibrinogen and of D-dimer was found in both groups (r= 0.89,P<0.001 in Group 1; r=-0.81, P<0.001 in Group 2). The relationship between D-dimer and fibrinogen variations afterstreptokinase and changes induced by heparin, support the hypothesisthat the decrease of fibrinogen, following thrombolysis, isnot only the consequence of its direct degradation, but alsothe result of its transformation by streptokinase into fibrin,fibrin cross-linked (with facilitation of thrombogenic condition)and then into the stable catabolite, D-dimer. These data confirma thrombogenic effect of streptokinase therapy; this tendencycan be limited by prompt use of high doses of heparin.     

Infant and Neonatal Mortality for Primary Cesarean and Vaginal Births to Women with “No Indicated Risk,” United States, 1998–2001 Birth Cohorts

ABSTRACT: Background: The percentage of United States’ births delivered by cesarean section has increased rapidly in recent years, even for women considered to be at low risk for a cesarean section. The purpose of this paper is to examine infant and neonatal mortality risks associated with primary cesarean section compared with vaginal delivery for singleton full‐term (37–41 weeks’ gestation) women with no indicated medical risks or complications. Methods: National linked birth and infant death data for the 1998–2001 birth cohorts (5,762,037 live births and 11,897 infant deaths) were analyzed to assess the risk of infant and neonatal mortality for women with no indicated risk by method of delivery and cause of death. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model neonatal survival probabilities as a function of delivery method, and sociodemographic and medical risk factors. Results: Neonatal mortality rates were higher among infants delivered by cesarean section (1.77 per 1,000 live births) than for those delivered vaginally (0.62). The magnitude of this difference was reduced only moderately on statistical adjustment for demographic and medical factors, and when deaths due to congenital malformations and events with Apgar scores less than 4 were excluded. The cesarean/vaginal mortality differential was widespread, and not confined to a few causes of death. Conclusions: Understanding the causes of these differentials is important, given the rapid growth in the number of primary cesareans without a reported medical indication. (BIRTH 33:3 September 2006)     

常温与低温体外循环心脏直视手术对细胞因子及补体的影响

目的探讨常温及低温体外循环心脏直视手术对细胞因子及补体的影响。方法选择先天性和风湿性心脏病患者40例,随机分为常温组及低温组各20例,分别于术晨、体外循环结束时及术后1、4、7、14 d抽取患者静脉血标本,测定血浆TNF、IL-2、C3、C4值。结果两组术前各项检查指标无显著差异。(1)两组术后1~4 d的IL-2水平较术前显著下降,至术后7 d恢复正常。体外循环结束至术后4 d,低温组IL-2显著低于常温组。(2)体外循环结束时以及术后1、4、7 d,常温组TNF水平显著低于低温组。两组体外循环结束时及术后1、4 d均高于术前,常温组至术后7 d、低温组术后14 d恢复正常。(3)体外循环结束时及术后1、7 d,常温组C3水平高于低温组,术后4 d两组无差别;常温组及低温组于体外循环结束时、术后1、4 d均低于术前,至术后7 d常温组恢复正常,低温组至术后14 d恢复至术前水平。(4)两组体外循环结束时及术后1、4 d C4水平均低于术前。体外循环结束时、术后1 d,常温组C4水平高于低温组。结论常温体外循环心脏直视手术对细胞因子及补体的影响显著轻于低温组,因而对术后机体的恢复优于低温方法。     

低分子肝素治疗不稳定型心绞痛41例临床观察

目的:探讨低分子肝素治疗不稳定型心绞痛(UA)的临床疗效。方法:对41例不稳定型心绞痛病例,治疗前均常规治疗。在此基础上低分子肝素(体重≤60 kg为5 000 U,体重>60 kg为7 500 U),12 h 1次皮下注射,连用7~14 d,分别于用药前30 min,用药后48 h采血测定活化部分凝血活酶时间(APTT),凝血酶原时间(PT)。结果:显效9例,有效24例,总有效率80.5%。结论:低分子肝素具有高比例的抗因子Xa和抗因子Ⅱa活性,由于其分子量小,与血浆蛋白和内皮细胞结合减少,所以生物利用度高,血浆半衰期长。疗效可取得与肝素同样甚至更高抗凝血酶效果,并且有发生严重出血事件低的优点。